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State and Local Government taking up the challenge of change

The public consultation phase of the Local Government legislative review is prompting lively discussion among Councils and communities around the State. The Minister for Local Government, Mark Brindal, has led a series of metropolitan and country information sessions and issues workshops following the launch of the consultation documents.

"The Government wants high levels of input from Local Government, peak bodies and community before final policy positions are determined," he said. "Following the very successful process of structural reform involving voluntary amalgamations, many of the new Councils are geographically very large.

"At some of the regional information sessions and workshops, it has been encouraging to meet participants who have travelled long distances to attend. I greatly appreciate the time, effort and attention being given by Local Government elected members and staff and members of the public to this comprehensive legislative project, especially at a time when the impact of recent boundary reform is being worked through in various Council administrations."

The Local Government Association of SA is actively involved in the process and the issues workshops are being conducted on a collaborative basis with the LGA. The Minister said it was already apparent that some aspects of the Draft Bills had generated high levels of interest.

"A particular challenge has been presented by clauses indicating expectations for future relationships between State and Local Government," he said. "We want to capture relationships of mutual respect and coordination."

Executive Director of the Office of Local Government, Carol Procter, said a number of other issues had generated vigorous discussion.

For example, while there has been general acceptance of the need to include mechanisms for internal and external boundary review of Councils, the concept of an Areas Commissioner &endash; as a replacement for the current Local Government Boundary Reform Board &endash; has led to some debate.

There has also been considerable discussion about the provisions expecting Councils to take part in or initiate strategic planning for their areas and for stronger requirements for corporate and operational plans.

Other proposals that appear to be creating keen community interest include the following.

• Encouraging greater public participation in Council elections and moves to simplify electoral procedures.
• Postal voting in all elections.
• A proportional representation method of counting in all elections.
• Casual vacancies within 18 months of a general election to be filled by a recount after the distribution of preferences of the vacating member.
• Candidates must be Australian citizens from the year 2000.
• Contracting out service delivery based on a New Zealand model, rather than the compulsory approach adopted in the United Kingdom and Victoria.
• Adoption of the concept of community land, drawn from the New South Wales approach, to protect the interests of the community in open space and other significant areas.
• Land retaining the community land classification could only be disposed of after revocation of the classification, which would require special consultation and Ministerial approval.

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