Win! Minister backs local government in Parliament
It was tremendous to hear Local Government Minister Kristy McBain singing the praises of local councils during a Question Time speech in Parliament on 1 December.
She applauded our sector as a “trusted delivery partner” and “the only level of government who deliver services to every town, village and community across this country.”
As a former mayor, Minister McBain understands not just the challenges facing your councils, but the outstanding services you provide to local communities every day.
Roads Emergency Advocacy
We’re working to put your local government calls on the national agenda, this week releasing new figures estimating the flooding damage to local roads, cycleways and footpaths this year to be in the vicinity of $3.8 billion.
We joined with the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) to call for a major rethink of pavement construction, maintenance and funding, resulting in widespread media coverage including in the Australian Financial Review and on ABC radio. I also spoke to several radio stations and appeared on Sky News about the roads emergency.
Local government know we need to break the cycle of rebuilding roads and footpaths by increasing federal Roads to Recovery funding from $500 million to $800 million per year to help councils invest in building more resilient infrastructure.
Happy holidays
Finally, I wish you and your families a happy holidays and hope you enjoy some rest and relaxation.
Working together, we have achieved some outstanding results for the local communities we represent, and I look forward to an even bigger and better 2023!