Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Will the minister outline the government’s plan to support local economies and communities and to forge a new partnership with local government?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Here in Parliament House last week over 400 of the nation’s mayors and shire presidents gathered to meet with the Rudd cabinet. They represented an estimated 96 per cent of Australia’s population. They came to Canberra to engage in a new partnership between the national government and local government. This was the delivery of our election pledge to create an Australian Council of Local Government. There was much debate at the meeting about advancing reform and improving efficiencies in local government so that we can move forward in a cooperative way. This built on the $1.9 billion that the Rudd government allocated to financial assistance grants in this year’s budget, a record amount, and we also, of course, increased the Roads to Recovery program up to $1.75 billion, an increase of $250 million.

At the Council of Local Government meeting, we announced $8 million for a centre of excellence for local government so that we can encourage best practice on the ground in local communities from local government, and, of course, we announced $300 million for the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program. This will stimulate local economies, it will create local jobs and it will make a real difference to the quality of life on the ground in local communities—support for building libraries, support for fixing up town halls and community centres, support for sporting grounds and support for local parks and playgrounds. Indeed, local government around the nation has responded extremely positively to this, because we know that local capital works are a very effective way of stimulating the economy.

Indeed, $250 million has been allocated across every council and shire, 72 per cent to rural and regional councils. Every single council will receive a grant of at least $100,000, and the remainder of the $250 million is to be divided up according to the formula done by the state and territory grants commissions—the state and territory grants commissions, formula determined in 1996-97 by the former government. So that is the formula. We have a transparent process, I might add, if you compare it with the disgraceful Regional Partnerships program or the Sustainable Regions Program, which plucked out little areas based upon politics and funded them. This is a transparent process. Indeed, it is one in which, according to the formula, just two of the top 10 seats to receive money under this program are held by this side of the House; one independent-held seat, the electorate of Kennedy, is in the top 10; and the others are all held by the coalition. This is a government that believes in transparency and in delivering to local communities based upon need, not based upon political need, which is the way that the former government did its regional development programs, and it is not surprising that this has been universally welcomed by local government.