AusLink a key concern for 2003
Newly elected President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), Councillor Mike Montgomery, from Moree Plains Shire in New South Wales, believes that a major focal point for Local Government in 2003 is the issue of roads and access, in particular AusLink. He said with responses to the AusLink Green Paper required by the Federal Government in early February, the subsequent release of the White Paper leading through to legislation will be of vital importance to Local Government.
“A national transport plan is long overdue,” he said. “However, for this to happen successfully, additional money must be made available for it to be implemented; otherwise, what we will see is funds being shifted from one area to another. Councillor Montgomery fears that Local Government, being the lowest level of the food chain, could see a proportion of local roads funding diverted to other land transport priorities, and also be expected to look more and more for its own money.
“This will not be possible because, even at current funding levels, Councils are not able to keep pace with the road maintenance and repair workload,” he said. “ALGA will also be pressing the Federal Government that the highly successful Roads to Recovery program be continued beyond 2005; that rail and freight priorities do not come at the expense of local roads; and that additional funding be made available to implement the AusLink plan.”
Another key issue of concern for 2003 is the ongoing insurance issue. With various legislative reforms now in place, covering insurance caps, frivolous complaints and the non feasance issue, ALGA will be keeping a watch on insurance companies to ensure these measures do actually translate into lower premiums. In November last year, the insurance industry assured Federal, State and Local Governments that prices would fall and stabilise as insurance reforms took place. However, this was soon forgotten by Australian insurers, when in December 2002, they indicated premiums would increase by a significant amount.
“Claims by Australian insurers that they expect premium increases of around 30 per cent over the next two years made a mockery of the industry’s assurance that premiums would actually fall as nationally agreed reforms take place,” Councillor Montgomery said. “Further significant price increases will have a devastating impact on a large range of organisations, from community and sporting groups to Local Government.”
ALGA will also be keeping a watch on insurance companies refusing to cover groups and individual operators.
Once again, Natural Resource Management will be high on the agenda for 2003, with issues such as salinity, revegetation, waste management and water reform.
“Best practice examples and reviewing mistakes from the past will assist in providing solutions for the future,” Mike Montgomery said. “Again the challenge is to make best use of available resources. We see Councils already spending huge amounts on Natural Resource Management, yet there is duplication with unelected regional bodies, such as catchment boards, being created by the other spheres of government. Democratic processes need to be returned at the regional level. Why create a new level of bureaucracy when Local Government is already there and keen to be involved?”
He believes that the very successful Roads to Recovery model, with funding directly to Local Government, could be used to achieve good outcomes in Natural Resource Management and other areas. The challenge for Local Government in 2003 is an enormous one which Councils and their communities will, once again, tackle with vigour.
