Over 300 delegates, representing Councils in all states and territories attended the 8th Biennial National Local Government Community Development Conference in Perth on 20-23 March.
Titled ‘Riding the Rapids of Change: Skills and Values for Developing Cohesive, Just and Vibrant Communities’, the Conference was jointly hosted by the Local Government Community Services Association Australia (LGCSAA) and its Western Australian Division.
When people feel threatened by change, particularly global changes beyond their control, it is through local action and empowerment that they can begin to reclaim control of their lives.
This conference highlighted the fact that across Australia, Local Government professionals, working in the areas of community services, community development and social planning, are not only providing vital support services to ensure vulnerable individuals and groups do not slip through the net, but are building community spirit, advancing local democracy and promoting self help through economic development initiatives.
President LGCSAA, Jenny Merkus, said that the excesses of economic rationalism of an ‘unbridled’ free market, where the bottomline is the sole measure of wellbeing, has resulted in people’s trust in government being diminished.
“Although Local Government is included in this, in some ways it has not been as damaged,” she said. “Local Government is still the sphere where citizens have the most confidence. It provides the glue for building local democracy and citizenship through community networks and trust.”
She said that with increased globalisation, local has become very important.
Councils have a key role to play through applying the principles of triple bottomline planning and measurement; recovering social responsibility and humanity; and building local democracy.
“Economic is not the only measure of progress there are also social and environmental factors,” Jenny Merkus said. “We need to be discussing benchmarks and measurements that accurately reflect community needs.”
Sister Veronica Brady, a member of the Loreto Order and academic who specialises in Australian literature, culture and belief, spoke on the topic ‘A Return to the Heart: Reclaiming Values, Ethics and Social Responsibility’.
She warned of a growing addiction to ‘money making, money having and money spending’, producing an ever widening gap between ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’.
“The basis of life is community,” she said. “Unless the rapids of change bring us together we will all be shipwrecked.
“We all live on one small and fragile planet. People matter. We all have obligations to one another.Unless we are Aboriginal, we are all boat people. Society is based on generosity and gifts.”
Chief Executive Officer of the City of Port Phillip, Anne Dunn, told delegates that building safe, inclusive communities can only be done by Councils. However, she said this will have its challenges and often results in ‘riding the rapids of community discontent’.
“Local Government has a huge capacity to change, be responsive and make a difference to people’s lives,” Anne Dunn said. “We should feel proud to be working in a sector which is looking beyond our borders to wider community needs.”
