New President for Australian Local Government Association

The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has elected a new President at its annual general meeting held in Canberra yesterday.

The Mayor of North Sydney, Cr Genia McCaffery, was previously President of the Local Government Association of New South Wales for six years and has been a Director of ALGA since 2006.

Cr McCaffery said that it was an exciting time to be heading the national body which represents Australia's 565 councils.

"The desire to make a difference is what attracted me to local government and I am particularly honoured to be President in the year of Women in Local Government - a time when women are being encouraged to consider careers in local government and represent their communities in public office," she said.

ALGA's two Vice-Presidents are the President of the Local Government Association of South Australia, Mayor Felicity-ann Lewis, and Mayor Troy Pickard, the President of the Western Australian Local Government Association.

Cr McCaffery outlined ALGA's main priorities for the coming year:

• Advancing the case for increased funding for local government through seeking a Parliamentary Inquiry into local government funding which will lay bare the facts on how under-resourced councils are;
• Using the Local Roads Funding Gap Study to argue for a permanent Roads to Recovery funding program;
• Renewing and replacing much needed Community Infrastructure in partnership with the Australian Government;
• Moving to the next stage in the campaign for a referendum to include local government in the Australian Constitution;
• Seeking to strengthen the 2006 Cost Shifting Inter-Governmental Agreement, which is due for review next year (2011);
• Making sure the interests of local communities through their local governments are addressed in any population inquiry - whether undertaken through expert panels or by the Productivity Commission or some other mechanism;
• Continuing to protect the role of councils and community consultation in planning; and
• Keeping local government interests at the forefront of climate change policy - in particular by arguing hard for a national approach to address the legal uncertainty facing councils through climate and sea level changes.

PM promises local government and Indigenous referendum

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has reiterated her promise of a dual referendum on constitutional recognition for local government and recognition of Indigenous Australians as the nation's first people. Speaking in Adelaide this week, the Prime Minister said the government was committed to putting the two propositions before voters.

"These two questions will go through different journeys but we want them both to go to the Australian people," Ms Gillard said. Ms Gillard said she had never worked at the local government level but often considered it to be the "hardest job there is." She said the Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, Simon Crean, would take charge of plans to also recognise local government at the same time. The Federal Government has provided $250,000 to ALGA to raise the profile of constitutional recognition of local government, particularly in local communities, in the lead-up to a referendum.

Earlier this week the Federal Government has announced an expert panel will report by the end of next year on the wording and timing of a referendum to formally recognise Australia's Indigenous peoples in the Constitution. The panel will comprise members of Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, constitutional experts, and parliamentary members.

Speaking at the National Press Club last week, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda said he firmly believes the time is right for Indigenous recognition in our Constitution. He acknowledged the challenges ahead in building awareness and focusing minds and hearts.

"During the next three years, I commit myself to working closely with our political leaders and, more importantly, the people of Australia to achieve a successful referendum in 2013," he said.

"This will be a long hard journey. But it's the journey that will mark our maturity as a nation, not just the destination - as important as it might be...It's about looking forward and moving forward as one united nation. One mob under the Southern Cross."

Healthy Spaces and Places wins awards

Healthy Spaces and Places won two awards at the Planning Institute of Australia's ACT Division's Planning awards last Friday night. One for social and community based planning and the other being the overall President's Award. SGS Economics and Planning and TPG Town Planning and Urban Design put forward the project on behalf of the National Heart Foundation, PIA and ALGA. The Healthy Spaces and Places project, which is funded by the Department of Health and Ageing, will now be considered for a potential Planning Institute national award next year. Healthy Spaces and Places is a national guide for planning, designing and creating sustainable communities that encourage healthy living. (Photo: ALGA Senior Policy Adviser Rolf Fenner, Practice Manager SGS Economics and Planning Liz de Chastel, and President of the ACT Division of the PIA Hamish Sinclair.)

The Healthy Spaces and Places website includes:

• design principles that are the foundation stones of healthier more active communities
• different development types where these principles can be applied
• information about how to make planning for healthier communities happen
• Australian case studies that show what is achievable and which have potentially wider application, and
• links to the health and planning research and resources that support planning for active living.

I am honoured to be writing my first column for ALGA News as the new president of the association. This is an exciting time for local government and I am pleased to be able to continue the good work done by former President Cr Geoff Lake, in particular in the areas of constitutional recognition and infrastructure funding.

Can I say at the outset that I am passionate about local government. Our decisions help to create strong local economies, build strong communities and improve the quality of life of the people we serve.

We are the level of government closest to the people and I believe we have demonstrated time and again that we are innovative, responsive, flexible and efficient. Most importantly, we have also demonstrated our willingness to engage with our communities and negotiate change that empowers rather than alienates them.

I believe these qualities will hold us in good stead for the times ahead. We face significant challenges and we need reform in a number of areas. Along with the ongoing work on constitutional recognition and infrastructure funding, I hope to address planning and natural resources management during my term as President.

