The 104th annual Local Government Association of Tasmania conference took place last month, running from 20-22 July in Hobart.
Tasmanian Local Government Minister Peter Gutwein addressed delegates on the first day of the conference, tackling issues related to the TasWater service, local government amalgamations and effective governance.
The local-government owned water and sewerage service TasWater is in desperate need of a $1.8 billion upgrade, but the State and Federal government has not allocated any funds, saying local government should do more on the issue.
In a statement issued after the minister’s speech, LGAT President Doug Chipman addressed the tensions around funding.
“LGAT members have also recognised these issues and individually and collectively through the Association and the TasWater Owner Representatives Group have been working to address them.
“Local Government is happy to partner and work with State Government to ensure improvement in water and sewerage infrastructure and services.
“In the lead up to the recent federal election, councils made a clear indication of a willingness to shoulder some of the burden, agreeing to cap dividend payments for a further 10 years.
“Further, we have advocated for regulatory changes which would improve the flexibility of TasWater and reduce pricing pressures on householders.”
The theme of the LGAT conference was Metamorphosis: a Time of Change and Transformation and day two featured addresses examining the theme, across areas including tourism, data, and community engagement.
At the Association’s Annual General Meeting, run in conjunction with the conference, a motion calling for compulsory local government voting was initially passed, but recast after it was established the Launceston delegate was not present for the vote. The second vote on the motion was unsuccessful.
