Snowy Monaro Regional Council is considering a proposal that could see it break up. Photo: Gail Eastaway.
A regional council has put de-amalgamation back on the table, despite not enough people voting for it in a community survey.
In October 2025, Snowy Monaro Regional Council (SMRC) agreed to include a question in its community satisfaction survey asking residents if they supported demerging.
In the survey, 59 per cent of respondents gave their support, falling short of the 66 per cent target. Under the council’s plan, anything lower than that target meant the council would not consider de-amalgamation.
Snowy Monaro Regional Council formed almost a decade ago, through the merger of the Bombala, Cooma-Monaro and Snowy River shires.
In light of the response, councillor Reuben Rose called for the council to move ahead and consider demalgamation, asking for a report to come back to the council at a future meeting.
The report will include information on a poll’s legal requirements and the cost of holding one.
He said the poll had revealed “some interesting results” and showed there was at least some support.
“I think the 59 per cent in favour of a business case for a demerger had an additional 13 per cent that were unsure … If we proportion those equally, we get to the threshold of about 66 per cent [of people being in support of it].
“I feel as though what the survey tells is something quite interesting.”
The need to listen to the community was echoed by Cr Luke Williamson.
“I’m not particularly a fan of demerging, but I made a commitment to be community-led. … The majority of our community, based on that survey result, would like us to have a look at demerging.”
“They’re the people we represent. Let’s do what they want us to do.”
Cr Tricia Hopkins pushed back on the proposal for further action on the issue.
She said the results showed there wasn’t enough support to meet the council’s minimum requirement for further action.
“It was very clear – at least two-thirds [support]. … I’m a little bit surprised as to why we are indeed taking further action.”
Cr Tanya Higgins said the result wasn’t showing “a landslide in any stretch of the imagination” in favour of splitting, and called on her fellow councillors to improve SRMC’s operations (rather than de-amalgamating).
“I don’t feel, at this point, that I can support going forward because it’s not just the cost of the poll.
“It’s the cost of the ultimate demerger and what that will cost our communities when their rates go up … I personally think the best thing is to put this to bed, once and for all.
“Give the community some stability so we can all move forward and give this organisation some stability so we can move forward, rather than be subjected to what sounds like years of polls, questionnaires, referendums and business cases.”
During the meeting, Cr Andrew Thaler described a potential demerger as a remaining live issue in the community since the 2016 amalgamation.
“The merger was forced on us, and I don’t think people have really settled with it, around the wider communities.
“It’s a very common and constant question [of] ‘What are we going to do?'”
He also said there were unknowns that the council needed to investigate what possible boundaries between Shires could look like, should the demerger go ahead.
“The actual, end result boundaries might be that Michelago can finally loose the shackles and join Queanbeyan.
“We don’t know what these Shires could look like, because it’s not going to be a strict demerger. It’s going to be a boundary adjustment.”
Mayor Chris Hana pushed back on his comments, saying it was incorrect to suggest those changes were on the table.
He said the demerger (and the poll being debated by councillors) was only about dividing the amalgamated council area.
“The demeging is going back to the three Shires, not changing the boundaries. That is a different poll you’re asking [for].”
Cr Bob Stewart called for the poll to be held during a local government election, saying people would be “focused on one issue” at the time, and be thinking about their immediate area.
“I think the big benefit of having a poll on the local election [ballot paper] is it will give the incoming council, the elected council, an opportunity to review where weaknesses and strengths are [of the council].”
Ultimately, Crs Stewart, Rose, Thaler, Nick Elliot, and Luke Wiliamson voted to move ahead with the poll.
Crs Lynda Summers, Higgins, Rooney, Hopkins, Narelle Davis and Mayor Hana voted against it.
