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3 Oct 2008
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ALGA pushes aged care reform at COAG

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At the COAG meeting in Perth yesterday, otherwise dominated by the global credit crisis, ALGA President Cr Paul Bell strongly supported the need for local government's role in home and community care to be acknowledged and for service standards to be maintained as part of the any reform of roles and responsibilities between the Commonwealth and the states.

Concerns have been publicly raised, particularly in Victoria, about the impact of any reforms on local government's role in the provision of home and community aged care, given that local government provides matching funding of $100m in that state. ALGA supported the establishment of a working group to consider reform in more detail and to consult with local government.

In welcoming the establishment of the working group Cr Bell stated that "ALGA supports reform to achieve a better service outcome, but it must be reform that protects the ongoing levels of care and that ensures that the current mix of service providers will continue, including local government, state agencies and non-government agencies. Local government in Victoria, through the Municipal Association of Victoria, has highlighted concerns about the continuity of services and COAG has acted to address these concerns."

Other major issues discussed at COAG included the need to accelerate consideration of major infrastructure projects through the Infrastructure Australia audit and prioritisation process, with Infrastructure Australia asked to present an interim report by the end of the year and the need to finalise arrangements by 2008 for a nationally consistent emergency community warning system which will provide telephone-based warnings in the event of an emergency. COAG also agreed to hold a special meeting in 2009 focused specifically on closing the gap for Indigenous Australians.

ALGA calls for Government rethink on waste dumps

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The Federal Government should follow Professor Garnaut's recommendations to exclude waste dumps from the early stages of a carbon trading scheme, according to the President of the Australian Local Government Association, Cr Paul Bell.

Cr Bell has written to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, this week outlining why inclusion of the waste sector in the initial phase of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) would be 'complex and costly' for local government.

"There are many problems that need to be ironed out," Cr Bell said. "Professor Garnaut acknowledges this. His report released this week makes it clear that the early inclusion of emissions from waste dumps would be problematic due to the variability of these emissions and the timing of their release. The report recommends that before being covered in the scheme, other policies to encourage mitigation in the waste sector should be pursued."

ALGA's view was that the sector, including local government, should continue to work with the Australian Government on a number of outstanding technical issues which needed to be resolved before waste was included in the CPRS, Cr Bell said.

The issues could be summarised as:

  • the absence of accurate and affordable measurement of methane;
  • the absence of a grandfathering clause which means that ratepayers will have to pay for waste produced 20 years ago; and
  • unintended consequences resulting from the establishment of a low threshold such as providing an unfair advantage to larger landfill operators with little or no effect on emissions reduction.

Cr Bell said that some members of the waste industry (mainly large landfill operators) have recommended lowering the proposed emission threshold for coverage by the CPRS from 25,000 tonnes per annum carbon dioxide to 10,000 tonnes. "We totally disagree with that," he said. "Lowering the threshold would be an administrative nightmare and goes against international experience,? he said. "All it would do would make smaller landfills less economically viable and reduce competition in this sector. The miniscule gains in terms of carbon emission reduction from this end of the sector just don't make it worthwhile, environmentally, socially or economically."

"In his Interim report, Professor Garnaut nominated the waste sector for later inclusion in the CPRS (2015, in line with the likely inclusion of the agricultural sector)," Cr Bell said. "I urge the Minister to listen to the advice of Professor Garnaut who was appointed by the Rudd Government to provide an independent and expert opinion on this complex issue."

ALGA's formal response to the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Green Paper is on the ALGA website: www.alga.asn.au

Local government a leader in 'positive ageing'

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This week, ALGA issued the results of the 2007 ageing survey it conducted as part of the Australian Local Government Population Ageing Action Plan 2004-2008 initiative (the Plan), which was supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. The survey report provides an analysis of the 2007 survey results but also compares them to the results from the two previous surveys conducted under the Plan in 2006 and 2005.

The survey results confirm that local government is keenly aware of the challenges posed by an ageing population and that awareness of population ageing within local government is high. In addition, the majority of respondents indicated that they did not believe that impacts from an ageing population overall would be negative, either for the community or the council. Clearly, local councils see that older people are a significant and growing part of their local communities, and that their potential to contribute to overall wellbeing should be recognised and valued.

