It is a well known fact that Local Government in Australia is very diverse. Take as an example our last two editions. In the June edition, we featured a four page supplement on the City of Brisbane. Serving 875,000 people, Brisbane is the largest Council in Australia with almost three times the number of residents than the nation’s second most populated Council. Conversely, in this edition we are featuring the Shire of Kojonup, a rural community in Western Australia with just over 2,300 residents.
Brisbane has a staff in the order of 7,500 while Kojonup has less than fifty. Brisbane’s projects are certainly more grandiose than Kojonup’s but where there is no difference (and this is translated some 700 times around the nation) is that these two organisations of elected representatives and paid employees are working to achieve the same end, that is, to deliver the best possible services within the constraints of whatever resources they have available.
With a smaller number of residents but scattered over a much larger area, Kojonup has less trouble than Brisbane in ensuring that people are aware of what Council is doing and where it is going. In fact, as a close knit rural community, volunteerism is one of the mainstays of this enterprising community.
As a much larger entity, Brisbane also works hard to ensure it is in touch with community expectations. Through its local precinct structure (no fewer than 200), and assisted by some 6,500 residents who have volunteered to become part of a panel through the ‘Your City Your Say’ program, Brisbane has a ready source of people to call on for vital feedback on current programs and proposed initiatives.
As the largest Capital City Council in Australia, and working closely with its neighbouring Councils that make up the South East Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils, the fastest growing region in the country, for Brisbane to gain the attention of both the Queensland Government and Federal Government is not too difficult.
Though much more remote and smaller in comparison, Kojonup has also worked hard to enlist the support of both the Western Australian Government and Federal Government, particularly through acquiring grants. As a result, for such a small Shire, Kojonup can point to a range of services and projects of which its residents can be particularly proud.
Council has shown real leadership, initiative and vision. It has a long term plan to ensure its future. Unlike many rural areas that are losing services and population to the cities and larger regional centres, Kojonup is holding its own.
Moving away from traditional oganisational arrangements, Kojonup realised that the key to its survival and ongoing prosperity was to source as much funding as it could from outside the Shire. Acquisition of grants has been a priority but, similarly, it has facilitated and promoted economic development and built up tourism. This has been achieved by working closely with other key players, such as private sector operations, community groups and outside stakeholders. In this regard, Council has been very successful in attracting outside capital into the Shire leading to new investment and job opportunities.
At the same time, Kojonup has also used much the same principles to expand other Council services. Its provision of aged care services and alternative housing options has helped to keep older residents in the area, attracted other retirees and created a number of jobs. It is one of only a few Councils in Western Australia providing these services.
It can also boast specialised Council staff, including a community development officer, who works closely with local youth and community groups to provide a range of services; and a promotions and marketing manager.
Both Brisbane, coming from the larger, and Kojonup, from the smaller end of the scale, can be rightly proud of their efforts. As government closest to the people, once again no matter what their size, these Councils, similar to their counterparts around the nation, are striving to deliver the services that are crucial to our lifestyle and our future.
