LGA Board Changes | Rate capping legislation | Queen's Birthday Honours | Council workshops on Ancillary Documents No Images? Click here Vol 3: Issue 22 - Monday 18 June 2018 It is a privilege to serve as your LGA President until October, and I look forward to working with all of you to make our sector even stronger. It is very important that I acknowledge the passion, commitment and accomplishments of our former President, Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg. Let’s build on Mayor Rosenberg’s achievements – especially her work in advocating for our sector, and the significant reform agenda currently underway in local government. With the Government’s proposed legislation on rate capping to be tabled shortly, the workshops underway on the implementation of our new Constitution, and forthcoming local government elections, I encourage you to participate in the opportunities available to keep informed and provide feedback. In light of the recent media and debate around the LGA, it’s also worth taking a moment to review the LGA’s Value in Membership report that was distributed in April this year. You can download this from our website. If you have any ideas or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. LGA President Sue Clearihan LGA Board changesI was honoured to be appointed to the position of President at a special meeting of the LGA Board last Wednesday. This resulted in a number of casual vacancies on the Board, which saw Town of Gawler Mayor Karen Redman appointed as a Vice President, and City of West Torrens Councillor Arthur Mangos appointed as a voting member of the Board. I would like to acknowledge and thank both Mayor Redman and Councillor Mangos for their willingness to step up into these important roles, and I look forward to working with both of them as well as the rest of the Board. Nominations for the next LGA President will open at the end of next month, and in accordance with our Constitution this President will be appointed from a regional council. Rate capping legislationWe understand that the Government will introduce their rate capping legislation into the Parliament this week. Minister Knoll has indicated that he will be writing to all councils when the Bill has been released, and the LGA will also provide information to members through a special edition of this newsletter. The LGA will also call a special meeting so councils can receive further information, consider the model that is being proposed, and develop some options to take back to their chamber for an endorsed council position on the legislation. The date and venue for this meeting are currently being finalised and I hope to make an announcement soon. We’ve asked that debate on the Bill is deferred until the spring session to allow councils to carefully consider the impacts – including unintended consequences – of the Government’s proposed model. Queen's Birthday HonoursCongratulations to Ceduna Mayor Allan Suter and Salisbury Mayor Gillian Aldridge on their inclusion in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Both Mayor Suter and Mayor Aldridge were recognised for their extensive contributions to local government with Order of Australia Medals. As council members we all dedicate countless hours to improving our communities, and it’s wonderful to see Allan’s and Gillian’s many contributions to our State recognised. Council workshops on Ancillary DocumentsWe are currently consulting on the Ancillary Documents that will operationalise our new Constitution, and have scheduled a series of workshops that will provide the opportunity to find out more and have your say. The first of these workshops was held in Robe last Friday; the schedule for the remaining workshops is below: It’s our intention to present the draft Ancillary Documents for endorsement at our AGM in October to enable them to take effect at the same time as the new Constitution, and I would encourage you to attend one of these workshops if you can. We’ve already received some valuable feedback about the need to ensure that key changes are well communicated to enable councils to fully assess and provide informed comments on future governance arrangements. We’ve taken this on board and will release some FAQs and additional explanatory notes shortly. For more information on the workshops or to provide feedback on the Ancillary Documents please contact Dr Andrew Johnson at andrew.johnson@lga.sa.gov.au. Good luck DC of Elliston!Like many of you, I’m in Canberra this week attending ALGA’s 2018 National General Assembly, and I’ll have my fingers crossed for the District Council of Elliston at tomorrow night’s NGA Dinner. Earlier this year the Council won the Promoting Indigenous Recognition category in the National Awards for Local Government for their Elliston Reconciliation Monument Wording. As one of ten category winners in these awards they are now in the running to receive a National Award for Excellence. Being recognised as a category winner in these national awards is a tremendous achievement and well deserved, and I wish the DC of Elliston the best of luck for tomorrow night! State Public Health PlanThe LGA is working closely with the Department of Health and Wellbeing to develop the next version of the State Public Health Plan. This Plan is a statutory document developed under the SA Public Health Act (2011), and helps set the scene for councils with their own public health planning. Consultation has just closed on the Plan’s Draft Framework, and we’ve used this opportunity to highlight a number of issues and opportunities for local government that were identified through council workshops held in May and early June. A key priority for our sector is securing a funding commitment from the State Government for a Community Wellbeing Alliance that would support councils – particularly in regional and rural areas – to develop their capacity to undertake their role as public health authorities. The LGA would also like to see a clear indication of what the State Government will do to implement the State Public Health Plan in its areas of responsibility. Local government can’t do it all – it takes a partnership between all three tiers of government to improve community health and wellbeing. Other priorities identified in our submission include the need for the new Plan to focus on mental health and wellbeing, as well as strategies to tackle alcohol and drug misuse. The LGA has also drawn attention to the critical workforce shortages in public and environmental health in local councils, particularly outside the metropolitan area. The draft State Public Health Plan will be released for final consultation later this year, and I will keep you informed of any major developments. For further information or to submit |