Coal seam gas extraction will be an impact issue in NSW local council M&As

So much for visions of the future. But I'm getting off the point.

Despite the loud voices protesting M&As, one mayor said opposition to the possibility was not as widespread as some might imagine and that the loud voices were not necessarily representative.

This is all very well but as we know from past experience, workshops and conferences of this nature never come to a conclusion.

The workshop sessions finished at lunchtime on Thursday August 18 but there was no conclusive evidence that they had achieved their goal of deciding upon a destination.

This is where coal seam gas becomes the issue.

Barry O'Farrell and Andrew Stoner, as leaders of the parliamentary Liberal and National parties in NSW are searching far and wide for an issue that will create a turning point in the council M&A problem.

Turning points are deal breakers. And Mr O'Farrell and his local government Minister, Don Page, have their hands on a real 90 degree hottie.

Councils will not agree to widespread M&As themselves – too many vested interests, too many individuals with too much to lose financially and reputationally.

Coal seam gas exploration and extraction is enshrined in legislation but nothing has ever fired the imaginations of an alliance of cockies, greenies and townies quite so much.

Local councils have no communication mechanisms or strategies with which to engage opposition to issues from well-resourced groups such as GetUp and Lock The Gate when they balloon beyond measurable certainty.

Neither does the state government other than to divert attention and appear to be tackling it when in fact it will use it to achieve its own agenda.

The local government future for NSW will be 10 Sydney councils and another 10 or 12 across the remainder of NSW.

Regional councils wont be able to handle big issues like coal seam gas any better than the present dinky shire structure but the state government will have fewer councils to ride herd on.