Ahead of the 2 July election, local councils are pressing their federal candidates to commit to partnering with local government.
Bayside City Council in Victoria is calling on local candidates to support investment in community infrastructure and services, and to help communities prepare for and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
“We recently briefed all candidates in the seat of Goldstein on the issues most pressing to the Bayside community,” said Bayside Mayor James Long.
“Particularly important to our community is accelerating investment in community infrastructure such as accessible and gender neutral sporting facilities to meet growing demand.
“Without federal investment, it will take council more than 15 years to replace its ageing facilities, meaning another generation will miss out on opportunities to participate in organised sport in an era when everything must be done to encourage physical activity and participation.
“Our community also wants more leadership and action on environmental issues from the federal government. Bayside is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, particularly sea level rise and increased storm events. Erosion of cliffs in some parts of Bayside is progressing by up to 30cm per year.
“We are calling on election candidates to support the development of a national coordinated response to mitigate the impacts of climate change.”
The Bayside mayor also cited funding for kindergartens, aged care reform and a restoration of the indexation on financial assistance grants (FAGs) as Council priorities.
These priorities are in line with the Australian Local Government Association’s (ALGA) election plan, which outlines the need for federal funding to be directed to roads, community infrastructure, an updated freight strategy, the implementation of local climate change plans, as well as the restoration of FAG indexation.
