The Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program (Round 3) - applications open 5 July

The Australian Government is providing an additional $100m (Round 3) for the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program (RLCIP). Each council has been allocated a similar amount of funding as the last round of RLCIP.

The same application/approval process as earlier rounds is being applied except that the Department will only accept applications from Councils via the online lodgement facility available from the RLCIP website.

Applications for Round 3 of the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program can be lodged from 9.00am 5 July. The deadline for applications to be lodged is Friday 30 July at 5pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).

Councils will be able to log in to the RLCIP website using the same username and password used to login to the Roads to Recovery Program.

A PDF Smart Form populated with council information will be available for download and completion from the website. The PDF SmartForm will allow the content to be saved to your local computer and worked on in stages. Once complete, the SmartForm can be submitted to the Department by logging into the RLCIP website and uploading it.

Council cooperation is sought in refraining from accessing the RLCIP website until 5 July 2010. Technical assistance can be obtained by emailing GMSHelp@infrastructure.gov.au or contacting the Regional Grants Helpdesk on 1800 005 494.

It is important that councils read the Guidelines fully before submitting their application. In particular, councils should note that funding will not be approved to bolster funding for existing projects which have exceeded their original budget forecasts.

Payment of Round 3 funding may be withheld until councils:

• have completed and properly acquitted their projects under the Round 1 $250 million allocated component of the RLCIP. This includes all reporting obligations for all completed projects;
• are performing to the Department's satisfaction under the Round 1 $550 million Strategic Projects component of the RLCIP (if appropriate); and
• have executed Funding Agreements for all previous RLCIP Rounds ($100 million allocated component and $120 million Strategic Projects component if appropriate) and submitted the first progress reports under the Round 2 direct allocation of $100 million (due 31 May 2010).

National awards recognise Queensland's record investment in cycling

The Bicycling Achievement Awards have been held by the Cycling Promotion Fund annually since 2002 and recognise innovation, commitment and achievement in making Australia more bicycle friendly. This year's Australian Bicycling Achievement Awards were presented in Canberra recently at an event opened by Heart Foundation CEO (ACT) Tony Stubbs, and with the key note address from Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Maxine McKew.

Stephen Hodge, spokesperson for the Cycling Promotion Fund, said: "2009 has been a landmark year for cycling, with this year's commitments to fund bicycle infrastructure blowing away all previous investments by all three levels of government."

Queensland Minister for Transport, Rachel Nolan, is leading the way nationally, with $100 million invested in cycling infrastructure and programs in the last year and she received the Award for Contribution towards Cycling by a Politician.

The second major winner from Queensland is the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, who received the Local Government Award for Special Initiative to Encourage and Promote Cycling. According to the Award's principal partner, the Heart Foundation, physical activity, including walking and cycling, plays an important role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

"Physical inactivity is a major health problem in its own right. Disturbingly, about half of Australian adults (54%) are not sufficiently physically active to gain health benefits. Physical inactivity costs the health budget an estimated $1.5bn a year and causes 16,000 premature deaths a year," said Susan Anderson, National Director - Healthy Weight, Heart Foundation. See www.cyclingawards.com.au and www.cyclingpromotion.com.au for more information.

Australian Conservation Foundation Sustainable Cities Index

Given that our cities generate 75 per cent of our employment and 80 per cent of our GDP, they are the key to Australia's long term economic prosperity and will form the basis for whether we can create a healthier and more sustainable future for all Australians during this century.

The impact of our cities and wasteful consumption of resources, combined with substantial population growth, poor planning decisions and lack of infrastructure investment, continues to come at a high cost to our economy, society and Australia's unique environment.

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) is committed to inspiring people to achieve a healthy environment for all Australians. For over 40 years they have been a strong voice for the environment. ACF has played a key role in increasing protection for some of Australia's most important natural assets, including the Franklin River, Kakadu National Park, the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.

The ACF Sustainable Cities Index is a snapshot of comparative performance in the 20 largest cities in Australia. It explores the relationship between Australia's natural and built environments to inform people during the necessary transition towards sustainable cities. In the awards, Darwin was judged the most sustainable city, followed closely by the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

The least sustainable cities were Newcastle, Geelong and Perth. No city did well across all 15 indicators, and while each has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, no Australian city can yet be held up as a real champion in sustainable urban development. As CEO of the ACF, Don Henry, states in the Foreword to the Index, all of our cities would benefit from increased and better targeted investment to provide efficient, affordable and healthy transport choices (reducing our oil dependence and vulnerability) and improved energy and water efficiency for households and workplaces (protecting us from future price rises).

