Mayor Vashist urges NT Families Minister Cahill to meet on Barkly social issues

 Draft Barkly Regional Council Companion Animal Strategy 2026–2028

25 June 2026 A Parliamentary Inquiry has heard the Barkly Regional Council’s (BRC) vast expanse, isolation, high costs, and repeated underfunding have left remote community infrastructure on the brink of collapse and that an urgent funding injection is required to stabilise the situation. A BRC delegation has today appeared before the Parliamentary Inquiry into Local Government Funding and Fiscal Sustainability which is examining the financial relationship between local government and other levels of government in Australia. Following the Inquiry on Thursday, Mayor Sid Vashist, Deputy Mayor Valda Shannon, Councillor Ben Neade and CEO Peter Harder publicly called on the Australian Government to provide an urgent funding injection to ensure communities have safety, security and sustainability into the future. CEO Peter Harder said despite having effective operational systems in place, the BRC had limited capacity to maintain its current assets across its footprint due to minimal funding and high costs. “Our plant and equipment, used almost daily to deliver community services, has an average age of 15 20 years,” he said. “Maintenance costs are escalating to unsustainable levels and there is no pathway forward to replace the assets. “Buildings in our communities have deteriorated to the point of closure, and there’s no funding to upgrade these assets to keep pace with safety and legislative requirements. “Further, roads funding supports approximately one third of the required works program however because the BRC is unable to maintain the other two thirds or our roads, replacement costs escalate by four or more times.” Mr Harder said the BRC, which covers an area of 322,000 square kilometres, is unable to raise enough income to meet expenses. “For a start, the revenue from rates represents only 20 per cent of expenses, and it is difficult to see any drastic shift in that ratio as our rates are already on the high side of average,” he said. “We cannot set the rates for pastoral or mining tenements, and this means the BRC must pick up the shortfall for wear and tear on our roads and facilities, which adds to our financial burden. “A lack of significant tourism in the region limits our leveraging opportunities; overcrowded houses add to the strain on our services; and the majority of our residents are unable or unwilling to pay user fees and charges such as fines or dog registrations.” Mr Harder said a BRC delegation is meeting with Federal Ministers in Canberra to appeal for funding to implement an asset management plan for its five remote communities - Elliott, Alpurrurulam, Ampilatwatja, Arlparra, and Wutunugurra. “We want to work with the Australian Government to reform infrastructure and services in the Barkly’s remote communities towards addressing many of the key targets of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap,” he said. “We know that equitable environments lead to better outcomes across the board because it means communities can be better equipped to manage health, housing, education, and employment needs. “These are building blocks of thriving, sustainable societies and access to adequate funding to be able to create safe, functional, resilient, socially cohesive communities is not a privilege. It is a moral obligation of governments.” Media enquiries: media@barkly.nt.gov.au