Canberra advocacy for South Gippsland Shire

BUILDING strong relationships with all levels of government is one of the goals expressed in South Gippsland Shire Council’s recently adopted advocacy strategy, something councillor Sarah Gilligan, Mayor Mohya Davies and CEO Kerryn Ellis recently engaged in during a visit to Canberra.

They attended the Australian Local Government National General Assembly.

“I got a strong understanding of where we sit in the sector and how we are all facing similar challenges,” Cr Gilligan said of interactions with representatives from other councils.

She spoke of a buzz in Canberra and talk of State and Federal Governments working more closely with councils.
Cr Davies outlined the value of the Canberra visit.

“It is a great advocacy opportunity; there are representatives from all over Australia,” she said, adding it was a diverse gathering with people from all walks of life.

Cr Davies pointed to the opportunity the gathering provided for councillors and council officers to develop skills and build knowledge.

Like Cr Gilligan, Cr Davies noted similar issues councils face whether they are rural or metropolitan.

The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) expressed confidence it has the necessary support from the new Federal Government to advocate strongly on local government issues, Cr Davies said.

The installation of a Local Government Minister at Federal level for the first time in quite a while helped generate that confidence she explained.

Cr Davies outlined the issues that were most discussed during the Canberra Assembly.

Affordable and social housing, and emergency management and disaster relief were among the topics.

“You realise what a key role local government has to play in emergency management recovery,” Cr Davies said of the value of hearing about the cyclone response in Kalbarri, Western Australia.

Councillors who have been dealing with floods in New South Wales and Queensland also spoke of their experiences and how they have been assisting their communities.

Financial sustainability of councils, particularly in regional areas, was also extensively discussed at the Canberra gathering.

“One of the things ALGA is advocating for is increased financial assistance grants in the lead up to the Federal Budget,” Cr Davies said.

In South Gippsland Shire, the areas the community has identified as most in need of council advocacy have been considered along with State and Federal policy and relevant data in order to develop a priority list for advocacy.

The Advocacy Priority Project List includes:
• Road improvements and an increase in road funding
• Connectivity improvements including upgraded NBN and a decrease in mobile blackspots, as well as government funded and delivered public and community transport
• Supporting emergency preparedness
• Funding for early years infrastructure
• State Government support to upgrade the Leongatha Recreation Reserve Grandstand
• Improved health services
• Coastal protection such as erosion mitigation.

In addition to engaging with community to better understand what the top advocacy projects should be, the Advocacy Strategy outlines how council will take an active and planned approach to achieve desired projects.

Cr Davies expressed her appreciation of the South Gippsland community’s willingness to get involved and identify important issues that shaped the Advocacy Priority Project List.

“The community’s participation in the recent Shaping South Gippsland engagement campaign was essential to the development of this list; the relationships built with the community through this process will be fundamental in underpinning our advocacy efforts and will continue to guide us when we look to find other projects to advocate for,” Cr Davies said.