QLD: Councils save for future battles with state govt

AAP General News (Australia)
08-25-2009
QLD: Councils save for future battles with state govt

By Gabrielle Dunlevy

BRISBANE, Aug 25 AAP - Queensland councils, still reeling from the effects of forced
amalgamations, have started a fighting fund to ward off any future attacks by the state
government.

Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) president Paul Bell told the peak
body's annual conference in Brisbane that councils and ratepayers remained "deeply disillusioned"

by the state government-led amalgamations, which cut 157 councils to 73.

"The state government implied that after amalgamation there would be less ratty little
councils and larger councils would get more of the funding cake," Mr Bell said.

"Instead they've got a pikelet, without the jam and cream."

Mr Bell said the March 2008 amalgamations had only worsened councils' financial problems
in the short term and would take years to create efficiency gains.

Cost structures had to be changed to save ratepayers from endless rate rises but legislation
stopped councils restructuring their workforces until 2011, he said.

Mr Bell announced the LGAQ had started a $600,000 fighting fund, to be boosted by $100,000
a year in operating spending.

"The fighting fund will grow to millions of dollars over the next five or so years
and be a sizeable deterrent to capricious or unconscionable behaviour towards Queensland
councils by the current or any future state government," he said.

But Premier Anna Bligh said the mayors she had talked to were already experiencing
positive economic spin-offs.

"I know that there are still some councils who don't like it but what it's delivering
is very important economic reform to the people of Queensland," Ms Bligh told reporters
in Brisbane.

"In every place where those mayors are really working hard to make it work, what they
tell me is they're already reaping benefits."

Mayors reported they could more effectively market their regions, employ high-skilled
people, plan for future growth and negotiate with multinational companies, Ms Bligh said.

AAP gd/pjo/dep

KEYWORD: COUNCILS QLD

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