Local Government Focus visited Tasmania last month to attend the annual Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) conference. Troy Pickard, president of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), addressed the delegates in Hobart in high spirits, pleased to discuss the elevation of local government to the Federal Cabinet.
In the Turnbull Government cabinet reshuffle, Senator Fiona Nash has been granted the Local Government portfolio, alongside Regional Development and Regional Communications roles.
The Nationals Senator and Deputy Leader takes over from Paul Fletcher, who has assumed the Urban Infrastructure portfolio.
Mayor Pickard told delegates the promotion to cabinet is welcome news for the local government sector and should prove “very powerful for us and our advocacy”.
Regional areas should be most pleased by the appointment of Senator Nash as she is gung-ho about her advocacy for regions, citing the overseeing of the NBN roll out and mobile black spot program as immediate priorities. The Government has said it will review its regional development policy in 2017 and Senator Nash should play a key role in the process.
More broadly, Mayor Pickard also said there might be an opportunity to review local government funding arrangements with the Federal Government, suggesting a push to streamline all current programs into “one funding pot”.
