By Peter Johnstone*
“Why should I bother about Local Government elections? I don’t know enough about the candidates and voting won’t make much difference. Council services will still be provided, and anyway, the Council doesn’t affect my life much!”
The above attitude is pretty common among many Victorians despite the many achievements of Local Governments throughout Victoria in pursuing the interests of their local communities. Every Local Government failure, real or a ‘beatup’, makes easy headlines for the media. The great achievements often go unreported.
Within a few weeks, Victorians will be asked to consider who should govern their local communities. The election of local representatives (Councillors) to form 79 Local Governments throughout Victoria presents some difficult choices for Victorians.
The choices are more difficult than at Federal or State elections, where most of us vote for a political party with little knowledge of the personal qualifications of the candidates themselves.
Our vote in those elections is influenced more by the well publicised positions of the political parties, and we know that the party candidates’ personal views are less important – not so for Local Government!
Our votes for Local Governments require better knowledge of the candidates to enable a careful choice, if we are to ensure effective representation for our local community. Voters should not hesitate to contact candidates if the information available does not answer all their questions.
Candidates who fail to provide adequate information about their policies and views should not be supported. Good candidates are committed people who want our views and are prepared to take on a difficult role for their communities despite little financial remuneration.
Local Governments have a substantial impact on people’s lives. Most residents are aware that their Local Government is responsible for local services from parks and gardens to waste management and recycling, from building approvals to libraries, from childcare to public health, from parking to economic development, from aged care to roads maintenance, and much more.
Local Governments not only provide these services but are responsible for identifying and pursuing the many other distinct needs of their community, and for ensuring that State and Commonwealth policies affecting their communities make proper allowance for their local needs.
Elected Councillors, in forming the Local Government, are responsible for the Council’s performance in all these areas but also for determining the Council’s strategic planning and for the budget, including rates and charges imposed on the community to fund the Council’s activities on behalf of the community.
The quality of Local Government depends ultimately on the quality of Councillors elected. Local Governments are the first level of Government in
our Australian democracy. We depend on elected Local Governments for ensuring the value of local services and for ensuring that the local community’s needs are understood and respected by other levels of government and
by the many other organisations that influence our lives.
We are ourselves responsible for the quality of our Local Governments. Our elected representatives are accountable to us. Elections provide us with the opportunity to choose the representatives that we want to play this important role on our behalf. It is up to us to demand a high standard from our Local Governments.
Elections therefore require a careful and informed choice. In Victoria, we are compelled to vote by law. Voting in Local Government elections is not only an obligation; it is a privilege and a responsibility that we all have to select the best local leaders, and then to support them in their complex responsibilities.
*Peter Johnstone is a former CEO for a number of Local Governments in Victoria, a former head of Victorian State Government departments, and a former senior officer with the Commonwealth Government. He now advises on strategic governance in the public and private sectors.
