Massina: Move to increase Councils. Easther: Preposterous

Mary Massina

THE State Government and Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) have caved in to local
government pressure and are considering a move to increase the number of councils in Tasmania.

Tasmanians for Reform Chairwoman, Mary Massina said the 22 peak industry and community groups who
make up the largest coalition of its kind in the State’s history were horrified to learn of a cosy deal between
the State Government, the TCCI and LGAT under the guise of ‘local government reform’.

“According to the terms of reference for this cosy deal, there is no mention of reducing the number of
councils in Tasmania, so we can assume that increasing councils is on the table,” Ms Massina said.

“This comes despite overwhelming evidence that the community is fed up with 281 councillors and 29
councils for a population of just over 500,000 people.

Ms Massina said with hundreds of thousands of taxpayer and ratepayer dollars already wasted on this issue,
it was disappointing to see the State Government and the peak business group suckered by local
government.

“Local government already has its own report which cost taxpayers and ratepayers some $300,000 and
recommends council amalgamations,” Ms Massina said.

“Who knows how many more hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer and ratepayer funds will be
spent justifying the status quo in local government or even worse recommending more councils and
councillors?

“This is on top of a further $1.4 million examining local government reform in Tasmania which has been
provided compliments of the Federal Government.

“In the meantime, rates and charges have increased at an average of 8.4 per cent each year for the last 11
years.

“It is time the State’s political leaders realised that with some 80 per cent support for council reform, the
community have moved on and simply want to see meaningful change that would deliver better services,
better infrastructure and cheaper rates.”

Tasmanians for Reform is the largest coalition of its kind in Tasmanian history, with peak organisations
representing chemists, car dealers, plumbers, hoteliers, real estate agents, small businesses, hair dressers
and butchers, just to name a few.

Read below State Government Role of Local Government: Terms of Reference:

Role of Local Government: Principles

Working Group Terms of Reference – DRAFT

Purpose
The purpose of the working group is to develop principles to guide detailed
consideration of the future role of Local Government.

The principles will broadly articulate the role of Local Government in Tasmania and
provide the foundation for a more detailed review of common functions, services and
capabilities to be developed and maintained by the sector. Principles may include, for
example:

• Councils enable individuals and organisations to actively engage in local
decisions that impact on local communities. Councils engage with the
community by providing information to and consulting with individuals and
organisations. Councils also maintain mechanisms to ensure that members of
the community are involved in local decision making.

• Councils are strategic decision-makers that work to understand and meet the
current and future needs of communities by considering both local
circumstances and the impacts on local communities of the broader State,
national and international environment. Through sound decision-making, councils
enhance the social, environmental and economic values of their municipal
area, including by supporting individuals and organisations to generate private
value while preserving and enhancing commonly held public value.

• Councils are administrators that deliver services and maintain assets that are
best managed at the local level to reflect local needs and expectations.
Councils actively engage with local communities to determine the level of assets
and services that can be reasonably sustained.

• Councils translate State and Commonwealth legislation into a local context.
Councils serve their communities through enforcement and appropriate
interpretation of the range of State and national legislation that relates to Local
Government.

• Councils engage with each other and with the State and Commonwealth
Governments to represent the needs of their communities, and to ensure that
government activities are coordinated and have the greatest positive benefit for
communities.

Membership
Membership of the working group will comprise representatives from:
• the Department of Premier and Cabinet;
• the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts;
• the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources;
• the Tasmanian Planning Commission;
• the Local Government Association of Tasmania;
• Local Government; and
• the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Chairperson

The working group will be chaired by Mathew Healey, Director, Division of Local
Government, Security and Emergency Management.

Meeting schedule
It is anticipated that the working group will meet three times:
1. early September 2012 – the first meeting will be a preliminary discussion of draft
principles
2. early October 2012 – the second meeting will seek agreement to a discussion
paper including draft principles for circulation to stakeholders
3. late November 2012 – the final meeting will seek agreement to a final report to
the Premier’s Local Government Council (PLGC).

Outputs
The working group will report to the PLGC on principles and an appropriate
governance structure for a more detailed review of the role of Local Government in
2013.

Timeframes
The outputs will be provided to the Premier’s Local Government Council for
consideration at its December 2012 meeting.

Governance
The project will be overseen by the PLGC.
The above-described working group will guide the project.
The Division of Local Government, Security and Emergency Management will provide
executive support for the project.

• Barry Easther: No Increase in Council Numbers

“Mary Massina of Tasmanians for Reform has finally lost the plot. Her conspiracy theory that State and Local Government have joined with the TCCI in a covert operation to increase the number of councils in the state is beyond preposterous,” President of the Local Government Association, Mayor Barry Easther said today.

“It has got to the stage that this spokesperson for seemingly everybody in the state has decided that if people don’t agree with her view of the world then she will simply make up stories that suit her ends.”

“State and Local Government are putting their heads together to develop a foundation that ensures that whatever Local Government exists in the future, whatever form it takes and however many councils there will be, that it will be sustainable and capable of achieving the requirements of the communities it represents.”

“I can assure you now that this process will not result in more councils or more councillors.”

“The problem here is that a body representing broad business interests was invited to participate in the process and Ms Massina wasn’t. Perhaps if there was something constructive coming out of the so-called greatest coalition in the history of time, then the Minister may have considered other participation, but like everybody else, I expect he is sick of the rhetoric as well.”

“If Ms Massina bothered to consider the outcomes being achieved from the funding provided to look at a range of reforms across the Local Government sector, she may be surprised to learn that there have been significant improvements and efficiencies in the areas of addressing components of climate change, systems integration and major reform of the asset management and long term financial planning efforts of councils. Her constant double counting of funding and bad mouthing of everybody that doesn’t agree with her is becoming tiresome.”

“Perhaps if she had some constructive contribution to make on any subject then people may involve her in those matters that are important to the state and everyday Tasmanians rather than the self interests of the group that she has cobbled together.”

“Councillors and aldermen are elected by the people and are accountable to the community – not self appointed individuals that tarnish the truth and fantasise about their own importance.”

The Local Government Association of Tasmania is committed to ensuring that Local Government is sustainable, it meets the needs of and empowers its communities and builds and supports a sense of local identity.