The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) has welcomed a State Government announcement on Wednesday that it will look at improving the way council grants are delivered.
LGAQ chief executive Greg Hallam said the LGAQ had called for an overhaul of the grants and subsidies framework before last year’s State election.
Mr Hallam said the current process hindered effective long-term planning.
“Councils know better than any other level of government what their communities need,” he said.
“We need to achieve a baseline of funding to local government of at least $600 million a year plus indexation and a State-wide, dedicated annual fund for essential services and infrastructure.
“Local governments are responsible for maintaining $150 billion in infrastructure and delivering more than 300 services to their communities every day.
“They need certainty in the level and form of the funding to ensure they can plan and deliver for their communities.”
Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliff announced the move towards a more streamlined, efficient approach to council grants at the Local Government Managers Australia (LGMA) State conference on the Sunshine Coast.
“It’s estimated more than $970 million, including Federal Government assistance, was allocated in infrastructure grants for local governments in the last financial year alone,” Mr Hinchliff said.
“It’s imperative this funding is allocated as efficiently and effectively as possible.”
Mr Hinchliff said Council strategies and needs would be grouped under six streams:
- Security of essential services
- Safe and efficient road and transport network
- Resilient communities
- Sustainable natural resource management
- Community well-being
- Jobs and economic growth
He said the development of the grants reform process was a State Government initiative and would be led by the Department of Local Government with the assistance of key organisations such as the LGMA, the LGAQ and the Local Government Finance Professionals.
