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.
The councils are insisting the Federal Government increase indexation on Financial Assistance Grants to local government to one per cent.
These grants have been reduced from one per cent of Commonwealth taxation revenue in 1996 to just 0.05 per cent.
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 potential reduction in services or projects, or special rate variations which would see ratepayers facing increases well above CPI.
Berrigan Shire Mayor Julia Cornwell McKean said the reduction in Financial Assistance Grants to councils has “created a real problem - particularly for small councils like ours with a small rate base”.
“Last year Berrigan Shire received $6.5 million from the grants, and our rate base is about the same.
“It just doesn’t pass muster, especially when other levels of government have us covering the services they used to provide - libraries being a great example of this.
“We’re now responsible for a lot more services than we should be.”
Cr Cornwell McKean said while Berrigan Shire is currently in a stable cash position, she said the government’s failure to increase these untied grants for councils will challenge this stability into the future.
“Berrigan is fortunate with its cash holdings, and we’ve not had to consider a rate variation for at least 20 years.
“We thought we may have to at one stage recently, but thankfully it could be avoided.
“But we’re already relying heavily on grant funding, and we’re not part of the South West Renweable Energy Zone and therefore not eligible for any of that funding, so there are fewer windfalls out there for us.
“We’re looking for uncontested funds so we don’t have to fight it out with anyone else.”
Murrumbigee Mayor Ruth McRae and Cr Cornwell McKean both said the funding amount is only one part of the issue.
They said the method in which the funding is distributed, even at 0.49 per cent, could be revised to more adequately benefit councils like ours which do not have revenue raising activities other than grants and rates.
Cr McRae said the campaign to increase Financial Assistance Grants has been going on for almost as long as she has been in local government.
“I’ve got serious concerns about continued advocacy in this space because it does not seem to be gaining any traction,” she said.
“Our (local governments’) financial sustainability is very much under pressure and yes, we need more money, but we also need to look at the methodology of how the grant is distributed.
“To have that many councillors in one room saying the same thing speaks volumes to how vulnerable we are, but first we need a review and see if we are using the most appropriate methodology.”
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