Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that:

(a) Australia's local government sector is a vital partner in the delivery of local infrastructure and services across our nation; and

(b) a financially sustainable local government sector is essential for the social, economic, cultural and environmental benefits it can deliver;

(2) notes that the:

(a) budget failed to provide the funding required to allow Australia's 537 local councils to meet the needs of their communities;

(b) Government has failed to keep its promise to deliver 'fair increases' to local government; and

(c) Australian Local Government Association described the budget as 'incredibly disappointing to many councils and communities'; and

(3) urges the Government to work with councils across Australia to reduce the cost of living pressures on ratepayers and deliver the infrastructure and services our communities need.

If I were to try to describe my political beliefs in just one word, it would be 'localism'. It's the very simple idea that the wisdom of local people should be respected, that local people should have more control over what happens in their local areas and that local businesses should be supported and helped to prosper. Localism is our best opportunity in regional Australia to deliver the services and infrastructure our communities need. But, of course, under our centralised system of government, federal governments receive most of the revenue and then distribute it to the states and local government areas. Hopefully they'll do that fairly, hopefully with strategic national policies and targets in mind and hopefully with enough scope for innovation and flexibility on the ground in our local communities. But I say 'hopefully' because, in reality, that's not the situation under this government.

The modern Labor Party is philosophically opposed to local economy and localism. With its 'Canberra knows best' attitude, this modern Labor Party has presided over decisions which have divided Australians, where the elites in the city don't trust regional people to make decisions that are in their own best interests. We've seen it with Labor's approach to slashing jobs in the native hardwood timber industry, the mining sector and live sheep exports and with ignorant plans to buy back water from the Murray-Darling Basin. This is command and control from people who don't want to actually live in our communities. They don't want to live with us; they just want to tell us how to live our lives, what jobs we can have and what we're allowed to build, and they want to intrude into our pastimes, like hunting or recreational fishing. This is the exact opposite of localism. We need to resist this Labor approach, which is in partnership with their mates, unfortunately, in the teals and the Australian Greens.

In government, the Labor Party wants local councils to come begging to them, cap in hand, asking for more money and bidding under competitive grants programs which are fundamentally unfair and discriminatory to our smaller councils. Labor came to government promising fair increases in funding for local government. Before the 2022 federal election, the Labor Party promised fair increases to local government funding, but it has actually delivered cuts to several programs which our councils relied on. Even the Australian Local Government Association has acknowledged it's a broken promise.

In the middle of the cost-of-living crisis, the burden is falling more on family budgets as ratepayers are forced to fund the cost-shifting and the widening gaps in demand for new infrastructure, maintenance and critical services in our local council areas. Labor has waged war on regional grants programs which our councils have relied on to deliver the infrastructure and services their communities need. We've seen programs abolished right across regional Australia.

What a wasted two years we've seen from those opposite. Not a single regional grants program has actually delivered any project in our regional communities, not even one. With no new funding for regional community infrastructure, the Albanese government has actually created an investment drought, because the pipeline of projects funded by the previous government is virtually complete. Just last month we saw the evidence of this, with the minister finally announcing the first projects under her much-trumpeted but yet to be delivered Growing Regions Program. The Growing Regions Program finally announced just $206 million, against applications which totalled $2.7 billion. It's a pittance after two years of doing absolutely nothing. The backlog in demand for funding is no surprise and has been growing every year because Labor has failed to deliver any funding for two financial years and has lived vicariously off the coalition's policy success.

The greatest insult of all this hypocrisy is Labor ministers and senators turning up to cut the ribbons and unveil the plaques on projects that they had absolutely nothing to do with and that, in many cases, came from programs that had ceased to exist. They love our programs so much they turn up for the openings, they cut the ribbons, they unveil the plaques and then they cut the funding for the program going forward. Instead of parading around Australia, taking credit for projects they had nothing to do with and were funded by the previous government, perhaps the Albanese Labor government should be partnering with local councils to deliver new infrastructure projects in the communities in need.

