An article in the Northern Weekly reports that there is separation anxiety as questions are asked
Photo: Hume Councillor Helen Patsikatheodorou by the Greek Reporter
The report by Helen Grimaux states:There is a growing outcry about the legitimacy of state government processes in separating Sunbury from Hume municipality.
An increasing number of Hume councillors are questioning the government’s mandate to force the separation on the basis of an ‘‘ill-defined’’ election promise, which will result in significant rate rises in both Hume and the new Sunbury shire.
Cr Helen Patsikatheodorou said she was concerned the government had overstated last year’s poll of Hume voters as an “overwhelming” result in favour of Sunbury standing alone.
“I think the vote and count was misinterpreted,” she told the Weekly.
Meadow Valley ward colleague Cr Geoff Porter agreed. “People voted on a given scenario put forward by the government and, in my mind, there’s no reason why there should be any deflection from that.”
Cr Porter said Tullamarine residents did not vote to be included in a new Sunbury shire, with the poll stipulating Deep Creek as the boundary. Diggers Rest residents, who pay rates to Melton council, were not even included in the vote and yet might be subsumed into the new Sunbury shire.
Do the residents feel imposed upon or do we feel that this is the right approach? Personally, I was disappointed when we could not vote if we lived on the wrong side of the Freeway.
