Invitation to attend
Unifying local government’s transport agenda
Few conferences can boast the success achieved by the National Local Roads and Transport Congress. Over the past six years, the Congress has played a central role in bringing local government together to help shape and define our case for better funding for, and management of, the 680,000 km of road that constitutes the nation’s local road network.
In response to our campaigns, the Australian Government is contributing no less than $2.4bn over eight years to help address the massive road maintenance backlog faced by councils.
But the job is far from done. Even with this injection of funds, we are simply slowing the rate of decline in the state of our roads. We must continue to look for innovative solutions and funding options to sustain our local transport needs.
Most importantly, we must continue to have a strong consensus on the way forward - a consensus that unites all councils, from our city centres to remote communities.
This year’s Roads Congress marks an important milestone for local government. It comes right at the end of the first Roads to Recovery program and the commencement of the second. It also comes at the start of AusLink, the Australian Government’s flagship land transport infrastructure program.
It is an appropriate time for reflection on where we have come and where we need to go. I encourage all councils to participate in this Congress, to help us evaluate our achievements and plan for the future.
Cr Paul Bell, AM
ALGA President
