Productivity Commission on planning, zoning and development

The Australian Government has requested that the Productivity Commission (PC) undertake a benchmarking study into Planning, Zoning and Development Assessments. The PC released its Issues paper last week and is inviting all interested parties to comment on the operations of the states and territories' planning and zoning systems, particularly about their impact on business compliance costs, competition and the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the functioning of cities.

Whilst the focus of their work is on evaluating the performance of planning systems from a regulatory perspective, it is important that local government and supporters of planning per se demonstrate the important role planning plays in the lives of Australians today and future generations. Whilst planning must be efficient, transparent and consistent it must never lose sight of the need to deliver tangible results for society at large.

The Commission has also been asked to report on best practice approaches that support competition, including:

• measures to prevent 'gaming' of appeals processes;
• processes in place to maintain adequate supplies of land suitable for a range of activities; and
• ways to eliminate any unnecessary or unjustifiable protections for existing businesses from new and innovative competitors.

There is a push by certain parties, especially the Business Regulation and Working Group, to promote the competition in planning argument beyond the reality of what is either happening in the real world or what communities are actually seeking from a democratic planning system. Against this effort by vested interests, a well-resourced integrated urban and regional planning system is one of the few tools we have in tackling the multiple challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, housing choice, and delivering on efficient and environmental friendly transport systems, sustainable economic development and safe and inclusive societies. So that the PC can adequately consider the information it receives prior to releasing its draft report later by October this year, submissions must reach the Commission secretariat by Friday 16 July 2010.

For further information on the PC investigation and to download a copy of the issues paper, please see www.pc.gov.au/

Housing Ministers' reforms

Housing Ministers from the Commonwealth, States and Territories and the Australian Local Government Association recently met in Sydney to make progress on their extensive work program on housing supply and affordability, social housing and homelessness.

Ministers were briefed by the Chair of the National Housing Supply Council, which provided the setting for subsequent discussion on current and future actions to address the housing supply and affordability challenges confronting Australia.

Recognising their unique position as the largest owner/operators of rental housing in Australia and providers of a wide range of assistance supporting people to rent or purchase affordably, Housing Ministers affirmed their critical role in making progress on the COAG's Housing Supply and Affordability agenda.

The fourth round of the National Rental Affordability Scheme will open on 14 June 2010. Ministers discussed opportunities for medium scale investment and encouraged applications from investors wanting to build at least 20 new affordable rental homes for low and moderate income households, with priority given to applications to build 100 or more dwellings.

Applications for round four will be assessed as they are received and the round will close on 14 December 2010. Ministers discussed the general progress of the national housing reforms and housing initiatives, and confirmed a process of reporting progress to COAG at mid-year including a report of the first six months of the implementation of the Homelessness National Partnership.

Ministers noted progress on homelessness reforms including progress on the development of a National Quality Framework as well as feedback from the first stage consultations, service integration of homelessness services with mainstream services; support for quality services; improvement of homelessness data collection and management; and delivery of a workforce development strategy. Ministers agreed that these key points would form the basis for further discussion with Community Services and Disability Ministers at a joint meeting in July 2010.

Poised for the NGA

There is still just over a week to register for the National General Assembly on 14-17 June, where you will hear from the most impressive line-up of political leaders - the leaders of all the major parties will be attending in the lead up to a federal election, and we are optimistic that the Prime Minister will attend this year. As election policy platforms are developed, the NGA will be an opportunity for delegates to debate motions on the challenges facing Australia - in terms of Population, Participation and Productivity.

In the election lead-up we will have a panel of leading journalists giving commentary on their past election experiences and their thoughts on how the election and the leaders will play out later this year. Commentator and Comedian Wendy Harmer will lead debate on the issues facing women in politics as ALGA's tribute to the Year of Women in Local Government, followed by the aunch of a book that is highly relevant to the debate.

Other highlights will be an update on constitutional reform, by former Labor Minister Robert Ray and constitutional expert Professor George Williams. There will also be a launch of a set of communications material which councils can use to promote the messages of consitutional regorm over the coming year.

There are three concurrent sessions to choose from - Abandon or Adapt (coastal), Not in my Backyard (planning and high rise) and Fit for the Future (regional development) - each with a panel of experts to guide and promote discussion.

I was contacted this week by the Chair of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors (CCCLM) in relation to last week's ALGA News column on their blueprint for future city planning. He sought to clarify CCCLM's position on governance arrangements to say that they support the engagement of all metropolitan councils in any future arrangements for a major cities program. Although this isn't clear from their document, this is a welcome development.

