1 April 2025, Mayor Cr Grace La Vella - Maryborough Advertiser

Published on 01 April 2025

Councils lobby for federal funding.

The Greater Ballarat Alliance of Councils—comprising the City of Ballarat, Central Goldfields, Golden Plains, Hepburn, Moorabool, and Pyrenees shires—is advocating for urgent reforms to ensure financial sustainability and infrastructure investment across the region. 

Covering 12,000 square kilometres, these councils face growing challenges due to rate capping and the widening gap between CPI and revenue, which is compounding over time. This financial strain is not sustainable and threatens the delivery of essential services and infrastructure for our local communities.

At a recent high-level meeting of mayors and CEOs, we discussed the upcoming federal election campaign of 2025 (which has now commenced), identifying our key advocacy priorities. A core focus is securing direct, untied grants from the Federal Government to provide councils with the flexibility to address local infrastructure and service needs without restrictive funding conditions.

In addition, the Alliance is calling for:

•A multi-year infrastructure investment program to support housing and population growth,

• Increased transport funding to improve road and rail networks,

• Expansion of digital connectivity to bridge the urban-rural divide, and

• A review of financial sustainability measures to ensure councils can meet rising costs.

By joining forces, the Greater Ballarat Alliance of Councils is strengthening its advocacy efforts in Canberra, ensuring the voices of regional communities are heard and acted upon at the highest levels of government.

I fear if we don’t secure more Federal grants, councils will not be sustainable into the future. Our current CEO’s feel like they are lifeguards on the Titanic!

Mayor Councillor Grace La Vella

Central Goldfields Shire Council