Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Establishing local leadership and strong policy

By Robert Gibbons - posted Wednesday, 13 April 2011


Again, history bites. The Barnett Committee recommended the introduction of Chief Executive Officers above the town clerk, in 1951, after about 40 years of calls for the same thing inspired by Dayton and others, for instance Sir Joseph Carruthers' in 1919 – give the people a chance to decide if they want to replace councils with commissions. That failed in Australia because our tradition is – fiercely – for local control BUT compare that with the spectacular failures of "aspirational" civic politics in various NSW cities and the multiple council sackings which inquiries have found are substantially due to poor councillor understanding and/or behaviour together with intimidated managers joining the aspirational campaigns.

There is a trend away from the American model in America as found in surveys by the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington and others. There is English evidence that structure matters less than the quality of people. Our 1993 structure looks capable enough to improve rather than replace although the patches and crossings-out have made the Act a mess. 1993 was a job half done.

What is the real issue? One of the drafters of the 1993 Act was John Mant. He summarised progress since 1993 in a paper to the Sydney Business Chamber in November 2009, "Close to Home – reforming local government in NSW":

Advertisement

Major reform has not been forthcoming. Nobody has really wanted it – not the unions or the Ministers, nor, at least, until recently, the Local Government Associations and the Department of Local Government. With a couple of exceptions, most councils look the same and operate essentially in the same way as they did 100 years ago. The titles and the spin may have changed and the salaries have gone up, but the organisation is much the same.

Admittedly the training courses provided by the department and associations are very traditional; and planners have to live in a "toxic" council environment. Mant has pointed to the option of restoring something like the pre-1993 executive functions of mayors. Every person has to think that one through. The other view is that freeing councillors from piles of paper so they can focus on their own sense of initiative, the frightening frequency and intensity of climate events, population challenges and infrastructure gaps; and getting Australian councils in the same co-ordinated mindset as their English, American and other peers, are quite possible now. That is, policy and leadership, not management of operations.

Councils and the associations could focus on "missing bits", constitutional recognition or the implementation of municipal financing in a responsible manner, with excellent scenario-based planning, appraisals and plebiscite approvals. Both are important but which matters most right now? Can councils meet the challenges that are here now and the others heading their way?

In short it's not the structure of the 1993 Act that's amiss. We have to do better but not build another Titanic. What will work are clarity in accountability, incentives to those who perform better, and penalties to those who disappoint us and compromise the legacy we hand to our grandchildren. Those reforms are within a strong government's reach.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

2 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Robert Gibbons started urban studies at Sydney University in 1971 and has done major studies of Sydney, Chicago, world cities' performance indicators, regional infrastructure financing, and urban history. He has published major pieces on the failure of trams in Sydney, on the "improvement generation" in Sydney, and has two books in readiness for publication, Thank God for the Plague, Sydney 1900 to 1912 and Sydney's Stumbles. He has been Exec Director Planning in NSW DOT, General Manager of Newcastle City, director of AIUS NSW and advisor to several premiers and senior ministers.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Robert Gibbons

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Robert Gibbons
Article Tools
Comment 2 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy