Local Government Reform Commission

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The Local Government Reform Commission was an independent, purpose specific authority established by the Beattie Labor Queensland Government on 1 May 2007 to recommend the most appropriate future structure and boundaries for local government in Queensland.

Every local government was reviewed, except Brisbane City Council, already having the largest population of any local government area in Australia.

1 Background
2 Commission members
3 Report and Recommendations
4 Outcomes
5 See also
6 External links
7 References

[edit] Background

With a concern about sustainability of Queensland local governments, the Local Government Association of Queensland instigated reform of local government. Of the 156 councils, 118 agreed to investigate their long-term future through the Size, Shape and Sustainability (SSS) program, however it failed to deliver timely, meaningful reform.

The Minister for Local Government wrote to all Mayors in March 2007, requesting they assess the progress of the SSS program, what they believed the SSS reform agenda could achieve, and in what time frame. The responses to the Minister showed that significant reform was not going to be achieved by the SSS program before the next local government elections, due in March 2008.

The Queensland Treasury Corporation prepared financial sustainability reviews for 105 councils. The reviews found that some 40% were regarded as being in financially "weak", "very weak" or "distressed" conditions. Other studies by a number of independent bodies – such as the Queensland Auditor-General, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and McGrath Nichol – found similar financial problems with the local government sector.

To effect significant reform, the independent Local Government Reform Commission was established to recommend the most appropriate boundaries and structure for Queensland's local governments.

[edit] Commission members

The Commission comprised of a panel of seven:

Bob Longland (Chair) – a former Electoral Commissioner for Queensland.
Di McCauley – former Queensland Local Government and Planning Minister from 1996 to 1998.
Tom Pyne – former President of the Local Government Association of Queensland and former Mayor of Cairns.
Sir Leo Hielscher – Chair of Queensland Treasury Corporation.
Terry Mackenroth – former Deputy Premier and Treasurer and a Member of Queensland Parliament from 1977 to 2005.
Bob Quinn – former Leader of the Queensland Liberal Party.
Kevin Yearbury – former Electoral Commissioner and Director-General of the Local Government and Planning Department.

[edit] Report and Recommendations

On 27 July 2007 the Commission handed down recommendations that included the names, classes, boundaries and electoral arrangements for Queensland's new local government areas. The Commission recommended Queensland's 156 councils be reduced to 72, 32 Aboriginal and island councils will be reduced to 14, and as a result 724 fewer elected council representatives.^[1]

The recommendations divided Queensland's mayors, and sparked angry campaigns and protests against the reforms.^[2] Some affected councils proposed to hold referendums on amalgamations^[3] with threats of dismissal if they went ahead,^[4]

Then Premier Peter Beattie vowed to implement the proposed boundary changes "lock, stock and barrel" although, at the time, he said he'd be open to consensus suggestions from the Councils to be amalgamated as to the names of the new Councils and the electoral divisions within the Local Government Areas.

The Opposition leader, Jeff Seeney, pledged to de-amalgamate councils with community support by way of a poll if they came to office.^[5]

[edit] Outcomes

The Parliament of Queensland passed the Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 on 10 August 2007, following which Local Transition Committees were established to guide the reforms and appoint interim CEOs (Chief Executive Officers) to manage changes from October through to February 2008.

In September 2007 Premier Beattie resigned from the Queensland Parliament, and, under the new Premier, Anna Bligh, on 15 March 2008, local government elections were held successfully ^[6], and on this date the Local Government Reform Commission's recommended local government areas came into being across the whole of Queensland.