The state opposition has renewed its commitment to establish Sunbury as a standalone municipality if elected in November.
Speaking exclusively to Star Weekly, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the Liberals would make good on a promise made four years ago for Sunbury to cut ties with Hume.
“We have clear commitments for Sunbury – a specific City of Sunbury, which we stand by as a promise,” Mr Guy said. “We will have a City of Sunbury, we will give them their own council, we will have that split from Hume.”
Sunbury Residents Association vice president Trevor Dance said the association was strongly in favour of the move, but wanted “no political games this time”.
“Even if the Sunbury seat is won by Labor but Liberals win the election then Sunbury out of Hume is to still occur,” Mr Dance said.
The idea of Sunbury splitting from Hume council has been discussed for a number of years. Agitation for the break-up stemmed from semi-rural Sunbury residents arguing their metropolitan neighbours were not on top of their needs.
In September 2014, the Napthine government announced Sunbury and Bulla would be allowed to leave Hume council, after a poll held in October 2013 showed Hume residents were in favour of the split.
The non-compulsory postal poll was completed by 60,576 Hume residents, revealing 59.96 per cent favoured Sunbury breaking away.
But the move was abandoned by the Andrews government in October 2015, after independent Transition Auditors advised against it, claiming it would come at a significant financial cost to local residents.
The Andrews government said it was in favor of the split prior to the October announcement.
Mr Guy said he believed the Liberals had “what it takes” to claim the seat of Sunbury from current Sunbury MP Josh Bull in the state election.
Star Weekly contacted Hume council.
