Not quite one big happy government family

The balance of power between state and local government often results in a relationship that’s almost parental in its functioning, complete with the tension that type of relationship often invokes.

Lord Mayor Peter Natrass said there was an inherent distrust in local government by state governments.

“I have perceived over the years that the state governments, whether Liberal or Labor, do not want to enhance the role of local government,” Dr Natrass said.

“They don’t like local government; we are a threat to them.”

Pro Property’s Brett Wilkins said a discussion about changing the constitution to recognise local government as a separate sphere of government had been met with a mixed response because people did not wish to enshrine local government.

The competence and efficiency of local government were often questioned, and undoubtedly if local governments wanted to be taken more seriously, they needed to manage the calibre of candidates.

Department of Local Government and Regional Development’s Ian Cowie said it often proved difficult to get people involved in local government.

“This is one of the biggest problems that I see in local government – often the meetings are strategic and people get bogged down in detail, and can spend hours and hours at council meetings,” he said.

“Getting young people, people with ideas and initiative, involved is very hard.”