Rates rise for Vic councils as federal budget cuts bite

$2.6bn infrastructure and asset gap opens up.

7 July, 2014

Councils unite in attack on Fed’s $925mil grants grab

Local governments across Australia have issued an overwhelming public rejection of federal Budget funding freezes likely to prompt rates hikes hit pensioners.

16 June, 2014

Grants freeze paves road to regional infrastructure hell

Budget puts safety and economic growth at risk say engineers and councils, who want access to affordable debt facilities.

5 June, 2014

WA Premier Barnett slammed by councils over rate hike blame game

Hostilities have erupted between the Western Australian government and the local government sector over State Budget cuts to funding for controversial metropolitan council mergers.

30 May, 2014

Revolt over $925 mil Budget raid on councils

Rates rises and big cuts to local community services set to roll as Financial Assistance Grants frozen.

16 May, 2014

Catastrophic impact warning from councils over axing of federal funds for local government

The National Commission of Audit’s recommendations to dump dozens of government programs could cut off cash flowing from Canberra to councils if direct funding programs are eliminated.

5 May, 2014

Cash-strapped Central Darling Shire Council facing suspension

By Paul Hemsley and Julian Bajkowski The New South Wales government has moved swiftly to use its new authority to bring badly struggling local governments in the state to book through issuing a notice of suspension under Early Intervention powers. The state’s Local Government Minister Don Page on Tuesday hit Central Darling Shire Council with […]

11 December, 2013

Abbott pushes referendum Vote No case

By Julian Bajkowski Coalition support for the ‘yes’ case in the referendum on Constitutional recognition for local government has edged one step closer to official collapse after Opposition leader Tony Abbott intensified his attack on the poll process amid growing internal pressure to withdraw bipartisan support. Speaking at a press conference in Whittlsea, Victoria, Mr […]

2 July, 2013

Referendum legislation clears Senate despite Coaltion walkout

By Julian Bajkowski Legislation to make a local government referendum on 14th September has finally cleared the Senate amid a widening split in the Coalition that resulted in seven members of the Opposition cross the floor to vote against the bill and at least as many abstaining. The last minute bid to shoot down referendum […]

25 June, 2013

Albanese shells out another $150m to share between councils

By Paul Hemsley Councils across Australia have warmly welcomed federal Minister for Local Government Anthony Albanese’s injection of $150 million to share between councils and shires to help build and renew community infrastructure. Formally announced at the National General Assembly of Local Government (NGA) in Canberra this week, the funding measure formed the centrepiece of […]

20 June, 2013

Canberra told to make Roads to Recovery funding permanent

By Julian Bajkowski The electorally popular, multi-billion dollar Roads to Recovery program should be permanently funded and councils dealt into any new road-user charging schemes a pre-election list of demands issued by Australia’s peak body for local governments says. As the federal poll date draws closer, councils across the nation have put both sides of […]

18 June, 2013

Small Victorian councils risk becoming “unsustainable”

By Paul Hemsley and Julian Bajkowski The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO) has issued a stern warning that “small councils” could be left financially unsustainable due to their increasing dependency on state government and Commonwealth grants and rate hikes still not being enough to pay for rising costs. The wake-up call is contained in a new […]

13 June, 2013

Council transparency under fire from Vic Auditor

By Julian Bajkowski Victoria’s Auditor General has criticised the state’s 79 councils over a glaring lack of clarity and detail in the way they determine and reveal how more than $4 billion in rates and charges a year are levied on constituents, despite the local governments having a “common rating framework.”  In a report issued […]

21 February, 2013

Council rates at risk in NSW land valuation bungle

By Julian Bajkowski Substantial miscalculations in the value of rural land have come back to bite the New South Wales bureaucracy after Broken Hill City Council confirmed it wants the state to stump up almost $7 million in overcharged rates that were levied on mining company Perilya. NSW Minister for Finance and Services Greg Pearce […]

30 November, 2012