From the President

Waste management is not generally regarded as a 'sexy' issue. But having said that, it is incredibly important for local government and the community and some media outlets understand this. Following my letter to Climate Change Minister Penny Wong and media release I was contacted last week by state-wide ABC radio in South Australia and several rural newspapers got in touch to have a yarn.

A large number of councils run waste and recycling facilities and waste management is at the 'pointy end' of the carbon cycle. The opportunity for local government to be involved in changing community behaviour and mitigation initiatives is immense and many councils are already involved in best-practice initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, such as methane capture and flaring, which may be threatened due to the possible negative financial impacts resulting from the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).

These 'landfill gas to energy' projects have been developed and implemented on the basis of planned income from the on-sale of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). While the operators of these facilities would still be able to generate energy from their landfill sites, the Government's proposal to have very limited offsets could send some of these projects to the wall. We are talking about penalising councils and operators that have taken early decisions to innovate and address carbon emissions.

The additional burden on councils as a result of extra waste disposal costs and a contingent liability for 'legacy waste' produced over 20-30 years mean that the CPRS has been estimated by think-tank The Australia Institute at $344 million per annum.

Professor Ross Garnaut in his final report 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 is 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.

The issues are:

• 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 20-30 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.

Local government does not support views from some corporations (mainly large landfill operators) that uniform national regulations need to be introduced across all sites that emit more than 10,000 tonnes per annum carbon dioxide. Lowering the threshold from the proposed 25,000 tonnes would be an administrative nightmare. 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. Apart from local government, a large number of the bigger landfill sites are owned and operated by third party operators. Regardless of ownership, the cost of municipal waste disposed at landfill will need to be met by councils and through them, by ratepayers. Putting up rates to pay for this liability would be unconscionable in these difficult economic times, when even buying a compost bin from Bunnings can stretch the family budget.

ALGA's formal response to the CPRS Green paper is on the ALGA website: www.alga.asn.au

Cr Paul Bell AM
ALGA President

Urban cultural landscapes

A free public seminar by Professor Xavier Greffe, Professor of Economics at Sorbonne University, Paris, will be held on Thursday, 16 October at 6.30pm at Macquarie University Art Gallery.

The concept of urban cultural landscapes is increasingly measured in terms of the level of amenities that cities provide their populace - leverage to life-style choices. But, we also inhabit a post-modern city where people are looking for experience, feeling and attachment to place. This imperative has implications for policy. This seminar brings to the fore the idea of the urban cultural landscape as an ecosystem, a vision for the future.

Professor Greffe is the author of Arts and Artists from an Economic Perspective (2002) and a distinguished academic with the University of Paris at the Sorbonne. He is one of the leading figures within the LEED Program of the OECD where he has been a consultant on Economic Development in both Western and Eastern Europe. He is the current Chair of the LEED/OECD Forum on Partnerships and Local Governance. Join Professor Greffe and share his insights on local development, economic policy and the economics of culture. RSVP Essential - contact Blanche Menadier by 14 October on 02 9850 7915 or Email: macquarie@iueu.mq.edu.au

Australians 'bored' with climate change

Australians are getting bored with climate change, and many still doubt whether it is actually happening, a new survey has revealed.

Only 46 per cent of Australians said they would take action on climate change if they were in charge of making decisions for Australia, a dip from 55 per cent last year, according to the Ipsos-Eureka Social Research Institute's third annual climate change survey.

And almost one in 10 Australians (nine per cent) strongly agreed with the statement "I have serious doubts about whether climate change is occurring". A further 23 per cent agreed to some extent.

Ipsos-Eureka director of Sustainable Communities and Environment Unit Jasmine Hoye believes Australians are becoming more concerned with other environmental issues that they can have more direct control over.

"We believe the public is currently overwhelmed by other, more pressing environmental issues - namely water and river health - and sees climate change as something that is largely out of their control," she said.