I also took this opportunity to point out to him that CCCLM have proposed a new governance model for Australia's cities without any effective attempt to engage ALGA, state associations, or most importantly - the other metropolitan councils outside of CCCLM's membership. There are more than 100 councils which exist within the footprints of the geographic areas over which they have proposed their new arrangements and we believe these councils deserved a chance to have some input as well. The cause of local government is done no service at all when a select group of councils act in isolation from the rest.

One thing that CCCLM and ALGA are in fierce agreement on, however, is that local government has an essential role to play in deciding the future shape of Australia's cities. Let's just remember that local government extends well past the capital city council boundary and that state associations and ALGA offer a quick and effective way to aggregate a collective metropolitan, state or national local government point of view.

I look forward to CCCLM's closer engagement with the rest of the sector on these issues in the future. In the interests of promoting this cooperation, I have invited the CCCLM Chair to attend ALGA's next Board meeting to discuss improved cooperation in the future.

Cr Geoff Lake
ALGA President

Briefs

Update on Digital switchover

Andy Townend appeared as an ALGA News' guest author in October 2009 writing about the switchover to digital T.V. Andy has kindly accepted a follow-up invitation to update us further, and he also discusses some of the concerns that local government has about the switchover. In his article, Andy Townend notes the importance of continuing to consult with local communities as the roll-out of digital T.V. continues

In less than thirty days, Mildura/Sunraysia in north-western Victoria will be the first region in Australia to switch off their analog television signals as the first step in the progressive switchover to digital only TV signals around Australia through until the end of 2013.

More than nine out of ten homes in the region are digital ready, and we are working closely with the local community to help those who are yet to convert know what they need to do by June 30 when the analog signal is switched off for good.

Through the Government's Household Assistance Scheme, we have directly assisted more than 2,100 eligible households make the switch to digital through the supply and installation by a government contractor of a high definition set top box.

Broadcasters have established a new digital TV transmitter for Ouyen in the Mallee district, and new digital transmitters will come on air soon in Underbool and Robinvale. While almost all of households in Mildura/Sunraysia will receive their digital TV from transmission towers, a new satellite service will be in place by switchover on 30 June to provide digital TV to those households who cannot get adequate reception of terrestrial digital TV services.

Meanwhile, we are stepping up our activity throughout regional South Australia which is the next region to switch on 15 December 2010.

We have conducted stakeholder meetings and community information sessions in communities throughout the Spencer Gulf, the Riverland, and Mt Gambier and the South East. We are putting in place a network of Digital Switchover Liaison Officers who will work closely within their local communities, including with those groups who need some additional information and advice on how to switchover.

As part of our communications campaign, we will be writing to all households in regional South Australia shortly to inform them about switchover. Those eligible for help through the Household Assistance Scheme will be contacted directly through Centrelink inviting them to take part in the scheme. You will also see representatives from the Digital Switchover Taskforce at various events to provide information first-hand for local residents.

I know that many local government bodies around Australia are keenly interested in how the digital switchover program will affect TV reception for their communities, in particular those which have depended on locally-operated analog self-help transmission sites.

As part of the switchover program, broadcasters have identified a number of self-help sites in both metropolitan and regional areas which they have proposed upgrading at their expense.

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy, wrote to the licencees of self-help sites in April informing them of the sites that had been identified by broadcasters as candidates for upgrading, and outlining the conditions under which broadcasters proposed to upgrade those sites.

The broadcasters will be contacting self-help licencees directly to seek their agreement for the upgrading of candidate sites. It will be a matter for negotiation and decision between the licensees of those sites and the broadcasters as to whether they are upgraded. There are also some communities with self-help sites that are not proposed for upgrading but which may receive digital TV through expanded coverage from existing or new transmitter sites to be established by broadcasters.

Where analog self-help sites are not upgraded to digital, and for those Australians beyond the reach of digital TV signals, the Government is providing $375.4 million in funding for the new Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) service to ensure that all Australians have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of digital TV.

Rather than converting all self-help sites to digital, including several hundred which are located in remote communities, the Government considers that providing digital TV by satellite is a more technically efficient, equitable and cost effective way of providing digital TV to Australians in areas where they cannot receive digital TV from broadcaster-operated transmission facilities. Even where self-help transmitters are upgraded to digital, there will still be Australians who cannot get a TV signal from a terrestrial tower. The satellite service will ensure that geography or the size of a community is no longer a barrier to enjoying all of the free-to-air digital TV services.

