Western Metro Advocacy

Most people want Local Councils to focus on local issues, like fixing potholes, building and maintain local roads, footpaths & bike lanes, managing rubbish collection, parks and playgrounds, street signage and lighting, pet registration, libraries and local planning issues.

“I was a councillor myself for two years, and… I asked a very simple question: which specific services and facilities are local government councils actually required by legislation to provide? I was told by a very, very fancy and very, very expensive budget expert that the way the Local Government Act 2020 is written actually makes this question legally and logically impossible to answer. Rather than creating crystal-clear areas of responsibility, the Act actually states that councils can perform any functions that the council determines are necessary. But without clear laws, without clear responsibilities, residents lose out… The state government can blame local government. Local government can blame the state. And who is stuck in the middle? Ordinary families, with garbage-quality roads, overcrowded schools and no-one who will take responsibility.”