It will be back to school from tomorrow for councillors across Queensland as they study the implications of the Local Government Act 2009, to be implemented on July 1.

More than 500 councillors will attend 30 Local Government Association of Queensland one-day study seminars in venues from Thursday Island to the Gold Coast and the far south-west of the state, with the first being held at Bribie Island tomorrow (Monday, February 8).

LGAQ president, Cr Paul Bell, said today the seminar program, which would run for six weeks, would be presented jointly by the association's senior staff and solicitors, King and Company.

"We want to ensure that mayors, councillors and council CEOs hit the ground running when the new act comes into force in five months' time," Cr Bell said.

He said the sessions would focus on five major sections of the act:
• Roles and responsibilities of mayors, elected members and CEOs
• Conduct and performance of councillors
• Community planning, financial planning and asset management
• Financial sustainability and reporting, and
• The Sustainable Planning Act and its regulations.

The LGAQ has produced Mayor's and Councillor's Handbooks which will be distributed to seminar attendees.

Cr Bell said the fact that more than 90 per cent of the state's elected local government members would be attending was an indication that the ramifications of the new act were serious matters and deserved a great deal of attention.

"It's a life-long process to teach an old dog new tricks, but on-going learning and education is must for elected members," he said. "Whether we are 25-year councillors or a first-termer, we all have to start afresh with this new legislation."

Cr Paul Bell, AM
President
president@lgaq.asn.au    P: 07 3000 2222    M: 0418 791 596