Community, Sustainability and Resilience

The ALGA 2014-17 Strategic Plan identifies work on national digital transformation, innovation and disaster funding and as strategic priorities.

 

The pace of technological advancement and digital transformation is changing many communities. ALGA is working on a variety of strategies to increase recognition of local government’s role in facilitating innovation at the local level, and its role in digital transformation to promote productivity improvements.

Local government plays an important role across Australia in helping to build resilient and sustainable communities, particularly when it comes to dealing with natural hazards and other threats. While managing and responding to emergencies is largely the responsibility of state and territory governments, local governments are increasingly playing crucial roles in preparing communities through various mitigation interventions, assisting in response and playing a key leadership role in the rebuilding and recovery efforts commonly referred to as ‘recovery’.

ALGA’s work focuses on the need for the continuation of appropriate Commonwealth funding to support councils and communities to mitigate and recover from natural disasters in a shared manner involving all levels of government, the business community and the broader community. 

At the local and regional levels, councils work closely with their communities to ensure all stakeholders understand their responsibility to protect and ensure their own safety and the importance of acting on information, advice and other cues provided before, during and after a disaster.

ALGA is an active member of the Law, Crime and Community Safety Council and the Australian and New Zealand Emergency Management Committee. ALGA is committed to ensuring that Commonwealth funding, through programs such as the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements, acknowledges the capacity and capability constraints facing many councils, particularly when it comes to using their workforces to respond to the impact of disasters and having the resources to undertake critical mitigation, betterment and infrastructure enhancements projects.

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