PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
IMPACT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT SETTLEMENT ON SHIRE DISTRICT COMMUNITIES (5 December 2001)

That this House is disappointed that the provisional local government settlement, published on 4th December, perpetuates the discrimination against shire district councils which have both urban and rural characteristics; hopes that the forthcoming Local Government White Paper will address some of the current inconsistencies in the central government grant system for local authorities and redress the balance in favour of shire districts; welcomes the contribution of TACFIG (Town and Country Finance Issues Group), a cross-party group of over 60 shire districts, in promoting the interests of town and country communities in the debate about modernising the local government finance system; supports the group in calling for a grant system which is simpler to understand, promotes better outcomes for local communities and helps boost the capacity of smaller councils to fund core corporate costs; and calls upon the Government to ensure that the needs of town and country communities are adequately met.

Sponsored by:
David Taylor (Labour)