PRIME MINISTER
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION OF QUEENSLAND
BROADBEACH 7 SEPTEMBER 1987
Sir Albert Abbott, President, and Lady Abbott,
Councillor Bill Layer, Chairman, Albert Shire,
Alderman Denis Pye, Mayor, Gold Coast City,
Ladies and gentlemen.
This is the ninety-first annual conference of the Local
Government Association of Queensland but it is the first to
be officially opened by a Prime Minister.
So as well as thanking you for-that honor it is appropriate
as well that I take the opportunity, at this early stage in
my Government's third term in office, to reaffirm our
commitment to the development of Local Government in
Australia. That commitment dates from our first days in office in 1983,
when I appointed Tom Uren as Minister for Local Government.
He was the first minister to exercise specific
responsibility for the Commonwealth's relationship with
Australia's Local Government bodies.
TOM'S years as minister for Local Government, which ended
this year with his retirement from the Ministry, were years
of close and very constructive relationships between our two
levels of government. I think I speak on behalf of us all
in once again expressing gratitude to him for the great
service he rendered the nation.
As you know, the first act of my Government after the
election was the implementation of major reforms to the
structure of Commonwealth administration.
These reforms strengthen the Commonwealth's commitment to
Local Government. A senior Cabinet Minister, Mick Young,
now has the overall responsibilities for the portfolio which
includes Local Government. Senator Margaret Reynolds has
been given particular responsibility for Local Government
and regional development matters. OO
I am confident that Margaret Reynolds will maintain Tom
Uren's tradition of vigorous and well-informed presentation
of your interests to the Government. As a consequence of
her own experience in local Government in Queensland, and as
a Senator from Queensland, she will bring important new
perspectives to the portfolio.
I can assure you, too, that the Commonwealth Office of Local
Government will continue to play a vital role in helping to
link national objectives with varying local needs and
conditions. Through this period of necessary budgetary restraint, the
Commonwealth's commitment to Local Government has been
reinforced with the introduction of the'Local Government
( Financial Assistance) Act Of 1986 which continues to
provide general purpose payments to councils. Those
payments totalled $ 460 million in 1983-84 and have risen to
$ 640 million this financial year.
Total Federal Government assistance to local Government,
including untied grants, roads grants and other specific
purpose payments now exceeds $ 1,100 million annually.
These expenditures represent a significant investment by the
nation in the role and capacity of Local Government.
A major cause of the success we have achieved since 1983 in
strengthening Local Government has been the recognition of
the need for co-operation between Local Government, the
States and the Commonwealth.
We will continue to place heavy emphasis on inter-government
co-operation, drawing on the unique attributes of each level
of Government, to produce the best results for all our
constituents. You will be aware ho'wever, that despite that objective,
there have recently been some difficulties in our
relationship with the Queensland Government concerning the
distribution of the Commonwealth's general purpose grants.
Alone of the States, Queensland refused to enter
negotiations on the development of appropriate principles
for the distribution of those grants to Local Government
bodies. That failure left the Commonwealth no alternative but to
take a more intrusive role than it would have wished and to
determine for itself the principles on which the funds were
to be allocated in Queensland.
In doing that however we told the Queensland Government that
we want to avoid this outcome next year and are willing to
start discussions as soon as possible to reach an acceptable
solution. 0 00 8 638
We recognise that Local Government in Queensland will not be
helped if its State Government is unwilling to work with the
Commonwealth in such a vital area.
I want to stress that on th6 Commonwealth's part there is no
wish to single out Queensland or to deprive the Queensland
Government of its legitimate role in the distribution of
grants. it is appropriate here that I pay tribute to your President,
Sir Albert Abbott, for his role in seeking to facilitate
agreement between the Commonwealth and the Queensland
Government during the course of these negotiations.
It is important also that we look beyond-a single instance
of disagreement and focus on the many areas in whichi
co-operation between levels of Government is being
improved here in Queensland and throughout Australia.
I have been particularly pleased to see the increasing
number of activities involving the joint efforts of
Commonwealth, State and Local Governments and their growing
readiness to share information, ideas and experiences.
