Increasing responsibilities; rising community expectations; difficulties in keeping up with infrastructure maintenance, together with an escalating problem if this expenditure is deferred; soaring insurance premiums; plus unfunded mandates all contribute to the financial tightrope Councils are walking. This is translating into a reduction in services, a deterioration of the built infrastructure and a failure to be able to sufficiently address unsustainable practices. No matter how prudent Local Governments are in managing their operations, or how well they are stretching every available dollar, the lack of adequate resources means it is communities that are suffering.
As the lead up to the 2002 Federal Budget and State Budgets gets into full swing, the perennial issue of governments having the necessary resources to meet their responsibilities, alongside increasing community expectations, rings out loud and clear.
Taxes are raised for the betterment of the community. With many of the services vital to the day to day wellbeing of people being provided by Local Government, adequate resources to meet these needs goes without saying.
With the State and Territory Governments winning the spoils of the GST, as the poor cousin, Local Government still languishes without a direct share of taxes raised or access to a growth tax. Moreover, being reliant on the generosity or whims of the other spheres of government does not assist Councils as they endeavour to plan strategically for the long term, as well as meet immediate needs.
On top of this, Local Government is often taking the lion’s share of responsibility and leading the way in addressing major community concerns. Nowhere is this more evident than in the area of environmental sustainability. Yet once again, the Executive of the Australian Local Government Association has had to call on the other spheres of government to at least match the spending Local Government is putting into natural resource management.
According to ABS figures Local Government is spending $2.5 billion each year on environmental protection, with $1.8 billion of this going into natural resource management activities. Matching spending, together with Local Government having a seat at the decision making table, are essential elements if we are to ever move towards a real and equal partnership across all spheres of government.
