City of Newcastle Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal found that Newcastle City Council was not "fit for the future", it was recommended that the City of Newcastle merge with Lake Macquarie City Council. However, the Minister for Local Government subsequently proposed that Newcastle City Council instead merge with Port Stephens Council to form a new council with an area of and support a population of approximately 230,000. The outcome of an independent review was completed by mid–2016. On 14 February 2017, the NSW Government announced it would not be proceeding with further regional council mergers, including the Newcastle City Council and Port
Newcastle City Hall (Australia) the early twentieth century. In 1937 the 11 borough councils in Newcastle were amalgamated to form the City of Newcastle and the Town Hall became the legislative and administrative hub from this time. The name was changed to City Hall in honour of this event. During the war years City Hall formed an important hub for charitable and patriotic organisations as community activities of this nature burgeoned, and also hosted recruitment rallies, patriotic fundraising concerts, returned soldiers events. A request by the Anti-Conscription Committee to hold a meeting in the City Hall, on the other hand, was denied by the