Is local government capable of responding?

the system beat me in that there is too much to do here to balance my own business requests. Must say after the (retail) decision there are not many in my circle who wish to focus on council issues. Whatever is done the system beats the individual and our day to day work still needs to be done. I think I have just joined the apathetic majority.

Maybe having long-term mayors is not such a good idea. Is it luck or good judgement that folk demonstrate when they vote for reformers like Soorley and Lerner?

How will Albanese make such situations work? Will he consult after more than a decade of consultations? Will he impose a decision on a state-owned facility fasomehow, and if so what would the cost of the sweetener be? What will other cities and regions think about that?

To come back to the nub, no structure can be imposed on St Leonards, Hurstville, Bondi Beach or Newcastle that will enable federal collaboration. No amount of persuasion will salve historical wounds.

Floods and fire produce an esprit de corps that is rare to find in normal life, that is, in the absence of leadership. If Albanese and Australia are to succeed, it is not enough to only unite after the problem has become apparent, rather than inspire communities as Soorley, Lerner and earlier Australian leaders did.