Local Government Act Amendments, 1989 to 2019
At the time of release (second reading), the Victorian Parliament hailed the Local Government Act 1989 as a sweeping reform for the sector, providing a modern set of rules that provide a degree of autonomy and flexibility for the sector.
Mr POPE (Minister for Labour) - I move:
“That this Bill be now read a second time. Last year, after a long period of debate, Parliament enacted the Local Government Act 1989. The Act is the most comprehensive reform of local government law in the history of the State. It swept away many of the restrictions, the tortuous language and the outdated ideas of the Local Government Act 1958 and replaced them with a simple modern set of ground rules for local government in Victoria. The new Act gives local government a degree of autonomy and flexibility it has never had before and balances that increased independence with measures to ensure greater accountability to the communities served by local government. The Act is now being closely examined by other States as a model for similar reforms.”
Legislative Assembly 3rd May 1990.
Since that time, more than 100 legislative amendments have been made to the existing Act.
As the Victorian State Government embarks upon implementing a new Local Government Act, Spence Consulting Group examines the purpose and intent of each of the amendments and where possible highlights the major impacts on the Local Government Act.