MEDIA CONTACT

Mr Brad Watts
Media Adviser
Phone: 0418 415 649
Email: brad.watts@alga.asn.au

  • JOINT MEDIA RELEASE The Federal Government’s new Housing Support Program must be increased to $750 million to empower local governments to help deliver the Commonwealth’s ambitious housing targets and enable vital infrastructure investment in new housing developments. The competitive program – which has been welcomed by local government – will provide funding for connecting essential+

  • JOINT MEDIA RELEASE Time is running out for the Federal Government to deliver on its pre-election promise of “fair increases” to Financial Assistance Grants to Australia’s 537 local governments. Before the May 2022 election, Federal Labor committed to the ‘long-term financial sustainability of local government’ through increases to grant allocations, including ‘fair increases’ to Financial+

  • The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has welcomed the Australian Government’s commitment to joining the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP), announced during the COP28 World Climate Action Summit. President Cr Linda Scott said ALGA had encouraged the Government to sign the CHAMP pledge, which will enhance cooperation on climate action between national, state+

  • In a landmark win for local communities and Australia’s 537 local governments, Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King announced today Roads to Recovery funding will be doubled from $500 million to $1 billion per year through phased increases over the forward Federal Budget estimates. Also announced today by Minister King – in her response to the+

  • ALGA has welcomed the new Infrastructure Policy Statement released by the Australian Government today, while highlighting more needs to be done to address the growing need for local government infrastructure as cost of living pressures bite. ALGA President Councillor Linda Scott said it was disappointing to see the new framework prioritises funding for nationally significant+

  • Federal funding to Australia’s 537 local governments should be increased by $1 billion every year to address the critical state of the nation’s local road infrastructure, according to a new independent Grattan Institute report. ALGA President Councillor Linda Scott said the Federal Government’s Infrastructure Investment Program (IIP) review provided an ideal opportunity to address the+

  • Strong advocacy and leadership by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) and local governments has resulted in new national packaging standards and reforms announced today that will help councils save money on waste and recycling. At the Environment Ministers’ Meeting in Adelaide, it was agreed the Federal Government will establish new regulations for packaging as+

  • The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has applauded Sunshine Coast Council Mayor and Local Government Association Queensland (LGAQ) President Mark Jamieson for an outstanding career in local government. ALGA President Councillor Linda Scott sincerely thanked Mayor Jamieson – who announced today he was stepping down as mayor in March – for his long and effective+

  • JOINT MEDIA RELEASE New data from councils will highlight the multi-billion-dollar impact of natural disasters on Australia’s roads, libraries, aerodromes, bridges and community and recreation centres over the past two years. The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) is partnering with the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) to deliver an update to its National+

  • Federal funding to local government isn’t keeping up with soaring construction costs, according to preliminary research presented by the Grattan Institute at ALGA’s 2023 National Local Roads, Transport and Infrastructure Congress in Canberra. ALGA President Councillor Linda Scott said councils collectively manage around 75 percent of Australia’s road network by length while collecting less than+

  • The Australian Local Government Association has welcomed new funding – announced by National Cabinet today – that will help councils address Australia’s affordable housing crisis. ALGA President Cr Linda Scott said the Government’s new $500 million Housing Support Program – open to local and state governments – would support councils to build more liveable communities.+

  • The Board of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Amy Crawford as its new Chief Executive Officer. Ms Crawford, who was most recently employed as a senior adviser to Federal Local Government Minister Kristy McBain, will commence with ALGA on 28 August 2023. ALGA President Councillor Linda Scott+

  • A more coordinated and collaborative approach across all levels of government is the key to addressing Australia’s affordable housing crisis, the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) said today. Ahead of this week’s National Cabinet meeting focusing on planning reforms to facilitate more affordable housing, ALGA President Councillor Linda Scott said increasing the supply of more+

  • JOINT MEDIA RELEASE State governments must urgently overhaul their approach to land use planning to ensure no more homes are built without regard to risk on flood plains, organisations representing planners, builders and insurers said today. In response to the flood emergency of recent years, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), Master Builders Australia (MBA)+

  • In a major win for local government, the Federal Government announced today it will bring forward payments totalling almost $1.8 billion to the majority of states under the State and Commonwealth-funded Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). ALGA President Councillor Linda Scott said the Government had listened to local government’s call for faster support and payments+

  • Strong advocacy and leadership by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has resulted in the establishment of a new $100 million Community Energy Upgrades Fund today for local governments. Announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Australian Council of Local Government (ACLG) Forum in Canberra, the new fund has been developed to enable local+

  • Local government leaders will share innovations to ensure councils can help reduce Australia’s emissions while mitigating skyrocketing cost of living pressures at the historic 2023 Australian Local Government Association’s (ALGA) National General Assembly (NGA) in Canberra from 13-15 June. Hosted by ALGA, which represents the nation’s 537 local governments, the annual event starts today and+

