Minutes of Demerger Transition Committee Meeting

Demerger Transition Committee Meeting Minutes

11 August 2026

MINUTES OF Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council
Demerger Transition Committee Meeting
HELD AT THE Alby Schultz meeting Centre, Cootamundra
ON Tuesday, 11 August 2026 AT 4:01pm

PRESENT: Cr Rosalind Wight (Deputy Mayor and Chair), Cr Abb McAlister (Mayor) (online), Cr David Graham, Cr Penny Nicholson, Cr Gil Kelly, Cr Ethan Ryan

IN ATTENDANCE: Peter Bascomb (Demerger Transition Manager), Roger Bailey (Interim General Manager)

2 Apologies, Leave of Absence, and AUDIO-VISUAL attendance requests

2.1 Apologies

Apology

Committee Resolution

Moved: Cr David Graham

Seconded: Cr Gil Kelly

That the apology received from Cr Cooper be noted.

Carried

2.2 Leave of Absence

Nil

2.3 Audio-visual attendance requests

Nil

3 Disclosures of Interest

Nil

4 Confirmation of Minutes

4.1 Minutes of the Demerger Transition Committee Meeting held on Tuesday 14 July 2026

Committee Resolution

Moved: Cr Gil Kelly

Seconded: Cr Ethan Ryan

That the Minutes of the Demerger Transition Committee Meeting held on Tuesday 14 July 2026 be confirmed as a true and correct record of the meeting.

Carried

5 Reports

5.1 General Manager Office

5.1.1 GM-Designate Recruitment - Request for Quotation

Committee Resolution

Moved: Cr Gil Kelly

Seconded: Cr David Graham

That the Committee:

1. Endorses the General Manager-Designate Recruitment - Request for Quotation documents attached to this report.

2. Authorises the immediate public release of the Request for Quotation consistent with Council’s Procurement Policy.

3. Recommends to Council that the recruitment committees be renamed as recruitment ‘panels’.

Carried

5.1.2 Confirmation of Successor Councils' Governance Arrangements

Committee Resolution

Moved: Cr Ethan Ryan

Seconded: Cr Gil Kelly

1. The Committee recommends that Council confirm the following preferences for the governance arrangements for the successor councils:

(a) That the boundaries of the proposed Cootamundra and Gundagai Shire Councils be the same as existed immediately prior to the 2016 merger.

(b) That both Cootamundra and Gundagai Shire Councils be undivided - that is, neither council will have wards.

(c) That Cootamundra Shire Council have seven councillors.

(d) That Gundagai Shire Council have five councillors.

(e) That for both successor councils the Mayor be elected in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993 section 227(a), namely elected by the councillors from among their number.

2. The Committee recommends that Council request that the first election of councillors be conducted at the same time as the next local government general elections, currently scheduled for September 2028.

3. The committee recommends that Council request that, for the period from commencement on 1 July 2027 until the first councillor election, the Proclamation specify:

(a) that the governing bodies be

(i) For Cootamundra Shire Council, those Councillors holding office at 30 June 2027, and not suspended from office, whose primary residence is within the proclaimed boundary for the Cootamundra Shire local government area.

(ii) For Gundagai Shire Council, those Councillors holding office at 30 June 2027, and not suspended from office, whose primary residence is within the proclaimed boundary for the Gundagai Shire local government area.

(b) That each governing body established under part (a) above is authorised to:

(i) Elect a Chief Administrator to chair meetings and perform the roles of the Mayor as described in the Local Government Act 1993 section 226.

(ii) Determine the remuneration of Chief Administrator and Administrators in the same manner as councils determine the remuneration for the Mayor and other councillors.

Carried

The Meeting closed at 4:29pm.


CHAIRPERSON	INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER