alga-logo
spacer
3 Jul 2009
spacer
» Australian Local Government Association
» Subscribe   » Archive   » Advertise   » Feedback
spacer

COAG focuses on Indigenous issues in Darwin

story1

At its meeting in Darwin on Thursday 2 July, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) discussed the importance of Closing the Gap in Indigenous Disadvantage and focused on best practice examples of initiatives that have worked. First, Ministers signed a number of national agreements aimed at achieving progress, including an overarching Integrated Strategy to Close the Gap in Indigenous Disadvantage, an Indigenous Education Action Plan, a Remote Indigenous Food Security Strategy, an Urban and Regional Service Delivery Strategy and a National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Public Internet Access.

ALGA has emphasised the importance of ensuring that local government is fully engaged, at both state local government association and individual council level, in efforts to close the gap.

State and Territory Associations represent the collective interests of councils in their jurisdictions and work with those councils to identify common issues and solutions. It is important for them to be involved in discussions about systematic reforms, particularly in the provision of municipal services.

ALGA fully supports the role of local councils in helping to ensure that they, and their communities are responsive to the needs of their Indigenous citizens, including the need to redress the social and economic disadvantages of Indigenous Australians.

As the closest level of government to Indigenous communities, local government is well placed to link with and provide support for COAG Indigenous National Partnerships and Agreements.

Rudd Government should consult with councils on climate change

Story2

Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Bob Brown, a keynote speaker and the National General Assembly of Local Government, urged the Rudd Government to consult with local councils on climate change issues. He said councils were getting a raw deal from the Rudd Government's climate change legislation, in contrast to big polluters like coal companies and pulp mills which would benefit from around $16.5 billion in handouts.

"Imagine if this largesse was going to community infrastructure", Senator Brown stated. Acknowledging the community infrastructure backlog of $14.5 billion identified by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2006, Senator Brown said that the funding being delivered to the large polluters could be so much more productively used by local governments in mitigation and adaptation work.

Local government, he told the NGA, was already leading the way in both mitigation and adaptation work on climate change. "Local councils are already leading the government - many are setting admirable zero-carbon targets to be delivered not by 2050 or 2040 - but by 2020."

This was the first time that Senator Brown had addressed a National General Assembly, and he affirmed his support and deep understanding of the needs and achievements of local government. He pointed out that the Greens had been allies over the years and were instrumental in securing around $430 million in green jobs initiatives as part of the Government's second stimulus package. He also reminded the NGA that the Greens had been strongly involved in re-opening negotiation on the $550 million competitive grant section of the Local Community Infrastructure Program, "which has enabled dozens of councils to access funding for local employment initiatives."

Senator Brown also affirmed the Greens' support for constitutional recognition of local government and pledged the support of the Greens to a portion of local government funding being drawn directly from Federal revenue streams such as the GST. He said that the "first level of Government - local government" should rightfully be recognised in the constitution and in the fair allocation of funding.

He added that more must be done to stop cost shifting from Federal and State Governments to local government "which is left to deliver programs without the support funding."

New Regional Development Australia network takes shape

story3

The new Regional Development Australia (RDA) network is taking shape across Australia, with four more Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed this week. The joint initiative between the Australian and state governments ensures that the views of local communities are taken into account in setting regional priorities. The new RDA network across Australia will replace the Commonwealth Government's Area Consultative Committees and Regional Development Boards. The aim is to align State and territory regional planning and consultative bodies, with RDA committees providing a local voice for regions.

Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Maxine McKew, said the MOUs would promote regional initiatives and partnerships that respond to local needs to get in place "practical regional programs that support local communities."

"The move to state-based RDA committees is about creating a one-stop-shop for local communities," she said, and for the Rudd Government to get high level advice in a coordinated way.

This week saw MOUs signed in Tasmania, Victoria, Northern Territory and South Australia. In Tasmania and South Australia, local government associations are signatories to the agreement. Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory finalised their MOUs several weeks ago, leaving only West Australia to reach final agreement with the Commonwealth.

Tasmania has only one RDA in the state, but both the State Government and the Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) are looking forward to continuing the excellent working relationship. Acting President of LGAT, Mayor Barry Easther, welcomed the Commonwealth's further engagement with local government in Tasmania.

In Victoria, the existing Regional Development Victoria (RDV) body will administer the Commonwealth Government's nine new RDA Victoria committees, with Victorian Minister for Rural and Regional Development, Jacinta Allen, heralding the RDA committee network as a "new era of Commonwealth-State and local government cooperation in regional development".

The RDA Northern Territory advisory committees "will see the Commonwealth, Territory and local governments working even more closely to get the best possible results for our growing region", according to NT Minister for Regional Development, Karl Hampton.

In South Australia, seven regional RDAs and an RDA Adelaide are being created to align SA's regions. Local Government Association of South Australia President Felicity-ann Lewis said local communities wanted their elected leaders to work together and "we believe Regional Development Australia will significantly improve co-operation across all levels of government by better aligning our efforts and resources to deliver programs and services to local communities.

For more information on the RDA network refer to www.rda.gov.au
From the President

Last week Senator Bob Brown, Leader of the Australian Greens, described local government as the "first tier of government" in his speech to the NGA, which I found interesting in two ways. Firstly, it reinforces the idea that local government is the most visible level of government at the grass roots level and secondly, coming first is always better than third, and it is pleasing that is how a federal politician views our sector.

On a deeper level, however, it demonstrates the increasing acceptance of the role and responsibility of local government, which was expressed at the National General Assembly of Local Government (NGA) by all political parties. This should strengthen our resolve in pushing forward with our ambition of becoming a formal part of the Australian Constitution.

Senator Brown also said that he believed that local councils were already leading government by setting admirable zero-carbon targets and spearheading mitigation and adaptation work on climate change. He has promised to continue to support local government in many ways and will be an important ally in our climate change initiatives and our path towards constitutional reform.

I attended the COAG meeting held yesterday in Darwin. The meeting featured broad ranging discussion on further measures to overcome Indigenous disadvantage and, in light of the current global economic situation, the importance of bolstering education, training and re-training efforts and securing further microeconomic and regulatory reform to enhance the economy's future productive potential. The importance of planning reform was highlighted and local government should pay particular attention to planning reforms and streamlining currently under consideration by the Local Government and Planning Ministers' Council, on which ALGA is a member.

The finalisation of several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for the Commonwealth Government's new Regional Development Australia (RDA) advisory committees has occurred this week. The message emanating from the Australian Government is that the new RDAs will be a collaborative process across all levels of government and regional communities, to promote regional initiatives and partnerships to deliver benefits locally. The Government wants to receive high-level advice in a coordinated way, in order to respond to regional issues. Local governments have welcomed the initiative and look forward to a continuing and productive partnership. At the time of writing, each state except West Australia has signed a MOU.

On Wednesday the Government announced the first round of regional locations for the $250 million priority rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN), identifying an initial six priority regional locations. Local government has repeatedly indicated its readiness to support the efficient rollout of the NBN, particularly to rural and regional areas. The Government has called for a competitive tender to operate the Regional Backbone Blackspots Program and construction is expected to begin in September. The process will generate the first of the 25,000 local jobs involved in the eight-year rollout.

A reminder to everyone that the date for next year's NGA has been set and you should mark it in your diary for 15 to 17 June 2010. We also have been informed that the Australian Council of Local Government (ACLG) meeting of all mayors and shire presidents with the Prime Minister and Australian Government ministers will follow the NGA on Friday 18 June 2010.

Cr Geoff Lake
ALGA President

National Bushfire Arson Forum report released

The importance of effective coordination in combating deliberately lit fires has been highlighted in a report released by Attorney-General Robert McClelland this week.

The inaugural national Bushfire Arson Forum considered a range of measures to ensure the strongest possible action to prevent and deter arson. The Forum was held in Canberra in March and was attended by police, fire agency officers and arson specialists from around the country.

The Forum report details findings across five key action areas - environmental and situational; criminal justice; community education; evidence base; and enabling actions.

Outcomes included:

  • commissioning a national strategy for the prevention of bushfire arson, to be agreed at the Ministerial Council for Police and Emergency Management (MCPEM) in November;
  • creating an online resource to share information on arson prevention between practitioners, researchers and policy makers; and
  • updating current training modules to include bushfire arson crime prevention strategies an investigatory techniques.

The Forum report can be accessed at http://www.ag.gov.au/ under latest news

Additional Residential and Community Care places announced

An additional 10,447 new aged care services worth over $347 million a year will be provided to care for frail older Australians under the latest Aged Care Approval Rounds (ACAR) announced on 30 June.

Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, said the Commonwealth Government had also allocated a record $51 million in capital grants - the largest single capital grant allocation by any Australian Government since the Aged Care Act came into operation in 1997. A further $4.8 million will be allocated as Community and Flexible Care Grants.

"As the service demands of older Australians change, so too must the mix of services provided through Australian Government funding, Minister Elliot said.

