COST shifting from the Queensland Government onto local councils has reached breaking point, according to Redland councillors, who will take six reform proposals to this year’s Local Government Association of Queensland conference in Cairns.
One of the key motions calls for legislative reform requiring the State Government to pay council rates on State-owned or State-occupied land, including hospitals, schools and transport corridors.
Council is also seeking more equitable financial and tenure arrangements, arguing it should no longer have to pay rent or lease fees to use State-owned land for essential public infrastructure.
It argues the current system creates a structural imbalance because councils provide roads, drainage, waste services and community infrastructure to the State.
