With Local Government elections fast approaching, the spotlight is once again on councils across WA. Sadly, instead of celebrating the vital role local governments play in our communities, many councils are battling dysfunction, heavy-handed interference, and neglect from the State Government.
When I entered Parliament and was given the responsibility of the Local Government portfolio, I was genuinely excited. As a former councillor at the Shire of Chapman Valley, I know the importance of local decision-making.
I looked forward to learning more about reforms that were supposed to “modernise” the sector and deliver real improvements for communities.
What I found instead was a litany of complaints: ratepayers frustrated, elected members raising serious concerns about a broken complaints process, and too many voices being dismissed rather than heard.
The promise of reform has not translated into meaningful change. Councils across WA are being left to struggle under the weight of unresolved issues, with little leadership or support from the State Government.
Local government is the level of government closest to the people. Councils fix roads, collect rubbish, run libraries, maintain sporting facilities, and strengthen communities. They are not an afterthought; they are an essential part of our democracy and our daily lives.
The vast majority of councils are doing great work, led by dedicated councillors and staff, who often go above and beyond. Yet instead of being supported, they are being neglected.
Since 2021, Western Australia has had four different Ministers for Local Government. That revolving door is proof of how little priority successive Labor Governments give the sector.
What councils want is stability, leadership, and a seat at the table. What they’ve been given is a top-down approach and fading support.
If the Cook Labor Government was serious about reform, they would stop using councils as scapegoats for State-level failures on housing, infrastructure, and planning, and start working with the sector to deliver genuine change.
After eight years under Labor, the cracks are now clear for all to see. The City of Nedlands was only sacked after years of dysfunction. In Port Hedland, the mayor resigned just two days before caretaker mode, with questions around the timing.
In Coolgardie, the Government’s first instinct has been to reach for a sledgehammer, threatening forced boundary changes and issuing show cause notices.
Too often we’ve seen eleventh-hour statements dropped on the floor of Parliament, as if sounding the alarm at the last-minute counts as leadership. It doesn’t. It is not a warning; it is an admission that this Government has been asleep at the wheel.
At the same time, we continue to see councils pushed into areas that are not their responsibility – like providing GPs, aged care, and child care due to ongoing neglect from the State and Federal Governments.
Councils are also being crushed by the weight of emergency management and response without proper funding, resources, or support. A recent instance highlighted by the Opposition in State Parliament has seen the Shire of East Pilbara facing a $60 million roads repair bill following Cyclone Zelia but struggling to access the Federal Disaster Recovery Funding they are entitled to because of a bureaucratic stalemate with State Government agencies.
We also increasingly see councils being sidelined from major decisions, including renewable energy projects, future industries, and matters that impact their local communities. I’m not saying local governments should always be the decision-making body, but they deserve a seat at the table and for their expertise and local knowledge to be respected.
On top of this, compliance burdens keep rising, their ability to raise revenue is stifled, and looming changes to elections, compulsory voting, and amalgamations flagged at the recent WALGA conference do nothing to fix the real challenges they face. These are distractions, not solutions.
Local government doesn’t need endless reviews, constant delays, or another new Minister. It needs respect, stability, and a genuine partnership with the State Government. It needs a government that listens, supports, and stops creating problems where none exist.
If this Government is serious about a “future fit” sector, it must empower councils, support innovation, and build genuine partnerships. The way forward is clear: back local government and deliver outcomes that matter to people’s daily lives.
As Shadow Minister, I will keep listening and shining a light on the issues local governments raise. Because when local government is strong, communities thrive. And under the Cook Labor Government, both are being let down.