Community care enables people to remain independent in their own homes, instead of moving into aged care facilities, and not everyone will need a residential facility, she said.

However, if older Australians need a residential facility, they should be "able to access a high quality and affordable nursing home that meets their needs."

Further information on the ACAR is available here.

Australian Economic Forum 09

The Economic Society of Australia (NSW Branch) is holding an Australian Economic Forum 09 on 19-20 August 2009 in Sydney. The 2 day conference will bring together some of Australia's leading economists including Dr Ken Henry and Professor Ross Garnaut.

The Program covers wide range of economic issues facing Australia including the Global Financial Crisis, infrastructure reform, tax issues including funding in Federations, climate change, carbon policies and affordable housing. More details can be found here.

Senate committee to examine bank funding guarantees

The banking industry will again come under scrutiny with a new Senate inquiry into the Federal Government's bank deposits and wholesale funding guarantee. Responding to the financial crisis last year, the government moved to improve confidence in the banking sector, by announcing it would guarantee all banking deposits, as well providing a guarantee on banks' wholesale funding to enable institutions to continue to be able to access funds despite the global credit crisis.

However, the policy generated unwanted consequences, when a number of mortgage funds froze investor savings fearing too much money would be withdrawn and moved to government-backed banks, which offered the deposit guarantee. The Opposition argued at the time that the guarantee should have been limited to deposits under $100,000, which would have provided the necessary security, without distorting the market.

On 23 June Liberal Senator David Bushby referred the issue to the Senate Economics Committee, saying the bank deposit guarantee and wholesale funding guarantee were rushed and poorly implemented, and created greater uncertainty than that of the financial crisis. The committee is due to report on 15 September.

For details click here.

More banks adopt hardship principles

More retail banks are adopting the Australian Bankers' Association (ABA) Common Approach for Assisting Borrowers Facing Financial Hardship. The ABA said that although a large number of banks have committed to the principles, it would like to see all other lenders do the same, so that all borrowers get the same assistance, especially as unemployment continues to rise. The ABA's set of principles can be found here.

New mobile phone website to assist people with disabilities

A new global website has been launched to assist people with disabilities and functional limitations to find a suitable mobile phone. Called GARI (Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative), the website will allow consumers to search for a mobile phone that suits their specific accessibility requirements.

Launched by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, the project is an initiative of international telecommunications equipment manufacturers association, the Mobile Manufacturers Forum (MMF), in partnership with the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association.

The website can be accessed at: www.mobileaccessibility.info/
Planning reforms loom large at COAG

At its meeting in Darwin, COAG acknowledged the need for continued microeconomic reforms to enhance Australia's competitiveness and noted progress in several areas, including development assessment. In particular, COAG considered a report from the Local Government and Planning Ministers' Council on five initiatives aimed at streamlining and improving development assessment through performance measures, the rollout of electronic development assessment, use of code assessment, establishing national planning principles and assessing the benefit of development assessment reforms. ALGA, with the support of state and territory local government associations, has participated in this work and a report on the progress of the initiatives will be provided to COAG by the end of 2009.

Murray-Darling Basin funding round announced

The Commonwealth Government is seeking proposals from local councils in the Murray-Darling Basin, to help communities better deal with the huge challenges posed by a future with less water. The closing date for funding applications is 21 August 2009.

"In the face of drought and climate change and after years of over-allocation, Murray-Darling Basin communities are doing it really tough," Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong said in a 26 June media release calling for proposals for funding from Basin communities.

Local Government bodies in the Murray-Darling Basin are eligible to apply, either as an individual local government, a consortium of local governments or an established regional organisation of councils. The initiative is part of the $200 million Strengthening Basin Communities program.

Funding is available to systematically assess the risks and implications of climate change, with a particular focus on water availability. Local councils can update existing plans or develop new plans that better prepare their communities for the impacts of climate change. Senator Wong said that plans developed through this funding round may form the basis for further funding applications targeting community water-saving initiatives at a later stage of the program.

Funding will be reimbursed based on actual costs incurred up to a maximum of $200,000 per local government area, or up to $800,000 for a consortium or regional organisation, and must be completed within 24 months. Applications will be prioritised against the following criteria: forecast impact of climate change; extent of water dependent industries; population; and quality of proposal and value for money.

Guidelines can be downloaded here.

