Candidates nominating for the Federal Election on 3 May are being urged to put their communities first by committing to increased funding for the local government sector.
The national Put Our Communities First campaign is calling for additional Federal Government funding to support every council in delivering local solutions to national priorities.
Mayor Cr Phyllis Miller OAM, President of Local Government NSW (LGNSW), is calling on all candidates to commit to the funding requests.
"We have 46 Federal electorates across the great state of NSW. I want every candidate in every one of those areas to commit to this funding - or to explain to their voters why they refuse to sign up," she said.
Mayor Miller says the increased funding will be a big step towards restoring Commonwealth financial assistance for local councils.
"For too long we've seen a gradual decline in the level of financial support from Canberra for councils that are delivering much-needed services and infrastructure directly to their communities right across Australia," Mayor Miller said.
"As well as increased funding, we're calling for the money to be allocated on a formula-basis, ensuring that every council will benefit from a fair and equitable distribution of funds."
LGNSW remains committed to the goal of returning funding for local government to 1% of general revenue from the Commonwealth. Delivery on five key funding requests identified in the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) campaign will go towards achieving that outcome:
- $1.1 billion per year for enabling infrastructure to unlock housing supply
- $500 million per year for community infrastructure
- $600 million per year for safer local roads
- $900 million per year for increased local government emergency management capability and capacity, and
- $400 million per year for climate change adaptation.
Mayor Miller said the benefits of unlocking this funding would be felt right across the state.
"In NSW, this means congestion-busting funding for our roads, reducing road repair backlogs and ensuring our local roads are safer and our transport links more productive," she said.
"It means more parks, sports fields, swimming pools and libraries that make our communities liveable.
"It means communities that are more resilient against natural disasters and extreme weather events, and better equipped to support their communities adapt to a changing climate.
"And it means we can invest in the necessary infrastructure to unlock the thousands of new homes we so desperately need."
More details about the campaign and the specific funding requests can be found at ALGA's Put Our Communities First website.
