The Palaszczuk Government is to be congratulated for its commitment to reform the system of grants and subsidies to local government.
Local Government Association of Queensland chief executive Greg Hallam welcomed Minister Stirling Hinchliffe’s announcement today of a more streamlined and efficient model for the distribution of grants.
Mr Hallam said grants reform was at the heart of local councils’ drive to deliver services and infrastructure to their communities as efficiently as possible.
“Councils know better than any other level of government what their communities need in order to grow regional economies and maintain Queensland’s enviable lifestyle,” he said.
Mr Hallam said that, since 2016, the LGAQ had called for an overhaul of the grants and subsidies framework, saying the current model hindered effective long-term planning.
“We need to achieve a baseline of funding to local government of at least $600 million a year plus indexation and a state-wide dedicated allocative annual fund for essential services and infrastructure.
“This move is a great start to achieving that program of reform, one that is fundamental to ensuring local communities continue to thrive.”
“Local governments are responsible for maintaining $150 billion in infrastructure and delivering more than 300 services to their communities every day. They need certainty in the level and form of the funding to ensure that they can plan and deliver for their communities