"However, there is a desire among many Australians to know how they can personally make a difference regarding climate change."

Aside from river and water health, other environmental issues of most concern to Australians included illegal waste dumping, renewable energy, litter, smoky vehicles and packaging.

"What really strikes me is that we still have so few Australians taking specific actions like substantially reducing their household energy use, driving and flying less, switching to green power, or even buying carbon offsets, especially given all of the media coverage on this critical issue," she said.

Reforms to Indigenous employment

The Australian Government has released a paper on the Government's preferred model for Indigenous employment programs, Increasing Indigenous Employment Opportunity.

The proposed model includes reforms to Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) and the Indigenous Employment Program (IEP).

The Government's reforms are a key element to meeting its target of halving the employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade.

These reforms will commence on 1 July 2009. For the first time providers will be required to have a comprehensive indigenous employment strategy and to coordinate the delivery of services with local CDEP providers. Under the reforms, employment providers will work together forming partnerships at the local level.

Public consultations sessions on the discussion paper will be held across Australia and written submissions can be provided until 7 November 2008. The Government encourages all interested individuals and groups to attend consultations to hear about proposed reforms. The paper and details of sessions can be obtained at www.indigenous.gov.au or by calling 1802 102.

Financial counselling for families

The Australian Government has announced $3.5 million in funding for 41 community and local government organisations to continue delivering Commonwealth Financial Counselling services to help ease the strain on people under financial pressure. More details here.

Extra six-month term for Qld councils?

Brisbane's 'The Courier-Mail' reports that Local Government Minister Warren Pitt, with the blessing of mayors, shire presidents and councillors, will ask cabinet to extend the current term of all Queensland local government authorities by six months.

If agreed, Queensland's next local government elections will be postponed until October 2012. Local councils, and the Local Government Association of Queensland, argue "newly elected" representatives would have insufficient time to get their heads around complex budget deliberations.

Push for two-tiered system of government

Getting rid of state governments would simplify bureaucracy and free up billions of dollars for regional projects, Lake Macquarie City Council believes.

The council will lobby at the NSW Local Government and Shires Association annual conference for a review of the Australian constitution, looking at replacing the three levels of government with a two-tiered system.

The conference will be held from October 25 to 29 in Broken Hill.

The council said economic estimates showed that duplication among three levels of government cost Australia about $9 billion a year, money that could instead be spent on local infrastructure projects.

Lake Macquarie Mayor and state MP Greg Piper said yesterday that changing the system of government was not a new idea.

Cr Piper said it would be complicated, and putting the matter on the agenda was more about getting people to talk about how to make government more efficient.

North Qld Mayors lobby Canberra

Mayors from the greater North Queensland area have voted to convene a summit later this month to develop a common list of priority projects to take to the Australian Council of Local Government meeting at Parliament House on November 18.

The unanimous agreement to join forces came following a special meeting of mayors held following the North Queensland Economic Development Conference in Townsville.

Mayors of the Councils, which stretch from Mackay north and west to Mount Isa, will develop a common list of infrastructure priorities to present to the Federal Government. Townsville City Council has agreed to host the Mayors' summit in late October to work towards common goals and a better funding deal for the Greater North Queensland Region.

Flooding looms for 18,000 properties

A new study has found more than 18-thousand Victorian properties around Melbourne's south-east face being flooded in the face of climate change.

The Federal Government-funded study has found two billion dollars' worth of properties in five council areas from the Western Port region are vulnerable to flood events.

As both the population and temperature rises, the areas will be exposed to other extremes and hazards related to climate change leading up to the year 2070.

This includes storm surges and coastal inundation, bushfires and extreme temperatures.

Western Port includes the local government areas of Bass Coast, Cardinia, Casey, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Shire.

Climate change modelling

Treasury has released its climate change mitigation policy modelling assumptions book as part of the Federal Government?s commitment to developing a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).

