Shire locks in its motions for MAV meeting

THE Surf Coast Shire will advocate for better policies for local government on recycling, financial support and protection for its officers at a coming meeting of the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV).

At their meeting last month, councillors agreed on the four motions the shire would put forward for debate at MAV’s state council meeting, which will be held on May 17.

The four motions the shire hopes the MAV will make part of its advocacy priorities are:
• State and federal governments should provide adequate funding and work with local government to design a sustainable model to manage waste and recycling – for the whole length of the supply chain – which does not rely on managing recyclable material offshore, and specific funding and support should be extended to councils with landfill facilities
• State and federal governments should implement funding ratios in all grant programs that require rural councils to contribute less than 1:1 (or 50 per cent) in matched funding
• The state government should provide greater protection and improved safety for Council officers by amending definitions in the Justice Legislation Miscellaneous Amendment Act 2018 to include Authorised Council Officers, and
• The state government should extend their commitment to funding programs that assist local government to respond to the sector’s financial sustainability challenge.

Cr Brian McKiterick, who is the shire’s MAV representative, said the motion about recycling was particularly important.

“In reality, this shire cannot support continued waste management for the future the way it is managed now.

“As we’re all aware, there’s been some issues recently – there’s only three companies that recycle, and a lot of that goes offshore to other countries.

“We need to be self-sufficient, there needs to be a plan around that from the state involving councils, and not only just looking at where we’re going to find landfill and recycle but that we actually push to have products that are better recycled and have less packaging.”

Regarding the second motion, Cr McKiterick said it was hard for councils, especially rural councils under the rate capping regime, to provide matching funding for grants.