In introducing Tasmanian Premier, Paul Lennon, to speak at its 94th annual conference, Local Government Association President of Tasmania, Councillor Mike Gaffney, said that having retained Local Government within his portfolio demonstrates the high regard the Premier has for the sector.
Staged in Hobart from 21-23 June, the conference theme, Working Together, enabled delegates to investigate improved ways for their Council to work with their community, other local stakeholders and the State and Federal Governments.
“The Premier has clearly shown a willingness to search, explore and trial new strategies for better relations,” Mike Gaffney said.
He said the Government continues to recognise the important role Local Government plays in the economic development and growth in this State.
In his address to the conference, Paul Lennon said that his Government certainly values its relationship with Local Government and its growing maturity.
“In planning together and learning more about how each sphere operates has been further cemented with the signing in April this year of our Agreement of Cooperation,” the Premier said. “These principles of cooperation pioneered in Tasmania are leading the way in Australia, and are now being taken up elsewhere.”
He pointed to the fact that in 1998 Tasmania was the second highest taxing State, now it is the second lowest.
“Tasmania’s economy is growing at a higher rate than the rest of the nation,” Premier Lennon said. “But a strong economy is only one aspect of strong communities. We will continue to evaluate our partnership achievements to ensure we are building a progressive, socially confident Tasmania. Our communities are strong, resilient and confident. Our plans are not just what we might do, but what we can do together. Coming together is a beginning, working together is progress and keeping together is success.”
Keynote speaker, Graham Sansom, Director of the University of Technology Sydney’s Centre for Local Government, said that for Local Government across Australia, it is time to make some hard choices. “Local Government needs to strengthen its position in the governance of Australia, but how do we go about this?” he asked.
He said Local Government needs to position itself so that it is influential, credible and respected; generates community involvement; reflects the needs of diverse communities; communicates well and establishes partnerships; offers accountable, transparent governance; attracts high calibre people; and is financially sustainable.
Graham Sansom said that while the Commonwealth is far more significant than the States due to its superior financial position and various High Court decisions since Federation, Local Government has also come on a significant journey to now be sitting at the intersection of the States and Commonwealth spheres.
“Local Government has direct links to the Commonwealth through direct funding and representation on various Ministerial Councils and a member of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG),” he said. “This is a real opportunity to position ourselves as part of our system of Government. At the same time there are the dangers that Local Government could decline into irrelevance with no distinctive role, retreating into a narrow role of service delivery, and with more and more reliance on grant funding, losing our autonomy and taking on an ‘agency’ status.”
He believes that Local Government must be asserting a ‘local’ interest, that is, how the sector is getting across messages on the national stage of what is important to local communities.
“The importance of leadership and forging partnerships to deliver for our areas through cooperative planning is vital,” he said. “Management promotes order and predictability but leadership promotes change. Leadership is dicey and means going out on a limb, so we need to develop the skills and courage to move in this direction.”
Graham Sansom told delegates that there is an urgent need for political renewal, that Local Government has gone too far down the road of managerialism or a board of directors approach.
“It must be more about community engagement and leadership,” he said. “It can’t just be about management. We need to strengthen the political arm of Local Government and not have a sharp line between management and policy.”
