Local Government

Around Australia this Easter weekend, millions will be taking a break and many will spend time with family and friends. Whether Easter itself means something religious or philosophical to you or not, everyone understands the importance of rest and spending time with loved ones. However, a very large number of…

Following the 2015 Budget the Federal Government introduced new legislation to enact its “Jobs for Families Package”. Although there’s an injection of much needed funding into child care, it’s based on cuts to other family benefits. The ASU’s position has been that it takes more than one policy to help…

The ASU has welcomed the release of a new Australian report which confirms the need for increased support for early childhood education. The findings of the McKell Institute report are broadly consistent with the views put forward by the ASU in a recent Productivity Commission Inquiry into early childhood education.…

Government decision to support the ALP's proposal today to direct the revenue from the first two years of the fuel excise indexation, estimated to be $1.1 billion, towards additional Roads to Recovery funding for Local Government. This week the ALP Anthony Albanese, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, and Julie…

PSI, Geneva, 18 June 2015 - Seven years after the 2008 financial crisis, it is clear that austerity does not work. On the contrary, cutting public spending has only produced more unemployment, poverty and inequality. At the same time, bankers, financiers and corporations see their profits boom and much-needed resources…

Greg McLean, National Head of the ASU Local Government and Public Services Team, has supported the call by the Australian Local Government Association to restore federal government Financial Assistance Grants to local government.  He stated that “the grants should be restored, so as not to deprive communities of crucial local…

Australian unions have long called for an increase in child care assistance and funding but it should not come at the expense of overall support to families. The Abbott Government is forcing an impossible choice upon Australian families by linking new investment in child care with extreme cuts to paid…

Today the ASU has released a new report bringing together Australian and international research on privatisation to illustrate the detrimental impact it can have. Public opposition to privatisation is at a high pitch as more people become informed, yet some politicians remain intent on selling our public assets and in…

Over the past 12 months child care services have received more attacks and delays by the Federal Government, be it via the changes to family day care or Tony Abbott's statements on the need to talk more on child care services. "It's now time to stop talking and act to…

As state governments continue to tinker with council mergers and amalgamations, rather than look at how councils can provide more and better services to meet our growing community needs, the local government councils themselves, along with their employees and their Union (the ASU), and the community at large focus on…