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The Rural City of Wangaratta and Murrindindi Shire Council have told a Parliamentary inquiry about the challenges facing regional and rural local councils, including maintaining services from a small ratepayer base and attracting workforce.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport is holding public hearings to examine and report on challenges impacting local governments and their delivery of services to the community. The two local councils appeared at a hearing in Wallan on Thursday, 26 September.

Independent Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines is a member of the committee and attended the hearing on Thursday.

“Fixing our roads, building critical infrastructure to support more new homes and providing childcare, aged care, disability and local health services are all so important to people in Indi – that’s why this committee’s work is important,” Dr Haines said.

“I have increasingly heard from Councils that a range of factors are making it more difficult to fulfil these roles in our communities and people are missing out.

“The issues include the small ratepayer base in regional areas, difficulties accessing federal funding for capital works and attracting a skilled workforce, an increase in service demand as our population ages and an increase in the cost of building and maintaining important infrastructure due to inflation.

Hearing from local councils means local experiences are heard by the committee, Dr Haines said.

“At the hearing we heard from Rural City of Wangaratta about the importance of federal grants for key projects, but they emphasised that accessing this funding should be simplified and the requirements for co-funding addressed.”

“Murrindindi Shire Council shared valuable insights about the challenges they face with servicing a dispersed population and retaining a skilled workforce, and the cost-shifting from state governments to local governments. They want to see more Commonwealth funding quarantined for rural councils, with an equitable and transparent grant allocation system.”

Dr Haines said the committee was seeking to find solutions to ensure the sustainability of local councils.

“This committee is about looking at ways we can ensure that our local councils can continue to enable thriving regional communities. The challenges regional, rural and remote councils face are different from metropolitan equivalents, and it’s important we tailor solutions with this in mind.”

“As a member of the committee I worked hard to ensure our region had its voice heard, and this local hearing means committee members see and hear from local representatives firsthand.”

Other local governments from Indi who have made a submission to the Inquiry are Indigo Shire Council, Wodonga City Council and Mansfield Shire Council.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport will continue to hold hearings for the inquiry. You can read all submissions and transcripts of evidence on the Committee’s website: Inquiry into local government sustainability – Parliament of Australia (aph.gov.au)

ENDS

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