Federation Ratepayers chair David Bott on council review set-up

That is the view of Federation Ratepayers chairman David Bott, who has pushed for an outside examination.

On Friday, all councillors agreed, at an extraordinary meeting, to have external scrutiny of the financial sustainability of the council and advantages and disadvantages of the merger which gave birth to Federation in 2016.

Mr Bott said the success of the process depended on engaging the community.

"We really strongly believe it needs to entail the ability for both the community, the council and the reviewer to share the journey," Mr Bott said.

"It is a three-legged stool and without one of those legs then the reality is the recommendations and the actions that come from the review won't be accepted wholeheartedly and fully.

"It's got to be a tripartite journey, we've all got to go on it together."

Councillor David Fahey, who moved the motion at Friday's meeting to engage an outside consultant, would like to see Newcastle University Professor Joseph Drew undertake the project.

He said if Professor Drew was engaged that would involve public feedback.

"The process, (as) I understand it, is that he will hold workshops with councillors, he does public meetings with interest groups, every member of the community has (an) opportunity to input right throughout the review," Cr Fahey said.

"Every single resident, councillors, the staff members right through the whole council, not just Corowa area, not just Urana area, everyone has the opportunity to have input."

While Mr Fahey's motion stated "council consider engaging the pre-eminent Professor Joseph Drew and his independent nominees", they are not certainties.

Council general manager Adrian Butler said policy stipulated there needed to be a request for quotes and it was practice that a minimum of three are obtained.

The cost for the review has been estimated to be $130,000 and how that is funded will be subject to consideration by council staff before a recommendation is put to the council's June meeting.

Cr Fahey also said the merger benefits promoted by the NSW government were illusory.

"(At public meetings) someone will inevitably throw their hand up and say 'where's all the savings, where's all the efficiencies that the state government promised', well bad news they were never there in my opinion," Cr Fahey said.

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