Local Government welcomes Draft National Road Safety Strategy

Cr Genia McCaffery, President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), has welcomed the consultation draft of the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-20 which aims to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on Australian roads by at least 30% annually. The strategy was launched in Sydney on Wednesday by the Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport, Catherine King.

"Road crashes cause the death of some 1500 people and 30,000 serious injuries every year on Australian roads," Cr McCaffery said. "Ultimately no death or serious injury on our roads is acceptable."

Councils are collectively responsible for over 650,000 kilometres or 80% of all roads in Australia and local government welcomes the greater emphasis on local roads in the draft strategy.

"The internationally recognised 'Safe System' approach adopted in the draft Strategy accepts that people using the road network will make mistakes and therefore the whole 'system' needs to be made as safe as possible to ensure it is more forgiving of human errors," Cr McCaffery said.

"This means improving the safety of roads, adding safety features to cars, making sure people obey speed limits and the road rules, and having the appropriate sanctions for road users who demonstrate irresponsible behaviour.

"I urge state local government associations and councils to examine the draft strategy from their own perspectives and provide feedback by asking the questions: How will this work in my community? Is it practical? Are there alternative approaches to achieve the same or better result? How will these initiatives be paid for?"

The draft strategy and details on how to lodge feedback can be found on the Department of Infrastructure and Transport website.

National Urban Policy Discussion Paper

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese has released for community feedback a discussion paper which will form the basis of Australia's first ever National Urban Policy. Public submissions will close on 1 March 2011, with the final National Urban Policy to be published later in 2011. ALGA welcomes the Federal Government's involvement in our cities and its undertaking to consult closely with ALGA. ALGA will be making a submission focusing on planning, transport, infrastructure and environmental sustainability. The discussion paper also raises the issue of local government reform and the need for a debate on whether there should be fewer councils in our major cities. ALGA remains opposed to forced amalgamation of councils but believes that such a debate could be useful in highlighting community attitudes to the importance of local representation and decision making. Councils and local government associations are encouraged to make their own submissions. For more information on the consultation process and a copy of the Discussion Paper, click here.

National road specifications using recycled crushed glass

Business leaders, state and local government officials, road engineers and academics visited the Alex Fraser Group recycling plant in Laverton, Victoria to see how glass collected through local council kerbside recycling systems is being processed to a nationally consistent standard for use in construction.

The new specifications were developed by ARRB Group, peer reviewed by GHD's Geotechnical Division and funded by the Australian Food and Grocery Council's Packaging Stewardship Forum (PSF).

Through partnerships between the PSF, local government and industry there are already several sites nationwide demonstrating that using recycled crushed glass in roads and pavements provides a cost effective local solution for dealing with recovered glass containers.

In Victoria, Manningham and Brimbank Councils have constructed new bicycle and pedestrian pathways using a 100 percent recycled mix of crushed glass and crushed rock. Both councils have laid a total of 340 metres of pathways using recycled crushed glass in the sub base, the main load bearing layer of the pathways. In Tasmania, Clarence City Council has designed, developed and managed the construction of a car park at the Rosny Tennis Club using recycled crushed glass in pipe bedding, asphalt, sign pole footings, concrete footpaths, kerbing and guttering.

In NSW, Waverley Council has constructed two 100 metre sections of an asphalt and concrete road in Bondi, designed and approved by the Road Transport Authority NSW using recycled crushed glass. In total these project have diverted the equivalent of 920,000 stubbies from landfill.

For copies of the new specifications or for further recycled crushed glass information please contact Chris Jeffreys, Program Manager Glass Recovery & Recycling, on 0403 486 454 or chris.jeffreys@afgc.org.au

It is no secret that I am passionate about is planning, and the principle of local communities having a strong voice in local planning decisions.

It was pleasing to read the recent Grattan Institute's second Cities program report titled "Cities: Who Decides?"

In summary, the report investigates decision making in eight of the world's most successful cities, and asks what governance arrangements accompanied their broad-based improvement.

Not surprisingly every city has a different story, but among these differences are a number of common themes. These included the importance of public engagement, consistent strategic direction, cross-sectoral collaboration, and regional cooperation.

The report's findings have a number of implications for Australian cities, and I agree with the Grattan Institute that two stand out. Firstly, residents must be involved in decisions and secondly, changing structures does not guarantee success in itself and indeed may be just a distraction. Although no one particular type of governance structure was associated with cities' improvement, an important finding was that any structural change must be coupled with early and deep public engagement.

