From the President

I have been intrigued by the ABC's much-talked about political satire 'Hollowmen' on Wednesday nights. The first episode was tackling the obesity epidemic, the second on 'jobs for the boys' appointments and this week's was about navigating the choppy waters of international diplomacy.

The humour in the series is focused on a 'Yes, Minister' style interaction between the Public Service and the Prime Minister's office where desired outcomes in the national interest are watered down or shelved for greater political expediency. Actually that is perhaps the greatest criticism of the program by insiders in Canberra, that it is more of a documentary than a comedy. Certainly the canned laughter of 'Yes, Minister' is missing!

It got me thinking about whether all this cynicism about public processes is justified. In my role as President, I attend many Ministerial Council meetings. ALGA is the peak local government body in Australia and is well-placed to make a contribution to this nation. I must say, while I am all too aware about the complexity of the federal system and have experienced at times frustration at the processes involved, this is the nature of consultation. I believe that overall the system works and at its best it produces good well-thought out policy.

ALGA is a full member of the Council of Australian Governments and a member or observer at 13 Ministerial Councils in the areas of regional development, planning, roads and transport, culture, citizenship and multicultural affairs, indigenous affairs, telecommunications, housing, environment, natural resource management, emergency management, ageing and food regulation. Internationally we are represented at United Cities and Local Governments and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum where we work to strengthen links with other communities, particularly in the area of assisting developing countries.

These meetings lead to tangible outcomes for local government - the Intergovernmental Agreement on Cost-Shifting for example, local government's central role in emergency management, pandemic and disaster mitigation programs, Roads to Recovery and AusLink. Through these fora we are continuing to push the case for community infrastructure and fair funding for local government.

This is a fantastic opportunity. Local government is a well-respected and valued member of these councils and the ALGA Board and Secretariat take their role in pushing the national agenda very seriously indeed.

In the past few weeks for instance we have attended COAG, the Housing Ministers' Council, the Ministerial Council for Immigration and and Multicultural Affairs, the Ministerial Council for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and the Ministerial Council on Ageing. In the next few weeks, ALGA will be attending the Regional Development Council and the Local Government and Planning Ministers' Council.

Communities through their own local government authorities and State and Territory Associations have the opportunity to raise important issues that are taken up at a national level by ALGA. This is critical to enable ALGA to do its job effectively. So far I am happy at the progress we are making through strong teamwork and by the dual task of focusing on the needs of Australian communities and strengthening the local government sector so we can properly fulfil our charter as the third sphere of government.

Cr Paul Bell AM
ALGA President

Making native title work better

Commonwealth, State and Territory Native Title Ministers met last Friday in Perth. The theme for the meeting was ?Making native title work better? and Ministers agreed that a flexible and less technical approach to native title was needed throughout Australia. This is the approach taken by local government in dealing with the issue of native title. For further information go to 'publications' on the ALGA website.

The backlog of native title claims and the time estimated to resolve them using current approaches are unacceptable. But Ministers also said that legislative change was not a panacea. Ministers discussed the value of adopting broad and flexible processes to embracing the opportunities native title negotiations already offer under the existing legislative framework, in the interests of all stakeholders.

Ministers agreed to establish a Joint Working Group on Indigenous Land Settlements to develop innovative policy options for progressing broader and regional native title settlements. The Working Group will comprise officers from all jurisdictions including the Commonwealth, and will report back to Ministers at the next Native Title Ministers Meeting in 2009. Ministers committed to working proactively to resolving native title claims in their jurisdictions. Ministers agreed to establish and pursue jurisdiction-specific targets to benchmark progress. The communique is available here

Broadband, public transport and mortgages all on the up

Australians are now more likely to have broadband, use public transport and are taking on bigger mortgages as house values rise, according to figures released today in Australian Social Trends, the annual snapshot of society from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

In the eight years to 2006-07, internet connections jumped fourfold - from 16% to 64% - in Australian homes. Very remote areas had lower levels of internet connection, with under half (42%) connected compared with two-thirds (66%) of homes in the major cities. Broadband connections became more common than dial-up for the first time in 2006-07, and twice as many households now have broadband as have a dial-up connection. In the two years to 2006-07, there was an increase in people aged 65-74 years using the internet at home, from 20% to 28%; this was still well below the 77% of 15-24 year olds.

