Amalgamation or some form of consolidation within our current local government structures is in the air.
Whether or not this community sentiment for change arises from the present lack of confidence in our local economy or the silence of our local leaders or driven by the large vested interests, one can understand the need to keep a downwards pressure on costs of providing services (hence minimize rates) but should we ignore the social or environmental needs of our community in doing so? Is there a continual desire by the residents to have some control over their own affairs? These questions need an answer.
Modern councils are more than roads and rubbish
The Hobart City Council and the other urban councils have developed important roles in delivering services and/or providing strategic direction to a wide variety of aspects of modern city life that impact on the community. They include art and culture, good building and urban design, tourism, heritage, disability access, encouragement of healthy living, major festivals and markets and so on. And many of these functions are overlapping or complementary. Often one function needs the other.
One Voice
Yet there is still, in my view, a growing need to act in our region with one voice so it attracts significant federal funds as this may not be possible unless some form of consolidation happens.
The LGA has pointed out “The last major reform of local government in Tasmania occurred in 1993 when the number of councils was reduced from 46 to 29 and a new Local Government Act was introduced. In terms of structural reform, no further amalgamations or mergers have occurred, although a significant reform was attempted in 1997.” The LGA also noted that “Reforms processes are always expensive – in terms of dollars, time and, particularly, emotional energy. Further, there will always be those who see themselves as losers in a reform process, be it councils, individual councillors, employees or communities and will therefore resist change.”
The choices for structural reform include consolidation of boundaries of council areas, amalgamation of neighbouring councils, shared services between councils, or other forms of closer relationship between councils.
Shared Services with the right model
Shared services has been tried in a small way in Southern Tasmania but opportunities should and could be pursued in other spheres. BicycleSouth, Southern Waste Management authority, Wellington Park Trust demonstrates successful models for cooperation between the southern councils. But we know the provision of water and sewerage services was removed from Council’s control, in a somewhat controversial manner. There may be some benefits in the long term in this reform but the control by local residents was lost and thus we should be wary of a corporate model.
One Planning scheme
The lack of a consistent planning schemes between the councils continues to frustrate developers and residents alike and increases their cost unnecessarily by having to employ experts to interpret different planning requirements.
A single planning scheme could be implemented that could be applied to all the southern region and administered by a joint department across all current council areas. Similarly with the provision of community services of the Councils. And obviously there IT platforms should be common.
Regional Cooperation
The current model of voluntary regional cooperation, a grouping called Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority (consisting of the 12 Southern Mayors) seemed to be a step in the right direction when formed but to date have not sufficiently exercised its potential power to influence the other spheres of Government and may never be able to suggest consolidation due to their inherent conflict of interest in their Mayoral positions.
A recent major research study using Australian and NZ case studies by the Australian Centre for Excellence of Local Government confirms this view. They looked at different forms of consolidation using a framework including the strategic capacity of any new council, efficiency and economies of scale that could arise, service improvement and innovation that is possible and potential for loss of local democracy. What appears to come out of this major work, however, was that amalgamation provides the most beneficial means of consolidation but they found contradicting evidence.
And looking north, Brisbane and now in our neighboring country New Zealand, Auckland are councils that have over 1 million residents. They work. They speak for the community and their region with one voice. These giant councils have a huge strategic capacity and have attracted much central government support. It has been said that if we had a greater Hobart and a greater Launceston Council then the potential power they could hold (economically, politically, socially) would be of concern, and therefore pose a threat to the State Government but that amalgamated structure could attract significant regional grants for transport and other major project funding such as light rail from the Commonwealth Government.
So it is not a time to rest on our laurels
Hobart is definitely capable of showing leadership as the capital city but is often the lone voice – say in the recent water and sewerage debate. Recently one young dynamic local government candidate for Hobart, Adrian Bold has suggested the boundaries of a new greater Southern Council as a starting point for the discussion of reform. But I am not yet brave enough yet to suggest an amalgamation of Kingborough, Glenorchy, Clarence with Hobart without knowledge of any implications.
So my conclusion here is there is always a need for reform to tackle financial sustainability, changing community needs and expectations, metropolitan growth, shifting relationships with the federal government and so on. This reform process may be better if we started the conversation with each other with the view to merge functions using the links we already have, if that is not successful then we need as a community to find the best way to start consolidating the councils.
This is an edited from a talk to the U3A given by Alderman Jeff Briscoe, Lord Mayoral Candidate for Hobart.
