For decades there has been much lip service paid to reforming local government, but in the wake of the latest state government review into structural and electoral reform the talk is now giving some councils a glimmer of hope and others a sense of forebod
For decades there has been much lip service paid to reforming local government, but in the wake of the latest state government review into structural and electoral reform the talk is now giving some councils a glimmer of hope and others a sense of foreboding.
A local government advisory board was established last October and has collected 233 submissions from individual local governments and the wider community.
Published in April, the report from the inquiry paints a picture of an industry in an uncomfortable squeeze between increasing community expectations, rising responsibilities and compliance requirements, tight budgets and shortages of skilled staff.
The report made 49 recommendations to government, including the management and reporting of local governments’ financial position, the need for regular reviews, and the priority amalgamations and boundary changes through legislation to Perth’s western suburbs and the areas of Fremantle, Geraldton, Narrogin and Northam.
Other councils in line for amalgamation include the Town of Bassendean with the City of Bayswater, and the Shire of Katanning with the shires of Broomehill and Woodanilling.
In addition, the board has recommended the division of the Town of Victoria Park between the cities of South Perth and Belmont and the division of the City of Kwinana between the cities of Rockingham and Cockburn.
City of Melville chief executive and advisory board member Eric Lumsden said the problems of local government would not disappear but only increase with time.
He said it was early days but he was not confident of the reforms ever taking place because there could be no forced amalgamations and agreement must be reached between councils.
The department of local government is preparing a budget submission to provide a range of grants to local governments over a four-year period, with a view to assisting them with the associated costs of reform.
Town of Claremont mayor Peter Olson said the council did not see a need to amalgamate because “big was not always best”.
“I believe the local government advisory board recommendations are pretty flawed and only offer a short-term solution,” Mr Olson told WA Business News.
He explained that rates charged by an amalgamated council would not be any cheaper and the issue of attracting staff, particularly town planners, was a result of general labour shortages that affected not just councils but all industries.
Mr Olson suggested the government should encourage councils to engage in more resource sharing, similar to how the Town of Claremont has worked with neighbouring councils in recent years, to share work for mutual benefit.
Town of Victoria Park chief executive John Bonker agreed and said its council had also engaged with neighbouring local governments and was sharing resources such as road sweepers, bushland crews and a dog pound.
“The report has no valid rationale for dividing the Town of Victoria Park. We would argue that we are more sustainable than Belmont or South Perth,” Mr Bonker said.
Mr Olson and Mr Bonker agreed rural areas were in desperate need of amalgamation due to population drift, service cuts, staff shortages and a reliance on volunteer organisations to provide services.
The advisory board has begun inquiries into the proposed amalgamations, beginning with the Shire of Greenough with the City of Geraldton and looking into boundary changes for the Town of Vincent, in Perth.
