As documented in the 2014 annual budget the Federal government will achieve savings of $925.2 million over four years by pausing indexation of local government grants.

These cost cutting arrangements left state premiers (the distributors of Federal council grants) the unenviable task of making up the shortfall.Australian councils have assets worth nearly $350 billion.

However due to lack of funding there is an issue of council’s ability to raise money to meet infrastructure and service needs.

In 2014 the Federal Government instigated a request to premiers to raise debate over council amalgamations with the intention to look into outsourcing and other new working arrangements.

These could include private-public sector partnerships.

In other words, joint funding of assets and infrastructure.

For instance will we see toll roads built in council areas?

The Baird government needs to come clean on this issue – is there a secret agenda?

A good idea is to get in touch with your local state member for verification of the facts.

John Macleod, Berry

Adrian Devlin and others who believe that the ISIS has declared war on Western Nations and his Christian heritage may do well to research the Treaty of the Versailles Peace Conference where Britain and France carved up the Middle East into their own zones of influence.  

These two nations failed to honour the Arab support to their cause during the war.

The Arabs stopped a Turkish force of 50,000 from reinforcing their troops attacking General Allenby's force thus helping to win the war in the Middle East.

The French even ejected the Arab leader Feisal from his home in Damascus.   

While the rape of the middle East Lands that followed explains the anger of certain Arabs it does not excuse their acts of terrorism.  

However, this anger has been exploited to radicalise young Islamic youths to fight for a wrong which occurred ninety-seven years ago.  

Some effort to right this wrong would help to resolve the current explosive situation.

The most  important question that needs to be resolved is how ISIS obtains funds and who is providing that money?  

The ethics and morality of certain business persons buying ISIS supplied oil is deplorable and efforts to stop this trade is essential if ISIS is to be defeated.  

Ben Morris, Wollongong

If only Turkey was as vigilant for their ground border as they are for their airspace.

Almost every foreign fighter for ISIS comes in and out from Turkey.

K Hutchinson, Wollongong

CITY STARK PAVING MAD

It''s so easy to spend money thats not yours. Thats $4000 per week, every week. Give my lads a gurney each and we'll do it for a quarter of that.

_ Going North.

It's called a tender - and $400K is not a lot of money over 2 years.

Wollongong needs to put it's big boy pants on if it wants to be a CITY and not a country town.Grow up little people.

You can't have a first rate city with second rate infrastructure.

_ Peter

Our rates are what built it and continue to maintain it, it's about time council does the sums and cuts it's losses and and turns Crown St into the cheaper alternative, a fully functional road or a mall. The ratepayers of the Wollongong area deserve value for what they pay and on face value, the mall is a hole where money keeps getting thrown into it.

_ Cedron.