Bread and butter issues this week at Local Government House with both the LGAQ Rating Masterclass and our State Government Budget submission.
Some 46 of the 60 rate issuing councils in Queensland participated in person or on line. They listened to presentations by Tim Fynes-Clinton Managing Partner King and Co, Tim Dunne from the Department of Local Government and a senior representative from the Queensland Audit Office.
The aim of the masterclass was to ensure councils got their 2018-19 rating resolutions spot on. The meeting also heard the LGAQ was co-funding Mt Isa City Council’s appeal on a decision in relation to its water charges. The Association has a long history of contributing to such appeals where they involve new legal precedents and have state wide application, including a High Court matter some years ago involving mining company Xtrata.
Yesterday’s masterclass followed the LGAQ’s successful lobbying of the State Government to introduce legislation to deal with the Linville Holdings v Fraser Coast Supreme Court decision and the LGAQ sending member councils King and Cos rating resolutions template. As I say, this is core work for the LGAQ.
Your Association also lodged with the Queensland Treasurer our 2018-19 State Budget submission seeking $500 million in core funding and a further $100 million in supplementary programs. Our priorities reflect your wishes expressed through numerous interactions. They also reinforce the requests in both our 10 Point State Election Policy Plan and 2018 Advocacy Action Plan. It’s game on, let the arm twisting begin.