The Government recognises that many communities have made a financial contribution over time to the operation of their self-help transmitter. Where analog self-help transmitters are not upgraded to digital by the broadcasters or licensees, the Government will provide a subsidy for households to assist with the cost of moving to satellite. The subsidy will be a minimum of $400, rising to $550 for 'very remote area' households, and $700 for 'far north tropical' households. There will be $280 of additional assistance for remote indigenous community households. Households who are eligible for help under the Household Assistance Scheme to convert to digital TV but require a satellite installation will receive this help free of any cost.

Although there will be a one-off cost for most households associated with the purchase and installation of a satellite set top box and dish antenna, the satellite service will provide ongoing and reliable access to free-to-air TV. Australians living in regional and remote areas will finally have the same range of TV programming choice as their counterparts in metropolitan areas. The VAST service will include the main standard definition channels providing Seven, Nine and Ten network programs, high definition channels, and new digital channels including GO!, 7TWO and ONEHD. All national broadcaster channels will be available including ABC1, ABC2, ABC3, the forthcoming ABC news channel, SBS ONE and SBS TWO and SBS HD.

The service will provide viewers in regional Australia with access to the local news services currently broadcast by the commercial broadcasters in their relevant terrestrial licence areas. These services will be provided through a dedicated news channel. The news services of the national broadcasters, the ABC and the SBS, will also be provided. A new ABC 24 hour news channel is expected to replace the current ABCHD service later this year.

For the growing numbers of Australians who spend some months of each year on the move visiting different parts of our country, there will be provision for them to also have access to the new satellite service just as they do now through the Aurora service.

The Digital Switchover Taskforce is keen to keep local government fully informed about the switchover to digital TV and is ready to assist with additional information whether it relates to self-help transmitter sites, or assistance for those in the community who need some extra help to switch to digital TV.

For enquiries about self-help transmitters, please call 1800 069 244 or email selfhelp@dbcde.gov.au. Other inquiries about switchover can be referred to our Digital Ready information line on 1800 20 10 13 or through our website at www.digitalready.gov.au.

Austroads Young Professional Study Tour 2010

As part of ALGA's membership of Austroads young professionals in local government are eligible to participate in these tours including receiving financial support from Austroads.

This year's tour will include visits to the USA (Washington), the UK and Europe (Brussels and Amsterdam). It will take about 2 weeks starting on 19 September in Washington DC.

Applications with Austroads close 30 June.

Anyone interested please contact Andy Hrast in ALGA for further information (02 6122 9432 or andy.hrast@alga.asn.au).

First mass-produced electric car

The first mass-produced fully-electric car, Mitsubishi's i-MiEV, has been launched at Parliament House in Canberra. Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and Climate Change Minister Penny Wong joined Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko to mark the milestone and take the revolutionary vehicle for a test drive.

Mr Albanese said the first 40 cars available in Australia will be offered to governments, the media and fleet buyers as a way of encouraging by example. He said that the cars were at the cutting edge of technology which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. The i-MiEV motor uses no petrol and produces no emissions while on the road.

The Rudd Labor Government will continue working with the states and territories as well as industry and road user groups to evaluate the potential for widespread adoption of electric vehicles in Australia. Senator Wong said: "We know the transport sector is a significant emitter, with emissions of about 79 million tonnes a year - or 15 per cent of national emissions - in 2009. The efforts of Australians to reduce their carbon footprint on the road, by driving fuel efficient vehicles or taking public transport, do make a difference."

Roads to Recovery extension?

The Australian Local Government Association has commissioned a study into the state of local roads across Australia as part of its efforts to have the Roads to Recovery program extended.

ALGA has engaged Jeff Roorda & Associates to undertake the study with a view to reporting the findings to the Roads and Transport Congress in Bunbury in October 2010.

The report will examine by state and territory on an annual basis:

• Total spending on all roads by source of funds; and
• Total the spending on local roads by source of funds

The report will estimate funding needs and the short fall in funding of local roads on a national, state and territory and the Federal Government council category basis annually and in total for the ten year period 2009-10 to 2019-20.

The report will discuss these findings including the impact of the Roads to Recovery Program and draw a conclusion of the likely funding needs and the short fall in funding. The discussion should encompass the impacts, to the extent possible, of improvements in council management for example, asset management, changes in heavy vehicle design, increase in traffic volume, rail closures, climate change.

Want to save time, money and the planet?

They do it in Switzerland. Now it's happening in Australia. Some companies are offering 'car shares', which are rental cars shared by several people. They pay a joining fee, and a monthly fee, depending on how often they use the car. The car can be booked online, as reported by Marsha Jacobs in last Tuesday's Financial Review.