Stakeholder consultation workshops will be conducted from 7 October 2008 using these assumptions. Key assumptions outlined include global population, productivity, gross domestic product (GDP), Australia's terms of trade and technology assumptions. The Treasury has undertaken extensive research and consulted with a wide range of domestic and international experts in developing these assumptions, particularly in relation to historical trends and possible future economic, social and technological developments.

The Government intends to release a report examining the implications of alternative targets and trajectories, containing comprehensive documentation of assumptions and results, by the end of October.

There will be an opportunity for public scrutiny and comment on the detailed Treasury modelling before the Government makes its decision in December on the medium term target range and the indicative national emissions trajectory to 2012-13. More details of the modeling here.

900 extra truck rest areas?

The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) is calling on federal politicians to deliver 900 extra truck rest areas on major highways by 2019, under the industry's plan to amend the Government's new heavy vehicle charges legislation.

The Government introduced the new heavy vehicle charges legislation into Parliament last week. The legislation would increase the effective fuel tax paid by trucking operators - the road user charge - from 19.633 to 21 cents per litre, and would give the Government the ability to index this rate in the future. The legislation would also introduce new registration charges for the 21,500 trucks with Federal Interstate Registration Scheme (FIRS) number plates.

The Chairman of the ATA, Trevor Martyn, said the ATA's plan to amend the legislation would tie future increases in the road user charge to the construction of truck rest areas on the AusLink National Network. He said the plan would also deliver an open and transparent system for setting the road user charge in the future, rather than indexation.

Aviation industry continues to grow

For the fifth year in a row, the aviation sector has grown at a faster pace than the overall Australian economy. Last year (2007) the aviation sector expanded by 4.9 per cent to $6.31 billion - equivalent to 0.62 per cent of Australia's GDP.? This compares to a 4.2 per cent growth rate for the overall economy.

In fact, over the past decade (1997-2007) the aviation sector has grown by more than 66 per cent, while over the same period Australia's national income went up by 42 per cent.

This is the key finding contained in the latest edition of Avline, a bi-annual publication which reports on the health of the Australian aviation sector.

The Federal Government is developing an aviation White Paper to promote and guide the industry's growth over the next decade and beyond.

The purpose of the White Paper will be to assist the industry overcome its immediate challenges, such as a lack of pilots and engineers, as well as provide new growth opportunities, including the pursuit of a more liberal international aviation market.

The latest edition of Avline can be downloaded from: www.bitre.gov.au.

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Best practice in Local Government OH&S strategies

November 19 - 20, Dockside Convention Centre, Sydney

www.halledit.com.au/lgohs08

The Local Government Occupational Health and Safety Conference 2008 will deliver important insights into occupational health and safety strategies being adopted by local governments across the nation. It will focus on leading examples of councils' strategies to increase the health and safety of their staff, and reduce the cost of occupational health and safety. The conference will also provide information on emerging legal issues in Occupational Health and Safety including occupational stress and workplace bullying.

Presentations at the Local Government Occupational Health and Safety Conference will include insights into the following topics:

• Emerging governance and legal issues in relation to OH&S
• Embracing OH&S and promoting a culture of safety
• Comparing AS/NZ 4801 to National Self-Insurer OHS Audit Tool
• Effective integration of OH&S in management systems
• Managing OHS for an ageing workforce
• Whole-of-organisation health and well-being programs
• Stress reduction initiatives
• Activity-specific OH&S
• Mitigating specific risks
• Externally monitored systemic approaches to OHS
• Strategic contractor management

Over 25 speakers will be presenting at the conference, including: Andrew Newton, Chief Executive Officer, Glen Eira City Council; Janice Walsh, Group Manager, City Works Unit, City of Wollongong; Bernie Cronin, Director, Wyndham Services, Wyndham City Council; Scott Wilcox, Workplace Health and Safety Coordinator, Hobart City Council and Sue Pilkington, President, Victorian Division, Safety Institute of Australia.

