Action to exempt small incorporated associations from the costly auditing of their accounts has been debated in the Victorian Parliament, The Nationals Member for Murray Valley, Ken Jasper, said today.

Speaking in the Parliament in support of the legislation, Mr Jasper welcomed the legislation to be implemented under the Associations Incorporation Amendment Bill, which will exempt organisations with income less than $250,000 from the formal audit process.

Those with an income between $250,000 and $1 million will be required to have their books reviewed by an independent accountant, rather than undergo an expensive formal audit process, and those with revenues exceeding $1 million will be required to have their accounts audited.

Further progress will be made in the elimination of border anomalies when the next meeting of the Victoria-New South Wales Cross Border Issues Consultation Forum meets at Swan Hill in September 2010, The Nationals Member for Murray Valley, Ken Jasper, said today.

A keen advocate for the elimination of border anomalies, Mr Jasper said he would definitely be in attendance at this meeting for Mayors, State Members of Parliament and Victorian and NSW Government representatives, to discuss the progress which has been made on cross-border issues over the past 12 months.

We will also receive an update on the actions now being taken by the two states, recognising the massive number of irritating anomalies between the two states which need eliminating, he said.

It is clearly evident the Victorian Government must address the imbalance in the financial strength of country municipalities compared to those in metropolitan Melbourne and Bendigo , Ballarat and Geelong , The Nationals Member for Murray Valley , Ken Jasper, said today.

Mr Jasper was commenting on the Whelan Report into Local Government, which found small rural councils are being starved of critical funding, with 18 rural municipalities actually unsustainable and battling for survival.

It is no surprise that three of these 18 municipalities are in North East Victoria; Indigo, Alpine and Towong - municipalities with large land areas, including extensive Crown lands, and small populations, with a low rate base but still required to provide a full range of services, he said.

The Nationals candidate for Murray Valley, Tim McCurdy and Jeanette Powell, The Nationals Member for Shepparton, were in Beechworth and Wangaratta this week (Wednesday 21^st).

Mr McCurdy and Mrs Powell met with Indigo Shire Council in the morning then travelled to Wangaratta to meet with locals and Mr Graham Nickless at Wangaratta Unlimited.

Mrs Powell said the meeting with Indigo Shire was important as it was recently named in the ‘Whelan Report’ as one of 18 small rural councils that face significant challenges.