Local Government

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (15:26): It is often said that local government is the sphere of government that is the closest to the people. There is a significant element of truth to that statement. While citizens interact with all spheres of government, they probably have the most contact with their local council, so it is no accident that, of all the complaints I receive in my office about government, 50 per cent would be about some local government decision or action.

It is important that we have local governments that are both efficient and effective: efficient in delivering the services required by their communities and effective in providing meaningful representation to the people who live in their areas. Additionally, they need to be financially sustainable and environmentally responsible. This is not an easy challenge to meet. That is why our councils need to be of a size and have boundaries that meet those two goals. Having the right council boundaries is a vexed issue. Any boundary changes should help build financial sustainability and deliver cultural change that leads to better outcomes for ratepayers and residents.

Some years ago, the Gawler council decided to lodge an application to alter its boundaries to include Concordia, Hewett, Gawler Belt, Ward Belt and Buchfelde in the Town of Gawler. This particular process involved the Light Regional and Barossa councils and, to a lesser extent, the City of Playford. It has been a very torturous, lengthy and expensive process, which has created some acrimony amongst the affected councils. Considering all the direct and indirect costs, the process has probably cost the participating councils over $500,000 collectively in a time of increasing cost pressures.

Recently, the Local Government Boundaries Commission issued its report outlining a range of recommendations. The report also included recommendations made by BDO consultants, who undertook the bulk of the investigations, including engagement with the community and the three affected councils. The changes proposed with the City of Playford are minor boundary changes and have generated no controversy. While the changes proposed with the City of Playford have raised no controversy, the other major proposed changes are not supported by either the ratepayers and residents in the area or the councils.

It should be noted there are some inconsistencies between the BDO recommendations and the commission's final recommendations. BDO does not support the Barossa and Light Regional council changes. Light Regional and the Town of Gawler are both in my electorate. It is now up to the minister to either accept or reject the recommendations or send them back to the commission for further work or a combination thereof.

While I am on record supporting reform in the local government sector, I do not support this proposal and would strongly recommend to the minister that he rejects the proposals to incorporate Concordia, Hewett, Ward Belt, Gawler Belt and Buchfelde into the Town of Gawler. A good reform process or proposal should leave the ratepayers and all the participating councils better off after the changes. This proposal does not do that. It potentially makes one council financially better off and financially weakens the other two. This is not a good outcome.

Secondly, the Concordia proposal would undermine the state Housing Roadmap by delaying the delivery of land onto the market. This is in a time of housing crisis when we cannot afford to derail the proposed Concordia development. In short, this is the wrong proposal at the wrong time. However, reform is needed, and that is why over the past few years I have been working with the Town of Gawler, Light Regional Council, Adelaide Plains Council and The Barossa Council to explore how the councils could become more effective and efficient by working more closely together.

This process has been turbocharged by the recent publication of the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan. Two councils, Gawler and Light Regional Council, have already agreed to collaborate to see how they can best respond to the challenges of growth. Barossa and the Adelaide Plains councils will consider their involvement this month. This process will hopefully encourage councils to explore where opportunities exist to work more closely and share resources to deliver better outcomes for ratepayers and residents. I would encourage the minister to send this report back to the commission and ask them to present recommendations that deliver broader and real reforms.