House Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport — hearing of 2 July 2026: transcript & video · Polyfact

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House Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport

2 July 2026

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Contents updated on 21 Oct 2026

The committee opens its inquiry into local government funding, then ALGA sets out evidence of structural financial stress in councils, highlighting deteriorating assets and severe skills shortages as the context for seeking higher Commonwealth support.

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Hearing opening and ALGA fiscal warning

18:20

Committee opens inquiry and calls ALGA

18:20

Members’ introductions and ALGA opening case

20:34

ALGA research — asset condition and skills gaps

24:42

ALGA Q&A — Commonwealth role and FAGs quantum

28:53

Chair Q — national priorities and Commonwealth role

28:53

Chair Q — justifying more funding beyond 1.05%

31:11

Debate — scrap competitive grants and focus on untied FAGs

34:24

Deputy Chair Q — unseen departmental work and Act focus

38:19

Reforming the FAGs Act — untied funding and constitutional issues

41:11

Minimum grant rule — no council should go backwards

46:01

Haines Q — minimum grant vs horizontal equalisation

49:18

Haines Q — staged path to 1% and fiscal capacity

52:20

ALGA Q&A — state cost‑shifting and disasters

55:40

Newman Q — state cost‑shifting, rate caps and charges

55:40

Landry Q — disaster funding and betterment under DRFA

59:09

ALGA evidence wraps up; hearing suspended

01:00:35

ASU evidence — funding erosion and service gaps

01:02:17

ASU witness introduction and funding overview

01:02:17

ASU examples — councils filling service gaps and secure jobs code

01:06:47

ASU Q&A — workforce pressure and rate caps

01:10:53

Chair Q — multi‑level responsibility for local government pressures

01:10:53

Deputy Chair Q — community backlash and WHS impacts

01:12:46

Briski Q — rate capping, wages and job security

01:15:36

Matt Smith Q — councils as major regional employers

01:18:06

ASU Q&A — skills, untied funds and secure jobs

01:31:35

Resumption — apprenticeships and skills pathways in councils

01:31:35

Chair Q — why 1.05% funding still leaves councils unsustainable

01:33:37

Chair Q — untied funding, national priorities and accountability

01:36:02

Closing discussion — transparency, outsourcing and secure jobs

01:39:12

ASU hearing concludes and inquiry closed

01:41:12

House Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport

2 July 2026

House Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport Thu, 2 Jul 2026 Australian Parliament

18:19 - 19:25

Speaker 11

Claire opened this public hearing of the standing committee on regional development, infrastructure, and transport's inquiry into local government funding and fiscal sustainability. I'd like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which we meet today, and I pay my respects to their ancestors and their elders past, present, and future. I extend this respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their cultural and spiritual connections to Australia's lands and waters. In accordance with the committee's resolution of 08/28/2025, this hearing will be broadcast on the parliament's website, and the proof and official transcripts of proceedings will be published on the inquiry website. I remind members of the media who may be present or listening on the web of the need to fairly and accurately report the proceedings of the committee.

I now welcome representatives of the Australian Local Government Association to give evidence today. For the hand side record, would you please state your full name and the capacity in which you appear before the committee? Thank you.

19:25 - 19:30

Speaker 20

Matt Burnett, mayor of the Gladstone region appearing as the president of the Australian Local Government Association.

19:31 - 19:32

And Amy Crawford.

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