The Rudd Labor Government has announced federal funding for the Brisbane City Council of over $31.4 million including:

• $19 million in general purpose grants; and
• $12.3 million for local road grants.

The Brisbane City Council will be able to spend these funds on a range of priorities including local roads, parks and pools, libraries, community centres, health and child care services, and water and sewerage services.

The grant allocation is determined independently and is untied; so that councils can spend them in accordance with local priorities.

This funding is in addition to the $85 million available to Queensland councils this year from the Australian Government’s Roads to Recovery program.

The Government is putting local government at the heart of our nation-building agenda.

Local councils are not only critical to maintaining vibrant local communities but make a vital contribution to the nation’s productivity.

Nationally, the Government will provide nearly $1.9 billion in financial assistance grants to local government, with Queensland councils receiving 19.6 per cent of the total amount.

Grants to individual councils were recommended by the Queensland Local Government Grants Commission, a body established under Queensland legislation for the purpose of determining the distribution of the grants to councils in Queensland.

Further details of the allocations are available at: http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/local/assistance