Council push for $500m fund in budget for libraries, halls

Australian Local Government Association president Linda Scott is calling for a new $500m fund, indexed annually, to be included in the budget to help support councils to revitalise community infrastructure.

The Australian Local Government Association is calling for a new $500m per year local government community infrastructure fund in this week’s federal budget to better maintain libraries, galleries, cultural centres and community halls.

ALGA president Linda Scott – a Labor councillor on the City of Sydney Council and a former deputy lord mayor – said that a dedicated fund, indexed annually, would help support councils to revitalise needed community infrastructure.

She said that councils collected less than four per cent of national taxation and were reliant on state, territory and commonwealth funding.

Preliminary data from the ALGA’s 2024 National State of the Assets report, due to be released in coming months, shows that $8.1bn worth of local government buildings and facilities are currently in poor condition.

However, Ms Scott said the report also showed the amount of local government buildings and facilities in poor condition had dropped from 10 per cent to eight per cent.

“This is a fantastic result and testament to the increased federal investment in councils from

both the Coalition and Albanese governments in recent years,” she said. “However, we must continue to invest in our critically important community infrastructure, and ALGA is calling for a new $500 million per year funding program in next week’s federal budget.”

The ALGA pre-budget submission said that $3.25bn was committed to the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program – supporting all 537 Australian councils – but this funding had now all been allocated.

It warned that failure to invest in building and maintaining community and transport infrastructure would reduce the lifespan of facilities and “transfer the cost of renewal onto future generations.”

“A new dedicated fund for community and transport infrastructure – distributed on a formula basis to all councils – would enable councils to address the growing demand for new and revitalised community and road infrastructure,” it said.

President of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA), Ian Daniels, said that community infrastructure – including roads, footpaths, cycleways, stormwater drains, parks, bridges, libraries and sporting facilities supported “nearly every aspect of our day-to-day activities.”

“Our communities depend on this vast network of assets for their livelihoods and wellbeing but often take them for granted until something fails. When infrastructure assets fail, councils are forced to react which erodes confidence and wastes valuable resources,” he said.

“IPWEA supports ALGA’s call to create a new, dedicated fund for community and transport infrastructure, similar to the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program.

“This approach provides councils with more options and opportunities to better plan for the maintenance and renewal of existing assets as well as the provision of new and upgraded assets that enhance the quality of life for our communities.”