To be fair, perhaps I'm being a bit too critical. I need to be more optimistic. The member for Parkes will tell me that from time to time as well. Labor has delivered one outcome for local government, one huge achievement for local government, after two years. Labor has given local government an inquiry. After two years in government, Labor has launched an inquiry into the financial sustainability of local government—talk about kicking the can down the potholed road. Apparently the minister can't read the dozens of reports and submissions that have already been submitted to them by individual local councils and representative organisations over a period of years. The Albanese cabinet ministers have outsourced their jobs to a parliamentary committee with a pointless inquiry. It's time to start respecting local government and working in partnership to deliver the services and the critical infrastructure we need. (Time expired)

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, it is.

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do you reserve your right to speak?

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I certainly do, but I'll wait for the member for Robertson.

Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The federal Labor government understands that strong communities must have strong local governments, and that is why the Australian government is making significant investments into local governments right across Australia. My local government, the Central Coast Council, has received an increase in its funding thanks to the federal Labor government. The Central Coast region will benefit from the federal Labor government's increase to the Roads to Recovery Program, with Central Coast Council receiving $24.39 million over the next five years, which is $10.53 million more than it was forecast to receive under the previous Liberal government.

As a government, we understand how important it is that local governments across the country, especially in regional and rural areas, have the resources to address local infrastructure needs. In my region, the No. 1 issue that is raised with me is local road infrastructure. While I am regularly doorknocking or calling into my community, people invariably discuss potholes, crumbling road infrastructure, lack of footpaths, kerb and guttering, and drainage. These deficiencies are a direct result of a decade of Liberal and National governments; exacerbating this matter was an ineffective former member for Roberston.

I'm proud to have also secured $40 million for Central Coast Council under the Central Coast Roads Package. This funding is already helping council address local priority roads that require renewal. In total, 45 local Central Coast roads will receive road renewal works thanks to this pool of funding from the Commonwealth government. To date, Rickard Road in Empire Bay, a road that was crumbling apart under the formal Liberal government, has been churned up and resealed—a welcome relief for the community living along this road and for those motorists who frequent the suburb. Similarly, Scenic Road at MacMasters Beach, a road with atrocious conditions that were again ignored by the formal Liberal member, has now been churned and resealed.

Our government is not only helping local governments repair, renew and rebuild local roads; we are also helping provide the supporting community infrastructure that complements local roads like footpaths. In the 2024-25 federal budget, I was pleased to note that the department of infrastructure's new Active Transport Fund has been established. This $100 million program will help upgrade and deliver new bicycle and walking paths right across Australia. This will support zero emissions travel, provide a safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians and promote active and liveable communities. Safe and accessible active transport options like walking and cycling help boost social connection, help promote healthy choices and make our cities and regions a more vibrant place to live.

In my electorate I will be strongly advocating to the Australian government for this, particularly for the residents of the peninsula, including the suburbs of Woy Woy, Umina Beach, Ettalong Beach, Booker Bay and Blackwall, who for too long have been overlooked by former governments when it comes to community infrastructure. Likewise for Avoca Beach, where I'm continuing to support the local community's campaign to secure a shared pathway along Avoca Drive from the Scenic Highway roundabout to Heazlett Park. Already over 2,000 people have signed our petition calling for this shared pathway, with that figure continuing to grow daily.

The federal Labor government is also assisting Central Coast Council to renew and refurbish local sporting facilities right across the region. In particular, I am pleased that the Commonwealth government has provided the council with funding to renew the clubhouse at Frost Reserve in Kincumber. This is because the clubhouse is no longer fit for purpose and lacks the functionality required of a modern sporting facility. The progress of this project is ongoing, and the demolition and construction is earmarked to commence once plans are finalised with relevant stakeholders.

