PLAYFORD Council has strongly opposed any form of rate capping which could be included in a State Government push to reform the local government sector.
The State Government is currently pushing a new bill aimed at making sweeping changes to local councils, with the legislation set to be debated in State Parliament’s upper house after its winter break.
It includes the possibility for councillors to be suspended for up to three months due to poor behaviour, an independent referee which would set council CEO salaries and a new rule which would cap the number of elected members at 12.
Rate capping is also back on the agenda, with the local government minister and an independent authority touted to have the power to review council budgets and set a limit on rate increases.
At Playford Council’s meeting last Tuesday night, elected members formally endorsed councils response to the bill, which included a staunch rejection of rate capping.
A letter from Playford Mayor Glenn Docherty to Local Government Association president Sam Telfer said the rate capping proposal was “thwart with inconsistencies”.
“Council does not want to see the introduction of yet another layer of bureaucracy that gives significant powers to a body that has no relationship with or accountability to the local community,” he wrote.
“It reduces the flexibility to respond to economic and social circumstances.
“The proposals are thwart with inconsistencies, dictate unachievable time frames, unnecessary oversight and will ultimately cost councils to deliver by paying the designating authority – who can ultimately be overridden by the minister anyway.”
Also in the letter, Mr Docherty advocated against capping councillors, despite personally holding the belief that having no more than 12 elected members in the chamber is a good thing.
A fortnight ago, he told The Bunyip he supported a uniform approach to councillor numbers across the state, but council’s official response was against cutting councillors.
“In conclusion, the broad range of proposals that have been put forward in the bill suggests that much of the legislative framework local government operates within is not effective or working efficiently,” Mr Docherty wrote.
“Council agrees that some changes are required and indeed, some are integral for the improved operations and administration of local government into the future, although council is strongly opposed to the proposals which erode local government’s existing capacity, powers and autonomy and those which place additional financial burden on councils.”
