Count down to the National General Assembly (NGA)

One month out from the National General Assembly, a record number of registrations have been received, confirming the NGA as the biggest event for local government this year. This year we will have the Prime Minister opening the Assembly, as well as key federal politicians including, Minister Crean, Minister Combet, Tony Abbott, Senator Bob Brown and Senator Barnaby Joyce. This year's theme Place, Position and Partnership will address some of the key issues affecting local government in Australia and how partnerships between all levels of government can deliver better outcomes for communities - planning for the unique requirements of each 'place' to be more responsive to community needs; local government's 'position' in the community and the federation; and partnerships in programs, their planning and implementation. In addition to the three concurrent symposia, one of the highlights of this year's NGA will be The Pitch panel Session. Leading comedian and host of the New Inventors James O'Loghlin will lead a panel session which will look at how local government could best be promoted to the public ahead of our campaign for constitutional reform. This will be a very important Assembly in the lead up to the referendum on local government, so make sure you book for this year's NGA.

Business Papers for the NGA are currently being finalised and delegates who have registered to attend the NGA will receive an electronic copy of the Business Papers next week, with a hard copy arriving in the mail shortly after that. There will be a copy of the Business Papers also provided in the satchels at the NGA. This year, the Regional Cooperation and Development Forum will precede the NGA on Sunday 19 June. This year's Forum includes the launch of the State of the Regions Report which features detailed economic analysis for Australia's regions under the theme 'Beyond the Mining Boom'. A copy of the State of the Regions Report will be provided to all delegates at the Regional Forum. To register you attendance at the National General Assembly and Regional Forum, go to http://nga.alga.asn.au

New grants program gets strong response

The Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean announced this week that Round One of the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) had attracted around 300 applications for projects valued in the order of $1 billion. Up to $100 million is available for Round One applications and projects will be awarded on the basis of a competitive, merit-based assessment process.

"I am delighted with the response. It shows that communities have truly embraced RDAF as an opportunity to unlock the potential of Australia's regions through locally driven solutions to regional needs," Mr Crean said.

RDAF is providing almost $1 billion over five years to finance infrastructure projects that best fit regional needs and priorities.

"Only applications that have been endorsed by local Regional Development Australia (RDA) committees and align with RDA Regional Plans are being considered. This ensures that program funds deliver on local priorities. The 55 RDA committees are playing a pivotal, grass roots role in the RDAF process and I thank all members of the RDA network for their work on behalf of regional communities," Mr Crean said.

The scope of the RDAF applications received is very broad and ranges from the construction of new buildings such as sporting complexes, through to the upgrade of existing facilities such as swimming pools and bridges.

"The diversity of applications confirms our understanding that each region is unique with distinctive strengths and diverse needs," Mr Crean said.

The independent RDAF Advisory Panel will assess the applications and provide advice to the Minster in June and successful projects will be announced in July. Details of RDAF Round Two will be announced later this year and the program guidelines can be found here.

National Urban Policy released

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese released the National Urban Policy on 18 May. The Policy builds on the principles document released in last week's budget and provides a broad framework to guide Commonwealth involvement and investment in cities. It places significant emphasis on the need for all levels of government to work together, and notes the importance of balancing efficient planning processes with the engagement of stakeholders and the community. A national over-arching framework for planning has been welcomed, but will need to be matched with adequate Commonwealth resources to support the investment in infrastructure which is required to achieve the policy's goals. The Urban Policy is consistent with the main issues raised in ALGA's submission, but additionally flags the creation of a National Urban Forum to advise on National Urban Policy implementation. ALGA will be seeking representation on the Forum to represent the interests of its metropolitan councils. The National Urban Policy is available here.

The last week has been a busy period for the Government with the release of two major and eagerly anticipated documents: The National Sustainable Population Strategy and the National Urban Policy. The Government itself has linked these two policies, as well as its Regional Policy, as underpinning the Government's approach to building a sustainable Australia but while the release of the documents is welcome, it is clear that a lot more needs to be done in these areas.

ALGA recognized the close connection between population and urban issues and lodged a single submission with the Government covering both areas. We stressed the need for a clear vision on where the Government saw the population and settlement of Australia going, the importance of a collaborative approach between the three levels of government and the need to ensure adequate resourcing for the local community infrastructure required to support growing urban and regional populations. While the two documents released do acknowledge the importance of a whole of government approach and community engagement, there is little detail about how big our national population or cities should be or where those people should go.

