From the President

The issue of fair funding is inextricably linked to federal-state-local government relations. As I write, there are at least three inquiries into these issues at the federal level. The broad issue of intergovernmental relations and funding is also under consideration by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).

ALGA is preparing a submission for the review of taxation announced by the Treasurer in the recent Budget and ALGA is also keen to have input into the Opposition's two inquiries, the federalism taskforce headed by Kevin Andrew MP and the Henry Ergas inquiry into taxation.

I was impressed by the candour expressed in a speech this week by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner, to the Centre for Economic Development Australia (CEDA).

Wearing his deregulation hat, he delivered a powerful case for reform of the federation. The conceptual approach he outlined was taking deregulation across the federation - an approach he described as 'regulate nationally, deliver locally.'

His words sum up the situation facing Australia at the moment and while referring to the Federal-State relationship, they could equally apply to local government and indeed support the case for a strong, vibrant local sphere of government. He says: 'If Australian families are to enjoy world-class services in areas such as health, education and housing, the federal-state policy architecture must focus less on micromanagement and more on delivering outcomes at the local level. And all of this must be underpinned by reform to Federal-State financial frameworks - with a focus on outcomes, a new transparency of performance against agreed milestones, and strong incentives to drive results.'

At the 2020 Summit, I was heartened by delegates talking about a new model for federation, which focused on cooperation and a national approach to solving problems. The Summit proposed that an Independent Federation Commission be set up to streamline regulation among the spheres of government. It called for a rethink of the roles and responsibilities of the Commonwealth, states and local government. In his CEDA speech, Minister Tanner says: 'Throughout the summit and across Australia there is recognition that our federation is a mess.' He gives an example of one major Australian business recently which found it took two years and eight different state and local government processes to get approval to transport an unusually shaped load by trailer between Victoria and Queensland. That is simply not good enough in a modern 21st century economy. The Prime Minister will respond to the recommendations of the 2020 Summit, including the idea of a Federation Commission, by the end of 2008.

What would a redesigned federation look like? Local government would like to see an end to all types of cost-shifting, an end to state government interference in local government, proper funding of local government services and a greater ability to fulfil its charter to its ratepayers. That would be a good start. We would also like it to include Constitutional Recognition for local government which will be fleshed out by ALGA's upcoming Constitutional Summit in December, and definitely a clear outline of roles and responsibilities between the different spheres of government. We are delighted to be a part of this important debate and will continue to advocate for change that will enhance the wellbeing of our local communities and improve the quality of life of all Australians.

Cr Paul Bell AM
ALGA President

Aged Care Planning Advisory Committees

The Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot, has called for nominations to the Aged Care Planning Advisory Committee to provide input into the 2008 Aged Care Planning process.

The Department of Health and Ageing is seeking applications. These committees are being established in each State and Territory.

Their principal functions are to assess the aged care needs of the community and advise the Department on an appropriate distribution of aged care places, within specified aged care planning regions.

Members are appointed for up to two years in an honorary capacity. Nominations, which close on June 27, will be assessed and members will be appointed following a national advertisement and a competitive assessment process undertaken independently by the Department of Health and Ageing.

Full eligibility criteria is available on 1-800-500-853.

Preserving Queensland council websites

The State Library of Queensland recently archived the websites of Queensland local government councils affected by the amalgamation. The websites were captured in PANDORA - Australia's web archive - during the early months of 2008.

PANDORA - "Preserving and Accessing Networked Documentary Resources of Australia" - is a growing collection of significant Australian online publications and websites. Built collaboratively - with ten Australian cultural collecting agencies contributing - PANDORA is now becoming a significant source of Australia's online documentary heritage. In 2004, PANDORA was placed on the Memory of the World Australian Register.

Many of the 94 Queensland council websites copied into the archive by State Library have since disappeared from the live internet. Now captured for posterity, the council websites will be available for future generations of researchers, and make a valuable contribution to documenting the heritage and history of local government in Queensland.

The State Library of Queensland has archived over a thousand Queensland websites and publications into PANDORA, covering various aspects of Queensland life, history and culture. State Library currently contributes several hundred titles each year. The Library's participation in PANDORA ensures that Queensland?s online documentary heritage will be preserved.

The PANDORA archive is freely available on the internet. The collection of Queensland council websites can be found here.

For further information about the PANDORA archive, or to suggest a site to include in the archive, please contact the State Library of Queensland on tel. (07) 3840 7880 or email pandora@slq.qld.gov.au

Garrett's green light for waste dump

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett says the government will fulfill a Howard-government era policy to build a nuclear waste dump.

