Local Government Shared Services Toolkit Planning and Development - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Local Government Shared Services Toolkit Planning and Development

Presentation to FNQROC LG Planners Group

Greg Hoffman PSM Monday 13 August 2019

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What is the Project?

• Develop a ‘toolkit’
• For establishing and implementing council-to-council shared service

arrangements

• For planning and development functions, at their discretion
• Including consideration of alternative assessment manager

arrangements under the Planning Act 2016 (the Planning Act).

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Why?

Across councils -

• variable numbers of planning, building & plumbing applications
• infrequency of applications particularly in small rural/remote

councils

• Lack of resources - Staff V Consultants/Contractors
• High cost!!
• Is there a better way?

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How?

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A shared service arrangement between local governments -

• can help to alleviate resource pressures
• retain corporate knowledge
• provide economies of scale
• meet an expected level of service to the community, and
• reduce overall costs

What’s In?

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Planning & development functions:

• building certification
• plumbing approvals & inspections, and/or
• land use planning & development assessment
• including consideration of an alternative assessment

manager arrangement under the Planning Act.

Who’s Involved?

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Project Partners:

• DSDMIP - Innovation and Improvement Fund = $$
• Cairns Regional Council = Applicant
• Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils

(FNQROC) = Councils

• Local Government Association of Queensland

(LGAQ) = Oversight

Stages?

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Four key stages:

• 1. Research - opportunities, constraints, feasibility, state-wide ‘toolkit’
• 2. Design - operating model, governance framework, evaluation framework
• 3. Implementation - trial/pilot study – Cairns RC as “provider” with others as

“receivers”

• 4. Review – final toolkit with learnings and recommendations from trial/pilot

study evaluation

Project Approach & Timelines

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Project Approach & Timelines

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Project Approach & Timelines

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Project Approach & Timelines

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Project Approach & Timelines

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So far!!

• Steering Committee
• Formed – Cairns RC (Paul Cohen), FNQROC (Darlene Irvine/ Linda

Richardson), LGAQ (Luke Hannan/Crystal Baker)

• Inception Meeting – 20 May 2019
• Consultants Appointed
• Grassroots Connections Australia Pty Ltd – Greg Hoffman PSM
• Huelin Consulting Pty Ltd – Ryan Huelin
• Baseline Survey
• Sent to FNQROC LG Planners Group – 24 July 2019
• Functions performed, staff employed, in-house or consultant

services, number of applications received.

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Outcome

Toolkit with:

• Operating model
• Governance frameworks
• Technical
• Legal
• Political risks &
• Opportunities
• Memorandum of Understanding & Code of Conduct
• roles, responsibilities & obligations -
• service proving council(s) &
• service recipient council(s)

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Key Points

The project is:

• RDI Model – research, develop, implement
• Toolkit for FNQ and rest of Queensland
• Participation is voluntary – project & utilisation of toolkit
• Model will be flexible/tailored to individual council needs, e.g.
• customer enquiry assistance, capacity building, or mentoring
• assessment services only, and/or
• assessment and decision-making powers (such as for an

alternative assessment manager).

• Toolkit will be practical, user friendly and fit for purpose.

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