Two representatives from office of the Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig, accompanied Shire Administrator Bob Stewart and General Manager Greg Hill at meetings in Wilcannia, White Cliffs, Ivanhoe and Menindee last week to explain the current state of affairs regarding the future of the shire. There is a Local Government Amendment (Rural and Remote Councils) Bill currently before Parliament which will enable Central Darling Shire Council (CDSC) to return to a “democratic governance model.”
The Bill is 9 pages and has the following clauses:
- a council must be in administration for this bill to take effect;
- cannot be for more than 10 years;
- must have at least 5 but not more than 15 councillors, of which half must be elected;
- each ward must have an elected councillor;
- Minister will appoint an equal number of councillors, one of whom to be the Chairperson;
- appointed councillors must have, collectively, the following skills—experience in local government, financial and government, ability to represent the interests of the aboriginal population, experience in emergency management and experience in conservation, environmental sustainability and climate change adaption;
- must meet at least 4 times a year, but if the Chair receives a written request signed by 1 elected and 1 appointed councillor an extraordinary meeting must be called within 14 days.
The Greens are proposing a number of changes to the Bill, now before the Legislative Council, that the maximum term be 4 years not 10, that one of the appointed must be an Aboriginal person and that the Chair be one of the elected councillors. The Opposition also wants some technical amendments, changing the word “proclamation” to “regulation”.
This article appeared in Wilcannia News, September 2024.