The proposal, believed to include several locations in the Northern Territory, was opposed by Mr Garrett before the election. But Mr Garrett now says he was "fully committed" to a applying stringent environmental checks to any nuclear waste facility that he approved.

"The situation is that the policy commitments that were made before coming into government will be fulfilled," Mr Garrett told reporters in Melbourne this week.

"When a proposal comes to me I'll treat it as I would in the ordinary course of business.

"We have always said, and I have always said, that our task is to make sure that we apply the appropriate environmental laws scrupulously and diligently. We want to have a world's best practice approach on these issues. We will have that. I am fully committed to it."

Mr Garrett's comments follow Howard-government legislation, the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act, which paved the way for the dump to go ahead. (AAP)

Hiring intentions slow down

Business conditions and confidence stabilised in May but recent evidence of a slowing local economy has resulted in companies cutting back their hiring intentions, a survey says.

The National Australia Bank monthly business survey showed that business conditions remained at their lowest level since December 2002 at plus-seven index points.

The weakness in sales and profits have caused employers to reassess plans to add new workers.

The employment indicator fell four index points to plus-five points.

"There does appear to be a significant rethink by business about the demand for labour going forward," said the report, written by NAB economists Alan Oster, Jeff Oughton and John Sharma.

The report said there had been a "significant acceleration" in mining wages, while salaries in the wholesaling and manufacturing sectors are increasing at above or near average rates.

Vic: Sacked councillors banned from renominating for four years

Changes to Victoria's local government laws will mean councillors who are sacked will be banned from re-nominating for four years.

The new laws, introduced in the Victorian parliament, also aim to stamp out dummy candidates ahead of council elections in November.

Under the changes, nominations will have to be made in person to eliminate illegitimate candidates.

People who only occupy a single vehicle car park, or boat mooring in a municipality will be excluded from enrolling to vote, and candidates, voters and scrutineers who make false declarations will face two thousand dollar fines.

The changes will reform local government elections before Victoria's 79 councils go to the polls simultaneously for the first time on November 29.

NSW: New database helps Australians reconnect with their past

A new ancestry database can help Australians learn the stories of their forebears who came here as free settlers in the nineteenth and early 20th centuries.

The data base was officially launched by www.ancestry.com.au at Sydney's Maritime Museum.

After launching the records of 160,000 transported convicts on the site last year, their latest addition of 8.9 million names - including those of 3 million free settlers - makes www.ancestry.com.au the most complete collection of early Australian family history records available online, says spokesman Brad Argent.

Retiree Kevin Yeats from Lindfield, on Sydney's north shore, discovered his ancestor, James Tysoe, was the illegitimate son of an illegitimate mother. Tysoe was orphaned by the age of two. Despite his humble beginnings, Tysoe was elected to the first Armidale municipal council, helped established the Armidale Express newspaper and co-founded a successful tin mining company.

More support for aged care providers with the ACFI

Aged care providers - including rural and smaller ones or those with specific needs - will be able to get practical advice on the new funding model from a dedicated free advisory service. Department of Health and Ageing recently appointed KPMG - which has set up a project office - to deal with requests for assistance from Australia's 2,870 nursing homes as they make the transition to new funding arrangements.

The Australian Government recognised some may need help making the change and the service will provide $3 million in business advice.

The new funding model - known as the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) - replaced the Resident Classification Scheme on March 20 this year. It had bi-partisan support. Requests will be made through a dedicated webpage or a telephone hotline. -- 1-800-633-719 or www.acfi.kpmg.com.au.

In addition, the Australian Government has already indicated that it will monitor the implementation of the new funding model for aged care through the ACFI Reference Group - which was set up by the previous government. The Australian Government has reiterated its commitment to review the ACFI in 18 months.

Access Economics will independently analyse the first 20,000 ACFI claims received to check if it is performing as predicted. Results of this analysis will be available in July.

National Broadband Network submissions

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has reminded stakeholders of upcoming deadlines for regulatory issues and remote areas broadband solutions submissions.

Submissions on regulatory issues associated with the National Broadband Network (NBN) close on 25 June 2008. Submissions on broadband solutions for remote areas close on 30 June 2008.

More information on the National Broadband Network and the submissions process can be found on the Department's website.

Youth binge drinking a major problem

Police say binge drinking is a serious problem in Sydney, warning young people to go home if they are drunk rather than loiter around pubs and clubs.

Young people are getting drunk, kicked out of pubs and loitering on the street, leading to assaults, crime and other anti-social behaviour.

Licensed premises are working with police to avoid imposing lockouts such as those seen in Melbourne, but police warn they may be forced to introduce them.

Police targeting drug and alcohol-fuelled crime made 70 arrests in central Sydney over the Queen's Birthday long weekend as part of Operation Rolling Thunder.

