Local government reform | Uncapped potential | Rate capping | SA Labor Policy Platform | Screening checks for volunteers | Vale Val Hall | State election candidate update No Images? Click here Special weekly update from the LGA President Vol 3: Issue 7 - Monday 26 February 2018 Dear Mayors and CouncillorsSome of the media coverage on councils of late – my council in particular – reminds me not to believe everything you read, especially during a state election campaign where populist ideas like rate capping are in the spotlight. I am very happy to provide the accurate expenditures on all areas "examined" by the media, and to provide a personal explanation, so please get in touch with me if you want to discuss. We are just a few weeks away from potentially having a new – or returned – government in SA. Working together to solve our issues will always result in best outcomes, and being a strong and united sector will give us the best chance of achieving influence with whoever forms government. Others will do their best to divide and conquer us. I am staying focused on the big picture. LGA President Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg Local government reformThe LGA’s 2018 State Election Agenda identifies a partnership approach to local government reform as a priority for the next state government. After seeking feedback from council members and staff, the LGA has developed a plan for local government reform that we will provide to all parties this week. This is a sector-driven local government reform program that concentrates on the many things councils can achieve through continuous improvement programs that strive to meet always evolving community standards and understanding of best practice. It outlines a road map for sensible change that state and local government can work together on to start delivering in the first 100 days of government and beyond. Key elements include implementing a bench marking program, standardised external audits, a stronger code of conduct, exploring a sector-wide industrial relations framework, a review of the representation review process, and opportunities to diversity local government revenue. Local government elections reform is also supported. We can’t implement all of these changes on our own, and we’re keen to partner with all parties that are willing to work with us to deliver sensible local government reforms. The LGA’s state election platform – South Australia. Uncapped potential – outlines more than 50 opportunities for the next state government to work with councils in the areas of infrastructure, planning, service delivery and local government reform. We asked leading Australian economists ACIL Allen to review this document, and they found that the implementation of just ten of the key economic development priorities would contribute $367 million per annum to South Australia’s Gross State Product (GSP) between 2018 and 2022. It would also result in the direct employment of 470 workers, as well as the indirect employment of a further 1,957 people. This report reinforces the value of state and local government partnerships, and how South Australia wins when we work together- without the constraints of an externally imposed rate cap. You can download the ACIL Allen report here. Rate (and fees and charges) cappingLast week the SA Liberal Party announced that – if elected – they would not only cap council rates, but also stop councils from raising fees and charges. With this apparent fascination with controlling councils and local decisions, I wonder where they would find the time to also run the State Government? The fees and charges that South Australian councils can charge are the among the lowest in the nation, and every ratepayer is already heavily subsidising services such as planning applications, building inspections and food safety inspections. We’ve been lobbying for some time to reset these fees, and this Liberal Party policy locks councils and communities into a position that is already unfair and unsustainable, and will be made a lot worse under rate capping. It’s worth noting that South Australian councils raise $354 per capita annually in fees, charges and other revenue – compared to $913 in NSW and $658 in Victoria. Council rates are less than 4% of the tax paid by Australians, and in 2017/18 South Australian council rates increased on average by $44 per household – or less than $1 per week. This is in an environment where costs that are completely outside of the control of councils – such as rising electricity prices – have put significant pressure on council rates. Increases in the Solid Waste Levy, community housing rebates, rubble royalties and NRM fees have also put pressure on local government budgets. These costs have been largely unchallenged by the State Parliament. Council rates are the only tax that councils can raise, and if council rates are capped and fees