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15 Aug 2008
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Ministers warm to planning reform in cold Hobart

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Local Government and Planning Ministers agreed to measures to accelerate planning reform at the 7th meeting of the Local Government and Planning Ministers Council (LGPMC) in Hobart on 13 August.

Ministers considered a number of key issues including the streamlining of development assessment, financial sustainability of local government and improved municipal services to Indigenous communities.

Importantly, in the area of development assessment, the Council agreed to establish a Ministerial sub-group, chaired by New South Wales and including Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, to develop proposals for further streamlining development assessment reform. The proposals, to be developed over the next month, will be considered by the LGPMC out of session and then submitted to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) for approval. Ministers also agreed that ALGA would be invited to participate in the Ministerial sub-Group. ALGA President Cr Paul Bell noted that planning reform was a critical issue for local government and that it was important for local government to have appropriate input into the development of reform proposals.

The Ministerial Council also endorsed a report on local government financial sustainability which is being forwarded to COAG as part of its consideration of local government funding. The issue of local government funding was deferred by COAG until after the Productivity Commission reported on local government revenue raising capacity (a report was handed to Government in April this year) and is expected to be revisited by COAG after the Commonwealth and States reach agreement on the reform of Commonwealth-State Specific Purpose Funding (expected to be settled by the end of 2008).

Disaster planning for local government

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ALGA, State Associations, and several local council representatives attended pandemic exercise workshops around the country as part of Exercise Sustain 08, designed to enhance Australia's capacity to deal with such a national disaster.

The program to date has consisted of three discussion exercises in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The workshops have examined Government's role in a pandemic influenza impact and recovery, social and community impacts and recovery in the delivery of home-based care services and the effectiveness of the national pandemic crisis communications capability in supporting government leaders to deliver public messages.

The COAG Pandemic Exercise Program, Exercise Sustain 08, is a learning activity aimed at assessing whole-of-government preparedness to respond to and recover from a widespread human influenza pandemic in Australia.

As part of the May Budget, Health Minister Nicola Roxon announced that a national stockpile of antiviral drugs and equipment would be maintained through a $166.5 million funding commitment over two years. At the core of Australia's national health emergency preparedness is the National Medical Stockpile - a strategic reserve of antibiotics, antiviral drugs, chemical and radiological antidotes and personal protective equipment essential to an emergency response.

The discussion exercises were designed to examine key policy areas, identify gaps, inform scenario development and identify agenda issues for a major desktop functional exercise to be held on the 14 November 2008 involving COAG members, ALGA's CEO and senior officers on the National Pandemic Emergency Committee.

ALGA continues to play an active role in the COAG Working Group on Influenza Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness and the COAG Pandemic Communications working sub group. The COAG working group is scheduled to meet on 14 August in Melbourne.

The National Pandemic Action Plan (NAP) sets out defined responsibilities and lines of authority for Commonwealth, State, Territory and local governments in prevention, preparedness, response and recover. However, with more than 560 councils serving communities nation-wide there is still much to be done in terms of improving communication channels for the local government area. There is widespread acknowledgement by all jurisdictions that local government will play a critical role if a full blown pandemic ever arises in Australia. ALGA will continue to argue the case for local government and the NGO sector to be fully engaged in the pandemic planning process and the real need for resources to be made available for local government to fulfil a meaningful role in this area.

The artistic heart of a community is local government

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Local government arts and performing venues are "the cultural hubs that feed life and creativity into the community," according to the CEO of the Australian Performing Arts Centres Association (APACA), Rick Heath.

A partnership of national arts organisations such as APACA and leading Australian artists have come together to support the "We all Play a Part" national advocacy campaign. Local government venues and performing arts centres will play their part in the campaign, with the aim of building greater understanding of the many ways in which Australians contribute to and are enriched by our performing arts industry.

APACA will play an active role in facilitating the campaign within local communities. Local government venues and performing arts centres make up more than 70 per cent of APACA's membership. APACA's annual conference (at the Adelaide Festival Centre on September 10 and 11) will have a session on how regional and suburban venues can work with their audiences and local MPs to show how the arts have strengthened their communities.

The "We all Play a Part" campaign has a strong online presence. Register your support through the online application that may be found on the website www.weallplayapart.com.au Members of the group can also follow the "We all Play a Part" campaign through a Facebook networking group.

