❓ Hon Simon O'Brien asks about infrastructure funding for outer metropolitan councils experiencing growth. Minister Ford acknowledges the issue, outlines existing support, and indicates ongoing policy development and intergovernmental discussions. The government is considering developer contributions but methodology is yet to be developed.
AnsweredQoN 680Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS - INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DEVELOPMENTS
(1) Is the minister aware of the difficulties facing outer metropolitan growth councils, such as Kwinana, Armadale, Swan and Wanneroo, in providing infrastructure for new developments? (2) What support is the government providing or prepared to provide to these local governments? (3) What is the government’s position on giving power to local governments to levy developers’ contributions for new blocks? Hon JON FORD
(1) Is the minister aware of the difficulties facing outer metropolitan growth councils, such as Kwinana, Armadale, Swan and Wanneroo, in providing infrastructure for new developments? (2) What support is the government providing or prepared to provide to these local governments? (3) What is the government’s position on giving power to local governments to levy developers’ contributions for new blocks? Hon JON FORD
AnswerView source ↗
I thank Hon Simon O’Brien for the question. (1)-(2) Yes, I am. A number of metropolitan councils were identified specifically as having issues in maintaining their infrastructure. Part of the government’s response to that is a $3 million fund to help these councils look for efficiencies. As well as that, we assist through other schemes to help them look at asset planning. We are forming an overall policy in conjunction with local government. We are still going through the consultative processes, which will run their course to the end of the year, to look at legislative impediments that prevent local governments from finding sufficient funding, especially when their incomings do not match their projected outgoings. It is a complicated process, and we had a debate earlier today about the pressure of the boom, which adds to that. From a grants perspective, lobbying is taking place with the commonwealth on how we can progress that. The commonwealth government has agreed to consider certain proposals to increase the grants. I am hopeful that we will come to a final position. An extraordinary meeting of the ministerial council is scheduled for November. Hopefully the commonwealth and the states will come to an agreed position by February next year. (3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
(2) What support is the government providing or prepared to provide to these local governments? (3) What is the government’s position on giving power to local governments to levy developers’ contributions for new blocks? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Simon O’Brien for the question. (1)-(2) Yes, I am. A number of metropolitan councils were identified specifically as having issues in maintaining their infrastructure. Part of the government’s response to that is a $3 million fund to help these councils look for efficiencies. As well as that, we assist through other schemes to help them look at asset planning. We are forming an overall policy in conjunction with local government. We are still going through the consultative processes, which will run their course to the end of the year, to look at legislative impediments that prevent local governments from finding sufficient funding, especially when their incomings do not match their projected outgoings. It is a complicated process, and we had a debate earlier today about the pressure of the boom, which adds to that. From a grants perspective, lobbying is taking place with the commonwealth on how we can progress that. The commonwealth government has agreed to consider certain proposals to increase the grants. I am hopeful that we will come to a final position. An extraordinary meeting of the ministerial council is scheduled for November. Hopefully the commonwealth and the states will come to an agreed position by February next year. (3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
(3) What is the government’s position on giving power to local governments to levy developers’ contributions for new blocks? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Simon O’Brien for the question. (1)-(2) Yes, I am. A number of metropolitan councils were identified specifically as having issues in maintaining their infrastructure. Part of the government’s response to that is a $3 million fund to help these councils look for efficiencies. As well as that, we assist through other schemes to help them look at asset planning. We are forming an overall policy in conjunction with local government. We are still going through the consultative processes, which will run their course to the end of the year, to look at legislative impediments that prevent local governments from finding sufficient funding, especially when their incomings do not match their projected outgoings. It is a complicated process, and we had a debate earlier today about the pressure of the boom, which adds to that. From a grants perspective, lobbying is taking place with the commonwealth on how we can progress that. The commonwealth government has agreed to consider certain proposals to increase the grants. I am hopeful that we will come to a final position. An extraordinary meeting of the ministerial council is scheduled for November. Hopefully the commonwealth and the states will come to an agreed position by February next year. (3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Simon O’Brien for the question. (1)-(2) Yes, I am. A number of metropolitan councils were identified specifically as having issues in maintaining their infrastructure. Part of the government’s response to that is a $3 million fund to help these councils look for efficiencies. As well as that, we assist through other schemes to help them look at asset planning. We are forming an overall policy in conjunction with local government. We are still going through the consultative processes, which will run their course to the end of the year, to look at legislative impediments that prevent local governments from finding sufficient funding, especially when their incomings do not match their projected outgoings. It is a complicated process, and we had a debate earlier today about the pressure of the boom, which adds to that. From a grants perspective, lobbying is taking place with the commonwealth on how we can progress that. The commonwealth government has agreed to consider certain proposals to increase the grants. I am hopeful that we will come to a final position. An extraordinary meeting of the ministerial council is scheduled for November. Hopefully the commonwealth and the states will come to an agreed position by February next year. (3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
I thank Hon Simon O’Brien for the question. (1)-(2) Yes, I am. A number of metropolitan councils were identified specifically as having issues in maintaining their infrastructure. Part of the government’s response to that is a $3 million fund to help these councils look for efficiencies. As well as that, we assist through other schemes to help them look at asset planning. We are forming an overall policy in conjunction with local government. We are still going through the consultative processes, which will run their course to the end of the year, to look at legislative impediments that prevent local governments from finding sufficient funding, especially when their incomings do not match their projected outgoings. It is a complicated process, and we had a debate earlier today about the pressure of the boom, which adds to that. From a grants perspective, lobbying is taking place with the commonwealth on how we can progress that. The commonwealth government has agreed to consider certain proposals to increase the grants. I am hopeful that we will come to a final position. An extraordinary meeting of the ministerial council is scheduled for November. Hopefully the commonwealth and the states will come to an agreed position by February next year. (3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
