Each edition we feature the views of a State Local Government Association President. The following is from Councillor John Jago, President of Victorian Local Governance Association.
Some years ago I ‘retired’ to my ancestral territory of Sale after a professional career which took me to Queensland, the United States and Papua New Guinea as well as Victoria. I immediately involved myself in community service work, particularly in children and family services, and work with Koorie communities in eastern Victoria.
In 1991, I was elected to the Sale City Council and became almost a full time Councillor for the next three years. I was Deputy Mayor in 1994 when the Victorian Government dismissed elected Councillors and imposed their radical restructuring of Local Government.
In my district of Gippsland, five former municipalities were merged into Wellington Shire Council, geographically the third largest Local Government in Victoria. While most of the previous Councillors faded from the scene I, with one or two other former Councillors, strove to keep alight the flame of democracy in our new Shire.
We attended ‘Council’ meetings run by the Commissioners, kept in touch with the local media and retained our networks. During those dark days I heard about the formation of the VLGA, a new body which was dedicated to promoting and restoring democratic Local Government after the old established body, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) was, in effect, taken over by the State Government.
I gradually became involved and grew with the organisation. The VLGA was adamant that its membership should drive it, and that has continued to the present. Three years later, all but two of the 78 Local Governments in Victoria are elected. The MAV has survived, though in a radically different shape. VLGA has a membership list of over 400 individuals, nearly 100 community groups and 21 Councils.
MAV is unchallenged as the peak association of Councils, while VLGA is the community based movement for building democracy in Local Government. The two organisations have recently established a Memorandum of Understanding on their respective roles and activities. We work together wherever possible.
I am again full time in Local Government and Deputy Mayor of Wellington Shire. During the time of the Commissioners, VLGA was important to many people as a vehicle for sharing information and ideas with others. This meant concerned people, including former Councillors, had some idea of what was going on in the Local Government scene in Victoria and could plan strategically to restore local democracy.
VLGA is still important to community groups and individuals interested in building local democracy, because it is the only organisation available to them that listens to their concerns.
A few of VLGA’s achievements include the following.
- Running practical training courses for aspiring Councillors in the lead up to the return of elected Councils.
- Running forums on legal issues, human services, building controls and the role of Mayor and Councillors and producing follow up publications.
- Developing the Code of Good Governance, in conjunction with the MAV, which sets out the standards by which Victorian Local Government should conduct itself.
