New Minister for Local Government | LG Reform Forum | Annual Member's Survey | LGA Board Meeting | 2018 Council Next Practice Showcase No Images? Click here Special weekly update from the LGA President Vol 3: Issue 11 - Monday 26 March 2018 Dear Mayors and CouncillorsWith the State election out of the way it is time to check off all the promises made in each electorate and follow up on their delivery. While this is happening we will also be planning for local government elections, and ALGWA are holding a series of forums for women interested in standing. We have also been tasked with managing the full extent of advertising this election so preparations are well underway with this. LGA President Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg New Minister for Local GovernmentCongratulations to Stephan Knoll MP on his appointment as South Australia’s new Minister for Local Government. I wrote to Minister Knoll last week to congratulate him, and affirm our commitment to working together towards making local government even better. He has also been appointed to the portfolios of transport and infrastructure, and planning, which brings together many of the key issues for local government under one Ministry. Many of the proposals highlighted in our state election platform – South Australia. Uncapped potential – align with Minister Knoll’s portfolios, so we’ll be talking to him about the many opportunities we have to work together. I’ve reaffirmed our position to him that while we remain opposed to rate capping, we welcome the government’s election commitment to stopping cost shifting, and are asking them to start by freezing and reviewing the Solid Waste Levy, removing the mandatory 75% rate rebate for community housing, and scrapping “rubble royalty” payments. I will let you know when we receive a commitment from the new government – one way or the other – on these requests. Speaking on ABC Radio Adelaide Friday afternoon the Minister said that rate capping would not be in place in time for the coming financial year, and won’t impact on councils that are about to consult with their communities on budgets. A key focus for the LGA this year will be working with councils and the State Government on local government reform, and we’re seeking to meet with our new Minister as a priority to discuss our reform agenda. Our sector is ready for change and we are keen to work with the incoming government to make this happen. A full list of cabinet ministers in the new Liberal government can be found on the parliamentary website. LG Reform ForumOur Local Government Reform Forum will be held at the Stamford Plaza this Thursday from 12.30-5.30pm. With a new state government in place, and council elections just eight months away, now is the time for us to consider the key priorities for the sector, and how we can work as partners in government to make local government more efficient and transparent. For the full program for the event, and to register to attend, please visit our website. Annual Member's SurveyYou should have received a link today to our annual member’s survey. It’s important to us that we’re meeting the needs of members, and your feedback will help us know what we can do better, and what we should be doing more – and less – of. I urge you to please take a few minutes to fill this survey in. This year’s survey has been sent out through a third party company, which means all submissions will remain anonymous. All feedback received will inform our business planning for 2018/19, and ensure that the LGA continues to deliver the services that its members want and need. LGA Board MeetingThank you to Mayor Peter Mattey and the Regional Council of Goyder for hosting our first regional LGA Board meeting for 2018 in Burra last Thursday. We hold our Board meetings in regional SA twice a year, and it’s always a worthwhile experience getting out of the city and hearing about the local and regional issues that councils and their communities are facing. Our next regional Board meeting will be held in Port Lincoln in September. One of the key decisions made at last week’s meeting was for the LGA to advocate for a State Government support package for councils and the waste industry to address the short term impacts of China’s Revised Waste Import Policy. This policy has the potential to add millions of dollars to councils’ recycling costs, and it’s vital we receive short term relief, as well as investigate medium and long term solutions. We’ve started discussions with the state government already and have established a working group to help us determine the impacts on different councils and the support needed by the sector. The Board also endorsed a new Local Government Industry Participation Framework, which will help councils to calculate the local economic impact associated with tenders when procuring goods and services. The Framework has been developed in consultation with councils and the Office of the Industry Advocate and will be circulated to councils shortly to consider adopting as a further way to support local economic development. The full minutes from last week’s Board meeting will be on our website later this week. 2018 Council Next Practice ShowcaseThe 2018 Council Next Practice Showcase will at Adelaide Town Hall on Thursday 12 April, and be followed by a networking dinner at the Intercontinental Adelaide. This year’s keynote speaker will be Chris Richardson. Chris heads Deloitte Access Economics’ forecasting and modelling unit, and is an expert in the Australian and global economies, Federal budget analysis, property, ageing, and industry trends. After Chris' presentation we will move into concurrent sessions where councils will present on planning and engagement; economic regeneration; climate change; council collaboration; big data; and sustainable population growth. A program is now available which you can download from our website. This is the first time we’ve held this event at Adelaide Town Hall, and I’d like to thank the City of Adelaide for working closely with us to make it a success. We’ve got a great program and a fantastic venue and I hope to see many of you there. For further information or to submit |