The President of the Australian Local Government Association, Matt Burnett, has congratulated Prime Minister Albanese and the Labor Government on their re-election.
Burnett said that over the past three years, the government has provided significant funding increases to councils by doubling Roads to Recovery funding and launching a new $200 million per year Disaster Ready Fund.
“Beyond this, they’ve recognised us as a trusted partner in government by re-establishing the Australian Council of Local Government, held as part of ALGA’s NGA over the past two years,” Burnett said.
“They also heard our concerns about the growing pressures on council budgets and launched a Parliamentary inquiry into local government sustainability.
“It was encouraging to see the interim report released earlier this year confirm the role of local government continues to evolve, but the current funding arrangements aren’t keeping pace.
“Therefore, it’s vital the final report recommends a significant increases in untied, formula-based funding that will support all councils to plan for the future of our communities. We can’t afford to be distracted by funding formula changes when a significant lift in funding is needed to support all councils.
“Financial sustainability remains the biggest threat to our sector, and we look forward to working with the returned government to address this issue.”
Election campaign wrap-up
“I sincerely thank all the councils and local government leaders who supported and embraced our successful Put Our Communities First national election campaign.”
Burnett said that over a four-week period, local government collectively advocated for an additional $3.5 billion in federal funding that is needed to bring council funding back to one per cent of national taxation revenue.
“We emphasised national priorities need local delivery and look forward to working with the new government on formula-based funding pools for housing and community infrastructure, safer roads, emergency management and climate adaptation.
“While the election may be over, our fight continues, and I urge all of you to keep talking to your local representatives about the urgent need for fair and sustainable funding for all councils.
“The percentage of national taxation collected by councils recently hit a 15-year low, so the untied, formula-based funding we receive from the government is more important than ever.”
2025 NGA and Ministers forum
Burnett has announced that leading political commentator and ABC presenter David Speers will host and moderate ALGA’s Ministerial Engagement Forums on 27 June, as part of this year’s National General Assembly (NGA).
“As a high-profile journalist, David will help lead discussions and engagement with key ministers, which is a not-to-be-missed event following the recent election. It’s a unique opportunity to engage with ministers and hear their vision for the next three years.
“The NGA gala dinner is very popular, and I thank those who have already registered as well as those on the waitlist. We heard loud and clear you want to share stories and connect so we have set up a networking event on the Thursday night for those who cannot attend the gala dinner. Details will be released soon, so stay tuned!
“Finally, there’s only three weeks left to register for early bird tickets for the 2025 NGA from 24-27 June.”
