The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s inquiry into local government funding will hear from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water tomorrow.

Media release issue date: Monday, 11 May 2026

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s inquiry into local government funding will hear from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water tomorrow. The Committee wants to better understand how the department manage their important roles in the financial sustainability of local governments in Australia contending with climate change, and matters relating to the environment, heritage, sustainable energy use and water. Committee Chair, Mrs Fiona Phillips, said “the Committee will be particularly interested in hearing about support provided by the department for local governments through its programs, including the Urban Rivers and Catchments Program and the Reef Guardian Councils Grant Program”. The Urban Rivers and Catchments Program is a tied, project-based grant program, which provides funding to projects that improve waterways across urban, outer-urban and regional centres, with local councils being a key recipient. In their submission to the inquiry, the department outlined that $85 million of this $200 million program across 2022-28 will fund local governments directly (across 41 projects), with individual project funding ranging from $189,000 to $10 million. Through the Reef Guardian Councils Grant Program, the department also funds 19 councils to complete local, place-based activities for the protection and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef. An additional program – the Local Environmental Projects Program – has allocated nearly $20 million for local governments, with current projects including those with the Greater Bendigo City Council to revitalise Bendigo Creek, the City of Vincent to support biodiversity in Hyde Park, and the City of Kwinana to support tree planting. The Committee will explore what barriers and inefficiencies local governments encounter when applying for and accessing this funding, and how the Commonwealth might be able to enhance the productivity, coordination, and overall effectiveness of funding delivered to local governments. Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the Committee’s website. Public hearing Date: Thursday, 14 May 2026 Time: 11.00 am – 12.00 pm Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra A program for the public hearing is available on the inquiry website. A live broadcast of the hearing will also be available on the APH website. Media inquiries Mrs Fiona Phillips, MP Media Adviser: Katrina Condie 0437 662 967 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2232 rdit.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and find details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport will hold hearings with more than 20 councils in Wodonga, Wagga Wagga and Taree this week as part of its inquiry into local government funding.

Media release issue date: Tuesday, 5 May 2026

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport will hold hearings with more than 20 councils in Wodonga, Wagga Wagga and Taree this week as part of its inquiry into local government funding. The Committee wants to better understand the funding challenges faced by local government across regional and rural Australia and its workers who provide infrastructure and deliver services to vast areas of Victoria and NSW. Committee Chair, Mrs Fiona Phillips MP, said “The Committee is looking forward to learning more about the fiscal sustainability of local government in both northern Victoria and regional NSW and potential solutions to current challenges for fast growing regional cities and geographically larger shires with fewer rate payers.” Hearings will begin in Wodonga on Wednesday 6 May where the committee will hear from shire councils and regional city councils such as Wodonga and Wangaratta. The Committee will explore a range of issues including grant distribution processes, bushfire and flood recovery, workforce issues, and labour market conditions in regional Victoria and across the border in the Riverina. The Committee will then travel to Wagga Wagga for hearings on Thursday 7 May to hear from city councils and shire councils in southern NSW and representatives of Regional Capitals Australia, NSW Country Mayors and NSW Farmers. The committee travels north to Taree on Friday 8 May to hear from a local government representative body from the Hunter and a range of shire and city councils along the mid-north coast and inland up to the Tweed River. Discussions will cover financial sustainability, insurance and risk, workforce challenges, and broader pressures facing local government across New South Wales, especially for those councils contending with recovery from natural disasters. Programs for each public hearing are available on the inquiry webpage. Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the Committee’s website. Public hearing details Date: Wednesday, 6 May 2026 Time: 9.00 am – 3.30 pm Location: The Huon Room, Huon Hill Hotel, 48 Reid Street, Wodonga, Victoria Date: Thursday, 7 May 2026 Time: 9.00 am – 2.50 pm Location: Premier room, Mercure Wagga Wagga, 1 Morgan Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW Date: Friday, 8 May 2026 Time: 9.15 am – 4.00 pm Location: Melaleuca room, Club Taree, 121 Wingham Road, Taree, NSW Public hearings are broadcast live on the Australian Parliament House Streaming Portal. Details for upcoming public hearings and more information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, submissions and transcripts of previous hearings, is available on the inquiry webpage. Media enquiries Mrs Fiona Phillips, MP Media Adviser: Katrina Condie 0437 662 967 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2232 rdit.reps@aph.gov.au

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport will begin its interstate hearings in Melbourne and Sydney next week as part of its inquiry into local government funding.

