Media release – Nic Street, Minister for Local Government, 17 November 2023
Community invited to comment on the Final Report of the Future of Local Government Review
The Rockliff Liberal Government has today invited the community to have their say on the Final Report of the Future of Local Government Review.
Minister for Local Government, Nic Street, said that there are a number of key recommendations made in the Final Report and feedback from the community will ensure the best possible outcomes for Tasmanians.
“The Rockliff Liberal Government set the Board with a very ambitious task – to design a more robust and capable system of local government to meet the contemporary and emerging needs of the Tasmanian community,” Minister Street said.
“The Board has now completed that task, producing a package of 37 recommendations covering all aspects of the local government system, from voluntary amalgamations through to councillor performance and council management of local infrastructure.
“It’s now time for councils and the community to let the Government know what they think of these recommendations, as this will inform the Government’s response.
“From the beginning, this Review has highlighted councils’ role in supporting strong local communities. The Government will maintain a focus on the community as we consider the Report and prepare a Government response.
“We have been clear that this Review will not result in forced amalgamations of councils, and that has not changed. There will be no change to council boundaries unless both the councils and communities want them.
“My sincere thanks to the Independent Board Chair, the Hon Sue Smith and her Board members, together with staff in the Office of Local Government, for their incredibly hard work on the Review over the past nearly two years.”
Some of the key recommendations in the Report include:
- Redefining the role of local government to focus on community wellbeing;
- Exploring voluntary council amalgamation in five areas initially: West Coast, Waratah-Wynyard and Circular Head Councils; Kentish and Latrobe Councils;
Break O’Day, Glamorgan-Spring Bay and Sorell Councils; City of Hobart and Glenorchy City Councils; Kingborough and Huon Valley Councils. - Requiring all councils to migrate to a common IT system over time, and share their key professional staff, such as environmental health officers;
- Providing an ongoing professional development program for all councillors; and
- Ensuring council rate notices provide more useful information that improves public transparency, accountability, and confidence in council financial management decisions.
The Final Report is open for comment until 29 February 2024. The report is available at www.futurelocal.tas.gov.au.
Media release – LGAT, 17 November 2023
Local government welcomes the release of the Final Report from the Future of Local Government Review
The Government’s timely release of the final report of the Local Government Review has been welcomed by Tasmanian councils.
LGAT President and Break O’Day mayor Mick Tucker said “we are grateful that the Minister for Local Government has released the final report from the Local Government Board promptly after it was provided to Government.
“We welcome the extended timeframe the sector has been provided to review the recommendations.”
As the level of government closest to communities, local government supports a reform process that delivers change in the best interest of Tasmanians. But our sector needs time to digest the proposed reforms.
“Councils will work through the recommendations over the next few months to help inform the Government on what the sectors priorities are going forward,” Mayor Tucker said.
“It is essential the implementation of the priority reforms is a genuine partnership between the local government sector and the State Government. This must include appropriate support for our sector to support implementation, as it must not be forgotten that the important day-to-day work of councils continues alongside these reforms,” said Mayor Tucker.
Media release – Luke Edmunds MLC, Shadow Minister for Local Government, 17 November 2023
Will Rockliff rule out forced mergers?
Jeremy Rockliff’s $3 million Future of Local Government report is at odds with his July backflip on forced council mergers.
People involved with local government are scratching their heads, as the Liberals again cry wolf over forced mergers, dumping the final report with forced shared servicing and new mapping late on the final sitting day of Parliament for the year.
Councils and their 4,000 workers are the bedrocks of their local communities and economies, particularly in regional Tasmania. They deserve better than the ongoing uncertainty caused by Jeremy Rockliff.
Jeremy Rockliff needs to confirm today whether he supports Labor’s position of not forcing councils to merge.
The Liberals said they wouldn’t introduce new taxes and then burdened ratepayers with a Bin Tax and were caught out trying to introduce a Fire Tax with fraudulent data.
Cost of living is the number one issue in our community, now is not a time to add rates increases to the government’s taxation agenda.
There is no evidence that forced mergers will save ratepayers a cent – in fact it has led to increased rates in other jurisdictions.
Never forget that Local Government Minister Nic Street infamously told Leon Compton on ABC radio on April 20: “The one thing you will not hear me promise, Leon, is that amalgamations will reduce rates for ratepayers because that simply is not the case. And it’s not been the experience anywhere. We’re not talking about reducing rates … for me this has never been about cost cutting for ratepayers.”
Media release – Australian Services Union, 17 November 2023
Premier Must Rule Out Council Mergers and Service Centralisation
The union representing local government workers at each of Tasmania’s 29 council has demanded the Premier Rockliff abide by his promise and rule out forced council mergers and forced centralisation of services.
Following release of the Future of Local Government final report, Australian Services Union secretary Lisa Darmanin said jobs, services, local economies, and representation are all at risk if the Rockliff Government accepts the recommendation to “establish a new Local Government Board to oversee and coordinate” amalgamation proposals.
Mr Rockliff had previously ruled out any forced mergers.
‘Despite failure of the consultation process, council workers and communities across the state were very clear in their opposition to council mergers,’ Ms Darmanin said.
‘Requiring councils to participate in centralised delivery of service will mean the unique needs of smaller communities will be ignored and he economic ballast that council employment provides across the state will disappear.
‘Forced amalgamations of Tasmanian councils and the centralisation of services risks everything and solves nothing.
‘Premier Rockliff must immediately confirm there will no forced council mergers and no forced centralisation of services,’ Ms Darmanin said.
