Congratulations Premier Marshall | Sixteen years of working together | LG Reform Forum | China foreign waste ban | 2018 LGA OGM No Images? Click here Special weekly update from the LGA President Vol 3: Issue 10 - Monday 19 March 2018 Dear Mayors and CouncillorsThe last year has been a difficult one for me, and more broadly for local government. I have experienced an ever increasing degree of public scrutiny because, as Mayors, we speak on behalf of our councils. I respect and appreciate that during this time it has been expedient for some to use various media outlets to question my role as President. For those who have raised issues either with me personally or more publicly I can only say I give 100% to local government, and cherish my time in this sector. It greatly pains me that issues within my council may have reflected on this sector more broadly, and I am committed to continuing to give all I can to the LGA into the future. However, I wanted to thank the LGA Executive and Board for their support and efforts throughout this period. LGA President Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg Congratulations Premier MarshallI wrote to Steven Marshall this afternoon to congratulate him on becoming our State’s new Premier. The LGA always works with the government of the day, and we are keen to work with Premier Marshall and his incoming government to ensure fair funding for councils and communities, and a legislative framework that supports rather than hinders local government. We have met with many Liberal front benchers over the past three months and we’ve had some very positive discussions about taking good ideas forward. In the lead up to the election the LGA campaigned on behalf of members on two key issues – rate capping, and cost shifting. We stand by the position that rate capping will hurt communities. This has been backed up by the weight of evidence, and we will continue to oppose its introduction in South Australia. However, we do recognise and support the need for change in our sector, and are hoping to partner with the new government on a range of opportunities included in our sector reform package. Although we disagree on rate capping, we welcome the Liberal Party’s commitment to stop cost shifting to councils. As a start we have asked them to freeze and review the Solid Waste Levy, remove the mandatory 75% rate rebate for community housing, and scrap ‘rubble royalty’ payments. While rate capping and cost shifting dominated the pre-election headlines, our State Election Agenda - South Australia. Uncapped Potential – presented parties with more than 50 ideas to make South Australia better. The policy announcements made during the election campaign showed they were listening, and we will continue to advocate on opportunities for our sector to work together with the state government for the benefit of our communities. There is a lot to do to grow the economy, create jobs and build stronger communities. We are keen to do our bit as a partner in government, and part of the solution. Sixteen years of working togetherI would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the outgoing Labor Government, and reflect on some of the great outcomes we’ve achieved working together over the past 16 years. A new state-local government agreement, and the establishment of the Premier’s State Local Government Forum has improved communication, and led to a number of new partnerships. The “one card” library system has been a tremendous success, making it easy for South Australians to access a massive list of titles through their local library. We’ve worked together on financial sustainability reform to improve the financial performance and sustainability of councils; and the Stormwater Management Agreement (and Authority) has brought some medium term certainty to major stormwater projects. Similarly, reform of the CWMS program and long-term funding agreements have allowed councils to plan ahead and deliver this vital infrastructure in their communities. Public health has been another productive partnership, and we’ll be talking to the incoming government about expanding on the success of the OPAL program with our proposal for a new Community Wellbeing Alliance. We also worked closely with the Labor Government on boundary adjustment legislation reform in order to provide a clear and independent process for councils that wish to make changes to their boundaries. Finally, the recent State Local Government Infrastructure Partnership has provided councils with around $25 million in funding to bring forward key local infrastructure projects, and create jobs in their communities. Thanks to outgoing Local Government Minister Geoff Brock and Premier Jay Weatherill for all of their support. Our sector is stronger now than it was 16 years ago, and the partnership with the outgoing government has played a big role in setting South Australian councils and our communities up for future success. LG Reform ForumRegistrations are now open for our Local Government Reform Forum, to be held at the Stamford Plaza on Thursday 29 March. This interactive forum will cover a range of topics including:
Given the change of government, it is particularly timely for us to get together to consider the key priorities for local government, and how we can work together with parliament on sensible reforms for our sector. There will also be an opportunity after the event to catch up with local government colleagues over networking before heading into the Easter long weekend. China foreign waste banChina recently announced a ban on accepting foreign waste that is likely to have a significant impact on Australia’s recycling sector, and ultimately on council budgets. We’ve sought information from councils and waste subsidiaries on the anticipated short, medium and long term impacts of this decision in their communities, and will consider this feedback at our Board meeting this week. The LGA has also met with Green Industries SA and the EPA a number of times to monitor developments and consider possible government responses. Recognising the significant financial stress this situation will cause for councils, I wrote to all parties in the lead up to the election urgently seeking their commitment to releasing funds from the Green Industries Fund to provide a financial support package for councils. We will continue this discussion with the incoming government and will be looking for an early decision about a financial support package and a freeze in the waste levy to provide relief to councils and ratepayers. We’re also developing a program of additional LGA work that will benefit councils. This includes a review of model waste management contracts, work relating to sustainable procurement that may help to establish local markets for recycled products, and advocating for a state-wide education campaign to promote recycling and reduce contamination. Finally, we’ve discussed the issue at the ALGA level to develop a national response at the Federal level. ALGA officers are currently working with Commonwealth and State senior officers to develop a report that will go to all Environment Ministers in April. This is another example of an external decision that is out of the control of councils, but will nevertheless impact on our operations and budgets. We are committed to partnering with all levels of government to identify a solution, and I will keep you updated on any developments. 2018 LGA Ordinary General MeetingThe LGA’s 2018 Ordinary General Meeting will be held for the first time at Adelaide Town Hall on Friday 13 April. Along with our Annual General Meeting, this is one of two opportunities each year for member councils to consider and vote on key issues for the sector, and set the LGA’s strategic direction. It will once again be preceded by the Council Next Practice Showcase Event on Thursday 12 April, and our networking dinner at the Intercontinental on Thursday evening. This dinner will include presentation of service awards for long serving council members, as well as this year’s Joy Baluch Award. The agenda and meeting papers for our OGM are now available to download from our website and you can find more information in this circular. You can register to attend the Showcase and OGM on our website. For further information or to submit |