peteharrison.id.au

The QPR Blog

…local government stuff you never even thought to ask about…

Local Government Reform (Update 11/14)

Posted by Pete on 30 November 2014
Filed under: General

The NSW government has now responded to the Independent Local Government Review Panel (ILGRP) recommendations by releasing its Fit for the Future (FFTF) blueprint for the reform the NSW local government sector. This program requires each council to effectively prepare a business plan for its future, based on the recommendations of the ILGRP. The ultimate goal is to give communities confidence that their council is financially sound, operating efficiently and in a strong position to guide community growth and deliver quality services.

For Palerang and Queanbeyan councils, the Panel recommended that either a merger between the two councils, or participation in one of the new Joint Organisations of councils, would provide the best opportunity to achieve the scale and strategic capacity required to satisfy the needs of their respective communities into the future.

While the merger option is the one that is receiving most media attention, it is not the only option available to the two councils. As the preferred recommendation of the ILGRP, however, the merger option is a reference point that needs to be considered in justifying any alternative. As such, both councils have agreed to explore the feasibility of the merger option while also developing alternatives, including that of remaining as stand-alone entities and engaging closely with other neighbouring councils in one of the new cooperative Joint Organisations of councils.

The Joint Organisation (JO) structure, not unlike that of the current Southeast Regional Organisation of Councils (SEROC) of which Palerang is a member, provides a framework for regional strategic planning and cooperative resource sharing arrangements between member councils. This model is seen as all the more significant in SE NSW because, unlike any of the other recommended structural reform proposals, it offers the capacity to recognise the influence that Canberra and the ACT have on the economies of neighbouring councils and the SE NSW region in general.

Public commentary on the options that are developed by the two councils is also a mandatory component in the preparation of a FFTF response. The State government has made it clear that it will be the community that decides on the future of their council. To this end, council will circulate information brochures and canvass formal feedback from the community in the coming months. Please take the time to read this material when it is circulated, and help your council to make a recommendation that is in the best interest of your community.

Many aspects of the Fit for the Future reform package involve new models, and some even depend on changes in legislation that are yet to be drafted. As such, there are still many unknowns, even though councils have been given a June 2015 deadline to have their reform proposals submitted for review. While the coming months will be challenging, Council will make every effort to keep you informed throughout the process.

Copies of all of the relevant documentation are available from the Fit for the Future website.

Leave a Comment






19-08-2011