Shires across New South Wales have agreed to form a single association representing local government in the state. The Shires Association of NSW convened a special meeting on Wednesday to vote on its merger with the Local Government Association (LGA). More than 150 representatives from 78 shires met in Sydney to finalise the 27 principles […]
24 February, 2011
In the lead up to the March State Election, the Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW (LGSA) have set out their policy priorities. The LGSA have warned all political parties that councils and communities should no longer be ignored. LGA president Keith Rhoades said communities deserved better and he urged voters to "support candidates who support […]
8 February, 2011
New South Wales councils have rejected key findings of Infrastructure Australia’s report into Local Water Utilities (LWU) and are “furious” at the lack of consultation. The Infrastructure Australia Report on Regional Towns Water Quality and Security found that in many regional towns, water quality did not always meet health standards and planning for security was often […]
4 February, 2011
New South Wales councils have renewed their calls for the removal of rate pegging following the release of the new rate cap limit. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal has set the rate cap limit for the next financial year at 2.8 per cent. The Local Government and Shires Associations (LGSA) welcomed the new method of […]
13 December, 2010
The Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW have renewed their calls for an end to rate pegging and an increase in local road funding. Shires Association president Bruce Miller said there was a gap between council revenue and the cost of funding local infrastructure projects. “Councils manage 85 per cent of the road network and nearly […]
5 November, 2010
By Lilia Guan At the Local Government Association of NSW Annual Conference in Albury this week, councils talked about three main concerns of the sector: modernising the financing of local government; modern approaches to community wellbeing; and modern approaches to the natural and built environment. Shires Association president, Bruce Miller, told Government News, […]
26 October, 2010
By Angela Dorizas Local government’s campaign for constitutional recognition has gained momentum, with the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between the NSW State Government and the Local Government and Shires Associations (LGSA) on Monday. The formal signing of the agreement took place at the annual conference of the Local Government Association in Albury. It establishes […]
25 October, 2010
By Lilia Guan A recent speech by the Minister for Water, Phillip Costa, has caused confusion among councils seeking decisive action from an inquiry started three years ago. Mr Costa told delegates at the 2010 Water Management Conference in Orange he supported a model of regional alliances of local water utilities that is consistent with […]
17 September, 2010
The Local Government and Shires Associations of New South Wales have questioned the size of proposed local health networks. The Associations made a formal submission to the State Government in response to a discussion paper released by NSW Health in August. The discussion paper examined the implementation of the Federal Government’s proposed National Health and […]
10 September, 2010
Councils in New South Wales will be represented by one single body following the proposed merger of the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Shires Association (SA). More than 260 representatives from 123 councils gathered at the One Association Convention in Sydney on Monday to vote on the future of their associations. Delegates voted overwhelming […]
17 August, 2010
By Angela Dorizas The Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW have welcomed the Government's election commitment to investigate the feasability of a high speed rail line connecting Melbourne and Brisbane. Minister for Infrastructure, Anthony Albanese, announced last week that a re-elected Labor Government would undertake a detailed feasibility study to determine the economic viability […]
10 August, 2010
By Angela Dorizas Local government has welcomed the release of the Henry Tax Review and the Rudd Government’s decision to reject an expansion of land tax to all landowners. In its response to the long awaited review of Australia’s tax system, the Government adopted four of the 138 recommendations. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Treasurer […]
3 May, 2010
By Angela Dorizas The water saving achievements of three New South Wales councils have been recognised by Parliamentary Secretary for Water, Mike Kelly. Dr Kelly congratulated Orange, Gosford and Dubbo city councils for being the first to complete their projects under the Water Loss Management Program. The program is a $22 million joint initiative of […]
7 April, 2010
Councils affected by emissions from mining operations look set to issue the NSW State Government with a demand for better standards governing air quality. In an echo of the long running asbestos debate, NSW councils have raised concerns about the current level of emissions monitoring for NSW mining operations. Delegates at a meeting held in […]
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