Issues of scale viewed as one

SMALLER councils could struggle to implement anti- corruption measures introduced by the State Government because they don’t have the resources.

Concerns about the ability of regional councils to meet requirements were raised during a meeting of mayors from across Queensland on Palm Island.

The Local Government Association Queensland policy executive met to discuss major local government issues including the State Government’s waste levy legislation and recommendations from the Crime and Corruption Commission’s Operation Belcarra.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said while her own local government had the resources to implement stringent and time- consuming procedures, others such as Palm Island, Hinchinbrook, Burdekin and Charters Towers could struggle.

“For Palm Island the waste level is a challenge because they’ve got to take their waste off the island on a barge,” she said.

Cr Hill said there had to be a “realisation” from the State Government that some councils were not financially in a position to adopt the tough new scrutiny laws recommended after Belcarra.

“Smaller councils haven very small rate base and to get the level of expertise they might require would be a significant challenge,” she said.

Palm Island Mayor Alf Lacey said the LGAQ meeting was a “very significant” occasion, as it was the first time the executive had met in an Aboriginal Shire area.

“It’s a historical moment,” he said. “We’ve been able to showcase our new housing, primary healthcare facility and foreshore redevelopment.”

Cr Lacey said the meeting served as a kind of “reconciliation” event.

“The reconciliation word can be thrown around the country, but in every way this is what is happening, because I think it’s really important that our friends from the bigger councils see who we are and how we work.”