Two former Queensland Ministers have said using local data to inform decisions will be key to the long-term success of New South Wales’ local government amalgamations.
In a paper for information and data management firm Glentworth, guest authors David Crisafulli and Simon Finn outline the strategic importance of local data in council amalgamations, drawing on insights from the Queensland council mergers and de-amalgamations of the past decade.
Co-author and former Queensland Government Minister for Local Government, Community Recovery and Resilience David Crisafulli said by making evidence-based decisions councils will be better equipped for long-term benefits.
“The experience in Queensland really taught us some valuable lessons. If we had access to some of the tools of today like community sentiment data, there’s no doubt we would have made more informed decisions, preventing community angst and saving us money too.
“The real-life benefits to the community must be put first. Citizens need to receive the same standard of service they’ve always expected – which means councils must plan for a seamless transition, including with their information systems.
“The truth is that councils aren’t likely to save money in the short term, particularly if they don’t put the citizens at the heart of the change. The same goes for long-term economic benefits if communities are divided and ultimately unhappy with the result.”
Glentworth CEO Neil Makepeace said data should underpin all organisational decisions, in both the private and public sectors.
“Data is every organisation’s greatest asset. With so much data at their fingertips already, local governments should be using it to gain as much insight as they can during the vital planning stage,” Mr Makepeace said.
“In the information age there are multiple ways to measure and manage community sentiment through methods like sentiment analysis and data insights, ultimately enabling better decision making.
“By putting the communities they serve front and centre, councils can focus on making evidence- based decisions that directly benefit the people.”
