• ALGA Closing the Gap Annual Reports ALGA’s 2023 Closing the Gap Annual Report outlines a range of case studies/examples of Australian councils working to support reconciliation and updates progress against ALGA’s previous Implementation Plan. The report also provides a high-level assessment of progress on each of the actions ALGA and member state and territory local+

  • ALGA has provided a submission to the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner’s (AEIC) Review of community engagement practices. The submission makes a number of recommendations from the local government sector focusing on community engagement in renewable energy infrastructure. ALGA highlighted the importance of a fast rollout of renewable energy infrastructure including energy firming and transmission infrastructure+

  • ALGA has provided a submission to the Federal Government’s Aviation Green Paper Towards 2050. The submission makes several key recommendations from the local government sector in relation to the Green Paper. Local governments are generally responsible for managing planning and development around airports, and also lease, manage or own airports of varying scales of operations.+

  • ALGA has provided a submission to the National Transport Commission (NTC) Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (C-RIS) – Reforms to Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). The submission outlines a number of recommendations from the local government sector and addresses several questions in relation to the NTC C-RIS. Read submission

  • ALGA has provided a submission to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for the development of a regulatory product stewardship scheme for small electrical and electronic equipment and solar photovoltaic systems. ALGA is supportive of a proposed regulatory approach to product stewardship for small electrical and electronic equipment. The submission outlines+

  • ALGA has provided a submission to the Independent Strategic Review of Infrastructure Investment Pipeline. The Commonwealth’s infrastructure sub-programs (Roads to Recovery, Black Spot, Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, Bridges Renewal Program, Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program, Remote Roads Upgrade Pilot Program and the Road Safety Program) all play a vital role for councils+

  • ALGA has provided a submission to the Senate Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience and appeared before the committee on 13 April 2023. Local government seeks funding over 3 years, at a total cost of $5.7 million from the Commonwealth to increase local government preparedness for disasters across the country. We also call for a+

  • ALGA has provided a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport Inquiry into the implications of severe weather events on the national regional, rural, and remote road network. ALGA’s submission makes seven key recommendations in response to the inquiry.

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  • ALGA has provided a submission for the Federal Government’s ‘Australian Skills Guarantee’ and strongly supports the need for Governments to invest in the skills and training of Australia’s workforce. This submission provides a comment on a few important issues raised in the Discussion Paper and does not attempt to address each question as they arise.+

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  • ALGA has provided a submission to the Federal Government’s Housing Legislative Package. Across Australia, the supply and availability of affordable housing is a critical issue facing most local governments and their communities. The lack of suitable housing impacts on the well-being and economic productivity of local communities.

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  • ALGA has provided a submission on the Terms of Reference for the Government’s Employment White Paper. This White Paper is expected to build on the outcomes of the Jobs and Skills Summit held in September 2022; and provide a roadmap for Australia to build a bigger, better trained and more productive workforce. ALGA’s submission on+

  • The 2022 Local Government Workforce Skills and Capability Survey report was funded by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, and delivered in conjunction with ALGA and its member associations. The survey was sent to all Australian councils and updates a previous local government workplace survey undertaken in 2018. These survey+

  • Arts, culture, and the creative industries are valued by local government as an essential economic driver for visitor, regional and night-time economies, as well as community mental health and social cohesion. ALGA recommends that the National Cultural Policy recognises the key role local governments play in arts and culture across Australia. In 2013, local government+

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  • In October 2022 ALGA provided a submission on behalf of Australia’s 537 local governments to the Productivity Commission’s Productivity Inquiry. This submission was supported by a research report produced by SGS Economics and Planning, which highlights how councils support and boost national productivity. The submission can be downloaded here: October 2022 ALGA Submission to Productivity+

  • ALGA Closing the Gap Annual Report ALGA’s 2022 Closing the Gap Annual Report is a milestone for ALGA and the first report on the progress of ALGA’s Closing the Gap Implementation Plan (September 2021). It provides a high-level assessment of progress on each of the actions ALGA and member state and territory local government associations+

  • ALGA Closing the Gap Implementation Plan In 2019 ALGA was proud to be a co-signatory in a landmark agreement that marks a new chapter in the national effort to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The National Agreement on Closing the Gap (July 2020) requires that all Parties to the Agreement develop their+

  • ALGA welcomes the commitment of the Government to providing up to $200 million per annum to build disaster resilience and to reduce disaster risk.  ALGA has repeatedly called for dedicated mitigation funding in its Budget Submissions, Federal Election campaigns and submissions to inquiries over many years.   We support the legislative changes contained in the Emergency+

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  • ALGA has worked with its member associations and Our Watch to develop a series of resources for councils to better coordinate national prevention activity in the local government sector. These resources – two webinars, an animation, 12 factsheets and a toolkit – can be downloaded below.

  • ALGA recommends funding a Disability Inclusion Officer in ALGA, and also in every State and Territory Association, to enable each Association to assist the councils in their state/territory, to increase the capacity of Local Government to provide local solutions and drive social change. It would also enable councils to be more agile in responding to+

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  • Local government is responsible for an estimated $467 billion in infrastructure and $248 billion in land, which includes local roads and community assets such as sporting, arts and cultural facilities, parks and gardens, and public libraries. These public assets make a meaningful contribution to national productivity and are critical in building strong, healthy and resilient+

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  • ALGA welcomes the Climate Change Bill 2022 and the Climate Change (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2022. Working in partnership with other levels of government, councils can deliver highly effective climate change projects that can mitigate against the production of greenhouse gas emissions, and assist our communities to be better prepared and better able to adapt to+

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  • In 2022 ALGA commissioned AEC to undertake an analysis of the importance of Financial Assistance Grants to local government, which found that these untied federal grants contribute more than 20% of annual operating revenue for nearly one in four Australian councils. Financial assistance to local governments from the Commonwealth is relied upon by all councils to provide+

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  • This submission provides some overarching issues most of which were discussed with the Commissioners on the 15th March. ALGA intends to submit a more comprehensive submission to the Productivity Commission towards the middle of the year.

