During the General Meeting held in Eidsvold on Monday 31 August 2023, ten (10) motions were presented and adopted for submission to the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) seeking inclusion in schedule of motions for debate at the Annual Conference in October 2023.
“The topics of these motions are varied; however, they are all important challenges facing our region, and many other Councils, too,” said Mayor Hotz.
“During the Annual Conference Councils will debate the most urgent issues impacting their communities and the results will set the LGAQ’s policy agenda for the year ahead.”
Motions adopted by North Burnett Regional Council that will be presented include:
- Local government areas classified as regional, rural, or remote, which have limited capacity to raise or increase own source revenue outside current rating streams, to have access to State grant funding with a co-contribution of 10% or less for capital works projects to renew or replace essential water, wastewater, roads, and waste management infrastructure.
- The State Government to provide increases toward the construction of new and augmented water infrastructure projects across regional Queensland to improve water security and deliver long-term, bulk water sources for regional communities.
- The State and Federal governments to support increased investment in skills training, supply chain improvements, and initiatives that further fortify the economy and improve Australia’s self-sufficiency in treatment and delivery of potable water, wastewater collection and treatment, and other essential services.
- The State and Federal governments to work with local councils to assist with the identification of existing skills shortages and the types of on-the-job training in water and wastewater treatment that meet micro-credentialling requirements and assist local councils to take up these options to fortify these essential services.
- The State Government to develop innovative programs to attract and incentivise professional, skilled, and unskilled Local Government workers to regional and remote areas.
- The Environment Protection Authority to simplify the regulatory processes to allow councils to utilise local gravel pits to ease supply chain pressures and to support local economic development.
- The State Government to work with the Environment Protection Authority to simplify regulatory requirements to ensure that councils can continue to provide washdown facilities to mitigate the spread of weeds and seeds and support other biosecurity measures.
- The State Government to review all regional waste management plans and ensure the equitable provision of waste management project funding to provide economic development opportunities for regional, rural, and remote councils.
- The State Government to take control of and meet all Councillor remuneration costs across Queensland with such payments to be adjusted to provide equity for all Councillors across the State through the provision of same pay for same work.
- The State Government to partner with regional, rural, and remote Councils to fund practical solutions to the housing crisis being experienced.