Councils receive bonus $1B funding from federal budget -

An additional $1 billion has been invested into the third phase of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program which will see the creation of community infrastructure and local jobs.

This brings the total amount of funding into the LCRI Program to $2.5 billion says Michael McCormack, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development.

“This is all about supporting the resilience of local economies by delivering even more jobs to help communities bounce back from COVID-19, with the additional funding and a longer delivery window to provide greater flexibility for communities to address local priorities,” said McCormack.

According to a statement released by McCormack, this additional funding will mean a greater number of projects will be eligible for funding from the LRCI, allowing governments to create more complex infrastructure that will benefit local communities.

Over 5,000 projects across Australia have already been nominated during the first two phases of the LRCI Program with currently more than 2,000 projects completed or in construction.

Mark Coulton, Minister for Local Government said, “The take up rate of the LRCI is testament to the success of the program, delivering thousands of projects including upgrades to local roads, bike paths, community halls, playgrounds, parks and sports facilities, as well as improved accessibility to public facilities.”

The federal government has also pre-paid $1.3 billion, or 50 per cent of the 2021-22 Financial Assistance Grant funding, helping to support local governments.

“The consensus from local councils is that the program has been instrumental in delivering projects that they would otherwise be unable to pursue, either at all or in a reasonable timeframe,” said Coulton.

Funding from the third phase of the LRCI Program will be accessible to councils from 31 January 2022 with the program currently being extended until 30 June 2023.