Local government funding weathers tough Budget
May 12, 2009
The Australian Local Government Association has praised the Federal Government's funding commitment to local roads through Roads to Recovery and its renewal of funding for disaster mitigation in the 2009-10 Budget.
"Given the difficult budgetary situation, we are pleased the Federal Government has kept its commitments on local road funding of $350 million for 2009-10 and maintained its commitment to funding local roads at announced rates to 2014," Mr Adrian Beresford-Wylie, Chief Executive Officer of the Australia Local Government Association, said.
"Councils will also welcome early payment of the first installment of $479.7 million of $1.9 billion in Financial Assistance Grants to local government. As Local Government Minister Anthony Albanese said tonight: 'No community in Australia is immune from the impacts of the global recession.'
"In relation to community infrastructure, Australian communities are already beginning to reap the benefits of the $800 million Community Infrastructure Program, providing better facilities while stimulating local economies and creating jobs. We look forward to a commitment from the Federal Government that this funding will become a permanent feature of future budgets in line with last year's budget announcement to address the well-documented $14.5 billion backlog in community infrastructure renewals."
"There is also good news for local government in the renewal of the disaster mitigation funding through the new Disaster Resilience Australia Package. This will allow councils to continue to invest in disaster mitigation to help protect local communities from the worst impacts of flood and fire."
Highlights of the Budget for local government:
- $1.9 billion for Financial Assistance Grants to local government nationally;
- Confirmation of $550 million over 2 years for the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program - Strategic Projects;
- Roads to Recovery at $350 million per year for the next 5 years;
- $79.3 million in the next 4 year for a Disaster Resilience Australia Package to strengthen efforts to combat man-made and natural threats and disasters across Australia;
- $72 million for Healthy Communities to fund the rollout of lifestyle modification programs focusing on poor nutrition, physical inactivity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption;
- $58.2 million over 4 years as supplementation to local roads to address the relative disadvantage of South Australia in the local roads component of the Financial Assistance Grants;
- $715.3 million to continue to support drought affected farmers, farm families, small business and rural communities;
- $8.5 billion for nationally significant transport infrastructure projects across Australia;
- $3 million for 2009 - 10 to up-grade remote area airstrips identified under the Remote Air Service Subsidy Scheme requiring priority work;
- $5 million over 4 years for Rural National Broadband Network Coordinators to encourage local government, community and business usage of broadband opportunities;
- $15 million for the ABC to encourage the development of user generated content and to establish websites creating 'visual town squares' for communities to share experiences;
- $156.6 million over 3 years for remote policing and substance abuse initiatives;
- $10 million over 4 years to support the expansion of the Sporting Chance Program to improve education, life skills and employment prospects for Indigenous students
ALGA's full Budget analysis will be available on the ALGA website tonight and over the next 24 hours: http://www.alga.asn.au/policy/finance/federalBudgetAnalysis2009/
- Contact
- Adrian Beresford-Wylie, CEO - 044 8865653
- Amanda Lynch, Director, Public Affairs - 0419 123 862 / 02 6122 9434