  • The announcement of 187 new projects to be funded through the first round of the Federal Government’s Disaster Ready Fund has been welcomed by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) today. This funding is available to state and territory governments, working with local governments and communities, for building infrastructure such as flood levees, seawalls and+

  • Australian councils have welcomed tonight’s Federal Budget as a solid investment in local government, with councils receiving $3.1 billion in Financial Assistance Grants over the next 12 months.   “For Australia’s 537 councils, $3.1 billion of local government funding is a vital investment in Australia’s productivity, allowing us to employ nearly 200,000 Australians and provide+

  • The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has welcomed the Albanese Government’s delivery of an additional $250 million through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program, while calling on the Government to reinstate the former model that saw funding provided to all Australian councils. Established in 2020, the LRCI program has been successful in providing+

  • JOINT MEDIA RELEASE                       Australia’s 537 local governments are critical to creating a more sustainable and clean energy future and helping the Federal Government deliver on its target of net zero by 2050. The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), with support from the Cities Power Partnership and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI),+

  • Cyber-attacks are one of the greatest threats to both Australia’s national security and our democracy, including at the local government level. To be properly prepared for cyber-attacks and defend against data breaches, Australian councils urgently need government support. Recent local government surveys in New South Wales and Western Australia found councils could significantly improve their+

  • Local government has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to extend project construction timelines for Phases 1–3 of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program. Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said on 27 March councils now have until 30 June 2024 to complete works, providing an extra year on the+

  • Shadow Local Government Minister Darren Chester’s support for increasing Roads to Recovery funding to $800 million per year has been welcomed by ALGA. Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Mr Chester said: “The Australian Local Government Association is asking this Labor government to continue to support the Roads to Recovery Program and give additional funding going forward,+

  • Applications are now open for the latest round of Regional Connectivity and Mobile Black Spot grants. Under the Federal Government’s $1.1 billion Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia, councils can apply for round 7 of the Mobile Black Spots and round 3 of Regional Connectivity programs. The funding is available for under-served regions+

  • JOINT MEDIA RELEASE The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), with support from the Australian Airports Association (AAA), is urging the Federal Government to provide $250 million per year over four years for a new Regional Infrastructure Recovery Program to protect regional infrastructure against future disasters. There were 46 disasters declared in 2022, with 524 disaster+

  • Australian councils are calling on the Federal Government to honour its pre-election commitment to “fair increases” in Financial Assistance Grants to local government. Before the May 2022 election, Federal Labor committed to the “long-term financial sustainability of local government” through increases to grant allocations, including “fair increases” to Financial Assistance Grants*. ALGA President Councillor Linda+

  • JOINT MEDIA RELEASE Councils and public works engineers are calling for permanent funding in the upcoming Federal Budget to improve the liveability and productivity of Australian communities. The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), with support from the Institute of Public Works Engineers Australasia (IPWEA), is urging the Federal Government to make the highly successful Local+

  • JOINT MEDIA RELEASE Local government and community housing leaders are calling for urgent funding in the upcoming Federal Budget to address Australia’s affordable and social housing crisis. The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), with support from the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) and National Shelter, is seeking $100 million per year over four years that+

  • This year’s National General Assembly (NGA) will mark the historic return of the Australian Council of Local Government (ACLG), which will meet for the first time in more than a decade.  The Federal Government announced today it will re-establish the ACLG – to be held on Friday 16 June 2023 in Canberra – as part+

  • The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has welcomed the fourth round of federal Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program (LRCI) funding, which will provide $500 million to Australian councils for community infrastructure and roads projects. “These funding allocations will be welcomed by councils right across the nation and help them build and revitalise playgrounds, community+

  • JOINT MEDIA RELEASE The newly-formed Rural Road Alliance is calling for an emergency funding package totalling nearly $5.5 billion in the upcoming Federal Budget. The alliance – which represents diverse stakeholders from across regional Australia including farmers, transporters and local councils – has been formed in response to the critical challenges facing Australia’s rural road+

  • The Federal Government’s common sense decision to allow more flexibility for councils to hold citizenship ceremonies around Australia Day has been welcomed by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) today. The Government has updated the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code to allow councils to hold Australia Day citizenship ceremonies in the period from Monday 23 to+

  • JOINT MEDIA RELEASE With the cost of repairing Australia’s flood and rain damaged roads expected to top $3.8 billion, the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has joined with the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) to call for an urgent rethink of road construction, maintenance and funding. Speaking of behalf of Australia’s 537 councils, ALGA President Linda+

  • Local governments are a trusted partner of the federal government and effectively deliver services on behalf of the Commonwealth, Local Government Minister Kristy McBain told Question Time on Wednesday (30 November).  “The local government sector is a trusted delivery partner for the federal government. They are the only level of government who deliver services to+

