Perth’s stalled grand bike path plan gets fresh kick-start

Transport department and councils criticised in report.

14 October, 2015

WA councils rail against rate capping

Minister backs away from inquiry but wants discussion.

11 August, 2015

West’s councils cry foul on community sports cuts

Funding sinks to unprecedented lows.

25 June, 2015

WA’s libraries facing financial horror story

More cost shifting to councils on the cards.

12 March, 2015

WA Premier surrenders as residents reject council mergers

Amalgamations off the table

11 February, 2015

Pickard wins Australian Local Government Association presidency

First WA chief for 30 years expected to take fight up to Canberra.

13 November, 2014

WA councils demand referendum on Perth boundary changes

The battle between WA councils and the Colin Barnett government has intensified as local governments demand communities be able to vote on proposed mergers if they are “significantly affected”.

7 July, 2014

Conflict of interest disclosures draw fire in West

Western Australian local governments are demanding answers as to why the state government has stealthily suspended the requirement to declare conflicts of interest for the group reviewing the structure of metropolitan councils.

17 June, 2014

WA Premier Barnett slammed by councils over rate hike blame game

Hostilities have erupted between the Western Australian government and the local government sector over State Budget cuts to funding for controversial metropolitan council mergers.

30 May, 2014

WA councils attack Barnett over lack of funding in state Budget

Following the release of the Colin Barnett government’s 2014-15 Budget, the local government sector has reacted with fury at a lack of adequate funding for the state’s metropolitan local government reform process.

13 May, 2014

Councils slam rate pegging slug in South Australia

A pledge by the South Australian Opposition to force rate pegging onto local governments after the March election has put councils immediately offside.

3 March, 2014

WA’s country councils shake Barnett and Buswell for royalties revenue

Regional communities in Western Australian are pushing the state government hard to scrap cuts and restore funding needed to clear a $2 billion project backlog.

20 February, 2014

Perth councils divided over Barnett’s boundary overhaul

By Paul Hemsley An ambitious and controversial bid to overhaul Perth’s metropolitan local government areas by Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett has triggered widely differing reactions from councils targeted to have their boundaries radically redrawn. Formally revealed this week, Mr Barnett’s plan will slash the number of Perth-based councils from 30 to 15 and has […]

13 November, 2013

WA councils warn freight rail closure will rip-up local roads

By Paul Hemsley The Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) has hit out at Brookfield Rail’s planned closure of two grain freight lines in the state’s Wheatbelt, claiming that the shutdown will force thousands of heavy trucks onto local roads which can’t deal with the big-wheeled burden unless councils are allocated new funding for upgrades. […]

9 October, 2013