In the 2024-25 federal budget the government announced a range of cost-of-living measures for every Australian, which includes ratepayers right across this country, in local government areas like the Central Coast. From 1 July every Australian household will receive a $300 energy rebate to help with energy costs. This assistance also includes $325 rebates for eligible small businesses. From 1 July every Australian taxpayer will receive a tax cut. In Robertson, that represents 66,000 taxpayers who will receive a tax cut of an average of $1,580. Our tax cut will help deliver a bigger tax cut for Middle Australia to help with the cost of living. In my electorate 56,000 people, 85 per cent, will be better off under our tax cuts. The facts are there. The federal Labor government supports our local governments whether they be in the bush, on the coast or in the city.

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to back up my colleague and friend the member for Gippsland on this important motion. I'm a little bit confused by the contribution of my colleague the member for Robertson just then, because a previous member for Robertson who is now a senator for New South Wales, Senator O'Neill, came to my electorate a couple of weeks ago and said, 'We've stopped the rorts and the slush funds.' I thought: 'Good news! We don't like that.' Then I found out today that there's a Central Coast roads fund, for $40 million or something. With great respect to the member for Robertson, he could rollerskate across his electorate in a couple of hours. What is he going to do with all that money? It takes 13½ hours to drive across my electorate. There is no western New South Wales roads fund—oh, he's gone! That's the point exactly.

As a former mayor, I'm a great believer in the primacy of local government. There are about 536 local governments around Australia. I know that in my electorate there are 18 local government areas. We don't always agree on everything, but I certainly understand that those local councils are the primary representatives of those communities. The relationship that the previous government had with them through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program was one of the most effective I've seen in my time in parliament. They know what their communities need. They employ locally. Quite frankly, of all the federal funding that has gone into my electorate, the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program is probably the best bang for buck for the Australian taxpayer.

I will give you a good example. I have got a village by the name of Goodooga. Goodooga is near the Queensland border. It is predominantly an Aboriginal community. Brewarrina Shire is the council area. They are a very good, proactive council. Through the LRCI, they had upgraded the local bore baths. They employed local people. Tommy Lukas from Brewarrina and his team employed a lot of local Aboriginal folk in working on that. In conjunction with some road funding they achieved, there's now a sealed road going all the way to Goodooga, which they built themselves. There was also some other funding they got from the previous government for a new supermarket and a petrol station. Now one of the most iconic and beautiful parts of New South Wales has access.

Deputy Speaker, I'm reminded of one of your trips north to go through there. It is a beautiful place, and there are up to 50 vans a night at those bore baths. That project wouldn't have been thought of in Canberra. That was something that the local people knew was needed. The local people were employed to build it and now the local people are getting the benefits of having those tourists come in. Their spending is helping keep the store viable. Otherwise, it might struggle with just a small community. That's a classic example. All over my electorate, those 18 council areas really worked closely with me and my office and got some great results.

I've already made a speech about Senator O'Neill's uncalled-for comments about ending rorts and slush funds. We had the sporting grants that went out but caught great derision from the other side. I want to ask the members on the other side: do they think it's inappropriate for the girls playing sport at Mungindi to have to get changed in the front of a vehicle because there were no change rooms for girls? They now have a just-about-completed sporting—

What are you talking about? There was no clubhouse for girls; now there is. That looks like a positive movement to me.

An honourable member interjecting—

Senator O'Neill will be up there! She's going to write her memoirs: 'My Time in the New World'. Anyway, this is an important thing. A little bit of advice for nothing to the members of the government: look after local government because, if they want to get the best bang for their buck for taxpayers' funds, they will do it through local government.

Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For many years before becoming the member for Werriwa, I served my local community as a councillor on Liverpool City Council. To serve as a councillor is a great privilege. I have seen the positive outcomes that a good council can deliver for a community, especially when working constructively with state and federal governments. A local government often plays a leading and critical role in solving the issues most Australians are concerned with, whether it's local roads needing repair, inadequate housing supply, a lack of local parks or uncollected rubbish. These are the issues that are being felt now more than ever. We all hear about it. We all see it. In fact, my office regularly receives inquiries on the issues relating to local government, especially regarding local roads.