In 2006 about one in five adults (19%) in capital cities (excluding Darwin) used public transport to get to work or education, up from 16% in 1996. Three-quarters used cars as their main form of transport, with another 5% either walking or cycling. Sydney had the highest level of public transport use at just over one-quarter (26%) while Canberra had the lowest (8%). More details are in Australian Social Trends, 2008 (cat. no. 4102.0), available for free download from the ABS website.

Kookaburra's song-call to councils

ALGA is always spruiking the idea of an arts-led recovery for rural and regional Australia. There are many wonderful examples of festivals and opera divas visiting remote, rural and regional Australia. A shining example is the western NSW town of Morundah with a population of 15, when local hotelier and Urana Shire Councillor Dave Fahey took a leap of faith and staged an opera. Over 1000 patrons came as far afield as Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne for the two performances of 'Carmen' by OzOpera. Kookaburra Touring is keen to hear from innovative communities who would have the facilities and audience to stage a musical. It is taking two school musicals, The Emperor's New Clothes and Songs For A New World and our main-stage production of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change to schools and theatres in Tamworth, Taree, Wollongong, Queanbeyan and Wagga Wagga in August and September. To contact Kookaburra click here.

Contact: Peter Cousens, artistic director and CEO of Kookaburra, the national musical theatre company, on 02 92672566 or Damian Haas on 0439 192390.

National Rental Affordability Scheme

Yesterday the Federal Government launched the National Rental Affordability Scheme, the Prospectus and announced the first call for Applications. Documentation including Application Guidelines, the Application Form and the NRAS Program Guidelines is now on the FAHCSIA website. A Call Centre can be reached on 1800 334 505 to answer questions and assist organisations interested in the NRAS.

New Office of Rural Health

Prof John Wakerman, Chair of the National Rural Health Alliance, has welcomed the establishment of the new Office of Rural Health in the Department of Health and Ageing and committed the Alliance to working co-operatively with it to improve the health of people in rural, regional and remote areas.

The Government says the new body is "to drive rural health reform in response to the findings of the Audit of Health Workforce in Rural and Regional Australia".

Sex Discrimination Commissioner announces roadmap towards gender equality

Introducing paid maternity leave, tackling sexual harassment and bridging the gender gap in retirement savings were among the priorities highlighted by the federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick who outlined her plan of action towards gender equality this week.

"The stories and ideas that people shared with me during my Listening Tour have shaped my plan of action," Commissioner Broderick said. "Progress towards gender equality has stalled. We have more work to do if we want to ensure women and men live in a fair and equal Australia."

Speaking at Tuesday's launch at Sydney Girls' High School of Gender equality: What matters to Australian women and men, the community report from her national Listening Tour, Commissioner Broderick identified five areas where she will be focussing her efforts to improve gender equality in Australia:

• Increasing the number of women in leadership positions, including a focus on supporting Indigenous women's leadership;
• Balancing paid work and family responsibilities beginning with the implementation of a national government funded paid maternity leave scheme;
• Driving down the incidence of sexual harassment;
• Reducing the gender gap in retirement savings; and
• Strengthening laws to address sex discrimination and promote gender equality.

The community report and media kit, including fact sheets on each of the focus areas is available here.

Fund to help farmers adapt to climate change

The Federal Government has committed $46.2 million for a new Climate Change Research Program to support research with an emphasis on showing how it can be applied on the ground in agriculture, fisheries, forestry and food industries.

The new fund is part of the $130 million Australia's Farming Future initiative, announced in the Federal Budget to ensure Australia's $38 billion agricultural industries are resilient into the future.

The $46.2 million program is a significant boost in research and will target three key priorities:

• Reducing greenhouse pollution
• Better soil management
• Adapting to a changing climate

It follows the release yesterday of a joint report by the CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology showing that in the worst scenario droughts could occur twice as often and cover twice the area.

In December last year, ABARE released a report showing Australian production of key commodities could fall by up to 10% by 2030, worth around $4.2 billion in today's terms, if we fail to act on climate change.

Expressions of interest will be called shortly for collaborative research proposals which help primary producers to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.

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September 10-11 Dockside, Sydney

The 3rd annual Local Government Sustainable Development Conference is designed to assist local government managers and practitioners to identify, plan and implement best practice sustainable development solutions in a wide range of areas, including reducing the carbon footprint, promoting energy efficiency, water conservation and planning, community engagement in environmental initiatives, and sustainable planning and urban design.

