The State Government has been indicating that Councils will know more about their long term fates by the end of the year. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) will release its analysis of Councils ‘Fit for the Future’ claims shortly. Evidently, Councils will then have the opportunity to respond to this report by the end of the year. Then the Government may announce its intentions regarding amalgamations.

It is likely that many Councils (including Willoughby) did not give due regard to the population size of their area. This could turn out to be one of the most critical dimensions weighted by IPART.

Time will tell.