Support our regions with royalties

Councils serving South Australia's regional, rural and remote communities dealing with the added pressure of increased mining activities need extra financial support to provide infrastructure such as roads, housing, footpaths, sporting grounds and recreation centres to support the changes in their communities.

Regional Mayors and CEOs were in Adelaide last week, bringing the country's message to the City and calling on the next State Government to commit to returning mining royalties to the regions.

LGA President, Mayor Felicity-ann Lewis said it is estimated that mining royalties delivered $163 million to the State offers in the last financial year.

"We are calling on the next State Government to return a percentage of this windfall back to the regions and to work with Local Government to explore, through Infrastructure SA, an approach to Royalties for the Regions for investment in regional services," Mayor Lewis said.
"These funds will assist our regional Councils to maintain current infrastructure burdens and to upgrade infrastructure to meet community requirements.

"Governments are continually talking up the mining boom and its economic benefit to SA.

"Some of that wealth must stay in regional communities and Royalties for Regions is about building regional capacity by keeping this wealth in regional communities, improving regional economic and social services and increasing the capacity of Local Government to respond to rapid population growth."