Federal Election | Local government reform | Events this week | NRM reform | Immunisation MOU No Images? Click here Vol 4: Issue 9 - Monday 29 April 2019 I hope you had a happy, healthy and safe Easter break, and were able to take some time out to reflect and re-energize. This Thursday LG House will host a waste and recycling workshop, followed by a boundary reform forum. Waste and boundary reform are both hot issues for our sector, and I’d encourage you to attend these sessions either in person or online. Please keep talking with your local federal representatives and candidates in the lead up to 18 May. We all have a part to play in fighting for a fairer share of funding for local government in Australia. LGA President Sam Telfer Federal ElectionALGA recently launched a new Fairer Share website as part of their 2019 Federal Election campaign. It includes an advocacy toolkit which makes it easy for individual councils to get involved in this national campaign to increase the Commonwealth funding provided to local government. Our sector collects less than 4% of national taxation, and so we need fair funding from all spheres of government to deliver vital community facilities and services. I encourage you to lend your support to this campaign, and help make sure our message is heard loud and clear by all parties and candidates in the coming weeks. At a State level we are focused on securing commitments from parties for a permanent solution to the unfair share of Local Roads Funding South Australia receives, and I will let you know about any commitments we receive. Local government reformThank you to all of you who have taken the time to review our local government reform discussion paper, and provide the LGA with your feedback and ideas. We’ve only received a handful of submissions from members so far, with those received showing strong alignment with the reform positions outlined in the LGA’s discussion paper, which is a collation of the policies and positions that have been raised and supported by members in recent years. It’s not too late to let us know what you think. We will incorporate your feedback into a final submission on reforms supported by the local government sector, which will be provided to the Government following the LGA Board of Directors meeting on 16 May. Consultation with the sector will continue throughout the year, with a Bill expected to be introduced into the Parliament in early 2020. We would be happy to take any additional feedback you have – or new ideas – at any stage, as we work with the Government and Parliament on this important reform process. Events this weekWe’re holding two key events for mayors and councillors at LG House in Adelaide this Thursday 2 May. A Waste Essentials workshop from 9.30am – 12 noon will explain what happens to our waste after it’s picked up, and give attendees the knowledge they need to confidently make important business decisions about waste services for their councils. A Boundary Reform Forum will then be held from 1-3 pm, in conjunction with the newly established Local Government Boundaries Commission. This event will explain the role of the Commission, provide an overview of the Guidelines, and include plenty of opportunities to ask questions. You can register to attend this forum here. Both events are free to attend, and will also include a live-streaming option for members unable to attend in person. NRM reformLast month the State Government introduced their Landscape South Australia Bill 2019 into the Parliament. This Bill is intended to replace the Natural Resources Management Act 2004, and is in line with the Government’s pre-election commitment to review and reform the way South Australia’s natural resources are managed. The LGA is interested in hearing the views of councils on the Bill to inform our advocacy activities. Immunisation MOU
The LGA recently signed an MOU with the Department of Health and Wellbeing, which formalises the role we play in delivering these services to our communities. This is something we’ve been working towards for a number of years, and it clearly sets out administrative arrangements, and commits to undertaking further work to improve the safety and effectiveness of immunisation services in our State. The final MOU can be downloaded from our website. Media round upThe LGA is calling on the State Government to increase coastal protection funding by $10 million per year (subscriber link). Limestone Coast councils are working together to call for a Federal inquiry into the timber industry (subscriber link). We’ve warned that proposed changes to the Local Government and Valuation of Land Acts could cost councils millions in lost rates revenue (subscriber link). 2019 OGM minutesThe draft minutes of our 2019 Ordinary General Meeting are now available to download from our website. For further information or to submit |