Author: giraffemin

As I travel around the nation, attending each state and territory association conference, I love to hear the passionate debate around motions. It’s a process where key pain points for councils are raised and solutions considered.

Each year at the National General Assembly we also use motions as a vehicle for councils from across the nation to canvas ideas on the federal stage. Outcomes of these debates (NGA Resolutions) can be used by councils to inform their own policies and priorities, as well as their advocacy when dealing with federal politicians.

The NGA resolutions help ALGA and its member state and territory associations gain valuable insight into council priorities, emerging national issues, and the level of need and support for new policy and program initiatives. Although not binding on ALGA’s policy positions, the NGA resolutions are an essential input to the Board’s thinking.

Over recent years we’ve heard the feedback that councils want more time to prepare motions. So we’ve listened to your feedback and have moved this process forward several months to allow more time for you to debate and go through approval processes for NGA 2026 motions.

Please carefully read the 2026 NGA Discussion Paper, which outlines the updated criteria your motions must meet.

Also, we recently published a user-friendly version of the 2025 NGA Resolutions and Ministerial correspondence as part of our website upgrade. The easy-access chart helps councils to track and follow the progress of approved motions.

LGAQ conference

It’s been fascinating and insightful to attend more state association conferences over recent weeks to better understand and reflect on major issues affecting councils.

Last week, I attended and spoke at the LGAQ annual conference on the Gold Coast, where I shared our key funding priorities and recent policy and advocacy achievements. As you know, I’m also LGAQ President and it was interesting to explore and discuss the major themes during the conference, including cost shifting from other levels of government, road funding gaps, infrastructure challenges, and childcare.

I’m looking forward to attending the next association event – the 2025 LGANT Annual Conference from 18-19 November in Darwin.

Northern Australia Ministerial Forum

On 17 October, I joined state and federal leaders at the Northern Australia Ministerial Forum to discuss issues unique to northern Australia and find solutions to shared challenges.

During the forum, I outlined the issues facing the local government sector across the north and the need for partnership opportunities for all levels of government to work more closely together to improve community-based services.

I thank the forum’s chair Federal Minister for Northern Australia Madeleine King MP for the opportunity to highlight the importance of councils in building stronger and more resilient communities.

Read Minister King’s media release.

Hurry, book now for 2025 Roads

Finally, with just over two weeks to go, I remind you to book your tickets for the 2025 National Local Roads, Transport, and Infrastructure Congress in Bendigo from 11-12 November.

The popular annual event will feature a range of high profile speakers and special guests, and the theme this year is Driving National Productivity.  We also have a technical tour on Thursday 13 November.

We will also host a Congress dinner at the Bendigo Town Hall on 11 November, proudly sponsored by Austroads.  I sincere thank all of our key sponsors, including the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, NBN, McArthur, Melbourne Convention Bureau, the City of Greater Bendigo and Higher Consulting.

See the Congress program, speakers and register now.

A guide for councils

In responding to natural disasters and emergency events, preparedness is crucial for ensuring the safety and well-being of communities. As a council, it is essential to understand the steps necessary to be prepared for emergencies, particularly in maintaining connectivity through the nbn® network.

How nbn and councils work together

The collaboration between nbn and councils is vital to help ensure robust and resilient communication networks during emergencies. This partnership focuses on several areas:

Planning and design: During the planning and design phase, nbn consults with councils to consider the design of the broadband network. This helps identify and mitigate issues before the rollout. Councils provide valuable local insights, ensuring that the network design helps meet community needs and minimises disruptions.

Community engagement: nbn works with councils to develop engagement plans. These plans include communication strategies to inform the community about the network rollout and emergency preparedness. Councils use their local knowledge and channels to disseminate information and engage with the community.

Construction and maintenance: The construction and upgrading of the nbn network involves coordination with councils to ensure smooth implementation. Councils assist by providing feedback about any local concerns. This collaboration helps minimise obstacles and ensuring timely completion of the network infrastructure and upgrades.

Emergency response and recovery: In the event of an emergency, the State and Local Disaster Authorities, nbn, and councils work together to restore connectivity as quickly as possible. This includes prioritising repairs of critical infrastructure to help communication channels remain open for emergency services and the community. The relevant State and Local Disaster Authorities coordinates with nbn and councils to streamline the response and ensure efficient allocation of temporary network infrastructure.

Ongoing collaboration: The partnership between nbn, councils, and the State and Local Disaster Authorities is ongoing. Meetings and updates ensure that all parties are informed about the network’s status and any potential issues. This collaboration helps in maintaining a resilient communication network that can withstand emergencies and support the community’s needs.

In conclusion, emergency preparedness is a shared responsibility that requires collaboration. By understanding how nbn, the State and Local Disaster Authorities and local councils work together, councils can enhance their community’s resilience and readiness for emergencies. Together, we can help our communities remain safe, connected, and prepared for whatever challenges may come.

For more information and resources, visit How to be well-prepared for an emergency

The nbn® is a proud foundation partner of ALGA’s Roads and Infrastructure Congress, National General Assembly and Regional Forum.

It’s been exciting to attend and speak at several state conferences in recent weeks, and learn more about the challenges and issues affecting your councils.

We want to better understand your local situation and how we can provide ‘local solutions to national priorities’.