GoGet is an Australian car share company that began in 2003. Numbers using the company are soaring. GoGet now has 7,000 drivers. A car costs $9 a month, $7.90 an hour and 35 cents a kilometer. Flexicar is a Melbourne-based car share firm. Charter Drive is another and this company focuses on the corporate market.

Property developers increasingly make care share companies part of new high-density projects. In some Sydney buildings, developers are required to make dedicated spaces for share cars. Sydney has established more than 120 dedicated on-street car share spaces, with more to follow.

People's motivations for not owning their own car but just sharing one are to save money, to save time, and to save the planet by reducing their carbon footprint.

Population and health website

The World Clock website does a continuously updated calculation of the world's population. You can see the figures ticking over as you watch, adding more and more every second. There are running calculations for additions of cars being manufactured, for military expenditure, Co2 emissions, oil being pumped, forests cut and species gone extinct. Yes, it's a sickening sensation watching those figures escalate.

You can also calculate your probable life expectancy, based on a series of questions about hereditary things plus choices like cigarette smoking, drinking, exercise and risk taking. One of the risk-taking category's boxes one can tick states: 'I'm jumping out of a plane right now', then options go gradually down to the no-risk-at-all box of 'Never'. It calculates your virtual age as well, and you might get a nice surprise. Or not.

World statistics for causes of death are there too. Cardiovascular disease wins, by a mile.

The site can be viewed here.

"The waste just keeps coming!"

Population is growing almost everywhere in Australia, and these increasing numbers of people - naturally enough - consume food; they also buy white-goods, and throw all the packaging from everything in the rubbish, not to mention throwing in the old computer parts and electronic bits and pieces. Two examples, one in Queensland and the other in NSW, reveal the scope of the problem. According to the Local Government Association of Queensland, waste disposal will be the next water crisis in the state, and Sunshine Coast council agrees.

With the population booming, a massive increase in material packaging along with new e-waste from mobile phone batteries to plasma televisions, LGAQ president Paul Bell says that finding new solutions is an urgent priority.

Sunshine Coast waste taskforce councilor, Keryn Jones, agrees about the waste crisis. Cr Jones said that while putting waste in a hole in the ground is a cheaper option, there are only about 20 years of landfill left. "The waste just keeps coming!"

In New South Wales, Hunter Resource Recovery manager, Roger Lewis, looks after waste recycling and disposal for the Cessnock, Lake Macquarie and Maitland councils. The squeeze on disposal space is affecting his entire region. Fortunately, Hunter residents have adopted good recycling habits, and many are taking a broader perspective on recycling, participating in second-hand markets, as well as using the council-provided recycling bins, green-waste disposal depots and kerb-side pick-ups.

Dumping of toxic waste, such as asbestos, is a problem, but from July 1, for the first time in the Hunter, ratepayers in Lewis's territory won't have to wait for special e-waste collections but can drop it off at the tip on any day it is open.

Recently, attempts to establish an organic waste plant for the Cessnock, Lake Macquarie and Maitland areas failed because of cost. Sydney has about 20. West said the establishment of an organic waste plant was a big challenge for Hunter councils.

The waste will "just keep on coming", so we will need to find a solution soon. A variety of recycling options, such as those outlined above, will help, and perhaps more councils need to emulate some the Hunter region's ideas about this.

Recycling cans and bottles

According to Clean Up Australia, 88 per cent of Australians support a recycling scheme involving deposit on containers. South Australia introduced a redeemable deposit on drink containers (now 10 cents) in 1975, and it remains the only state to have done so. NSW Upper House Greens MP, Ian Cohen, said that such a recycling scheme could create 1,000 recycling industry jobs. In SA, the legislation is credited with keeping tonnes of litter off roadsides and raising millions of dollars each year for charitable or not-for-profit community organisations that run collection depots.

Recycling advocates say NSW councils could reap financial rewards from such a scheme and pass savings on to ratepayers. Some blame objection from the packaging industry, soft drink and beer producers for keeping the scheme out of NSW.

Building codes seminars series

Registrations are now open for a series of Seminars on the Premises Standards that the Commission is presenting in partnership with the Australian Building Codes Board.

To register online, click here.

For those who cannot do that please contact Michael Smith on (02) 9284 9769.

Any interest in Gundagai Shire's lonely dog?

The town of Gundagai is nearly 400 kilometres south-west of Sydney. The dog on the tucker-box, as the song says, 'five miles from Gundagai', used to attract many tourists. But after the town was by-passed by the freeway, fewer people came to see Gundagai's iconic canine, and the nearby cafe no longer receives as many visitors.

