Rural and Remote Councils Policy and Legislation Committee – Annual Update 2023-24

Guardians' foreword

In 2023-24, the Rural and Remote Councils Compact pushed forward a number of important issues impacting rural and remote communities, against a backdrop of housing and workforce challenges that are continuing to prove a major handbrake on economic development and general community liveability.

Utilising the Compact as a platform to shine a spotlight on the biggest challenges impacting rural and remote communities, the Compact Guardians helped elevate and play a major role towards a number of key outcomes in this financial year, including:

• a legislated moratorium against carbon capture and storage in the Great Artesian Basin
• enabling quarry access for emergency works through a new process established with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority
• a trial increase of the Queensland Housing Finance Loan, as part of the Homes for Queenslanders plan, raising the income eligibility threshold to $201,000 per annum to bridge the finance gap for rural Queenslanders who struggle to get home loan finance because of where they live.

In addition to these achievements, the five Compact Guardians continued their focus on the key strategic priority areas of roads, housing and financial sustainability. These are three long-standing focus areas that have significant impact on the liveability of rural and remote communities across Queensland.

As the Compact transitions between State Government terms and after the local government elections in March, we look forward to further traction and outcomes on key issues impact rural and remote Queensland. This is a pivotal time to build on the momentum achieved in the foundation years of the Compact, harnessing the energy of four new Compact Guardians:

• Councillor Samantha O’Toole, Mayor, Balonne Shire Council
• Councillor Greg Campbell, Mayor, Cloncurry Shire Council
• Councillor Barry Hughes, Mayor, Etheridge Shire Council
• Councillor Megan James, Western Downs Regional Council.

We are very keen to fast-track solutions to some long-standing challenges over the next quadrennial local government term and once the election cycle is behind us.

On behalf of Queensland’s 45 rural and remote councils and the local communities they represent, we sincerely thank the Queensland Government for working with us on key issues that impact the community liveability of rural and remote parts of the state.

Councillor Jane McNamara, Mayor, Flinders Shire Council

Councillor Peter Scott, Mayor, Cook Shire Council

Councillor Andrew Martin, Mayor, Blackall-Tambo Regional Council

Councillor Robyn Fuhrmeister, Balonne Shire Council

Councillor Paul McVeigh, Mayor, Western Downs Regional Council

Background

Rural and Remote Councils Compact

At the 2020 State Election, the Queensland Government committed to finalising a Rural and Remote Councils Compact to support the Queensland Government and councils working together to address the challenges facing rural and remote communities.

The Compact was signed by the then Deputy Premier and Minister for Local Government and the President of the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) in 2021, as a sub-agreement to the Partners in Government Agreement (PIGA), which establishes the key principles in the relationship between the State and local governments and provides a foundation for effective negotiation and meaningful engagement between both levels of governments.

The Compact promotes enhanced engagement with rural and remote councils to ensure the government’s legislation, policies and programs take account of the unique circumstances of their communities.

There are 45 Rural and Remote Councils identified by the LGAQ that are captured by the Compact.

During the reporting period, the former Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works   was the lead agency for the implementation and operation of the Compact on behalf of the Queensland Government.

The Compact is overseen on behalf of the LGAQ by its five Rural and Remote Regions Policy Executive Members (the Compact Guardians). During the reporting period and prior to the 2024 local government elections, the Compact Guardians were:

• Councillor Jane McNamara, Mayor, Flinders Shire Council
• Councillor Peter Scott, Mayor, Cook Shire Council
• Councillor Andrew Martin, Mayor, Blackall-Tambo Regional Council
• Councillor Robyn Fuhrmeister, Balonne Shire Council
• Councillor Paul McVeigh, Mayor, Western Downs Regional Council.

Under the Compact, the LGAQ and the Compact Guardians have identified roads, housing and local government sustainability as the three key priorities for consideration, with further topics of rural economic development, quarry access and water also being considered.

Rural and Remote Councils Policy and Legislation Committee

The Rural and Remote Councils Policy and Legislation Committee (the Committee) was established as the primary governance structure for the implementation and operation of the Compact.

