Labor Candidates Andrew Zbik and David Roenfeldt today welcomed the backflip announced yesterday by the NSW Premier that Lane Cove Council will not be forced to merge with Hunters Hill and Ryde Councils. 

Labor Candidate for Central Ward David Roenfeldt said "It's great that the Liberal State Government has canned any further forced Council amalgamations. However, it is still a mess for many Councils who have used ratepayer’s money to go to Court against these unfair amalgamations. Ratepayers can be forgiven for being cynical about this backflip just over a month out from Council elections. To clean up this mess we all need to convey our dismay at the ballot box. Send the Libs a message that this sort of thing is not on and vote for them last."

Labor Candidate for West Ward Andrew Zbik said "It is crazy that we had a Liberal dominated Lane Cove Council spend upward of $200,000 on legal bills fighting a Liberal State Government to stop the proposed amalgamation."

"This is what happens when we don't have diversity of representation at a local level. The Labor Party has a policy of not forcing any Councils to merge against the will of local residents.” Explained Mr Zbik.

The election for Lane Cove Council will be held on Saturday 9th September. Out of the current nine Councillors - six are members of the Liberal party and three are independents. Andrew Zbik was the Labor Candidate for Lane Cove at the 2015 State Election and is running as a candidate in West Ward.

David Roenfeldt leads a historic Labor ticket in Central Ward – the first time an endorsed Labor candidate has contested Central Ward in over 50 years.