Productivity Commission Inquiry | Reform submission | Ratepayer Protection Bill | New Federal Minister | Recycling Inquiry No Images? Click here Vol 4: Issue 11 - Monday 27 May 2019 Keeping up the maintenance of jetties is a big issue for some coastal councils, so it was great to see the Government announce they’ll be developing a state-wide jetties strategy (subscriber link). This issue was first raised through SAROC, and the LGA has been vocal in recent months calling for the State Government to come to the table, recognising that the lease agreements some coastal councils have entered into to maintain their local jetties will expire in the next few years. We need to work in partnership on this, and the Government’s commitment to plan for the future is welcomed. As an Association we also welcome the two inquiries announced last week into local government costs and efficiency and our State’s recycling industry. Any decisions affecting our sector should be based on strong evidence, and we’ll be working with members to provide these inquiries with factual information that will support better councils and better communities. LGA President Sam Telfer Productivity Commission Inquiry into Local Government Last week the Government’s Productivity Commission announced an inquiry into local government costs and efficiency. This inquiry will look at trends in council costs, and mechanisms that might be used by councils to measure and improve performance. It will run concurrently with the Government’s reform program, and a draft report is expected by August, with a final report by the end of the year. This focus on measuring and improving performance is consistent with the sector-wide benchmarking program the LGA has been advocating for, which would also increase transparency across our sector. It’s encouraging to see the Government taking an evidence based approach to local government reform. For a long time our sector has been raising concerns about the cost pressures placed on councils by the State Government and this inquiry provides an opportunity for these issues to be thoroughly examined. More information on the inquiry, including its terms of reference, can be found on the Productivity Commission’s website. Local government reform submission Over the past few months the LGA has worked with members to develop and finalise a local government reform submission, outlining sensible changes for our sector that will increase efficiency, productivity and transparency. This submission was endorsed at our last Board meeting and provided to the Government, Opposition and other Parliamentarians last week. You can download a copy of the final submission here. Thank you to all of you who took the time to provide input into this submission, either through the consultation process, or raising ideas for change through motions at our General Meetings. There is never a bad time to raise a good idea for our sector and we will continue to work with you to develop and shape the proposals over the coming months. Ratepayer Protection Bill The Labor/Crossbench Local Government (Ratepayer Protection and Related Measures) Amendment Bill was voted down by the Government in the Lower House on Wednesday 15 May. While a number of the proposals included in this Bill were consistent with the LGA’s reform agenda, many of the additional measures were considered to be excessive and would place inequitable and costly requirements on councils compared with State and Federal Government. We can’t achieve positive legislative reform for the sector without the support of the Parliament and we look forward to continuing discussions with all parties about sensible and sustainable local government reforms that will drive downward pressure on council rates without putting local services at risk. New Federal Minister for Local Government The Hon Mark Coulton MP has been announced as the new Minister for Regional Services, Decentralisation and Local Government in the Morrison Government’s new Cabinet. Minister Coulton is a member of the Nationals, and has represented the seat of Parkes, NSW since 2007. From 2016–2018 he was Deputy Speaker of the House, and from March 2018 was Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. He was also the Mayor of Gwydir Shire Council from 2004 until 2007. I look forward to working with the Minister, and will be seeking to meet with him as soon as practicable.
Recycling Inquiry Parliament’s Environment, Resources and Development Committee has announced they’ll be undertaking an inquiry into the recycling industry in South Australia in the coming months. The LGA has been asked to provide a submission, and we’ll be distributing a draft of this to all councils for feedback by the middle of next month. The terms of reference for the inquiry can be downloaded here, and it’s interesting to note that one of the questions the Committee will be considering is “whether funding from the state government (including Green Industries SA funding) has been enough to support South Australian businesses and local councils affected by China's National Sword Policy.” The LGA has consistently highlighted that the Government needs to be doing more to shield councils and their ratepayers from the increased costs of waste and recycling. Analysis we commissioned last year showed the cost of China’s National Sword policy to councils is $8.8 million per year, and it’s likely this figure is even higher today. At the same time, councils continue to be burdened by annual increases to the Solid Waste Levy. The levy is scheduled to rise another 3% on 1 July, and will cost councils $35 million next year. We will be keeping a very close eye on next month’s State Budget to make sure that there are no nasty surprises with further, unjustifiable increases to the Solid Waste Levy, which would make waste and recycling even more expensive and put even more pressure on council budgets. 2019 LGA AGM The LGA’s 2019 Annual General Meeting will be held at Adelaide Oval on Thursday 31 October. Motions to be discussed and voted on at this meeting can be proposed by member councils throughout the year, and must be approved through SAROC, GAROC, or the LGA Board. To be considered for our 2019 AGM, proposals must be received by 5 August. More information on the process can be found here. Voting delegates for each council need to be confirmed with the LGA by Friday 18 October. If your council’s voting delegate has changed, please let us know by completing this form. Public lighting One of the areas the LGA is working in to support its members is public lighting. The LGA leads a council driven Public Lighting Working Group (PLWG), which also includes representatives from SA Power Networks (SAPN), DPTI and the Australian Energy Regulator; and the purpose of this group is to:
The action through the Australian Energy Regulator in relation to historical public lighting charges and seeking recovery of overcharging from SAPN is continuing. This is a joint action by the LGA and DPTI on behalf of public lighting customers and we remain optimistic about bringing this longstanding matter to a conclusion and achieving a favourable outcome for participating councils. Board meeting outcomes The minutes for the last LGA Board Meeting, held on 16 May, are available to download from our website. Some of the key outcomes included:
The next meeting will be held in Adelaide on 20 June. For further information or to submit |