February 19, 2016
Local councils will receive $3,361,527 in the latest round of the Federal Government’s Financial Assistance Grants (FAGs) program, Federal Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss said on Friday.
This will be the third instalment of FAGs funding paid to councils this year.
“Without the Financial Assistance Grants programme, residents could be paying higher council rates for the same or lower levels of service,” Mr Truss said.
“The FAGs programme differs to most Federal Government funding, as it is paid unconditionally to local councils, allowing them to spend according to their own priorities.
“One of the great advantages of this funding is that it delivers a boost to local councils so that they can get on with the job of building vital local infrastructure, supporting local businesses and creating jobs in our community.”
Mr Truss said the funds will be allocated by councils towards a variety of needs within their local communities, such as roads, libraries and infrastructure as well as services like the upkeep of local parks and public spaces, animal control and waste collection and disposal.
He said the arrangement was one of the Federal Government’s ways of acknowledging the special and important role that local governments play in meeting their local community needs.
Local councils will receive the following Financial Assistance Grant funding:
