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Government renegs on "Historic Commitment"

Northern Territory Local Government Association President Alderman Kerry Moir said today that she was outraged that the Northern Territory Government had reneged on their commitment made in May 2005 to index local government operational grants.

“There was no increase in the operational grant to councils for 2006/07 and this grant has now effectively been frozen for the last two years”, said Alderman Moir. “Former Local Government Minister John Ah Kit said that indexation was something that ‘LGANT has passionately advocated for – and something we have committed to’ and yet now we find that grant funding is frozen ” Alderman Moir said.

“LGANT is aware of the rumours about local government reform and possible amalgamations, however, that is no excuse to freeze councils’ grant funding in the interim” Alderman Moir said.

“The former Minister said in his media release of 27 May 2005 that indexation ‘will really move local government ahead in the Northern Territory’, I wonder what Minister McAdam had in mind when he made this decision” said Alderman Moir.

Ends

14 September 2006

Contact: LGANT President Alderman Kerry Moir 0419 303 378

Phil Maynard 89362890 or 0419 090 833