Opinion: Federal govt must restoring local government funding to meet needs of community

Local government is not just the three Rs of Roads, rates and Rubbish – there is a fourth R: Reverything else. The association representing NT local governments is lobbying for more support to make a difference. Here’s what they’re asking for.

A week is a long time in politics, so is three years.

With the Chief Minister resigning on Tuesday, a new one installed on Friday and only six days until we elect a new Australian government, the one constant is local government.

Since 1840 local government councils have weathered droughts, bushfires, floods, and cyclones, survived a depression and a recession, withstood wartime bombings – and now it is weathering cost and responsibility shifting from the other two spheres of government.

Local government is not just the three Rs of Roads, Rates and Rubbish – there is a fourth R: Reverything else.

We are not complaining and we are getting on with the job of ensuring the best outcomes for all Territorians, but we need some assistance.

Local government councils look after matters close to our homes including local roads, street signage, lighting, footpaths, parking, cycle ways, parks and playgrounds, sporting fields and swimming pools, pet control, land and coast care programs, libraries, waste management, and community programs such as child and aged care – and in some places, act as Centrelink and Australia Post.

Local government councils are made of elected members who, after consultation with their communities, set the strategy and community plans. Staff are employed to achieve the outcomes of the plans, through allocating the scarce resources and providing services. It is of course not as simple as that, however.

The Local Government Association of the Northern Territory (LGANT), on behalf of its member councils, is lobbying federal politicians and candidates of all persuasions for a raft of “asks” that will address Aboriginal disadvantage, domestic violence, emergency management, cyclone evacuation centres, housing, roads and road safety, connectivity, waste management, anti-social behaviour, and crime.

Recognising the role of local government councils, the Australian government provides funding through general-purpose Financial Assistance Grants but over time, these grants have eroded from two per cent of Commonwealth taxation revenue down to just 0.55 per cent of revenue currently.

LGANT is asking all candidates to commit to restoring the general-purpose Financial Assistance Grants to at least one per cent.

These grants are ‘untied,’ allowing Territory local government councils to spend the grants according to the needs of their local communities and are particularly important for those local government councils in the Territory with small rate bases.

If restored to one per cent, local government councils would have almost double the money to expend on the wants and needs of its constituents. This would bring the untied funding to about $5bn nationally. For the Territory it would go from around $17m to $34m.

Just as importantly, instead of being directed by the Australian and Territory governments on what the money has to be spent on, local government councils can exercise their local voice and decide for themselves. Locals making local decisions.

Local government councils in the Territory collectively employ almost 3000 Territorians. They are the largest employer of First Nations people in remote and regional areas, manage and control assets and infrastructure valued at $2.57bn, are responsible for over 13,000km of roads and receive and expend over $505m in the Northern Territory annually. Local jobs and local investment.

Constituent participation in local government councils is an important part of democratic Australia. Like the upcoming federal election, constituents are required to vote for who will represent them on their local government council. This representation is vital in ensuring the voices of people are heard and the needs of the area are advocated to the other two spheres of government.

The need for this representation is why LGANT has a longstanding policy (since 2004) supporting the inclusion of the whole of the Territory into local government council areas and is therefore supportive of the Northern Territory Government’s proposal to include the Cox-Daly and Marrakai-Douglas Daly Areas into a local government area(s).

These areas are currently unincorporated meaning there is no local council, so the residents do not get the benefit of local government funding for the services, facilities, and programs that others in local government council areas do – and importantly do not have the representation needed to advocate on important issues to the other two spheres of government.

This is not a money grab. It will be an expensive exercise to determine boundaries and set up the councils but becoming incorporated would mean all landowners contribute fairly to community planning and services and that there is appropriate representation for advocating the needs of the area to the other spheres of government. This will mean a more democratic process for those communities.

Thankfully, Australia is not an autocracy, and we have the privilege to vote. Exercise your democratic right next Saturday and vote, vote for a candidate who will not leave locals behind.

Sean Holden is the chief executive of the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory.