Should We Advocate for a Royal Commission into the COVID-19 Response?

Update on City of Karratha's Royal Commission Advocacy Position

The City of Karratha has noted the results of the community survey into a Royal Commission of Australia’s Covid-19 response.

The decision comes after a two-week period of public consultation on whether it was the role of the Local Government to advocate on this matter with 402 phone surveys and 289 online surveys conducted.

The consultation was held in relation to a motion proposed by Cr Brenton Johannsen which sought a comprehensive review of the COVID-19 response across the three tiers of Government through a Royal Commission.

Following the consultation, Council has noted the survey outcomes and will provide the results to State or Federal members of parliament upon request.

The survey results are also freely available for any individual or organisation to use for their own advocacy purposes.

Click the link to view the results:

14.1 Community Engagement Outcomes for a Royal Commission - City of Karratha

Project Milestones

Frequently Asked Questions

The community engagement team will work with the consultant to analyse the survey responses from the online survey, paper-based survey, and telephone surveys and report the statistical findings to Council by Friday 6 December 2024.

If we achieve a suitable number of completed surveys, we will be able to use 2021 Census demographic data to weight the survey data so that it is representative of our local community. This is why we are asking you where you live, your gender and your age.

It is anticipated the statistical findings from the surveys will help Council understand if community feel this issue is a matter of importance.

At the next Ordinary Council Meeting, scheduled 9 December 2024, Council will respond to Councillor Brenton Johannsen’s Notice of Motion – Royal Commission into the COVID-19 Pandemic.

It is anticipated Council’s response to the Notice of Motion will be largely informed by the community feedback they receive from the survey.

Commonwealth royal commissions are independent, public inquiries established by government. In Australia, royal commissions are the highest form of inquiry on matters of public importance. They are only established in rare and exceptional circumstances. A royal commission can:

• Find out why specific events happened

• Work out who is accountable

• Make findings and recommend changes to policies and laws.

A royal commission has broad powers to gather information to help with its inquiry. This includes the power to summon witnesses to appear before it and the power to request individuals or organisations to produce documents as evidence. Commonwealth royal commissions can only inquire into matters that relate to the Commonwealth’s responsibilities.1

1 Attorney General’s Department, Commonwealth of Australia, www.royalcommission.gov.au, Retrieved 13 November 2024

The City of Karratha has no formal role in delivering a royal commission.

This said, as community leaders, Council represents the interests of electors, ratepayers and residents of the City.

Council may advocate to the Commonwealth on matters of importance to our community and may approve the allocation of local government’s resources towards advocacy activities.

On this occasion, Council is seeking feedback from our community to understand if advocating for a Royal Commission to examine the federal, state and local governments response to COVID-19 is a matter of importance to our community.

The complex arrangement of Government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic stretched across all 3-tiers of government.

Where there has been an erosion of the community's trust in Government because of the COVID-19 pandemic response2, it is reasonable to expect that community trust in Local Government (and therefore our community's trust in the City of Karratha) will also be eroded.

As the closest tier of government to the community, it should also be expected that community will voice their concerns directly to their City and seek the support of their local government in advocating to the Commonwealth and State on matters of importance.

2 Commonwealth Government of Australia, ‘COVID-19 Response Inquiry Report’, www.pmc.gov.au, Retrieved 13 November 2024

Contact Information
Email	enquiries@karratha.wa.gov.au
Website	karratha.wa.gov.au

enquiries@karratha.wa.gov.au

Website

karratha.wa.gov.au

Contact Information
Phone	08 9186 8555
In writing	Lot 1083 Welcome Road PO Box 219 Karratha Western Australia 6714

Phone

08 9186 8555

In writing

Lot 1083 Welcome Road
PO Box 219
Karratha Western Australia 6714