The involvement of the Australian Government in national population issues and in supporting our cities is essential if we are to coordinate the provision of services and infrastructure by all levels of government. It is fair to say that concerns have already been raised about the lack of details in the Population Strategy and the Government will have to digest and consider those criticisms. The Urban Policy is a more comprehensive document which puts many of the Government's existing initiatives (including broadband, infrastructure investment, a carbon price and social inclusion) in the context of an urban policy and flags the creation of a National Urban Forum to advise on implementation of the Policy. We're particularly pleased the policy recognizes the importance of balancing efficient planning processes with ensuring the continual role of local government and the engagement of local communities.

While ALGA will continue to engage at the COAG level on broad urban policy issues I believe it important that the interests of more than 110 metropolitan councils are reflected in the Policy's implementation and ALGA will push for local government representation on the National Forum.

Mayor Genia McCaffery
ALGA President

Briefs

New Editor for 'ALGA News'

We welcome Megan Magill as the new Editor of 'ALGA News'. Megan can be contacted at megan.magill@alga.asn.au or on 02 61229434. Advertising inquiries should be made to Zaman Khaliq-ul on 02 61229426 or at zaman.khaliqul@alga.asn.au

Sustainable Population Strategy released

Last Friday the Minister for Sustainable Population, Communities and Water, Tory Burke, released the Government's national population strategy Sustainable Australia - Sustainable communities. The population strategy outlines key directions to so that future population change supports the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of the nation and sets out a framework for improving the mix of services, job and skilled training opportunities and affordable housing. The strategy focuses on population change rather than setting targets, driving growth the regional areas by attracting skilled workers and more houses to where job opportunities are. The 80 page document is available here. While welcoming a national framework and a vision for the future, ALGA has said that the policy needs to be underpinned by adequate resourcing for the local infrastructure required to support the growing urban and regional populations.

Constitutional resolutions

We now have 159 councils which have passed resolutions in support of constitutional recognition and there is continuing media coverage surrounding councils' resolutions.

Councils which have recently advised ALGA of their resolutions are:

• Shire of Northampton (WA)
• City of Tea Tree Gully (SA)
• District Council of Yorke Peninsula (SA)
• Redland City Council (Qld)
• Cootamundra Shire Council (NSW)
• Meander Valley Council (Tas)
• City of Swan (WA)
• East Gippsland Shire Council (Vic)
• Hinchinbrook Shire Council (Qld)
• Willoughby City Council (NSW)
• Shire of Chittering (WA)
• Shire of Katanning (WA)
• Shire of Broome (WA)
• Shire of Carnamah (WA)
• Cassowary Coast Regional Council (Qld)
• Somerset Regional Council (Qld)
• Wentworth Shire Council (NSW)
• South Burnett Regional Council (Qld)
• City of Wagga Wagga (NSW)
• Swan Hill Rural City Council (Vic)
• Town of East Fremantle (WA)
• Greater Taree City Council (NSW)
• Wyong Shire Council (NSW)
• Shire of Donnybrook (WA)
• Nillumbik Shire Council (Vic)
• City of Charles Sturt (SA)
• Hepburn Shire Council (Vic)
• Wellington Shire Council (Vic)
• Dubbo City Council (NSW)
• Central Desert Shire (NT)
• Shire of Mingenew (WA)

Any councils requiring further information should contact Monica Telesny on 02 61229433 or at monica.telesny@alga.asn.au.

Further assistance for disaster affected communities in NSW

Attorney-General Robert McClelland and Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean have announced further disaster assistance for NSW small businesses and primary producers recovering from severe rainfall and flooding in early February. The assistance is in addition to the range of payments and support being provided to the communities - as well as other disaster-affected NSW communities - through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).

In a statement on 13 May, Mr McClelland said joint Commonwealth/State Government assistance of clean-up and recovery grants of up to $15,000 will now be available in 16 Local Government Areas in regional NSW.

"In February, the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Yasi combined with other weather systems caused torrential rainfall and severe flooding across a number of areas in regional NSW," Mr McClelland said. February's floods were the third major flood event in four months for many of these areas.

