Infrastructure call

By Rebecca Fraser
CASEY deputy mayor Rob Wilson wants a “better deal” for local government, calling on Federal Treasurer Peter Costello to spend Australia’s budget surplus on infrastructure instead of cutting taxes.
Cr Wilson made the comments at a recent council meeting and urged his fellow colleagues to support a motion that council write to Mr Costello and request the government not write off this year’s proposed budget surplus with tax cuts.
He moved that instead the treasurer utilise the surplus to form a national program of infrastructure renewal.
Cr Wilson also moved that council call on the Federal Government to devise a new program that delivers substantial amounts of money directly to local governments from the surplus to address local government’s shortfall of money for infrastructure.
Cr Wilson said Casey, and a vast majority of councils across the country, were busy playing a game of “catch up”, unable to adequately provide their municipalities with the infrastructure they needed.
The motion also moved that council endorse the Municipal Association of Victoria’s Key Strategic Plan Directions (Pursue National Funding Agreement and Taxation Share) as outlined in the MAV’s November Milestones newsletter.
He also moved that officers prepare a report for budget deliberations on matching or incorporating these strategies into Casey’s Key Strategic Plan Directions.
Cr Wilson said pursuing the national funding agreement and taxation share as outlined by the MAV would deliver a substantial amount of money straight to local governments.
“This would provide a direct stream to council to deliver infrastructure,” Mr Wilson said.
“I hear that we have a surplus of $12 billion and we need this money to deliver projects in our local areas.
“At the moment we cannot build the infrastructure we need and this is not just in Casey, but right across the state.”
He said the Australian Local Government Association, the Shires Association and the Local Government Board had already supported the move.
He said municipalities would band together to lobby the treasurer and express their needs.
The motion attracted strong council support, but councillor Lorraine Wreford called for the motion to be deferred until the next meeting so that some councillors had time to read the MAV report.
However this failed to attract majority support and the motion was passed.