❓ The Minister for Local Government outlines the need for reform of the outdated Local Government Act, highlighting the launch of a discussion paper seeking community feedback on key areas like transparency, accountability, and regional subsidiaries. The aim is to create agile and modern legislation that benefits ratepayers and businesses.
AnsweredQoN 646Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT — REVIEW
646. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Minister for
Local Government:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to review the outdated Local Government Act and
the release today of the discussion paper outlining potential reforms. Why is
reform needed and how will the discussion paper assist in ensuring that we have
an effective and efficient local government sector?
646. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Minister for
Local Government:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to review the outdated Local Government Act and
the release today of the discussion paper outlining potential reforms. Why is
reform needed and how will the discussion paper assist in ensuring that we have
an effective and efficient local government sector?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
I have just returned from the casino with my very good friend the shadow
Minister for Local Government. I took him in the car.
Several members interjected.
Mr
D.A. TEMPLEMAN : You better declare that.
He was more interested in going off
to the buffet afterwards and not keen to get back to question time! It is a very
serious question and I thank the member for Wanneroo because she knows very
well from her experience the importance of local government in Western Australia.
She understands that Western Australia needs very, very robust local
government. That means we need legislation that is clear, concise and agile and
ensures that local government does what it needs to do for the benefit of
ratepayers, residents and businesses in their communities. That is why, before
the election, we committed to reviewing the Local Government Act. We recognised
that a 20-plus-year-old act is tired and, indeed, is not delivering to a modern
Western Australian community within the parameters of a modern Western Australian
economy. I am pleased that at the Local Government Professionals WA Annual
State Conference today I was able to officially launch the first phase of the
consultation, which focuses on a number of key elements. We are inviting the
community, stakeholders, individuals, ratepayers, councillors, elected members,
people working in local government and people interested in making sure we have
a robust local government sector to comment on it.
In the first phase of the
consultation document, which I announced today, we are seeking feedback on a range
of issues, including transparency and accountability; making sure there is
clear definition of roles and responsibilities for elected members and staff;
and making sure when we are talking about selection of chief executive officers
there is a robust process focused on ensuring that happens. We also want to
make sure we address the issue of gifts because we know that has been a clumsily
handled process for some time that needs to be fixed. We are also encouraging
feedback on enabling regional subsidiaries; that is, if two or more councils
want to create an entity to deliver quality outcomes with a regional
subsidiary, they will have the capacity to do so. We also want to make sure
this is an involved process in which people can tell me and tell the government
exactly what a modern local government needs to look like.
The first phase is out for consultation. I know the member
will immediately read and comment on it. I invite all members to read the
document, to comment and spread it among their constituencies asking for
feedback. We want feedback on this within the time frame. We have that open
until 9 February and, almost concurrently, the second phase will commence,
which looks at a range of other important matters, including codes of conduct,
issues around how we can create greater participation and ensure we get quality
people putting themselves forward so they can make a quality contribution to
their local government and, indeed, the community they seek to represent. It is
a very important opportunity for Western Australia to come out with legislation
at the end of this process that is enabling and agile and reflects the modern
environment we are operating under and delivers quality to ratepayers,
residents and businesses in local governments across the state and is modern
legislation that effectively delivers quality to the people of Western Australia.
I have just returned from the casino with my very good friend the shadow
Minister for Local Government. I took him in the car.
Several members interjected.
Mr
D.A. TEMPLEMAN : You better declare that.
He was more interested in going off
to the buffet afterwards and not keen to get back to question time! It is a very
serious question and I thank the member for Wanneroo because she knows very
well from her experience the importance of local government in Western Australia.
She understands that Western Australia needs very, very robust local
government. That means we need legislation that is clear, concise and agile and
ensures that local government does what it needs to do for the benefit of
ratepayers, residents and businesses in their communities. That is why, before
the election, we committed to reviewing the Local Government Act. We recognised
that a 20-plus-year-old act is tired and, indeed, is not delivering to a modern
Western Australian community within the parameters of a modern Western Australian
economy. I am pleased that at the Local Government Professionals WA Annual
State Conference today I was able to officially launch the first phase of the
consultation, which focuses on a number of key elements. We are inviting the
community, stakeholders, individuals, ratepayers, councillors, elected members,
people working in local government and people interested in making sure we have
a robust local government sector to comment on it.
In the first phase of the
consultation document, which I announced today, we are seeking feedback on a range
of issues, including transparency and accountability; making sure there is
clear definition of roles and responsibilities for elected members and staff;
and making sure when we are talking about selection of chief executive officers
there is a robust process focused on ensuring that happens. We also want to
make sure we address the issue of gifts because we know that has been a clumsily
handled process for some time that needs to be fixed. We are also encouraging
feedback on enabling regional subsidiaries; that is, if two or more councils
want to create an entity to deliver quality outcomes with a regional
subsidiary, they will have the capacity to do so. We also want to make sure
this is an involved process in which people can tell me and tell the government
exactly what a modern local government needs to look like.
The first phase is out for consultation. I know the member
will immediately read and comment on it. I invite all members to read the
document, to comment and spread it among their constituencies asking for
feedback. We want feedback on this within the time frame. We have that open
until 9 February and, almost concurrently, the second phase will commence,
which looks at a range of other important matters, including codes of conduct,
issues around how we can create greater participation and ensure we get quality
people putting themselves forward so they can make a quality contribution to
their local government and, indeed, the community they seek to represent. It is
a very important opportunity for Western Australia to come out with legislation
at the end of this process that is enabling and agile and reflects the modern
environment we are operating under and delivers quality to ratepayers,
residents and businesses in local governments across the state and is modern
legislation that effectively delivers quality to the people of Western Australia.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.