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Submissions

Local Government (Systems Improvement) Amendment Act 2025

Posted in Government, Submission; Tagged Government, Accessibility; Posted 7 months ago by DPA Less than a minute to read

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To: Governance and Administration Select Committee
Date: August 2025

 

Purpose

This submission’s purpose is to oppose the Local Government (Systems Improvement) Amendment Bill, arguing that its proposed repeal of the four wellbeing outcomes (economic, social, cultural, environmental) for guiding councils in their work would have a huge impact on disabled people’s lives.

Summary of DPA submission

DPA pointed out that disabled people rely on publicly provided services including those provided by councils.

DPA also opposed a provision in the law to repeal the requirement that all council public notices have to be inserted in newspapers as this ignores the significant digital divide experienced by disabled people.

 

Key Recommendations:

Recommendation 1: That the select committee recommend that the Bill not proceed.

 

Recommendation 2: That the proposal to repeal the public notice provisions be subjected to further consultation with disabled people and other impacted stakeholders and any change included in another local government bill.

 

Supporting Statement 1: The focus of DPA’s submission is our deep concern about the proposed removal of the four wellbeing's contained in clause 4 - economic, social, cultural and environmental – which currently serve as the main framework for guiding councils. These wellbeing outcomes are areas where decisions made by local councils have a huge impact on disabled people's day to day lives.

 

Supporting Statement 2: The value of maintaining council services should be measured, not just for their cost-benefit, but for the intrinsic sense of community and wellbeing that they provide for both residents and communities.

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DPA Submission 2508 Local Government Systems Improvement Bill (DOCX)

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