Our car-dependent cities, which today fuel asthma, obesity and biodiversity loss, can be transformed into cleaner, more efficient places with great public and active transport, improved amenity and happier, healthier residents.

W. A. Senator, Scott Ludlam, of the Greens, raised the findings of the Index recently in the Senate, and spoke about the urgent need for the provision of greener infrastructure in Australian cities and towns. He said that the study shows that both federal and state governments need to fund improved public transport urgently, to get people out of cars and into less congesting, less polluting and ultimately less expensive public transport options, such as light rail, cycling and walking.

He also said: "The study shows that we need to vastly improve household and workplace energy and water efficiency. Taking steps in these areas will reduce household bills and protect us from future energy price rises. We also need to get out of the mentality that simply building more roads will fix traffic congestion. All of the evidence around the world indicates that building bigger roads simply attracts more traffic. In contrast, when public and active transport infrastructure is built ... people are attracted to use the service and this improves the amenity of the area. Local economies pick up and business benefits."

For more information about the ACF Sustainable Cities Index, please see: www.acfonline.org.au

Communications Minister, Senator Conroy, switched off the analogue television signals in Victoria's Mildura this week. It is the first step in phasing out analogue TV and making all of Australia digital. Transforming the nation from analogue to digital was a policy begun by the previous Government, which has continued under Labor. The Commonwealth has given plenty of notice to communities about when the changeover will happen, and you can check when it will happen in your area at www.digitalready.gov.au/.

Even with such a long transition, problems are still likely to arise. In the past, some councils in areas that have difficulties receiving analogue signals, have gone to much expense and effort to establish analogue self-help sites to ensure that communities can receive free-to-air television. While the Government has promised to continue to support the self-help sites, only 100 out of about 500 will be supported within a reasonable time. Until then, there remains a question as to who will bear the cost of the satellite installation or whatever is necessary to upgrade the sites to digital television?

Another problem is e-waste, which costs more for those councils further away from big metropolitan centres. South Australia is anticipating a huge number of dumped outmoded televisions as the Barossa is next in the transition to digital. Although there is a national e-waste strategy, it is still in the early stages. It will not be in place in time for the digital switchover, and in the meantime, councils and communities will have to fill in the gap.

While I am confident that the government Taskforce is aware of these problems, it is imperative that Minister Conroy understands that communities will be upset if they have to pay unfair costs or suffer losses caused by problems and delays with the switchover from analogue to digital. It is important that all levels of government cooperate on this issue. ALGA is continuing to engage directly with the federal government and is assisting communication about the switchover between councils and the government's Digital Television Switchover Taskforce.

Cr Geoff Lake
ALGA President

Briefs

NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC Week is 4 - 11 July. NAIDOC stands for National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee. There are many related activities across the nation and all Australians are asked to participate.

The Awards Ceremony and Ball to honour the achievements of Indigenous Australians is on 9 July at Melbourne's Convention and Exhibition Centre. NAIDOC's Facebook tells us that tickets are sold out, but please view the site below for a huge range of other events and activities relevant to the theme of this years's NAIDOC: 'Unsung Heroes - Closing the Gap by Leading Their Way.'

Click here for more information.

PM announces new Cabinet

Mid-week, Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, announced the new Ministry of the Gillard Cabinet. Minister Simon Crean will take over the portfolios of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Social Inclusion.

Minister Stephen Smith has been given the responsibility for the Trade portfolio, as well as his current portfolio of Foreign Affairs. The PM said that the trade portfolio was in a safe and strong pair of hands under Minister Smith, who has also served as Shadow Minister for Trade. The appointment continues the existing link between the portfolios of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which are both supported by the same government department.

The current Minister for Population, Tony Burke, will become the Minister for Sustainable Population, with a new focus on developing a balanced and measured population strategy.

The 2010 National Local Roads and Transport Congress

The 2010 National Local Roads and Transport Congress will be held in Bunbury, Western Australia 13-15 October.

The theme for the Congress this year is "Building the Case for Transport Investment". The centrepiece of the Congress will be the report by consultants commissioned by ALGA to estimate the funding gap on local roads over the next 10 years.

We will also hear from speakers on a wide range of transport issues of relevance to local government, including COAG Road transport reforms, the next ten year road safety strategy and its impact on local road and the Australian National Audit of the Roads to Recovery program and the Government's response.

The keynote speaker will be Professor Greg Smith, who was a member of the Henry Tax review Committee. He will speak on road pricing.

As in previous years, we will have separate dedicated sessions for urban councils and rural councils. Urban councils have not attended in great numbers in recent years and are urged to attend. There will be a range of speakers, including Paul Mees, discussing urban transport issues and the role local government can play.

Representatives of all the major political parties have been invited.

If you wish to attend the National Local Roads and Transport Congress please go to the ALGA website www.alga.asn.au/policy/transport/congress/ and lodge your expression of interest. By registering your expression of interest you will be advised when the early bird discount registrations become available and you will also have priority for accommodation.

NGA Resolutions

Debate on motions is an important part of the National General Assembly (NGA). Resolutions considered at the NGA play an important role in informing the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) in the development of national policy.

This year there were a total of 74 resolutions carried, 13 lost and 9 withdrawn. In the main, motions received for debate address the key themes for the NGA which were: Population; Productivity; and Participation.

Resolutions are available at the ALGA website at: http://nga.alga.asn.au/event/2010/motions.html

All successful motions will be considered by the ALGA Board at a special meeting to consider how each resolution should be pursued. Many of the resolutions are consistent with existing ALGA policy and therefore reinforce the messages the ALGA has given to the Australian Government and major political parties.

The National Local Roads and Transport Policy Agenda 2010-2020

The National Local Roads and Transport Policy Agenda 2010-20 (the Agenda) was launched at the National General Assembly of Councils in June to supersede the Local Government Roads and Transport Strategy 2006-2016 which had become dated.

The Agenda has been developed by a subcommittee of the ALGA Board made up of Cr Bruce Miller (Chair), Mayor Felicity-ann Lewis, Cr Sam Alessi and Mayor Troy Pickard. The Agenda reflects the views that have emerged at the annual National Local Roads and Transport Congresses and motions at the National General Assembly on transport and road issues.

A copy of the Agenda has been posted to all councils and is also available from the ALGA website.

The agenda identifies six transport challenges facing Australia over the next ten years as:

• the population will age and continue to grow, with 36 million people expected to call Australia home by 2050;
• greater awareness about climate change will increase pressure to reduce emissions by the transport sector;
• the domestic freight task will increase significantly;
• increases in the price of oil as a result of supply constraints will place further demands on the system;
• individuals will expect to maintain the same, if not improved, levels of mobility and access; and
• Australians in rural and remote areas will expect access to services comparable to that enjoyed by their urban counterparts.

The Agenda addresses these issues and their impact on local government under the following six broad headings:

• National Planning;
• Mobility and access in rural and regional Australia;
• Mobility and access in urban Australia;
• Road Safety;
• Freight; and
• Local Government capability

Under each of these headings there is an identified challenge, objective and action plan for local government.

The Agenda is not prescriptive on every transport issue or issue that may have an impact on transport that may arise during its currency. The Agenda provides a framework that ALGA can use to respond to emerging policies from the Federal Government in the transport field. For example, with the change in Prime Minister, there has been change in emphasis in population policy.

The Agenda identifies the importance to Local Government of its good and strong relationship with the Federal Government and a long history of cooperation that is of mutual benefit to both the Federal and local governments.

Over time the Agenda will continue to evolve and develop.

The issues covered in the agenda will be widely discussed at the National Local Roads and Transport Congress to be held in Bunbury on 13-15 October and the results of those discussions incorporated in future editions of the Agenda.

The National Local Roads and Transport Congress and the National General Assembly of Councils are important opportunities for ALGA to canvass issues with councils. Councils are urged to attend them to have their views heard.

Renewable energy savings

In the face of escalating power prices, it is in the interests of Local Government to support renewable energy options in order to develop more resilient communities. Local Government Association Executive Director, Wendy Campana, said South Australian regional communities are being encouraged to invest in renewable energy systems in projects being coordinated by several regional Councils.

"We currently have a 12 month Solar Councils Pilot Project, involving six metropolitan Councils and Port Augusta, working with Local Government Corporate Services and ZEN Home Energy Solutions and we also have a further nine regional and rural Councils working with ZEN to bring renewable power to the people," Ms Campana said. "The projects follow a successful regional trial last year led by Victor Harbor and involving Kangaroo Island, Yankalilla, Alexandrina and Mt Barker. This project was well received, with more than 1000 registrations for solar systems and more than 500 solar installations to date."

Ms Campana said the success of the initial Victor Harbor project has also resulted in the Councils of Peterborough, Mt Remarkable and Flinders Ranges now facilitating community information sessions. She also said that individual home owners need to make their own decisions on their preferred supplier and that the projects offered a coordinated approach and a central meeting point for residents' information sessions.

