On Saturday, 9th March, a State election will be conducted in Western Australia while in Queensland four local government authorities will decide whether or not they will remain in amalgamated councils. What will the outcomes be? To explore this further we shall briefly review the run-up to the W.A. election and the debate about de-amalgamation in Noosa on the Queensland Sunshine Coast.
In Western Australia, Liberal Premier, Colin Barnett,
trumpets the economic credentials of his government and staunchly defends the
spending of very substantial funds on rail infrastructure in Perth on the grounds that
this is an essential development in a city undergoing rapid growth. He refers proudly to W.A.’s position as the
premier exporting state of the Commonwealth and he talks up the continuing solid
performances of local commodities (especially iron ore) despite some recent
fluctuations. (1)
In the face of Colin Barnett’s claims and in the light of
associations inevitably drawn between the State Labour Party of W.A. and
the beleagured Federal Government, it is not easy for Mark McGowan, the leader of
W.A.’s Labour opposition, to establish his party’s own economic
credentials. Labour’s efforts to scare
the community into avoiding a conservative government by focussing on the
personal failings of the current Treasurer, Troy Buswell, seem at best flimsy and at worst misleading given
that these short- comings have nothing to do with his economic management
capabilities. (2)
Meanwhile, on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, the people
of Noosa are poised to decide the future profile of their local government
body. Will it be the current Sunshine Coast
Regional Council (which arose from the amalgamation, in 2008, of the Noosa,
Maroochy and Caloundra Shire Councils) or will it be a reconstituted Noosa
Shire Council?
It would seem, from a brief glimpse of the local newspapers,
that the “no” case (against de-amalgamation) hinges largely on the stated economic
advantages of maintaining the status quo and contining to participate in a strong regional
authority. In particular, it is claimed
that a combined body representing a larger area is better able to lobby the State
and Federal governments for funds and recognition than a
small local government authority. M.P. Peter Slipper, who has had many years of
experience as a Federal Member in the Sunshine Coast area, is very much of this
view. (3)
The proponents of the “yes” case, however, take a very
different view. Noel Playford, a former
Noosa mayor and head of the “yes” campaign, has said that a new Noosa Council
would be much more responsive to its local community and would have several advantages - “local decision making, better representation, genuine
community input into council decision making, maintaining the character of
Noosa that supports our local economy, higher capital spending on
infrastructure, and lower rates". (4)
It would certainly seem that, while he has not entirely ignored economic
factors, he has been much more cognizant than his opposition of the importance
of community engagement and participation.
So which sides will win? In the case of the West Australia election, it seems highly probable to this writer that a Liberal led government will emerge victorious. Not because the Labour opposition hasn't a great deal to offer but because electors in Western Australia are primarily concerned, at least this time around, with ensuring strong economic management at the State Government level. In Noosa, however, the promise of closer links with, and direct participation in, local government may well trump the economic advantages of staying with the Sunshine Coast Regional Council and will probably ensure a victory for de-amalgamation.
3.
http://viewnews.com.au/sunshine-coast/2013/slipper-weighs-into-the-de-amalgamation-debate-456110/
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