May 13, 2024
A Federal Government committee will begin holding public hearings this week into the sustainability of local governments across Australia.
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport will hold its first hearing this Thursday at Parliament House in Canberra.
“Local governments are facing a number of increasing challenges including the attraction and retention of a skilled workforce, changing service delivery requirements including infrastructure and development, and climate change impacts all within the context of an inflationary environment,” committee chair Member for Solomon Luke Gosling said.
“The hearing provides an opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of policy and program funding frameworks across the three tiers of government in supporting local government financial sustainability.”
A live audio stream of the hearing will be available on the Parliament of Australia website
The committee plans to hold further public hearings.
Interested parties have been urged to make a written submission to the inquiry by May 31.
- Further information, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the committee’s website
Footnote: The Australian Local Government Association has been calling to the Federal Government for the past decade to return the level of financial support given to councils from its current level (ie one half per cent of Australian taxation revenues) to the historical average of one per cent to make local government sustainable.
