In this edition we feature the various Partnership Agreements established over the past four years between the Tasmanian State Government and Local Government. With 19 bilateral agreements between the State Government and individual Councils plus three regional and four statewide agreements, the Premier, Jim Bacon, is deservedly proud when he says that this program is leading Australia. He believes the program owes its success to the fact that it focuses on real outcomes through a commitment to cooperation, consultation and communication.
With seven separate State and Territory Local Government Acts, the relationship across the nation between Local Government and this second sphere of government has not always been as rosy. A common thread for some time has been that Local Government, due to legislative control and financial squeezing, continues to pick up more and more responsibilities from both the Federal and State Governments without commensurate funding.
Last year, the Australian Government’s Inquiry into Cost Shifting recommended that a major overhaul of inter governmental relations was well overdue. This being an election year, whether the follow up to this Inquiry gets the attention it should, given the raft of issues that are already being canvassed, remains to be seen. Cynics might suggest that unless there is some electoral advantage from a showdown with the States, it could well end up in the too hard basket for the time being.
With greater cooperation between the three spheres, there is no doubt that the constituents (whom all spheres jointly serve) would see better use of their tax dollar. Commonsense regarding roles and responsibilities, together with fair funding allocations, cannot be that hard to achieve.
However, that other vexed area of constitutional reform and legislative control is another story. The Northern Territory Government in recent amendments to its Local Government Act has included a new section that would give the Minister power to determine core or mandatory functions of Councils.
The Local Government Association of the Northern Territory (LGANT) is rightly up in arms about this, arguing that this will enable the Government to shift whatever responsibilities it likes onto councils. Assertions that the Minister would only act in extreme circumstances, and would consult widely beforehand, will not protect councils and LGANT is correct in rejecting such a direct threat to Local Government’s autonomy.
