Push to Protect Commonwealth Funding of Local Communities Reaches Milestone

The road to ensuring the Australian Constitution protects the Federal Government’s
ability to properly fund local communities has reached a major milestone with the
formation of a joint parliamentary committee as the next step towards a referendum
on the constitutional recognition of Local Government.

Local Government Association of Tasmania President, Mayor Barry Easther, said the
establishment of the committee was an important step in protecting direct federal
funding for the local roads, community services and infrastructure that local
communities need and deserve.

“Tasmanian councils are committed to pursuing the case for constitutional
recognition of Local Government,” Mayor Easther said.

“The Australian Constitution is the principal expression of the laws that make this
nation what it is. Recent High Court decisions raise serious doubts about the
Australian Government’s legal ability to continue directly funding local councils.”

“Ensuring the Constitution recognises the Commonwealth’s ability to directly fund
Local Government would put beyond doubt important programs that help
communities across Australia flourish,’’ he said.

Tasmanian Councils support the Australian Local Government Association’s drive for
an amendment of Section 96 of the Constitution so that it would read: “Parliament
may grant financial assistance to any State or Local Government body formed by or
under a law of a state or territory on such terms and conditions as the Parliament
sees fit”.

The Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Statewide Community Satisfaction
Survey of 2011 found that 78.9 per cent of respondents were strongly in support of
ensuring continued direct funding of Local Government by the Federal Government.
Mayor Easther said survey respondents showed a high level of support for the
Constitutional Recognition of Local Government, with 67.1 per cent scoring 4 and 5
on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most important).
The Local Government Association of Tasmania