Each edition we feature the views of a Local Government Association President. The following is from Councillor Jamie Edwards, President Western Australian Municipal Association.
‘The Way Forward’ is the term the WA Municipal Association is using to describe the implementation of its corporate planning process under new CEO, Ms Ricky Burges. Ricky joins the Association after 13 years with the State Public Service in senior management roles.
In joining WAMA in February 2000, Ricky has accepted the challenge to further the Association’s role in terms of its advocacy, policies, services and customer focus. Finding ‘The Way Forward’ will involve the most extensive corporate and customer analysis that the Association has ever undertaken and will position it strongly as a powerful advocate and focused service provider.
The organisation will begin by looking internally at systems, structures and relationships. An important part of this process is reviewing the representative structure of the Association and challenging Member Councils with a ‘Single Association’ vision. This will remove the impediments of structure built around the three original and independent Associations, in favour of a unified representative body.
Initial surveys show that there is clear support for such a structure among many Local Governments, and the proposition will be tested at this year’s Local Government Week Conference in August. Notwithstanding WAMA’s extensive commitment to these key organisational questions, the business of Local Government continues and WAMA is vigorously pursuing a number of key lobbies.
WAMA is expecting the State Government to sign off two major agreements with Local Government that will have long term benefits for Councils. The first is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), predominantly on Local Government finance.
The MOU sets out the terms for negotiation and consultation between the two spheres of government and establishes, among other things, mechanisms such as a Joint Committee on Local Government Finance Issues, a quarterly meeting with the Premier and acknowledges the right of WAMA to present a submission to Cabinet on the State Budget.
The second prominent agreement is the State-Local Government Road Funding Agreement, which acknowledges the roles of each sphere of government in the provision of road infrastructure and gives Local Government a guaranteed 25 percent of the State’s road funds for local roads.
The WAMA Tax service continues to prepare Local Governments for GST compliance, as well as assisting with advocacy on issues such as the finalisation of the Division 81 determination. The need for assistance to Local Governments will not end with the 1 July 2000 implementation of the GST.
WAMA believes the demand for guidance will be greater than ever, and the type of information available to Councils through WAMA’s relationship with Arthur Andersen will be invaluable in supporting them through this critical period.
In closing, I cannot ignore the hardships suffered by those communities affected by floods in the north and south of the State. The tremendous damage to infrastructure, both physical and social, is a disaster by any definition, and governments at all levels must ensure that every effort is made to return these communities to normal as soon as possible.
