Federal election 2010: A fair go for local communities
15 June 2010
The President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), Cr Geoff Lake, today launched local government's 10 policy priorities for the 2010 Federal election.
The document was presented to the Federal Minister for Local Government, Anthony Albanese during the opening session of the National General Assembly of Local Government in Canberra - an annual meeting of more than 700 mayors and councillors from across the country. It will also be given to the Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the Nationals and the Leader of the Greens when they address the Assembly later this week.
"The recent political environment has been saturated with talk of resource super profits, the Henry tax review, Global Financial Crises and hospital reform", Cr Lake said.
"We feel the major political parties have lost touch with what's actually important around the kitchen table and at the local community level.
"Local government's 10 point plan for the federal election aims to refocus the major parties back to what's important for local communities. We believe that 'local communities' could be to this election what 'working families' was to the last. There is a great, but so far untapped, potential for a major political party to champion local community interests."
Among the 10 policy priorities identified in the document is further national investment into local community infrastructure, improved federal funding of councils and local roads, and support for councils to lead climate change adaptation strategies.
"Local government manages 80 per cent of the Australian road system and billions of dollars of local community infrastructure and it needs more help from the Australian Government to realise local community expectations. Taxpayers deserve to see more of their tax dollars being spent in their immediate neighbourhood - where they live and spend the majority of their time."
The ALGA election document can be accessed at www.alga.asn.au/federalelection
- Media contacts:
- ALGA President, Cr Geoff Lake: 0411 645 281
- Amanda Lynch, ALGA Director Public Affairs, 0419 123 862
