The prosperity of our local communities, now and into the future, depends on the strength and capacity of our transport networks and how we adapt to the future. This is the focus of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) 2017 Local Roads and Transport Congress being held in Albany, Western Australia on 6–8 November.
The Congress is unique in that it covers the field on roads issues such as freight productivity, road safety, future funding models and intelligent transport infrastructure as well as other key local government challenges such as the sustainability of regional airports and managing community infrastructure. The 2017 Congress program has been designed to touch on all of these issues as well as to provide a valuable insight into how the City of Albany has met the transport challenges as one of WA’s major regional cities.
Local Government is responsible for almost 80 per cent of the nation’s road network by length and maintaining our road infrastructure is a major challenge for almost all councils. A substantial part of our funding comes from other levels of government, particularly the Federal Government. The challenge of securing and maintaining Federal road funding should never be underestimated and it will only grow in the face of falling fuel excise revenue and changes to the way vehicles and transport infrastructure operate.
The Local Roads and Transport Congress is the chance for your council’s voice to be heard and for you to help shape ALGA transport strategy moving forward to the next election. I urge you to attend the Congress in Albany and participate in shaping ALGA’s transport policy priorities.
