THE state and federal governments are at odds over funding for local councils, including Maribyrnong.
Western suburbs Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury said the federal government had cut $74,121 from grants to Maribyrnong council in 2013-14 while spending $55 million on its referendum for constitutional recognition of local government.
Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell has written to federal Local Government Minister Anthony Albanese, seeking the return of $13.4 million she says has been lost to the Victorian local government sector.
But a spokeswoman for Mr Albanese described the claims as “nonsense”, adding that funding was up from $502.2 million in 2012-13 to $534.6 million in 2013-14.
Maribyrnong MP Bill Shorten said Maribyrnong, Brimbank and Moonee Valley councils were also set to share in more than $1.6 million in community infrastructure funding under the latest round of the regional and local community infrastructure program.
