Estimates - Office of Local Government

CHAIR - Minister, the Office of Local Government is moving across to the Department of Justice. Can you confirm that the budget for the Office of Local Government, including the $250,000 allocated to the Priority Reform Program, is actually going across to the Department of Justice, and none being retained by DPAC?

Mr VINCENT - It is all swinging across to the Department of Justice, full budget requirements.

CHAIR - So, it's all going across. Okay. The budget papers include an allocation of $250,000 in 2026-27 and in 2027-28 for the Future of Local Government Review Priority Reform program. What will this funding be utilised for? What's the plan for it?

Mr VINCENT - Part of that funds is any councils wish to talk in the region or about commonalities that might come around in those regions, and/or other matters that may come around through some of the changes we're making with legislation or anything else. I will ask for clarification from Mr Healey on that. Yeah, sorry, I've just got a note here, Chair: funding is provided over two years to implement the priority recommendations. This will include supporting changes to council boundaries, implementation of different service delivery models, which I've sort of just touched on, and improvements to the way councils are governed, funded and managed.

CHAIR - You're looking at changing boundaries?

Mr VINCENT - Only if councils - and there are still several councils around the state that are having informal talks at the moment on where they might want to see their future.

CHAIR - Is that amalgamation?

Mr VINCENT - Purely up to them where they feel they're going to go with those discussions.

CHAIR - Okay, thank you