What are we asking for?
$500 million per year for a four-year extension of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.
Why is it important?
The $2.5 billion Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program announced in the 2020-21 Federal Budget has supported all 537 councils across Australia to deliver thousands of shovel-ready projects.
These projects have supported jobs and local economies and helped our communities to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
By 10 March 2021, local governments had nominated over 4800 projects under the LRCI Program.
Many councils around the country have shovel-ready projects already identified in their long-term financial plans that could be brought forward with funding support from other tiers of government.
Extending this program would also benefit Australians in every corner of the nation through the creation of new libraries, sporting facilities, community centres, roads, recreation trails and playgrounds.
How would it support our communities?
With support from Phase 1 of the Commonwealth’s Local Road and Community Infrastructure, Lachlan Shire Council was able to commence work on a renewable energy project that will save its community more than $140,000 per year.
The installation of 612KWh of solar power panels on 14 council-owned building, as well as 180KWh of battery storage, has helped the council reduce its energy consumption by 27 percent and carbon footprint by 792 tonnes per annum.
Lachlan Shire Mayor John Medcalf OAM said: “We are very proud of what we have achieved so far and have future plans to further reduce our impact on the environment.”
“However, with a population of only 6,200 residents, we will once again be relying on support from higher levels of government to continue making these improvements for our community.”
