That is the demand 538 Australian councils have delivered in unison to the Federal Government, as rising cost pressures chip away at their ability to deliver for their communities.
While the demand is not new, it is the first time all councils represented by the Australian Local Government Association have made it together.
In a powerful show of unity, delegates endorsed an emergency motion calling for fairer funding for local government and backed a joint letter to be tabled with every member of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Australian Local Government Association president Matt Burnett said the motion reflected the shared reality facing councils across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote Australia.
Among those in Canberra for the historic moment on Wednesday, June 24, were Murray River Council Mayor John Harvie and Campaspe Shire Mayor Daniel Mackrell and councillor Zoe Cook.
The councils are insisting that Federal Government increase indexation on Financial Assistance Grants to local government to one per cent.
“Financial Assistance Grants are not just another grant program. They recognise that no two communities are the same and trust councils to make decisions based on local needs,” Cr Burnett said.
And when announcing the budget in May, the government announced a slight decrease despite consistent campaigns for an increase.
The reality, councils say, is a reduction in services or projects, and potential special rate variations, which would see ratepayers facing increases well above CPI.
Cr Harvie said restoring the grants to one per cent was “essential” to ensuring councils could continue delivering the infrastructure and services communities relied on.
“Councils across Australia have been advocating for this change for years, yet despite recommendations from the Federal Inquiry into Local Government Financial Sustainability, we have seen little action,” he said.
“For Murray River Council, reductions in Financial Assistance Grants have resulted in a loss of around $11 million annually, contributing to an unfunded infrastructure backlog of about $40 million.
“At the same time, councils are facing significant increases in construction, maintenance and operational costs, while being expected to deliver more services and infrastructure than ever before.”
Cr Mackrell said councils such as Campaspe were on the front line every day — maintaining local roads, delivering essential services and supporting our communities through growth and challenging times alike.
“But the reality is the funding model simply hasn’t kept pace with rising costs, ageing infrastructure and increasing community expectations,” he said.
The emergency motion calls on the Federal Government to act now to deliver fairer funding through an immediate increase in untied funding for all councils.
Cr Harvie said without sustainable funding, councils were increasingly left with difficult choices; delaying infrastructure projects, reducing services or putting upward pressure on rates.
“That’s not a path we want to take, but it highlights the challenge local government is facing,” he said.
“This unprecedented national plea reflects the growing urgency of the issue.
“Additional funding would help councils address infrastructure backlogs, invest in critical community assets and reduce reliance on competitive grant programs.”
Untied funding, such as Financial Assistance Grants, gives councils the flexibility to respond to local priorities — whether that’s road maintenance, community facilities or critical services residents rely on.
“We stand united with councils across Australia in calling on the Australian Government to strengthen this funding partnership, so we can continue delivering for our communities now and into the future,” Cr Mackrell said.
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