Financial Assistance Grant to Local Government Program

Question

1. Minister, has the Financial Assistance Grant to Local Government Program dropped from .51 per cent to .49 per cent? 2. What is the Government response to the Australian Local Government Association and individual councils when they request the restoration of the Financial Assistance Grant to 1 per cent? 3. Minister, did the Australian Labor Party in the 2022 election campaign commit to the 'long-term financial sustainability of local government' through increases to grant allocations, including 'fair increases' to Financial Assistance Grants*? 4. Please demonstrate this Government's proven commitment to the election promise to fair increases to Financial Assistance Grants, and that support to this traditional local government program is not in fact decreasing. 5. Queensland received $686,957,130 in the 2025-26 year, with $198,322,666 of that for local roads. What will it receive in the 2026-27 year, and what will be allocated to local roads? 6. Given the Financial Assistance Grant Program changes annually in line with changes in population and Consumer Price Index, which Councils in Leichhardt have a) increased and b) decreased grants in 2026-27? 7. Given the Financial Assistance Grant Program changes annually in line with changes in population and Consumer Price Index, which Councils in Solomon and Lingiari have a) increased and b) decreased grants in 2026-27? 8. Given the Financial Assistance Grant Program changes annually in line with changes in population and Consumer Price Index, which Councils in Herbert, Dawson and Lingiari have a) increased and b) decreased grants in 2026-27? 9. Given the Financial Assistance Grant Program changes annually in line with changes in population and Consumer Price Index, which Councils in Kennedy have a) increased and b) decreased grants in 2026-27? 10. Minister, as you are aware, many of the Councils in Northern Australia have small rate bases and in some cases, declining populations, yet have thousands and thousands of kilometres of road to maintain - is a grant program linked to population the most effective method to maintain local roads?

Answer

Please see attached PDF.

Documents

• Question with answer (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• SQ26-000683.pdf (opens in a new tab)