Roads Congress next week

The tenth National Local Roads and Transport Congress is being held in Mackay next week from 8-10 November.

The first Congress held in Moree in 2000 is credited with resulting in the introduction of the Roads to Recovery Program. Since the last Congress in Shepparton in June 2008 the world's and the nation's economic circumstances have dramatically changed. Against this background it is appropriate that we review our current strategies. A key outcome of the Congress will be the development of a framework for a new Roads and Transport Strategy to take to the Government in the context of the 2010 election.

This year's speakers include:

• Catherine King MP, Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government;
• Warren Truss, Leader of the National Party and Opposition Transport spokesperson;
• Mayor Lawrence Yule, President of Local Government New Zealand;
• Stuart St Clair, Chief Executive of the Australian Trucking Association; and
• Leading local government representatives.

There is still time to register and you can do this by completing the form at www.alga.asn.au/roadscongress

Food safety regulation

A draft report released by the Productivity Commission has identified considerable differences in the burdens imposed on business by the food safety regulation at all levels of government in Australia and New Zealand.

The report - Performance Benchmarking of Australian and New Zealand Business Regulation: Food Safety - was requested by COAG. It is part of a series designed to assist governments to remove unnecessary compliance costs, enhance regulatory consistency and reduce regulatory duplication and overlap. A concurrent, benchmarking Australian occupational health and safety regulation, is to be released in January 2010.

The report concluded there are opportunities for all jurisdictions to improve food safety regulation in order to reduce unnecessary burdens on business and costs to the community.

Commissioner David Kalisch said: 'it is encouraging that regulatory agencies generally strive to use a tailored and measured approach, assisting businesses to comply and only using punitive measures when a cooperative approach does not work. However, there is scope to do better.'

The Commission is seeking public comment on the draft report before finalising its report to governments. View online. If you wish to comment on the draft research report, submissions are being accepted prior to finalisation of the research report. Please email submissions to foodsafety@pc.gov.au.

White Ribbon Day

Join ALGA in supporting White Ribbon Day on Nov 25 and take the opportunity to swear to end violence against women.

One in three Australian women will be a victim of physical or sexual violence in her lifetime, this could be your mother, sister, daughter or friend, but you can help to change this.

"We have a responsibility to speak up and say: I swear never to commit violence against women, I swear never to excuse violence against women, and I swear never to remain silent about violence against women. This is my solemn oath as a man," said White Ribbon Ambassador, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (pictured).

By wearing a white ribbon or wristband on White Ribbon Day, 25 Nov, the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, you can show your support for the campaign that is working to prevent this widespread human rights abuse. Ribbons and wristbands are available from Suzanne Grae, The Body Shop and The Salvos Stores. For more information about White Ribbon Day click here.

Briefs

RLCIP deadline reminder

ALGA is reminding councils that the Federal Government has opened Round Two of the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program (RLCIP), worth $220 million. Every council and shire across Australia will benefit under Round Two. Local governments will be able to access the $220 million as follows:

• $100 million to be shared between all councils and shires, based upon a submission of eligible projects. Submissions close on 20 November 2009;
• $120 million for larger Strategic Projects allocated on a competitive basis. Applications for this competitive funding are due by 15 January 2010.

The Government has reduced the threshold for larger Strategic Projects to a minimum of $1 million, in order to provide local governments with greater flexibility. The new Guidelines and other supporting information for Round Two of the Program are available here.

National waste and resource agreement

Australia's environment ministers have agreed to a new national policy on waste and resource Management yesterday in Perth at the biannual meeting of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) attended by ALGA Vice-President Bill Mitchell.

The National Waste Policy sets directions in six key areas: taking responsibility, improving the market, pursuing sustainability, reducing hazard and risk, tailoring solutions, and providing the evidence. The policy identifies 16 priority strategies that would benefit from a national or coordinated approach. As part of its commitment to a national policy on waste and resource recovery, the EPHC released an overview of the National Waste Report and agreed that the full report would be published by the end of 2009.

Ministers agreed to a landmark product stewardship framework. The product stewardship framework will include the provision for the Commonwealth to support industry-run recycling schemes, where a net community benefit for intervention has been established, through legislation that prevents 'free-riding' on the voluntary efforts of responsible companies. Ministers announced that televisions and computers would be the first products to be covered by the new national product stewardship legislative framework. The product stewardship framework will also provide support through voluntary accreditation of community and industry run recycling schemes. The lighting industry and key stakeholders are working with government to increase the recycling of mercury containing lights and in partnership with governments, the tyre industry is also developing a scheme to increase recycling in Australia of used tyres.