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

Pressing issues for our nation will be at the front and centre of the minds of our federal parliamentarians as they prepare for their return to Federal Parliament at the end of this month. These include the domestic economy, especially interest rates; our taxation system; global fuel prices and the proposed FuelWatch scheme; and the green paper on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. It is likely that our nation?s medal tally performance at the XXIXth Olympiad will also occupy a place in their hearts and minds!

By the time Parliament has resumed, the Rudd Government will be just over eight months' old. It will be faced with a different Senate composition. It will also be eager to deliver further on its ongoing commitments, such as putting in place the foundations for a new co-operative federalism.

Achieving effective co-operative federalism depends intrinsically on the three spheres of government reaching agreement on their respective roles and responsibilities. It is for this reason that local government considers constitutional recognition a major omission in the nation's constitution. However, acknowledging the roles and responsibilities of local government is possible in the interim. The question is whether there is enough political will to do so. For me, land use is a case in point.

In Australia, there are many variables that come into play whenever someone proposes to use or develop or re-develop land. This is because land is a finite resource. In local and regional communities across Australia, the use to which land is put can potentially affect their feelings of safety, wellbeing, security, happiness as well as their livelihoods and economic prosperity. If land is used inappropriately, it may damage the environment, affect the health of others, reduce opportunities for social inclusion or break down neighbourhoods, and threaten local communities' sustainability. Used appropriately, however, land may assist communities in all aspects of their lives, and attract business and skilled professions into communities who need them, assuring the local community of security and stability into the future.

Unfortunately, many people do not understand the interaction between state planning and local government, or the competing tensions that come into play when councils are asked to determine development or subdivision applications for local land use. The Australian Government's recent decision to refer "the anti-competitive impacts of state and local zoning and planning laws to the Council of Australian Governments" in the context of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry into grocery prices is concerning, because it suggests that local government behaves in an anti-competitive manner. Local government's decision-making is taken in a strategic planning context to achieve a balance between social, retail, transport, communications and environmental considerations. A reasonable query can be raised in light of these comments about whether councils should now deem competition in the retail grocery market a higher priority than, for example, affordable housing.

The Australian Government has clearly signalled that affordable housing is to occupy much of its first term as a pressing national issue. Local government supports the Australian Government in this goal. However even this important issue needs to be considered in a strategic context so that proposed new residential housing is provided with suitable community infrastructure and promotes social cohesion. Indeed, local government generally is at the forefront of moves to adopt electronic development assessment processes for housing applications as a critical step in accelerating decision-making processes, without compromising the ability to achieve quality, sustainable outcomes. This is in stark contrast to the NSW government which, whilst urging owner-occupiers to rent out or build new granny flats to increase housing supply, has not clarified whether such persons will become liable for a land tax bill if they do so. The NSW dual occupancy 'experiment' has already been trialled and showed that without proper planning consideration, communities suffered.

Local government realises that the pressing issues for our nation usually begin in our local and regional communities. Whilst always open to improving, it is time for local government to be acknowledged as the 'hard worker' that it is, endeavouring in a complex world to strike the right balance in the interests of their communities and through this, the nation as a whole. Let's not forget that local governments are operating under a planning framework that was created for them by state governments.

Cr Paul Bell AM
ALGA President

Litter problem still challenging for local government

The Keep Australia Beautiful National Litter Index released yesterday has recorded a decrease in the number of litter items across Australia, though cigarette butts still pose a huge problem for councils.

The 'Dirty Dozen' has cigarette butts at the top (more than three times any other category at 32 per 1000 square metres), followed by paper (10), plastic (6), food containers (5), and metal items such as bottle tops (3).

Environment Minister Peter Garrett welcomed the findings of the report and urged all Australians to continue to take action to reduce litter and waste.

"Tackling waste and waste management is one of my priorities and I expect a thorough discussion of these issues with my state and territory colleagues at our next Environment Protection Heritage Council meeting in November," he said.

Councils are working with industry on a number of litter reduction initiatives such as the Clean Schools Challenge in Tasmania, litter reporting database and litter education as part of a coordinated education, enforcement and infrastructure approach. The research provides government and industry with information on where litter is occurring in our environment and where we need to focus our efforts to change behaviours.

