Now it’s called a merger. And to make matters more particular, it is actually called a “potential merger”.

Gunnedah and Liverpool Plains shire councils should “potentially merge”, according to the Independent Local Government Review Panel  - not “no change” as in the case of Tamworth, or a straight out “merge”, as in the case of Armidale Dumaresq and Guyra, but “potentially merge”.

Gunnedah Shire Council’s general manager Eric Groth told council late yesterday it appeared this meant Gunnedah still had some choice in whether Gunnedah and Liverpool Plains councils amalgamated.

But, as councillors discussed, it meant it was best to start to take a close look at the possibility.

Gunnedah Shire Council decided to begin discussions with Liverpool Shire Council about the benefits or otherwise of a merger.

The NSW government, in its document “Fit for the Future: A Blueprint for the Future of Local Government”, has straight out said the current system of local government isn’t going to work into the future. It says more than a third of the state’s 152 councils are facing financial trouble.

It has set aside a whopping $258 million to “help councils who have decided to merge to make the transition and provide services and facilities communities need” and a further $13 million to assist in the merger process.

There is clearly a priority for councils to merge – or amalgamate.

Is this right for Gunnedah? Liverpool Plains has a lot of similarities with Gunnedah Shire. It faces similar opportunities and challenges, a similar mix of industries. But we also need to consider the size of a new shire, the financial implications, the social consequences, the employment fallout, and where the council would be physically located.

A merger would mean big changes for both shires.

While the issue is clearly a divisive one for the existing council, they have taken the only path open to them – to investigate the issue and arm themselves with the argument for or against.