Rate capping | Property Council rate capping research | S270 complaints | Financial Assistance Grants | Regional Growth Fund | Media round up No Images? Click here Vol 3: Issue 30 - Monday 13 August 2018 At the Special Meeting on Friday, the LGA Board expressed our thanks to the LGA CEO, Secretariat and the sector for the significant amount of work that has been done to review the impacts of rate capping on communities, and the efforts in campaigning against this poor public policy. While we continue to oppose the policy of rate capping, the LGA remains committed to working with the State Government on policies and projects that will benefit South Australia. While it can be uncomfortable to disagree, politics is not personal, and we all need to maintain positive and constructive working relationships with our local Members of Parliament. There is a lot that we can achieve in partnership with our local MPs and the State Government, and I look forward to our ideas for working together being included in the State Budget when it is handed down on 4 September. LGA President Sue Clearihan Rate cappingOn Friday the LGA Board voted unanimously to oppose the Local Government (Rate Oversight) Amendment Bill currently before Parliament. As anticipated in my special update on Friday afternoon, this decision has been heavily criticised by the State Government with Minister Knoll publicly declaring that the Government would drag councils to the table. Local government has been at the table for years, getting on with sector-driven reforms and improvements while waiting for a partner in government to work with us on sensible legislative reforms. It is very disappointing that we have a new State Government – and a new opportunity for a partnership – and there is only one policy that they are willing to discuss. While the LGA is opposed to the Government’s proposed rate capping reforms, we are committed to partnering with the Government and Parliament on sensible local government reforms that will deliver real and lasting results for our communities. Working with members we’ve developed a comprehensive reform agenda for the sector, which we believe will deliver much better outcomes than a rate capping system. In the meantime, the City of West Torrens has produced a video to explain to its residents the impacts of rate capping. Property Council rate capping researchLast week the Property Council of South Australia released results of a statewide survey – of 300 respondents – that claims 77 percent support for rate capping. Leaving aside the fact that a survey of 300 people equates to just over four people from each council, it comes as no surprise that people would respond favourably to a survey that asks them if they want a cap applied to large rate increases. Average metropolitan councils rate increases for 2018-19 are less than CPI, and average increases across the state have been trending downward over the past five years. Rate capping certainly has broad public appeal, but it is also complex and widely misunderstood in the community. Rate capping does not cap the rates on individual properties and does not live up to the promise of big savings. The Property Council has also defined local government ‘core business’ as ‘waste collection, landscaping and public space maintenance’. I am not sure the thousands of South Australians who benefit from local libraries, community centres, festivals and events and support services would agree. The City of Salisbury offers a great example of how local government can successfully work with developers as evidenced in this video about an exciting new community hub – much more than just waste collection, landscaping and maintenance. Complaints against council decisionsToday The Advertiser discussed the number and cost of reviews of council decisions under Section 270 of the Local Government Act 1999. The article states that the LGA is “happy with the current Section 270 process”. This is not representative of the comments provided, which stated that, “Councils have not asked the LGA to seek changes to Section 270 of the Local Government Act.” If there are concerns about the Section 270 process from within the sector, I encourage these to be raised with the LGA so they can be reviewed and, with support from member councils, we can advocate for reform with Members of Parliament. Member councils have two primary opportunities each year through the Ordinary and Annual General Meetings. Notices of Motion for the AGM are being accepted now and are due by 5pm on 14 September. More information about Notices of Motion for the upcoming AGM can be found here. Financial Assistance GrantsOne of the benefits of LGASA membership is the advocacy that is provided by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) in Canberra on national issues. A key focus for ALGA in the lead up to the next Federal Election will be advocating for growth in the Financial Assistance Grants (FAGs) provided to councils. These untied grants are vital to councils – especially in regional areas – but their value has unfortunately declined from around 1 percent of national taxation in 1996 to just under 0.57 percent today. Strong advocacy from ALGA and State LGAs lifted the freeze on annual FAGs indexation in 2017/18, but we now need to focus on increasing the total value of the funding available and reinstating a fair share of Federal Funding for Local Government. ALGA will be asking parties and candidates to support restoring FAGs to at least 1 percent of Commonwealth taxation revenue, and adding funding for partnership programs where agreed. You can help by taking five minutes to fill in this online questionnaire, and highlighting something your council could achieve with increased Federal funding. This is an important issue for councils – not just in SA but right around the country. Councils collect just 4 percent of national taxation, and we need to have fair and equitable access to public funding to properly fund the hundreds of services we deliver, and billions of dollars in infrastructure that we manage. Regional Growth FundMatt and I recently met with Tim Whetstone MP, Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, to discuss opportunities for councils through the Regional Growth Fund. The State Government has committed $15 million per annum for ten years to unlock economic activity in the State’s regions, deliver critical economic infrastructure and strengthen regional communities. In 2018-19 the Fund will support up to $5 million of competitive grants from $50,000 up to $2 million on a matched dollar for dollar basis. Where applications from regional councils score favourably in assessment criteria, more attractive funding may be offered. Applications for the 2018-19 competitive round close on Friday 31 August. Guidelines and application details are available here. Media round upInDaily discussed the representation of women in local government and some of the strategies the LGA is using to promote and support greater diversity on councils. Please note the LGA is not affiliated with the masterclass event being hosted by Tracey Spicer AM in Adelaide this Saturday. Friday’s decision to oppose the Local Government (Rate Oversight) Amendment Bill was discussed by InDaily and The Advertiser. The City of Adelaide has joined the Small Business Friendly Council Initiative, which is being coordinated through the Office of the Small Business Commissioner in partnership with the LGA. For further information or to submit |