Consistent with the strong focus on product stewardship, ministers supported the strengthened Australian Packaging Covenant to replace the National Packaging Covenant due to expire on 30 June 2010. The updated covenant has a greater focus on package design, workplace recycling, public recycling, and litter reduction projects.

In relation to a national Container Deposit Scheme, ministers are keenly awaiting the results of the final report, to assist them to make an evidence-based decision on what action to take on the communities' desire to recycle more packaging and reduce litter. If a sufficient willingness to pay is demonstrated by the community, through the report findings, the next step would be to compare this against the cost of a range of options, including a Container Deposit Scheme and a range of other targeted activities. All jurisdictions will continue to work with relevant stakeholders out of session to progress the issue. The full Communique is available here.

After the Crisis

Last week, the Productivity Commission (PC) tabled its Annual Report 2008-09 before Federal Parliament. The report included an analysis at chapter 1 titled 'Reform Beyond the Crisis'. In this analysis about the emergence of and response to, the global financial crisis, the PC examines the sorts of policy decisions taken by governments around the world to strengthen their economies from the fallout. Its findings, including some relating to Australian Government decisions, are somewhat disturbing.

For example, the PC notes that over the past year, there has been a trend towards more trade-restricting policies internationally (although the observation is not applied to Australia), questionable moves to support financial markets and institutions, and a focus on infrastructure stimulus spending that although claimed to enhance productivity, in specific cases in Australia have been determined without robust assessment.

The PC expresses a number of concerns about measures directed at support for financial markets and institutions which, although 'temporary' according to governments, may be very difficult to withdraw from in the absence of national and international co-ordination to prevent the removal of assistance causing further destabilising economic effects. The PC cautions governments to consider carefully the merits of supporting the financial sector and whether such support, once in place, is best phased out and what sort of changes should be made to regulations for the longer term. Conversely, the PC notes that regulations which respond to public demand to strengthen the financial markets and institutions may unduly restrict competition, innovation and ultimately productivity in the sector. It further suggests that a wide-ranging review of the appropriateness of the Australian regulatory regime, which is predominantly 'pre-crisis', has merit.

Some worrying conclusions are put forward by the PC in respect of certain infrastructure investments made by the Australian Government in recent months. It says that despite signing up to the principle of 'rigorous analysis to ensure that the highest economic and social benefits are delivered', the Australian Government has not "universally applied" its own promise to subject all major infrastructure spending to detailed and transparent cost-benefit analysis. It cites the $43 billion National Broadband Network announcement and several projects in the $22 billion "nation-building" infrastructure plan as not having been properly subject to a cost benefit analysis.

Other aspects of the chapter 1 report focus on assistance measures to industry (such as the automotive and car-finance industries) and the importance of progressing the regulatory reform agenda to enhance productivity growth. The report is available at www.pc.gov.au.

Toolkit tackles alcohol abuse

The launch of a new resource by ICLEI Oceania aims to provide local governments with greater confidence and clarity when addressing alcohol-related harms in their municipality.

The Alcohol-related Harms Data Inventory Toolkit will be launched today by Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP at a meeting of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors and will be available here.

Graffiti support

South Australian councils want support from the State Government and other agencies to clear the streets of graffiti.

Councils remove graffiti from their own property but are not responsible for structures in their area owned by outside groups.

The Local Government Association will develop a strategy for removing graffiti from such infrastructure.

Marion Mayor and association president Felicity-Ann Lewis said the "foreign ownership" of infrastructure created a problem for councils. (Source: 'The Advertiser')

Building approvals rise in September: ABS

The number of total dwellings approved rose 2.7% in September 2009 following a fall the previous month, according to recent ABS Building Approvals figures.

The number of private sector house approvals rose for the eighth consecutive month, with a gain of 0.3% nationally. Both Western Australia (3.2%) and Victoria (2.4%) showed good growth in private sector house approvals, with Queensland (-5.4%) showing the largest fall.

The value of total building approved fell 22.4% in September from a high of $8.7 billion. Non-residential building fell 37.7% to $3.3 billion. The value of new residential building work rose 0.8% while the value of alteration and additions to residential property fell 1.0%.

