MONEY MATTERS

Anecdotally, gaining access to 'Launceston's Accounts' has been described as all too difficult. There may be reasons for this but one cannot ever be that it is inappropriate. Surely, asking for such information may place an extra load on the accounting team. However,in the days of computer records most large corporations can supply same day analysis of money matters for operational managers.

Launceston is a $100 million operation and it would be cost effective to be able match performance levels in the private sector. Furthermore, Aldermen armed with clear up to date financial reporting they would be better placed to develop more appropriate, and issue sensitive, policies.

At LCC over recent years its often claimed that the distinctions between government and management have been blurred. Civic administration 101 tells us that the dividing lines are is clear:

• Governance determines the policies and priorities to do with what, why where & when; and
• Management is charged with the task of implementation, the  how & the who.

Below are two sets of figures that are not routinely accessible to governance for what anecdotally appears to be a myriad of reasons. Given that Council is managing ratepayer's money to provide ratepayer services there is a case for ratepayers/ constituents / the financiers to have ready access to Council financial reporting in order to facilitate a more productive, more inclusive, discourse between Council (the service providers) and the constituency ( the serviced). It should lead to effective governance.

Increasingly social media in concert with the evolving information technologies will better enable fast access to real time records. With current technologies that bis almost the case or maybe that point has actually been arrived at.

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