Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House request the Prime Minister and Treasurer to:

(1) direct the Commonwealth Grants Commission to allocate an annual fixed percentage of Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue directly to the 654 local councils throughout Australia;

(2) include this annual allocation as part of the GST Review currently underway and for implementation through any required legislative or executive government processes; and

(3) consider constitutional recognition of local government only in the event of any successful legal challenge to the direct annual allocation of GST revenue to local councils within Australia.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I put this motion because local government in Australia is resource deprived, the local road network in Australia is failing—peak engineers groups throughout the country have identified that fact—and the revenue structure to support local government is a problem which needs to be fixed. This motion is just one suggestion to try to start the policy debate. It does not look like the vote is going to go well today, but I hope that we can pretty quickly do something to establish a better revenue flow to local government in Australia, particularly considering the significant failure of the local road network throughout the country.

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

State governments have taken on responsibility after responsibility. Every time there is an article in the newspaper, they race off and legislate to create greater responsibilities for themselves. But they do not shoulder the responsibilities themselves; they put the responsibilities upon the local authorities. The policing of the pollution act in Queensland is very costly indeed. All of the policing is of the building laws, which the state government has implemented but for which the local authorities have to pick up the bill.

Both the member for Lyne and I have a number of key bridges in our electorates which are falling to pieces, almost to the point where they are becoming dangerous. There is simply no money in north Queensland, where we have very, very limited access to the high-elevation rainforest. One of the Survivor episodes was shot at the Kirrama Range Road to Blencoe Falls because the scenery there is very spectacular, and at the top of the Kirrama Range Road there is a stand of the magnificent Eucalyptus grandis, the biggest tree in Australia. But there is no money to improve access to the Eucalyptus grandisand theBlencoe Falls, two magnificent tourist attractions which are of world standard. The road has fallen to pieces, and it would be very difficult for the local government by itself to restore it. The member for New England often refers to the 'decaying' state governments. I think that that is probably a true characterisation of them, and I most wholeheartedly support the motion put forward by the member for Lyne.

Yvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the member for Lyne's motion be agreed to.

A division having been called and the bells having been rung—

As there are fewer than five members on the side for the ayes, I declare the question negatived in accordance with standing order 127. The names of those members who are in the minority will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.