Victorian police say anti-social behaviour on Melbourne's streets decreased this weekend during the city's new 2am lockout for licensed venues.

State and federal ministers will meet next month to discuss binge drinking problems in Australia.

Coburg - the newest Solar City

A community program exploring how low-income households can become more sustainable will be a feature of Australia's latest Solar Cities project.

Environment Minister Peter Garrett has announced $4.9 million in Australian Government funding for the Coburg Solar City, the 6th in the Solar Cities program.

"I am particularly pleased that a key feature of the Coburg Solar City will be the development of an 'Energy Hub', a community enterprise providing energy retrofit services for low income and public housing tenants," Mr Garrett said.

"Led by the Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd in partnership with the Moreland City Council, the Victorian Government and the Brotherhood of St Laurence, the Coburg Solar City project will ensure that assistance gets to those who need it most in finding sustainable energy solutions. We expect around 1000 low income households to benefit from energy efficiency audits and retrofitting," Mr Garrett said.

Coburg joins Adelaide, Townsville, Blacktown, Alice Springs and Central Victoria as part of the $94 million Solar Cities initiative.

For more information about the Australian Government's Solar Cities program click here.

Responding to Sea Level Rise

One of the key issues for coastal and tidal councils is the impact of sea level rise (SLR) over the long term, and more immediately the impact of the combination of storm surges and high tides on a council's coastal infrastructure.

An IPWEA national conference focusing on engineering practical climate change solutions is being held in Coffs Harbour NSW from 3-5 August 2008. The Conference will be an opportunity to learn from the experiences of many local governments that have been involved in the development of coastal and estuarine management response to sea level rise. The focus is on practical strategies and solutions.

The target audience is engineers, planners, consultants, technical staff, elected members and CEO's. There has been a very strong response to the Call for Papers which has resulted in two streams of papers being presented. Topic areas covered include the extent and impact of SLR, risk management and adaptation responses, land use planning, storm tide events, community engagement, emergency management responses and planning, and more.

Registrations are now open. Further information including the detailed program is available here. Early bird registrations close 4th July 2008.

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Benchmarking Best Practice in Local Govt conference

 

CEOs from a number of councils, including the Chair of the Local Government Business Excellence Network, Peter Gesling, will share their insights into how councils can implement advanced and innovative management strategies to create best practice outcomes.

The 2008 Benchmarking Best Practice in Local Government Conference, to be held in Sydney on 28-29 July, will hear presentations from senior local government managers and leading advisory firms. They will present case studies and provide detailed advice on how councils can drive organisational improvements, achieve productivity gains, reduce costs, and deliver high levels of service to their local community.

Speakers such as the City of Marion's CEO Mark Searle; Logan City Council's CEO Chris Rose and Ararat Rural City Council CEO, Steve Chapple, will outline the dynamics of improved staff culture and increased performance levels within their respective organisations.

Innovation is at the core of enhanced local government performance and this conference will bring together some of the most outstanding practitioners of continuous improvement within local government across Australia. It will provide delegates with the detailed and specific tools to implement lasting improvements in their own council operations across a range of functions.

The best practice case studies will cover areas such as: improving council workforce culture; staff productivity and retention; financial management; risk management; environmental sustainability; and information technology.

For further information about the conference, visit www.halledit.com.au/conferences phone (03) 8534 5000 or email denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

Healthy Spaces and Places

The draft Healthy Spaces and Places guide is now available for public comment on the ALGA website: www.alga.asn.au

ALGA President Cr Paul Bell encouraged councils to comment on the guide and participate in soon-to-be announced workshops. "There are natural parallels with councils' push to upgrade existing community infrastructure such as ovals, walking tracks, cycle paths and swimming pools," Cr Bell said. "Active communities are healthy communities." These will be available at www.planning.org.au

The Australian Local Government Association, the National Heart Foundation of Australia, and the Planning Institute of Australia have collaborated on the Healthy Spaces and Places project with funding assistance from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

The Healthy Spaces and Places initiative aims to strengthen knowledge about the importance of promoting the ongoing development and improvement of built environments where Australians live, work and play. There is a growing body of evidence that the design and management of the built environment is associated with levels of physical activity.

Minister Garrett responds to ALGA President

Environment Minister Peter Garrett replied on 3 June to the 18 March letter from ALGA President Cr Paul Bell seeking a review of the new Australian Government's decision to cease funding for the Local Government Natural Resource Facilitator Network. The eight facilitators, employed through ALGA and the state and territory local government associations, worked closely with councils on a wide range of natural resource management matters.

