Weekly column from Council Courier e-newsletter by CEO Greg Hallam, Friday 22 April 2016.
The LGAQ is putting the final touches to our 10 point Federal Election Policy Plan so that it can be released when the federal poll is properly called following the Federal Budget on 3 May.
In truth the Policy Executive signed off on the detail of the plan in early February but left the finessing of the document to President Margaret de Wit, Greg Hoffman and yours truly.
Our intergovernmental relations team of Josh O’Keefe and Stephan Bohnen have engaged both sides of politics in Canberra testing the possibilities and learning the nuances of policy platforms that might help us secure more scarce funding.
Their latest trip to Canberra this week coincided with the recall of Parliament and we now have the final details of our request of both sides of politics nailed down. We plan to release the document soon.
Councils will have their part to play, particularly in offering local insight and support for the LGAQ’s federal election plan while of course pushing their own local and regional projects and requests.
The Australian Local Government Association has also developed a national focussed election policy plan which we will also send out to councils. It accords with the LGAQ’s plan.
Why two plans? Simple. Queensland is different to the other states. Think natural disasters and the fact we are the only jurisdiction in the federation where councils own and/or run the water and sewerage systems.
I really enjoyed doing my first Elected Member Update (EMU) this week along with workmates Mark Leyland and Luke Hannan at the Sunshine Coast and look forward to doing several more over the next eight weeks.
It’s vitally important as CEO I keep in touch with councils and beyond the average 65 nights a year I spend away in council land. EMU is another great way of remaining connected to the people we serve.
On another positive note, we welcome the news that the Palaszczuk Government will review the way complaints against mayors and councillors are managed. The LGAQ and the Local Government Managers’ Association requested a review and the government has listened.
The inclusion of former former LGAQ president and Noosa mayor Noel Playford (pictured) and former Logan City CEO Gary Kellar in the review will add a lot of credibility to the process. Both are savvy operators with street smarts and a wealth of practical experience to draw on.
On a less positive note, and in light of last night's extraordinary events in State Parliament, the LGAQ is seeking advice from Deputy Premier Jackie Trad on what the reintroduction of full preferential voting for state elections means for local government. Stay tuned.