The Australian Local Government Association’s initial submission to a productivity review has highlighted councils’ ability to deliver positive economic outcomes.
The Productivity Commission inquiry will canvass potential reforms to lift this key economic indicator, focussing on workforce skills and training and how business and regulatory environments can be shaped to spur new technologies and innovation across all sectors of the economy.
It is the second such review by the commission, following the Shifting the Dial report in 2017 which identified, among other things, concerns about the capacity of local governments to perform their roles.
To that end, it recommended performance reporting by councils similar to Victoria’s Know Your Council reporting framework.
ALGA will work closely with member associations to ensure the final inquiry submission provides compelling evidence about why sustainably funded local government is crucial to Australia’s future productivity.