Council takes more action on budget as demand continues to soar
Budget pressures were highlighted as a major concern for local council governments at the recent Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) conference
The LGAQ represents the interests of Queensland's 77 councils and provides support and advocacy on a range of issues. President of the LGAQ, Cr Greg Chemello, said that budget pressures were a common theme among the councils represented at the conference.
Queensland councils are facing increasing demand for services due a number of factors
Cr Chemello cited a number of factors contributing to the budget pressures faced by councils, including:
- The increasing cost of delivering services
- The rising cost of wages and and salaries
- The increasing demand for services from a growing population
- The need to invest in infrastructure to support a growing population
Councils are taking a number of steps to address budget pressures
Cr Chemello said that councils were taking a proactive approach to addressing budget pressures by identifying areas where they can reduce costs and increase efficiency. He said that councils were also working with the state and federal governments to secure additional funding.
Cr Chemello said that it was important for councils to continue to provide essential services to the community while also ensuring that they were financially sustainable. He said that the LGAQ would continue to advocate on behalf of councils to ensure that they had the resources they needed to meet the needs of their communities.
The LGAQ is calling on the state and federal governments to provide more funding to councils
The LGAQ is calling on the state and federal governments to provide more funding to councils to help them meet the increasing demand for services. Cr Chemello said that councils needed additional funding to ensure that they could continue to provide essential services to the community while also investing in infrastructure and other initiatives to support a growing population.
Councils are facing a number of challenges, including:
- Increasing costs
- Rising demand for services
- Need to invest in infrastructure
Councils are taking a proactive approach to addressing these challenges by:
- Reducing costs
- Increasing efficiency
- Working with other levels of government
