Shelving Local Govt Reform Hits Business Confidence

Shelving Local Govt Reform Hits Business ConfidenceShelving local government reform in Perth would be a monumental mistake, a huge lost opportunity and would severely affect business confidence in the property development sector according to the Property Council of Australia.The Property Council is calling on the State and local governments to show leadership, pick up the pieces of the reform process and continue to strive for larger and more sustainable councils that can provide the full range of services for businesses and communities under growth pressures.”Local government reform in Perth is too important to abandon altogether,” says Property Council Executive Director Joe Lenzo.”The problems in the local government system have not gone away and it is crucial that the State Government now provides incentives for those councils looking to do the right thing and take up the mantle of reform by engaging in voluntary boundary changes and amalgamations.””We will also be calling on the Government to engage in other reforms like having a common development language amongst councils and consistent development policies and regulations that meet high standards.””This will include expanding the role of existing Development Assessment Panels to include more of the decision-making about local planning schemes.” The Property Council is also calling on the Government and the Opposition to move quickly on finalising the City of Perth Act.