(1)-(2) Yes, I am. A number of metropolitan councils were identified specifically as having issues in maintaining their infrastructure. Part of the government’s response to that is a $3 million fund to help these councils look for efficiencies. As well as that, we assist through other schemes to help them look at asset planning. We are forming an overall policy in conjunction with local government. We are still going through the consultative processes, which will run their course to the end of the year, to look at legislative impediments that prevent local governments from finding sufficient funding, especially when their incomings do not match their projected outgoings. It is a complicated process, and we had a debate earlier today about the pressure of the boom, which adds to that. From a grants perspective, lobbying is taking place with the commonwealth on how we can progress that. The commonwealth government has agreed to consider certain proposals to increase the grants. I am hopeful that we will come to a final position. An extraordinary meeting of the ministerial council is scheduled for November. Hopefully the commonwealth and the states will come to an agreed position by February next year. (3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
(3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
(2) What support is the government providing or prepared to provide to these local governments? (3) What is the government’s position on giving power to local governments to levy developers’ contributions for new blocks? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Simon O’Brien for the question. (1)-(2) Yes, I am. A number of metropolitan councils were identified specifically as having issues in maintaining their infrastructure. Part of the government’s response to that is a $3 million fund to help these councils look for efficiencies. As well as that, we assist through other schemes to help them look at asset planning. We are forming an overall policy in conjunction with local government. We are still going through the consultative processes, which will run their course to the end of the year, to look at legislative impediments that prevent local governments from finding sufficient funding, especially when their incomings do not match their projected outgoings. It is a complicated process, and we had a debate earlier today about the pressure of the boom, which adds to that. From a grants perspective, lobbying is taking place with the commonwealth on how we can progress that. The commonwealth government has agreed to consider certain proposals to increase the grants. I am hopeful that we will come to a final position. An extraordinary meeting of the ministerial council is scheduled for November. Hopefully the commonwealth and the states will come to an agreed position by February next year. (3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
(3) What is the government’s position on giving power to local governments to levy developers’ contributions for new blocks? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Simon O’Brien for the question. (1)-(2) Yes, I am. A number of metropolitan councils were identified specifically as having issues in maintaining their infrastructure. Part of the government’s response to that is a $3 million fund to help these councils look for efficiencies. As well as that, we assist through other schemes to help them look at asset planning. We are forming an overall policy in conjunction with local government. We are still going through the consultative processes, which will run their course to the end of the year, to look at legislative impediments that prevent local governments from finding sufficient funding, especially when their incomings do not match their projected outgoings. It is a complicated process, and we had a debate earlier today about the pressure of the boom, which adds to that. From a grants perspective, lobbying is taking place with the commonwealth on how we can progress that. The commonwealth government has agreed to consider certain proposals to increase the grants. I am hopeful that we will come to a final position. An extraordinary meeting of the ministerial council is scheduled for November. Hopefully the commonwealth and the states will come to an agreed position by February next year. (3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Simon O’Brien for the question. (1)-(2) Yes, I am. A number of metropolitan councils were identified specifically as having issues in maintaining their infrastructure. Part of the government’s response to that is a $3 million fund to help these councils look for efficiencies. As well as that, we assist through other schemes to help them look at asset planning. We are forming an overall policy in conjunction with local government. We are still going through the consultative processes, which will run their course to the end of the year, to look at legislative impediments that prevent local governments from finding sufficient funding, especially when their incomings do not match their projected outgoings. It is a complicated process, and we had a debate earlier today about the pressure of the boom, which adds to that. From a grants perspective, lobbying is taking place with the commonwealth on how we can progress that. The commonwealth government has agreed to consider certain proposals to increase the grants. I am hopeful that we will come to a final position. An extraordinary meeting of the ministerial council is scheduled for November. Hopefully the commonwealth and the states will come to an agreed position by February next year. (3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
I thank Hon Simon O’Brien for the question. (1)-(2) Yes, I am. A number of metropolitan councils were identified specifically as having issues in maintaining their infrastructure. Part of the government’s response to that is a $3 million fund to help these councils look for efficiencies. As well as that, we assist through other schemes to help them look at asset planning. We are forming an overall policy in conjunction with local government. We are still going through the consultative processes, which will run their course to the end of the year, to look at legislative impediments that prevent local governments from finding sufficient funding, especially when their incomings do not match their projected outgoings. It is a complicated process, and we had a debate earlier today about the pressure of the boom, which adds to that. From a grants perspective, lobbying is taking place with the commonwealth on how we can progress that. The commonwealth government has agreed to consider certain proposals to increase the grants. I am hopeful that we will come to a final position. An extraordinary meeting of the ministerial council is scheduled for November. Hopefully the commonwealth and the states will come to an agreed position by February next year. (3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
(1)-(2) Yes, I am. A number of metropolitan councils were identified specifically as having issues in maintaining their infrastructure. Part of the government’s response to that is a $3 million fund to help these councils look for efficiencies. As well as that, we assist through other schemes to help them look at asset planning. We are forming an overall policy in conjunction with local government. We are still going through the consultative processes, which will run their course to the end of the year, to look at legislative impediments that prevent local governments from finding sufficient funding, especially when their incomings do not match their projected outgoings. It is a complicated process, and we had a debate earlier today about the pressure of the boom, which adds to that. From a grants perspective, lobbying is taking place with the commonwealth on how we can progress that. The commonwealth government has agreed to consider certain proposals to increase the grants. I am hopeful that we will come to a final position. An extraordinary meeting of the ministerial council is scheduled for November. Hopefully the commonwealth and the states will come to an agreed position by February next year. (3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
(3) That question has been put to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. We have some empathy for that, but the methodology to do that is yet to be developed. I understand that we should come to an agreement on that by the end of this year.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.