The practical differences between local government in Australia and England are huge. In Australia, many of the powers and responsibilities that are exercised by English local government are undertaken at state government level. And there are, of course, enormous differences in terms of geographical size and population sparsity.
However, there are similarities too. In my contribution to the National Australian Future of Local Government summit in Melbourne this week, I will be discussing these similarities and exploring what we can learn from each other’s systems and experiences.
The primary shared value is that local authorities in both countries seek to serve their communities, speak up for local people and businesses, and shape places – whatever their geography or population. Local government in both countries also has a democratic mandate, and is led and controlled by elected councillors.
In both countries, local authorities are also struggling with tight and often reducing budgets – the challenge being greater in England than in Australia at present. In addition, there are pressures arising from increased demand and rising public expectations, as well as the consequences of the economic downturn (again a bigger issue in England than in Australia).
Finally, local government in both countries is pressing for clarity in its relationship with central or federal and state tiers of government. The campaign for a constitutional recognition of local government across Australia should be of enormous interest to local political leaders in the UK.
I was particularly struck by a sense of deja vu when looking at the conference’s objectives. These include promoting local government’s role in influencing the design of government services, local government gaining control over its own destiny, providing opportunities for the voice of the community to influence council decisions and stronger collaboration between councils.
A pre-conference poll of delegates has revealed that 57% feel local government is not in control of its own destiny, while 82% feel it is not yet doing enough to demonstrate its efficiency and effectiveness. On top of this, 67% feel local government requires transformational change. These are fascinating statistics, which I suspect demonstrate a more confident sector in Australia than in England.
My message to the Melbourne conference echoes my message to colleagues in English local government:
• Be confident and draw on the authority of the democratic election process – remember that councillors are elected in the same way as members of parliament in the same ballot boxes
• Focus on outcomes, not institutions
• Be fearless in your advocacy, persuasion and negotiation for your place and its people
• Collaborate with others across the public, social and business sectors to shape a better place
• Share power with communities and citizens
• Be willing to change and to challenge orthodoxy
English local government can learn from our Australian colleagues. This can and should be a two way process.