President's Message

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Phone: 02 9242 4000 
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LGNSW President Darriea Turley AM.

24 January 2023

Election priorities must be addressed

We’re now less than 10 weeks out from polling day for the NSW State Election, and at LGNSW we are determined to ensure the very real challenges facing our sector are at the forefront of the political agenda.

Guided by Annual Conference resolutions from you, our members, we have identified our top 10 Priorities for the 2023 State Election that must be addressed if local government is to continue to deliver for our communities.

They are:

  • Financial Sustainability
  • Resilience to Natural Disasters
  • Roads and Infrastructure
  • Housing and Homelessness
  • Environment and the Circular Economy
  • Intergovernmental Agreement
  • Stronger Communities
  • Rural, Regional and Community Health
  • Planning
  • Skills and Labour Shortages

The election priorities place an emphasis on the need to strengthen the resilience of our infrastructure, services and systems to ensure our communities can accommodate growth while withstanding the extreme weather events that have become all too common.

There is also an acknowledgement of the impact climate change is having on the environment and the liveability of our communities, as well as the need to increase productivity and workforce participation in our sector.

Crucially, the priorities call for greater cooperation between State and local government, so we can work in partnership to deliver for the entire NSW community.

Already we’re making progress, including the recent Government announcement of a record $500 million funding to repair potholes across NSW and the Opposition’s commitment to setting aside 30 per cent of housing on government land for social or affordable housing.

Over the next nine weeks, LGNSW's The Weekly newsletter will drill down into our 10 key election priorities and keep you updated on our progress. This week our story line-up includes a look at what NSW needs to improve the financial sustainability of councils and build grassroots resilience to natural disaster.

LGNSW is promoting the LGNSW Election Priorities to all parties and candidates, seeking responses and commitments from all participants – and we’re urging you to do the same with the local candidates in your electorate.

To support your efforts, we’ve developed a Local Government Pre-Election Advocacy Toolkit containing a range of resources.

The State Election provides a powerful opportunity for us to ensure that local government continues to be recognised, valued and supported as we deliver essential services to the community of NSW, and I look forward to working with you to achieve that goal.

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