I look forward to working with you on these issues and will bring energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the task ahead. With local government represented on COAG and 13 Ministerial Councils, I believe we are well placed to engage with the Federal Government and progress our agenda.

On a personal note, let me take this opportunity to tell you a little about myself. I have a Bachelor of Economics degree with Honours in government from the University of Sydney. I worked in the areas of research, youth, unemployment and public advocacy before being elected to North Sydney Council as mayor 15 years ago. I have served on the ALGA Board for more than four years in my capacity as President of the NSW Local Government Association.

Finally, I would like to congratulate ALGA's two Vice-Presidents, Mayor Felicity-ann Lewis, the President of the Local Government Association of South Australia and Mayor Troy Pickard, the President of the Western Australian Local Government Association.

Cr Genia McCaffery
ALGA President

Briefs

Climate Change Committee

The Multi-Party Climate Change Committee met in Canberra on Wednesday. The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, was joined by the Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Bob Brown, Senator Christine Milne, Mr Tony Windsor (Member for New England), and Mr Rob Oakeshott (Member for Lyne).

The Committee was assisted by the Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Mr Mark Dreyfus and Mr Adam Bandt, Member for Melbourne, and by expert advisors Professor Ross Garnaut, Professor Will Steffen, Mr Rod Sims, and Ms Patricia Faulkner.

The Committee discussed the potential design and scope of the Climate Change Commission, noting that it will provide independent information about the science of climate change and the impacts on Australia, the progress of international action to reduce emissions and what a carbon price is and how it interacts with the Australian economy and communities and the opportunities it provides. Papers released by the Committee from this meeting are available on the Department of Climate Change's website.

Restaurant hygiene - Can you help?

Consumer group CHOICE wants hear from local governments that have introduced or trialled restaurant hygiene information schemes similar to the UK 'Scores on Doors' Scheme. With Australians eating more and more meals away from home, CHOICE thinks these schemes will help consumers make informed choices about where they eat and encourage businesses to maintain good hygiene standards.

The Manly Council Starfish Ratings program and the NSW Food Authority's 'Name and Shame' website are just some of the ways governments are already providing food hygiene information in-store and online. But there are many more out there. CHOICE wants to identify all the schemes that are being rolled out across Australia to look at how they provide consumers with restaurant hygiene information, what works for consumers, and what's really involved in providing this information.

If your Council has a scheme and you'd like to tell CHOICE about it, please contact CHOICE's Senior Food Policy Advisor, Clare Hughes at chughes@choice.com.au.

Webcast of Premises Standards Awareness Seminars

The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) recently delivered awareness raising seminars on the Disability (Access to Premises - Buildings) Standards (Premises Standards). The Premises Standards are the culmination of extensive national consultation and follow the Australian Government's tabled response to the 2009 report, Access all Areas.

Over 2,000 people attended presentations by Michael Small of the AHRC and the ABCB's Kevin Newhouse. Delivered in all capital cities, the half-day Seminars provided detail and clarification on the ways in which the Premises Standards will enable consistency between building law and the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). Key themes included how the Premises Standards set performance requirements and technical specifications for non-discriminatory access, as well as providing a practical and on-going approach to improved building access.

On 1 May 2011 the Premises Standards are expected to take effect, and it is anticipated that the Building Code of Australia (BCA) will be harmonised with the Premises Standards at this time. This move towards national consistency will generate greater certainty for practitioners in the design and construction of buildings, while ensuring buildings are more accessible for people with disability and our ageing population.

The Premises Standards and changes to the BCA will introduce some new access requirements and significantly improve those that building professionals are already familiar with. If you missed the Awareness Seminars, a webcast is available here. More information is available on the Attorney General's Department website and the AHRC website

Climate change research network

The Australian Climate Change Adaptation Research Network for Settlements and Infrastructure (ACCARNSI) is one of eight Adaptation Research Networks hosted by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), Griffith University. The aim of ACCARNSI is to initiate and develop effective strategies to respond to climate change through mitigation, adaptation and implementation, bringing together researchers and stakeholders with an interest in climate change adaptation for coastal settlements, public and private infrastructure, the built environment and urban regional planning. Research direction will assist government, the private sector and vulnerable regions and communities to make informed decisions on how best to educate, plan and manage adaptation for the risks of climate change on coastal settlements, urban and built environments and infrastructure. The Network hosts a number of activities to promote and support collaboration amongst key stakeholders including for 2011, a number of Local Government Initiatives. In order to maximise stakeholder participation in these initiatives, you are invited to become a member of the Network and to encourage your involvement. Further information here.

Cleaner car rebate scheme

The Government will defer the commencement of the Cleaner Car Rebate Scheme until 1 July 2011. The Scheme was announced by the Government during the Election campaign with a projected commencement date of 1 January 2011. Since being elected the Government has been consulting with stakeholders likely to be participants in the Scheme. Funding for the Cleaner Car Rebate Scheme will be included in the 2011-12 Budget.

