By Angela Dorizas

Queensland’s local government body has welcomed the creation of a better working relationship with the State Government.

More than 600 local government delegates have gathered in Mackay for the annual conference of the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ).

LGAQ president Paul Bell credited Premier Anna Bligh and Local Government Minister Desley Boyle for improved relations between local and state government.

“I do thank the Premier and Local Government Minister for extending the olive branch,” Cr Bell said.

He welcomed local government’s alliance with the state government in what he called “the biggest public stoush of the year”, defending legislative changes to valuation methodology and shopping centre rating.

Cr Bell said councils had experienced some difficulty in implementing a suite of new local government legislation, but were now “on the march, making historic levels of investment in their communities”.

“We have struck out with a clear agenda for our communities’ future, not relying on, nor waiting for other levels of government to act,” he said.

The theme of the three-day conference is ‘People and Places’, with a particular focus on population growth.