Local Government Act 1995 Review
Town of Bassendean 4 Jan 2019

Published: Friday, 4 January 2019 at 1:30:00 PM

In 2017 the State Government announced a major review of the Local Government Act 1995.  

The review is being undertaken in two phases and being driven by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. Phase one invited the community to comment on topics such as

Electronic availability of information Meeting public expectations for accountability, including gift disclosures Meeting community expectations of standards, ethics and performance Building capacity through reducing red tape Regional subsidiaries.

The consultation period for phase one was completed in March 2018.

To start a conversation with the community, discussion papers addressing topics such as elections, financial management, rates and community engagement were released in September 2018.

This next stage considers nine topic areas based on the following themes:

Agile

Agile includes topics that focus specifically on how local governments can best use their resources to adapt to changing conditions. It is important that they can strike a balance between community expectations, the practical limitations of revenue and expenditure and external pressures.

Smart

Smart includes topics that focus specifically on enabling local governments to better meet the needs and expectations of their communities through being transparent and accountable.

Inclusive

Inclusive focuses specifically on local governments representing and involving their communities in decision-making. As the tier of government closest to the community, there is an expectation that local governments represent the whole community, recognise diversity within their district and are responsive to community needs.

Have your say

The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries want to hear from local governments and the community. The public submission period is now open and closes 31 March 2019. This is an opportunity to participate in the transformation of local government and everyone is welcome to complete the survey or offer a submission.

To read more about the proposed reforms and complete the survey, visit Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries Website. Alternatively, submissions may be lodged by email at [email protected]

Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries

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