National Local Roads and Transport Congress 8-10 November

The tenth National Local Roads and Transport Congress will be held in Mackay from 8-10 November. The Roads to Recovery Program is largely a result of efforts by local government during the first Congress in Moree in 2000. The Congress gave a strong and clear message about the needs of local government. The former deputy prime Minister, John Anderson played a large part in that event and will be the keynote speaker for this year's event, to provide a retrospective on what has been achieved and give suggestions for the "Road to the Future" - the theme of this Congress.

Over the years the Congress has evolved from having a purely roads focus, to a recognition of the need for a more general transport approach for rural, regional and metropolitan Australia and the interrelationship between transport infrastructure.

Recognising the differing perspectives of rural and regional and urban councils on transport, the Mackay Congress will offer two concurrent sessions during which three options will be available to delegates.

Option 1: Rural and Regional Transport;
Option 2: Urban Transport
Option 3: Public Relations Workshop

The world and the nation's economic circumstances have dramatically changed since the last Congress in Shepparton in June 2008. Against this background it is appropriate that we review our current strategies.

Register online before 7 August to access the web special rate of $798. To register go to www.alga.asn.au/roadscongress

Swine flu vaccine races against virus mutation

A vaccine for swine flu has been developed by scientists at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University of Queensland, which uses a different technology to produce the vaccine than that used for conventional vaccines - it is made in cell cultures instead of in eggs.

Professor Anton Middelberg, of the AIBN said the advantage of the new technology, developed by US company Protein Sciences Corporation (PSC), is the speed and potency of the vaccine. A single dose delivers three times as much of the virus protein as a conventional vaccine, reducing the time for production of the vaccine from months to weeks. It also enables the vaccine to be made quickly when a new virus emerges or when it changes, he said. Human trials are now needed before it can be made publicly available.

Australian company CSL Limited is currently undertaking clinical trials of a vaccine for the swine flu. The Australian Government has already placed an order for 10 million doses of the vaccine once it is shown to be safe.

At the same time, however, scientists in Denmark have confirmed the first case of the new H1N1 influenza strain showing resistance to Tamiflu, the main antiviral flu drug. Scientists have always expected that the strain would at some point show resistance to Tamiflu, Denmark's State Serum Institute said. The World Health has advised governments to prepare for "a long-term battle against an unstoppable new flu virus".

On 17 June Australia moved to the PROTECT response phase. As at 29 June the total number of hospitalised confirmed cases of H1N1 Influenza 09 in Australia was 235, with 127 of those in Victoria, 33 in NSW, 31 in NT, 17 in Queensland, 13 in SA, 8 in WA, and 3 each in Tasmania and ACT. Australia's death toll is now 10, following the deaths of a 3 year old boy from Victoria earlier this week, and a 45 year old man in NSW yesterday. Globally there are now 59,814 cases of swine flu and 263 deaths as a result of the influenza.

SA rethinks water for the future

A new water plan for South Australia, launched by Premier Mike Rann on June 29, will move away from reliance on the Murray River. The plan, devised by the State's Independent Commissioner for Water Security, Robyn McLeod, commits to double stormwater harvesting by 2013 and to push ahead with the construction of a desalination plant.

Premier Rann says the plan will guarantee sufficient water for South Australia's future economic and population growth. The plan Water for Good outlines more than 90 strategies to secure future supplies.

He said "stormwater will play a role in diversifying water supplies and in partnership with local government, we will send a funding submission to the Commonwealth immediately for assistance with projects identified in the plan."

The Premier's announcement is available here.

Quote of the week

"There is no such thing as an election that can't be won." -
South Australian Liberal Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith, who is facing a leadership spill on the weekend.

International news  

On 1 July, all legal casinos and slot machines in Russia will be shut down. Gambling in Russia will be restricted to four regions in remote areas - the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, the Caucasus, the Far East coastal area bordering North Korea and the southwestern Azov Seas region in Siberia.

The tough anti-gaming law was signed by former Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2006 to combat the dangers of blackjack tables and poker machines, as well as the gambling industry's links to organised crime.

However, none of the four regions is prepared for the transfer and the first casinos are not expected to open for several years, with the closures expected to leave hundreds of thousands of workers unemployed. There is no infrastructure available in the designated regions and it is unlikely that people would wish to move there. The consequence may be the emergence of underground casinos following the ban, similar to those in Turkey and Israel.

State of the Regions report 2006-07
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.
Australian Local Government Association - 8 Geils Court, Deakin, ACT, 2600.
Copyright © 2001 Australian Local Government Association. ISSN 1447-980X 		spacer spacer spacer Advertise in ALGA News
Unsubscribe
spacer