For the full agenda and conference registration details, please go to www.halledit.com.au/lgohs08
or for further information contact Denise McQueen on (03) 8534 5021 or email denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

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Chartered Secretaries Australia
Annual Public Sector Update
Navigating governance challenges

 

How successfully is the public sector responding to today's governance challenges? What are the issues around implementing practical governance? Are you equipped to deliver the truth that the public expects? These are the issues of the moment.

You'll get insights into these and discover how to effectively navigate through these challenges at the CSA Annual Public Sector Update. You cannot afford to miss this major event.

DON'T MISS OUT! REGISTER TODAY

Sydney ? 15^th October
Darwin ? 27^th October

For further information or to register visit www.CSAust.com/PublicSectorUpdate
or call 1800 251 849.

Grants commissioners examine funding

ALGA CEO Adrian Beresford-Wylie provided state local government grants commissions from across Australia with an awareness of local government's national strategic priorities at the meeting of commissioners in Charleville, in Queensland's south-west, which was convened to look at ways to improve federal funding allocations to councils. The meeting in Charleville provided commissioners with the opportunity to see first-hand some of the problems associated with providing local government services in the bush.

Qld Commissioner and Murweh Mayor Mark O'Brien says $370 million was allocated this year to Queensland councils alone. "Commissioners do have a very important role and a big influence on the relationships of those distributions," Cr O'Brien said. "I think it's really important that the commissioners right around Australia get to see the issues in all parts of the country and not just on the eastern seaboard. We can get blinded a bit by thinking that all the problems associated with Brisbane can be replicated everywhere else and that's not the case."

The annual meeting of state local government grants commissions focuses on opportunities to improve the distribution methodologies which determine the allocation of financial assistance grants between councils.

Rudd outlines infrastructure guidelines

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd outlined the criteria big infrastructure projects will need to receive funding from the $20 billion Building Australia fund. All transport, water, energy and communication proposals will be assessed against their ability to lift national productivity, strengthen Australia's international competitiveness, develop our cities and regions and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Last week, Australia's political leaders agreed at the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to fast track big-ticket infrastructure spending to help shield the economy from continuing global financial turmoil.

Infrastructure Australia will now present its audit and priority list by December.

The Federal Opposition has branded the $20 billion Building Australia Fund a slush fund to help bail out struggling Labor states.

Legislation to pass the Building Australia Fund is due to go before Parliament during the next session, beginning next week.

Meanwhile Telstra is pushing for a fast broadband network to be the first infrastructure project the Federal Government tackles, saying it is crucial for Australia's economic productivity and no infrastructure is more important.

It argues it will reinvigorate regional communities, boost education and health services and help tackle climate change by allowing businesses to be more energy efficient.

Infrastructure plans 'not affected'

Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner has rejected suggestions that global economic instability will hit the rollout of national infrastructure projects involving private companies.

Mr Tanner says business investment in Australia is strong and the government infrastructure plan involves medium term strategies.

He's told ABC radio the government's still going through the cost benefit analysis of various possible projects.

Mr Tanner says the fact there are major problems with private finance at the moment doesn't mean there'll be a problem in six or 12 months which is likely to be the earliest date the projects will be looking for private finance.

He says we shouldn't allow what could be short term turbulence to alter long term plans to invest in infrastructure for the nation's future.

Paid maternity leave could be a casualty

Treasurer Wayne Swan has acknowledged that the global financial crisis will affect the government's ability to introduce paid maternity leave in the short term.

Speaking on the Leon Byner program in Adelaide on Wednesday, Mr Swan said: "...We can't necessarily do everything. We've got to prioritise what we're doing and that does mean tough choices. Yes, there is a report before us about paid maternity leave but it will be considered in the context of our priorities for the short term and immediate term and long term. And I just simply can't promise to fit everything in given the circumstances that we are in at the moment." On the issue of pensions, the Treasurer offered slightly more hope: "We think it's a matter of priorities that something is done in this area and we're committed to receiving that report on pensions no later than February next year and to act on that in the Budget."

