Published on Wednesday, 24 June 2026 at 3:18:48 PM
The Shire of Victoria Plains has joined local governments from across Australia in calling on the Australian Government to provide fairer funding for councils and the essential services communities rely on every day.
At the recent National General Assembly of Local Government in Canberra, representatives from Australia's 538 councils endorsed a motion calling for an immediate increase in untied federal funding through the Financial Assistance Grants program.
Financial Assistance Grants provide councils with flexible funding that can be directed towards local priorities, helping to maintain roads, bridges, community facilities, parks and other essential infrastructure and services.
Like many rural local governments, the Shire of Victoria Plains faces the ongoing challenge of maintaining extensive infrastructure across a large geographic area while balancing increasing community expectations and rising costs.
The Assembly highlighted concerns that federal funding has not kept pace with the growing responsibilities placed on local government. Councils across Australia are advocating for a stronger funding partnership that provides greater certainty for long-term planning and investment in local communities.
For regional and rural councils, untied funding plays an important role in supporting infrastructure renewal, service delivery and community wellbeing without the restrictions often attached to project-specific grants.
The Shire supports ongoing advocacy by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) and the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) to secure sustainable funding arrangements that recognise the vital role local government plays in supporting communities across the country.
Greater certainty and flexibility in funding would help councils continue delivering the infrastructure, facilities and services that residents, businesses and visitors rely on now and into the future.
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