Community Infrastructure needs urgent support

Swimming pools, parks and gardens, childrens' playgrounds, arts galleries, halls and community centres across Australia are in urgent need of replacement and repair according to Paul Bell, President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA).
Speaking on the ABCâs 7.30 Report, in advance of the inaugural meeting of the Australian Council of Local Government at Parliament House Canberra, Bell spoke of the importance of local government and the need for constitutional recognition of the sector.
In addition, Bell highlighted the need for greater support for community infrastructure, expressing his concerns about ageing community facilities, stating âit's the things like town halls, it's the pools, it's ⦠parks and gardens, it's ⦠childrens' playgrounds ... I go to communities now where the old see-saws are still in action, rather than the new ⦠equipment, which is really critical for safe play areas, it's those sorts of pieces of infrastructure that have fallen apart over the last 50 years in the areas where we haven't seen strong growth, that need to be replaced, repaired and fixed.�?
Referring to âplaces like arts galleries, halls (and) community centres ⦠that we built in the '50s and '60s ⦠(and) swimming pools, all those places that had pools built ⦠so that every child was gonna learn to swim after the '56 Olympics, they're at the end of their life,�? Bell expressed his concerns that such infrastructure requires âmillions and millions of dollars to replace. Local government just has been deferring this expenditure, not for one year, but for about 15 years now. The whole total of that's about $15 billion worth of deferred expenditure on this sort of community infrastructure. And it's everywhere. It's in the metros, the high growth areas, the sea change areas and the rural and regional places right throughout Australia.�?
Bell continued âmost of the areas that I've described have been part of local governments' planning and design and wish lists now for five to 10 years. We've got the plans in the cupboard. We're ready to go. But we've had to defer this expenditure because when it comes to us allocating expenditure each year, we're saying, âwell, this is a must, this is a must, this is a mustâ, but the upgrade of the arts centre or the swimming pool ⦠well we can defer that, we'll defer it. And each year, local governments across Australia are deferring $800 million worth of asset expenditure on this type of community facilities.�?

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2008/s2422132.htm