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Independence of local government critical in new local government Bill

‘LGANT supports recent comments from the CEO of Alice Springs Council and others regarding concerns with the draft Local Government Bill”, President of the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory, Alderman Kerry Moir said today.

‘Some of the concerns are to do with practical matters of implementation and these have been raised with the Department’, said Alderman Moir. ‘Now the Department has agreed to hold a legislation workshop in Darwin on Friday 26 October 2007 and this is a good thing because we have to get this right.’

‘LGANT needs to ensure that provisions in the new Act will protect, not undermine the independence of Local Government as a sphere of government in its own right. Local Government nets to be allowed to get on with its business of running viable service delivery and the provision and maintenance of relevant infrastructure’Alderman Moir said.

“I encourage senior council CEOs, most of whom have a wealth of experience dealing with local government legislation to attend this workshop and be strong and forthright in putting their views to the Territory Government bureaucrats”, said Alderman Moir.

“I also expect that Version 4 of the Local Government Bill will be made available to those attending well before the workshop to allow attending CEOs to have meaningful input”, said Alderman Moir.

Ends

19 October 2007

Contact: LGANT President Alderman Kerry Moir 0419 303 378

Manager Communications Phil Maynard (08) 8936 2890 0429 090 833