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LOCAL GOVERNMENT AMENDMENT BILL 2007
Thursday 29th November 2007
Rev Fred Nile, Leader of the Christian Democratic Party, has supported the ‘Local Government Amendment Bill 2007’ and given the following speech in the NSW Legislative Council.
“The Christian Democratic Party supports the Local Government Amendment Bill 2007, an administrative bill which seeks to clarify the relationship between public-private partnerships and the tendering requirements under the principal Act. The bill also seeks to clarify that certain annual charges, such as for domestic waste management and stormwater management services, may be levied on individual lots in a strata scheme and on company title properties.
The bill amends the Local Government Act 1993, which sets out the requirements for participation by councils in public-private partnerships. The proposed amendments make it clear that a council may choose to either go to tender or to use the public-private partnership model for certain projects. The legislation will allow councils to enter into public-private partnerships and will provide that councils are not required to invite tenders. The legislation clarifies the nature and operation of public-private partnerships and, in particular, makes it clear that the types of services that relate to such partnerships are services that are delivered during the carrying out of any project under the partnership”, stated Rev Fred Nile.
“I have been involved with a number of inquiries into public-private partnerships, and the various committees I have chaired have recommended the use of public-private partnerships at a State level. I believe it is opportune that public-private partnerships be further developed at the local government level, certainly with close monitoring by the Department of Local Government to ensure that no council gets out of its depth, as has occurred in the fiasco involving Liverpool council. We do not want to see that occur again. Some councils in their enthusiasm may overreach themselves, so there must be some monitoring by the department and obviously by the Minister for Local Government. Certainly public-private partnerships can be of great benefit; indeed, we have seen them operating in a number of local government areas already.
The bill provides that annual charges for certain services provided by a council may be levied on individual lots in a strata scheme, or on a company title dwelling or a portion of a company title building. This is to prevent companies that own a block of units from having one charge applied to the whole building containing those strata units. The bill makes it clear that councils may levy charges on individual lots in a strata scheme, which seems to be just and proper.
It has been suggested that the passing of the bill should be deferred because a lower House committee is presently examining material that is relevant to the legislation. I understand that the committee's terms of reference were given by the Minister for Local Government, and that the Minister also introduced this legislation and believes that there is no conflict with the bill passing through the House and the committee continuing its inquiry and, in due course, perhaps sometime next year, making its report to the Legislative Assembly”, Rev Nile said.