Council mergers were supposed to be voluntary, but have become compulsory. 

There were sustainability criteria, but it appears that when a council such as Bombala’s met those, the Baird government changed the criteria. 

How else to explain KPMG’s two very different reports on the merits of merger, the very guarded one to the the council and the later, more upbeat one to the government? 

The outcome of the merger is a Snowy Monaro regional council area of more than 15,000 square km – about the same size as East Timor, larger than some 35 other countries, six times the size of the ACT – with an estimated permanent population of 21,000. 

Talk about taking the local out of local government.  

The outcome is bad enough.  But to me it is the process – unfair, unjust, an abuse of power – that, more than anything, calls for people to take a stand.  

There may be a legal challenge to the merger – good luck with that. 

I am more concerned with how the aggrieved individual, who usually feels powerless in situations like this, can have an impact.

State MP John Barilaro makes the point that he will pay at the ballot box if people are unhappy.  He can say that, secure in the knowledge that he will not face the voters until 2019.

But there is another ballot coming up – the federal election. 

Because this is Eden-Monaro, every vote counts.  

This turns the election on July 2 into a potential weapon of protest that is not only timely but very powerful, for those individual voters in Bombala minded to use it that way.

Over the many years I worked with Bob Stewart in his role as mayor of Bombala I came to know that he was (and is) a passionate advocate and a tireless worker for the community. 

I also know that the decision the NSW Government has made to abolish Bombala Council would have been one that feels very personally and deeply.

Bob has put a huge personal commitment into being Mayor, one that goes well beyond any allowances or personal reward.  

I just wanted to put on record the appreciation I feel (even as a non Bombala resident) for the work he has done and note that the NSW government's amalgamation decision in no reflects badly on the passion and effort he (and indeed other councilors) have put in to the community. 

Bombala has already won a lottery for the shire’s amalgamation.

Bombala Council announced at its June 2015 meeting that it would increase the rates by 30 per cent over the next three years.

The shire planned to increase the 2016 rates by nine per cent above 2015 rates and the balance over the next two years.

One of the conditions of the amalgamations is that the new shires do not increase rates for the first four years.

This saves Bombala rate payers approximately $3million over the next four years.

Let’s hope some of the younger Bombala people grab this opportunity to expand their new ideas and resurrect Bombala.