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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-09-10 Daily Xml
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:52): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations a question.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA: As we know, local councils play a very important role in service delivery to their communities and particularly in providing local roads. I know that the state and federal governments assist councils by providing them with funding for services and roads. Will the minister advise the council how the government is currently assisting local councils to cater for the needs of their communities?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:52): I thank the honourable member for his important question. I was delighted, on 27 August, to announce jointly with the federal minister for local government, the Hon. Anthony Albanese, the 2008-09 roads and general purpose grants to local government. Funding of $148 million was allocated across all 68 South Australian councils as well as five Aboriginal authorities and the Outback Areas Community Development Trust.

The allocations were recommended by the three very hard-working commissioners of the Local Government Grants Commission and I had no reservations in endorsing their recommendations on how the funds should be distributed. I take this opportunity to thank the chairperson and the commissioners from the Grants Commission.

This is the next year in a four-year road program. Three types of grants are being distributed: general purpose financial assistance grants; special project components of the Roads to Recovery grants; and supplementary local road grants to local government in South Australia for 2008-09. When I announced the grants I also complimented the federal government on its commitment to securing a more equitable share of local road funding for South Australia, because this state has been sold short in the past because of the traditional road funding formula

Specific road grants were allocated to the Unley council, which received $740,000 for upgrades; and the Kangaroo Island council, the Adelaide City Council, Tea Tree Gully council, and also many others. These are important contributions because our roads are very important, and these grants will go a long way to maintaining and upgrading roads in South Australia.

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