Media release issue date: Friday, 24 April 2026

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport will begin its interstate hearings in Melbourne and Sydney next week as part of its inquiry into local government funding. The Committee wants to better understand the funding challenges faced by local government and its workers who provide infrastructure and deliver services to residents of two of Australia’s largest cities in Melbourne and Sydney, and to fast growing regional areas nearby in both Victoria and NSW. Committee Chair, Mrs Fiona Phillips, said “The Committee is looking forward to learning more about the fiscal sustainability of local government in both Victoria and NSW, potential solutions to current challenges, and the impacts of rising demands on the sector’s workforce.” Hearings will begin in Melbourne on Tuesday 28 April where the committee will hear from local government representative bodies, unions, metropolitan councils and regional councils. The Committee will explore a range of issues including grant distribution processes, workforce issues, and labour market conditions across Victoria. The Committee will then travel to Sydney for hearings on Thursday 30 April and Friday 1 May to hear from academic experts, state government officials, councils from metropolitan, regional and outer‑urban areas, unions, and other stakeholders. Discussions will cover financial sustainability, insurance and risk, workforce challenges, and broader pressures facing local government across New South Wales. Programs for each public hearing are available on the inquiry webpage. Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the Committee’s website. Public hearing details Date: Tuesday, 28 April 2026 Time: 9.00 am – 5.25 pm Location: Melbourne Date: Thursday, 30 April 2026 Time: 12.45 pm – 5.00 pm Location: Sydney Date: Friday, 1 May 2026 Time: 9.00 am – 3.45 pm Location: Sydney Public hearings are broadcast live on the Australian Parliament House Streaming Portal. Details for upcoming public hearings and more information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, submissions and transcripts of previous hearings, is available on the inquiry webpage. Media enquiries Mrs Fiona Phillips, MP Media Adviser: Katrina Condie 0437 662 967 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2232 rdit.reps@aph.gov.au

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s inquiry into local government funding will hear from Jobs and Skills Australia tomorrow.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 11 March 2026

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s inquiry into local government funding will hear from Jobs and Skills Australia tomorrow. The Committee wants to better understand labour market conditions, workforce skills, and training needs across Australia, in the context of local government financial sustainability. Committee Chair, Mrs Fiona Phillips, said “the Committee is particularly interested in hearing about trends in the attraction and retention of a skilled workforce in the local government sector, including impacts of labour hire practices.” Jobs and Skills Australia’s 2025 Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey found that 58 per cent of employers in remote and very remote Australia reported difficulty recruiting in their most recent recruitment rounds. Common problems included distance, competition for workers, and lack of housing. In regional Australia, the biggest issue was often a shortage of suitable candidates. Jobs and Skills Australia report that an ageing workforce, ongoing skills shortages in key roles, and heightened recruitment challenges outside major cities are increasing pressure on the capacity of local governments to deliver services. These challenges are made worse by regional labour market conditions which require localised and tailored solutions. The Committee also wants to look at the issues identified by the agency in its Jobs and Skills Roadmap for Regional Australia – Phase 1 report (released in July 2025). The report shows that the skills needs of regional and remote areas are often different from those of major cities, and that future skills lists should more explicitly reflect these differences. The Committee will examine the barriers local governments face in building and maintaining a sustainable workforce, and opportunities to improve productivity and coordination of local government. Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the Committee’s website. Public hearing Date: Thursday, 12 March 2026 Time: 11.00 am – 12.00 pm Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra A program for the public hearing is available on the inquiry website. A live broadcast of the hearing will also be available on the APH website. Media inquiries Mrs Fiona Phillips, MP Media Adviser: Katrina Condie 0437 662 967 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2232 rdit.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and find details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s inquiry into local government funding will hear from the Department of Home Affairs and also the National Emergency Management Agency.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 11 February 2026

