All Australian mayors and shire presidents will be invited to attend the first meeting of the Australian Council of Local Government at Parliament House this year.
This unprecedented gathering of the nation's 565 local councils will be held on November 28 and is the Rudd Government's next step in forging a new, nation-building partnership with local communities.
Local government represents the third arm of the Australian Federation - and the Rudd Government is committed to a new cooperative engagement with that level of the government closest to local communities.
Invitations will also be extended to local government peak bodies and the Local Government and Planning Ministers in State Governments.
This initiative will give local communities a real voice in the future of Australia's national infrastructure.
The one-day meeting will address issues of national and local significance including:
* Building national and local infrastructure to boost our economic capacity and improve the quality of life in our communities;
* Tackling immediate challenges facing major cities and growth corridors, including urban congestion, urban planning and design; and
* Steps towards constitutional recognition for local government.
The ACLG builds on a $2.2 billion investment for local governments this year through financial assistance grants and the Roads to Recovery program. In addition, we are partnering with local government in the $512 million Housing Affordability Fund; and the $176 million Better Regions program.
This first meeting of the Council will also assist in the development of the Government's new regional and local community infrastructure fund, which will commence next year to support local communities.
The Rudd Government recognises the rising cost of infrastructure provision and growing demand for services in local communities.
A 2006 PricewaterhouseCoopers report estimated a $1.1 billion annual under-spend in community infrastructure renewals by local government.
A 2008 Productivity Commission report found that 20 per cent of local councils relied on Commonwealth and State grants for half of their revenue.
The Rudd Government is determined to address the concerns of local councils because of their importance:
* To national infrastructure, with their responsibility for 657,000 kilometres of roads across Australia;
* To the national economy, with their activities worth $22.1 billion in 2006-07, and 168,000 jobs; and
* To local communities, who rely on councils for a range of services from child care and aged care to meals-on-wheels and library facilities.
Local government is central to the Rudd Government's nation-building agenda.
The Rudd Government is reigniting the spirit of co-operative federalism and reaching directly to the level of government closest to the community.
This new partnership is the most significant step forward for local government since the 1970s when the then Labor Government introduced Financial Assistance Grants to support services at the local government level.
The November 28 meeting will also see the announcement of the ongoing membership and charter of the Australian Council for Local Government.
The Rudd Government will work in partnership with local government and our state and territory counterparts to deliver reform for local communities.