The major parties have been asked to support the needs of local communities with the launch of the Australian Local Government Association’s Blueprint for Building Better Communities. The Blueprint calls on major parties to provide Local Government with a fair share of national taxation revenue, develop stronger partnerships with Local Government, support sustainable public transport, boost regional development and provide further assistance to enhance councils’ use of information technology.
Launching the Blueprint, ALGA President, Councillor Mike Montgomery, said local government had enjoyed good relations with the major parties over the past few years.
“In particular, we appreciate the financial support given to councils to help address the poor state of Australia’s 680,000 km of local roads through the $1.2 billion Roads to Recovery program,” Cr Montgomery said. “Both the Coalition and Labor have already committed themselves to renewing Roads to Recovery for a further four years. This move is much needed and much appreciated, though some outstanding issues need to be resolved.
“We now seek support from the major parties to address the key issue facing Local Government as a whole – lack of access to fair funding.
“At present, Local Government receives financial assistance grants from the Australian Government, which are indexed to CPI and population changes. But they do not reflect the real costs of providing services and meeting increasing community demand for human services, such as aged care and youth services, public safety and child care. Councils need access to growth funds if we are to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
“The financial pressure faced by Local Government has been well documented in the Fair Share report on cost shifting and Local Government financing tabled in Federal Parliament last November. It tells a story of a sphere of government that has been under funded and under valued for far too long.
“We now look forward to the responses of the major parties to this bipartisan, landmark report by way of their election policy commitments.
“Local Government will be looking for commitments to address the core issues facing Local Government together with a firm pathway forward to placing Local Government on a sound financial footing for the future.”
The Blueprint for Building Better Communities can be accessed at www.alga.asn.au
Summary of the key recommendations
The Blueprint for building better communities calls on the major parties to commit themselves to:
- Provide Local Government with access to a fair share of Commonwealth taxation revenue
- Develop an intergovernmental agreement to eliminate the practice of ‘cost shifting’ by Federal and State Governments to Local Government
- Achieve recognition of Local Government in the Australian Constitution
- Develop partnerships with Local Government in which Local Government is treated as an equal partner
- Inclusion of Local Government in the AusLink planning and decision making process
- Secure, long term funding for local roads to meet existing and future transport needs
- Better support for regional airports
- New assistance for local traffic and transport services (sustainable public transport)
- Better involvement of councils in national environmental programs
- Greater assistance for regional development and regions facing significant economic restructuring
- Develop and trial enterprise zones in regional Australia
- National support for public libraries
- Support for regions facing shortages of specialist health and other workers
- Assistance for councils that need to provide facilities such as medical surgeries and accommodation in order to recruit and retain health professionals to regional areas
- Develop a new immunisation incentive program for councils
- New funding for council aged care programs
- Build on the significant Federal/ Local Government partnership to further enhance the capacity of councils to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by an ageing population
- Ongoing support for online service programs in Local Government.
Election media kit for councils
ALGA has prepared a media kit for councils to help promote Local Government issues during the Federal election. The kit includes the Blueprint for Building Better Communities, a summary of the key points in the Blueprint, a shell media release and speaking notes.
It will be expanded to include other shell releases and speaking notes as the election progresses. The kit can be downloaded from the Federal Election section of the ALGA web site at www.alga.asn.au The election web site will help councils keep track of the key election developments, statements and commitments made by the major parties during the course of the campaign that affect Local Government.
To be updated daily, the web site also provides links to other election information, including the web sites of the major parties, the Australian Electoral Commission and the web pages of ABC Election Analyst, Anthony Green. ALGA statements and other Local Government material will also be posted to this site.
The media kit for councils can be downloaded from the Federal Election section of the ALGA web site at www.alga.asn.au
Major parties welcome ALGA’s Blueprint
Both the Coalition and the Australian Labor Party have welcomed the release of ALGA’s Blueprint for Building Better Communities.
A spokesperson for the Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads welcomed the Blueprint and said the Coalition’s policy on Local Government would be released during the course of the election campaign.
Shadow Minister for Local Government, Daryl Melham, has also welcomed the Blueprint in a statement released on 2 September. The statement also outlined the thrust of Labor’s policy commitments to Local Government.
“Labor has always recognised Local Government’s active and vital contribution to our communities,” Daryl Melham said. “A Federal Labor government will not under value Local Government and will strive to ensure that Local Government is an equal partner within the Australian federation. Labor’s Plan for Local Government will ensure its rightful recognition, active participation in Australia’s future and adequate resourcing to fulfil its roles and responsibilities.”
