"A league of councils, not amalgamation"

Cowra mayor and deputy Centroc chair Bill West joined his Centroc leader colleague Ken Keith in Sydney this week after the central west council group was selected to pilot the new Joint Organisations initiative.

Centroc is one of five council groups across the state to trial the initiative, which will see local councils partner on major projects and share resources.

Joint Organisations are a key component of the State Government's "Fit for the Future" local government reform package, designed - it says - to unite regional councils with common goals for their communities.

Cr Keith said the initiative is a golden opportunity for the region to take a proactive role in "strong, positive local government reform".

"It provides us with sustainability and strength of numbers, yet retains our sense of community, regional identities and local representation," Cr Keith said.

"Centroc welcomes the opportunity to work with the State and other Regional Organisations of Councils to build on the successful collaboration between Councils undertaken in this region for the past 30 years.

"Centroc will work to strengthen what we already have, not take away from it.

"Joint Organisations are not amalgamations, they are a league of councils."

Cr West said from Centroc's perspective, Joint Organisations are all about "collaborating with all of our members in an informed way to bring change that has a net benefit to our communities".

Joining Centroc in piloting the initiative next year are the the Hunter, Illawarra, Namoi and Riverina regions.

Eleven applications to pilot Joint Organisations were received by the State Government, covering 14 regions across NSW.

Centroc represents over 220,000 people over an area of more than 70,000 square kilometres. Centroc includes the Local Government Areas of Bathurst, Blayney, Boorowa, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Mid-Western, Oberon, Orange, Parkes, Upper Lachlan, Weddin, Young and Central Tablelands Water.