Over the past decade, my community has seen continued neglect and deterioration of local infrastructure at the hands of successive coalition governments at state, federal and local levels. Our communities, which are amongst the fastest growing in our country, have been underfunded and neglected while successive coalition governments issued press release projects that never materialised. As a result, we have suffered. Our growing communities don't have the adequate infrastructure they need to thrive.

But I've seen a dramatic shift since the election of the Albanese government in 2022 and the New South Wales Minns government in 2023. Finally, for the first time in a decade, our local communities are receiving some of their fair share. In the May 2024 budget, the Albanese government committed an additional $1.9 billion for Western Sydney road and rail infrastructure. This includes funding for 14 new projects and two existing projects. The budget includes $1 billion for enabling infrastructure for the Housing Support Program priority work stream, building on an already committed $500 million through the Housing Support Program. The budget also delivers substantial funding for Roads to Recovery and the Black Spot Program. Roads to Recovery funding will progressively increase from $500 million per year to $1 billion per year, doubling the amount of funding local councils will receive to maintain their local road infrastructure. The Black Spot Program will also increase from $110 million to $150 million per year, ensuring more funding to local councils for road safety upgrades.

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting several upgrades to local roads with the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, the Hon. Kristy McBain. These are upgrades that are only possible because of the Albanese government's increased investment in local government and upgrades that were long overdue and will benefit my community, such as the resurfacing of Hill Road in Lurnea and surface, gutter and kerb improvements along Gabo Crescent in Sadleir. Both projects were fully funded by the federal government under the Roads to Recovery Program, which will deliver $12.59 million to Liverpool City Council, a boost of $5.4 million thanks to the Albanese government.

The funding for my community does not stop there. Under phase 4 of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, $2.25 million is being delivered to Liverpool City Council for local roads, building on the $10.5 million in untied financial assistance grant funding in this financial year, the $28 million in federal funding under the Local Roads Package and the $1.1 million for local road safety projects under the road Black Spot Program.

The Albanese government is making significant investments in local councils across Australia, because this government understands they are the best place to deliver for our communities. It is time for local councils, especially Liverpool City Council, to follow through and deliver on the projects that have already received substantial government funding. Our community deserves better than a mayor who has placed his own political survival and feuds ahead of the interests of locals. Residents are crying out for their roads to be fixed, yet Liverpool City Council are yet to spend the funding that's been allocated to them. Come September, I hope that we see a Liverpool City Council and councillors that are better able to represent the interests of our community and work constructively with state and federal governments.

Local government is the engine room for change in our local communities, and the Albanese government is fuelling that engine. The most recent budget shows that this government is serious about working with local governments, and it is time for councils to use the federal money they have to improve local infrastructure.

Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to support this motion. I thank the member for Gippsland for introducing it to the chamber today. Like the member for Gippsland, I understand the importance of local government in delivering important infrastructure and services across Australia, particularly in regional areas. So often, when we hear conversation about local government, the old RRR acronym gets thrown around—it's often used to disparage and lessen the role of local governments—'roads, rates and rubbish'. I can assure you—and Deputy Speaker Sharkie will no doubt agree with me—that local government in regional Australia are responsible for far more than that.

In Western Australia, we have seen examples over the years of local governments going well and truly above and beyond for their communities, whether that's by incentivising GPs to operate in their community or trying to address the drastic housing shortages that now exist. They are in charge of not just the local library and the local pool but other very, very important community assets.

Just on housing, I regularly meet with local governments across Durack, and I've heard plenty of times about communities being let down by the WA state Labor government. I would like to suggest to the Albanese government that they consider looking to invest directly into local government, bypassing state governments altogether, as a potential solution for housing shortages—particularly across regional WA—because I believe local governments can be trusted with this very important role.

There are over 40 local government areas within my electorate of Durack. Some are home to tens of thousands of residents, like the City of Greater Geraldton, or just a few hundred, like the Shire of Cue. No matter the size of the local council, on this side of the House we know that it is local government that are most in tune with community needs, and that's why we trusted local government to deliver road projects and important community infrastructure.