Road safety improving but work to be done

Australian road deaths have declined this year Australia needs to significantly lift its performance to match the leading road safety nations, according to the latest road fatality statistics compiled by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE).

Catherine King, Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport, said that in the 12-month period ending September 2010, there were 1,392 deaths on the nation's roads, which is the lowest 12-month fatality count since the 1940s.

"Over the last 10 years, our road fatality rate has fallen by 33 per cent in terms of deaths per head of population," she said." While this is some way short of the 40 per cent reduction target set at the start of the decade, it shows that our road safety programs are continuing to make a real difference to the well-being of Australians." The Federal Government has been working with all state and territory governments on a new Australian National Road Safety Strategy for 2011-2020, which aims to significantly raise the bar for Australia's road safety performance over the coming decade. A draft of the new strategy will soon be released for comment.

The BITRE report examines road fatality statistics among 27 OECD countries. It shows that Australia's fatality rate of 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people compares with 3.8 for the United Kingdom, 3.9 for the Netherlands and Sweden, and 4.5 for Japan and Switzerland.

Infrastructure grants

Blackbutt Reserve, Fort Scratchley and Newcastle Wetlands Centre will benefit from more than $800,000 in federal grants announced this week.

The money was given to the City of Newcastle under the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure (RLCIP) Round 3 Program. The largest share of funds will be spent constructing a shared pathway from Sandgate Railway Station to the Newcastle Wetlands Centre. This project has been allocated $370,000.

The $318,000 earmarked for Blackbutt will be used for a regional playground facility. When completed, this new play area will house separate spaces children aged between two and five and six and 12 as well as a shade shelter, six tables and two new barbecues.

Improvements worth $115,000 are slated for Fort Scratchley. These will include pathways, a viewing platform, seat and stairs.

Newcastle City Council general manager Lindy Hyam said that the city had received $3,540,000 in federal funds during the past two years for community infrastructure projects. Council will now commence detailed design on the three projects.

Strengths and Assets Summit

The Strengths and Assets Summit will be held from 30 November - 3rd December at the University of Newcastle. Register and take advantage of early bird rates here. This event combines The 6th Australian Family & Community Strengths Conference and The 2nd Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Asia Pacific Conference.

Gender equity awards for councils

The Shire of Augusta - Margaret River is the first council to qualify for the 50:50 Vision - Councils for Gender Equity Bronze Award. It goes to show that excellence in gender equity is not necessarily related to size of council or resources.

A total of 23 councils have already qualified for their Bronze Award, including Tiwi Islands Shire Council which is running a Tiwi Local Government - Women as Leaders workshop, designed to empower Indigenous women to step into roles that may be available to them within the council, and also into non-traditional roles. The 50:50 Vision Councils for Gender Equity is a 10 year program and designed so that councils can move through the awards and accreditations at their own pace. if your council hasn't registered yet, you can do so by clicking here.

New healing projects announced

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation has announced $2 million for 21 Indigenous community-led healing projects. These projects focus on overcoming the underlying causes of trauma, building positive relationships and preventing destructive cycles of behaviour. The Healing Foundation is an Indigenous run organisation which supports the development of successful models to address trauma and healing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A full list of successful projects will be available on the Healing Foundation's website.

Westpac Junior Landcare grants

Schools can now apply for the Westpac Junior Landcare Student Sustainability Grant. Grants are available to help students build sustainability leadership abilities to improve their school or local community environment. Applications close 10 December 2010.

Digital blackspots program

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Stephen Conroy said the halfway point in the delivery of the Regional Backbone Blackspots Program has been reached.

Senator Conroy said the $250 million Program was delivering around 6,000km of new fibre optic backbone links across regional Australia and already, 3,000 km's were in place.

"Fibre optic backbone links are the first building blocks of the National Broadband Network," Senator Conroy said. "Five backbone fibre links are targeting six priority regional locations in Broken Hill, Darwin, Emerald and Longreach, Geraldton, South West Gippsland and Victor Harbour.

"The lack of competitive backbone infrastructure is one of the biggest obstacles for fast affordable broadband in regional areas. Once this Program is complete, other broadband providers will be able to enter the market and offer faster broadband speeds, cheaper prices and more choice for people and businesses across regional Australia. In total the initiative will connect around 100 regional locations and benefit about 400,000 people across six states and territories."

Senator Conroy said the Regional Backbone Blackspots Program was also stimulating local economies during the rollout. More information on the Regional Backbone Blackspots Program, including maps of all routes, is available here.

ACT leads the way with climate change targets

The ACT Legislative Assembly has passed the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Bill 2010. The bill sets a 40% target for emissions reductions by 2020 - which is the nation's leading emissions reductions target. More information here.