For each of the last four years, (a) what sum of road funding, and (b) what other Commonwealth funds were paid to the (i) Launceston, (ii) George Town, (iii) Dorset, (iv) Flinders Island, (v) West Tamar, and (vi) Meander Valley local government areas.

(a) The Australian Government does not allocate road funding direct to local councils through the National Highway or Roads of National Importance Programmes. It does provide road funding assistance direct to local councils through the Roads to Recovery Programme, and via the States and Territories through the Black Spots Programme. The table below outlines road funding payments to projects funded under the Roads to Recovery and Black Spots Programmes over the last four years.

(b) Each year the Federal Government provides financial assistance grants to Local Government paid through the States under the Local Government (Financial Assistance) Act 1995. The financial assistance grants have two components - general purpose grants and identified local roads grants - and both components are untied in the hands of the receiving council. This means that councils are able to spend the grant (including the local road grant) according to the priorities of their communities.

Distribution of these grants is detailed in the Report on the Operation of the Local Government (Financial Assistance) Act 1995 (commonly known as the National Report) tabled in Parliament as soon as practicable after 30 June each year. In the following table, financial assistance grants for 2003/04 are estimates.