Many councils are at the forefront in responding to the new challenges presented by our ageing population, and are taking opportunities to lead 'positive ageing' thinking in their communities. For example, almost all councils responding to the 2007 survey offered assistance for their own mature-aged workers, and have continued to deliver training and awareness programs about the ageing population. Support for seniors through initiatives like Seniors Week remained high.

Whilst the Plan formally concluded at 30 June 2008, local government and ALGA remain closely involved in population ageing issues. For example, ALGA is a member of the new Ministerial Conference on Ageing, whose inaugural meeting was held in June 2008, and which is due to meet again in November 2008.

The 2007 survey report can be accessed at www.alga.asn.au/policy/healthAgeing/ageing/surveys/
From the President

At the recent press conference to announce the inaugural meeting of the Australian Council of Local Government, some interesting points were made by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Infrastructure and Local Government Minister Anthony Albanese on which I have been pondering.

As the nation's 565 mayors begin receiving their invitations to this important meeting on November 18, I urge all those attending to think hard over coming weeks and jot down the major points you wish to raise. We must ensure we are not bogged in the mire of day to day concerns, but instead take a strategic view of issues that affect us all - such as the $14.5 billion in unfunded community infrastructure. Now that AusLink and Roads to Recovery funds are locked in until 2014, it is time to turn our minds to the issue of funding to upgrade our local infrastructure such as libraries, theatres, sports facilities, senior citizen and youth centres and kitchens used for Meals on Wheels services, many of which are in such a bad state of repair that they are on a knife-edge.

Turning back to the recent press conference on a crisp spring day in the Prime Minister's courtyard, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, spoke of the infrastructure challenges facing communities particularly in our major cities and referred to the $1.13 billion per annum annual underspend on infrastructure renewal in the PricewaterhouseCoopers report. He reiterated the government's commitment for a 'new local infrastructure fund' as distinct from the Building Australia Fund which is for major projects. Minister Albanese stressed that 'local community-based infrastructure is also important to the living standards and lifestyles of people who live in regional Australia and people who live in our cities.'

You can imagine at that point that the sun came out ? these words were music to my ears!

Later that day in Question Time, the Prime Minister referred to the necessity of local government becoming "much more a central part of the national affairs of this country."

"The reason we are doing this [forming the Australian Council of Local Government or ACLG] is because local government is one of the critical arms of the fabric of this country's administration," he said.

In his Question Time response, the Prime Minister referred to the need to make sure that the 'infrastructure responsibilities of local government can be delivered at the local level.' He referred to the PricewaterhouseCoopers report which found that there was a $14.5 billion backlog in community infrastructure renewal. He asked: "How do we the national government now partner with local authorities in their local infrastructure needs in the future? This is a critical area for the future. It is a critical area needing reform, it is a critical areas needing financial assistance." Mr Rudd said that apart from infrastructure, the agenda for ACLG would look at the urban design needs of our major cities, and the third item of discussion would be Constitutional Recognition for local government.

ALGA and local government has been actively pursuing these agendas over recent years under ALGA's '4F's' campaign of Fair Funding, Formal Recognition, Fair Treatment and Future Challenges.

Local government provided over 1,000 examples of community infrastructure that is desperately in need of rejuvenation to ALGA's Community Infrastructure Ideas Register and we have made sure that the powers that be are aware of the extent of the problem. On the issue of community infrastructure, the Government has announced that it is replacing the Regional Partnerships Program with a new Regional and Community Infrastructure Program. ALGA has put forward a submission calling for any new program to be based on our proposal for a Local Community Infrastructure Renewals Fund.

It appears the Prime Minister is listening. We await an announcement on this front with eager anticipation on behalf of communities around Australia that have put up with sub-standard infrastructure for far too long.

Cr Paul Bell AM
ALGA President

Larger budget surplus for 2007-08

The Federal Government has said the final budget surplus for 2007-08 was $19.7 billion, $2.9 billion more than estimated at the time of the May budget.

Treasurer Wayne Swan said this was the result of lower than anticipated government spending, rather than a greater influx of tax revenue.

"As a result of its strong fiscal position, the government is in a position to invest around $15 billion of the 2007-08 surplus in its three national building funds," Mr Swan said in a statement.

