I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and I pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
It’s great to be with you again this morning.
Last night’s awards were a fantastic celebration of the work that all of you do in every community in Australia.
And another reminder of the power and value of this forum – the opportunity it gives all of us in the Federal Government to demonstrate our respect and appreciation for local government.
Recognising the extraordinary contribution you and your colleagues make to the lives of Australians.
The essential services you provide, the critical infrastructure and housing you plan and deliver.
And the care and investment you put into the things that make such a positive and meaningful difference to our quality of life.
The parks and pools and sporting facilities, the libraries, community theatres and halls.
The festivals and cultural events that enrich the character of communities, celebrate our diversity and strengthen the great national asset of our social cohesion.
You are the level of government closest to the Australian people – and so often your work brings Australians closer together.
When you look around the world, that’s never mattered more.
This forum is also an opportunity for leaders in local government to deal directly with the Commonwealth, across the broad range of issues you manage on a daily basis.
And our Government understands that everything local government does depends on the foundation of financial certainty.
That’s why, when I was here with you last year, I announced we were bringing forward funding under the Financial Assistance Grants program.
And as of last month, nearly $2.8 billion had already been paid to the states and territories, so it can be distributed to your councils.
Ensuring that as employers of 200,000 people with responsibility for 75 per cent of our nation’s roads and a place on the frontline of essential services, disaster recovery and emergency management.
You have the ongoing certainty and security you need and deserve.
I’m very pleased that there has been such constructive engagement in your agenda from Minister Catherine King, Minister Kristy McBain and so many other Government Ministers and Members.
That’s a sign of respect – and it’s also proof that my colleagues and I recognise the opportunity this forum provides us, to hear from you.
To learn more about what’s working, to identify areas for improvement and build stronger partnerships, based on deeper trust.
Of course, this week is not the start of those conversations – or the last word.
For our Government, for me as Prime Minister, meeting with mayors and councillors is a year-round process.
But one of the benefits of making this forum an annual fixture is that it creates structure and accountability for these discussions.
It generates deadlines for action and creates an incentive for progress.
And there is indeed a great deal of progress for us to celebrate.
The doubling of funding for Roads to Recovery: $4.4 billion to fix roads damaged by floods and other disasters.
The first round of the Community Energy Upgrades Fund well underway.
And, earlier this morning, we announced the 80 projects in 73 councils who will share in $50 million of funding from stream 1 of our Housing Support Program.
Substantial new investment in the planning capability to build more homes.
Every project speaks to the positive and practical difference this funding will make.
$1.5 million for Blacktown City Council for housing capacity studies and planning strategies around train station precincts – with the potential to deliver 50,000 new homes.
$150,000 for Bundaberg Regional Council to undertake precinct planning for 1300 homes, including medium-density, affordable housing around the Bundaberg Hospital, primarily for hospital workers.
And $160,000 for Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council for a Future Housing Supply Strategy, for more than 60 homes in remote Queensland.
Of course, there is more for us to do – and there is more we want to work with local government to achieve.
Today, I am pleased to announce that the enabling infrastructure stream of the Housing Support Program is now open.
This means $450 million of funding is available, including for local councils.
New investment to build the roads and connect the power, water and sewerage to support residential construction.
It will also provide funding for community infrastructure like the parks and public spaces that create thriving communities.
Our Government has set an ambitious goal of building 1.2 million new homes before the end of the decade.
Because new housing in our cities and suburbs is vital to our growth and prosperity as a nation.
It’s fundamental to security and opportunity for our people.
And building new homes is about building communities too.
The infrastructure that supports quality of life, allows ease of access from new developments into major hubs, and fosters connection with others through open spaces and shared facilities.
This is a key priority for us. It’s an area where there has been a lack of investment by the federal government for too long – and we are fixing it.
And there is no more logical partner in this endeavour than local councils.
This week in Parliament pointed to another national priority where local government has a critical role.
On Wednesday morning, the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, introduced our Future Made in Australia Act.
A framework to drive the public and private investment in clean energy and critical minerals that will power a new generation of Australian manufacturing and build a more resilient and more diversified economy.
Making Australia a renewable energy superpower.
Making more things here.
And making sure workers and communities share in the benefits.
This is about attracting and enabling the flow of private capital into transmission and generation, refining and processing and manufacturing and backing this up with the infrastructure and skills and services that workers and communities need to grow and thrive.
Our vision for a future made in Australia is an investment strategy – and a growth strategy.
It’s a plan in keeping with the principle that drives each and every member of our Government: No-one held back, no-one left behind.
No community held back from the opportunities of this transformation, no-one left behind by economic change.
This is a moment of global change.
It represents a transformative national opportunity and we want to see local government, front and centre, whether that is in our cities or our regions.
We’ve brought this same focus on growth and investment and regional development to our infrastructure agenda.
The understanding that you don’t make decisions about a project in isolation: you measure it by what it does to shape the economic development of communities.
Connecting farmers and producers and small businesses to broader markets.
Driving productivity in our cities, boosting liveability in our suburbs.
And bringing essential services and the life-changing opportunity of education to every part of our country.
That connection between infrastructure and regional development links directly to local government.
That’s the principle I adopted as a Minister – and that’s what drives me as Prime Minister.
Making sure it all fits together.
The determination to draw on the potential of every suburb and region.
The ambition for all our people to be part of our nation’s success.
And the optimism that if we work together, we can shape the future.
Thank you all for coming to Canberra – and thank you for everything you do in the service of your community and our country.
I wish you all the best for a great end to the week and a safe journey home.
