MYTHS BUSTED: IT’S TIME TO STEP UP
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Norman Waterhouse has a long and proud partnership with local government driving economic development through a range of innovative and progressive programs and projects. I recently spoke to a group of local government professionals where we debunked myths that are often barriers to successful council involvement in driving economic development in local communities.
The principles, roles and functions of Councils contained in the LG Act together with the powers conferred in the Act provide Councils with considerable flexibility and capability to shape and directly influence community prosperity. In the presentation I highlighted examples where local government professionals had exercised professional skill and judgement to:
• secure best value for money in procurement;
• leverage community assets effectively to enable business and community growth; or
• apply regulatory powers in an enabling framework
and achieve significant transformational outcomes for their communities.
My sense is that local government feel pressured to adopt convention and work well within the outer boundaries of what lawmakers envisaged when conferring a unique and broad range of largely unfettered powers available to South Australian Councils in the LG Act.
Applying conservative convention is not going to deliver or even support transformative outcomes in local and regional economies.
It’s time for local government to step up to the plate and challenge the myths around what Councils can and can’t do or can and can’t influence or deliver to drive community prosperity.
Sean Keenihan
Chairman
Norman Waterhouse Lawyers