"Primary producers and small business owners in Albury City, Balranald, Berrigan, Conargo, Cootamundra, Corowa, Greater Hume, Hay, Jerildere, Junee, Lockhart, Murray, Urana, Wagga Wagga, Wakook and Wentworth are now eligible to claim clean up and recovery grants.

The grants will help primary producers with general clean up costs including the removal of debris and dead livestock, purchase of fodder and replacement trading stock and repairs to damaged equipment and property access. They will also help small businesses affected by flooding or storms undertake or be reimbursed for repairs.

"This is an example of different levels of government working in partnership to deliver assistance where it is most needed," Mr Crean said.

The assistance announced is jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments and has been activated after NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell wrote to the Prime Minister requesting the activation of grants of up to $15,000. For further information about clean up and recovery grants for farmers and small businesses, call the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or click here.

Reconstruction funding for flood affected communities

Prime Minister Julia Gillard this week announced that Victoria will receive $500 million in upfront funding to help with the rebuilding of crucial infrastructure damaged by recent flooding. The Federal Government has signed a National Partnership Agreement with the Victorian Government which will allow for the advance payment to be made on 17 May. With the signing of the Agreement, the allocation of funding is being fast-tracked so the State Government can focus on providing assistance to Victorian communities most in need.

The $500 million will be used to help rebuild essential infrastructure such as bridges and roads. The Prime Minister also announced joint funding of grants worth up to $25,000 to help Victorian small businesses and primary producers clean up after heavy rainfall in March.

Additionally, the deadline for applications for the Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy has been extended until 31 May this year. This extension recognises the fact that some primary producers who were inundated by floodwaters remain unable to raise an income from their land.

In Victoria, almost 100 townships across 27 municipalities and more than 3,000 properties were disaster-affected by floods.

The National Partnership Agreement provides for the Reconstruction Inspectorate, led by Mr John Fahey AC, to oversee reconstruction activity to provide assurance that value for money is being achieved in the disaster response in Victoria.

The Queensland Government has also signed a National Partnership Agreement with the Federal Government for natural disaster reconstruction. For specific information about NDRRA assistance made available in response to specific disasters click here.

Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 - 2020

Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport, Catherine King, and Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Richard Marles launched the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 - 2020 in Parliament House Canberra on May 11.

The launch of the the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 - 2020 is being marked with rolling 24-hour launches in each of the world's time zones.

Approximately 1.3 million people die on the world's roads each year and up to 50 million people sustain non-fatal injuries - with a large proportion of this trauma occurring in developing nations. The Australian Government was one of the co-sponsors of the resolution proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010. One of the key elements of the Decade is the setting up of a global Road Safety Fund.

The Australian Government has committed $6.2 million to the World Bank's Global Road Safety Facility, to improve road safety across the world. Mr Marles said that the Australian Government's funding contribution to the World Bank's Global Road Safety Facility would go a long way towards improving road safety, particularly in developing nations.

"The Decade of Action for Road Safety has one key goal: to stabilise and then reduce the forecast level of road traffic fatalities around the world by 2020," Mr Marles said.

The aim of the Facility is to provide funding support for road safety initiatives in low and middle-income countries including countries in our region. These countries take on a disproportionate burden of road safety accidents in comparison to the proportion of the world's vehicles.

For further information on the Decade click here.

Fast Facts:

• Each year, around 1.3 million people die in road crashes worldwide and up to 50 million people suffer non-fatal injuries, many becoming disabled for life.
• If no action is taken to address the current crisis, global road traffic fatalities are forecast to rise to more than 2.4 million deaths per year by 2030, becoming the fifth leading cause of death.
• Road traffic fatalities are the tenth leading cause of death of young people aged 15-29 years.
• Over 90 per cent of road deaths occur in developing nations where people are living in low-to middle-income families.
• In addition to the grief and suffering they cause, road traffic crashes result in considerable economic losses to victims, their families, and nations as a whole, costing most countries 15 per cent of their gross national product.
• In Australia, each year about 1,400 people lose their lives and around 32,000 are hospitalised as a result of crashes on our roads.

