In each edition we feature the views of a Local Government Association President. The following is from Councillor Clive Robartson, President of the Western Australian Local Government Association.
Local Government in Western Australia, as well as nationally, is continually dealing with the burden of both direct and indirect cost shifting by State and Federal Governments. Regardless of where the cost shifting occurs, it all has a domino effect back to Local Government. The difficulty for Local Government is that ratepayers still demand the same level of service, even if the Federal or State Governments withdraw their financial commitment to particular programs.
Over time, Local Government in Western Australia has become increasingly frustrated with the State Government due to a lack of real consultation, despite the State/Local Government Partnership Agreement, as well as numerous decisions that require Local Government to find more and more resources to fund our increasing responsibilities.
In an endeavour to at least partly address this situation, the Association has been lobbying the State Government for many months, with two key platforms; Outrage and Our Libraries need NEW Books campaigns, in the lead up to the 2004/05 Budget announced on Thursday 6 May. Operation Outrage was launched in August 2003 to campaign for the reinstatement of State funding for Local Government roads. In the 2003/04 Budget the State Government slashed Local Government road funding by more than $12 million, and forward estimates indicated that further cuts of around $5 million were likely this year.
While the Association succeeded in preventing further cuts, no funding increase was forthcoming, which means that last year’s cuts are now compounding as we move into this second year of deficient funding. Together with the campaign on local roads, the Association, in conjunction with the Western Australian Local Government Librarians Association, ran a substantial campaign seeking $4.2 million to address book stock deficiencies.
Local Government had a major budget win in terms of public library funding, with an additional $10.3 million allocated over four years to the public library system. However, the challenge remains for adequate funds and appropriate standards to be formalised in a Library Funding Framework Agreement. Both campaigns will continue to run in the lead up to the next State Government election. These campaigns are essential in maintaining the pressure on Government as any transfer of responsibility needs to be adequately funded.
If practical solutions are not found, Local Governments are going to be under increasing financial pressures, which will ultimately end up with ratepayers incurring the payment of higher rates to their local Council.
Local Government needs to maximise our opportunity to clarify the roles and responsibilities of different levels of government, and identify the required supporting financial and administrative frameworks between levels of government at the Roundtable meeting on the Hawker Report into Local Government and Cost Shifting with the Local Government and Planning Ministers’ Council to be held in Canberra in June.
In this meeting, I look forward to playing a substantial role with my fellow Presidents and Local Government representatives from around Australia.
