Today I met with Mayors and General Managers of the local government sector to outline the Government’s proposed collaborative approach to local government reform.
The objective of the review is to create a more robust and capable system of local government to meet current and emerging community needs and support Tasmania’s recovery from Covid-19.
The Tasmanian Government has proposed a three-stage, 18-month review program, including direct engagement with local government, communities, and users of local government services to identify specific needs and opportunities for reform in the sector.
The scope of the review will include the full range of council roles, responsibilities and functions, including statutory responsibilities, service delivery, governance and administration, community and place-based roles.
The review will aim to assess the performance of these roles across the sector, in terms of effectiveness, sustainability, and value to ratepayers, and to Tasmania as a whole, and determine the best ways for them to be performed in the future.
It is important to note that the Government has no preconceived outcomes, and nothing has been ruled in or out.
We recognise that local government will play a critical role in our State’s economic and social recovery effort, and the performance of the sector is vital to the future of the Tasmanian economy and the wellbeing of Tasmanian communities.
I thank LGAT and its member councils for their constructive approach to our discussions so far and look forward to working collaboratively with them to deliver meaningful reforms that will deliver genuine, positive outcomes.
More Media Releases from Roger Jaensch
More Media Releases from the Minister for Local Government and Planning