Government decision to support the ALP's proposal today to direct the revenue from the first two years of the fuel excise indexation, estimated to be $1.1 billion, towards additional Roads to Recovery funding for Local Government.
This week the ALP Anthony Albanese, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, and Julie Collins, Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, called upon the government to ensure the 1.1 billion in from the fuel excise index will be spent on roads . Within 24 hours the government supported the measure , this should ensure some much needed additional road funding , additional jobs and or support for jobs in local govt, areas .. said Greg McLean, Acting National Secretary.
The ASU has joined with the Australian Local Government Association in acknowledging this important step in rebuilding roads, including local council roads.
Local Government, city, country, regional roads as well as the work councils do on state and federal roads and their funding has been an important area to the ASU, as well as an area the ASU has campaigned on.
In 2014 the ASU commented on an independent report - 
Insourcing in Local Government Report
Stating at the time - The community has been told over many years that outsourcing council work results in savings that the community benefits from. However, yet another independent report has revealed those savings to be "often illusory" and the exercise accompanied by "a host of unforseen problems". In the wake of these findings (that add to a growing body of research questioning the benefits of privatisation) the ASU calls once again for the return and retention of council work to the in-house workforce.
Local government and local communities stand to benefit from regional this latest announcement by the government and the Opposition, if the monies find there ways into local council road spend and the jobs this will bring to local communities
We all know that money spent by local councils in the local community, creates more jobs and more money in the community if its spent by using the existing council experienced work force, said Greg McLean
The ASU sees it as important step for councils that will be called upon to roll out this road funding to read the ASU report and ensure the money gets the best community outcomes, by being used by councils to do the job themselves using there skilled workforce, said Greg Mclean