Inquiry into Local Government Funding and Fiscal Sustainability

Terms of Reference

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport will inquire into and report on local government funding and fiscal sustainability, with a particular focus on: - Interactions between Governments - Identification of All Funding Sourcesi. Identify and map all sources of funding received by local government from the Australian Government and state/territory governments, including:a. Untied grants (e.g., Financial Assistance Grants).b. Tied/specific-purpose grants and project-based programs, co-contribution requirements and competitive grant processes.c. Revenue sharing arrangements (e.g., stamp duty, rates capping subsidies, GST-related disbursements where applicable).d. Emergency, disaster recovery and resilience funding.e. One-off or ad hoc funding streams. - Impacts and Effectivenessi. Evaluate how funding arrangements, including indexation freezing, influence the financial sustainability, service delivery capacity and infrastructure investment of local governments.ii. Consider whether existing funding mechanisms are addressing the evolving responsibilities of local governments.iii. Identify barriers to infrastructure service delivery, including trends in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce, impediments to security for local government workers and impacts of labour hire practices.iv. Explore opportunities to improve productivity and coordination of local government. - Previous Inquiryi. Consider evidence provided to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport of the 47th ParliamentInquiry into Local Government Sustainability. - Other relevant matters Committee SecretaryHouse of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and TransportPO Box 6021Parliament HouseCanberra ACT 2600Phone:+61 2 6277 2232rdit.reps@aph.gov.au