In a surprising backflip, North Sydney mayor Jilly Gibson has backed her council's bid to keep fighting the state government's forced merger plans, despite declaring such efforts futile only days earlier.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In a rare moment of accord, the elected body of North Sydney voted unanimously to continue the council's legal challenge to the proposed merger with Willoughby and Mosman councils at Monday night's council meeting.
As the nine councillors arrived at council chambers, tensions were already high following a report by Fairfax Media last week in which Cr Gibson said the council needed to reassess its opposition to the merger.
"The courts can't save North Sydney council," Cr Gibson told the Herald on Wednesday. "There was one opportunity for our council to be saved and that was when Mike Baird stepped down and Gladys Berejiklian stood up."
But by Monday night Cr Gibson had changed her mind, voting to support Cr Zoe Baker's motion that the council "reiterate its commitment to maintain the legal challenge" by pursuing "every available legal avenue".
The successful motion means North Sydney council's case against the NSW government will be heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal in April.
The resolve of the seven councils fighting the mergers in the courts was tested last week, after NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian reaffirmed the government's intention to proceed with the five pending Sydney mergers.
Ms Berejiklian conceded her decision could jeopardise the Liberal Party's chances of retaining the North Shore electorate, which is expected to go to a by-election in the coming months after dumped health minister Jillian Skinner flagged her intention to resign in January.
The North Shore electorate takes in both North Sydney council and Mosman council, which has mounted a separate legal challenge to the merger, and voter backlash is expected to be a key by-election issue.
As the popularly-elected mayor, Cr Gibson is the council's official spokesperson on mergers, but her previous opposition to the ongoing legal action has become a flashpoint among the elected body.
Her comments last week raised the ire of a number of her fellow councillors who felt she had misrepresented the council's resolve to continue the legal battle by calling for her colleagues to "make a very carefully considered decision about whether or not we proceed".
The majority of Cr Gibson's colleagues have repeatedly endorsed the council's anti-merger campaign.
Her backflip on Monday night raised the eyebrows of her colleagues, who expected her to maintain her opposition to any further resistance to the merger.
Deputy mayor Melissa Clare said it was "the first time in four years she has voted with against amalgamations".
In September, Cr Gibson and her political ally Ginny Bevan were the sole votes against a motion demanding that the government immediately halt any further forced amalgamations. Cr Bevan was absent from Monday's meeting.
Cr Gibson gave no reason for her change of heart, electing not to speak to the motion. Six of her colleagues addressed council chambers in support of the motion.
Cr Baker said the community "overwhelmingly" supported the council's anti-merger position and "we must remain committed to that cause."
"Let's continue to fight on our feet."
Describing the merger as a "disaster" Cr MaryAnn Beregi said there would be "no benefits for North Sydney."
A later motion calling for the NSW government to provide council with an itemised breakdown of the $358 million it spent council reform last financial year was not supported by Cr Gibson.