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  • On 18 March 2022, ALGA made a submission to the Productivity Commission’s review of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement

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  • Australia’s communities have been through challenging times in the past 12 months. Now more than ever, Federal Government support for local governments to assist our communities is vital for creating local jobs and strengthening community wellbeing. Download submission

  • The Joint Select Committee on Road Safety, the second of the 46th Parliament, was established by a resolution of appointment that was passed by the House of Representatives on 25 February 2021 and the Senate on 15 March 2021. Building on that earlier work, the committee will inquire into and report on measures that can+

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  • The “2021 National State of the Assets Technical Report – Our Assets, Our Opportunity” is the 4th in a series of comprehensive reports commissioned by the Australian Local Government Association based on survey data from 454 councils across seven asset categories. The report was prepared by IPWEA in partnership with ALGA. Download your copy of+

  • On October 14, 2021, ALGA made a submission to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee on the provision of GP and related health services to Australians living outside metropolitan areas.

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  • This document was prepared for the National Summit on Women’s Safety, 6-7 September 2021.

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  • In 2020 the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) was proud to be a co-signatory in a landmark agreement that marks a new chapter in the national effort to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.  At the heart of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap Partnership, there are four agreed priority reform targets+

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  • Download the policy position.

  • In February 2021, ALGA make a submission to the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee’s inquiry on lessons learnt following the 2019-20 bushfire season.

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  • Australia’s communities have been through challenging times in the past 12 months. Now more than ever, Federal Government support for local governments to assist our communities is vital for creating local jobs and strengthening community wellbeing.

  • In October 2020 ALGA made a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts Inquiry into Australia’s Creative and Cultural Industries and Institutions.

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  • In September ALGA made a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade, Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Bill 2020 and Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2020.

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  • In September ALGA made a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications, Recycling and Waste Bills 2020.

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  • In July ALGA made a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy’s Inquiry into the Problem of Feral and Domestic Cats in Australia. Following a referral from the Minister for the Environment, the Hon Sussan Ley MP, the Committee resolved on 18 June 2020 to conduct an inquiry into+

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  • In July 2020 ALGA made a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs Inquiry into Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence. On 4 June 2020, the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs adopted an inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violence. The inquiry was referred by+

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  • In June 2020 ALGA made a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, Inquiry into homelessness in Australia. Following a referral from the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator the Hon Anne Ruston, and the Assistant Minister for Community Housing, Homelessness and Community Services, the Hon Luke+

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  • In June 2020 ALGA made a submission to the Select Committee on COVID-19. On 8 April 2020, the Senate resolved to establish a Select Committee on COVID-19 to inquire into the Australian Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee is to present its final report on or before 30 June 2022.

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  • In April 2020 ALGA made a submission to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements was established on 20 February 2020 in response to the extreme bushfire season of 2019-20 which resulted in loss of life, property and wildlife and environmental destruction. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Bushfires+

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  • In April 2020 ALGA made a submission to the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Local government interests with the EPBC Act generally aligns with the following principles: Local government values Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) for cultural, environmental, economic and social reasons; Local government supports a more strategic+

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  • In February 2020 ALGA made a submission to the Joint Select Committee on Road Safety. This submission should be read in conjunction with any separate submissions received from State and Territory Associations as well as individual councils.

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  • In February 2020 ALGA made a submission to the Phasing Out Certain Exports Consultation Regulation Impact Statement. This submission should be read in conjunction with any separate submissions received from State and Territory Associations as well as individual councils.

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  • The 537 Councils in Australia have a fundamental role in achieving economic prosperity, social well-being and liveability in our metropolitan, regional and rural communities. Local governments have a demonstrated track record of working effectively in partnership with the Commonwealth Government and have a presence in almost every part of the country.

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  • In January 2020 ALGA made a submission to the Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources inquiry into Innovative Solutions in Australia’s Waste Management and Recycling Industries. This submission should be read in conjunction with any separate submissions received from State and Territory Associations as well as individual councils.

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  • In January 2020 ALGA made a submission to the Productivity Commission’s Draft Report on National Transport Productivity. This submission should be read in conjunction with any separate submissions received from State and Territory Associations as well as individual councils.

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  • In January 2020 ALGA made a submission to the Department of Home Affairs, Australia’s 2020 – 21 Migration Program. This submission should be read in conjunction with any separate submissions received from State and Territory Associations as well as individual councils.

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  • In December 2019 ALGA made a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications, Product Stewardship Amendment (Packaging and Plastics) Bill 2019. This submission should be read in conjunction with any separate submissions received from State and Territory Associations as well as individual councils.

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  • In December 2019 ALGA made a submission on the COAG Waste Export Ban Discussion Paper. This submission should be read in conjunction with any separate submissions received from State and Territory Associations as well as individual councils. If you would like further information please visit – https://www.environment.gov.au/protection/waste-resource-recovery/coag-waste-export-ban-consultation

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  • In November 2019 ALGA made a submission to the review of the National Airports Safeguarding Framework. If you would like further information on the review please visit – https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/aviation/environmental/airport_safeguarding/public-consultation-national-airports-safeguarding-framework.aspx

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  • In November 2019 ALGA made a submission to Infrastructure Australia, Infrastructure Audit 2019.

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