In James Taylor’s famous words, I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain. So has much of Queensland recently. It’s been a tumultuous end to a tumultuous 2018.

In his address to the LGAQ’s annual conference this year, President Mayor Mark Jamieson dwelt on the importance of trust.

The scourge of natural disaster has come early in the disaster season in the form of ferocious fires whipped up by an unprecedented heatwave.

Rural water and wastewater infrastructure, that is. There is a looming crisis in this key area of local government business.

The LGAQ continues its intense lobbying of the Palaszczuk Government to agree to defer the start of its waste levy until 1 July 2019, commencing at a fee $75 a tonne for municipal solid waste.

In a week when the Melbourne Cup was front and centre of the national psyche, the enormous role our sphere of government plays in sport and racing wasn’t lost on me.

Just a day after the 122nd LGAQ annual conference wrapped up this week, we were working to implement many of the important policy resolutions passed by delegates.

It’s that time of the year. Just three more sleeps until our 2018 LGAQ Annual Conference.

In all the hustle and bustle of daily goings-on, it’s easy to forget basics like how a good set of checks and balances can do wonders for strategy and accountability.

CEO column: "Contrary to public opinion, rates are not a growth tax."

At its core, the LGAQ is a creature of Queensland councils. It has been since its beginning 122 years ago. We are a not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee.

The scope of the issues that councils deal with is growing ever more complex and difficult, even if the bulk of that activity remains unappreciated by the federal and state governments.

When it comes to protecting the interests of local councils and their communities, the courts are often where the big battles are fought.

The investigation by Peak Services into this industry was spot on: Queensland can support the roll out of five to eight anaerobic digestion plants to produce energy from waste.

The Palaszczuk Government’s unveiling of its waste levy legislation has local councils continuing to grapple with how they are expected to collect this new tax for the State.

An open letter to Bridget McKenzie, Minister for Regional Services, Sport, Local Government and Decentralisation.

In a week of upheaval in Australian politics, it was interesting to watch the leadership drama in Canberra from the idyllic north Queensland community of Palm Island, where the LGAQ Policy Executive met this week.

Canberra has an obligation to help support ALL local communities and at the moment that support is simply not good enough.

Discussion around the ravages of drought across half of the Queensland land mass has been front and centre in the media the last few weeks, as it should.

It is time to tackle the difficult and often thorny issue of the role of the Crime and Corruption Commission in the daily life of Queensland councils.