Need to rethink disaster insurance

The federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland has told a seminar on flood resilience that Australia needs to rethink its natural disaster policies, and has warned government handouts may act as a disincentive to people taking out their own insurance.

"In many ways the Australian taxpayer has become the default insurer of last resort," according to Mr McClelland.

Addressing the seminar, hosted by the Institute of Actuaries of Australia, he said that more money should to be spent on flood and bushfire mitigation and prevention, but that disaster relief and recovery assistance should not replace or operate as a disincentive for insurance or disaster mitigation measures.

"The Australian government is providing the states and territories with about $110 million over four years for disaster mitigation," which he described as a large amount of money, but not compared with the $6 billion that the government will spend on response and recovery in 2011 alone.

He said that the government's policy needs to change if it is to be able to cover the costs of disasters in the future. He added that current government assistance acted as a disincentive to people building up their own resources to cope, such as taking out insurance or creating flood-resistant homes.

Mr McClelland also pointed to a need for flood mapping, property relocation and a private and public partnership on insurance.

Disaster management college proposed

In evidence to the Queensland Flood Commission, Queensland's deputy police commissioner Ian Stewart wants a college established to train people in disaster management and coded text messages to warn people of impending danger.

Mr Stewart was the state disaster coordinator when floods hit 70 per cent of the state in January and although supporting the three-tiered Disaster Management Act, he stressed the need for better training of people at all levels and in state agencies who respond to disasters. Under the Disaster Management Act, information is sent from the local level, to district and state level, where resources are identified and sent back down the line.

Mr Stewart suggested a possible "Queensland College of natural disasters" to ensure Queensland had the required level of training and reserves to respond to disasters.

The inquiry heard that alerts had panicked people in Moreton Bay, because the text messages didn't specify what streets would be flooded or where people should evacuate to.

Mr Stewart saw scope to improve the messages, perhaps by using a code system. People would then need to be educated as to what the code required them to do, for example a 'code red' meant they had 10 minutes to act.

National Reconciliation Week 27 May - 3 June

National Reconciliation Week is an annual celebration from 27 May - 3 June and is a time for all Australians to reflect on our shared histories, contributions and achievements. The theme for the week in 2011 is Let's talk recognition.

The week is framed by two key events in Australia's history which provide strong symbols of the aspirations for reconciliation.

May 27 marks the anniversary of Australia's most successful referendum and a defining event in our nation's history. The 1967 Referendum saw over 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Commonwealth the power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise them in the national census.

On 3 June, 1992, the High Court of Australia delivered its landmark Mabo decision which legally recognised that Indigenous people had a special relationship to the land-that existed prior to colonalisation and still exists today. This recognition paved the way for Indigenous land rights called Native Title.

The conversation about recognition will pave the way for the referendum announced by the Government, to be held on or before the next election. When people go to vote, we want them to feel confident and capable of making an informed decision. To do this it is important to start the conversation about the value of recognition for us all and why it is important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in particular. For further details click here or call (02) 6273 9200.

National Tourism Planning Guide

The National Tourism Planning Guide provides instructions on how to use the planning framework hierarchy to proactively plan for the supply side of tourism. Key features of the Guide include:

• mechanisms for planners to better engage with the tourism industry;
• guidance on land use zoning approaches and tourism land use definitions to assist planners to determine the appropriateness of tourism development;
• guidance for jurisdictions to consider the use of call in powers; and
• measures local authorities can use for tourism development.

The Guide should be used in conjunction with the Local Government and Planning Minister's Council's development assessment reform initiatives.

Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government and Chair of the Local Government Planning Minister's Council, Simon Crean, has asked for the Guide to be circulated to jurisdictions and organisations. The Guide, released on October 2010, is available here. Further information can be obtained from the LGPMC secretariat at 02 624 7010 or lgpmc@regional.gov.au.

Sustainable House Day

Sustainable House Day will be celebrating 10 years of showcasing energy and water efficient homes. This iconic event has seen a dramatic growth, largely due to the increased demand by people for more information on what they can do to save energy and water in their homes.

In 2010 over 18 million media impacts were disseminated about the event, driving tens of thousands to the website, www.sustainablehouseday.com and www.shmeco.com.

Councils around the country are getting behind the event by coordinating homes in their area, or staging other localised activities to capitalise on the additional exposure the event brings.

