June 24, 2013
The South Burnett Regional Council has come out to publicly endorse the “Yes” case for the September referendum aimed at recognising Local Government in the Australian Constitution.
A council spokesman said the referendum was seeking to change the Constitution to give legal certainty to the Federal Government’s ability to provide some funds directly to local governments.
“Local governments are known for being the level of public administration closest to their communities. The Federal government has recognised this by providing funds to community and infrastructure programs at a local level, such as the Roads to Recovery program, which delivers much-needed funds for improving our roads,” the spokesman said.
“Recently, High Court decisions have cast doubt over the ability of the Federal government to channel funds directly to Local Government.
“The remedy to this is for a referendum to ensure the Australian Constitution recognises Local government so that any funding relationship is delivered with legal certainty.
“It does not require a major overhaul of the Constitution but the addition of a simple phrase in Section 96 to include the reference to local government: ‘Parliament may grant financial assistance to any state or local government body formed by or under a law of a State or territory’.”
The South Burnett Regional Council declared its support for recognition of Local Government in the Australian Constitution at the December 2012 Council meeting.
“Federal funding for community and infrastructure programs provides much-needed financial assistance and is vital to the continued growth and prosperity of the South Burnett region,” the spokesman said.
The Local Government Association of Queensland has launched a national campaign aimed at getting majority voter approval for the change to the Constitution and has established a website to share information.
Related articles