The LGA/ZEN Solar Councils Pilot Project Councils are: Holdfast Bay, Marion, Onkaparinga, Playford, Port Adelaide-Enfield, West Torrens and Port Augusta.

Call for entries in ACT Sustainable Cities 2010 by 15 July

www.kab.org.au/sustainable-cities/what-we-do/act/

Who will represent the ACT at the Australian Sustainable Cities Awards? Last year Oz Harvest was recognised for its resource recovery. Previous winners have been recognised for sustainable travel, sustainable building and solar energy.

The Sustainable Cities Awards are an opportunity to showcase and reward stories of local environmental achievement in a range of categories across the ACT. We are seeking a winner for each category and an overall winner to represent the ACT at the Australian Sustainable Cities Awards.

The awards are open to all ACT residents, community groups, schools, businesses and all levels of government. Entries should be emailed to admin@kab.org.au by 15 July 2010. Entries should consist of one word doc with up to 400 words per category and, as separate JPG files, up to four photos per category. Previous entries and results can be viewed here.

Enquiries can be made by phoning: 0419 016 401.

Carlink wins Sustainability Award

Carlink, an internet based corporate carpooling service built by MyCarpools for a community organisation in the South Burnett region of south-east Queensland, has won the Climate Smart Partnerships Award at the Queensland Premier's 2010 Sustainability Awards night. The Partnership Award goes to "a community and/or local government partnership for implementing climate change abatement or sustainability initiatives resulting in social and ecological benefits".

The Carlink Project, led by the Graham House Community Centre in the South Burnett Region, is a multi-organisation, member based corporate car-pooling program. Carlink's 'trip management' function takes car-pooling to a new level, reducing the duplication of travel between small towns in the South Burnett and to the Wide Bay Burnett, Darling Downs, and Brisbane sub-regions. The Carlink software calculates fuel savings, road kilometres and carbon emissions for each journey logged. Savings amongst passengers' and drivers' organisations are also calculated.

Partner organisations can register on the Carlink site and create their own organisation profile, manage registrations of their own staff and generate reports on staff activity. Graham House, the 'host' can generate reports on all activity across all members providing an overview of the regional carpooling initiative and aggregating fuel savings, kilometres avoided and vehicles removed from the road.

Sean Burke, Product Development Manager for MyCarpools, said that the Carlink product had obvious utility for regional Australia: "Carlink allows workers to plan journeys between regional centres with total trip distances in the hundreds of kilometers ... [and] to co-ordinate travel, share rides and reduce costs, reduce vehicle wear and tear, reduce road kilometres and fuel use."

MyCarpools provides carpooling systems to organisations such as the Coles Group Headquarters in Melbourne, the University of New South Wales, IBM Australia and Deakin University.

For more information about Carlink contact Sean.burke@mycarpools.com or consult www.mycarpools.com

Roadsides the next frontier for glyphosate resistant weeds?

The Australian Glyphosate Sustainability Working Group (AGSWG) is an initiative of the Grains Research and Development Corporation, industry and academics whose goal is better management of glyphosate herbicide in Australia. They are concerned about the evolution of glyphosate resistant weeds in all areas.

Glyphosate is the preferred herbicide for use by local government because it is safe and controls a broad spectrum of weeds. Loss of glyphosate may mean that more dangerous weed control practices have to be conducted. There is also the potential for glyphosate resistant weeds to move from roadsides into other areas where the herbicide is used, such as orchards, farms and home gardens.

Glyphosate resistant annual ryegrass has recently been confirmed along several kilometres of roadside in semi-rural South Australia. This roadside, like much of Australia's 810,000 kilometres of roads, has a 20 year history of using glyphosate alone for weed control. More cases of resistance are likely if management practices don't change.

Over-reliance on glyphosate for control leads to weed populations being dominated by resistant individuals, with the herbicide no longer effective. Weed seeds then spread to other areas by water, wind and machinery creating problems for roadside management and adjacent landholders.

Currently there are glyphosate resistant populations of annual ryegrass, awnless barnyard grass, and liverseed grass in Australia. Overseas there are another four grasses and eight broadleaf weed species that have developed resistance to glyphosate.

"Although the South Australian infestation was first noticed in 2008 it had clearly been there for some time for it to have spread so far," said Associate Professor Chris Preston, Chair of the Australian Glyphosate Sustainability Group. "Roadsides are routinely treated with glyphosate herbicide alone with few other effective weed control techniques being used, which should be ringing alarm bells with roadside managers."

