By Angela Dorizas in Adelaide

Councils across South Australia gathered in Adelaide today to discuss and debate key issues affecting local government, including governance practices, planning reform, natural resource management and water security.

The SA Local Government Association (LGA) appealed to councils at its annual general meeting to support its proposed governance assessment program.

The LGA acting president Mayor Kym McHugh told Government News that the Association was proactively improving governance within councils and was ready to "lift the bar" further.

"The LGA is revising the standards for governance and we know the Minister has an agenda of reform in this area, so we will be working really closely with the Office of Local Government to come up with the best options for moving forward,"  Mayor McHugh said.

According to the LGA, the proposed assessment program was formally issued in the AGM agenda a day before South Australia’s acting Ombudsman Ken MacPherson publicly criticised council governance practices.

“It has been developed without the knowledge of Mr MacPherson’s specific concerns and whilst it considers our statutory obligations we will be seeking the support of councils for the development of a ‘sub-program’ for detailed assessment of regulatory functions,” Mayor McHugh said.

“I hope Councils will support this enhancement to our assessment program at the AGM.”

The assessment program will be piloted by four councils and will contain a review of the administration of regulatory and prosecutorial powers.

The Association has appointed former SA Attorney-General Trevor Griffin to conduct an independent assessment of the program.

Other motions councils will vote on include issues surrounding planning reform, financial sustainability, natural resource management, and of course, water security.

Earlier this week, LGA executive director Wendy Campana announced that the SA Centre for Economic Studies had been commissioned to conduct an in-depth study into local government’s role in managing water to identify the areas most appropriate for council involvement.

“Water security has not been seen as a traditional role for local government but when our communities are so worried about water it is vital that local government takes a comprehensive look at the issue,” Ms Campana said.

“The survey will assist the federal, state and local government where appropriate to work together towards ensuring sufficient water resources into the future.

“We are not aware of any other state association which has looked at taking a strategic approach to water issues. Once again South Australian local government is taking the lead.”

The AGM also presented the opportunity for LGA to formalise state and local government collaboration on youth issues through signing a memorandum of understanding with the SA Minister for Youth Paul Caica.

“There are currently a number of joint initiatives that state and local government support with one of the most successful being the Youth Advisory Committees (YACs),” Mr Caica said.

“There are presently 58 YACs operating in South Australia which the state government is supporting through the Office for Youth with a grant of $291,000 for 2009.

“The Memorandum is an important step to getting young people more involved with their communities.”