Industry supports Local Community Infrastructure Fund
November 08, 2007
The Australian Local Government Association welcomes the support for its proposed billion-dollar Local Community Infrastructure Renewals Fund from key industry, health and community organisations.
The fund has been recommended by a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers Report into local government financial sustainability.
ALGA President Cr Paul Bell said that the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) was the latest group to come out publicly supporting the upgrade of council community infrastructure. "This shows that economic powerhouses as well as health and community advocates are supporting communities in their fight for better facilities and improved well-being."
Cr Bell urged both major political parties to 'sit up and take notice' of the more than 1000 submissions for the fund from councils which clearly demonstrate the need for a $250 million pa 4-year fund for the renewal of community facilities such as swimming pools, ovals, sporting centres, libraries, senior citizen centres and community halls.
Point 7 of QRC's election document (www.qrc.org.au) states: "QRC recommends that the incoming federal government, heeding the Australian Local Government Association Budget Submission 2007-2008, supports the provision of $250 million per annum for four years for the renewal and replacement of ageing community infrastructure…"
The Rural Doctors Association of Australia, the Country Women's Association of Australia (CWAA), the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF), Australian and Health Consumers of Rural and Remote Australia (HCRRA) have also thrown their weight behind the Fund in a recent statement: "Funding for local government to upgrade community infrastructure such as swimming pools, walking tracks and sporting facilities is an important adjunct…in terms of increasing community participation in healthy activities which fit in with the focus by the major parties on preventative medicine and programs to fight heart disease and obesity."
The National CEO of the Heart Foundation, Dr Lyn Roberts, has also endorsed the fund, saying that active communities were healthy communities. "Access to sporting facilities such as swimming pools, ovals and sporting tracks is critical if we are to build more active communities. Many communities have been putting up with sub-standard facilities for years and these urgently need to be renewed. We are pleased to join with ALGA to promote the community infrastructure fund as a great deal of community infrastructure directly relates to physical activity."
ALGA has also received support from the Australian Library and Information Association and the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia.
- Contact
- Amanda Lynch, Director, Government Relations – 0419 123 862 / 02 6122 9434
