By Julian Bajkowski

A simmering row between Tasmanian councils and business group Tasmanians for Reform has boiled over after the head of the Local Government Association of Tasmania, Mayor Barry Easther, accused the lobby group’s spokeswoman, Mary Massina,  of having “finally lost the plot” and inventing a “conspiracy theory”.

The angry broadside from LGAT blasts what it claims are as “beyond preposterous” assertions from Tasmanians for Reform “that State and Local Government have joined with the TCCI [Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry] in a covert operation to increase the number of councils in the state”.

The number of local governments and elected representatives in Tasmania – there are 29 councils and 281 councillors who represent a population of around 500,000 people – has been a volatile issue for years, especially for business groups.

The latest hostilities between the two groups have erupted over the long-running debate of whether ratepayers and businesses might  enjoy improved services and lower costs through a consolidation of local governments and representatives.

Tasmanians for Reform is actively pushing for local government reform and counts the Retail Traders Association of Tasmania, the Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council, the Real Estate Institute of Tasmania and the Property Council of Australia among its members.

However the outspoken group’s ideas have prompted vigorous and robust reactions from LGAT, and any suggestion that the number of local governments or councillors may increase further drew another immediate  and furious response.

“It has got to the stage that this spokesperson [Mary Massina] for seemingly everybody in the state has decided that if people don’t agree with her view of the world then she will simply make up stories that suit her ends,” Mayor Easther fumed in a statement.

But Ms Massina laughed-off the tough talk when contacted by Government News and commended LGAT for stating its position on council numbers.

“It’s good they’ve ruled out more councils,” Ms Massina said. “It’s the first time they have.”

“The community has highlighted the fact that they want reform,” she said.