Eighth meeting of the Local Implementation Committee

The eighth meeting of the Armadale/Murray Local Implementation Committee (LIC) was held at the City of Armadale on 29 July 2014.

The Chairperson of the LIC, Mayor Henry Zelones confirmed the Local Government Advisory Board (LGAB) has called for submissions on three new reform proposals, one of which affects the City of Armadale. In this new proposal, the LGAB are recommending that the City subsumes the entire Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale through a boundary realignment.

“The LIC noted that at the Armadale Council meeting held on Monday 28 July, the City resolved to make a submission to the LGAB strongly opposing the Board’s proposal; urging it instead to reconsider its position and recommend the original submission made by the City where the northern part of SJ comes to Armadale and the southern part goes to Murray.

“The LIC noted that the City of Armadale would also be encouraging the community of Armadale to submit on the proposal and that the submission period closes on 14 August 2014.

“During the LIC meeting the Shire of Murray confirmed its support for the original submission and that it will also be making a submission to this effect. It will focus on alignment of each respective local government’s strength to meet the needs of the respective communities’ social and cultural interests, and the ability of each respective Council to meet the service levels demanded by residents and ratepayers of each area.

“The LIC representatives agreed the Chair of the LIC will write to the LGAB expressing the LIC’s disappointment at the new proposal, and remind the Board of the outstanding work that has been completed by the Working Groups to date.

“The Metropolitan Implementation Committee (MetRIC) subcommittees are meeting regularly and are due to make their first reports to MetRIC in August. Both committees are developing guiding documents and principles that local governments can choose to use as they deem appropriate. These would be available through the Reform Toolkit.

“The LIC acknowledged, through the Working Group update, the increasing amount of work each group was progressing with and noted that despite the recent proposals the need for the pace of work to increase was obvious with 1 July 2015 drawing closer,” said Mayor Zelones.

The next meeting of LIC will be on Tuesday 26 August 2014 at the Shire of Murray.