Premier’s Local Government Council – Meeting Report

29 June 2001

Working Together

The Premier’s Local Government Council met today.

The Council has endorsed the development of a Partnership Agreement between the Local and State Government concerning the general communication and consultation principles. The Council also supported the seven proposed initiatives to form a basis for a work program for the Working Group.

The Council has agreed that financial transparency, revenue neutrality and non-discrimination will constitute the three over-aching principles to guide financial reform proposals.

In addition to the above, Council noted progress on the Simplifying Planning Schemes and Waste Management projects. These two projects are being undertaken under the umbrella of two State-wide Partnership Agreements developed last year.

Communication and Consultation Framework

Through discussions at the Working Group level a series of proposals were identified for improving information exchange between the Local Government and State Government. The parties recognised that it was important to develop clear definitions of communication and consultation and that there was a need to establish protocols with regard to the levels at which the two spheres interact with each other.

Seven proposals were put to the Premier’s Local Government Council for endorsement. Key proposals include:

• Development of clear communication and consultation protocols. It is envisaged that both Local Government and State Government will develop a set of protocols which will clarity of purpose, responsibility and definitions of timing, content and vehicles for engagement
• Local Government Association of Tasmania will establish a legislation subcommittee to assess legislative proposals on behalf of all Councils. This will streamline the consultative process and encourage a more coordinated approach across Councils.
• Department of Treasury and Finance providing briefings to Local Government on the outcomes of the budget process focusing on the initiatives that may have an impact on Local Government and their implications
• Improving communication of Commonwealth policy initiatives and co-ordination of responses to these.

Reform of State and Local Government Financial Relations

Council members noted progress on the project to reform financial relations between the State and Local Government. The project is to involve the review of existing financial transactions between the two spheres of Government with the objective of rationalising them on a revenue neutral basis.

The Council endorsed the three principles identified by the working group which are:

• Financial Transparency – stipulates that the financial relationship reforms should aim to improve the transparency of financial arrangements between each level of government
• Revenue Neutrality – require that the financial impact of the reform proposals will be revenue neutral between the two levels of government
• Non-discrimination – instruct that the financial relationship reforms will be applied on a non-discriminatory basis.

This set of reform principles will be used as a framework for considering the merits of possible changes to existing State and Local Government financial relations in Tasmania. In principle, such financial relations will be highly transparent and each level of government would also be fully accountable to the other for all taxes, rates, fees and charges.

It is important to note that financial reforms are not being proposed in order to lower the cost of service provision, although, in some cases, this type of benefit may follow. The proposed reforms are also not directed at a re-assignment of taxing powers between State and Local Government.

Simplifying Planning Schemes

The Statewide Partnership on a Framework for Planning Schemes was signed in October 2000. The aim of the group is to bring greater consistency to planning schemes and thereby ensuring certainty for any potential developer.

The meeting noted that the consultation on a draft discussion paper on Simplifying Planning Schemes has concluded. A report called ‘The Way Forward’ has been released as a way of providing information on the outcome of the consultation and the implications for the project.

The Steering Committee is now considering implication options.

Waste Management

The Council considered a work program tabled to the Statewide Partnership Agreement on Waste Management and endorsed recommendations relating to the National Packaging Covenant.

The Tasmanian Waste Advisory Committee under the auspices of Premier’s Local Government Council has invited regional groupings of councils to comment on the National Packaging Covenant discussion paper and decide whether they wish to become signatories to the Covenant. In the event that regional groups do not want to become signatories, individual councils will be invited to do so.

The Council noted that a regional workshops on the National Packaging Covenant was held in the South in March and that an additional two workshops have been scheduled, one for North and one for the North-West.

The meeting noted progress relating to changing standards, funding, education and performance indictors and monitoring issues.

• Print-friendly view
• Print page
• Site A-Z

Resources

• Local Government Directory
• Resources for councillors
• Publications
• Legislation
• By-Law Directory
• Related Websites (Links)