Advisory panels to fight corruption

Promoting the greater use of independent hearing and assessment panels (IHAPs) by councils would reduce the risk of corruption in planning and development in NSW, say the Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW.

In the wake of the Independent Commission Against Corruption's (ICAC) findings regarding Wollongong Council, the Associations say IHAPs would be one way of restoring integrity to the system.

Meanwhile new laws compelling developers to disclose political donations have come into force. Under the new laws anyone lodging or making submission on a development proposal must disclose political donations of more than $1,000 made in the past two years.

NSW Planning Minister Kristina Keneally said the changes would improve accountability in the development approval process.

ICAC has recommended charges be laid against former Wollongong town planner Beth Morgan and her former lover, developer Frank Vellar, over a sex-for-development scandal at Wollongong City Council.

The Commission has recommended the Director of Public Prosecutions' (DPP) advice be sought about charging 11 people following its investigations into "unprecedented" levels of corruption at the council.

High-ranking council staff, councillors and developers are among those facing a possible total of 139 criminal charges. The report makes 27 recommendations to guard against corruption, including calls for Wollongong to establish an independent hearing and assessment panel and to restore the position of an internal ombudsman. All three parts of the report are available on the ICAC website

$5,000 grants available for farmers

Landcare Australia wants to hear from farmers or land managers who have innovative ideas to encourage and develop sustainable farming practices. Grants of $5,000 are available from the Woolworths Sustainable Farming Program for developing and trialling best ideas.

The grants are funded by part of the money donated through the Woolworths Drought Action Day in 2008 which raised over $5 million for Australian farmers. Most of the funding was distributed by the CWA to severely stressed families coping with drought. The remainder is funding sustainable agriculture projects through Landcare Australia.

The grants are available for farmers in areas that were still declared eligible for "Exceptional Circumstances' assistance in January, 2008.

The Innovation Grants are aimed at helping farmers develop good ideas, focusing on issues such as climate change adaptation, crop or animal production, water or nutrient use efficiency and management of waste or salinity. Innovative ideas for sharing information about successful strategies for managing drought are especially welcome. Applications for the Innovation Grants close on Wednesday, October 22, 2008.

For further information, to see examples of projects already underway and to download application forms for the Woolworths Sustainable Farming Program, please visit www.landcareonline.com or contact the Project Officer - Shivani Jayasinghe on 02 9412 1040 or email shivani.jayasinghe@landcareaustralia.com.au

Smoking and mental illness

Australia's smoking rate has halved during the past two decades but the massive public health push has failed people with a mental illness.

Mental illness sufferers are four times more likely to smoke than the general population - a smoking rate that has stayed relatively stagnant for the past 20 years.

This costs taxpayers more than $30 billion a year, according to the latest estimate from Access Economics.

University of Melbourne researcher Kristen Moeller-Saxone surveyed 280 clients of a psychiatric support service in Melbourne's northern suburbs.

Tackling smoking for people with a mental illness must be part of the mental health strategies from the federal and state and territory governments, Ms Moeller-Saxone said.

Filming money

Councils have been asked to provide a list of the costs they incur when films are shot in their area. The NSW Film and Television Office is developing a filming protocol for local government under which council charges to filmmakers must be limited to recovering costs. Submissions can be made to kblondin@fto.nsw.gov.au before October 20.

Concern about broadband tender process

A telecommunications industry association representing non-dominant carriers says it has concerns about the transparency of the tender process for the National Broadband Network.

The Federal Government will receive tenders for the network by the end of November.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will give advice to the Government's expert panel, which is expected to recommend a successful bidder by February or March next year.

David Foreman from the Competitive Carriers Coalition has told a Senate select committee in Canberra that the ACCC needs to explain how it will be assessing the tenders.