I'm very proud of the support that we on this side offered to local government authorities across Australia. This included $21.7 billion through the Financial Assistance Grant program and $3 billion of support through the innovative Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, which was particularly important in keeping councils going through the pandemic. Another great aspect of this program was that the funding to the council wasn't tied and, therefore, it assisted local councils to be able to invest in that low-hanging fruit when they were unable to find other pots of money to pay for that. I've seen many good examples of that, right throughout Durack. We also delivered $6.2 billion through the Roads to Recovery Program, which supported the maintenance of the nation's local road infrastructure assets, facilitating greater accessibility and improving safety, economic and social outcomes for Australians. We provided a further $676 million in the Bridges Renewal Program to provide funding for upgrades to bridges that provide access for local communities and that facilitate vehicle access to enhance the local community, which is particularly important in those very, very remote parts of Western Australia.

Before the last election the Labor Party promised fair increases to local government funding, yet all they have done is cut program after program that my councils have relied upon. The Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, which I previously mentioned, is just one of the many programs that has been abandoned by this Albanese Labor government.

Another disgraceful example of Labor's disregard for the needs of regional Western Australia was clearly demonstrated through their recent announcement of the successful recipients of the Growing Regions Fund. Some 90 per cent of projects that were initially assessed as worthy by the regional development department were rejected. This includes several projects for my electorate of Durack. The Albanese government has confirmed that the program was underspent by $93.4 million or by 31 per cent—so there were clearly other projects they could have approved. If you ever needed an example of the Labor Party not supporting regional Australia, there it is right there, underspent by 31 per cent. This is a real slap in the face to regional communities and all of those really hardworking local governments who invested so much time and effort and—dare I say it—in some cases, financial resources to produce detailed business cases and quality applications.

It is clear that the Albanese government is taking councils for granted. The federal budget has been a miserable failure, and the work of councils to deliver liveable communities deserves more respect than they're receiving today. Our local councils— (Time expired)

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's always amusing getting lectures from those opposite who claimed before the 2013 election that they'd not cut any funding for regional roads or for health, education and a whole bunch of other areas. It said no cuts to the ABC. In the first budget of the Abbott government, they put a three-year indexation freeze on grants to local government which resulted in $925 million in grants to local government being cut. On top of that, I can vividly remember them allowing 30 June to expire so the Roads to Recovery funding didn't actually happen. They had to bring in legislation to get it done because they didn't even prioritise that particular funding, even though it was bipartisan and we supported the arrangement for the continuation of the Roads to Recovery funding. So $925 million in funding cuts from those opposite to local councils, and they come in here give us lectures about supposed cuts to local councils.

We are putting regional Australia at the centre of a prosperous and resilient future. There was a decade in which those opposite continued to deliver cuts and they failed to support regional infrastructure. They prioritised their own National Party seats on various occasions through the structure of the way they did their regional funding.

The reality is that we've increased funding to local councils for critical local infrastructure—something the coalition not only failed to do but they actually cut the funding. It's an absolute fact that they cut funding back when they were in government. We're delivering record funding for local infrastructure to councils, billions of dollars towards transport and road safety. We're making local roads safer with $4.4 billion under the Roads to Recovery Program and we've committed to progressively double the program to $1 billion annually, something the coalition never did when they were in government. We delivered that in the 2024-25 budget.

As part of this funding boost, local governments in every state and territory will receive additional resources, something that seems to be absent in the understanding of the member for Gippsland. His own home state of Victoria will receive $895 million over five years, an increase of $368 million. My home state of Queensland will receive a similar amount over five years, an increase of $353 million. In my own electorate, investment in Roads to Recovery funding for council will be a massive $132.2 million dollars. This means every single council in Australia will receive more funding for local road infrastructure under this Labor government.

The Black Spot Program will also rise substantially, from $110 million to $150 million per year—something the member for Gippsland seems to have forgotten as well, even though it's in the budget papers—meaning more money is available for improving some of the most dangerous sections of our roads, and intersections as well. The new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program has $200 million available per year—$50 million more than was in the two programs that it replaced. Again, this is something the member for Gippsland seems to have forgotten.

