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levels - but especially the one recog-
nised as being closest to be the com-
munity.
“But there is a flipside to that particu-
lar challenge. The advances that are
forcing more transparency on govern-
ments also offer great opportunities
for those same governments to talk
about and share their successes with
their peers and their communities in
compelling and exciting ways.”
The LGAQ maintains close contact
with Queensland’s councils in vari-
ous ways. It engages the councils on
a host of issues on a one-to-one ba-
sis. The association regularly attends
meetings of the regional association
of councils. There are 11 such regional
groupings of councils across the state.
The LGAQ talks to the councils about
their problems and works out the role
they can play to solve them.
Support is also provided to councils
through the Policy Executive, a group
of Mayors and Councillors who are
elected by their peers to represent re-
gions of Queensland. The Policy Exec-
utive has 14 members – 13 district
representatives and a President – who
meet quarterly to give direction to the
association for taking up the common
issues of councils.
Greg Hallam PSM, Chief Executive
Officer of the LGAQ, explains the role
of the association in its latest Annu-
al Report, “The LGAQ has been advis-
ing, supporting and representing local
councils since 1896, supporting their
drive to innovate and improve delivery
through smart services and sustain-
able solutions, delivering to them the
means to achieve community, profes-
sional and political excellence and con-
necting councils to people and places
that count.
“The employees of our three streams
– Assist, Advocate and Advance -
have collectively received more than
4000 calls each month, travelled over
1,081,840 km and made a record
number of submissions (131 in to-
tal) to the State and Federal govern-
ments.”