Western Australian Minister for Local Government John Castrilli has slammed the state’s local government system, accusing it of holding back the state’s influence across the country and broader Asian region.

 

Mr Castrilli said that the state was overpopulated with local government bodies, who he accused of conducting little to no reform over the last 100 years.

 

“Maybe around the edges, but nothing has changed in local government in the metropolitan area since the 1900s when we had a population of about 73,000 people,” Mr Castrilli said.

 

“However, the whole business of government, the whole business of the way we do things, technology, (and) everything we do in life has changed dramatically, and yet local government hasn’t changed.”

 

However, Mr Castrilli has announced he still backs the position of local government, adding that he expects major reform in the local government review panel.

 

“What I’ve asked the panel to do is look at the economic, social and environmental influences, and see where WA will head for the next 50 years, what the appropriate structure of local government is, and what the appropriate governance structure to enact our plans is.”