Developing the framework for a borderlands strategy: a report produced by the Universities of Northumbria and Cumbria

The 2013 report, Borderlands: can the North East and Cumbria benefit from greater Scottish Autonomy?, recommended a new approach to boosting economic development across the Borderland area covered by Northumberland, Cumbria, Carlisle, Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders councils. The report highlighted that the Borderlands have much in common: a shared history; the daily cross-border flows of people for work, shopping or family visits; and also shared experiences of economic and social change which has produced a number of common challenges and opportunities which lend themselves to a collaborative response. In April 2015, The Institute of Local Governance (on behalf of Northumberland County Council and the wider Borderlands Steering Group) commissioned the Universities of Cumbria and Northumbria to produce a detailed Framework Document that would underpin the development of a collaborative approach to economic development in the Borderlands. This study would provide comparative economic and social data which would serve as an in-depth and independent evidence base on which a collaborative approach for the Borderlands could be developed and promoted by the combined efforts of the 5 councils and their partners. The study would review the wide range of existing economic strategies operating across the Borderlands, identifying: priorities; key sectors; assets; challenges, and opportunities for collaboration particularly in relation to Energy, Forestry, Tourism, and Connectivity

Australia in a century of transformative governance: a federation for communities and places

This paper has been commissioned by Local Government Professionals Australia as a contribution to debate on the future of the Australian federation and as a response to the National Innovation and Science agenda. Australian local government is far from perfect and Local Government Professionals accepts the need for improvement. Nevertheless, it is disappointing that current moves to reform the federation, including the recently issued discussion paper, have given little consideration to the contribution local government could make. This paper presents a practical and professional point of view. It marks the first step in a two-year program of Local Government Professionals research and events aimed at increasing awareness of what local government does, the resources it can bring to the table and the expanded role it should pursue

The Role of Internal Audit in Australian Local Government Governance: A Step in The Right Direction

While the functions of local government are many and varied, the primary role is to provide effective performance which arguably will coincide with good governance for its municipality. Internal audit and relevant controls play a key role in ensuring that good governance. The introduction of accrual accounting in local government certainly has added complexity and additional risks, with cases of fraud, corruption and high risk investments in several Australian local councils being reported periodically by the media. Those cases have been accompanied by proposed governance reforms including the introduction of an internal audit function to address the issues raised. Although seen as an essential part of the governance process, the results here suggest there is still some confusion as to the role of the internal audit and its perceived effectiveness in Australian local government