Alf helps set local government policy

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander councils have a new voice at the Local Government Association of Queensland.

Alf Lacey’s first meeting with the LGAQ’s policy executive was always going to be an interesting one.

The Palm Island mayor holds firm views on the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander councils such as his, and he’s not convinced the LGAQ fully reflects their importance.

His role is to advocate the need and interests of Indigenous local government councils and communities.

“I think it’s really important that (on) any mainstream organisation like the LGAQ, or any other body, there needs to be our presence,” he said. “I’ll … be forceful around Indigenous council issues to ensure that Indigenous councils are not out of sight and out of mind, and that our issues are … elevated at the table.”

The LGAQ is the peak representative body of local government in Queensland, representing both Indigenous and non- Indigenous councils.

Alf is one of 13 members of an executive which sets the LGAQ’s policies. His position is dedicated to a representative of Queensland’s 17 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander shire and regional councils. However, as a board member, he must also consider the needs of non-Indigenous councils.

Alf takes over from Cr Patrick Koongotema from Aurukun Shire Council – whose work he praises – and was elected unanimously by the 17 Indigenous councils.

Alf says the views he brings to the policy executive will be a mix of his own and those of the other Indigenous councils. “I generally talk to quite a few of the Indigenous mayors. We’ve … the mayors’ round table (which) is another mechanism for (communicating with) the Indigenous mayors. Information that comes out of those mayors round tables gives me a mandate to put it here,” he said.

Alf feels Indigenous councils can be better integrated into the LGAQ.

“I’d say … we were probably seen as the too hard basket in terms of ‘how do we really engage Indigenous shire councils with us on this LGAQ journey’,” he said. “Today I still don’t think they’ve got it right. I think they’ve got a lot of work to do, and I will be saying that.”

At the same time, Alf acknowledges the relatively junior position that Indigenous councils occupy in the LGAQ history. “A lot of our Aboriginal councils have been around for the last 30 years, whereas our cousins have been around for the last 100 and 150 years,” he said.

This means the non-Indigenous councils are a gold mine of information about how the newer Indigenous councils should operate. “Since 2008, we’ve now folded into local government and become local governments in our own right, so certainly there’s going to be a lot of lessons to be learnt and a lot of information that’s got to be shared among all Indigenous councils, in bringing us into a more local government arena,” he said.

Conversely, Alf has some Indigenous-specific agendas he wants dealt with by the LGAQ as a whole – “things like funding, roads and the formula that is being used around the state and the country,” he said.

“(I’ll be) advocating very strongly for Indigenous councils to … get close to (the level of) some of the smaller councils around the state,” he said.

Alf believes the LGAQ is a valuable ally in developing Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities.

“LGAQ (has) a very important role to play,” he said. “I’d like to see it become one of the most important tools we could use to lobby both state and Commonwealth government around ensuring that the issues for all small councils, including Indigenous councils, are up there with everybody else.”

Alf’s first LGAQ policy executive meeting was held in June.