WALGA’s recent conference in Perth explored the importance of leaving a lasting, positive legacy as a local government.

Last Thursday, I engaged with council leaders and spoke at the MAV conference in Melbourne, where I outlined our key policy achievements and funding priorities to help build stronger, safer and more productive communities.  This aligned well with the conference focus of having shared leadership, and building trust and confidence in local government at a community level.

I was also impressed by comments from Victoria’s Minister for Local Government Nick Staikos about the importance of financial sustainability for councils, and the need to increase federal funding, including through Financial Assistance Grants.

I’m looking forward to attending the 2025 LGAQ Annual Conference from 20-22 October at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Book now for 2025 Roads Congress

With only four weeks to go, I encourage everyone to register for the 2025 National Local Roads, Transport, and Infrastructure Congress in Bendigo from 11-12 November.

This not-to-be-missed annual event will feature a range of high-profile guest speakers, including Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Senator Bridget McKenzie.

The Congress theme for this year is Driving National Productivity, and the event has a strong focus on how roads form an essential part of the nation’s productivity. It’s also a great opportunity to hear about the latest methods on practical road maintenance through to managing a safer road network.

See the full program, and register now.

Jobs and skills audit and survey

Finally, I encourage all councils to participate in the upcoming Local Government Skills Workshops, being delivered in partnership with Public Skills Australia (PSA) as part of the national Local Government Skills Audit and Jobs Survey.

The 2025 LG Skills and Workforce Survey will open later in the year, but the workshops are happening now and are a key opportunity to help shape this work and share insights on workforce challenges and training needs.

Our next workshops will be held in regional Queensland and Melbourne, and I strongly encourage councils to attend.

Learn more here

Climate policy has dominated the headlines over the past fortnight following the release of Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA) and the Federal Government’s revised emissions target.

As the closest government to the community, Australia’s councils are critical to empowering communities and delivering local solutions to create a sustainable and prosperous future for the nation.

The NCRA and National Adaptation Plan underscored the importance of supporting councils to future-proof communities from the changing climate with several references to ALGA’s engagement. Our Adapting Together research was also named in the Net Zero Plan which sits behind the new emissions reduction target.

This ground-breaking research showed councils are already delivering more than $400 million per year in projects to prepare their communities for the changing climate needs, and will invest about $2 billion in adaptation over the next five years.

Local governments are also vital to meeting Australia’s emissions reduction target, with research showing about 90 per cent of local governments have set or have planned emissions reduction targets.

There were some funding announcements at a community level (such as for kerbside EV charging and electrifying sporting clubs) but we need so much more to seriously deliver.

We need additional, non-competitive funding to help scale up our ability to further reduce emissions, including through active and public transport infrastructure, electrifying libraries and swimming pools, and cutting down emissions in landfills.

Investment in councils helps save communities’ money while increasing resilience to the changing climate. 

Your voices at conferences

As we head to the end of the year, many State and Territory Association conferences kick off.

These are important opportunities for councillors to learn new ideas and, most importantly, set the direction for their Associations. In turn, our members use your important discussions and decisions to set the direction for ALGA.

The first of the conferences was held in Western Australia last week.  It was a pleasure to attend and speak at the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) annual event last Wednesday in Perth.

During my speech, I highlighted the importance of financial sustainability for Australia’s 537 councils, and the need to create and build stronger partnerships with all levels of government.

I also spoke about ALGA’s advocacy and research over the past year. At the heart of it all, we’re here to ensure the voices of your councils are heard by key decision-makers in Canberra.

I’m looking forward to presenting to Victorian councils and leaders at the MAV conference in Melbourne on 9 October.

Minister King to attend 2025 Roads Congress

I’m excited to announce Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King will be our special guest speaker at the 2025 National Local Roads, Transport and Infrastructure Congress in Bendigo.

Minister King will deliver the Minister’s Address on 12 November and outline the Federal Government’s national agenda and recent reforms on roads, transport and infrastructure.

The Congress theme for this year is Driving National Productivity, with a strong emphasis on local roads, including funding, maintenance, and infrastructure, as well as discussing how we can support the national productivity agenda.

See the program, featuring guest speakers, and register now.

2026 National State of the Assets

Finally, I encourage all councils across Australia to participate in the 2026 National State of the Assets (NSoA) survey, which you can access here.

We have again partnered with the Institute of Public Works Engineers Australasia (IPWEA) to gather data and asset information from councils for the 2026 NSoA report.

I urge everyone to participate in the NSoA survey – which takes less than an hour to complete – as it provides a valuable and comprehensive evidence base for advocating for better roads and infrastructure funding in the future.

The final report and summary are expected to be released mid-next year.

The Federal Government is reminding councils they have until 31 October 2025 to submit audited annual reports for the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program.

The construction period for approved LRCI projects for phases 1, 2 and 3 ended on 30 June 2024, while phase 4 projects finished on 30 June 2025.  The LRCI program officially ends on 30 June next year.

Unless the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts of Infrastructure has approved an extension for projects to be completed during 2025-26, this is the last audited annual report councils need to submit for the program.

An annual report for 2024-25 is required for each phase of the program where councils spent funds during the financial year.

Local governments can contact LRCIP@infrastructure.gov.au if assistance is needed on annual reporting.

See more information.