Incentives offered for Amalgamation Local Government Reform Key to Making NSW Number One As NSW battles to regain their number one position, the NSW government’s release of a $1 billion Council reform package, provides a once in a generation opportunity for real change.
Council amalgamation will bring NSW in-line with reforms already apparent in Victoria and Queensland, where they have taken steps to make local government more accountable and better resourced.
“The NSW Business Chamber has been a vocal advocate for revitalising and reforming local government emphasising the need for change in both our 2011 State Election Campaign 10 Big Ideas to Grow NSW and our current campaign Unfinished Business,” said Ben Foley, Regional Manager of the state’s peak business organisation, NSW Business Chamber.
“It’s great to see the Government put this package forward which will help to address the concerns of our 17,000 member businesses when they try to deal with their local council.”
41% of business respondents to the 2013 NSW Business Chamber Red Tape Survey rated local government very or extremely complex to deal with and this is far too high.
“Whilst we recommend different reform models are pursued in metropolitan locations compared to regional NSW, feedback from our members has been clear -local government needs to lift its game.”
“In 2010 the productivity commission rated the relationship between state and local government in NSW at 42%, the lowest of all states and territories.”
“That’s why it’s vital that when assessing proposals for reform, the NSW Government ensures that mergers or new regional bodies of councils are strategic and coherent – they need to make sense from both an economic and the communities of interest point of view and business needs to be part of this conversation.”
“It’s clear that the time has come for local government to get on board and start supporting business and the community more effectively”, Mr Foley said.