"If the time allows publishing draft position, if not at least discussion papers that ventilate what it thinks are the issues that have to be resolved or the points of contention, and allow people to respond to that and publish those responses," he said.

Food Safety Week

The Food Safety Information Council needs your help to ensure enough resources are available for everyone for National Food Safety Week 2008, which will be held 10-16 November 2008. Council resources are largely funded through membership, sponsorship and supporter contributions. For further information on current contributors and about becoming a member, sponsor and/or supporter click here. For further information on National Food Safety Week 2008 click here.

Australia's brain drain biggest on record

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, has released a new report that shows Australia experienced its biggest annual exodus on record with 76 923 people leaving the country permanently in 2007-08.

The Emigration 2007-2008 report reveals that almost half the Australian residents that left permanently were in skilled jobs and nearly two thirds were aged between 25 and 54. A further 102 066 Australian residents left the country for a year or more with more than 55 per cent in professional occupations or trades.

Senator Evans said the data showed that emigration played a significant role in Australia's current skills shortage.

Although there were 149 635 permanent settler arrivals in 2007-08, the net gain (arrivals minus permanent departures) was the tenth highest recorded.

Volunteering - too much of a good thing?

Doing volunteer work is good for your well being, but it is possible to have too much of a good thing - with those volunteering more than 15 hours a week showing a sharp decrease in their satisfaction with life and emotional health, according to an academic from The Australian National.

Dr Tim Windsor from the ANU Centre for Mental Health Research (CMHR) said the findings of his study - which looked at nearly 1000 volunteers in their 60s from across Canberra and Queanbeyan - show the value of taking part in moderate levels of volunteering. Dr Windsor said the research illustrated the importance of not over-burdening volunteers and ensuring voluntary organisations had sufficient support.

"The study found that those who volunteer at a moderate level - between around two and 15 hours per week - show high levels of well being compared with non-volunteers. It appears to have a really positive effect," he said. "However, with those who volunteer for more than 15 hours a week the pattern of results is quite distinct. Those people showed lower levels of mental health and well being.

"The findings indicate that we need to make sure that volunteers aren't being over-burdened. Adequate government and community support of the volunteer sector is important to ensure that the burden of responsibility doesn't fall to just a few, but is shared by many."

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Excellence in Local Government Customer Service Conference

November 13-14, Cockle Bay, Sydney

The Excellence in Local Government Customer Service Conference will bring together experts in customer service delivery from leading councils and the private sector who will provide detailed insights into best practice in this critically important field.

To be held on November 13-14 at Dockside Function Centre at Sydney's Cockle Bay, the conference is designed to provide local government customer service professionals with high quality information about benchmarking best practice in customer service and client relations, including latest technologies, analysis of customer feedback, complaints handling, and a range of other challenges.

Presentations will be delivered by more than 30 leading private and local government customer service practitioners on a range of topics including: Shayne Silcox, Chief Executive Officer, City of Melville; Pauline Webb, Customer Service Manager, City of Canada Bay; David Mayes, Manager, Strategic Planning and Sustainability, City of Melbourne; Mike Urquhart, Director, Corporate Services, Liverpool Plains Shire Council; June Ernst, Manager, Governance and Customer Service, City of Greater Dandenong; Brett Whitford, Executive Director, Customer Service Institute of Australia ; Paul van Veenendaal, General Manager, Customer Service Benchmarking Australia and Jeannine Walsh, Australian Teleservices Association.

Topics to be addressed include:

• Measuring customer service in local government
• Future of customer service in local government
• Best practice in complaints handling
• Investing in a service excellence journey
• Vulnerable customer strategies
• Culturally intelligent customer service
• Integrating people, processes and technology
• New customer service technology
• Latest trends in contact centre technology
• Analysis of customer feedback
• Effective internal dispute resolution

To view the Conference agenda, please go to www.halledit.com.au/ecs08/
For further information, please contact Denise McQueen on (03) 8534 5021 or email denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au