With the Federal election set for 3 May, I encourage all councils to get behind our push for long-term sustainable local government funding.
We are asking the next Australian Government to Put Our Communities First and have outlined five key funding priorities, as a significant uplift to all councils’ budgets, that would support us to deliver local solutions to national priorities:
- $1.1 billion per year for enabling infrastructure to unlock housing supply,
- $500 million per year for community infrastructure,
- $600 million per year for safer local roads,
- $900 million per year for increased local government emergency management capability and capacity, and
- $400 million per year for climate adaptation.
We need non-competitive, formula-based funding for all councils in these priorities so we can engage our communities and plan budgets with certainty.
Please continue to engage with your federal MPs and local candidates to highlight the funding our communities need.
The current funding model is broken and that’s why we need your engagement this election to deliver ‘fair funding’ for all local governments.
Federal Budget 2025-26
Australia’s councils were let down last week after there were no new local government programs announced in the 2025-26 Federal Budget.
While we received an extra $316 million in direct funding in the Budget, including a $144 million increase in Financial Assistance Grants, councils and communities were largely overlooked with no new programs to address our financial sustainability emergency.
Please watch my short video to learn more about the funding outcomes in the Budget.
Register for 2025 Regional Forum
Finally, we invite registrations for the 2025 Regional Cooperation and Development Forum on Tuesday 24 June in Canberra.
The Regional Forum – which precedes our National General Assembly (NGA) – offers delegates from regional areas an opportunity to discuss a range of issues and challenges. This year’s forum includes sessions on the state of the regions, driving efficiency through technology, rural mental health, creating vibrant communities and safer roads.
We have assembled several high-profile speakers including leading social commentator and demographer Bernard Salt, National Rural Health Commissioner Professor Jenny May and road safety expert Principal Engineer Kenn Beer.
You can also register now for our 2025 NGA, with a theme of ‘National Priorities Need Local Solutions’.