The higher surplus will also provide additional resources to the Australian Office of Financial Management - the government's asset manager - to invest in high-quality, AAA rated residential mortgage-backed securities.

The three nation building funds announced in the May budget will have a combined balance of more than $26 billion by July 1, 2009 for capital investment in the future infrastructure, education and health needs. The government will allocate $7.5 billion from the 2007-08 surplus to the Building Australia Fund.

This contribution, combined with proceeds from the second instalment of the sale of Telstra 3 and the former Howard government's Communications Fund, will provide $12.6 billion for future investment in our roads, railways, ports and communications infrastructure.

The government will also allocate $2.5 billion to the Education Investment Fund, which when combined with assets from the former government's Higher Education Endowment Fund, will provide $8.7 billion for investment in higher education and vocational training institutions.

The final $5 billion from the 2007-08 surplus allocation will be invested in the Health and Hospitals Fund. (AAP)

Senate inquiry into aged care funding

The Senate has established an inquiry into the adequacy of funding for the aged care sector on the motion of ACT Senator Gary Humphries. The inquiry will investigate funding levels for aged care services, as well as related issues, and is due to report by the first sitting day of April 2009.

"The care of older Australians is being placed at risk because the Government is not guaranteeing an adequate income stream past the 2009 Budget and many aged care facilities are rightfully concerned about this," Senator Humphries said.

Water and sewerage constitutions

The constitutions for each of the local government owned water and sewerage corporations have been tabled in Tasmanian Parliament for final approval.

"The constitutions provide the best quality framework for the governance and commercial operations of the water and sewerage corporations into the future," the Tasmanian Treasurer, Michael Aird, said. "If Parliament approves the constitutions, the new corporations can be formally incorporated under Commonwealth Corporations Law and key appointments, such as the Chair, the company directors and Chief Executive Officers can be quickly finalised."

Threat to HACC in Victoria

The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) is warning of a serious threat facing the state's community care services that support frail older people to remain in their homes.

Cr Dick Gross, MAV President said the Rudd Government's desire to 'slash and burn the number of payments to state governments' was behind a COAG proposal that could reduce service quality and care levels to hundreds of thousands of Home and Community Care (HACC) recipients.

"This is particularly worrying for pensioners who already struggle to afford basic services. A decrease in funding and access to community care would be a severe blow to the health and safety of many older people.

Unlike other states where HACC is delivered by non-government organisations, local government is the largest public sector provider in Victoria. It is also a key service planner and critical funding partner, voluntarily injecting a further $100 million each year to minimize the need for waiting lists and service cuts.

"The MAV has written to the Premier and Prime Minister urging that a decision on responsibility for aged care must be deferred until discussions are held with all funding partners and a comprehensive review of the service is undertaken," Cr Gross said.

Vote on-line for Landcare Awards

There is a new 'local government' category in the National Landcare Awards, which are held every 2 years. This year, for the first time, all of the state winners (nominees for the national awards) are presented on a website aimed at engaging the general public to find out how to get involved, vote, leave a message of support, or even leave a voice message. The finalist that has inspired the most people to vote will be presented with the 'people's choice' trophy, by Jack Thompson, at the national Awards event on October 23, at Parliament House.

The website is www.landcareheroes.com.

The local government category is titled 'Living environment, Healthy communities'. State winners are the City of Victor Harbor, Crows Nest Shire Council, Hume City Council, Namadgi National Park, NEWROC Natural Resource Management Group, Orange City Council and the Southern Midlands Council.

This award will be made to an outstanding local government organization which is collaborating with its community to preserve and manage its local environment and natural resources, encouraging a Landcare ethic and action in the local community, and cooperating on Landcare issues and projects with neighbouring organizations, businesses, other councils and landowners. Judges will be looking for active partnerships between Landcare and the Local Government Organisation.

More information here.

ACCC decision on food and waste

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued a decision proposing to grant authorisation to the Inner Sydney Waste Management Group of Councils to jointly tender and contract for services to transfer, process and dispose of food and garden organic waste and to market and sell any end products in the relevant local government areas.

