After eight years at the helm of the Victorian Local Governance Association, Mike Hill is bidding farewell to an organisation that he has been instrumental in establishing. He will hand over to the new CEO, Andrew Rowe, in February.
Mike Hill was Mayor of the former City of Brunswick in the early 1990s and following amalgamation, was the first Mayor of Moreland City Council. When the State Government sacked all Councils during the amalgamation process, Mike, along with a number of other former inner city Councillors, began meeting.
“We started meeting to fill empty Monday nights and monitor what was happening with the amalgamation process,” Mike Hill said.
The group took on a proactive approach during the Victorian amalgamation period, keeping track of what was happening around the State. Membership grew to include various community groups and other interested individuals.
“When changes started to happen, we put out press releases and were stampeded with calls from community groups, former Councillors and progress groups, asking us for support,” he said. During 1995, Mike Hill spoke at some 85 public meetings across the State. With the group’s growing support, the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) was formed that same year. Initially the word ‘government’ was its title, but VLGA later adopted the word ‘governance’ for its name.
“The Local Government Minister at the time, Roger Hallam, disallowed our use of the word ‘government’,” Mike Hill said. “We deliberated on this and opted for the word ‘governance’, in recognition of our broader community based membership!”
Interest in VLGA grew, with public meetings of 300 to 400 people. Through the amalgamation process, VLGA helped set up local groups, organised Council watch programs, and sat in on Council proceedings, while Victoria’s Councils were run by State appointed commissioners.
During this time, the relationship between the VLGA and Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), then controlled by the commissioners, did not get off to a good start.
“The MAV, supporting the State Government, sent out media releases attacking VLGA,” Mike Hill said “Our biggest fear wasn’t amalgamation or Compulsory Competitive Tendering, but that Local Government would fall under the control of the State Government.”
During 1995 to 1997, the focus of VLGA was to restore local democracy within Local Government. The Association provided various courses and support services for new Councillors.
“In 1995 and 1996 there was great resistance against State Government control of the new Councillors,” he said. “The situation now is that from this experience, Local Government in Victoria has emerged much stronger after amalgamations.”
As Councillors returned to the MAV, the relationship between VLGA and MAV began to strengthen. “Now that Local Government has been restored back into the hands of Councillors and local democracy, our relationship is now very solid,” Mike Hill said. “VLGA has become more of a Local Government development body, dealing with issues such as community development, quality for governance, sustainability and the environment. Councils join the MAV as their Local Government representative body and join the VLGA for value adding.”
Together, the two associations regularly undertake specific projects and training sessions and workshops.
VLGA has maintained a proactive presence in issues impacting on communities, tackling issues such as gambling, drug policies, integrated transport planning, and lowering speed limits. As Mike Hill closes the book on another chapter in his Local Government life, he reflects on the future of Local Government and its challenges.
“There are far greater numbers of women in senior positions and women in general have become more active in their local communities, which need to be built on,” he said. “There is the ongoing need to advocate community healing – the celebration of and support for cultural diversity, which is vital given the current climate in Australia and overseas.”
He believes issues including governance, democracy, greater funding, building stronger communities, and consultation and engagement, are among those which Local Government will continue to have a stronger focus on in the future.
“With the MAV and other industry associations, we can build a stronger Local Government sector in Victoria,” said Mike Hill. “Local Government has never been as strong and credible, or had such a great capacity to do its work. This is largely thanks to our experiences with amalgamation, but also the resilience of communities, Councils and Local Government staff. However, without the efforts of the VLGA, I think it may well have been a very different story for Local Government in Victoria.”
In his semi-retirement, Mike plans to continue his work with the local community. He is currently involved in building an urban environmental village on a former school site, which will encompass sustainable living including recycling, energy efficiency and water conservation. His concern for the environment is reflected in his positions as Chair for EcoRecycle Victoria, Chair of the Moreland Energy Foundation and board member of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Victoria.
The Victorian Local Governance Association farewells one of its key founders, whose extensive work certainly helped shape Local Government in Victoria into what it is today.
