Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission regarding the Final Report of the Future  of Local Government Review and Final Report community Summary, which have been on  public exhibition from the 17 November 2023 to the 29 February 2024.  

The review into the Future of Local Government in Tasmania started in January 2021. See  details on the Department of Premier and Cabinet website here and the Future of Local  Government Review website here.  

According to the Minister for Local Government here, the ‘Final report makes 37  recommendations covering all aspects of the local government system, from voluntary  amalgamations through to councillor performance and council management of local  infrastructure.’ 

We welcome the Minister’s statement that the ‘Review will not result in forced  amalgamations of councils’ and that ‘There will be no change to council boundaries unless  both the councils and communities want them’.  

As per PMAT’s submission dated the 2 August 2023 regarding ‘The Future of Local  Government Review Stage 3’ we would like to re-emphasise that if voluntary  amalgamations are to occur that the review adopt the major elements required for  successful amalgamations as identified by Drew (2022 and 2020). 

If amalgamations are to happen in Tasmania it is strongly recommended that the six major  elements required for successful amalgamations, as outlined in Saving Local Government  Financial Sustainability in a Challenging World by Joseph Drew (2022)1, be adopted.