General News
16 June, 2024
Hard decisions on horizon, says council group
RURAL communities faced hard decisions about whether to close swimming pools, shutter libraries, curb the use of sports facilities, abandon playgrounds, and severely cut or close aged care and childcare, the federal inquiry has been told. Rural...
RURAL communities faced hard decisions about whether to close swimming pools, shutter libraries, curb the use of sports facilities, abandon playgrounds, and severely cut or close aged care and childcare, the federal inquiry has been told.
Rural Councils Victoria said many small rural councils were on the financial brink and rural communities face losing essential community services and the only leisure facilities some communities have.
“We are at a point where we have to make some hard decisions,” chair Mary-Ann Brown said.
“Councils only have two reliable sources of income, rates – which are capped – and grants, which have been declining in real terms for years.
“Small rural communities are resilient and self-reliant but rural councils are being hit from many directions all at once. In recent years there have been successive natural disasters, a cost of living crisis, community expectations have changed and the system for financing councils and council services has not kept up.
“Put simply, councils need more resources, and we need federal and state governments to help us keep up with inflation. The best and easiest thing that the Federal Government could do for the sustainability of local government and small rural communities across Australia would be to increase the amount of the financial assistance grants.”