In his reply, Minister Garrett noted that a single national local government coordinator would be appointed, to work for the Australian Government. The Minister stated that this coordinator would have a role in '...identifying opportunities for partnerships with local councils that can help achieve the Government's outcomes and priorities under Caring for our Country.' Watch this space.

Housing Affordability Fund

Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek launched a Housing Affordability Fund (HAF) Consultation Paper in Sydney on Wednesday this week. Under this program, the Australian Government is investing $512 million in a Housing Affordability Fund to lower the cost of building new homes by tackling the critical supply side issues of the length of time taken to bring new houses to sale and the impact of infrastructure charges. The consultation period for the HAF is open until 17 July 2008. ALGA will make a submission but State and Territory Associations and councils are also encouraged to have their say. The Consultation Paper can also be found here.

Melbourne to stay on stage 3a water bans until Nov 30

Melbourne will remain on stage 3a water restrictions until at least November 30.

The decision will spare the city stage four restrictions, despite dams plunging close to the trigger point for tougher water bans. Water Minister Tim Holding says it'll enable businesses including nurseries, car washes and landscape gardeners, to keep operating through the drought.

Melbourne has been on stage 3a restrictions since April 2007, despite storages dipping below the trigger point. Under 3a water bans, gardeners can only water two mornings a week, but commercial car washes can continue to operate and councils can maintain one-in-four sporting grounds.

Council wins UN award

A South-East Queensland council has won a United Nations award for environmental management.

Ipswich City Council was named the overall environmental management winner in the local government category at the 2008 United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards held in Melbourne last Friday.

The council joined the Cities for Climate Change program set up by the United Nations in 2000 and in 2002 set a target of reducing carbon emission by 20 per cent by 2010.

Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said the city had made several changes which had been recognised by the United Nations Association of Australia.

"What we have done is created a partnership with the community," Cr Pisasale said.

"We've set up honorary ranger programs, we've set up partnerships with local conservation groups and we pay the rates on areas of land that have been set aside as conservation areas," he said.

Cr Pisasale said more land had been set aside for the program, putting the council "on track" to meet its carbon emission targets.

It is the second major international gong for Ipswich, which was named the world's most liveable mid-sized city by the United Nations last year.

Reporting on greenhouse gas emissions - NGER System

The introduction of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act in 2007 raised some potentially significant issues for local government. ALGA and the state/territory associations have been working on these matters for some time.

ALGA had further discussions with senior staff of the Emissions Reporting and Analysis Branch in the Department of Climate Change (DCC) last week, to clarify further some key issues for local government.

The central issue is whether councils will need to report; this will be determined by both their corporate status and their emissions, energy production and energy consumption. There are two threshold sets: those associated with corporations and those associated with facilities under the control of corporations.

The determination of whether a council is a corporation is a complex issue. In relation to emission/production/consumption thresholds, individual councils will need to collect and analyse their data. Reporting requirements, data collection and management standards, etc. will be detailed in the forthcoming regulations and technical guidelines. For further information please see below.

Advice from the Department is briefly as follows.

Current status of the Regulations and the Technical Guidelines

The Regulations, which were the subject of the Regulations Policy Paper put out for comment in February, will be finalised by the end of June. DCC has just provided an explanatory document on its NGERS website illustrating the key differences in approach which have resulted as the Regulations have been developed.

The Technical Guidelines, which were put out in draft form in a discussion paper in December 2007, will also be finalised as legislation by the end of June. They will be placed on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments, (and will be available online through www.comlaw.gov.au/ - as will the Regulations).

Access to training/capacity building for councils, state associations and ALGA

Information sessions for potential reporting entities and others will be held in mid-July, as will more detailed workshops. These will be publicised through methods including emails to those on the DCC NGERS stakeholder database. This list includes a contact officer from ALGA and from each of the state/territory associations.

In addition, ALGA has offered DCC the opportunity to provide regular updates on implementation of the reporting framework to local government through 'ALGA News'.

DCC is producing a simplified set of guidelines, which will be posted on the NGERS website in July. Case studies will be developed between July and December, and also posted on the website.

DCC is also producing a discussion paper on the auditing of data collection and management under the Act.

DCC will also have a calculator online in mid-June to enable potential reporting entities to estimate their emissions with regard to the thresholds.

Tasmanian State Budget

A new project was announced in yesterday's Tasmanian State Budget, aimed at strengthening local government.

Funding of $200,000 is designed to help position Tasmanian local government to respond to the strategic issues facing the sector.

The Minister for Local Government, Jim Cox, said that the Stronger Councils, Better Services project would help local government to strengthen its financial sustainability, and improve the governance and service delivery of councils across the State.

