Communities around Australia will benefit from the Rudd Labor Government's record $2.6 billion investment in local infrastructure and services.

The 2009-10 Budget allocates funding to local communities through the following programs:

Financial Assistance Grants: $1.9 billion (an extra $47.2 million) to assist councils and shires provide basic services and quality infrastructure to their local communities. Of this funding, $479.7 million is being brought forward and paid this financial year (2008-09) to support the tens of thousands of jobs in the local government sector during the current global recession.

• Funding will be delivered to every local government from the following funding pools:
  
  
  
  • $643.8 million for NSW and the ACT;
  
  
  • $451.1 million for Victoria;
  
  
  • $377.8 million for Queensland;
  
  
  • $225.5 million for Western Australia;
  
  
  • $131.3 million for South Australia;
  
  
  • $61.9 million for Tasmania; and
  
  
  • $27.4 million for Northern Territory.
  
  
  
  


• Roads to Recovery: a record $350.0 million to assist local government maintain and upgrade the more than 650,000 kilometres of local road under their control.


• Community Infrastructure Program: $310.0 million will be allocated to major infrastructure projects being delivered by councils and shires. This builds on the $490.0 million allocated in 2008-09 from this $800.0 million program - the largest ever one-off Federal investment in local infrastructure.

As well as supporting jobs and local economies during the current global recession, these programs will deliver better roads, community facilities and services in communities around the country. No community in Australia is immune from the impacts of the global recession. That's why we're investing in each and every one of them.