In NSW and Victoria, the Packaging Stewardship Forum initiated a roadside anti-litter campaign along the Hume Highway between Melbourne and Sydney. Research during the project revealed 75% of those surveyed said the message caused them to think about what they do with their packaging once its contents have been consumed.

Full research results at www.kab.org.au/nli

2008 National Planning Report Card

The National Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) is asking organisations and individuals to complete a survey that is designed to evaluate how well the jurisdictional planning systems in Australia are operating. This is the third year that the Report Card process has been undertaken and this year the deadline is Friday 22 August. The online questionnaire will only take 5 - 10 minutes to complete.

Last year PIA asked Federal and State and Territory Planning Ministers to provide a response to the 12 key areas it identified as being crucial to having a healthy planning system. This initiative was very well-received and the responses were posted to the PIA website for members to read prior to completing the online questionnaire.

Again this year PIA has sought feedback from the three spheres of governments and also invited input from a range of peak industry groups, to advise the Institute of a summary of major initiatives that are underway for the 12 topic areas that will be used in the survey. You can access the survey at 2008 Report Card online questionnaire

Natural Disaster Programs

A reminder that applications for the 2008-09 Natural Disaster Mitigation Program funding round close on 29 August 2008.

The Natural Disaster Mitigation Program is a national program aimed at identifying and addressing natural disaster risk priorities across the nation. Find information on how to apply to funding and download an application form by visiting www.ag.gov.au and clicking on EMA site.

Applications for the 2008-09 Bushfire Mitigation Program funding round have now closed. It is expected that applications for 2009-10 will be invited in early 2009. Information about the program, successful grant recipients, and state and territory contacts is available here.

Sea level rise decision could have implications for all coastal councils

A decision by Victoria's Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) to overturn South Gippsland Shire Council's approval of the development of six coastal homes due to the potential impact of rising sea levels could have ramifications for coastal councils across Australia.

Environment Defenders Office Victorian Principal Solicitor, Brendan Sydes, said that the tribunal's decision that the likelihood of sea level rises should be considered by councils when making planning decisions could have significance within Victoria and nationally.

South Gippsland Shire Council CEO, Paul Bawden, says the decision by VCAT not to allow the construction of the dwellings in the coastal zone due to predicted impacts of climate change is "potentially significant" for all coastal councils and believes it demonstrates a need for councils to obtain scientific information to assist them to make planning decisions that could be affected by the predicted impacts of climate change.

The tribunal found increases in the severity of storm events and rising sea levels would create a "reasonably foreseeable risk" of inundation of the land and proposed dwellings, which VCAT deemed to be "unacceptable".

To view VCAT's decision click here.

Housing affordability in WA and Qld mining boom towns

This positioning paper provides a context for examining housing market dynamics in four Australian resource boom towns: Kalgoorlie and Karratha in Western Australia, and Emerald and Moranbah in Queensland. The impact of the resource boom on housing affordability is examined, as are its effects on a variety of other related socio-economic indicators in those towns, including the availability and appropriateness of housing, community development, social cohesion and exclusion. Positioning Paper, No. 105: A review of the contextual issues regarding housing market dynamics in resource boom towns

National survey of town centre, shopping strip management

An Australian-wide survey of how our town centres, city centres, activity centres, high streets and shopping strips are being managed, developed and marketed is being undertaken.

The survey has been prepared by the Institute of Place Management (UK), Queensland University of Technology and Mainstreet Australia. The information will raise awareness and be a crucial input to have our endeavours recognised in local, state and federal government policies as these are rethought and recharged (hopefully) to give a voice back to local communities and businesses in the future of their local lifestyles, economies and environments.

The survey includes questions about the structure, management, goals and activities of your initiatives to get the big picture. It also recognises the importance of the work you and the members of your initiative do and is seeking details on the kind of training that would assist you get even better results. Results will be available to all who contribute and will be presented at the Mainstreet Australia 2009 conference. To access the online survey (late submissions will be accepted) and find out more about place management, interested parties are advised to visit website.

A summary report on the results will be available free of charge.

Australian Road Research Board Workshops

19 August - Brisbane - Local Skid Resistance
9 and 10 September - Melbourne - Managing Road Pavements Assets
28 October - Brisbane - Parking - technology, audit and shopping centres
30 October - Sydney - Parking - technology, audit and shopping centres
27 November - Melbourne - Parking - technology, audit and shopping centres

More details from Lorraine Ray, Event Coordinator, ARRB, 03 9881 1555 or training@arrb.com.au

Free showerheads on offer in SA

Householders in 10 local council areas, including Onkaparinga, Victor Harbor and Port Augusta, can receive a free water efficient showerhead as part of a new trial exchange program launched this week by the State Government and the Local Government Association of South Australia.

