Councillor Godwin-Smith
Central Highlands Regional Council’s call for more funding by the Australian Government towards improving mobile phone coverage in the region was one of its four motions to receive unanimous endorsement by delegates at the Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly in Canberra last week.
Representatives from council travelled to Canberra to join councils from across Australia as they debated and developed policies on issues of national significance that affect their communities.
Deputy Mayor Gail Godwin-Smith, who attended the event, said that, the support of the Assembly gave added impetus to the lobbying being undertaken in Central Queensland in the run-up to the federal election.
‘It was a strong and welcome endorsement of the issues that council believes are the key areas to address that will strengthen the economic and social fabric of the region,’ she said.
Central Highlands Regional Council’s motions called on the Australian Government to:
Maintain indexation of the Financial Assistance Grants in the current budget, and that any changed arrangements to fund local government be referred to the Reform of Taxation.
Provide innovative solutions to current electoral processes through the introduction of electronic voting systems for all elections.
Create new funding to support the provision of rural and remote health services in Australia.
Provide more funding to the Mobile Black Spot Programme.
‘Council will continue to talk with federal government and shadow ministers no matter the result of the election to add to the collective voice of local government across the country,’ Cr Godwin-Smith concluded.