Chris Hayes (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural Australian Council of Local Government here in Parliament House, Canberra, along with representatives of the various local governments in my electorate of Werriwa in the south-west of Sydney. This was a historic occasion and provided an excellent opportunity for local government and the federal government to forge a new dialogue and work together. It is about the Australian government working in partnership with local government to the benefit of local communities and to find local solutions. Notably it will mark the start of a new era in this vital partnership. For too long, buck-passing, rivalry and a lack of cooperation between our three levels of government have undermined Australia’s ability to build and forge a modern economy capable of meeting the challenges of the future.

The meeting also saw further development in the Rudd government’s Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program. As part of this program local government representatives from my electorate, including Campbelltown, Liverpool and Camden, welcomed the allocation of funds from the Rudd government’s $300 million community infrastructure stimulus package to help local economies respond to the global financial crisis. Campbell Town City Council was offered $1.57 million, the Liverpool City Council was offered $1.258 million and Camden Council was offered $606,000. This is more than $3.2 million that will be delivered under local infrastructure that directly impacts on the quality of life of residents in my local community. This is a chance to get moving on important local projects—things like sporting field upgrades, amenities blocks, environmental water systems and cycleways. It will enable local government to get moving on important grassroots projects that will benefit our community. Importantly, the building of community infrastructure also creates local jobs and stimulates the local economy. To ensure that the stimulative effects of this package are delivered to the local economy as quickly as possible, the projects must be capable of being delivered under this program by 30 June 2009.

The Rudd Labor government recognises that maintaining a national economic growth requires improved economic performance of every part of the Australian economy and local government, in particular. The government which is closest to the local community will form a critical role in achieving these national goals. This initiative is some welcome relief for my constituents and all those communities in the south-west of Sydney that are feeling the pinch of this global economic crisis. It is in this spirit that we want to take our level of partnership to the next stage and provide better infrastructure and better services for all Australians. (Time expired)