A long line of ALGA President's, especially my predecessor, Cr Geoff Lake, has made these exact statements to a variety of Commonwealth and State Ministers, and also in forums such as the Local Government and Planning Ministers' Council and the Housing Ministers' Council. Planning is not and was never intended to be a purely regulatory function. Planning is about ensuring community outcomes are delivered for the benefit of citizens, both now and into the future, and within reasonable environmental and design parameters. Removing the rights of communities to be engaged in planning and development is anathema to civilised and democratic societies we have in Australia.

Likewise the pressure to continuously reorganise or introduce new urban 'governance' structures to fix the problems of our cities and towns is largely a smoke screen. In saying that, I fully support the need to ensure our business models are operating efficiently and this may sometimes involve a degree of organisational and governance change. However to simply say that amalgamation of local government or introducing new development corporations or assessment panels will do the trick is simply not true. In the case of my home state, multiple interventions in the system of planning governance has just resulted in more confusion and distrust and the growing perception that good planning is little more than trying to reduce red tape.

Local government plays a critical role in planning and the management of our diverse communities. I will champion our role and the rights of our communities to be a key part of local planning decisions.

Cr Genia McCaffery
ALGA President

Briefs

Government consults widely on carbon price policy

ALGA attended the first meeting of the Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Roundtable on Climate Change on Friday 26 November 2010. The roundtable is one of two that have been established by the Government to provide input to their deliberations on a carbon price. The other Roundtable is for business and met on the morning of the same day. The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, and the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Tony Burke, chaired the meeting and Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig was also in attendance. The ministers provided a briefing on the Government's approach to climate change and the carbon price issue. Members have been appointed as individuals who bring different perspectives on climate change to the table that will provide valuable input to the Government's plans going forward. The Roundtable will meet throughout 2011.

Changes to solar credits

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, has announced amendments to Solar Credits with support for household solar installations beginning to be phased out a year earlier than previously planned. Minister Combet says this follows extensive industry consultation with the clean energy sector and energy utilities on draft regulations targeted at ensuring that solar systems are not provided for little or no out-of-pocket expense. Mr Combet said the Solar Credits multiplier would be reduced from 1 July 2011 in recognition of significant reductions in the cost of solar panels. For more information about the amendments to Solar Credits please click here.

Green money website

The Find Green Money website provides easy access to comprehensive information about green funding opportunities. Green Money could be anything from a discount on a backyard worm farm offered by a local council to a Community Action Grant offered by the Federal Government. The site provides access to funding opportunities offered by Commonwealth, state, local government, and non government organisations. More information here.

Youth allowance Senate inquiry

A senate inquiry is being held into the Independent Youth Allowance to look at the inequities that have come about since changes were made to the eligibility criteria.

Councils concerned about the changes are encouraged to make a submission to the inquiry, by December the 6th. They can be sent to eewr.sen@aph.gov.au or to the Committee Secretary of the Senate Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, PO Box 6100, Parliament House, ACT 2600.

A public hearing will also be held in Canberra on the 17th of December. Details on the inquiry and how to make a submission can be found here.

The report will be released on the 9th of February 2011.

Police and Emergency Management Council

The Ministerial Council for Police and Emergency Management - Emergency Management (the Council) met in Canberra last Friday. The Council is chaired by the Commonwealth Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, and comprises Commonwealth, State, Territory and New Zealand emergency management Ministers and ALGA was represented by Board member Cr Bob Abbot.

The Council discussed Australia's preparedness for the current bushfire season and other natural hazards such as cyclones and floods. The Council noted the Commonwealth is facilitating pre-disaster season operational briefings to all States and Territories and considered how these briefings could be enhanced in coming years. The Council also considered international best practice responses to natural disasters through discussion of the recent earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The critical importance of education, for both children and adults, in preparing and responding to emergencies was discussed by the Council. Ministers agreed the Chair would write to the Commonwealth Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth asking him to request the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority add a module on dealing with emergencies and disasters to the national curriculum.

Other key issues discussed by the Council included: the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience, the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission Final Report, Triple Zero Emergency Call Service, the National Strategy to Reduce Bushfire Arson in Australia and Bushfire Detection Camera Trials. The Communique is available here.