The ISWMG comprises six local councils: Council of the Municipality of Ashfield, Auburn Council, Burwood Council, City of Canada Bay Council, Leichhardt Municipal Council and Council of the Municipality of Strathfield.

"The ACCC considers that the proposed arrangements have the potential to provide efficiencies in the provision of waste management services in the inner Sydney region," ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said. The ACCC seeks submissions from interested parties in relation to its draft determination by Thursday 16 October 2008. The ACCC's draft determination will be available on the ACCC website.

State of the Regions report 2006-07
Best wishes for Rae Perry

ALGA has sent its best wishes to former ALGA President and CEO of the Victorian Local Governance Association, Rae Perry, who is in hospital following a serious motorcycle accident on September 7. Rae sustained a serious head injury and is still in the high dependency unit of the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Cards and messages of support can be sent through the VLGA. Our thoughts and prayers are with Rae and her family.

Risk factors and Indigenous violence

That Indigenous Australians experience violent victimisation at markedly higher rates than other Australians is widely acknowledged both within and outside Indigenous communities. However, as in all communities, some individuals, even within the same group, face a greater risk of victimisation than others. Identifying which individuals, families or communities are at risk, and under what circumstances, is essential to implement effective preventative (e.g. night patrol, family counselling) and, in some cases, reactive (e.g. hospital services, child protection services) strategies. The ability to do this relies on having already established accurate predictive risk factors. A paper by the Australian Institute of Criminology www.aic.gov.au uses studies and data from surveys, service providers and the criminal justice system to examine how victimisation rates for specific types of violence vary with demographic, psychological, sociological and cultural factors within the Indigenous population, and how these are similar to or different from those observed in mainstream society.

Garnaut toughens targets

Climate change adviser Ross Garnaut has toughened his recommended greenhouse targets. After infuriating green groups earlier this month by recommending a 10 per cent greenhouse target by 2020, he's now more open to a 25 per cent cut in emissions.

He also aspires to a 90 per cent target by 2050, compared with the Federal Government's 60 per cent goal. On Tuesday Professor Garnaut released his long-awaited 620-page final report on what the nation should do about climate change.

"Strong mitigation, with Australia playing its proportionate part, is in Australia's interests," the report says. "(Australia) should express its willingness to reduce its own entitlements to emissions from 2000 levels by 25 per cent by 2020, and by 90 per cent by 2050 in the context of an international agreement." And if no global climate deal is forged out of the UN process, Australia should aim to cut emissions by five per cent by 2020 as an "unconditional offer", Professor Garnaut says.

In line with government policy, he wants emissions trading to start in 2010, with a fixed, rising carbon permit price until 2012. Less than 30 per cent of the value of the permits should be given to trade-exposed, emissions-intensive companies which could lose out to competitor nations that don't have emissions trading. Professor Garnaut has stuck with his draft recommendation on how the revenue from emissions trading should be spent. Households would get half, 30 per cent would go to businesses, and 20 per cent to research. "The cost to consumers of rising energy and petrol prices can be balanced through payments to households, while preserving price incentives to reduce emissions," he said. The Garnaut Climate Change Review Final Report is available at www.garnautreview.org.au

The Federal Government is scheduled to release further Treasury modelling in October. The Government's White Paper on the final design of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is due for release by the end of the year.

Maternity leave recommendation

The Productivity Commission has recommended the Federal Government implement an 18-week taxpayer-funded maternity leave scheme, at a cost of $450 million a year. The commission will hold public consultations on its proposed scheme over the next few months before handing down a final report to Government in February. The Minister for Families Jenny Macklin has indicated the Government will support paid maternity leave in some form. "From my point of view the great thing about paid parental leave is that it's great for babies, it's great for families and also great for the workforce. So there are three reasons why this Government will introduce a paid parental leave scheme," she said at doorstop in Redfern on Tuesday.

Population turnover

Population turnover estimates are of strong interest because they can help understand, for example, why the characteristics and needs of a region are changing significantly within the context of having a relatively stable population count.

Migration is recognised as a key factor in regional social and economic development. The Information Paper: Regional Research in Australia - the Statistical Dimension: an Information Development Plan for Rural and Regional Statistics, 2005 (cat. no. 1362.0) identified a need for data on the movement of people into and out of regions to inform regional research and policy themes. Inter-regional migration impacts broadly on a range of issues such as the size and structure of inter-regional labour markets, the demand for services, and the human capital that contributes to community strength.

