Fourth Meeting - 4 August 2006

The Local Government and Planning Ministers' Council (LGPMC), consisting of Local Government and Planning Ministers from across Australia and New Zealand and the President of the Australian Local Government Association convened in Adelaide today. The meeting was jointly chaired by the South Australian Minister for State/Local Government Relations, the Hon Jennifer Rankine MP, and the South Australian Minister for Urban Development and Planning, the Hon Paul Holloway MLC.

Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Issues

Climate Change

LGPMC reviewed the Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) strategic climate change initiatives, aimed at encouraging more energy efficient land use planning practices and infrastructure provision; and the development of a National Adaptation Framework.

Members noted the requirement to provide a report to COAG by the end of 2006 and agreed to consider climate change implications of the LGPMC agenda, including adaptation and mitigation responses. The Council noted COAG had agreed to assign responsibility for the building component of the task to the Ministerial Council on Energy, with consolidated reporting to COAG through LGPMC.

The Council agreed that a proposed review of the available tools for assessing the sustainability of the built environment, including the NSW Building Sustainability Index (BASIX) be referred to the Planning Officials Group (POG) to consider the merits of a national approach for consideration at the next Council meeting.

Development Assessment Reform

LGPMC noted progress being made by the respective jurisdictions on development assessment reform, including new forms of e-business and noted the requirement to provide a comprehensive progress report to COAG by the end of 2006 on legislative reform and options to streamline development assessment.

Building Regulation Reform

Members considered the building regulation reform initiatives agreed by COAG, aimed at encouraging further building regulation reforms including a nationally consistent building code, and noted the COAG agreement to transfer responsibility for undertaking this work to the Building Ministers' Forum, with a requirement to report back to COAG through the LGPMC, by the end of 2006.

Natural Disaster Mitigation - Status Report

The Council considered a report on progress made by each jurisdiction towards implementing recommendations arising from two recent reports to COAG on natural disaster mitigation.

It was agreed that the progress report will form the basis of a final report by the Chair of the Council to COAG through the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council.

Hawker Inquiry/Local Government Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) Issues

The meeting noted progress on the Australian Government responses to the recommendations arising from the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics, Finance and Public Administration - Rates and Taxes: A Fair Share for Responsible Local Government (the Hawker Inquiry).

Inter-governmental agreement progress reporting

The LGPMC agreed in principle to review the progress of implementation of the recent inter-governmental agreement with the approach to reporting to be developed by the Local Government Joint Officers Group (LOGJOG).

Consultation on Local Government Borrowing

The Council noted the outcomes of the Australian Government's consultation with the states and the Northern Territory and local government associations on scope for prudent borrowing by local government to finance local government infrastructure.

Other Hawker Responses

Members noted the progress of the Australian Government in addressing the remaining issues it had agreed to pursue in its response to the Report.

Local Government Financial Sustainability

The Council agreed to pursue nationally consistent approaches to the financial sustainability, asset management and financial reporting of local government. The Council discussed local government funding arrangements and, noting the recent decision by COAG to discuss local government funding at its next meeting in early 2007, agreed that these nationally consistent approaches should be developed and provided to COAG at its next meeting.

Future of Australia's Cities and Towns

The LGPMC received a progress report on the Future of Australia's Cities and Towns National Action Framework (FACT) initiative. This included a paper prepared by the Centre for International Economics commissioned by the Property Council of Australia; the Planning Officials Group; the Planning Institute of Australia; and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.

It was agreed that the initiative should be renamed 'Sustainable Communities - A National Plan of Action for Urban Australia', so that it can be better progressed in a collaborative arrangement with the Planning Institute of Australia, the Property Council of Australia and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.

State and Territory jurisdictions and the Australian Local Government Association endorsed the need for each jurisdiction to have the contents of the detailed issues report considered by their respective executives before it can be considered by the Council at its March 2007 meeting.

Communities affected by rapid population growth (sea-change)

The Council considered the needs and opportunities for collaboration on managing issues associated with communities affected by rapid population change. The Council also agreed that the Planning Officials Group (POG) consider as part of its Strategic Plan, and recommend to the next Council, opportunities for collaboration on:

• best practice guidance on Sustainable Regional Planning Strategies (physical and economic), and
• best practice guidance on assessment tools and processes for determining sustainable land division development proposals, currently being considered by POG as part of its consideration of the COAG initiatives on climate change.

A Framework for National Action on Affordable Housing

The Council reviewed progress on the Framework for National Action on Affordable Housing, and agreed to the 2006/07 work program. It also reviewed affordable housing descriptors.

State and Territory Ministers agreed that each jurisdiction would assess its planning system by reference against the components of the national strategy using a set of guiding principles. In turn each jurisdiction will advise what approaches they might take to further integrate their respective systems with the national strategy. Outcomes of the assessment are to be presented to the next LGPMC meeting.

Members also noted the approach from the Housing Ministers' Conference to continue to work together with the LGPMC on the National Action on Affordable Housing Framework.

Major Airports Master Planning

The Council considered a paper developed by the NSW Government canvassing issues regarding the impact of the Australian Government's regulation of airport master planning under the Airports Act 1996 and the development of potential strategies that might be adopted to address these issues.

The paper highlighted the concerns of State, Territory and local governments about the consequences of development at the nation's major airports, which is outside the planning controls that regulate development in other parts of urban Australia.

The Council noted that this matter was discussed at the 2 June 2006 meeting of the Australian Transport Council (ATC) which agreed to amend the Airport Development Consultation Guidelines to require that developments on airport land be subject to consultation with State/Territory and local governments and a report be prepared to accompany the Master Plan or Major Development Plan.

State and Territory Ministers and the Australian Local Government Association agreed that they wished to raise a series of amendments to the position agreed by ATC which would have the effect of strengthening arrangements for future airport planning and that they would seek the agreement of First Ministers to refer the issue to COAG.

The Australian Government did not support this approach.

Local Government Services for Indigenous Communities

The Council agreed that officials would lead the development of a strategy to address the challenges of providing effective and sustainable local government services to Indigenous communities, having regard to relevant whole of government activity in this area.

LGPMC's forward meeting schedule and frequency of meetings

The Council confirmed arrangements for hosting future LGPMC meetings and reviewed the frequency of future meetings. It accepted offers from New Zealand to host the next LGPMC meeting in Auckland in March 2007, and from Queensland to host the subsequent meeting in Brisbane in August 2007. Tasmania offered to host a meeting in 2008.

Members also agreed to a special meeting no later than early November 2006 to address the Council's reporting obligations to COAG.

The Council also:

• noted an approach from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Alexander Downer MP, encouraging the strengthening of Australia's bilateral relationship with Indonesia at the local regional level;
• noted the activities and progress of the Development Assessment Forum (DAF) in harmonising and improving Australia's development assessment system; and in particular implementing the "Leading Practice Model for Development Assessment"; and
• noted a report from the Local Government and Planning Joint Committee and its sub-committees - the Local Government Joint Officers Group (LOGJOG) and the Planning Officials Group (POG).

The Local Government and Planning Ministers' Council agreed to meet next in Auckland, in March 2007.

Contact

Secretary
Local Government and Planning Ministers' Council
C/- Department of Transport and Regional Services
GPO Box 594
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Tel: (02) 6274 8127
Email: lgpmc@dotars.gov.au

Last Updated: 7 August, 2006