At the Premier’s Local Government Council (PLGC) meeting on 7 May, I released the report on the evaluation of the Partnership Agreements program.

The relationship between State and Local Government in Tasmania is vital for the future. Tasmania is facing global challenges such as the management of scarce water resources, the need for sustainable renewable energy in a carbon-constrained world, and the impact of the telecommunications revolution.

In each of these areas, we have natural advantages that we can build on to turn those challenges into opportunities to support new generation industries and create new generation jobs for Tasmanians.  

In social policy, I am determined that as a State Government we will work with local councils across Tasmania to embed government services deep in the heart of local communities. With our network of Child and Family Centres and Learning and Information Network Centres (LINCs) now being rolled out, Tasmanians will get better access to services, through a single door.

Partnership agreements provide the focus to make sure that State Government and local government initiatives are well-targeted, meet community needs, and take account of local conditions.

Mayors and councillors around Tasmania provide vital leadership for their communities, and I thank you for the many achievements that have been made together through partnership agreements over the past decade.

Following the recent review, I fully expect to see a new decade of agreements achieve clearly focussed goals across communities, across regions, and across Tasmania in the years ahead.

David Bartlett MP
Premier