Local Government in the Northern Territory is poised for a change in direction. The first of a series of workshops for Councils on the proposed reforms will be held at Pine Creek on Tuesday 23 February 1999.
This workshop will be jointly presented by the Department of Housing and Local Government (DHLG) and Local Government Association of Northern Territory (LGANT).
The reform package has been developed over the past two years. Some of the major changes being considered include the following.
- Fewer, larger and more sustainable Councils.
- Local Government Constitutions that take into account traditional decision making structures where this is desired.
- Better and more reliable services.
- Transparent Council planning, financial and reporting processes.
- More competent Councillors and staff.
- Funding tied to achieving reform objectives.
- More use of electronic communications in assisting service delivery.
Implementation of the reforms, being marketed as Local Government – the Next Step, will involve DHLG, LGANT, the Territory’s 68 Councils, and most importantly, all residents. Minister for Local Government, Tim Baldwin, MLA, and the LGANT Executive will be meeting regularly to review progress.
Issues raised at the Pine Creek workshop will be featured in the March edition of FOCUS.
For further information on the reform agenda visit the Next Step web site at www.nt.gov.au/dhlg/localgov/nextstep.html
