MOVES are afoot in Hawks Nest-Tea Gardens to break away from Great Lakes Council and move into the Port Stephens Council.
The proposal is the brainchild of local Chamber of Commerce member, Patricia Michell.
She said that in terms of infrastructure, very little would change by moving to Port Stephens.
Ms Michell is also a member of the Great Lakes Council's Economic Development Committee.
Great Lakes mayor Cr John Chadban, general manager Keith O'Leary, Port Stephens mayor Craig Baumann and general manager Peter Gesling attended a meeting of the chamber last Thursday night to discuss the advantages or otherwise of the area being included in Port Stephens Council.
Cr Chadban said, "I see no benefit in moving Hawks Nest-Tea Gardens into Port Stephens Council and we would not contemplate supporting this proposal.
"There would be no gain to local residents whatsoever, as the business community and the ordinary householder would both be paying more.
"While the residential rate in Great Lakes is about the same as Port Stephens, our business rate is $1,829.78 compared with $2,691.98 at Port Stephens; our garbage collection costs $215 it is $299 at Port Stephens.
"We don't charge for dumping green waste while Port Stephens charges $23 and, a small trailer load of rubbish costs Great Lakes residents up to $8 but at Port Stephens is costs $37."
Cr Baumann said there were logical reasons for Hawks Nest-Tea Gardens to join Port Stephens Council such as their being so close to the waterways of Port Stephens and other parts of his council.
"Hawks Nest-Tea Gardens is 50km from Raymond Terrace and 100km from Forster and I believe residents from Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest use Raymond Terrace as their service town."
Mr O'Leary said the proposal was not a matter of simply changing the border between the councils.
"The boundaries were established on catchments and the catchments for Port Stephens are the Karuah Valley and Myall Lakes system, both of which are in the Great Lakes shire.
"Two Boundaries Commissions have previously examined the boundaries and made no alteration to them.
"For the move to excise Hawks Nest - Tea Gardens from Great Lakes to be successful, both councils would have to agree to a change in their boundaries or 250 or 10 per cent of electors from the area affected would have to make a strong case to the Minister for Local Government who could approve the change.
"However, Great Lakes Council would not agree to relinquish Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest area because it would be the same as someone giving away a part of their business with no compensation."
Mr O'Leary said a third option was for the matter to be referred to the Boundaries Commission for examination and determination, a process through which all ratepayers would have the opportunity to make a submission.
However, he doubted if any Boundaries Commission would support a change of boundaries that made one council better off and another less viable.
Mr O'Leary said another issue which had to be taken into consideration was a proposal by the Newcastle Business Chamber that Newcastle City Council take in the Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Port Stephens councils to make a super council similar to Greater Brisbane Council.
The suggested new super council would have more than 500,000 residents and have a flow-on effect for Great Lakes and Taree City Council.
Cr Chadban will present a mayoral minute to the next meeting of the council recommending that the council oppose the move.
Mr O'Leary said Great Lakes had built a state of the art library at Tea Gardens only two years ago, had a district council office with permanent staff and operated a swimming pool and other community facilities in the area.
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