Illawarra Shoalhaven
Joint Organisation
Working together to deliver outcomes that matter to our region
The Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (the ISJO) is the umbrella organisation for local government in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Region.
The ISJO has four Member Councils: Wollongong City Council, Shellharbour City Council, Kiama Municipal Council and Shoalhaven city Council. These Councils are responsible for a land area of 5,656 square kilometres and a population in excess of 430,000. Our region contributes over $23 billion to the national economy. 212,000 people have their jobs here.
The ISJO was proclaimed in 2018 through the Local Government (Regional Joint Organisations) Proclamation 2018 and has been operating under the provisions of the NSW Local Government Act since that time.
Joint Organisations (JOs) are statutory local government bodies under the NSW Local Government Amendment (Regional Joint Organisations) Act 2017 No 65 and the Local Government Act. They provide a way for local councils and the NSW Government to work together to deliver things that matter the most to regional communities. Joint Organisations represent a long term commitment to the development of a shared vision for a region.
Joint Organisation Roles:
The core functions of a Joint Organisation are:
- Regional strategic planning, including high level planning across the quadruple bottom line
- Intergovernmental collaboration through working closely with the NSW Government, the Commonwealth Government, other Councils and other Joint Organisations
- Regional leadership and advocacy and acting as the regional voice for our councils and communities
Joint Organisations also enhance strategic capacity by supporting their Member Councils in delivering services to their communities. Joint Organisations may also provide services directly to and on behalf of their Members.
The history of local government cooperation in our Region:
The Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation came into being on 1 July 2018 following a three year period in which our region trialled, in pilot form, the Joint Organisation model.
Prior to 2015 local government in our region worked together under the umbrella of the Southern Councils Group. The Southern Councils Group developed from the Illawarra Region of Councils (IROC) which began operation in 1985 and carried on until 2004. An even earlier grouping of Councils, the Illawarra Regional Organisation (Region 11), commenced in 1975 and operated until 1979.
In all its various incarnations, local government cooperation in our region has had a common theme: that of a voluntary collective of Local Government Authorities working together to promote and foster the sustainable development of our region by building on our unique and diverse economic, natural and cultural heritage.
