Issues and Opportunities for Local Government

Community Indicators Summit23rd July 2009

Aim

To explore the current Queensland Local Government context and the potential for community indicators on Local Government planning and service delivery.

LGAQ• LGAQ formed in 1896 to give local

government a united voice. • The Association is the peak body

representing local government in its dealings with other governments, unions, business and the community

Queensland Local Government

•73 Councils

•73 Mayors and 480 Councillors (553 Elected Members)

•Local Government's current Workforce is approx 37,956

•Amalgamated in March 2008

•37 Continuing councils and 36 new councils (amalgamation or boundary change

• Cook Shire has an area more than half the size of Victoria

•Mt Isa is the largest City in the world by area

•Redlands is the smallest council in area with a population of more than 25,000

What is Local

Government Business

in Queensland

?

CommunityIncludes community safety, libraries, housing, community engagement, youth, cultural diversity, immigration & social capital, disaster management, counter terrorism.

Environment: Includes public health, natural environment, climate change, waste and waste management, pollution, recycling, pest management, natural resource management (NRM), stock routes, vegetation and coastal management.

Finance: Includes insurance, councillor remuneration, rates and rating, accounting, auditing, taxation and finance.

Governance: Includes local government reform, corporate planning, council reporting, compliance, risk management, local laws, administration, elections, code of conduct and freedom of information.

Indigenous:Includes native title, aboriginal and ATSI issues and indigenous cultural

heritage.

Infrastructure: Includes asset management, roads, roads alliance, transport, broadband,

energy, council infrastructure, storm water, water supply and waste water.

Planning: Includes land use planning, regional planning, disaster mitigation, building,

housing affordability, regulation reform, iconic places, electronic development assessments (eDA) and built heritage.

Regionalism:Population migration (sea change, tree change), growth management,

economic & regional development, tourism, mining & resource communities.

Workforce: Includes human resource management (HRM), workforce planning,

recruitment, training and development, workplace health & safety (WH&S), workplace relations and enterprise bargaining.

What is the current QLD

Local Government

Context?

• Land Use Pressures• Population Growth • Cost Shifting • Amalgamation • Regionalism• Competing Priorities• Rural, Remote and

Urban Communities• Climate Change

• Infrastructure • Asset Management• Resourced Communities• Workforce Strategy

including Ageing Population, skills attraction and retention)

• New Legislation • Loss of subsidies

Current QLD Local Government Context

New Legislation

• Local Government Act 2009• Sustainable Planning Act 2009

Local Government Act 20094 Local government principles underpin this Act(1) To ensure the system of local government is accountable, effective, efficient and

sustainable, Parliament requires—(a) anyone who is performing a responsibility under this Act to do so in accordance

with the local government principles; and(b) any action that is taken under this Act to be taken in a way that—(i) is consistent with the local government principles; and(ii) provides results that are consistent with the local government principles, in as far

as the results are within the control of the person who is taking the action.

(2) The local government principles are—(a) transparent and effective processes, and decision-making in the public interest;

and(b) sustainable development and management of assets and infrastructure, and

delivery of effective services; and(c) democratic representation, social inclusion and meaningful community

engagement; and(d) good governance of, and by, local government; and(e) ethical and legal behaviour of councillors and local Government employees.

Long Term Planning104 (3) The planning and accountability

documents include the following documents—(a) an annual report;(b) a 5 year corporate plan;(c) an annual operational plan;(d) a long-term community plan;(e) a long-term financial plan;(f) a long-term asset management plan;(g) a report on the results of an annual review of

the implementation of the long term plans mentioned in this section.

Local Government Act 2009

Long Term Community Plan(4) A long-term community plan is a

document that—(a) outlines the local government’s goals,

strategies and policies for implementing the local government’s vision for the future of the local government area, during the period covered by the plan; and

(b) covers a period of at least 10 years after the commencement of the plan.

Local Government Act 2009

Duration10 years

OwnerCommunity and council

ScopeWhole of the Community

Responsibility for DeliveryFederal Government•State Government•Local Government •Community

VisionBroad Strategic Vision for Community

Strategic LevelHigh Level Strategic

Reviewed•Annually to broadly review the implementation.•Minimum 5 yearly review in cycle with the corporate plan

Role of Community Indicators

As Part of the Community Engagement Process– Consider Statutory and Strategic

plans and / or other Legislative requirements

– Implement, Monitor, Evaluation and Future Action Planning (Local, State and Federal Govt and Community)

Role of Community Indicators (cont)

• Identify and Highlight Community Priorities

• Inform Planning, Advocacy and Service Delivery

• Build upon and integrate with broader council planning processes

Questions?

Contact details

Rachael UhrSocial Policy AdvisorLGAQ07 3000 2238rachael_uhr@lgaq.asn.au