Councillors will advocate for a bigger share of the Federal Government's tax revenue pie and press Eden-Monaro candidates for funding commitments for priority projects for the Bega Valley.
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In particular council is supporting the call from the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) for an increase in annual Financial Assistance Grants (FAGs), plus an immediate injection of cash, and for funding of a feasibility study for major improvements to the Snowy Mountains Highway to improve east-west road connectivity.
Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick the community had suffered through bushfires and then COVID and needed infrastructure built.
"The only way we can get new infrastructure is by increasing the Financial Assistance Grant to 1 per cent, otherwise our community will continue to suffer," he said.
Cr Fitzpatrick said the FAG was currently between 0.6-0.7 per cent of federal tax revue but was 1.5 per cent in 1975. He said that residents questioned maintenance levels and infrastructure renewal.
"There's a reason we don't do it - because we don't have the money. The only way is to support ALGA and support the 1 per cent FAG if we want to avoid substantial rate increases," Cr Fitzpatrick said.
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Council has discussed and has advocated for an alternative east/west route to Brown Mountain for some time now.
As many residents are well-aware the route is prone to sudden closure due to landslip and rockfall even though there has been a large amount of work carried out in recent years.
Council has previously discussed the use of Imlay Road, south of Eden as an east/west corridor but the unsealed Forestry road would need to be brought up to standard and taken over by the NSW Government and at this stage neither party has shown an interest in making that investment.
As a result council is asking for priority funding for a feasibility study for major improvements to the Snowy Mountains Highway to improve east-west road connectivity.
Cr Helen O'Neil said the ALGA campaign was "crucial".
"ALGA is asking for an immediate injection (via the FAGs) of $1.3bn (spread across all councils), so solely needed. We know we will not be able to provide the level of service our residents deserve without that level of funding," Cr O'Neil said.
She also highlighted the need for recovery money to go into disaster preparedness and said that local government should be part of the national cabinet because it understood the issues "on the ground".
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Denise Dion
Regional daily news journalist on the Far South Coast of NSW. Contact me on 0418 213 780 or at denise.dion@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Regional daily news journalist on the Far South Coast of NSW. Contact me on 0418 213 780 or at denise.dion@austcommunitymedia.com.au