Under the two-month Swap and Save Showerhead Exchange Program trial, old and inefficient showerheads can be exchanged for new 3-star WELS* rated models that can halve the volume of water used in the shower.

Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald says if the trial proves successful, the South Australian-first initiative will be offered to all South Australian councils by the end of the year.

"The trial is another step forward in encouraging people to save water in and around the home and the government is grateful to the councils involved for their assistance," the Minister said. "Conventional showerheads can use up to 18 litres of water a minute, compared with less than 9L of water using a water efficient showerhead. The simple act of replacing one showerhead can make a huge difference and can save the average household about $30 a year on water and energy costs."

Women urged to atand for Victorian local government elections...and all others!

All Victorian Councils will hold elections on Saturday 29th November 2008. Women make up more than 50 per cent of the population in Victoria and yet only 30 per cent of Councillors in Victoria are women. There are 635 elected members in Victorian Councils. 193 of these elected members are women.

The ALGWA Victoria Branch encourages all women interested in participating in Local Government at an elected level in 2008 to start planning for election now by gathering information and advice in preparation for nomination.

The Association encourages women to be part of the decision making in their communities and offers support and advice to candidates through the ALGWA Mentoring Network.

The ALGWA Mentoring Network contact list includes women who have experience in Local Government as a career and those who have served as elected members.

The ALGWA Mentoring Network contact list is available as part of the Victorian ALGWA 'Taking Up The Challenge in 2008' Resource Kit.

Information can be obtained by contacting ALGWA State Secretary, Cr Sue Marstaeller JP algwavic@algwa.com.au or phone 5787 1520.

ALGWA Taking Up The Challenge in 2008 Candidate Forums, workshop dates and locations are listed here. The next workshop will be held in Mildura on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd August, followed by Casey, Geelong and Baw Baw.

Abbot backs constitutional reform

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Bob Abbot, who sits on the ALGA board, said the time was right to force greater recognition of local government through Constitutional amendment.

Mr Abbot said the Roads to Recovery program which saw money go from the federal government to local authorities without state government interference was an example of how mechanisms could be put in place to allow local government to deliver infrastructure to their communities. Quoted in the 'Sunshine Coast Daily,' he said the ALGA president now sat with the premiers at COAG meetings with the federal government but it was important to ensure that local government existed in perpetuity.

'Green' trucks for Gosford

Gosford City Council when purchasing new trucks now requires them to be EuroIV compliant. This is higher than the national emissions standards.

The move is one of several initiatives of a corporate greenhouse gas reduction strategy adopted by Council's Fleet Services to reduce the fleet's 14% contribution to overall Gosford City Council emissions.

Council recently took delivery of the first of these vehicles, an Isuzu FVR 1000 medium tipper.

According to Gosford Council's Acting Manager Fleet Services, Mr Peter Armour, Euro 4 is Council's minimum standard for truck emissions, a standard that exceeds the national requirement that came into effect in February this year as ADR 80/02.

To meet the latest ADR80/02 exhaust emissions requirements most truck manufacturers settled for the US EPA04 standard, Isuzu went to the more stringent Euro IV standard which results in trucks that produce as little as one sixth the particulate matter emissions of US EPA04 compliant engines.

The Isuzus feature Exhaust Gas Recirculation systems, variable geometry system turbochargers and a Diesel Particulate Diffuser exhaust after treatment. They not only produce fewer particulate emissions (smoke, soot and unburned hydrocarbons) but less greenhouse gases. Despite the impressive environmental credentials of the New Generation SiTEC Series II engines, they offer more power and torque than their predecessors yet use less fuel.

The latest 2008 Isuzu trucks are up to 10% more fuel efficient than the superseded models Under its corporate greenhouse gas reduction strategy council is also trialling turbo diesel cars, ultra low sulphur diesel fuel, CNG and LPG fuels.
Funding for remote airstrips announced

The Government announced $6.6 million for safety upgrades to 47 airstrips in remote and isolated communities across Australia on 11 August.

