Local Government Structural Reform

19-08-2009

Background

In February 2009, the Minister for Local Government announced his wide-ranging Local Government Reform Strategies. As part of this, he has encouraged each local government within Western Australia to embrace the opportunity for voluntary amalgamations to achieve much needed structural reform in this State. As part of this initiative, the Minister is also advocating each council to have an elected member group of between six and nine.

The Minister has requested that by 31 August 2009, each of the 139 local governments in Western Australia will have made an informed decision on voluntary amalgamation, their preferred regional groupings and the number of elected members required within a range of six to nine. The deadline has been extended to 30th September 2009.

During Local Government Week in the first week in August 2009, the Premier Colin Barnett delivered the death sentence for more than a quarter of WA’s local councils, warning that shires with a population under 1000 would not remain viable. Mr Barnett said 37 local governments in WA each represented fewer than 1000 people while another 19 local governments have populations under 1500 and a further 29 Councils have fewer than 2000.

Shires with a population of less than 1000

Bruce Rock	950	Mount Magnet	580	Upper Gascoyne	370
Carnamah	745	Mount Marshall	614	Victoria Plains	903
Chapman Valley	914	Mukinbudin	700	Wandering	387
Cuballing	850	Murchison	110	West Arthur	890
Cue	372	Narembeen	906	Westonia	254
Dowerin	707	Shire of Narrogin	869	Wickepin	716
Dumbleyung	632	Nungarin	300	Williams	930
Kent	540	Perenjori	590	Wiluna	680
Koorda	497	Sandstone	119	Woodanilling	400
Kulin	920	Shark Bay	984	Wyalkatchem	620
Menzies	353	Tammin	450	Yalgoo	242
Mingenew	565	Three Springs	800
Morawa	950	Trayning	490

The Minister for Local Government, Mr John Castrilli informed the WALGA Conference that reform is necessary for the future sustainability of local government in Western Australia. However, it is interesting to note that the Financial Sustainability Criteria based on Annual Net Operating Result (Net Profit) for the Shire of Goomalling is rated as Category 1 with more than 15% result of Operating Revenue. Council has averaged more than 25% over the past 10 years.

The reform initiative being sought by the Minister is asking “local governments to undertake assessments of their structure and boundaries with the aim of achieving stronger units of local government, which are better able to plan for their communities and deliver greater benefits in the form of services and facilities”.

Ratepayers and Electors Workshop

Council wishes to conduct another community workshop to assess their views and comments which will form part of this Council’s submission to the Minister for Local Government. It will be held on Monday 24th August 2009 at the Goomalling Sports Pavilion commencing at 7.30pm. Mr Ron Back (Council’s CPA Consultant) will again be in attendance to facilitate the workshop. A light supper will be provided following the workshop. Everyone is again urged to attend to decide the future of local government in the district and region.