The Committee brings together representatives of the Queensland Government, the LGAQ and the Guardians (the nominated elected representatives representing rural and remote councils). It provides a regular forum to develop solutions to promote the liveability and long-term sustainability of communities.

The Committee usually meets quarterly to develop solutions on key strategic priorities for rural and remote communities. However, no Committee meeting was held during the final quarter of the reporting period due to the local government quadrennial elections being held on 16 March 2024.

Key meeting dates

• 22 September 2023
• 23 November 2024
• 1 March 2024
• In addition to these Committee meeting dates, the Compact Guardians:
  • provided an update to member councils at the LGAQ’s biennial Bush Councils Conference in Goondiwindi in July
  • briefly met with the then Deputy Premier and Minister for Local Government at the LGAQ Annual Conference in Gladstone in October 2023.

22 September 2023

At the Committee meeting on 22 September 2023, the Office for Rural and Regional Queensland (ORRQ) provided an update on the issues discussed at the Regional Community Forums held in July and August 2023.

LGAQ and the Guardians provided an update on the LGAQ Bush Councils Convention held in Goondiwindi between 25 and 27 July 2023 which covered various topics including banking, infrastructure and service delivery in the bush. The issue of quarry access and Native Title considerations was also discussed.

An update was provided to attendees on the strategic priority of roads, where it was noted that good progress had been made on the roads off alignment topic in developing low-cost solutions and opportunities to use existing council data.

Attendees were also provided an update on the strategic priority of housing and, in particular, the outcome of the Queensland Government Accommodation Office audit of vacant State buildings. The former Department of Energy and Public Works also provided an update on the Modern Manufacturing Program and the Regional Transformation Strategy.

Members received detailed information from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) on the topic of quarries and Native Title, and the steps being taken to address the key issue of expiring local government permits.

The former Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning provided an update on the $200 million Regional Economic Futures Fund and confirmed that the regions being funded are: North-West Queensland (including the economic corridor to Townsville); Greater Whitsundays, Central Queensland; and Darling Downs, South-West and the South Burnett.

23 November 2023

At the 23 November 2023 Committee meeting, DAF and the Queensland Reconstruction Authority provided a detailed update and information session on quarries and Native Title matters, with clarification provided about access to quarry materials and funding during emergency or disaster arrangements.

An update was provided on Strategic Priority 1 – Roads, which included discussions about the Department of Transport and Main Roads’ freight review in Central West Queensland, roads off alignment and Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme funding and the impacts on road infrastructure of delivering the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.

The ORRQ provided an updated on the issues discussed at the Regional Community Forums held in November 2023. The LGAQ also provided an update on its Annual Conference which saw a record 140 resolutions passed by Queensland councils.

In relation to Strategic Priority 2 – Housing, the former Department of Housing provided an update on the National Housing Conference held in October 2023. The LGAQ raised the importance of ensuring temporary accommodation is available for essential workers during natural disasters, and highlighted the LGAQ Conference resolution in relation to this matter. The Guardians provided examples of where councils were not aware of housing being built in their local government areas and requested greater engagement with councils on this issue.

1 March 2024

As the meeting was held during the caretaker period ahead of local government elections, the focus and scope of the agenda of the Committee meeting on 1 March 2014 was strictly operational and restricted to matters previously discussed in previous Committee meetings.

The Assistant Electoral Commissioner from the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) provided an overview of the ECQ’s program of work on delivering the upcoming local government elections, including engagement and communications with local government.

DAF provided an update on the topic of quarry access, Native Title and Indigenous Land Use Agreements, with the Guardians noting that significant progress had been made on the issue.

Attendees were provided with an overview of QBuild’s Modern Methods of Construction, Rapid Accommodation and Apprentice Centres and Homes for Queenslanders strategy.

The ORRQ advised that they had been transferred to the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water and provided an update on the Regional Community Forums held in late 2023, and their work supporting the enhanced Community Cabinet program.

The Guardians raised significant concerns about the proposed Glencore project involving the Great Artesian Basin, with the issue to be raised for engagement within the Queensland Government, noting the broad concerns for similar projects impacting the Great Artesian Basin.

The Chair thanked the Guardians and LGAQ for their participation and work over the past term of the Compact.