The funding is being provided for a range of essential safety upgrades, including year-round all-weather access for the Royal Flying Doctors, extending and resealing runways, animal-proof fencing, building new helipads and installing runway lighting.

It includes $2.8 million upgrade airstrips in 16 remote communities in the Northern Territory, including Croker Island.

Airstrips that will receive funding range from Strahan in Tasmania, up to Poruma Island in the Torres Strait; from Coonamble in New South Wales to Ernabella in South Australia, and across to Gascoyne Junction in outback Western Australia.

The next round of the Remote Aerodrome Safety Program is expected to open in early 2009.

Inquiry into a New Regional Development Funding Program

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has conducted 9 roundtables around the country during July/August, finishing this week at Dubbo and Nowra.

In the hearings, local government strongly argued the case for a funding program for infrastructure renewal, including community infrastructure. For example, at the Hobart hearing which was well attended by council representatives, Local Government Association of Tasmania CEO Allan Garcia mentioned the $14.5 billion backlog of community infrastructure such as swimming pools, recreational facilities and playgrounds. "Without that amenity, without those recreational facilities, without those fundamental things that make your place a great place to live, you do not have a community," he said.

Transcripts of selected hearings are available here.

City of Sydney: Australia's First Carbon Neutral Government

The City of Sydney has announced it has become Australia's first carbon neutral government - helping to deliver on its promise of making Sydney a more sustainable city.

"By eliminating unnecessary energy use, improving our efficiency, using accredited renewable energy and offsetting unavoidable carbon emissions, the City of Sydney has achieved what many organisations have only talked about we are now carbon neutral," said CEO Monica Barone.

"This means that activities undertaken by the city, from collecting garbage, to running libraries to lighting streets, will have no net carbon emissions."

Independent assessors have been working since January 2008 to measure the city's carbon emissions. Total emissions for 2006/07 were calculated at 48,556.07 tonnes.

City of Sydney has made the switch to 100 per cent accredited GreenPower, meaning that its energy use no longer contributes to overall carbon emissions.

Constitutional Recognition paper

This week's feature paper comes from Professor George Williams from the University of New South Wales.

'Thawing the Frozen Continent' examines Australia's Constitutional history, our lack of referendum success and a place in the future for a Bill of Rights in the Australian Constitution.

According to Professor Williams: "Australia's system of government has passed its use-by date in too many respects. The federal arrangements are dysfunctional, ministerial responsibility has broken down and the system fails to adequately protect fundamental rights and freedoms. Too many of the processes that made sense when Australia became a nation are now antiquated and ineffective, and as a consequence many of the rules of our democracy are second rate."

Click here to read 'Thawing the Frozen Continent'

Beyond Charity forums in Perth and elsewhere

A public forum organised by AusAid as part of its 'One Just World' program will be held in Perth on 21st August at Fremantle Town Hall, 6.30pm for 7pm. The topic is 'Poverty and Human Rights.' Forums are planned for Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne in coming weeks. For more information click here.

Discussion promises to be interesting given that human rights approaches to development are the foundation of many government, NGO and UN aid programs. Rights based approaches integrate the norms, standards and principles of the international human rights system into the processes of development. It emphasises the values of participation, accountability and empowerment in the formulation of development plans.

Perth is 7th Solar City

$13.9 million in Commonwealth funding will go to Australia's seventh Solar City in Perth, Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett said this week.

Minister Garrett said more a total of 6,000 homes and businesses were expected to take part in the Solar City trial and would receive access to low flow shower heads, energy efficient lighting, insulation, home energy assessments, smart meters and discounted solar panels and hot water systems. The Perth Solar City project was expected to deliver carbon pollution reductions of more than 15,000 tonnes - equivalent to taking 3,500 large vehicles off the road - and cut energy use equivalent to that of 3,200 homes.

He said the information and data collected through Perth Solar City would complement the work being done in the six other Solar Cities in Central Victoria, Adelaide, Blacktown, Townsville, Alice Springs and Coburg. For more information click here.

$10,000 Travel Fellowship to study sustainable irrigation

Applications close at the end of this month for the 2008 National Program for Sustainable Irrigation/IAL Travel Fellowship Award.

The award is valued at $10,000 for a 12 month fellowship and is open to any scientific achiever under 40 years of age working in irrigation research or development.

