By Rob O’Brien

Queensland’s councils amalgamated by the state government in March last year are still waiting for badly-needed government financial support, the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) has said.

LGAQ president, Cr Paul Bell, said Premier Anna Bligh had asked councils to make submissions for additional financial assistance to cope with the process of amalgamating in March 2008.

"The deadline for the submissions, made by 24 councils, was March this year," he said. "It is now well past that deadline and these councils want to know when the government is going to provide answers.

"There has been enough time to assess the applications. Councils and their communities deserve answers. Christmas will have come and gone, the second anniversary of amalgamation is almost upon us and there are still no answers," he said.

Cr Bell said the estimated costs of council amalgamations across the state could exceed $200 million – much more than the $27 million provided by the state to implement the changes.

"New information technology and communication systems required and salary and wages equalisation are just some of the factors created solely by the amalgamations," he said.

"They are unavoidable and place permanent ongoing constraints on council budgets. The savings from the amalgamations are minimal and will be a decade or more before they are fully realised.

"On behalf of these councils, the LGAQ again calls on the government to provide additional funding to support the amalgamated councils. We seek urgent answers to the applications submitted by the councils."

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