The Government has provided record financial support for local authorities, which have never been better funded to carry out their housing work. Local authority members will have greater responsibility in reviewing the planning system to ensure transparency and to create a greater role for the future development of their areas. Development contributions have been a feature since 1964 and they allow local authorities to fund part of the costs of infrastructure necessary to facilitate new development in terms of roads, water, sewerage services, amenities and community facilities. These contributions apply not just to housing, but to all developments. They give local authorities the power to recoup a fraction of the costs to back the public funds for servicing this land being bought by developers.