The 2026 National General Assembly (NGA) of Local Government has commenced in Canberra, with Federal Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, Kristy McBain outlining the Federal Government’s priorities for councils, including housing delivery, local infrastructure, disaster resilience and financial sustainability.
Addressing delegates at the opening of the NGA, Minister McBain highlighted the Government’s commitment to enabling infrastructure that supports new housing, announcing an additional $2 billion for local infrastructure, including $500 million specifically for regional enabling infrastructure such as roads, water and sewerage projects.
The Minister said councils would play a critical role in meeting national housing targets, with funding aimed at unlocking residential development and supporting population growth in regional communities.
Road funding was another major focus, with McBain noting the Government had doubled the Roads to Recovery Program and committed $4.4 billion over five years to local roads, with 85 per cent of funding directed towards regional areas. The Black Spot Program has also increased to $150 million annually.
Community infrastructure also featured prominently in the address, with the Minister confirming a further $750 million for new rounds of the Growing Regions Program and the Thriving Suburbs Program, with guidelines for the next funding round expected by the end of July.
On council finances, McBain said Financial Assistance Grants had increased by more than 30 per cent since the Government came to office, reaching $3.6 billion, while an advance payment of $2.9 billion had recently been brought forward to assist councils facing immediate cost pressures.
The Minister also addressed disaster resilience and recovery, pointing to the increasing frequency and complexity of natural disasters and outlining proposed reforms designed to simplify disaster recovery funding, reduce administrative burden and accelerate payments to councils and communities.
As part of those reforms, the Federal Government is developing a new resilient infrastructure scheme that would allow councils to incorporate betterment measures into recovery projects, helping reduce future disaster impacts. McBain said the initiative would build on the success of the Disaster Ready Fund, which has supported hundreds of resilience projects nationwide.
Delegates also heard an update on AuzAlert, the new national emergency warning system, which will undergo national testing in July before being rolled out nationally in October. The system is designed to deliver fast, geotargeted emergency warnings to communities during natural disasters and other emergencies.
The NGA continues in Canberra this week, bringing together local government leaders from across Australia to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing councils and their communities.