A great example is the "Sustainable House Day Tour" conducted by the Mosman Council, in collaboration with the Clean Energy for Eternity Group. Local residents have made changes to their homes to make them more sustainable. Jump on the bus for a tour of these residences! Includes DIY tips and advice from those who have done it. Click here for more information.

If your council has an event with an environmental focus or would like to consider opening homes in your area, please contact Pia Vogrin on O419 853 614 or pia@shmeco.com. Sustainable House day is on September 11.

Banksia Awards for environmental excellence - information sessions

Banksia is once again looking to inspire and be inspired by examples of environmental excellence in Australia's most prestigious environmental awards and urge Local Governments leading the way in environmental sustainability to enter the awards.

The best way to find out about the awards is to visit www.banksiafdn.com, but you can also attend one of the information sessions Banksia are holding around Australia in the coming weeks which give useful tips to assist you in putting together your award entry. These informal sessions commence at 6.15pm. To find out when these sessions are happening in your city and register to attend go to http://bit.ly/jvkpNy

Sessions will be held in Adelaide - Mon 23 May; Perth - Tue 24 May; Canberra - Tue 31 May; and Hobart - Thu 16 June

MobileMuster Local Councils Award closes in 3 weeks

MobileMuster, the official recycling program of the mobile phone industry, is calling on local councils which have helped promote and collect mobile phones for recycling over the last year to nominate for the 2011 MobileMuster Local Government Awards. There are five awards up for grabs including Best Promoter, Working with Schools Award, Top Collector Award Overall, Top Collector per Capita and National Excellence.

The awards, established in 2007, recognise and celebrate the outstanding efforts by local government in promoting and collecting mobile phones, batteries, chargers and accessories for recycling. The winning councils will be announced during the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) National General Assembly at the National Convention Centre in Canberra from 19th - 22nd June 2011.

"Councils play a major role in educating residents about waste and collecting mobile phones for recycling. With most homes having at least two old mobiles sitting in drawers either broken or unused, there is a lot of potential e-waste that could end up in landfills if not recycled", Manager of Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, Rose Read said.

"In the 12 months to December 2010, local councils diverted almost 3,800 kg of mobile phones, batteries, chargers and accessories from landfill. This was a 23% increase on 2009 and included over 36,000 handsets and batteries as well as 1,300 kg in accessories," said Ms Read.

Nominations close on Tuesday 7th June 2011, for more information and to nominate for the awards visit here or call 1300 730 070.

IWC Water Leader Scholarships open

Every year, the International WaterCentre (IWC) awards scholarships to a small number of excellent candidates who are accepted into the IWC Master of Integrated Water Management (MIWM) and clearly demonstrate potential to become future water leaders. Scholarships are open to international and domestic applicants.

The Scholarship covers full tuition (AU$41,520) or partial tuition fees to study IWC Master of Integrated Water Management. The minimum entry requirements for Scholarship applicants are the completion of the equivalent of an Australian undergraduate degree in a related field of study from an internationally-recognised institution; demonstrated English language proficiency (www.uq.edu.au/ international/language-requirements); and two years practical experience in a related field (preferred but not required).

To apply for the scholarship, you must also apply for the Master of Integrated Water Management program. Both applications must be received by 1 August 2011. Successful applicants are notified by September 2011 and the program commences in February 2012 at the University of Queensland. Applications can be accessed here and here.

Closure of the National Rainwater and Greywater Initiative

The Government will no longer be providing rebates for rainwater tanks or greywater systems under the National Rainwater and Greywater Initiative. Tanks or systems purchased after 10 May will no longer be eligible for the Goverment rebate.

The rebate will be available to householders who made a purchase on or before 10 May 2011. However, rebate applications must be submitted by November 2011. More information can be obtained here.

New Guide to workplace Safety released for Local Government and Public Works Sector

Pro-Visual Publishing has recently released the 2011 edition of the National Guide to Public Works and Services Safety, which focuses on reducing workplace accidents and injury to those involved in the Local Government and Public Works sector. The Guide is packed with useful and relevant information to increase awareness of health and safety within the industry. The guide is distributed free of charge to all members of the Local Government and Public services sector and additional copies are available.