The two-day conference, to be held on September 10-11 at Dockside in Sydney, will also feature award-winning and leading-edge best practice case studies in sustainable development, including addressing challenges of sustainability, and providing advice for how local governments can achieve their sustainable development goals in a cost-effective manner. The conference is sponsored by Environs, the Local Government Environment Network, which is Australia's oldest local government environment organisation. The President of Environs, Evan Thomas, will chair the conference.

Over 30 experts in sustainability will speak at the conference, including:

• The Hon Penny Wong, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Water (Invited)
• Steve Costello, Assistant Secretary, Urban Water Security Branch, Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
• Cr Paul Pisasale, Mayor of Ipswich Council
• Cr Tim Heenan, Mayor, Shire of Yarra Ranges
• David Keenan, Director, City Sustainability, Hume City Council
• Paul Woods, General Manager, Kogarah Shire Council
• Henry Wong, General Manager, Manly Council
• Ian Blair, Senior Consultant, Prima Consulting
• Dr Michael Ambrose, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems
• Colin Dimitroff, Principal, Corporate Sustainable Solutions, URS Asia Pacific
• Mike Ritchie, General Manager, Marketing and Communications, SITA; NSW President, Waste Management Association of Australia

The conference will also feature the Environs Australia 'Local Government Sustainability Leadership Awards' ceremony. There are nine nine awards to recognise achievement in progressing sustainability at the local level. The awards will be judged by an independent panel from universities and local government authorities and will seek to reward sustainability innovation and achievement in Australia. The awards are structured at two levels 'Gold and Silver', and against two themes 'Council and Partnerships' as well as providing opportunities for smaller LGAs to be judged against their peers.

The 2008 conference is being supported by environmental leaders including FieldForce, Sita Environmental, KISS irrigation Systems, Earth Utility, CO Zero, Cardno, Landcom and Toyota Fleet Management.

The conference agenda is available here or contact Denise McQueen on (03) 8534 5021 or denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

For further information about the Local Government Sustainability Leadership Awards, go to www.environs.org.au

Cr Bell LGAQ President for second term

Cr Paul Bell has been elected unopposed for a second term as the Local Government Association of Queensland president, through to 2012.

Cr Bell, who is also current Australian Local Government Association president, is just the third LGAQ president to have been elected without opposition in the past 60 years and the first since Cairns' Tom Pyne in 1996.

"The focus throughout the nation for local government will be improving federal funding and continuing to push our cause for recognition in the Australian Constitution," Cr Bell said.

"In Queensland, the greatest need is to continue our efforts to build a better, more reasonable relationship with the state government," he said.

Cr Bell is deputy mayor of the Central Highlands Regional Council.

Broadband delay likely

The timetable for the roll-out of a national high-speed broadband network is likely to be delayed because poject proponents have been waiting for vital information on existing infrastructure that would allow them to properly shape their bids.

It is now likely that construction of the network, initially slated to begin before the end of the year, will not begin until 2009. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has said he will use legislative powers to force telecommunications carriers to provide the relevant network information.

Check that payroll systems are calculating super guarantee correctly

Changes to super from 1 July 2008 may affect the way employers calculate the super guarantee contributions they make on behalf of their employees.

The Tax Office is urging employers to make sure that they have the correct systems in place to handle this change in requirements and to plan for any additional costs.

For more information on ordinary time earnings and the super guarantee, visit Using ordinary time earnings to calculate the super guarantee or phone 13 10 20.

local government dumps tobacco and uranium

The Local Government Supperannuation Scheme has dumped stocks like tobacco and uranium and invested almost half its funds in green and socially responsible investments. LGSS manages over $6 billion in superannuation assets for more than 90,000 members. Chairman Birsan Harris said according to a recent assessment, making socially responsible investment choices had added more than $10 million to the scheme's earnings.

Western NSW Councils call for special minister for region

Councils in western NSW have called on the State Government and Opposition to create a Minister for the West and say a Federal Government drought recovery policy will be crucial in getting affected communities out of debt.

