The Baird government has created 19 new councils across Sydney and NSW. And the government has said it would merge another nine, pending the outcome of litigation over council mergers.

"The most comprehensive local government reform in more than 100 years will result in 19 new councils beginning operations from today," Premier Mike Baird said.

Administrators and interim general managers have been appointed to each of the new councils, which will not hold their elections until September next year - 12 months later than those not being merged.

Local Government Minister Paul Toole said it would be business as usual for residents in new council areas, with services operating as normal.

Each new council will receive up to $10 million to meet the costs of merging, plus up to $15 million for investment in new community infrastructure.

"New councils and their communities will decide how to spend their community funds," Mr Toole said.

"Projects could include pools, libraries, sporting fields, car park expansions or grants to junior sporting groups."

But dismissed mayors and councillors said leaving councils under the control of an administrator and general manager for more than a year was "undemocratic".

"Winter has come to the inner west and like Ned Stark the heads of democratically elected representatives have been chopped off," former Leichhardt mayor Darcy Byrne said.

"If Mike Baird and Paul Toole think that by arrogantly imposing their will on the inner west that the have finished this fight, they have got another thing coming."

A review of the merged councils would be conducted in four years.

But the Baird government has also shied away from merging a number of politically contentious regions. Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, facing a tough fight for the seat of Windsor, had argued against a proposed merger of Tamworth and Walcha councils.

Those councils will be spared amalgamation, Mr Baird announced on Thursday. Also spared amalgamation are Hawkesbury and The Hills shire council in north-west Sydney. A delegate appointed by the government to assess the proposed Hawkesbury and Hills merger advised against it.

As part of the reforms, Mr Baird also revealed new rules to curb the influence of property developers on councils.

More to come.

The minister has announced that he will proceed with the formation of the following councils:

Armidale Regional Council (Armidale, Dumaresq and Guyra)

Canterbury-Bankstown Council (Bankstown and Canterbury)

Central Coast Council (Gosford and Wyong)

City of Parramatta Council (Parramatta and part of Hills, Auburn, Holroyd and Hornsby)

Cumberland Council (Auburn and Holroyd)

Edward River Council (Conargo and Deniliquin)

Federation Council (Corowa and Urana)

Georges River Council (Hurstville and Kogarah)

Gundagai Council (Cootamundra and Gundagai)

Snowy Monaro Regional Council (Bombala, Cooma Monaro and Snowy River)

Hilltops Council (Boorowa, Harden and Young)

Inner West Council (Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville)

Mid-Coast Council (Gloucester, Great Lakes and Greater Taree)

Murray River Council (Murray and Wakool)

Murrumbidgee Council (Jerilderie and Murrumbidgee)

Northern Beaches Council (Manly, Pittwater and Warringah)

Queanbeyan-Palerange Regional Council (Queanbeyan and Palerang)

Snowy Valleys Council (Tumut and Tumbarumba)

Western Plains Regional Council (Dubbo and Wellington)

Subject to the decisions of the courts, the Minister has announced his in-principle support for the following mergers

Botany and Rockdale

Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra

Bathurst and Oberon

Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby

Mosman, North Sydney and Willoughby

Blayney, Cabonne and Orange

Hunters Hill, Lane Cove and Ryde

Burwood, Canada Bay and Strathfield

Shellharbour and Wollongong

Merger proposals pending

Newcastle and Port Stephens

Dungog and Maitland

Armidale-Dumaresq, Guyra, Walcha and Uralla