President's Report - October 2025

Welcome to the October edition of LGAT News.

With the return of Parliament, consultations have commenced on a range of local government reform initiatives. These include Targeted Amendments to the Local Government Act and changes to how councillor numbers and allowances are set. I encourage you to provide your feedback to LGAT on both of these important consultations alongside of submitting your own responses to ensure your distinct needs and experiences are represented.

The Future Populations Network is off to a strong start, with councils actively and enthusiastically engaging in this work. Since the last newsletter, LGAT has released a new set of Population Snapshots, developed by Dr Lisa Denny, which illustrate how each of Tasmania’s 29 LGAs is projected to evolve over time. These snapshots offer valuable insights into shifting population demographics. To support councils in interpreting this data, Dr Denny is currently travelling across the state, delivering free workshops that explore the population dynamics within individual municipalities.  You can find out more by visiting our website.

This month, we rolled out our final Lift the Tone video which aims to promote respectful debate in our communities. This video, which is being promoted statewide for three weeks, has so far resulted in over 2,000 people visiting the Lift the Tone webpage to learn more. We have now included this video in the campaign toolkit, which you can download from the Member Portal.

The LGAT Annual Conference is approaching soon, and I am looking forward to engaging with elected representatives. For the first time, I am hosting President’s Drinks on the evening before Day 1 of the conference program. This is a free event and I encourage you to come along.