The head of the Office of Local Government was forced into an embarrassing backdown when conceding she did not know what impact council mergers would have on rates.
The office's chief executive, Murcia Tuhene, was grilled during her appearance before an upper house inquiry into local government, which is examining the state government's push to reduce the number of NSW councils through its "Fit for the Future" process.
"Local government reform has been happening right across Australia and right across other OECD countries, in particular, New Zealand and the United Kingdom," Ms Tuhene told the inquiry.
"Sometimes it produces different higher rates and sometimes it produces lower rates."
However, this statement was immediately challenged by Greens MP David Shoebridge, who asked Ms Tuhene to "name one jurisdiction" where rates had dropped as a result of a council merger.
"Tell me where – any jurisdiction – Kiribati, Fiji, Spain, France," Mr Shoebridge said. "Tell me one place on the globe where it has produced lower rates."
Ms Tuhene instead nominated to "withdraw that answer" before opting not to agree with Mr Shoebridge's assertion that "the best evidence is that everywhere we have had these amalgamations rates have gone up".
"I cannot agree with that because I don't know," Ms Tuhene said.
That answer prompted a sharp rebuke from Mr Shoebridge.
"But you are the head of the Office of Local Government," he said.
"It is your job to know."
Local Government NSW president Keith Rhodes said the government's consistent claims that the "Fit for the Future" process was designed to drive down rates, improve infrastructure and provide better services had never been backed by evidence.
"Many have argued that the real efficiency gain from amalgamations is that the state government and property developers simply have fewer councils to deal with," Cr Rhodes said.
Ms Tuhene agreed to provide further information to the inquiry on notice. It will hold its second public hearing on August 10.
