Indigenous councils step up

Queensland’s Indigenous councils are rising to the challenge to become financially sustainable by improving the way they do business.

Local Government Minister David Crisafulli said this year’s $32 million State Government Financial Aid package included, for the first time, a $3 million contestable pool that was divided between the best performing councils.

“Strong councils make strong communities and the best way to achieve that is to reward those Indigenous councils who take significant steps to cut costs and improve revenue, business and economic opportunities,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“Only nine months after announcing the new funding approach, 10 of Queensland’s 16 Indigenous councils are receiving more money than they would have under the old scheme.

“The funding delivers on our election promise to revitalise frontline services for families.”

Some of the success stories include:

• Napranum which received an extra $133,956 after deciding to construct a council staff village to reduce accommodation costs and generate rental income, establishing a council road crew to reduce the reliance on contractors, and entering a five-year lease agreement for a local business to operate a takeaway shop. 

• Hope Vale which received an extra $133,956 for the development, marketing and sale of residential blocks at Hope Valley Estate, and introducing utility charges for government and non-government agencies and home owners at Hope Valley Estate.

• Mapoon which received an extra $83,956 for implementing fees and charges for council services and planning to implement water and garbage collection rates by July this year.

Mr Crisafulli said the $3 million contestable pool was split into a Service Delivery Fund to reward increased revenue raising and a Business Incentive Scheme to encourage business and economic opportunities.

“We want to empower Indigenous councils to create jobs and economic opportunities so communities can realise their full potential,” he said.

“The problem is not the amount of money that governments have pumped into Indigenous communities but rather how it has been spent, and this scheme will help them shape their own financial future.”

[ENDS] 7 March 2014

Media Contact:          Monica Rostron 0409 126 332

                                 Andrew Longmire 0418 216 627