and charges are also restricted, then councils will become even more reliant on state and federal government grants. South Australian councils have traditionally received the lowest state government grants per capita in the nation. Will the SA Liberal Party increase funding to local government, or will these be capped too? The reality is that councils need to have sufficient revenue to fund the hundreds of services and facilities that communities want and to look after the $22 billion worth of infrastructure they are responsible for. South Australian councils already raise the lowest total revenue per capita in Australia and our rates per household are below the national average. Capping rates and fees and charges will impact on services, create a backlog of works, and ultimately just shift the costs of maintaining our communities on to the next generation of ratepayers. If you are looking for information to help you have conversations with your community about rate capping, you can download an information pack here. You can also download a fact sheet about cost shifting, covering what it means for ratepayers and our proposal to stop it. SA Labor Policy Platform Last week I wrote about the release of the SA Labor Party Policy Platform, noting their commitment to preventing the introduction of rate-capping and forced amalgamations. It was pleasing to also see a commitment to upgrading bus shelters. Modelled on a previous successful program, funding of $4.1 million has been committed for building and upgrading bus shelters that are fully compliant under disability legislation. With matched funding from councils, this would enable 600 bus shelters to be improved. Funding for bus shelters was included in the LGA’s State Election Agenda after being submitted as a Notice of Motion at one of our General Meetings. This goes to show the value of sector-wide advocacy. Their policy also talks about working with local government to improve local content in their projects. We’ll be looking for more information on what this means as the LGA is already working on an Industry Participation Guide for councils and assisting the Small Business Commissioner to promote a Small Business Friendly Council initiative. SA Liberals promise free screening checks for volunteers The SA Liberal Party has announced that if elected they will introduce free screening checks for volunteers. South Australian Councils are supported by approximately 11,000 volunteers and thousands more volunteers run the local sports clubs, community groups and charity organisations that make communities strong. The LGA welcomes any policy announcements that reduce barriers to volunteering and encourage more people to get involved in grass roots community activities. Vale Val HallI was saddened to hear from Mayor Bill Spragg at Adelaide Hills Council that Councillor Val Hall passed away on 20 February. Val served her community as a council member for many years, first on the Gumeracha District Council, and then after amalgamation with Adelaide Hills Council. It is always sad to lose a member of our local government family, and our thoughts are with her family and friends – and the staff and members at Adelaide Hills Council – at this time. State election candidate update Below is a list of known candidates from local government contesting the 2018 state election. Lachlan Clyne • Liberal • Badcoe • lachlan.clyne@sa.liberal.org.au John Woodward • Independent • Badcoe • badcoe2018@gmail.com Trevor Scott • Australian Conservatives • Chaffey • trevorscott1958@gmail.com Jassmine Wood • SA Best • Colton • jassmine.wood@sabest.org.au Karen Hockley • SA Best • Davenport • karen.hockley@sabest.org.au Carol Martin • SA Best • Enfield • carol.martin@sabest.org.au Kendall Jackson • Liberal • Frome • kendall.jackson@sa.liberal.org.au Kris Hanna • SA Best • Gibson • kris.hanna@sabest.org.au Tom Antonio • SA Best • Giles • tom.antonio@sabest.org.au Marijka Ryan • Independent • Hartley marijka.ryan@gmail.com Lynton Vonow • Greens • Heysen • heysen@sa.greens.org.au Ian Grosser • Greens • Kavel • Email TBA Andrew Stratford • SA Best • Kavel • andrew.stratford@sabest.org.au Paula Luethen • Liberal • King • paula.luethen@sa.liberal.org.au Steven Rypp • Liberal • Lee • steven.rypp@sa.liberal.org.au Andy Legrand • SA Best • Lee • andy.legrand@sabest.org.au Karen McColl • Liberal • Light • karen.mccoll@sa.liberal.org.au Heidi Greaves • Australian Conservatives • Mawson • heidi.greaves@bigpond.com Hazel Wainwright • SA Best • Mawson • hazel.wainwright@sabest.org.au Peter Field • Labor • Morialta • peter.field@alp.org.au Stephen Patterson • Liberal • Morphett • stephen.patterson@sa.liberal.org.au Gary Johanson • SA Best • Port Adelaide • gary.johanson@sabest.org.au Sam Johnson • SA Best • LegCo • sam.johnson@sabest.org.au Gail Kilby • Independent • LegCo • votegailkilby@gmail.com For further information or to submit |