REGIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATIONS

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:06): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations questions about regional local government associations.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Members would be aware of the five regional local government associations in the non-metropolitan areas of the state. These bodies generally meet on a bi-monthly basis in various localities in their respective regions. The meetings involve a significant amount of time and travel for delegates. I have attended a large number of these meetings over my years in this place and have found them to be of considerable value.

Generally, these meetings feature reports presented by officers of the Local Government Association and the Office of State/Local Government Relations and its predecessors. My questions are:

1. Will the minister indicate why, in her term in this portfolio, attendance by the Office of State/Local Government Relations at regional LGA meetings has apparently ceased?

2. Will the minister also indicated the reason for the significant dropping off in communications from the Office of State/Local Government Relations to regional local government associations?

3. What action will the minister take to restore the participation of the Office of State/Local Government Relations in regional LGA meetings?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:07): I thank the honourable member for his important questions. I am not aware of any dropping off in commitment or support and assistance by my office to regional local government associations. I am not aware of and quite surprised by the information the honourable member has provided to the chamber, and I am not sure at all that it is, in fact, correct. However, I will certainly follow this up.

My understanding is that our office has in the past and continues to provide strong support and commitment to the regional local government associations. In fact, this commitment is reflected in the bill relating to the changes we are proposing to the Outback Areas Trust, which I referred to in my notice of motion today, to which I obviously cannot make too much reference at the moment. An enormous amount of consultation and involvement with the Outback Areas Trust and various associations has taken place over a number of years. My predecessor, the Hon. Jennifer Rankine, started that process, which involved numerous visits to a wide range of different regional locations, meeting with associations and providing information and receiving feedback and input. So, a great deal of work has been done.

I know that an extensive visit program was undertaken around that process. In fact, officers were up there recently with the draft. So, before tabling the bill in parliament, the draft bill was taken to them for even further consideration. I was very pleased to receive a letter back from the Outback Areas Trust supporting the general thrust of the bill. So, I am most doubtful indeed in relation to the comments made by the honourable member, but I am certainly prepared to look into the matter.