Safer Communities' awards

Attorney-General Robert McClelland has announced the winners of the Australian Safer Communities Awards. Councils that won awards were Yarra Ranges, Darwin City, Launceston City and Redland City. The Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner in Victoria won the National Significance category for the introduction of the national Emergency Alert Telephone Warning System. The warning system - which is being adopted across the country - allows emergency management agencies to send urgent warnings, such as bushfire warnings, directly to the public via telephone. Since its launch on 1 December 2009, Emergency Alert has been used 66 times and issued in excess of 520,000 messages in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory, for flood, tsunami, bushfire, gas outage and missing person emergencies. More details here.

Parliament approves airport planning reforms

The Airports Amendment Bill 2010 has passed through Parliament. The objective of the legislation is to address the concerns about planning on airports not being subject to state and local government planning regimes. ALGA made a submission to the Inquiry and was subsequently invited to and appeared as a witness. The ALGA submission while welcoming what was proposed in the Bill considered it did not go far enough as it still left developments on airport land outside the control of local planning processes. ALGA also raised the issue of payment of developer contributions and rates by on airport non aviation developments. The Minister for Infrastructure, Anthony Albanese, said the government was serious about giving greater voice to local communities over airport planning and better integrating those plans with local and state planning laws. "As part of our commitment to engage with the community and the aviation industry, the Government carefully examined the relevant Senate Committee's report and made important amendments to the Bill," he said.

Carbon price next year

The Australian Greens have welcomed Prime Minister Gillard's statement that she plans to deliver on a carbon price next year. "The Greens have always seen the second half of 2011 as the ideal time to legislate for a carbon price and we welcome the Prime Minister's movement in that direction," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said."We have a big job ahead to transform the Australian economy and a big job to agree on the details of the signal we need to send to the market. But we are committed to making it happen."

Preventative Health Agency

Australia's first ever Preventive Health Agency will soon be established following the passage of legislation in Parliament. The creation of the agency responds to calls from health professionals for Australia to establish - as many other countries have done - a dedicated agency to focus exclusively on driving the prevention agenda and combat the complex challenges of preventable chronic disease.

The agency will guide health ministers in their task of curbing the growth of lifestyle risks driving chronic disease. It is a role requiring national leadership, capacity to work across sectors and portfolios, and an oversight role for surveillance and monitoring.

The agency will play a key role in gathering, analysing and disseminating the best available evidence and evidence-based programs. Its prevention activities will engage all Australian governments as well as employers, businesses and other sectors. The agency will receive $133 million over four years, from the Government's $872 million COAG Prevention Partnership funding.

Water consumption down, prices up

Water prices have risen, but Australia is using less water according to the 4th Edition of the Water Account Australia, released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The average price of water nearly doubled from $0.40/kL in 2004-05 to $0.78/kL in 2008-09. There was large variation in the average price paid for water in 2008-09 with households paying $1.93/kL and agriculture $0.12/kL. Further details, including state summaries, can be found in Water Account Australia, 2008-09 (cat. no. 4610.0), available for free download from the ABS website.

Cost-shifting alive and well

The Local Government and Shires Associations' (LGSA) annual cost shifting survey has revealed that NSW councils continue to foot the bill for State Government responsibilities, with local communities ultimately paying the price.

The LGSA surveyed 77 councils to determine the burden of expenses and services shifted to councils from the State and Federal Government. The cost shifting bill amounted to $440 million for 2008/09, accounting for 5.74% of Local Government's total income before capital.

President of the Shires Association, Cr Bruce Miller, said that the true impact is clear when you consider the annual cost shifting amount of $440 million is over two-thirds of the annual infrastructure renewal shortfall of $600 million.

"The survey demonstrates that councils are continuing to deliver services that are State Government responsibilities without receiving the matching funding," said Cr. Miller.

The survey also lists other examples of cost shifting such as inadequate funding to regulate companion animals, manage contaminated land, control food safety or administer environmental regulation. To view the full report on the survey, click here.

