ALGA FEDERAL BUDGET 2024-25 PRIORITY - FAIR INCREASES TO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS

Untitled ALGA FEDERAL BUDGET 2024-25 PRIORITY FAIR INCREASES TO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS Commitment sought The timing of these payments is controlled by the Federal Government, creating a level of Restore Financial Assistance uncertainty for local governments planning their Grants to at least one percent of annual budgets. [...] Since 2009-10, the Australian Government has According to the SGS research, investment consistently pre-paid either part or all Financial in Australian local government is low by Assistance Grants to councils in the previous international standards. [...] Allowing for the differing scope of local Originally implemented as a stimulus measure government around the world, by removing the during the Global Financial Crisis, and then to provision of health, education and social services, encourage councils to drive local economic Australian councils’ share of GDP ranks amongst development during the COVID pandemic, these the very lowest of comparator na. [...] Parliament in November 2022, saying “We know this untied funding enables local governments to A substantial increase to Financial Assistance deliver their community priorities and enables the Grants would support local governments to best placed solutions to come through.” improve and expand on this work, providing much- needed relief to all Australians. [...] Economics and Planning, over the past Providing an additional once-off allocation of decade total expenditure per capita Financial Assistance Grants equal to one year’s by local government has essentially payments will address the bring-forward and meet flatlined, as expectations for public the Government’s commitment to “fair increases”.