"The Fellowship provides for overseas travel to study issues related to sustainable irrigation, giving the winner an opportunity to develop their knowledge and industry networks and bring their findings back to Australia," says Acting CEO of Irrigation Australia Ltd, Ms Alison Carmichael.

The sponsor for the $10,000 travel fellowship is the National Program for Sustainable Irrigation with Irrigation Australia Ltd providing mentoring and support for the winner during their 12 month Fellowship.

The winner of the Award in 2007 was Kimberley Graham, a first class Honours student from the University of Melbourne, who toured Brazil and China to examine two diverse approaches to water policy development, implementation and practice.

For further information contact IAL on (02) 94760142 or visit the IAL website, under "News", to download a copy of the award guidelines. Applications close on Friday 29 August 2008.

The travel fellowship award will be presented in Canberra on 15 September 2008. On their return, the winner will be required to report on their findings at water forums in Australia including the IAL conference to be held in Swan Hill, Victoria in October 2009.

Solar rebate inquiry

A Senate inquiry into the solar panel rebate resumed this week in Brisbane.

The government, in the May budget, imposed an income threshold of $100,000 per household for those seeking the $8,000 rebate to offset the cost of installing solar panels.

The decision angered the solar industry, which warned of job losses and company closures, and environmental groups who said it sent the wrong message about the need to reduce carbon emissions. But the government has said rebate applications are running at record numbers, at a rate of more than 520 a week. Opposition senators accused Ministers Peter Garrett and Penny Wong of avoiding questions in Parliament.

Australia 'will be republic one day'

Australia will be a republic one day, but not soon, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.

Former Labor prime minister Paul Keating last week criticised the Rudd government for not moving fast enough to put the republic back on the political agenda.

But Ms Gillard said while Labor was committed to the republic, it was ultimately a choice for the Australian people - who rejected it at the 1999 referendum.

"The Australian people spoke on it once," Ms Gillard told ABC TV.

"Clearly there was anxiety about what sort of model we should have to move towards a republic. So I think the community debate will continue.

"There will be a day in this nation, I'm absolutely confident, when we will be a republic. But Labor is taking this in a measured way. We understand that ultimately this is a matter that the community needs to settle a view on." (AAP)

ABS updates information for regions across Australia

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has updated regional information for all Australian states and territories with the release of profiles for regions such as Local Government Areas.

Regional profiles contain a range of social and economic information for the years 2002 to 2006, helping local communities see changes over time in the characteristics of their regions and to make comparisons with other regions.

In total, there are profiles for over 2,000 regions across Australia, including state/territory and national totals. The regional profiles now include additional information not available in previous releases, including the number of businesses by industry, agricultural commodities produced, the number and types of motor vehicles registered, and type of access to the internet. This provides a richer picture of regional communities, adding to existing economic and social data such as income, unemployment, age and occupations.

To access the regional profiles, select the 'National Regional Profile' link under the Regional Statistics heading on the grey menu bar on the left of the ABS home page. Regional profiles are one way of obtaining information for regions across Australia. Further state and territory specific information is available for free download from the ABS website.

National Rental Affordability Scheme information sessions

The Federal Government has announced the engagement of Partnership Facilitators to assist organisations to make applications under the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS).

The Partnership Facilitators will work with the Australian, State and Territory Governments to support the implementation of NRAS by coordinating potential partnership arrangements between interested organisations such as investors, builders and developers, local councils and tenancy managers.

The National Rental Affordability Scheme encourages large scale investment in housing by offering incentives to investors to increase the supply of affordable rental dwellings for low and moderate income households. The Scheme aims to deliver 50,000 affordable rental dwellings by 2012. Rent for these properties will be charged at 20 per cent below the market rate for eligible tenants. An Interest Register has been established to direct organisations to an appropriate Partnership Facilitator.

More details at www.fahcsia.gov.au.

State govts must accept inevitable downsizing: Bob Carr

Former NSW premier Bob Carr says state governments must accept that the federal government is usurping their powers and cut back to five part-time ministries.

Mr Carr says a 20-year plan is needed to transform the states which, he says, are a dying institution, with the federal government increasingly taking control of state matters. He says the plan could be overseen by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), and would see state governments accept the inevitable with ministries reduced to five and MPs serving on a part-time basis.

Mr Carr says there would still be a role for the states under his vision, but more in the vein of county councils.

