On November 29, 2025, residents of the Snowy Valleys Council (SVC) delivered a resounding mandate for de-amalgamation, voting overwhelmingly in favour of returning the two previous councils to their former boundaries.
The referendum, requested by Minister Ron Hoenig, MP, marks the culmination of a long-standing campaign by Tumbarumba to overturn the controversial forced merger with Tumut.
With vote counting nearly complete, at time of writing (6 Dec), an outstanding 87% of residents have voted 'YES' including a significant majority from the former Tumut Shire. The decision now rests with Minister Hoenig, who is expected to move toward proclamation, formalising the demerger.
A long-standing proponent for demerging mega councils, Minister Hoenig declared, “The important thing is the communities of Snowy Valleys are given the choice to make this decision for themselves – not have it made for them by the state government which has no mandate to interfere with local democracy.”
Campaign leaders attribute the success to the sustained support of an invested community, and highlight the hard work of Justin Clancy, MP for Albury, and Dr. Joe McGirr, MP for Wagga who championed the cause through government.
In Dr. Joe McGirr’s words, “The YES vote shows the communities of the Snowy Valleys are committed to charting a new future with more localised council representation."
Video courtesy of John Illingsworth. Website by Flow Interactive