The Local Government Association of Queensland’s 110th Annual Conference was staged in Toowoomba from 28-31 August. LQAG President, Councillor Paul Bell, said that the Association is working with its member Councils to anticipate change and provide the necessary tools for Councils to deal with this.
“Some 104 Councils have joined the voluntary ‘Working on the Future’ process,” Councillor Bell said. “I would rather be working on the future than it working on us. “Councils involved are mastering their own destinies.”
He said the State Government has provided $25 million to progress future cooperation among Councils.
“Both spheres of government are working together to address a range of challenges, and it needs to be acknowledged that the Queensland Government provides the highest rate of grants to Local Government of any of the States,” Paul Bell said.
With the Queensland State Election Campaign in full swing, Premier Beattie was unable to address this year’s conference. In his stead, Deputy Premier and Treasurer, Anna Bligh, officially opened the conference.
The Deputy Premier acknowledged the willingness of Local Government to work with the State Government “to build a stronger Queensland”.
“Challenges facing the State cannot be resolved by any one sphere of government,” she said. “Population growth and infrastructure development are key agenda issues. We need to manage local growth within regional frameworks. Maintaining quality of life – why people come here in the first place – must be a key plank in our development plans.”
The Deputy Premier said that the South East Queensland Plan, the Blueprint for the Bush and the Infrastructure Plans illustrate the State Government’s strong partnership with Local Government and LGAQ in first developing the plans and then delivering the outcomes and projects.
Anna Bligh said that it was impossible to come to Toowoomba without mentioning water. She complemented Toowoomba City Council on its strong leadership in working to address this particularly difficult issue.
“The worst drought in South East Queensland in 100 years, together with climate change of longer, hotter and drier summers, coupled with population growth is compounding the problem,” Anna Bligh said. She said projects tackling water supply, water demand and water security are required.
“The mind set that water resources belong to people in the one geographical area needs to change,” the Deputy Premier said.
She said just like the electricity grid, there needs to be a water grid to move this resource to where it is needed.
“Rainfall patterns and catchments are changing, we all own the water and therefore must move it around to meet needs,” Anna Bligh said.
