Local Governments across Australia are reaping the economic benefits of collaboration, particularly in regional areas with cash injections being received in South Australia and Queensland.
The Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA) acting President Lorraine Rosenberg said that the association would seek further information on a recently announced $39 million funding package for regional South Australia and how Councils could support it.
“Regional Councils already invest more than $1.5 million a year in the Regional Development Australia program and we will be keen to know if the State will be investing resources in partnership with Council funds and how that might work.”
The collaboration trend continues with campaigning from the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) resulting in a $24.5 million funding injection for some of Queensland’s most remote roads.
LGAQ Chief Executive Greg Hallam said the funding package, to be used to upgrade local roads as well as the Outback Way corridor between Queensland and Western Australia, was the product of all three levels of government working together to achieve a good, value-for-money outcome.
“Both the Federal and State Governments deserve praise for realising the value of contributing funds to this project, but it is also the product of some tireless work by local mayors and the Remote Area Planning and Development Board in bringing attention to the economic benefits that flow from improving regional roads.”
He added that the announcement showed that taking a regional collaborative approach to improving transport infrastructure could deliver many more benefits than if each level of government worked alone.
Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss and Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson met with local mayors and MPs in Boulia to sign off on the package.
The funding includes $3.5 million divided between seven councils in the region.
“This package not only keeps local road crews in work while the region endures a terrible drought but it will also help drive growth in the regional economy by delivering long term improvements to tourism and freight links.” said Mr Hallam.
President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) Mayor Feliciy-ann Lewis said that while the context of each project differs, there is always value in local councils seeking the support of state and federal government for projects that are priorities for local communities.
“Such advocacy, preferably with the strong support of local state and federal MPs where appropriate, is a key part of the business councils do for their communities.
“While individual councils lobby for their own projects, state local government associations and, at the national level the ALGA strongly advocate for programs to be established which provide funding for many projects across many councils.”
Mayor Lewis did warn however that the upcoming federal budget was expected to be slim, however the ‘ALGA has advocated in its 2014-15 Federal Budget Submission that there should certainly be no cuts to local government programs such as the Financial Assistance Grants, Roads to Recovery, Roads Safety Black Spots and the new Bridges Renewal program’.
The start of April also saw the conclusion of Local Government New South Wales’ (LGNSW) consultation roadshow, looking to collect feedback from councils on the 65 recommendations in the Revitalising Local Government report.
“While the aim of these Leader’s Forums was to obtain open and frank feedback from councils on the 65 recommendations in the Revitalising Local Government report, it’s becoming more and more apparent that what councils want is a response from the NSW Government,” said Councillor Keith Rhoades, LGNSW President.
“Financial issues such as removing unwarranted rate exemptions and the recommendation for a State Government-backed Local Government Finance Authority, similar to the system in South Australia, have both been receiving strong support.”
He went on to say that despite the positives, council’s are looking for clarification from the federal government on joint organisations and community boards; resource sharing and incentives for voluntary mergers.
Regional funding campaigning stretches to WA as well, with the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA), acting on reports that the Royalties for Regions funds are flowing in quicker than they can be spent on already allocated projects, calling for the reinstatement of the Country Local Government fund, in order to help redress the almost $2 billion backlog in regional infrastructure.
“A review of the Country Local Government Fund found that it had been well managed and provided necessary community infrastructure – this is vital if we are to encourage more people to move to country areas which in turn will redress the population pressure in the metropolitan areas,” said WALGA President Mayor Troy Pickard
Royalties for Regions puts aside 25 cents from every dollar of Western Australia’s projected gas and mining royalties to fund projects in regional areas, however the Country Local Government fund was abolished, seeing a loss of about $80 million from combined regional local government budgets in the 2015/16 financial year.
“The State Government’s key objective to support economic growth in the regions can be achieved by investing in Local Government infrastructure, making it more attractive for people to live in country areas,” said Mayor Pickard.
