This is an important time of the year for the local government sector and the public service more broadly, with budgets to be handed down, state elections resolved and a federal election on the horizon. This means things have been busy for the RCV team.
Canberra is abuzz this week, as the the Federal Budget for 2019/20 will be delivered in full today.
Already we're seeing some important funding commitments ahead of the full announcement, with news for rural communities in the areas of health, community energy, new migrants coming to rural areas, and hopefully more to come.
Find out what RCV has been advocating for ahead of this year's Federal Budget.
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Looking ahead to the Victorian Budget to be delivered on 30 April, RCV has been advocating for funding commitments that support the two pillars of sustainable rural councils, and sustainable rural communities.
These priorities include investment in the essential infrastructure that rural communities need to survive and thrive (community spaces, main streets and mobile blackspots).
We're also seeking a commitment of funding to enhance collaboration between rural Councils, helping them to find efficiencies in shared service delivery via the Rural Councils Transformation Program.
As part of our budget advocacy, we're also calling for rationalisation of service responsiblities between local and state government to ensure rural Councils are delivering the services we're well placed and sufficiently funded to deliver.
Finally, we're seeking continued funding for RCV so that we can continue to advocate for the needs of our rural councils and the communities we serve.
Read about our Victorian Budget Priorities here and stay tuned to find out what the budget has in store for our rural communities.
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Federal Election Campaign
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With the Federal Election likely to be called in coming weeks, we're seeking commitment from all parties to rectify the growing divide between our major cities and rural areas, outlining funding commitments sought and key policy decisions for implementation.
The commitments we're pursuing highlight the fact that even a small investment in rural areas delivers a significant return on investment - in fact, a larger economic return than if the same investment is made in our major cities.
Our asks also highlight that investment in rural areas that helps to boost rural populations will have major benefits to city residents, reducing some of the strain on overloaded urban infrastructure.
Read our 2019 Federal Election Platform document to find out more about these key asks and their benefits.
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Reminder about our Mayors, Councillors and CEOs Forum
Wednesday April 17 2019, RACV City Club, 501 Bourke St, Melbourne
This event is a great way to hear about the latest research, what’s happening in rural policy development and how our state and federal political parties are tackling the issues impacting our rural communities.
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