Queensland’s 17 Indigenous local councils should have a key role in coordinating efforts to reduce Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage, according to the Local Government Association of Queensland, (LGAQ).
LGAQ President Paul Bell said the Federal Government’s report on the Strategic Review of Indigenous Expenditure, released under Freedom of Information laws, showed that policies aimed at reducing Indigenous disadvantage needed to be properly targeted to local needs.
Councillor Bell agreed with the view that effective partnership between the Commonwealth and State Government is critical to implementing the Indigenous reform agenda and achievement of the Closing the Gap targets.
“But sustainable reform will only be achieved when those partnerships extend to Local Government as well,” he said.”This is particularly pertinent in Indigenous communities.
“Mayors and Councillors in those communities are democratically elected to represent the interests of those community members. They live and work in the community they represent.They know the local situation and are a voice for local people.”
Councillor Bell said both the Federal and State Government should recommit themselves to genuinely listen to and formally engage with these Local Government representatives.
“Too often, local people and their representatives are consulted but only after the State or Commonwealth have made their determinations on what to do and what they think is needed and then seeking local feedback on those proposals.
“Now is an ideal time for new collaborative models to be set in place. Let’s not have good intentions and advice of ‘expert’ remote commentators lead us to making the same mistakes all over again.
“We have good and competent local representatives – listen to them, engage with them.”
Councillor Bell said LGAQ was eager to work with the Australian Government to encourage a new era in Commonwealth and Indigenous Local Government collaboration.
