President’s comment
Talk to anyone passionate about fighting for increased levels of support and recognition for local governments and they will be the first to tell you that local councils often do it tough. It’s a story echoed across the states, and we all are faced with our fair share of unique challenges. Queensland’s has most recently come in the form of repeated natural disasters, an inherited legacy of State Government debt and the disgruntled marriage of neighbouring councils which cut the number of shires in the state by more than half.
It’s a diverse patchwork of colourful communities and local councils, as I experienced firsthand while completing one of my first priorities as LGAQ President earlier this year – personally visiting as many councils in the region as possible. As the representative body of local governments in the nation’s second-largest state and the world’s sixth largest sub-national entity, it is safe to say that LGAQ has a unique membership base. But we are not without common cause.
The collective interests and shared advocacy priorities of our membership have been most recently highlighted in our 2013 Federal Election Policy Plan. The 10-point Plan proposes policy platforms that, if adopted by the next Federal Parliament, would reflect a commitment to local government as an integral component of Australian daily life.
Better funding for roads, a smarter approach to disaster management and a fairer go for Queensland in relation to the way federal money finds its way to local councils are among the policies listed as key local government priorities in the lead-up to the September 14th election.
We’re also asking both sides of politics to have a major rethink about the way so-called Financial Assistance Grants are distributed among the states. The current out-dated formula at best fails to recognise Queensland’s unique infrastructure needs generated by rapid resource industry growth, and at worst risks hindering national economic activity.
And of course, we’ve very publicly expressed our strong support for a September referendum to ensure the Australian Constitution recognises local government. This should be a national priority for local and state governments alike as it represents a chance for Australians to stand up for their local communities. At I write this column, we are days or perhaps hours away from hearing word as to whether the referendum has the go-ahead from the Federal Government. A referendum will give people a historic say on how road projects and other community services and infrastructure are funded. Although the nation has been down the referendum road twice before in relation to this issue we have learnt from our history and are in the best possible position to enact change.
Our 10-point Election Policy Plan reflects several months of consultation with member councils. But more than that, it reflects our operating ethos at LGAQ. While we frequently provide tailored services to individual councils, we also provide targeted advocacy support to groups of like-minded councils who share a similar set of issues and challenges. Our segment teams work with groups of resource-intensive councils, regional and remote and coastal councils along with Indigenous and larger South-East Queensland local governments in order to recognise and capitalise on shared priorities, lifestyles and landscapes (both cultural and physical).
In summary, despite Queensland’s rich diversity and often stark differences, we unite via our shared desire to back greater input and influence by local communities across a range of policy issues. If you would like to read our 10-point Election Policy Plan, you can do so via the LGAQ website.
