Have your say:

Amalgamation of Councils

Subiaco station by night

The government has identified a need to speed up the 10 year process that WALGA has identified in its SSS Report. The WALGA report itself highlighted that 83 councils on Western Australia were unsustainable with a significant infrastructure backlog. The Local Government Advisory Board’s 2006 Inquiry Report found that a similar number of local governments are financially unsustainable.

It is evident through staff and skills shortages, a high turnover of staff, and a high proportion of vacant positions that the sector cannot sustain the human resources necessary under its current structure. There is a lack of proper financial and asset management and reporting, forward planning and compliance with legislation.

Larger local governments will lead to greater financial and organisational sustainability, and be better equipped to play a strong role for the delivery of services and as advocates for their communities. It will also enhance their ability to deliver stimulus spending from State and Commonwealth governments to benefit their communities.

These reform initiatives will lead to strong benefits to the community in the form of improved local government services and in the longer term a more viable and sustainable local government sector.

The Minister has requested the Local Government Reform Steering Committee comprising State Government, WALGA, LGMA and the private sector, provide support and guidelines for local governments to assist them in developing best practice amalgamation and other reform proposals within a designated period. He has also asked the Department of Local Government and Regional Development to be on hand to provide support and guidance to local governments throughout this process.

If you’d like to give me your views on the matter please write to me and let me know….

Tags: councils, Local Government, Local issues