LGAT president and Break O’Day Council Mayor Mick Tucker joined Local Government Minister Kerry Vincent for the release of the government’s response to the ‘Future of Local Government Review’. Photo: Facebook.
The Tasmanian Government has accepted all but one of the recommendations laid down in a review of the state’s local government sector.
Since 2022, the State Government and Local Government Board have been reviewing the role, function and design of local government in Tasmania. Following public consultation on the review’s final report between November 2023 and the end of February 2024, it was sent back to the government for its final response.
Last week the government replied to the ‘Future of Local Government Review’, detailing its acceptance – either in full, in part, or in principle – to 36 of its 37 recommendations.
Local Government Minister Kerry Vincent said the government wanted councils to be in the best possible position to support the future wellbeing, sustainability and prosperity of all Tasmanians.
“To ensure we deliver enduring benefits to the sector, the government has developed the Local Government Priority Reform Program,” he said. “It consolidates the most critical recommendations of the review and will be delivered over the next two years.
“The Priority Reform Program goes beyond the review and is informed by extensive consultation with the sector and stakeholders to ensure it focuses on the most pressing needs of councils and their communities.”
This reform program is expected to be delivered over the next two years. Under it there are five priorities, which include:
- Lifting standards of professionalism, conduct, and integrity
- Driving a high-performing, transparent, and accountable sector
- Improving local democracy and representation
- Supporting council financial sustainability
- And facilitating council and community-led structural reform.
Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) president Mick Tucker said these priority reforms were welcomed by the sector, which included all 29 councils, their communities and key stakeholders.
“Tasmanian councils have invested considerable time and effort in informing this review and it is pleasing to see that the government has listened to our sector on what the first tranche of reforms should involve,” said the Break O’Day Council Mayor.
“We look forward to working closely with the new minister to ensure the reforms are implemented in a timely and effective way.”
The only recommendation to not gain support was regarding council amalgamations, which read as follows:
“If a successful community-initiated elector poll requests councils to consider amalgamation, the Minister for Local Government should request the Local Government Board to develop a formal amalgamation proposal and put it to a community vote.”
In the government’s response it said the Local Government Act 1993 already included provisions for triggering elector polls and community votes and noted the minister would need to consider a range of factors when deciding whether to ask the Local Government Board to develop a formal amalgamation proposal – “not only the results of a community-initiated elector poll”.
Minister Vincent repeated the government’s position that “no forced amalgamations remains”, but that “as part of the Priority Reform Program, we will support councils who wish to explore voluntary amalgamations”.
“Where councils are willing and able to prepare and submit robust amalgamation proposals that demonstrate tangible benefits to their respective communities, we will work with them to progress structural reforms.”
