In each edition we feature the views of a Local Government Association President. The following is from Alderman Cecil Black, President of the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory.
The focus on all things ‘regional’ these days is capturing the attention of many in Local Government in the Northern Territory. What with regional development boards, regional plans and now regional authorities, if you are not looking past your current boundaries you are not part of the scene, so to speak.
Local Government observers are particularly interested in how the Territory Government’s newly proposed ‘Regional Authorities’ are going to be structured. From all accounts they will be constituted under the Local Government Act and have ‘more powers and functions’ than traditional Local Government. Whether this translates into matters like running schools or operating health clinics remains to be seen but the direction seems fairly clear; they will be different and the time frame for their establishment is likely to be next year.
One of the consultative mechanisms for proceeding with this proposal, apart from the usual Government media releases and publications, will be a conference on 4–7 November 2003 in Jabiru in Kakadu National Park. Titled ‘Building Effective Indigenous Governance – the Way Forward for Northern Territory Regions and Communities’, at the time of writing, this conference is expected to attract many from Local Government in the Northern Territory along with Canadian Indigenous speakers, academics, Indigenous leaders and Government representatives.
Outcomes from this conference will no doubt become Government policy and then comes the change. My view is that legislation will be introduced in the next year.
While my interstate counterparts might say that it is about time Local Government in the Northern Territory got some of what Local Governments elsewhere have long had to endure in the way of such reforms, I respond by saying ‘we will be in touch’.
I should add though that the Territory was one of the first among the States to benefit from general competence legislation back in 1985. We all have much to learn from each other and there will certainly be opportunity for Local Governments around Australia to learn about matters that will be useful to them from the outcomes of this conference.
The Association has been optimistic and supportive of the process but has the usual healthy skepticism about the eventual results. We all know too well that the rhetoric for action often differs from the actual outcomes and the detail of the new legislation will be of most importance.
We think we will survive but that story will have to wait till later.
