Local government facing period of change
13 October 2005
ALGA Vice President, Cr Bill Mitchell, has today (13 October) addressed the annual conference of the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory, saying the 'wind of change' was blowing across local government.
"In 1960, the British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, talked of the 'wind of change' that was blowing through Africa," Cr Mitchell told delegates. “The wind of change is now starting to blow through local government here in Australia. And it doesn't matter whether you are in South Australia, my home state of WA, Queensland or here in the Northern Territory - the wind of change is clearly upon us."
"These winds are being fanned by a number of factors - all relate to the increasing fiscal pressure confronting local government today. There are five principal causes:
Councils across the country are faced with:
- escalating demand for human services
- increasing costs of maintaining and renewing local infrastructure, much of it reaching the end of its useful life
- widespread cost-shifting to councils by other spheres of government
- rapidly ageing populations, putting pressure on revenue and services and, importantly
- a lack of real growth in state and federal grants.
"We have, for too long, been under-valued and under-funded. If we are to fulfil our obligations to our communities, we need a stronger financial base from which to operate. This will require - above all else - a commitment from our federal and state counterparts to meaningful change. That means change that will serve the best interests of our communities - not insensitive and inappropriate change imposed from above. In other words, we in local government need to embrace change and make sure the wind is blowing with us - not against us.
"As state and territory associations examine the pressure facing local government at the state and territory level, ALGA is in the process of pursuing change at the federal level. While the way ahead will not be easy, the ALGA Board has clear goals, fair funding, fair treatment and formal recognition," he told delegates.
ALGA has been calling for financial assistance grants to be replaced with a share of at least 1% of Commonwealth taxation revenue.
The speech has been posted to the ALGA website and can be found at: www.alga.asn.au/newsroom/speeches/
As well as holding one of the two ALGA Vice President positions, Cr Mitchell is also President of the Western Australian Local Government Association.
- Contact:
- Cr Paul Bell AM, ALGA President - 0418 791 596
- Rohan Greenland, ALGA Public Affairs - 0412 85 9434 / 02 6122 9434
