By Julian Bajkowski and Paul Hemsley Prime Minister Julia Gillard has finally confirmed that the federal government intends hold a September 14 referendum that if successful would allow the financial recognition of local government in the Australian Constitution, but there are signs of growing tensions and signs of fracturing support for the poll within the […]
9 May, 2013
By Paul Hemsley Local Government New South Wales (LGNSW) joint president Ray Donald has said that calls for an end to rate pegging have been backed by the state government in the latest report about the financial sustainability of councils from the NSW Treasury Corporation (TCorp). Mr Donald said TCorp’s findings in the Financial Sustainability […]
22 April, 2013
By Paul Hemsley Councils in New South Wales and Queensland have mounted a hard-fought campaign to stop forced amalgamations of local governments, but it’s a very different story in the West where mayors are backing a push to merge municipalities. The voluntary push for amalgamations from councils in WA has been highlighted by City of […]
15 April, 2013
By Paul Hemsley The Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) has demanded the state government led by Premier Colin Barnett include councils in the planning process for the rollout of Perth’s inner city tram run, especially over the location of routes, stops and stations. The Western councils’ peak body claims that street knowledge held by […]
5 April, 2013
By Paul Hemsley Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) President Troy Pickard has condemned an election promise by the state’s Labor Opposition to cap council rates and align them with movements in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Mr Pickard claims the rate pegging plan is likely to cause losses of local services and facilities. The […]
8 March, 2013
By Paul Hemsley The Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) has continued to kick the can over a proposed “cash for containers” scheme to reduce litter and kerbside rubbish in the run-up to the state election in March 2013, saying its petition for the scheme has received 1590 signatures. The West’s local government body has […]
26 February, 2013
By Paul Hemsley and Julian Bajkowski The president of the Western Australia Local Government Association (WALGA), Troy Pickard, tipped a bucket on both the State Government and Opposition over environmentally harmful waste management policies being touted in vote grabs ahead of the March election. The accusations from the peak body revolve around proposals from both […]
18 December, 2012
By Paul Hemsley Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) President Troy Pickard has demanded the state government needs to urgently to push through two key pieces of legislation affecting the operation of councils before the parliamentary rises for the Christmas break. Mr Pickard has called on the state government to pass the Dog Amendment Bill […]
1 November, 2012
The $1.75 billion price tag for a backlog of country infrastructure renewal projects in Western Australian is primed to increase substantially, after the state’s Regional Development Trust recommended that new estimates be calculated. The recommendations follow a review of the WA Country Local Government Fund that last week found that the projected price of infrastructure […]
4 September, 2012
By Angela Dorizas Western Australian councils have called for a state-wide governance review to revitalise the local government reform process. The WA Local Government Association (WALGA) today called on the State Government to reassess the current situation and redefine the reform agenda. WALGA president Troy Pickard said many councils and shires were feeling “reform fatigue” […]
21 February, 2011
The Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) has warned that cuts to the State Govenrment’s European Wasp program will put public health at risk. The Department of Agriculture and Food has terminated the nest removal and destruction component of the 32-year –old program. WALGA president Troy Pickard said this decision will result in wasps becoming […]
4 February, 2011
By Angela Dorizas Local communities in Western Australia have appealed for urgent government assistant as they face severe drought conditions. The WA Local Government Association (WALGA) has called on the State Government to issue a ‘declaration of water deficiency’ for regions in severe drought and provide urgent assistance to deal with the financial, social and […]
15 October, 2010
A commitment to consultation on initiatives to address population growth will be critical to successfully planning the future of communities in the Perth and Peel regions. The Directions 2031 framework released yesterday by Planning Minister John Day sets out the strategic approach to be taken in future development of the two regions, with populations across […]
1 September, 2010
By Angela Dorizas Health services in regional Western Australia are in crisis, with councils bearing the cost of attracting GPs to their communities. That was the take-home message of an emergency forum held in Perth on Wednesday. Organised by the WA Local Government Association (WALGA), the forum included more than 100 representatives from the health industry and […]
5 August, 2010End of content
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