Councils have once again been needled by the State Government, with even more responsibilities and regulations foisted onto local government.
On top of policing tattooing and body piercing businesses, Queensland local councils have now been told they have to regulate botox, skin needling and filler services.
The State Government are forcing the licencing of these high-risk health services onto the level of government responsible for rates, roads and rubbish.
Previously, these businesses would not have required a licence if they complied with infection control guidelines.
But with the introduction of new licencing requirements, hundreds of Brisbane businesses will feel the sting.
The shift follows the State Government’s continued attempts to cover the cracks in its budget by forcing more responsibilities onto councils.
Since 2002, councils have seen an eye watering 378 per cent increase in cost shifting from Federal and State Governments.
Current examples of cost shifting to local governments include:
- Our Council has been funding 65 per cent of the cost of delivering childhood vaccinations
- The State Government legislating away responsibility for management of fire ants on Council land
- The State Government increasing the compensation for collecting the State’s Emergency Management Levy by 10 per cent since 2005, despite inflation rising 67 per cent over the same time
- Council having to clean up suburban meth labs after police shut them down
- Managing infection control for tattooing and body piercings
Last year Queensland Health released a consultation paper on the Food Act 2006, growing the list of foisted responsibilities to local Councils.
These changes would see Council regulating an additional 1600 facilities including correctional facilities, schools, parliamentary food services and hospitals, which are currently exempt from the Act.
The cost and time implications would have an enormous impact on Council.
Quotes from Brisbane Civic Cabinet Chair Sarah Hutton
“Forget roads, rates and rubbish, your local council is now being saddled with licencing botox, skin needling and filler services.
“This is just the latest example of outrageous cost shifting by the State and Federal governments onto councils.
“The State and Federal governments collect 97 cents in every tax dollar and have benefited from massive revenue windfalls in recent years.
“Yet they’re increasingly shunning their responsibilities and requiring councils to do their work.
“Residents want their rates invested in repairing roads and collecting rubbish not paying Council employees to inspect botox businesses.”
