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Local Government wants a fair deal for remote councils in the NT

Northern Territory Local Government Association President Alderman Kerry Moir today called on the Federal Government to review the outdated per capita formulae for providing financial assistance grants to local government.

The per capita funding formulae discriminates against the smaller states, particularly the Northern Territory and now is the time to put in place a fair ‘needs based’ formulae ”, Alderman Moir said.

“When you have a situation where the Croydon Council (population 287) in North Queensland receives $1,378,972 and the Papunya Council (population 390) west of Alice Springs in the NT receives $49,409 you have to question a system that delivers such inequitable outcomes”, Alderman Moir stated.

“Similarly the Thamarrur Council at Wadeye (population 2,406) received $353,014 and yet Winton Council in Queensland (population1,611) received $2,208,820”, said Alderman Moir. “If Thamarrur was to receive equivalent funding to Winton on a per capita basis it would receive $3.3 million and who could possibly say that Winton’s need was greater that Wadeye’s” said Alderman Moir.

“And it doesn’t stop there, practically every Council in the Northern Territory is disadvantaged by a system that begins by assuming that the cost of providing local government services and infrastructure to a person living in suburban Sydney or Melbourne is the same as a remote indigenous community in the Northern Territory”, Alderman Moir said.

“This inequitable funding of councils across Australia is something that needs to be urgently addressed”, said Alderman Moir.

Ends

22 May 2006

Contact: LGANT President Alderman Kerry Moir 0419 303 378

Phil Maynard Manager Information Services 89362890 0429 090833