Not only are we delivering more funding for local infrastructure; the government has returned integrity to grant programs following the shameful record of those opposite. We're delivering community infrastructure that benefits communities across the country, over boondoggles and pork-barrelling. For the first time, under this government, all communities, regardless of where they are, will have access to open, transparent and competitive community infrastructure grants programs.

Early on we committed an extra $250 million to phase 4 of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program to improve the safety of local roads across the country. In fact, Ipswich City Council and Somerset Regional Council in my electorate received more than $5 million collectively in phase 4 of the program, much of which was used to fix roads damaged in the 2022 floods.

Finally, under this program, the financial assistance grants to local government have actually increased and will increase in each and every budget. There was $2.8 billion in 2022-23, and there will be $3.2 billion in 2023-24 and $3.27 billion in 2024-25. In contrast, from 2014 to 2017 the coalition, as I said, froze indexation, which led to a loss of what was initially thought to be $925 million but got upwards, in retrospect, of close to $1 billion. We've acknowledged the changing services and demands on councils. We're committed to providing fair and appropriate funding to support them and the essential work they do. I urge the member for Gippsland to actually read the budget papers and not the National Party talking points. (Time expired)

Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Gippsland for this motion. Like him, I recognise the important role local government plays in rural and regional electorates like ours. Councils aren't just responsible for roads, rates and rubbish. They provide so many more vital services to communities: health and aged-care services, transport, libraries, pools and parks. I'm pleased that the Standing Committee on Regional Development Infrastructure and Transport, which I'm a member of, is currently undertaking an inquiry into local government sustainability. This will help us understand the challenges local governments face in providing community services and explore the ways that we as a Commonwealth can better support them.

Challenges faced by regional, rural or remote councils in particular stem from the fact that they have fewer ratepayers than metropolitan councils. Despite this, they often have just as many, if not more, services and assets to provide and maintain for their populations. Rural and remote councils, for example, look after thousands more kilometres of road. In my electorate, Indigo Shire has 1,500 kilometres of road. The rural city of Wangaratta maintains 2,000 kilometres of road network. On top of this, after recent flooding events rural roads are eroding before our very eyes. Councils are struggling to find the funds to repair them, let alone build them back better to withstand future natural disasters.

Earlier this month I met with the managers of the Breakaway Twin Rivers Caravan Park in Acheron, on the banks of the Goulburn River, where the community is still waiting for the Breakaway Bridge to be replaced following significant flooding in October 2022. It's no mistake that this bridge has this name. The community desperately need their bridge replaced, but limited federal funding prevents the council from building back better and decreasing the likelihood of the bridge being swept away in the future. There are many bridges like Breakaway Bridge across rural Australia where councils need more federal assistance to build back with greater resilience.

That's why I was pleased to see some additional help for councils through the increased funding for the Roads to Recovery Program under the budget. This will now rise from $500 million to $1 billion per year. This funding directly impacts the quality of our local roads, allowing potholes to be filled and repaired and culverts to be installed so we can all get home safely. This new funding for roads is welcome, but, like the member for Gippsland, I can't see much more in the budget for local governments in regional and rural areas.

In particular, I was disappointed not to see more funding for the government's signature Growing Regions Program and for the Regional Partnerships and Precincts Program. These programs are some of the only government policies truly dedicated to regional development. Local governments in my electorate applied for these programs to fund projects for recreation facilities, art galleries and community hubs to name but some. I want to see these applicants succeed because I want to see regional communities succeed, and I know many other members in this House do too.

I've been asked many times, actually, whether advocating for these projects in my electorate is pork-barrelling. Pork-barrelling is a practice in politics and in the allocation of grants that I want to see end, but, in a fair system with good rules, guidelines and processes, the best projects are funded not because of who advocate the loudest but because they have merit and address community need. In a fair and robust system, members of this place could advocate loudly for projects in their electorates, knowing that the rules would still ensure a fair process, irrespective of whether they're in a marginal electorate.