ACCC grants authorisation to central Queensland regional councils

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission yesterday issued a determination granting 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 aggregate a significant volume of waste and recyclables 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 low 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 joint tender is likely to result in the introduction of best practice kerbside recycling in the Council areas. Past experiences indicate that this will significantly improve collection amounts with resulting environmental benefits and cost savings through the diversion of waste from landfill.

"The proposed conduct is likely to provide recycling services of a standard experienced in metropolitan areas to rural communities that are currently not adequately serviced," ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel said.

The ACCC's determination is available at www.accc.gov.au

Extra water buyouts for Murray-Darling

Federal Cabinet met in Adelaide yesterday and signed off on $50 million in additional spending to purchase water rights as part of the Government's aim to improve flows to the drought-ravaged Murray-Darling Basin. The deal will allow the Federal Government to work with the states to acquire irrigation properties with large-scale water entitlements, especially in NSW and Queensland and the upper reaches of the Murray. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon say the package does not go far enough. NSW councils have reiterated the need for further consultation on the Federal Government's recently announced Restoring the Murray Darling Basin Program. In his opening address to delegates at the 2008 Water Management Conference in Ballina yesterday, Vice President of the Shires Association Cr Barry Johnston OAM urged the government to consult with local government on the impacts to communities. "We welcome the initiative and agree that the Murray Darling Basin river system needs to be protected," said Cr Johnston. "But I'm not entirely convinced the Federal Government has really considered the negative impacts the program may have on rural and regional communities.

Community aged care packages

A new report on the programs that help people who might otherwise go into residential aged care by providing them with help in their own homes, shows that by 30 June 2007 there were almost 22 community care packages for every 1,000 people aged 70 and over.

The Federal Government plans to increase the number of packages to 25 care packages per 1,000 by 2011.

The report, Aged care packages in the community 2006-07, released yesterday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, looks at three different aged care packages and the types of clients they serve:

  • Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs) for people eligible for low-level residential aged care, which (as at 30 June 2007) had almost 38,000 operational places.
  • Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH), for people who need high-level care, which (as at 30 June 2007) had 3,300 places.
  • EACH Dementia, a more flexible package for people with behavioural problems or psychological symptoms associated with dementia (1,300 places).

The report is avaiable here.

Darwin hearings on climate change impacts

The projected impact of climate change on coastal areas will be on the agenda of a series of public hearings in Darwin over 18-20 August, held by the House of Representatives Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts Committee as part of its inquiry into climate change and environmental impacts on Australia's coastal zone. As part of the public hearings, the Committee will hold roundtable discussions with participants from the Coast to the Coast Conference 2008, being held in Darwin that week.

The Committee will hold a further roundtable discussion with representatives from local councils, universities, peak bodies and environmental networks across Darwin. The Committee will also hear from the Northern Land Council and the Torres Strait Regional Authority.

Further details on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee's website at www.aph.gov.au/ccwea.

Quote of the week

"Our ambition should be to create and to foster a creative, imaginative Australia because so much of the economy of the twenty-first century is going to require that central faculty,"
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

International news  

In this era of instant messaging and snapshots shared on mobile phones, you might think the humble holiday postcard would be on its way out.

You'd be wrong. As Britain's summer holiday season hits its peak, the country's post office reports that picture postcards - those humble vacation standbys - are enjoying a not entirely understood resurgence.

After initially stagnating after the advent of email and text messaging, picture postcard mailings have leapt by 10 million a year for the past three years in Britain, to 135 million annually. That's an average of two postcards a year for each UK resident.

"There's a presumption it's a dying medium," said Patrick O'Neill, a spokesman for the Royal Mail, Britain's postal service. "But in this age of effortless communication, taking the time to pick up a pen and stroll to the post office "shows someone you've gone out of your way and made an effort."

But the newfound fondness for the postcard also appears to be driven by a desire, at least while on vacation, to chuck the BlackBerry in the hotel safe and "turn back the clock in favour of a more personal and thoughtful method of contact."

The cards, popular now for more than a century, remain a unique form of communication. Their brief scrawled messages - or epic tales crammed onto every nook of the tiny space - are at the same time private and very public, a chance not only to send a "wish you were here" home but to brag to or scandalise the mail carrier and any nosy neighbour.(AAP)

State of the Regions report 2006-07
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