As part of the McGowan Government’s reform agenda, a new Local Government Act will be drafted.
Our vision is for the local government sector to be agile, smart and inclusive.
Our
objective is to transform local government so that it is empowered to
better deliver quality governance and services to their communities now
and into the future.
We are looking at local laws as an area of reform.
The current system
- Local
governments make local laws that govern activities within their
districts such as parking, dog/cat management and public places.
- Local laws are a type of legislation and must be approved by Parliament.
- DLGSC monitors and provides advice to help local governments with this process.
- Parts of legislation are very outdated, including dealing with impounding of straying farm animals.
What you’ve told us
- Local
laws vary from one local government district to another, which can be
both confusing and onerous for people and businesses that operate in
different districts.
- Creating a good local law is complex and requires legal skills.
- Some parts of the legislation are no longer needed.
Ideas for change
- Provide more consistency in local laws between districts.
- Require local governments to have their local laws certified by a legal practitioner.
- Combine
the functions of the Local Government Grants Commission which provides
financial assistance grants to local governments across Australia, and
the Advisory Board, which makes recommendations to the Minister for
Local Government on proposals to change local government boundaries,
wards and councillor numbers.
- Remove outdated sections of the Act.