Mayor Troy Pickard
ALGA President
The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has launched its 2016 Federal election plan, Local Government’s Plan for an Innovative and Prosperous Australia, which seeks the support of all political parties and their candidates for local government priorities in the lead up to the election.
ALGA’s plan outlines a number of proposals, which, if implemented, could add an estimated $7.46 billion to national Gross Domestic Product and create an estimated 19,300 local jobs over three years. The proposals include strategies to: increase freight productivity through targeted infrastructure investment; create new jobs and economic stimulus through a community infrastructure renewal and replacement program; and improve the safety and condition of local roads to meet community needs through a permanent doubling of the Roads to Recovery program. As the level of government that is closest to the community, local government is the natural vehicle of delivery for these strategies.
Councils and their communities need action and commitment from their Federal representatives for appropriate support that will help them build their community’s economic resilience and promote prosperity, regardless of where they live in Australia. The support of political parties and candidates for this plan will ensure that local government can partner with the Australian Government to provide appropriate infrastructure and boost national productivity to strengthen our communities and our economy.
ALGA will take every opportunity to call for support for our proposals but councils will also play a critical role in advocating and articulating the priorities of local government at the local level. I encourage all councils to actively champion our election plan by meeting with their local MPs as well as with candidates of the major political parties and discussing with them the challenges faced by our sector and the opportunities identified in the plan to drive local investment and economic development.
ALGA’s 2016 Federal election plan can be downloaded directly at alga.asn.au
