Federal Election a vote on fairer funding
Published on 28 March 2025
Queensland councils have welcomed the opening of the Federal Election campaign as an opportunity for all candidates to commit to ending a broken 50-year-old funding model holding councils and their local communities back.
Queensland councils have today redoubled their calls for fairer funding, policy changes and critical emergency weather infrastructure to support local communities as the campaign officially begins today ahead of the 3 May Election.
Local Government Association of Queensland President Matt Burnett said councils were seeking an end to the broken, outdated Federal funding model – Financial Assistance Grants or FA Grants - as well as support for other key commitments, including initiatives to improve natural disaster resilience, recovery and end the weather radar blackspots that have hurt too many communities.
FA Grants provide untied funding to councils to prioritise their unique community needs and restoring them to 1 per cent of tax revenue is key to guaranteeing liveability and affordability for ratepayers. Despite this, this week’s Budget sees them stuck on just 0.51 per cent of tax revenue.
“Ratepayers are Federal voters too so backing our communities means backing our councils with fair funding to deliver what residents need and deserve,” Mayor Burnett said.
“As well as the crying need to restore FA Grants back to 1 per cent, large parts of Queensland – north, south and west – have all been hit hard by an incredible run of rainfall, flooding and even a SEQ cyclone.
“These are not the first natural disasters to impact Queensland and they won’t be the last, which is why we are also seeking action on insurance to better protect our communities, and for further funding to support the continuation of the voluntary home buyback scheme, as well as increased funding to build infrastructure back better.
“At a time when our Central West and South West Queensland councils and their local communities are dealing with devastating record-breaking flooding - again exposing a major issue with inadequate flood gauges and a weather radar black hole - we want to see both sides of politics commit to addressing this instantly.
“These communities deserve better.
“Their safety and livelihoods should not be compromised by an outdated and inadequate warning system.”
LGAQ chief executive officer Alison Smith said only when properly funded can councils provide liveable communities.
“Councils deliver so much despite receiving so little – just 3 cents in every $1 of taxation revenue,” Ms Smith said.
“But councils need fairer funding, and when the Commonwealth receives more than 80 cents of that same $1 of tax, all candidates and parties need to step up and commit to paying councils and communities their fair due.
“Councils make our communities liveable – and Queensland councils are doing more for their communities than ever before, compounded by significant population growth since the last time the nation went to the polls and cost-shifting from other levels of government that continues to grow.
“The Federal funding model supporting councils and their communities – introduced in the mid-1970s – is going backwards with untied funding for local governments continuing to fall as a percentage of Commonwealth tax revenue.
“Without further Federal support, councils have limited options available to them to fill the gap – increasing rates or cutting services.
“This is simply not acceptable in a cost-of-living crisis."
The LGAQ has released a suite of measures that will deliver real, on the ground support for communities and their residents that would deliver a $73.8 billion dividend to the Queensland economy and more than 105,000 jobs.
Along with a fairer funding model, councils are calling for improved insurance and disaster management to protect communities, including an expansion of the voluntary home buy back scheme, measures to make insurance more available and affordable and funding to build back better after natural disasters.
The LGAQ has also put forward measures to empower First Nations communities, support transitioning communities, delete the digital divide and protect the environment.
The LGAQ’s campaign supports a national call on behalf of the sector by the Australian Local Government Association calling for the political parties to ‘Put our Communities First’.
It has seen Queensland councils sharing images of their communities in the 1970s across social media – to highlight the differences in community growth and expectation 50-years on.
Over half a million Queenslanders have been reached across social media already – and Queensland candidates in the Federal Election have been provided the suite of asks put forward by Queensland councils on behalf of their communities – with a request for response.
More information on the campaign can be viewed at: www.dontleaveusinthe70s.com.au.
Vision and audio of LGAQ CEO Alison Smith can be accessed here.