The Guide states that working on roads is particularly hazardous and requires safe and effective traffic control to ensure the safety of employees, contractors and the general public. The Guide includes valuable information on traffic control on worksites and gives a checklist for workers to use when controlling traffic.

It outlines the importance of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in the workplace and states that PPE should only be considered as a means of controlling workplace hazards if all other means of hazard control are not practicable. The guide gives useful tips for employees to consider when wearing PPE and also notes the specific PPE that should be worn when dealing with Asbestos.

For further information, or to obtain additional copies of the Chart, please call (02) 8272 2611, email marketing@provisual.com.au or click here.

Litterers Anonymous - Australian celebrities break their silence about their littering habits

Keep Australia Beautiful has brought together an unlikely group of Australian celebrities to form a fictitious group called Litterers Anonymous. The comedic new anti-littering campaign aims to lift the profile of littering problems in Australia and will see Keep Australia Beautiful promoting the Litterers Anonymous 'One Step Program' which is simply to 'use the bin'.

DerrynHinch, Lara Bingle, John Jarratt, Nick Giannopolous, Russell Gilbert and Tania Zaetta are all taking part to help highlight the issue of littering and how easy it is to avoid. Although their stories are fictitious they aim to highlight the real life habits of litterers, as research shows that many people don't own up to littering and that there are a range of littering 'types'.

Studies have found that there are large differences between the way people reported and described their behaviour, and their actual behaviour. In one study, nearly half of the people observed littering only minutes earlier denied they had done so.

Litterers have been 'classified' for the campaign - Wedgers are people who stuff disposable objects into small spaces where they will not be seen, such as behind a seat; undertakers are people who bury disposable objects under sand or leaves; and foul shooters are people who aim for the bin but miss, and leave the object on the ground.

The Litterers Anonymous campaign hopes to make people more accountable for their actions and remind people to use the bin - and the right bin - given the growing number of recycling bins now also available in public places. Keep Australia Beautiful will be launching the campaign in cinema, TV, radio and online this week at www.litterersanonymous.org.au.

National simultaneous storytime on 25 May

Ensuring that more Australian children are involved in reading stories is an important part of contributing toward a more literate society. Every year, at over a thousand locations around Australia - libraries, schools, kindergartens, childcare centres and bookshops - 140,000 children read the same Australian children's book simultaneously and enjoy a range of supporting educational activities that promote the value of reading and literacy.

National Simultaneous Storytime, now in its 11th successful year, is organised by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). It is a colourful, vibrant and fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age appropriate themes and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Grades 1 to 6. The event receives favourable media coverage, generates a great deal of community interest and is held annually as part of Library and Information Week. This year, reading takes place on Wednesday 25 May at 11am AEDT and we would love it if you could join us by sharing "Feathers for Phoebe" by Rod Clement, a wonderful Australian tale about self-esteem, self-acceptance and learning that appearances aren't everything. Register now to participate - it's free and we have some great activities and resources available to support your National Simultaneous Storytime event.

UK announces 50 per cent cut to greenhouse emissions by 2025

The UK has announced that it would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2025 and by 80 per cent by 2050 based on 1990 levels. UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said in a statement that the move was in line with advice from the independent Committee on Climate Change.

Federal Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Minister, Greg Combet said the Australian Government welcomed the move. "The UK proposal is further evidence that countries around the world take climate change seriously, and are committed to reducing their carbon pollution," he said.

"The carbon budget will place the British economy at the leading edge of a new global industrial transformation, and ensure low carbon energy security and decarbonisation is achieved at least cost to the consumer. The package announced today also includes measures to minimise costs of the low-carbon transition to industries exposed to international competition", Mr Huhne said.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said by making this commitment the UK will be positioned as a leading player in the global low-carbon economy.

"When the coalition came together last year, we said we wanted this to be the greenest government ever. This is the right approach for Britain if we are to combat climate change, secure our energy supplies for the long-term and seize the economic opportunities that green industries hold, he said

Third Joint Medicines Policy Conference

2011 Third Joint Medicines Policy Conference, held by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing together with Medicines Australia, will take place in Canberra on August 30 to 31, 2011. This year's theme will be Health Technology Assessment for Future Generations and will focus on the value of providing a medicine to the community in a sustainable way. Further information is available here.