The Growing Regions Program and the RPPP have clear guidelines and selection criteria and robust processes, and I congratulate the government on that. The biggest problem, though, with these programs is they aren't big enough to respond to the need. Applications to the Growing Regions Program totalled more than $1.7 billion, and we also know, from Senate estimates, that 311 projects were deemed suitable for funding, with the total amount applied for under those projects at $1.4 billion. This program has only $600 million to distribute over two rounds of $300 million. Under the first round, the government funded just $207 million, which is less than what the budget allocated. As we can see, it's a fraction of what the department deemed suitable for funding. It leaves $93 million unspent in a program that is clearly oversubscribed.

I don't understand this. There is a clear demand from local councils for more federal financial assistance. I urge the government to add more money to the Growing Regions Program and the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program to help our councils better deliver their infrastructure. I urge them: spend the $93 million that's still there.

Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese government already has a proud record on local government spending, some of which I will cover in the time allowed. But this motion is a cynical one. The member for Gippsland knows this nation's capital is about to be descended upon by 700 or more worthy local government representatives, including those from the cities of Swan and Kalamunda and the Shire of Mundaring, in Hasluck. He wants to pretend that the coalition is the best friend of local government, and nothing could be further from the truth.

From 2014 to 2017, the coalition froze the indexation of the Financial Assistance Grants program. Local councils fell behind then and have been borrowing from Peter to pay Paul ever since. It is in the light of the long-term effects of those coalition cuts that the minister has asked the parliament to review the financial sustainability of local governments. The Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport, chaired by my friend the member for Solomon, will examine local government sustainability. The terms of reference for that inquiry include financial sustainability and funding; the changing infrastructure and service delivery obligations; structural impediments to security for local government workers, infrastructure and service delivery; trends in the attraction and retention of a skilled workforce; and impacts of labour hire practices.

It is a comprehensive review, yet a few weeks ago the member for Gippsland called it cynical. And that's coming from a National Party and coalition that failed to act on the financial sustainability of councils, that ignored the need for fair and transparent processes in grant allocation and that froze indexation, taking millions out of council coffers. I've been here long enough to see what happened to inquiry reports under the coalition. They just sat there without even the courtesy of a government response. Do you know what our inquiries are often followed by? Legislation.

The member for Gippsland talked about roads with potholes, just prior to this year's budget. Labor has increased local government road infrastructure funding. We're increasing the Roads to Recovery funding to $1 billion per year by 2027-28 and the Black Spot Program by $50 million per year to $150 million. Every local council in Australia will receive more funding for local road infrastructure under Labor—that's more for potholes too. The member for Gippsland is happy to move a well-timed motion, but, really, he should be on his feet explaining why the coalition weren't planning these increases when it was under their watch and why they froze the funding indexation for years.

The new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program also involves $50 million more funding than previous programs. Our financial assistance grants to local governments have increased in each budget under this government. This was $2.8 billion in 2022-23, $3.1 billion in 2023-24 and $3.27 billion in 2024-25. Our transparent grant programs include the $600 million Growing Regions Program, $400 million for the Regional Precincts and Partnership Program, $200 million for the Thriving Suburbs Program, and $150 million for the Urban Precincts and Partnerships Program.

In Hasluck we have vital local councils doing excellent work. Last week I met with the Shire of Mundaring and heard from them about their exciting plans for the rejuvenation of the Mundaring town site. The week prior I met with the City of Swan to discuss proposals for the Ellenbrook Community Hub, Ellenbrook Leisure Centre and the redevelopment of the Ellenbrook district open spaces, as well as a host of other issues. Ellenbrook is the centre of one of the fastest-growing corridors in the country, and the council are hopeful that their worthy application for one of the government's suburban university study hubs will also be successful, as am I.

When local governments and others apply for government grants and consideration under the host of programs available, some of which I've mentioned, they can do so knowing that their application will be considered fairly and with the proper application of due process. One of the reasons the former coalition government was so on the nose with voters was that they failed to ensure that government money was spent fairly. After a while, the voters noticed the rorts and the inequities that flowed from those practices. But constituents in Gippsland and Hasluck and their local governments can now apply for funds knowing that the system is fair.

