Community infrastructure | Supplementary road funding | Regional population growth | Mayors' roundtable No Images? Click here Vol 4: Issue 3 - Tuesday 5 February 2019 This year’s Federal election is a real opportunity for local government to unite for South Australia. The LGA continues to advocate for our sector and State to all parties for a fair funding deal, but we’re stronger when we stand together and we’re asking you to work within your networks and talk to your local representatives about what continued supplementary road funding and more Financial Assistance Grants would mean for your communities. Councils nationally collect less than 4% of Australia’s tax, so investment from all levels of government is necessary if we are to provide our communities with the services and facilities they need. LGA President Sam Telfer Community infrastructure It’s fantastic to see some of the projects funded through the State Local Government Infrastructure Partnership now reaching completion. The program was negotiated by the LGA with the previous State Government, and offered councils a 20% up-front grant to bring forward infrastructure projects already identified in their long term financial planning. In total, $24.1 million in grants were provided to 28 councils in early 2018. The new Mitcham Library is one example of a project that has been funded through this program, and was officially launched two weeks ago. It’s an excellent facility and I’d like to congratulate everyone who was involved. In the lead up to the Federal election we will be joining with ALGA to call for a new $300 million per year Local Government Community Infrastructure Program that would support councils to upgrade, refurbish and develop new non-road infrastructure. Many council facilities – including our swimming pools, libraries, sports facilities, regional airports and jetties –were constructed decades ago, and a dedicated community infrastructure grants program would help us make sure these facilities remain fit-for-purpose, and meet the needs of all South Australians. Supplementary road funding Our biggest priority for the 2019-20 Federal budget is the extension of supplementary road funding for South Australia (subscriber link). This funding was put in place in recognition of the shortfall in the existing road funding formula. The latest funding agreement for this supplementary fund was introduced for two years in the 2017/18 Federal Budget and will run out in just five months’ time. If it is not extended it will leave a $20 million question mark hanging over SA council roads and works budgets every year. The last time that this funding was cut, we saw the very real situation of councils either having to significantly raise rates or deliver a lower quality road network by cutting expenditure. We’ll be launching a campaign webpage and sending out information to all councils very soon. Please take every opportunity you can to raise this issue with your local Federal representatives and tell them what a fair share of road funding for South Australia means to your community. We’ll have the best chance of securing a commitment from all parties in the lead up to May if we work together and deliver a strong and a consistent message. Regional population growth The State Government’s decision to waive regional public school fees for 457 and 482 visa holders is great news for regions that are struggling to attract and retain skilled migrants. These workers would have been faced with fees of up to $5,300 per primary school student, and up to $6,400 per high school student, which is a significant disincentive for migrants looking to settle in SA. The LGA advocated to the previous Government to scrap these fees, and support our towns and communities that are facing skills shortages in various industries. Sustainable population growth is a real issue for regional SA, and we will look for every opportunity to partner with the State and Federal Government on solutions. Mayors' roundtable The Premier has invited all South Australian mayors to attend a local government round table on 20 February, to discuss options for local government reform. The LGA’s Local Government Reform Agenda called for a joint meeting of State and local government because we think it’s important that the Government hears directly from local government leaders, before moving ahead with reforms for our sector. I would encourage all mayors to make attendance at this roundtable a priority and share the views of their council about the changes that are necessary to make our sector stronger, and deliver lasting benefits to the community. The LGA will host a networking event for mayors immediately after the roundtable that will provide an opportunity to continue the discussion. January LGA Board Meeting We held our first LGA Board meeting for 2019 in Adelaide last Thursday. The full minutes can be downloaded here, but some of the key outcomes included:
Release of State Planning Policies The State Government has approved South Australia’s inaugural State Planning Policies, which are now in effect. These policies set out the state-wide vision for land use in South Australia, and must be considered when preparing or amending designated instruments such as Regional Plans or Planning and Design Codes, and when establishing an infrastructure scheme and when assessing an Environment Impact Statement. More information can be found here. The LGA consulted extensively with members on these policies, which included holding several workshops, and providing a submission to the Government. The release of these policies comes ahead of the imminent release of the first Planning and Design Code, which will cover areas of our State not captured within a council boundary. Nominations for this year’s Joy Baluch Award will close on 1 March. Joy was a former LGA President and long-serving Mayor of Port Augusta, and a strong advocate for her city and our sector. This award recognizes the contributions of women currently serving as council members, and the winner will be announced at our 2019 Showcase and OGM Dinner on 11 April. For more information, and a copy of the nomination form, please click here. Australia Day Honours Congratulations to Lower Eyre Peninsula Councillor Wendy Holman, who received an OAM Medal in the General Division of this year’s Australia Day Awards. Councillor Holman was recognized for her service to the community of Cummins – well done! It was also great to see the contributions of former Wattle Range Council CEO Frank Brennan recognized with a Public Service Medal for his outstanding public service to local government and planning in South Australia. For further information or to submit All SA council members are automatically subscribed to receive this e-newsletter. To unsubscribe please click the link below. |