The diversity that characterises Australia's Federal system
of Government can be a powerful force for the betterment of
all Australians if we harness its potential by co-operative
endeavour. On that note I would like to reflect with you on our
prospects for working together more closely in meeting the
challenges we face as a nation. In particular I would like
to canvass ways in which we might co-operatively improve the
effectiveness and responsiveness of public administration.
You will be aware that within the Commonwealth sphere we
have taken steps to streamline administrative procedures in
order to create a more integrated, leaner and more efficient
public sector.
The new ministerial and departmental arrangements seek to
reduce overlap and duplication in the work of the Federal
Government and to improve our policy co-ordination and
program delivery. We have been prepared to ask fundamental
questions about what functions the public sector should
perform and how it should perform them.
-Many of the questions we are raising cannot be addressed by
the Commonwealth in isolation and it is time that the
questions were put on a broader agenda.
The people of Australia have a legitimate right to expect
the different levels of government to work in harmony. Any
dispassionate observer of the operations of the Australian
political system would note overlaps in some areas of public
administration and gaps in other areas. 0008Uz
our challenge is to close the gaps and remove the
duplication that has built up over the years within and
between levels of Government in order to develop a more
responsive, better integrated and cost-effective public
sector. Local Government has special relevance in this process. As
I announced in Labor's election policy launch we intend to
develop a positive approach to devolving administrative
functions to Local Government.
Commonwealth programs and procedures will be scrutinised to
establish whether any of them could be undertaken more
effectively by Local Government. Inter-governmental
agreements encompassing program purposes, financial
arrangements, needs-based planning processes and performance
measures will also be examined and, where scope exists, they
will be improved.
This approach is fully complementary with the Federal
Government's recognition of the fact that Local Government
is an integral part of our nation's system of public
administration and the delivery of community services.
in all this, we are conscious of Local Government's concern
about having increased responsibilities imposed on it
without commensurate increases in financial resources.
It is clear that the imperatives of national economic
management have severely limited the Commonwealth's
financial flexibility. We have no option but to look at
ways of achieving economies in Government.
We recognise, at the same time, that local Government must
have access to funds adequate to discharge its
responsibilkties. It is necessary for all of us in every level of Government
to reassess how we undertake our functions and to reach
agreement on respective roles and responsibilities.
We must always be prepared to look, together, at how our
limited resources are being managed so that we can ensure
that the highest priority needs are being addressed as
efficiently and as effectively as possible.
For Local Government this may involve the development of
more efficient management practices, the review of
regulatory procedures that have outlived their usefulness,
and more strategic financial planning and asset management.
Like the Commonwealth it may also require a preparedness to
dispense with functions which are no longer required so that
we can redirect resources to where need is greatest.
I am confident in the capacity of Local Government to meet
these challenges. And I am aware that work is already being
undertaken to improve the efficiency of Local Government
administration. 000:,
For example, with support made available through the
Commonwealth's Local Government Development Program, your
own Association has been active in developing a corporate
planning strategy manual and a community services inventory.
The Queensland Department of Local Government is developing
a model to assist councils with aspects of financial
management. The Queensland Local Government Industry
Training Committee is developing a package of training
exercises to improve the development of council staff.
Another significant development is the National Review of
Local Government Labour Markets, a project being jointly
sponsored by the States, Local Government and the
Commonwealth. This Review will provide information and practical advice to
Ministers so that co-ordinated action can be undertaken on a
national basis to ensure that Local Government has available
an adequate supply of appropriately skilled personnel. A
major thrust of the Review is to find ways of removing
impediments to labour mobility in Local Government.
The Review is approaching its task by releasing a series of
discussion papers on the issues involved.
It gives me great pleasure to launch the first two of these
Discussion Papers: " Improving Flexibility in Local
Government" and " Portability of Superannuation".
These papers are being circulated to all Local Government
and other interested bodies with a request for comment.
They will be revised on the basis of these comments before
being considered by governments for action.
The National Review of Local Government Labour Markets is an
important project which promises to yield significant gains.
I am sure it will prove an excellent example of what can be
achieved by all levels of government working together.
In their various ways each of the activities I have
discussed today is raising fundamental questions about the
direction and organisation of Local Government. I am
encouraged by the fact that these questions are being raised
and examined by Local Government itself. For our part at
the Commonwealth level we will continue to support your
efforts and I wish you well in your deliberation on these
and other issues over the next few days. 000871