On 24 June, we joined the Australia Local Government Association (ALGA) for the first time ever, united for calling 1% of Commonwealth tax revenue for Federal Assistant Grants. Local governments are the backbones of our communities; it’s time to fund them like it.
Australia’s local councils united at the National General Assembly calling on the Australian Parliament to deliver an immediate increase in untied funding.
If something is not done about funding for local government the financial sustainability of councils and the services communities rely on are increasingly at risk.
In a powerful show of unity, ALGA delegates endorsed an emergency motion calling for fairer funding for local government and backed a joint letter to be tabled with every Member of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Our trucks left no-one in doubt about what we are calling for! We need 1% of Federal Tax Revenue – and we need it now!
From Graeme Kelly OAM
USU General Secretary
Councils are at crisis point – especially in the bush where they are doing it tough.
Get outside of the shiny cities, like Canberra, into the real world of local government and it’s a vastly different story – it’s horrible.
Without appropriate funding for local governments and their workers, services fall short and communities suffer. Local government workers are the unsung heroes at the heart of our communities, and it is time they received the recognition and funding they deserve.
We had plenty of support in our call for increased funding and were grateful for time spent with Governor General the Hon Sam Mostyn AC.
You know it is a serious issue when Australia’s councils unite with unions right across Australia – without exception – to stand behind this urgent call for funds. The future of local government and their communities are at stake.
The shortfall in funding had forced councils to make difficult budget choices. The decline in Federal funding has real consequences for the workers and communities who depend on council services. Restoring the 1 percent benchmark is the single most important thing Canberra can do for local government.
Local Government Association of NSW President, Mayor Darcy Byrne, said, “The financial crisis in local government is leaving many regional communities in particular at breaking point. That’s why we are all united in demanding that enough is enough. This must be fixed.”
Financial Assistance Grants have been quietly eroding for years, and our communities are now feeling the consequences – in delayed infrastructure, stretched services, and councils forced to make impossible choices. We’re asking the Federal Parliament to act now, before this becomes a crisis communities can’t recover from.
This united call from every state and territory reflects the growing financial pressures being experienced by councils across Australia.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT MATTERS – SIGN OUR PETITION FOR MORE FUNDING HERE!
