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Local Government calls for improved information flow

‘Resolutions passed at the general meeting of the Association held in Alice Springs on 17 & 18 April 2007 confirm that local governments want improvements in the way local government reforms are communicated to councils and the public’ the President of the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory, Alderman Kerry Moir said today.

‘Clearly there is a belief out there that the information flows could be greatly improved. Members want to see the Government’s information plan and they want more feedback about the deliberations of meetings of the Local Government Advisory Board’ President Kerry Moir said. ‘Councils also want to see more of the Department of Local Government’s Community Development Officers on the ground in communities to explain the status of the reforms’ the President said.

‘Issues such as making funding available for Aboriginal interpreters to assist in cross cultural communication , the social impact in communities of some services potentially no longer being the responsibility of local government, the need for electoral education over new electoral processes and the confusion that has arisen over Aboriginal land issues and local government reform are also other issues that the government needs to address, as part of, or in addition to, its communication effort’ the President said.

‘I will be bringing the above concerns of member councils to the attention of the Minister for Local Government the Hon Elliot McAdam MLA, along with a number of other issues concerning Indigenous traineeships for the new shires and the processes for winding up Association councils’ the President said.

‘Obviously adequate communication is vital to a process like this and while the government has taken steps to meet this need, more is clearly required’ the President said. Ends

20 April 2007

Contact: LGANT President Alderman Kerry Moir 0419 303 378

Manager Communications Phil Maynard 8936 2890 0429 090 833