LGAQ wants funding restored to help build 'smart' future

Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) CEO Greg Hallam has called for the restoration of financial assistance grants funding in order to meet increasing demands on local government.

In an LGAQ blog post published today, Hallam outlined the success of this week’s Future Cities, Smart Communities summit, held in Cairns. He wrote that Australia’s urban areas and other communities stand to greatly benefit from the ‘smart cities’ transformation.

“Queensland councils have woven the concept firmly into their own business as usual. It is now standard practice for communities to go for a jog under street lighting powered by the sun or to drop by their local library to learn a new language — the language of code,” said Hallam.

“This week I joined local government leaders and technology entrepreneurs in Cairns to listen to some of the world’s best in tech, to better understand the nuances of how we can continue down this path and guide the development of our urban places. It was a jam-packed, and eye-opening, three days,” he said.

But Hallam added that “we should be mindful not to get too enamoured with the technical wizardry alone”.

“These developments are at their most effective for communities when citizens are at the centre of decisions on how they are used and regulated. By themselves, the platforms and digital assets don’t disrupt. Our mindsets do that,” he said.

Hallam said the LGAQ is calling on the federal government to restore financial assistance grants funding.

“In 1996, the funding provided to local government under the financial assistance grant funding was equal to 1% of Commonwealth tax revenue. Today, the figure has fallen to around 0.55%,” he said.

“We’re calling for a restoration of 1% — plus partnership funding — to ensure our future as a nation continues to look — here’s that word again — smart.”

Image credit: ©Nmedia/Dollar Photo Club

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