Associate Professor Preston said that authorities, councils and communities must start looking at a range of roadside weed management techniques to prevent the development and spread of glyphosate resistant weeds along roadsides and movement into other sectors of the community.

Anyone suspecting glyphosate resistant weeds growing should contact their state expert with details available from the Australian glyphosate Working Group website

The Australian Glyphosate Sustainability Working Group is supported by the Grains Research & Development Corporation and sponsored by Syngenta.

Please click here for more information.

Council meetings on radio?

Question time in Parliament is the top podcast on ABC News Radio. Orange City Council has now given its community radio station, FM107.5, permission to broadcast its meetings. Council lawyers warned about a potential breach of privacy laws and defamation, but station presenter, John Da Rin believes the decision is a win for democracy.

"A lot of people don't have time to go to council meetings and when it comes to election time, they have no idea who any of the candidates are," he said. "This is a way to get Australians more involved in the political process."

He maintained that it is an ideal way for community radio to become more relevant and involved with its local community.

Sustainable country towns conference

The Sustainability of Australia's Country Towns conference is on at Bendigo from 29th September to 1st Oct 2010.

For details please click here.

T:+61 3 5444 7804 | F: +61 3 5444 7998 | M: 0421 584 313 | W: www.latrobe.edu.au/csrc

The Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities has a new publication: Climate Change in Regional Australia: Social Learning and Adaptation. For purchasing information, please visit the Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities (CSRC) website above.

The South East Melbourne Innovation Precinct (SEMIP)

Monash University has partnered with the Victorian Government, CSIRO, Australian Synchrotron, Small Technologies Cluster and local councils to launch the South East Melbourne Innovation Precinct (SEMIP).

The precinct, which covers the local government areas of Greater Dandenong, Kingston, Knox and City of Monash, plus the University's Clayton campus, will encompass 40 per cent of Victoria's manufacturing activities and more than 56,000 businesses.

Its goal is to make south-east Melbourne the innovation, business and knowledge capital of the Asia-Pacific.

(The source of the information for this and the following two Briefs is the June 2010 Monash Magazine. For more information please click here.)

Health club success for Whitehorse City Council and others

A Monash University health program, the Good Life Club, has become one of China's foremost health initiatives. It is known there as the Happy Life Club. The club began as a health program for the municipality of Whitehorse in Melbourne's outer-eastern suburbs.

It was designed by Monash researchers, and implemented by them and by the Whitehorse Division of General Practice in conjunction with local health services, the Whitehorse City Council and health psychologists. The club's founders were soon collaborating with colleagues in Beijing, in order to introduce the program to China.

The program's method of helping people manage chronic illness through motivational interviewing is a proven technique used internationally with cigarette addiction and in the management of chronic illnesses.

Project leader, Professor Shane Thomas, said: "The export success of the Good Life Club to China is a great advertisement for the strength of primary health care approaches to chronic illness management in Australia and we're now looking forward to replicating our international success locally."

Monash University Centre for Water Sensitive Cities

The Monash University Centre for Water Sensitive Cities will link 45 researchers and PhD students from the faculties of Engineering, Arts, Science and Business and Economics. Professor Tony Wong, the co-director of the Centre, said: "Implementing water sensitive urban design, including building rain gardens, wetlands and ponds to capture and clean storm water for reuse, will improve liveability and visual and recreational amenity, and improve the health of our urban waterways."

The research program has been developed with a significant contribution from key investors, including the National Water Commission, state agencies, local governments and water utilities in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland.

NatStats 2010 conference

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is pleased to announce that registrations are now open for the NatStats 2010 Conference. NatStats 2010 will be held from 15 - 17 September 2010 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour.

The overall theme for the conference is "Measuring what counts: economic development, wellbeing and progress in 21st century Australia", which will explore drivers of economic and related social change that are shaping Australia's progress. Conference speakers will highlight the importance of statistics in understanding and responding to these challenges.

NatStats 2010 Plenary Speakers include Dr Ken Henry AC, Secretary to the Commonwealth Treasury, will deliver the opening plenary address at the conference and the Hon Dr Geoff Gallop AC, Director of the Graduate School of Government at the University of Sydney, will deliver a presentation focused around improving the wellbeing of Australians.

For a list of confirmed speakers, program and registration information, please visit www.nss.gov.au/natstats2010 or email natstats@nss.gov.au.

Cost: $795 Early Bird (Until July 16 2010)
$995 Full Fee

Register now before the end of the financial year.

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