In a first for Western Australia, the Town of Victoria Park in metropolitan Perth, and the Shire of Morawa 400 km to the north, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to recognise the importance of an effective working relationship between the two councils.
Morawa Shire President, Karen Chappel, said, “This gives us an exciting future, with an opportunity for both local governments to work and grow together.”
Town of Victoria Park Mayor, Trevor Vaughan, said, “The MOU in a visionary approach between local governments to support each other, share knowledge, resources and the experience of staff.”
Town of Victoria Park Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Vuleta, said, “We are taking a partnership approach and working on a model to set the bar for other local governments to copy, so the benefits might be seen across all of local government in Western Australia.
“Unlike an amalgamation process, without boundary connections, we can be truly cooperative with no conflict or competitiveness. Partnering and doing things differently is the key.”
Morawa Chief Executive Officer, Chris Linnell, said, “We expect it will also provide career development opportunities for staff and better community outcomes.
“We are governed by the same legislation and regulations, we have very different communities, landscapes, service demands and challenges and welcome the opportunity to share technical skills, cultural learnings and new ways of thinking.”
In a workshop held amongst combined senior management staff opportunities were identified for working together on financial management, economic development, town planning, community development, civil engineering, asset management, governance and regulatory compliance.
