Circulars

What’s new or changing

• The NSW Government is pleased to have received 63 submissions and heard from local councils, regional bodies, peak sector bodies and agencies at 10 consultation sessions across the State, on the way forward for Joint Organisations (JOs).
• The Office of Local Government is leading this work in collaboration with the Department of Premier and Cabinet, local government sector and State agencies to build on lessons from the JO Pilot process, and deliver practical tools to make each JO a success.

What this will mean for your council

• JOs will foster closer, more productive engagement between councils and the State Government to find new ways to work together to build a better future for communities in each region.
• JOs will provide the opportunity for a fresh start. This will require new relationships, new ways of working together and a real commitment to change from everyone involved.
• Councils are asked to talk to their communities about the benefits and opportunities of JOs and to keep working together to prepare the groundwork for their own JO. Proposed boundaries for JOs will be released for consultation in the coming weeks.

Key points

• The NSW Government is strongly committed to JOs as an essential part of its plan to strengthen local government and communities in regional NSW.
• Councils and agencies have told us they view the establishment of JOs as a critical opportunity to transform their relationship by forming a shared vision for each region and collaborating to deliver it together as part of a new partnership.
• The vast majority of councils have expressed their support for the proposed JOs model and believe it will strengthen regional collaboration, give councils a seat at the table with agencies and remove the barriers of the past.
• Councils have also raised some queries and concerns about how JOs will work in practice and have offered their ideas for the tools, resources and support needed to help them be as effective as possible right from the start.
• The Office of Local Government is working through this feedback and will support each region to create an effective, sustainable Joint Organisation.

Where to go for further information

• Further information on the Joint Organisation model and the consultation process so far is available on the Office of Local Government’s Fit for the Future website at www.fitforthefuture.nsw.gov.au/joint-organisations.

Tim Hurst
Acting Chief Executive