PM Transcripts

JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT BY THE COMMONWEALTH MINISTER ASSISTING
THE PRIME MINISTER IN FEDERAL AFFAIRS, THE HON. WAL. FIFE, M. P.
AND MR HARRY JENSEN, NEW SOUTH WALES MINISTER FOR LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AND ROADS
The Commonwealth Minister Assisting the Prime Minister
in Federal Affairs, the Hon. Wal. Fife, and the New South
Wales Minister for Local Government and Roads, Mr Harry Jensen,
today announced details of allocations to Councils in New
South Wales for 1979/ 80 from Commonwealth Revenue Sharing Monies.
The Grants to individual Councils are in accordance with
the recommendations made by the New South Wales Local Government
Grants Commission. The amount allocated to New South Wales local
government bodies represents an increase of 23.5% over last year
and is evidence of a real commitment to Local Government by the
Commonwealth. A total of $ 80.929 million was distributed, an increase
of $ 15.443 million over 1978/ 79. The Ministers stated that a
third of the total sum available had again been dist3iibuted on a
population basis, with 87k% of that portion on an overall per
capita basis to all Councils and the balance of 12k% of that
portion as an additional grant to Councils with a population
density of less than 25 persons per square kilometre.
This meant a per capita grant to all Councils of
$ 4.7181 with an additional $ 3.9763 for all Councils, mainly Shires,
which qualified for the weighting for population density. The
remaining two thirds had been allocated on a general equalisation
basis, with an emphasis on the needs for Councils.
The Ministers emphasised that the grants are completely
untied and free of any strings whatsoever and that the way in
which the grants are utilised is a matter for each Council to
determine. " This approach is in line with the policy of the two
Governments to upgrade the status and independence of local
governments", they said.
12 September 1979