The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has used its 2022-23 budget submission to call for more partnerships between the Commonwealth and the nation’s 537 councils.
The government has issued a parliamentary sitting calendar indicating it intends to hand down the budget on March 29.
ALGA’s pre-budget submission 2023 calls for funding partnerships around transport and community infrastructure, affordable housing, resilience to climate change and natural disasters and the circular economy, saying this will help drive a locally-led economic recovery.
“Councils are already doing much to support Australia’s COVID-19 recovery, but with better funding partnerships, we could do even more.
“In particular, it is long-term and ongoing funding that will provide us with the confidence to make strategic long-term investments in our communities,” the submission says.
ALGA President Linda Scott says the proposed partnerships would contribute at least $6.65 billion per year to the national GDP and create around 45,000 new jobs.
“Councils are offering solutions to achieve a tailored, community-focussed post-COVID economic recovery – from creating jobs to supporting local business to building new community facilities like libraries, community centres, roads, recreation trails and playgrounds,” she said in a statement.
“Councils have an excellent track record of partnering with the Commonwealth on projects and programs that improve our communities and build better lives for all Australians.”
Other demands include:
- A four-year extension of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program
- $300 million per year for road transport bottlenecks
- Expansion of the Roads to Recovery and Black Spot Programs, and permanent supplementary road funding for South Australia
- $55 million for digital connectivity in regional, rural and remote communities
- $200 million per year to mitigate against natural disaster events
- A new Local Government Climate Response Partnership Fund
- $200 million over four years for innovative affordable housing partnerships
- $100 million per year to increase the capacity of Indigenous councils and implement Closing the Gap initiatives
- A new local government place-based health and activity program
- Support for community arts and culture sectors impacted by COVID-19
- $100 million per year for circular economy waste innovation
Financial Assistance Grants also remain a key theme in ALGA’s submission with a request for an initial injection of $1.3 billion worth of FAGs to drive economic recovery and for the total value of untied grants to be gradually restored to at least one per cent of Commonwealth taxation revenue.
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@governmentnews.com.au.
Sign up to the Government News newsletter