The Perfect Storm

The current challenges facing local government

14th May 2015

Unleash the power within….

Role of Local Government

• Under Australia’s federal system of government, specified powers are assigned to the national government through the Australian Constitution, State Governments are empowered under State Constitutions, Victorian Councils are empowered under the Local Government Act 1989 (Vic).

• “Primary objective of a Council is to endeavour to achieve the best outcomes for the local community having regard to the long term and cumulative effects of decisions”.

What makes this a perfect storm?

• What’s the problem

• Who is to blame?

• What can be done?

• How can we do it?

Fiscal pressure

• Federal Government Freeze on indexation of Financial Assistance Grants for 3 years, due to resume in 2017-2018, will it?

• State Government Introduction of rate-capping & variation framework

• Cost-shifting by both Federal and State Governments

Performance Reporting

• Introduction of LGPRF (Local Government Performance Reporting Framework) commence 1st July 2015.

• Victorian Auditor General Office (2013) identified concerns about accountability and transparency of council rate setting.

• My Council website - the next step in this trend.

Democratic Licence

• Under threat from lack of voter engagement• Snapshot of 2012 Victorian Local Govt

elections• Voter turnout declined in almost all

measures in comparison to 2008.• Metro councils achieved average

turnout figure of 67% - lowest since council amalgamations in the 1990s.

Failure to communicate

• Some people you just can’t reach

• How are you communicating with them?

• Current performance framework

• 4 yearly Council Plan delivered through Annual Plan and Annual Budget, with progress reporting through quarterly reports and finally an Annual Report

Perspective

Miles’ Law

“Where you stand depends on where you sit”.We need to discipline ourselves to see things from other’s vantage point. Not as we see ourselves, but rather as others see us.

Advocacy and campaigns

• Important but not the whole picture.

• Need to be underpinned by principles of grass roots organising to have greatest effect.

• Local Government is the closest tier of government to its constituency and should activate this proximity to its advantage.

The power of story

• Shape how others see you

• Tools of power (People listen)

• Stories persuade - not statistics and data

• Signals vs Noise - Which are you sending to the community?

• Do you/ your council have a good story to tell?

Perfect Storm

QUESTIONS?