Grandparents make kids smarter

New research has confirmed what many Australian families already know - grandparents are unsung heroes in the community and they also have an influential role in the development of their grandchildren.

Research commissioned by the Australian Government - Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children - measures children's physical, learning and cognitive development plus social and emotional functioning. Its findings show that children aged between three and 19 months who are cared for by family and friends as well as their parents, have higher learning scores than those who just receive care from primary guardians. Much of this care is provided by grandmothers and grandfathers.

The report is available here.

Interim planning controls

Acting Victorian Planning Minister, Richard Wynne, approved interim controls in the Goulburn Valley to protect rural and regional land from inappropriate subdivision and dwelling proposals.

"The Campaspe, Moira and Greater Shepparton Planning Schemes have been amended under the Rural Regional Land Use Strategy in accordance with the Planning and Environment Act 1987," Mr Wynne said.

Mr Wynne responded to the concerns of the three councils that the existing planning controls would erode the agricultural base of the region.

"The interim controls are necessary to protect farmland from inappropriate subdivision. The protection of farm land is critical to our agricultural industry and our state and national economies," he said.

"This is a matter of state significance and I congratulate the councils on their initiative in developing a strategy that will provide a consistent approach to the management of rural land."

The interim controls will be in place for two years.

Intervention report weeks away

The Federal Government would carefully consider the recommendations of a report into the commonwealth intervention into Northern Territory indigenous communities, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said.

A federal review of the intervention is set to recommend an end to blanket compulsory income management, as well as the reinstatement of the Racial Discrimination Act, News Limited reported on Tuesday.

The review board, headed by West Australian indigenous leader Peter Yu, was originally due to hand its report to the government on Tuesday, but has been given an extension of several weeks.

Mr Rudd said the government would carefully consider the report's recommendations when it was delivered.

Labor has previously expressed strong support for compulsory income management.

Turnbull says republic not inevitable

Australia is not assured of becoming a republic even after Queen Elizabeth's reign ends, federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull says.

Mr Turnbull, a republican, said to win any referendum to alter the Constitution there needed to be more than bipartisan political support.

He said an overwhelming majority of people and states had to be in favour of a republic for it to happen.

"I think the next time this will come onto the agenda in a form where a change could be approved and it may not even be approved then, is at the end of the Queen's reign," he told Macquarie Radio.

Program to recruit graduates

West Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) has launched a program to attract recent graduates to the skills shortage-hit local government sector.

The Get On Board initiative is an element of the WALGA's ongoing recruitment strategy that comprises a state-wide television advertising campaign, an overseas recruitment service as well as a series of careers and employment expos both in WA and overseas.

Quote of the week

"It is our choices...that show what we really are far more than our abilities."
JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

International news  

An English couple has been reunited with their missing cat after nine years thanks to a microchip embedded in the wayward pet, Britain's RSPCA says.

Dixie, a 15-year-old ginger cat, disappeared in 1999, and her owners assumed she had been killed by a car, Reuters reported.

She was found less than a kilometre from her home in Birmingham after a concerned resident rang the animal charity to report a thin and dishevelled cat which had been in the area for a couple of months.

RSPCA animal collection officer Alan Pittaway checked her microchip and confirmed it was Dixie.

She was returned to her owners, Alan and Gilly Delaney, within half an hour.

"In 29 years of working for the RSPCA I have never seen anyone so excited and happy as Mrs Delaney," Pittaway said.

"It made my day to return Dixie to her owners."

The couple was "overjoyed" to be reunited with their beloved pet after so many years.

"Dixie's personality, behaviour and little mannerisms have not changed at all," said Gilly Delaney.

"We don't think she has stopped purring since she came back through the door."

The RSPCA hopes the story will encourage owners to have their pets microchipped.
Forthcoming events

For a full listing of forthcoming events, see ALGA's Events calendar.
ALGA News can be read online each week at www.alga.asn.au/news.aspx
Editor: newscomments@alga.asn.au Tel: 02 6122 9434.
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