Each edition we feature the views of a State Local Government Association President. The following is from Councillor John Jago, President Victorian Local Governance Association.
Since 1995 Victorian Local Governments have had two peak organisations, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA). The VLGA came into being when the people’s voice was removed from Local Government. It represented democracy in exile and its first slogan was Restoring Democracy.
I describe the VLGA as the peak body for ‘local democracy’ and acknowledge the MAV as the peak body for Local Government. Since March this year the two organisations have had a written accord, a Memorandum of Understanding, and increasingly are working in collaboration.
The largest joint project is the Code of Good Governance. This has developed 11 Essential Features of good governance and is moving Local Governments to a stronger position of self regulation and standard setting.
With the return of democracy to all but one of Victoria’s 78 Councils, many expected the influence of the VLGA to wane. Some even thought its purpose had been served and that it might slowly fade away.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Membership has grown beyond all expectations and its influence continues to grow, despite not even having a single full time staff member. Its office bearers are serving Councillors and it very much practises what it preaches about open and participatory democracy.
Twenty-three Local Governments are members, ranging from rural Shires to the City of Melbourne with all but one holding dual membership with the MAV. A unique feature of the Association is its second membership chapter – individuals and community organisations.
VLGA has over 400 individual members and 90 community organisations, which strongly support its democratic objectives. It also has strong alliances with five Victorian universities and conducts candidate training for aspiring Councillors in conjunction with Victoria University of Technology.
VLGA has a strong policy base which in recent times has addressed CCT, the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI), Year 2000 Compliance, superannuation, privatisation of building code regulation, human services, performance measurement, transport, waste management, and gambling, to name just some.
Because of its dual membership chapters, it has focused on the development of a better working relationship between Local Governments and their communities. In conjunction with the Stegley Foundation, it has documented 29 successful partnership case studies and has included local media as a third party in its pioneering Partnerships Project.
One of the hallmarks of the VLGA has been its high media profile and its strong advocacy for local democracy. VLGA’s slogan is ‘Building Democracy’ and as a result of its vigor in promoting this, Local Government in Victoria has benefited substantially from having two organisations to represent it.
