Labor promise to hand power back to remote communities

REMOTE communities can choose to ditch the loathed regional council model of local government under a Labor promise to hand back decision making to the bush

Maningrida community leader Peter Danaja has welcomed Labor’s commitment to hand decision-making back to communities. PICTURE: Katrina Bridegford

REMOTE communities can choose to ditch the loathed regional council model of local government under a Labor promise to hand back decision making to the bush.

Opposition Leader Michael Gunner travelled to Maningrida yesterday to announce what Labor called “the most extensive return to local control in the Territory’s history”. At its simplest, it is a broad ranging promise to consult with communities and hand leaders the power to make calls about their local government, schools, health clinics, justice system and housing.

There are few specific policy pitches or committed money beyond these broad strokes.

But one of the most significant outcomes could be if communities chose to separate from the regional councils and form what Labor has called regional authorities.

These authorities would not be the local councils abolished by Labor in 2008 but would be smaller and more localised than the current big shire model, perhaps consisting of a handful of communities with similar cultural and geographic ties.

Mr Gunner ruled out a return to the old local councils which were often broke, dysfunctional or both.

He said some communities indicated they merely wanted a strengthening of the local authorities, the CLP’s attempt to hand decision making back to communities, but which some in the bush say are toothless. “We recognise we got it wrong in imposing shires,” Mr Gunner said.

“We’re not going to make the same mistake and impose ... If people want to work towards a more localised form of council, so a regional authority, we’ll work with them towards that and there’ll be a clear road map.”

Mr Gunner could not say how Labor planned to pay for the new entities, if taken up by communities.

He said a Local Decisions Oversight Board would keep government accountable.

“They’ll have the ability to talk to public servants, to follow up things on the ground and make sure that government is doing everything they say they’re going to do,” Mr Gunners aid.

It’s going to have some very senior figures on it ... making sure we are held to account.

“If I get this wrong, I don’t just run the risk of losing an election, I hold the whole Territory back again.

“We have to get it right.

“I want contestable advice and I want to be open to criticism.”