President’s column

Over the past week, the ALGA Board has considered the potential motions submitted by councils for debate at the National General Assembly (NGA) next month. More than 130 motions were submitted this year coming from a variety of councils across the country with the issues raised reflecting the breadth of challenges that councils face on a daily basis. The motions cover a broad range of topics including Financial Assistance Grants, Roads to Recovery and other government grant programs, freight improvements, rate capping, tax reform, community infrastructure funding proposals, affordable housing, preventative health, early childhood education, discrimination, migration and settlement, climate change and the environment.

These motions demonstrate that the concerns of local government are truly national and the debate at the NGA will be an opportunity for councils to have their views heard and assist the ALGA Board in further developing national policies. 

We were also delighted to receive confirmation that, ahead of the July 2 Federal election, the Hon Julie Collins MP, Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, will address the Assembly on the Wednesday of the event. Ms Collins will talk to the theme for this year's NGA – Partners in an Innovative and Prosperous Australia – addressing the importance of local government in the national agenda.

The NGA is local government's key opportunity to engage with issues of national importance, especially given the imminent Federal election. The sector must be united in its call to all Federal political parties to strengthen, not weaken, local government and our important role in our communities, and we need your input to advance that objective.

If you haven't yet registered for this important event, I urge you to visit the ALGA website and ensure that your council is not only part of the national debate, but that it also lends its voice to the sector's calls on the issues that our communities care most about in this election.

 

Mayor Troy Pickard
ALGA President