In summary, the member shouldn't bring motions pretending that the coalition have a good record in this area. The government has increased funding across the many programs administered at a local government level. Moreover, we've brought the measure of probity to the process, which was unknown to those opposite when they were in office.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I certainly agree with the motion and commend the member for Gippsland for bringing it to the chamber. Indeed, the member for Hasluck talks about probity. I would ask the member: which of those projects that were in my electorate would Labor have struck out? I will go through them, because all politics is local. Federal funding for main street upgrades in Cootamundra, Cowra, Forbes, Grenfell, Gundagai and Parkes has made such a difference to those local communities. Perhaps Labor would want to see the $9 million to enhance water security in Bland Shire taken out. Perhaps it might be the million dollars to Coolamon Shire through the Drought Communities Program to upgrade such things as the Redgrave Park Tennis Club, or upgrades to the Marrar Gymkhana Reserve, or improvements to the Ardlethan and Ganmain showgrounds. Maybe it might be the $149,000 for a site upgrade at the Cootamundra Heritage Centre. Possibly the $307,000 to upgrade the roofs at the cultural centre and the bonsai house at the Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre.

I didn't interrupt you. Don't you interrupt me. Possibly the $1½ million for the expansion of the Central West Livestock Exchange at Forbes, the second-largest sheep yards in the world according to the deputy mayor, Councillor Chris Roylance, just the other day when I was speaking to him. Possibly the $950,000 for the Grenfell medical centre in Weddin Shire, which needs to find a doctor for Grenfell. It certainly makes a difference. Possibly $3½ million for a new sewage treatment works in Gundagai.

Would Labor take away the $2½ million to upgrade the Cunningar grain storage and handling facility in the Hilltops LGA? Perhaps the million dollars to Junee for the Drought Communities Program to upgrade community projects such as the Sandy Beach at Wantabadgery or the Bethungra Dam tourist reserves. Or might it be the $200,000 for the Lockhart Community Hub and Conference Centre. Perhaps it might be the $1½ million for the extension of the Parkes Airport Business Park. Maybe the $5.3 million to upgrade the Temora Aerodrome runway and associated main apron and taxiways, which the RAAF described prior to the funding as being quite dangerous. Maybe it would be the $4.4 million to build a multipurpose stadium at the Equex Centre at Wagga Wagga. All were good, worthy and tremendous projects for my electorate. But that was replicated right throughout the nation—indeed, in your electorate, Deputy Speaker Sharkie, and all of those great regional electorates.

The member for Indi belled the cat when she said that these programs were oversubscribed. Yes, they truly were. Many of those programs, I can remember as the minister in charge of making sure distribution was fair and equitable, were oversubscribed six times over. We could have had so many more projects funded, but, of course, the independents never quite realise that the pie is only so big and you can cut the pie only so much. You run out of money. So they are based—or certainly were under the coalition government—on a system which was equitable and which members got a say in. I do take umbrage at the fact that Labor members come in here and say there was no probity or no transparency, because there was.

What we can't have—what we certainly should not ever subscribe to—is a condition in which the public servants, as good as they are, get to determine where all the money is going to be spent, because at the end of the day that should be the minister's prerogative. At the end of the day, under the Westminster system—and, if the minister is doing the wrong thing, if the minister is shown to be rorting et cetera, the minister will face the ire of not only the Westminster system which we operate under but certainly the ballot box next time around.

We are proud of our record, and I am certainly proud of what we did as a government for regional Australia, for regional progress. I know the Local Roads and Committee Infrastructure Fund, which distributed $54.8 million to the councils in my electorate, was money well spent. I know that, right across the nation, that LRCI funding, the Drought Communities funding, the Building Better Regions Fund—all of those programs were so well received by the councils, and the councils did very well to the point where the Bland Shire mayor, Brian Monaghan, at West Wyalong, said the only problem was finding the number of workers to build the projects. In his words, it was record spending. He very much appreciated it, and that was under a coalition government.

Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.