  • Australia’s 537 councils are looking to work with the Commonwealth Government to deliver Australia more engineers, town planners, building surveyors, environmental health officers, accountants and HR professionals, according to a new snapshot of the nation’s local government workforce released today.    ALGA President Cr Linda Scott said the 2022 Local Government Workforce Skills and Capability+

  • The passing of Disaster Ready Fund (DRF) legislation in Parliament delivering $200 million per year for vital disaster mitigation projects has been welcomed by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA). ALGA President Linda Scott said this new funding was critical for protecting Australian communities from disaster events. “Local government advocacy secured this new Disaster Ready+

  • ALGA President Linda Scott has urged the Government to continue to invest in councils and communities in this month’s Federal Budget.  “Investing in local government will support Australia’s 537 councils to train and upskill Australia’s future workforce, deliver more affordable housing, and support our transition to a low carbon future,” Cr Scott said.  “Providing councils+

  • Through traineeships and apprenticeships, local governments are ready to train the next generation of Australian workers. Australia’s 537 councils currently employ almost 200,000 people across 400 different occupations but collect less than 4% of national taxation. Many councils are heavily reliant on Federal Financial Assistance Grants, which have slipped from 1 percent of Commonwealth taxation+

  • ALGA President Linda Scott will represent Australia’s 537 councils – and the 190,000 Australians they employ – at the Federal Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit at Parliament House this week. Cr Scott said she would be advocating for more support to help councils address jobs and skills shortages across the country. “Around nine in ten+

  • ALGA President Linda Scott said the Australian National Audit Office’s review of the Building Better Regions Fund was a timely reminder of the importance of fair and transparent federal funding. “Formula based funding programs such as Financial Assistance Grants and the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program are completely transparent, and benefit every Australian community,”+

  • ALGA President Linda Scott has welcomed the climate bill introduced by the Government into Parliament this week, while highlighting the role councils can play in helping meet national emissions targets. “The 2021 Australian Local Government Climate Review found that more than 70 percent of responding councils have set or are planning ambitious emissions reduction targets+

  • Local government leaders from around Australia gathered in Canberra from 20-22 June 2022 for the 28th National General Assembly of Local Government (NGA). This event was held on the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal people, and the Assembly paid its respects to their elders past, present and emerging, and acknowledged the vital and ongoing contributions+

  • Today councils from across Australia have come together at the 2022 NGA in Canberra to support the people of Ukraine, unanimously passing the following motion: “We the delegates of the 2022 National General Assembly of Local Government stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and its legitimate elected democratic governments in seeking peace, security and stability+

  • Speaking to councillors yesterday afternoon at the National General Assembly (NGA) of Local Government in Canberra, Leader of the National Party David Littleproud said excluding local government from Cabinet was a mistake by the previous Government. ALGA President Linda Scott it was encouraging to see growing support for including local government in national decision-making. “We welcomed+

  • On behalf of Australia’s 537 councils, ALGA President Linda Scott has congratulated incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his new Labor Government. “We look forward to working with our new Federal Government to build a stronger future for our nation that leaves no community behind,” Cr Scott said. “Working together we can deliver a better+

  • Australia’s 537 councils have secured billions of dollars in additional funding for Australian communities in the lead-up to this year’s Federal Election. ALGA President Linda Scott said these funding commitments from the Coalition and Labor will see more federal funding provided to every Australian suburb, town and region. “We often see election commitments targeted to+

  • Labor’s proposed $250 million expansion of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program would benefit every Australian community through better local sporting facilities, new and upgraded libraries and playgrounds, and safer roads. ALGA President Linda Scott said local governments had strongly advocated to both major parties for more LRCI funding in the lead-up to+

  • The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) and the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) are calling on the next Federal Government to include local government representation on National Cabinet. ALGA President Linda Scott said including local government on National Cabinet and key ministerial meetings and forums such as the Council on Federal Financial Relations would help create+

  • Working with the Commonwealth, councils can reduce the 20 million tonnes of rubbish sent to Australian landfills each year while creating new jobs across our nation. ALGA President Linda Scott said Australia faces a looming waste and recycling crisis without immediate and sustained investment from all three tiers of government. “We are running out of+

  • Councils are committed to partnering with the next Federal Government to reduce the social and economic disadvantages experienced by many Indigenous Australians. ALGA President Linda Scott said local governments are seeking a $100 million per year fund that would support the capacity of councils to Close the Gap and help implement the Local and Regional+

  • Australians can’t afford a lack of action from the next Federal Government on disaster mitigation. ALGA President Linda Scott said natural disasters currently cost Australia $38 billion a year and are forecast to rise to as much as $94 billion by 2060. “We know we can’t completely avoid future disaster events, but we can better+