Greetings on the first day of Winter 2018.
Despite a handful of concerning Belcarra related events in the media this week, Queensland councils have been well and truly focused on the here and now.
There have been some initial teething problems implementing the new integrity laws as councils’ race to interpret what they mean in practice.
The LGAQ is still receiving daily calls on this matter from concerned elected members and CEOs.
Consequently, we have organised a two-hour Q and A Skype session between 9.30 and 11.30 on Friday 8 June.
Councils have been asked to submit their written questions to our legal panel; Tim Fynes- Clinton, Executive Partner at King and Co Solicitors and Bronwyn Blagoev, Executive Director at the Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, by COB Wednesday 6 June to the LGAQ here.
Hopefully we can clear up any outstanding questions you have at this event.
The LGAQs full page Beyond Belcarra advert in the Sunday Mail will run again this Sunday as we continue to tell councils story.
A TV and digital media campaign will follow later this year and through 2019.
I spent a day this week visiting councils which is always a pleasure – an energising and re-earthing experience.
I ended the week in Sydney meeting with my NSW counterpart, LGNSW. I also visited KPMG’s big data centre, focussing on their asset management technology offering (hard to believe that one of the world’s big four accounting firms employs 150 engineers in their Sydney office!) and attended the Roads Australia annual event.
As I keep saying at Local Government House - we are looking forward not backward.
Finally, I would like to say vale former longstanding Dalyrmple Shire Chairman Peter Black who passed away this week. He was one of very few elected members to have clocked up 40 years in office.
Rest in peace Peter.