Further information is available here.

Educating children in drought times

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Tony Burke, announced funding of $17.4 million to help rural families whose children attend schools in drought-affected areas with education expenses.

More than forty regions are eligible for Exceptional Circumstances drought assistance, covering around one-third of Australia's agricultural land. The funding will go to approximately 2310 primary and secondary schools in those regions, in recognition of the financial impact of years of drought on Australian families and school communities.

This was one of a number of drought assistance measures extended in the Federal Budget.

Digital pathway for Community TV

The Federal Government has announced a pathway for Community Television to make the transition to digital broadcasting.

The Government will temporarily allocate vacant spectrum, previously known as Channel A, to the community broadcasting sector, allowing Community TV stations C31 in Melbourne, TVS in Sydney, QCTV in Brisbane and Channel 31 Adelaide to simulcast their services until the switch to digital-only television in capital cities in 2013. A new community licensee in Perth will commence digital-only broadcasts in early 2010.

The Government has also allocated funding support, totalling $2.6 million, to enable the community sector to meet the costs of commencing digital simulcasts.

Stimulus vindicated

Treasurer Wayne Swan said the latest Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) had vindicated the government's economic stimulus measures.

The economy is expected to grow 1.5 per cent in 2009-10, exceeding the May budget's forecast that it would contract by 0.5 per cent.

Unemployment is expected to peak at 6.75 per cent in 2009-10, while the budget is forecast to return to surplus in 2015-16.

Urban Indigenous Health Institute

The Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery, Warren Snowdon, has welcomed the establishment of the new Institute for Urban Indigenous Health in Brisbane.

The Australian Government has provided funding totalling $312,618 toward the establishment and implementation of the initial phase of the Institute.

The Minister said the Institute would integrate health planning and servicing within Brisbane and the surrounding regions to meet the health needs of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

"This Institute will go along way to a coordinated/integrated approach to the planning, development and delivery of primary health care services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations within the region, involving Indigenous-specific and key mainstream providers," he said.

Green building fund

37 green building projects have been announced by the Federal Government. These projects make up the third round of the $90 million Green Building Fund, an initiative that reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by retro-fitting commercial office buildings.

The next rounds for Streams A and B of the program will close on 12 January 2010.

For further information on the Green Building Fund program click here, call the hotline on 13 28 46 or email the hotline at hotline@ausindustry.gov.au

Stormwater projects for Adelaide

Five Adelaide councils, in partnership with the Federal and State governments, have been successful in attracting major funding for stormwater harvesting projects which will save 4.55 billion litres of stormwater for re-use. More than $145 million will be invested in stormwater harvesting across Greater Adelaide.

LGA President, Felicity-ann Lewis said great things can be achieved when governments work together.

"This is exactly the sort of outcome that we envisaged when local government called for the creation of the Stormwater Management Agreement with State Government which was signed in March 2006," Mayor Lewis said. "These projects are providing the funding to shift local government from a tradition role of solely managing flood prevention into one of water harvesting and reuse."

The Cities of Charles Sturt, Onkaparinga, Salisbury and Playford have won funding under the Federal Water for the Future scheme and from the State's Water for Good scheme. Councils have also allocated significant funds to the projects.

Gallagher stares down smoking lobby

ACT Minister for Health, Katy Gallagher MLA, introduced a bill into the Legislative Assembly last month to restrict smoking in outdoor eating and drinking areas in the ACT.

The Minister said the Smoking (Prohibition in Enclosed Public Places) Amendment Bill 2009 would introduce a ban on smoking in outdoor eating and drinking places, as well as at underage functions. "The Bill builds on the success of the enclosed public places legislation which made the indoor areas of pubs, clubs and restaurants smoke-free from 1 December 2006," Ms Gallagher said. It is also proposed that the name of the Act be changed to the Smoke-Free Public Places Act 2003 to reflect the expanded purpose of the legislation.

"Every step we take with tobacco reform is intended to reduce the opportunity to smoke and encourage smokers to make the decision to quit their habit," Ms Gallagher said.

The latest smoking restrictions follow action by the ACT Government to minimise tobacco promotion. Tobacco product displays in supermarkets, newsagents and petrol stations will go out of sight from 1 January 2010. The ACT has also banned split packets and flavoured cigarettes which are more attractive to children because of their fruity or sweet taste or smell, and declared all ACT Health facilities smoke-free.