Vale George Creed

Former Gladstone Regional Council mayor George Creed - 'a man of substance' - died recently after battling cancer for many months. Mr Creed, who was a long-standing local government representative for the Gladstone region, resigned as Gladstone Regional Council's mayor in September as his health deteriorated. He served in local government from March 1976 to September this year, holding the position of Gladstone Regional Council mayor following the 2008 local government elections required due to forced amalgamations across the state. Mr Creed had previously been mayor for Calliope Shire Council from 1995 to 2008. He was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2006, the Volunteer Medal for 45 years service to his local Rural Fire Brigade and the Paul Harris Fellow Rotary Award in recognition of his service to Local Government. One of the condolence messages posted on-line says that 'through his work, George Creed helped to make Gladstone more than a town - he made it a community.'

drumMuster rolls on

The success of the drumMUSTER program just keeps rolling on, with the 16 millionth drum being collected for recycling by the Lockyer Shire Council in Queensland recently. Working hand-in-hand with local shire councils, drumMUSTER organises and undertakes both the collection and recycling of eligible crop production and on-farm animal health chemical containers. drumMUSTER has Regional Consultants working right across Australia and there are 758 collection sites in shires around the nation. Amazingly, the initiative has now saved more than 20,000 tonnes of material from landfill since its inception in 1999. For further information or to register your containers for the program, you can call the Head Office on 1800 008 707, email Allan McGann at allanmcgann@agsafe.com.au or jump onto the website.

New funding announced for national touring exhibitions

Arts Minister Simon Crean has announced $1.4 million of Federal Government funding to support exhibitions visiting 53 communities across the nation.

The funding will support the touring of exhibitions to every state and territory and 28 of the exhibitions will visit regional Australia. Click here for full details of the funding recipients and further program information.

Australian infrastructure report card shows little change

Engineers Australia 2010 Australian Infrastructure Report Card has found that little or no real overall progress has been made in the past 5 years, despite some attempts to make up for past under-spending.

The report found that a large proportion of Australia's infrastructure is reaching the end of its useful life. Increasingly, owners will have to spend money on replacement of ageing assets, not only to meet the needs of an expanding population, but also to cater for increasing minerals and gas exports.

The capital investment on infrastructure required over the next decade will be very significant. But one of the areas that can easily be overlooked is the need to ensure that whole-of-life operational performance and maintenance costs are covered. While short-term savings can be made by reducing maintenance, the end-result is inevitably more expensive and disruptive.

A full copy of the report, with ratings and comments about infrastructure sectors at the national, state and territory levels, including the nation-wide comparative table, is available here.

SecondBite celebrates five years of food saved

Food charity SecondBite yesterday celebrated its fifth birthday, and a total of 3.5 million nutritious meals provided to those in need - representing around 1,700 tonnes of fresh food saved from landfill. SecondBite is a not-for-profit organisation which sources quality surplus fresh food that would otherwise go to waste, and redistributes it to agencies and people in need. Each week SecondBite delivers fresh produce to over 160 agencies throughout Victoria and Tasmania. SecondBite has also invested in research into some of the more complex issues surrounding food security, resulting in a number of revolutionary programs that have been launched in the last five years. One of these is SecondBite Community Connect, a ground breaking model of redistributing surplus food to community groups, where SecondBite partners a local community food program with a local food donor to enable nutritious surplus fresh food to be collected and distributed to people in need.

SEQ drought likely caused by 'climate variability'

The recent South-East Queensland (SEQ) drought was likely caused by shifts associated with climate variability over decades rather than climate change, according to the findings of a team of CSIRO researchers led by Dr Wenju Cai.

"We found that, unlike in South-West Western Australia, climate change plays little part in the SEQ rainfall reduction, but cannot be ruled out," Dr Cai said.

The research team aimed to determine whether the SEQ's recent rainfall reductions were partly due to climate change and, if so, whether dry conditions will occur there more often in the future.

"At this stage, renewal of a rain-generating process with La Nina bringing higher rainfall to SEQ might be expected to last for 10 to 20 years," Dr Cai said.

"Ongoing research is examining whether increased temperatures linked to climate change in the future will alter the frequency, intensity, and duration of drought. We are also investigating if the rising temperature due to climate change has played a part in the unprecedented low water storage level of the recent drought and how climate change will impact on climate variability." The research is available here.

Unley Council snares award hat-trick

Unley Council has completed a 2010 award trifecta, with two council projects being recognised at last week's annual Planning Institute of Australia (SA) Planning Excellence Awards, following an award earlier this year for a commitment to gender equity.

The Council's 'Green House Effect - Historic Dwelling Improvement Design and Resource Audit' took out the Award for Planning Excellence during the November 26 ceremony, while the 'Unley Main Road Corridors Future Directions' project was awarded a Certificate of Commendation.

The two awards follow another win for the City of Unley, with the 50:50 Vision - Councils for Gender Equity Program awarding the Council a Bronze Award for its ongoing commitment to gender equity in local government.