ALGA welcomes Coalition's local government policy
5 October 2004
The Coalition's local government policy helps pave a way forward to address the key issues facing Australia's 700 local councils, the President of the Australian Local Government Association, Cr Mike Montgomery, said today.
"Local government is looking to the major parties for commitment to address cost shifting and improve Federal financing arrangements," Cr Mike Montgomery said.
"Local government finances are under severe strain. Local government needs access to a fair share of national taxation revenue. While neither the Coalition or Labor has committed to this specific objective, both offer a way forward on financing issues.
"We were please with the directional statements issued by Labor's Daryl Melham last month and are encouraged by the Coalitions policy.
"In particular, the Coalition has pledged to:
- reform governance and financing arrangements for local government
- convene a COAG summit to develop a memorandum of understanding of cost shifting
- support the Roads to Recovery (R2R) model of direct funding for local government, opening the possibility of similar R2R funding arrangements in the future for other areas of service or infrastructure
- implement planning reform along the lines being developed by the Development Assessment Forum but only with the full support of councils (The Coalition says it wants more decision-making power in the hands of local government - not less.)
- work with local government to implement the key recommendations of the Fair Share report on cost shifting and local government financing.
"We welcome these and other commitments made by the Coalition, including specific funding commitments on issues such as public safety, emergency management and road funding," Cr Montgomery said.
