The first event on Thursday 11 October was a Research Forum and Showcase followed by the ACELG Research and Advisory Committee meeting.  The events on Friday 12 October included the ACELG Board Meeting plus a sector-based Roundtable. 

These discussions with Queensland local government stakeholders will fine-tune ACELG`s approach to a range of local government issues that are important in Queensland, and which may have broader relevance to the sector nationally.

Further national events are planned in the New Year.

Brisbane Research Showcase and Forum

Over seventy local government practitioners and academics took part in the Local Government Research Forum held last Thursday 11th October at the QUT Creative Industries Precinct, Kelvin Grove.

Professor Carol Dickenson, Deputy Vic Chancellor (Academic), in opening the forum, talked about the diversity of ways QUT supports and works with the local government sector.

Professor Mark Evans, Chair of the ACELG Research Committee, then set out the broad themes of the day and outlined his research on creating public value in the local context. In discussing the concept of localism, he outlined a model that outlines three versions of governance at the local level - managerial, representative and community governance - and how that plays out in practice, for example in the Murray Darling Basin.

 
Throughout the day participants were presented with a cross-section of recently completed research such as Australian Mayors: What Can and Should They Do? which reviews local government representative structures and the emerging role of mayors, and, Community Engagement in Rural-Remote and Indigenous Local Government. 

New research being undertaken with ACELG support was also presented. For example ACELG partners at QUT will be exploring new approaches to food safety regulation in partnership with several Queensland councils, using an action research approach. Further detail about this and other ACELG research partnership projects can be viewed here.

In the final plenary session Greg Hoffman, General Manager Advocacy at the Local Government Association of Queensland, picked up the theme of localism and asked, ‘What will this mean in Australia, especially in Queensland which is experiencing very substantial budget cuts resulting from the focus on red tape reduction?’ and  ‘Does local government really want that responsibility? How far do we go with localism?’. 

Participants also reflected on related research topics that warrant further work, including local leadership, regional based approaches, how to measure the benefits of community engagement, and how to be more effective in communicating about our research. In reflecting on this last topic, Professor Evans spoke about the need for evidence if we are to ‘win the war of ideas’.

A summary of the plenary discussion along with completed papers and presentations will be available soon on the ACELG Local Government Research Network website, lgresearch.net.au.

ACELG Research and Advisory Committee
Organisers of the Forum and Showcase convened later that day for a meeting of the ACELG Research and Advisory Committee (RAC). Membership of the RAC comprises a mixture of local government practitioners and local government researchers and it meets bi-annually to oversee current research projects and advise on future research activity. A number of ACELG research initiatives discussed in this meeting will be announced shortly.

More detail about RAC members can be found here.

For further information about the Forum or RAC please contact Stefanie Pillora, ACELG Program Manager, Research: [email protected] or 9514 4897.

ACELG Board Meeting and Roundtable on Queensland Local Government

 
The ACELG Board meets four times each year to consider broader strategic and governance matters related to the Centre’s aims. Where possible, Board meetings are held in different parts of the country to foster national links with local government. On Friday 12 October the Board convened for its third meeting for 2012 at the LGAQ in Brisbane. Minutes from the October meeting will be posted shortly. Minutes of all ACELG Board meetings are available here and details of ACELG Board Members can be found at this link.

After the Board Meeting in the morning, a number of members attended the Roundtable on Queensland Local Government, also held at the LGAQ. The Roundtable was chaired by Hon Margaret Reynolds and facilitated by ACELG Director, Graham Sansom. Organisations represented included the LGAQ, the Office of The Minister for Local Government, the Department of Local Government, LGMA (QLD), Council of Mayors (SEQ), ALGWA (QLD) plus senior representatives from a number of urban and regional councils.

Some of the themes and issues discussed at the roundtable included the challenge of managing growth and provision of infrastructure; keeping pace with technological change and changes in demographics; ensuring local government is equipped with resources and skills to take on an expanded role; political governance including the role of mayors; and the challenges faced by councils following the reforms and amalgamations of 2008.

The Roundtable generated a thoughtful and collegiate dialogue which will be invaluable for ACELG in refining aspects of its ongoing project plan. 

For further information contact ACELG Assistant Director Melissa Gibbs, 02 9514 4890 or [email protected].