The push for secession of City of Armadale suburbs Harrisdale and Piara Waters to the City of Cockburn is unlikely to occur because both local governments would need to support it, according to Cockburn mayor Logan Howlett.
Mr Howlett made the comments as residents prepared to collect the minimum 250 signatures needed for a petition to trigger a boundary change process with the Local Government Advisory Board.
The residents want to secede from Armadale because of its high rate in the dollar and they argue the services they use are in the cities of Cockburn, Gosnells or Canning.
Polls on facebook have shown residents would prefer to be within the City of Cockburn.
Armadale chief executive Ray Tame said the city would oppose the secession because it would occur right in the middle of the development contribution plan for the area.
When asked whether Cockburn would support a boundary change, Mr Howlett said while the city had not considered any proposal it was unlikely to occur without both councils supporting it.
“Any boundary change proposal needs to be supported by all local governments involved in order to be successful,” he said.
“It is unlikely that a boundary change will occur, the Minister for Local Government (Tony Simpson) has made it clear that he won’t support change that is not supported by the affected local governments.
“We would encourage residents to continue to engage with the City of Armadale in order to address their issues and concerns.”
Mr Simpson, the local member for the area, previously suggested residents speak to the LGAB.
Mr Howlett said changes should also form part of a larger and considered approach, which promoted both the long-term sustainability of local governments and better outcomes for residents.
“Transition processes to undertake boundary changes are costly and time consuming processes for all involved,” he said.
Mr Tame said other than through amalgamation he didn’t recall a development contribution plan ever being transferred in its entirety from one authority to another.
The last successful boundary change application was by Noranda residents who wanted to move from the City of Swan to the City of Bayswater.
Both councils supported the application and the LGAB recommended the minister approve it.
In the past year two other boundary applications failed because one council did not agree with it.
A move by Wattle Grove residents to change their boundary from the Shire of Kalamunda to the City of Gosnells was rejected by the LGAB because it faced opposition from the shire and Kalamunda residents.
Another move by Fremantle residents to move to the Town of Mosman Park was struck down because the City of Fremantle did not agree with it.
The cities of Gosnells and Canning were cryptic when asked whether they supported a boundary change to include Harrisdale and Piara Waters in their cities.
City of Gosnells chief executive Ian Cowie said the city had no desire to expand its boundaries while City of Canning chief executive Arthur Kyron said the city had not requested any change.