Mayor Len Tozer is asking for ideas to revitalise the area from potential developers and others. The council has started a formal expression of interest process. This runs until 30 July. For more information about the story of the dog on the tucker-box and the Gundagai area, please email library@gundagai.nsw.gov.au or ring the tourist centre on (02) 69440250.

Closing the Gap: Indigenous Economic Development Strategy

On 24 May 2010, the Commonwealth Government released its draft Indigenous Economic Development Strategy for consultation. It focuses on five key areas for improving the prosperity of Indigenous Australians: education and building individual capacity; creating sustainable job opportunities; supporting business and enterprise development; financial security and independence; and strengthening the foundations to provide an environment that supports Indigenous economic development.

• View the draft strategy
• View the Indigenous Economic Development Framework
• Indigenous Economic Development Framework PDF [59kB]

Interested individuals and organisations are invited to review the strategy and provide feedback. During the consultation period, the Government will work on key initiatives supporting Indigenous economic development. These are summarised in the Action Plan.

• View the Action Plan 2010-2012

Interested parties are invited to comment on the draft strategy by providing a written submission. Closing date for submissions: Monday 1 November 2010. Submissions may be lodged electronically or by post, but electronic lodgement is preferred. Submit responses via email in a Word or RTF format. An additional PDF version may also be submitted. Include postal address and contact details. Public consultation workshops will be held with Indigenous stakeholders and other interested parties.

To lodge an electronic submission: email ieds@fahcsia.gov.au

To lodge a written submission, send to:
IEDS
Indigenous Economic Development Branch
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
PO Box 7576
Canberra Business Centre ACT 2610

For further information, please contact ieds@fahcsia.gov.au

Regional Museums award

ABC Radio National is once again inviting Australia's regional museums to step forward and tell us all why they should be recognised as the best. The Regional Museums Award will focus on museums in their roles as local story-tellers and local ambassadors (encouraging tourism and regional development) and on how they look towards survival in the future. This year there will be three categories:

• Best volunteer-run museum
• Best small museum (with a total budget of $150,000 or less)
• Best Indigenous Cultural Centre/Keeping Place

Overall winners of past Regional Museums Awards, The Kodja Place (Kojonup, WA, 2008) and North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum (North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, 2009), have reported an increased and sustained level of interest in their organisations since the announcement of their respective wins. They have received visits from other regional museum representatives, keen to understand more about these exceptional organisations.

Nominations must be received by Friday 23 July 2010.

Judges will shortlist museums as finalists for all categories of the Regional Museums Award and select one organisation as the overall winner. ABC Radio National's Bush Telegraph will travel to the winning organisation's museum to record a program at the venue for national broadcast.

Local Government Research & Development Scheme

The Local Government Research & Development Scheme (LGR&DS) will conduct one funding call this year - in July. The July 2010 call for funding submissions opened on Tuesday, 1 June 2010 and will close on Friday, 30 July 2010 at 5.00pm.

For further information on this funding call please follow the link to LGA Circular 21.7

Australian Telecommunciations Users Group (ATUG) Regional Conference

The Australian Telecommunciations Users Group (ATUG) Regional Conference comes to Canberra this year, and will be held at the War Memorial on 14 and 15 July 2010.

The program features an impressive list of speakers, including Minister Conroy, Mr Mike Quigley, the Chief Executive of the NBN Co., the ACCC, the Communications Alliance and Mr James Vidler, Hunter Regional Development.

Further details including registration information, can be accessed here.

Local Government Environment Conference

New Nature: Exploring opportunities for positive change is on 23-25 June at the Gold Coast International Hotel, Surfers paradise. It will feature Keynote speaker, Arron Wood (see ABC's Australian Story 2004). Wood is responsible for a number of innovations, for example, in 2000 he founded 'Firestarter', an environmental educational organisation using a 'kids teaching kids' approach to developing young leaders.

Other speakers include Tim Low, an environmental consultant and prize-winning author of six books, including The New Nature (Penguin), which was praised by Time magazine and rated by Who magazine as one of the books of the year. Prof. Jean Palutikof, Director of the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility at Griffith University, will also appear. She previously managed the production of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report for Working Group II (Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability), while based at the UK Met Office. She specialises in the study of changes in extreme events and their impacts, especially windstorm. Her proudest moment to date was attending the ceremony in 2007 at which the IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Peter Cosier is the Executive Director and Founding Member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. Peter was Deputy Director General in the NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources. Peter has a background in science, specialising in natural resources management and urban and regional planning. He has worked at all levels of Government federal, state and local and in private business.

Click here to view the full line up of keynote speakers, field trips, workshop and presenters and to register your attendance.