NORTHERN Midlands Council will join a national protest against the freeze of indexation of financial assistance grants to local government.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A request of support was sent by the Australian Local Government Association in light of a three-year freeze on CPI for the federal grants.
The council will lose more than $950,000 through the freeze, although the loss will be counter-balanced by a boosted $715,000 Roads to Recovery grant.
Northern Midlands Council acting general manager Maree Bricknell said the council was asked to write to Lyons Liberal MHR Eric Hutchinson, requesting an immediate restoration of the grants.
Ms Bricknell said it was supposed indexation would be returned to the grants by the 2016-17 financial year, but the current lack of indexation would significantly lower their base amount.
She said the additional Roads to Recovery funds were welcome, but they were ‘‘forcing’’ the council to invest in additional roads maintenance.
Northern Midlands councillor Mary Knowles moved the motion of support at the council’s meeting last week and said the grants were essential to municipal operations.
The council will write in protest to Mr Hutchinson, Tasmanian Liberal Senator Stephen Parry and other federal representatives.
