PM announces boost for community infrastructure
18 June 2010
More than 400 of Australia's 565 mayors are at Parliament House today to meet with the Prime Minister and senior ministers as part of the Australian Council of Local Government (ACLG).
Speaking at the meeting, the President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), Cr Geoff Lake, welcomed the close partnership that was continuing to develop between the national and local levels of government.
"Over the course of the Rudd Government, there has been a deepening partnership between our two levels of government. Never before has there been such a formal link between Australia's local councils and our national government.
"Over the past 18 months, councils have been delivering thousands of local projects worth more than $1 billion as part of the Rudd Government's stimulus spending. This has been the single biggest injection of funds into local government in decades.
"Not only have these projects boosted local employment in communities across the nation, but they have provided the sort of community infrastructure which makes our suburbs, towns and rural areas much more liveable."
As part of the meeting today, Cr Lake presented the Prime Minister with a new publication showcasing a selection of the local projects funded under the stimulus package and which demonstrate the strength of the emerging partnership between the two levels of government. Ongoing funding for the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program (RLCIP) is one of the key elements of ALGA's 10 Point Plan for the election released earlier this week at the National General Assembly of Local Government.
Speaking at the beginning of deliberations, the Prime Minister announced a further $100 million investment into community infrastructure. The $100 million will be shared between all councils. Each local government will be allocated the same amount of funding as in the last round of the RLCIP.
"We very much welcome this further investment in jobs and infrastructure at the local level", Cr Lake said. "This continues the strong partnership established between our respective levels of government."
As part of today's deliberations, mayors will get the chance to question the Prime Minister and senior ministers in a 'community cabinet' style format ahead of breaking into one-on-one and small group meetings with portfolio ministers.
"I expect a range of issues to be raised by mayors, including approaches to adapting to climate change, future nation building major infrastructure and the roll-out of the National Broadband Network", Cr Lake concluded.
- Media contacts:
- ALGA President, Cr Geoff Lake: 0411 645 281
- Amanda Lynch, ALGA Director Public Affairs, 0419 123 862