Mr Cox said the project would be run jointly between the State Government and local government, through LGAT.

The project would also review the role and activities of the Local Government Board; allow the State Government to work with the Local Government Association of Tasmania on the implementation of recommendations arising from the report on the financial sustainability of councils commissioned by the Association in 2007, and co-ordinate implementation of national frameworks on asset and financial management that have been endorsed by the Local Government and Planning Ministers' Council.

2008 SA State Budget

The Budget speech, media releases and the full budget papers can be found on the State Government's Budget website linked above or at: www.statebudget.sa.gov.au/.

The LGA's initial media response to the budget can be found here: State Budget Response.

ALGA submission on waste management

ALGA has made a submission to the current Senate Inquiry into the Management of Australia's Waste Streams. The Inquiry is being conducted by the Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts, and is examining management of Australia's waste streams, with particular reference to:

• trends in waste production in Australia across household, consumer, commercial and industrial waste streams
• effectiveness of existing strategies to reduce, recover or reuse waste from different waste streams
• potential new strategies to reduce, recover or reuse waste from different waste streams
• the economic, environmental and social benefits and costs of such strategies
• policy priorities to maximise the efficiency and efficacy of efforts to reduce, recover or reuse waste from different waste streams and
• consideration of the Drink Container Recycling Bill 2008.

The ALGA submission noted amongst other points:

• effective waste management should be based on waste minimisation, through collaborative work between manufacturers and importers of products and materials, and all three levels of government
• the changing composition and increasing volume of the Australian waste stream present significant challenges to local government, which is the principal agency managing waste in Australia
• innovative cost-effective market and non-market mechanisms to reduce the waste stream and to encourage recycling are possible and should be explored by the Australian and State/Territory Governments
• additional support to local government may be required to encourage recycling in remote, rural and regional Australia.

The ALGA submission is on the Committee website, along with submissions from some State Associations and councils.

Qld: Motorists vote for worst roads

Motorists have voted more than 360 of Queensland's roads as "unroadworthy" in a new survey by motoring club RACQ.

Beechmont Road, between Lower Beechmont and Beechmont, was voted the worst main road.

Gap Creek Road, between The Gap and Kenmore Hills, in the Brisbane City Council area, was voted the worst local authority road for its unsealed and slippery surface.

"The survey shows all levels of government that there is still much more to be done to address the backlog in repairs, to maintain existing roads and to improve their standard for future travel needs," Mr Wikman said.

He said the RACQ would use the results to continue to lobby governments for road upgrades. Queensland's worst roads as voted by RACQ members.

Top five worst local authority roads:

1. Gap Creek Road, between The Gap and Kenmore Hills (Brisbane City Council)
2. Malcomson Street, between Mackay-Bucasia Road and Mackay-Slade Point Road (Mackay City Council)
3. Old Toogoom Road, between Toogoom Road and Torbanlea (Hervey Bay City Council)
4. Bonna Road, between Isis Highway and End of Bonna Road (Burnett Shire Council)
5. Illaweena Street, between Gowan Road and Wembley Road (Brisbane City Council); and Bellthorpe Range Road, Nonmus Road to Keir Road (Caboolture Shire Council).

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INNOVATION IN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT SUMMIT

Wednesday August 6 and Thursday, August 7
Dockside Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney

 

This important conference will feature presentations and case studies about the latest technologies and innovations being used by local governments to improve their planning and development assessment processes. A particular focus will be an expert update on the Federal Government's $30 million rollout of electronic development assessments (eDAs).

In light of the increasing emphasis being placed by federal and state governments on the need for councils to improve the efficiency of development assessment, as well as local governments needing to overcome the shortage of qualified planning staff, this national summit will arm planners, senior council managers, and councillors with the latest advice and best practice planning benchmarks to address these issues.

Top level speakers will include:-

• Tanya Plibersek, the Federal Housing Minister
• Robyn Barrow, the Chair of the eDA National Steering Committee
• Peter Allen, the Chair of the Development Assessment Forum
• Di Jay, the CEO, Planning Institute of Australia
• Chris Johnson, Executive Director, Special Projects, NSW Dept of Planning

Case studies from leading councils will focus on:-

• Optimising development assessment performance through new technology and better processes.
• Achieving a best practice workplace environment within a council planning unit.
• Delivering best practice urban design outcomes through innovative planning.
• Achieving sustainable urban development through innovative strategic planning.
• Innovative planning mechanisms for encouraging sustainable development

The summit will provide attendees with detailed information about the current and future direction of government development assessment polices and technological innovation.

For further information about the summit, visit www.halledit.com.au/conferences or phone (03) 8534 5000 or email denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au