On 31 March, Australian Local Government Association President Councillor Geoff Lake addressed the National Press Club, the first time a representative from Local Government has been invited to do so.
As well as the press contingency, a number of senior Federal Department officers and representatives from various lobby groups with links to Local Government attended the lunchtime address which was televised nationally.
On Local Government’s involvement in the rollout of programs under the Federal Government’s stimulus package, Geoff Lake said that the $1 billion package to councils has delivered a range of quality community infrastructure projects across the nation.
He said that of all the stimulus package components, such as the housing insulation and schools building program, Local Government’s involvement has worked the best, with almost every council meeting deadlines.
“This is an excellent model for future investment into local communities,” Geoff Lake said. “Everything we do is service delivery, so we have a great advantage over other levels of government in this regard.”
He said that Local Government will always have a huge contribution to play in the rollout of new services so long as it is properly funded and resourced.
“While there has been exponential growth in Local Government roles and responsibilities in recent years, there’s been no change to the way Local Government is funded,” he said.
“Councils are still predominately funded by a property tax – rates – collected in the same way as it was 100 years ago.
“It would be much more equitable to meet these costs by a transfer of general tax revenue – such as income and consumption tax – from other levels of government to the local level.
“At present, Local Government only receives about 15 per cent of its revenue from general taxation transferred from the other levels of government – predominately from the Commonwealth.
“Local Government is a $25 billion per annum industry and employs over 170,000 people. Communities have a right to expect a more solid funding base.”
He said that Local Government believes that the Henry Tax Review should be considering not just how tax revenues are collected but also how they are shared between the three levels of government for the benefit of all Australians.
“This lack of adequate funding for Local Government is significantly affecting the sector’s ability to meet the needs of local communities and the demands of State and Federal Governments,” Geoff Lake said.
Turning to the issue of planning matters, he said that it is here that Local Government is too often sidelined.
“In recent times all over the country, we have seen State Governments undermining the community’s right to be consulted and have a say in planning decisions,” he said.
“To the development industry and State Government planning officials out there, who believe planning can be done by the application of a simple checklist or a statewide set of principles – I say you are in la la land.
“Planning is not a science that can be determined in a laboratory simply by mixing a few elixirs together to come up with a solution. It is inherently political, it is inherently adversarial and it is hard work.
“The problem when other levels of government talk about planning reform is that they almost always start from a position that community involvement in planning decisions and local variance is bad and it ought to be curtailed.
‘We certainly don’t seek community control of planning, and we do not suggest that neighbourhood objections should always prevail.
“But it is a fundamental right to have a say in how one’s neighbourhood develops. And if State and Federal Governments don’t heed this message, they might have to hear it at the ballot box.
“We must protect the right of communities and councils to participate in the planning process.”
Although planning reform is taking place through COAG and other Ministerial meetings, Geoff Lake said that it is State Governments that ultimately determine planning issues that impact on Local Government.
He added that the irony of this is that the best talent in planning exists in councils, not in State Planning Departments.
Further coverage of Councillor Lake’s Press Club address, including funding issues and the current Constitutional questions regarding Commonwealth Government direct grants to Local Government is presented on page 12.