The pleas came during a meeting of the Western Division, called to discuss ways the region can be rejuvenated for the benefit of communities. The Western Division is made up of representatives from 13 councils covering 42% of the state. Members include: Balranald, Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Carrathool, Central Darling, Cobar, Hey, Lachlan, Moree Plains, Walgett, Wentworth and the Department of Lands.

New report shows challenges facing regional airports

The Hamilton Island to Melbourne route recorded the biggest rise in passenger numbers in 2007 whereas the Orange to Parkes route recorded the biggest fall. This information is contained in a new report prepared by the Bureau of Infrastructure Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE). With council-owned airports numbering more than 200 across the country, the 'Air transport services in regional Australia: trends and access' report will be a valuable reference source for policy development and a benchmark for assessing future trends. More importantly, with the development of a consistent historical database it is now possible to more accurately project future growth. The publication can be downloaded from: www.bitre.gov.au. Between 1984 and 2005 the annual number of passengers flying on regional air routes rose from 6.5 million to 16 million, with growth averaging 4.4 per cent a year. The strong passenger figures reflect the strength of many regional economies as well as the success of the tourism marketing campaigns and more affordable ticket prices. However the report has also found that there is uneven growth; less airports, half the routes; fewer airlines; challenges facing regional services such as pilot shortages and rising fuel costs.

Human Rights Commissioner urges governments to work together to help disabled

Human Rights Commissioner Graeme Innes has welcomed the announcement of Australia becoming a party to the international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and called for governments to act to make the rights in the Convention a reality.

He said more needed to be done. "In Australia, we have made some great advances in disability law and policy, but there is much more to do," Commissioner Innes pointed out. "We must strive to remove barriers to physical and information access, ensure equal opportunity - not just in theory, but in practice - in employment and education, as well as address the severe inadequacies in supports and services for many people with disability and their families. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a symbolic commitment to equal enjoyment of human rights for Australians with disability." Commissioner Innes urged all Australian Governments to work together and in partnership with the community to make that commitment a reality.

Meanwhile The Rudd Government will introduce legislative amendments to the Disability Discrimination Act in the Spring sittings of Parliament to implement recommendations made by the Productivity Commission in its 2004 review of the Act. Key amendments will clarify the obligation of employers, service providers and others to remove discriminatory barriers for people with disabilities.

ACCC proposes to grant authorisation to Central Qld Regional Councils

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued a draft determination proposing to grant authorisation to the Rockhampton, Gladstone, Central Highlands and Isaac Regional Councils to allow them to conduct a joint tender for provision of waste, recyclables and ancillary waste services. The joint tender is designed to provide a level of waste and recyclables volume that will encourage competition for the relevant contracts, particularly in rural areas. In the past, waste and recyclables service companies have been reluctant to tender for rural based contracts due to the lack of volume and the prohibitive transport costs.

The joint tender is designed to mitigate these factors and in doing so provide better services and lower costs to rural residents. "The ACCC considers that the joint tender is likely to result in cost savings to ratepayers and potentially environmental benefits through the introduction of best practice recycling and the diversion of waste from landfill," ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel said. The ACCC's draft determination will be available from the ACCC website. The ACCC is seeking comments on its draft determination. Inquiries: 1300 302 502

Ways to access rainfall outlooks

The Bureau of Meteorology launched three additional 3-month rainfall outlook products. The products give new insights into the chance of rainfall for the coming season.

The products are:

• Maps showing the rainfall amount that has a 25%, 50%, and 75% chance of falling over the coming season.
• Maps showing the chance of different amounts of rainfall falling, from 10 mm up to 700 mm.
• Tables showing the chance of various rainfall amounts for more than 260 towns across Australia.

The products are available on the Bureau's rurally-focused Water and the Land (WATL) website.

A guilt-free new car - well, almost!

Car buyers can now compare the running costs and carbon emissions of the various makes and models before heading down to the dealer, thanks to the Government's Green Vehicle Guide: www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au.

This web-based consumer tool lets you estimate the annual cost of running a particular make and model of car based on current or future fuel prices as well as the distance you drive. It will also calculate the vehicle's annual CO2 emissions.

Filling up the family car can have a significant impact on the weekly budget. Knowing this cost in advance will help you make an informed choice and ultimately buy a car you can afford. The mandatory fuel consumption label has also been improved to provide additional fuel consumption information. The new label will start to appear on vehicle windscreens in the next few months, and will be mandatory for new models from October 2008.

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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

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