Div 3Principles

Division 3—Principles 26—Principles (1) The South Australian Local Government Boundaries Commission should, in arriving at recommendations for the purposes of this Chapter (but taking into account the nature of the proposal under consideration), have regard to— (a) the objects of this Act; and (b) the roles, functions and objectives of councils under this Act; and (c) the following principles: (i) the resources available to local communities should be used as economically as possible while recognising the desirability of avoiding significant divisions within a community; (ii) proposed changes should, wherever practicable, benefit ratepayers; (iii) a council should have a sufficient resource base to fulfil its functions fairly, effectively and efficiently; (iv) a council should offer its community a reasonable range of services delivered on an efficient, flexible, equitable and responsive basis; (v) a council should facilitate effective planning and development within an area, and be constituted with respect to an area that can be promoted on a coherent basis; (vi) a council should be in a position to facilitate sustainable development, the protection of the environment and the integration of land use schemes; (vii) a council should reflect communities of interest of an economic, recreational, social, regional or other kind, and be consistent with community structures, values, expectations and aspirations; (viii) a council area should incorporate or promote an accessible centre (or centres) for local administration and services; (ix) the importance within the scheme of local government to ensure that local communities within large council areas can participate effectively in decisions about local matters; (xi) residents should receive adequate and fair representation within the local government system, while over-representation in comparison with councils of a similar size and type should be avoided (at least in the longer term); (xii) a scheme that provides for the performance of functions and delivery of services in relation to 2 or more councils (for example, a scheme for regional governance) may improve councils' capacity to deliver services on a regional basis and therefore offer a viable and appropriate alternative to structural change; and (d) the extent and frequency of previous changes affecting the council or councils under this Chapter or the repealed Act. (2) The Commission should, so far as is relevant, give preference to structural changes that enhance the capacity of local government to play a significant role in the future of an area or region from a strategic perspective.