Dear LG Focus
For many years there have been swings and roundabouts with merging local governments.
As they grew with differing community interests, many were split into smaller councils, which in turn grew with varying success.
In seeking to manage community interests and delegated authority, state governments legislated to merge and amalgamate councils.
Today, we have a significant historical database.
It is a resource on which we can draw to guide rational decision-making.
The term rational is used advisedly, as often decisions are made on emotional or ideological bases, rather than what is best for ratepayers.
Professor B. Dollery at the University of New England is notable in attempting to extract rationality from the bog of assertion that accompanies public discussion on mergers or de-mergers.
There are now many local governments across Australia that have gone through mergers and de–mergers.
Many of them could contribute their experience in the process.
Could LG Focus present an article addressing the key issues from either merger or de-merger?
Key issues might include common measures relating to costs or benefits per ratepayer including rate reductions, efficiency gains and more effective delivery of services.
Once these baseline measures were established, some ordinal data may be assessed, such as ratepayer satisfaction, ratepayer representation and accessibility, party-politicisation of local government and providing community services beyond the basics.
The result would seem to be beneficial to all local government bodies trying to establish common performance measures in meeting
ratepayer expectations.
Regards
Hugh Richardson
South Ward Councillor, Subiaco, Western Australia
Editors Note: LGFocus will be looking at amalgamations and de-amalgamations in our next edition. Please email editorial@lgfocus.com.au with your comments.
