Local government reform is set to be the main talking point at the Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Annual Conference.
President of LGNSW, Cr Keith Rhoades AFSM, said the Local Government sector in NSW is facing an extraordinary period of change.
“Many councils are looking forward to hearing first hand from the NSW Premier, the Hon Mike Baird MP, on how his Government intends to work with and support all NSW councils.”
The NSW state government recently announced the ‘Fit for the Future’ local government reform package.
“While some councils have responded positively to the Local Government reform package, others have concerns about what will happen if they don’t meet the Government’s criteria of ‘scale and capacity’.
“Hopefully the NSW Premier and the Minister for Local Government, the Hon Paul Toole MP, who will address the Conference on day two and take part in a facilitated Q & A session, use this opportunity to shed some light on such issues.
“The Conference will also deal with a number of other issues impacting councils including the Federal Government’s freeze on Financial Assistance Grants, which will leave a gaping $288 million hole in Local Government funding over the next three years.
“Other topics submitted by councils for discussion at the LGNSW Conference include utility privatisation and street lighting costs, public library funding, cost shifting, affordable housing, family day care and the Waste Levy, to name just a few.”
The Conference business paper details all motions to be discussed and is available on the LGNSW website at: www.lgnsw.org.au/events-training/local-government-nsw-annual-conference/business-papers