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s inquiry into local government funding will hear from the Department of Home Affairs and also the National Emergency Management Agency. The Committee wants to better understand how NEMA and the Department manage their important roles in the financial sustainability of local governments in Australia during times of natural disaster and in supporting social cohesion. Committee Chair, Mrs Fiona Phillips, said "the Committee will be particularly interested in the oversight of Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) and the Disaster Ready Fund (DRF) relating to their use and usefulness to local governments." The DRFA is a cost sharing arrangement between the Commonwealth and the states and territories to support the delivery of urgent financial assistance to disaster affected communities. Once the DRFA is activated, the Government may reimburse states and territories up to 75 per cent of the financial assistance provided. The DRF delivers up to $200 million of Commonwealth funding annually to establish a comprehensive set of disaster resilience and mitigation projects across Australia, in partnership with Australian state, territory and local governments. The Committee will explore what barriers and inefficiencies local governments encounter when applying for and accessing this funding, and how the Commonwealth might be able to enhance the productivity, coordination, and overall effectiveness of funding delivered to local governments. Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the Committee’s website. Public hearing Date: Thursday, 12 February 2026 Time: 11.00 am – 12.00 pm Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra A program for the public hearing is available on the inquiry website. A live broadcast of the hearing will also be available on the APH website. Media inquiries Mrs Fiona Phillips, MP Media Adviser: Katrina Condie 0437 662 967 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2232 rdit.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and find details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts will explain its key financial role at the opening public hearing for the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s inquiry into local government funding.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 4 February 2026

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts will explain its key financial role at the opening public hearing for the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s inquiry into local government funding. In 2023-24 the Department was responsible for administering more than $5 billion or 94 per cent of the Commonwealth’s total commitment to local governments. The Committee wants to better understand how the Department’s manages its important role in the funding and financial sustainability of local governments in Australia. Of this funding for local governments, more than $3 billion in 2023-24 was provided under the untied Financial Assistance Grants. Another $500 million was for Roads to Recovery (RTR) and also $730 million for Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) programs. Chair of the Committee, Mrs Fiona Phillips, said ‘the Committee will be considering whether existing funding mechanisms are addressing the evolving responsibilities of local governments and identify how funding arrangements affect local government’s ability to deliver services and invest in local infrastructure’. Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the Committee’s website. Evidence provided to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport inquiry into Local Government Sustainability of the 47th Parliament will also be considered as part of this new inquiry. The Committee will schedule further public hearings in 2026. Public hearing Date: Thursday, 5 February 2026 Time: 11.00 am – 12.00 pm Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra A program for the public hearing is available on the inquiry website. A live broadcast of the hearing will also be available on the APH website. Media inquiries Mrs Fiona Phillips, MP Media Adviser: Katrina Condie 0437 662 967 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2232 rdit.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and find details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport has launched a new inquiry into the funding and financial sustainability of local governments in Australia.

Media release issue date: Monday, 10 November 2025

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport has launched a new inquiry into the funding and financial sustainability of local governments in Australia. Chair of the Committee, Mrs Fiona Phillips, said ‘the Committee wants to gain a deeper understanding of the financial relationship between local government and other levels of government in Australia, with a particular emphasis on funding mechanisms and fiscal sustainability.’ The inquiry aims to identify how funding arrangements affect local government’s ability to deliver services and invest in local infrastructure by identifying all sources of government funding received by local governments. The Committee will also be exploring how to overcome barriers to infrastructure service delivery. It will consider trends in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce, impediments to security for local government workers and the impacts of labour hire practices. The Committee will be considering whether existing funding mechanisms are addressing the evolving responsibilities of local governments. The Committee welcomes submissions from interested organisations and individuals by 3 February 2026. Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the Committee’s website. Evidence provided to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport inquiry into Local Government Sustainability of the 47th Parliament will be considered as part of this new inquiry. Media inquiries Mrs Fiona Phillips, MP Senior Adviser: Mr Ben Folkard 0478 103 547 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2232 rdit.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and find details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.