On 27 March 1955, following the devastating Hunter Valley (Maitland) floods, local councils from across the region gathered at Cessnock City Council to hear the views and opinions of local government authorities on crucial issues such as flooding, restoration of flood-damaged areas, and related concerns, forming the opinion that:
“Local Government in the Hunter Valley should be united on general matters and in their approach to the State and Federal Government’s for positive action and assistance”
From that meeting, it was resolved that the Shire and Municipal Councils would unite and form themselves into the Hunter Valley Local Government Reconstruction Association “to formulate demands ….and place these …before the State and Federal Governments”.
The Association soon expanded its reach and influence to total 15 councils across the region, at the time including:
- Cessnock Municipality
- Kearsley Shire Council
- Lower Hunter Shire
- Maitland City Council
- Merriwa Shire Council
- Murrurundi Shire Council
- Muswellbrook Municipality
- Muswellbrook Shire Council
- Newcastle City Council
- Patrick Plains Shire
- Port Stephens Shire
- Scone Municipal Council
- Singleton Municipality
- Upper Hunter Shire Council
- Wallarobba Shire Council
Fast forward 70 years ….we’ve come a long way, the names of many of the founding councils are long gone, but collaboration across the ten Councils of the Hunter and MidCoast remains strong.
This reflects the continued recognition by our local government leaders in the power of a united and aligned voice for the region focusing on shared issues and opportunities, and the enormous value of a collective forum for influencing and collaborating with other levels of government.
That collaboration has occurred in many forms over the years, and continues today through the Hunter Joint Organisation, established in 2018 alongside twelve other joint organisations across regional NSW to provide a way for local councils, state and federal governments and regional partners to plan, advocate for and work together to progress shared regional priorities.
We thank both our member councils and regional partners for their continued involvement and commitment to working together to improve outcomes for communities right across the Hunter region.
Image from The University Library Special Collections The Jim Lucey Collection – Images of the 1955 Flood in Maitland‘