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Briefs
Deaths on Australian roads fell by 4.8 per cent in the year to end October 2011, according to the latest statistics from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE). The outcome helped drive road deaths per capita in the same period to their lowest level on record - 5.7 annual deaths per 100,000 people.
While describing the figures as encouraging, Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport, Catherine King said there were still far too many horrific crashes and scenes of devastation on the nation’s roads. "Despite road deaths being down, over 1,279 people were killed on our roads over the last 12 months - tragic figures that can’t be glossed over," Ms King said.
The latest statistics show an encouraging 11.7 per cent decrease in deaths in the year to end October 2011 for those in the 17-25 age bracket. "We will continue to target this key age group through the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 with Australia’s governments working to improve graduated licensing arrangements and early driver training
Ms King also said the latest figures show that more people died in single vehicle crashes than multiple crashes.
A copy of the October 2011 monthly summary of road deaths can be found at www.bitre.gov.au
The Australian Government has announced that it will establish a new national road safety system to tackle speed, fatigue and dangerous work practices in the trucking industry.
A new Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal will have the ability to set pay or pay-related conditions to ensure safe driving practices. This is aimed at ensuring that truck drivers are paid reasonably for the work they do, getting rid of the economic incentive for drivers to take unacceptable risks on our roads.
The Government will introduce legislation to establish a national Road Safety Remuneration System comprising the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal and a separate education and compliance framework.
The Tribunal will begin work on 1 July, 2012, and will include members from Fair Work Australia along with independent work, health and safety experts.
Where the Tribunal determines that a sector of the industry has poor safety outcomes as a result of low remuneration, the Tribunal will be able to make a Road Safety Remuneration Order to improve the on-road safety outcomes for drivers operating in that sector.
The Government has been working on this legislation and has been consulting with industry.
Research by the National transport Commission shows low rates of pay can lead to risky work practices by drivers to make ends meet. These risky practices by drivers include speeding, long hours and using illicit substances.
Local Government Minister Simon Crean has announced that the Australian Government will conduct a review of infrastructure financing to identify new ways of unlocking investment dollars to meet local infrastructure needs.
Speaking at the first meeting of the Local Government Ministers Forum in Canberra, Mr Crean said: "It's essential with a growing population, the demands on local services and the need to secure our future prosperity that we build on existing local, state and federal programs and leverage all opportunities for funding."
"To drive this, the Australian Government is commissioning Ernst and Young to conduct a review of regional infrastructure financing to find new ways to unlock vital investment dollars and enable them to go further.
"Working closely with state, Territory and local governments, the review will identify additional sources of capital for future local infrastructure such as Public Private Partnerships and accessing superannuation capital."
The terms of reference are to assess how effectively and efficiently local infrastructure needs are prioritised and subsequently funded by local government; identify the sources of capital for future local infrastructure needs; and identify the opportunities, best practice models and principles for the regional prioritisation and financing of local government infrastructure.
Due to report back in March 2012, the review will be led by leading expert on infrastructure projects and procurement Darrin Grimsey.
Since July 2010, 45 councils Australia-wide have received Commonwealth Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) local government area (LGA) grants. Under the HCI, $61.5 million is available to LGAs to increase the number of adults, predominantly not in the paid workforce, to engage in physical activity and healthy eating programs and activities.
The HEAL™ program is an eight-week healthy lifestyle program that supports people to develop lifelong physical activity and healthy eating practices. Local councils in all states and territories around the country have chosen to deliver HEAL™ as a part of their HCI project activities. HEAL™ programs are now being successfully offered in, or are planned for, the following council areas:
New South Wales
- Fairfield, Liverpool, Kempsey, Greater Taree, Clarence Valley and Brewarrina
Queensland
- Whitsundays, Logan, Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast
Western Australia
- Wanneroo, Bunbury, Manjimup, Gosnells and Cockburn
South Australia
- Playford, District of Mount Remarkable, Salisbury and Marion
Tasmania
-Cradle Coast and Glenorchy
Northern Territory
- Darwin and Palmerston
Victoria
- Maribyrnong, Greater Dandenong and Glenelg-Southern Grampians
ACT
- ACT Health
Councils that would like to access the HEAL™ program are encouraged to contact the HEAL™ project team.
LGAs in NSW, VIC, NT and ACT - please contact jborodzicz@sswgpl.com.au
LGAs in QLD, WA, TAS and SA - please contact sharon.hetherington@essa.org.au
Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Australian Institute of Architects, has launched a new environmental housing design service for local government.
The Sustainable Home Design Advice Service provides practical steps to help new home builders and renovators cope with rising energy and water costs, and improve the sustainable design of housing within their municipalities.
The program commenced with Lane Cove Council in New South Wales in 2009 and has since been further developed and expanded into other council areas.
Archicentre Chief Executive, Mark Stewart said: "This innovative program is aimed at helping residents with best practice building design, the correct choice of materials as well as other sustainable opportunities that are specific to each home and circumstance."
"The purpose of the Sustainable Home Design Advice Service is to influence design from the outset - well before residents have commenced to develop full plans or make application for permits to council. As such, it maximises the sustainability potential of the project."
"Archicentre has designed the program to work in conjunction with council planning and building services."
Archicentre State Manager New South Wales, Ian Agnew said: "An Archicentre Accredited Architect will meet with the resident and discuss objectives, strategies, and budgets in order to achieve desired outcomes in a cost effective manner that will also have a positive effect on the environment for net reductions in green house gas emissions."
For more information visit www.archicentre.com.au
The New South Wales city of Kogarah has won the Keep Australia Beautiful, Australian Sustainable Cities Awards for 2011.
The Award recognises Kogarah for its proactive and innovative approach to sustainability and successfully engaging individuals, community groups, businesses and schools in a wide range of environmental projects and initiatives.
In addition to winning the overall title, Kogarah also picked up national awards for the Dame Phyllis Frost Litter Prevention and Heritage and Culture categories.
According to the Australian Sustainable Cities Judge, Dick Olesinski, Kogarah's all-inclusive approach to creating a more sustainable city contributed to its win. "Kogarah has successfully combined a strong vision, holistic and inclusive planning, and effective on-ground actions to demonstrate real impact and results," Dick Olesinski said.
"Kogarah City Council's Community Strategic Plan was developed not only to reduce litter and rubbish across the city, but also to encourage all aspects of the community to take part. Their implementation of litter management, reduction and education programs earned them the ‘Dame Phyllis Frost’ Litter Prevention Award." Olesinski added.
The Australian Sustainable Cities Awards recognise efforts by residents, community groups, businesses and all levels of government to strive for a sustainable and litter free environment.
Further information about the Australian Sustainable Communities Awards can be found at www.kab.org.au
As part of Regional Development Australia (RDA) Mid North Coast's commitment to ensuring that the region is broadband ready, "Making Connections, Filling the Gaps - Towards a Digital Region" – the first regional digital strategy in the country - was launched at the Strategic Regional Leadership Conference in Port Macquarie this week.
The report was prepared with the assistance of the NSW Government through the Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services.
The aim of the strategy is to exploit three key linked opportunities in the region:
- the advent of high speed broadband
- the fast-growing shift to online public services and engagement with citizens, at local government, federal and state level
- the emergence of a digital economy and clusters of manufacturing, creative, health and knowledge based industries in the region
The strategy is open for comment until Friday, 16 December, 2011. Comments will be collated and published as an appendix.
To download the strategy, click here
Two outback Queensland councils have commissioned Telstra to conduct a study to see how much it would cost to connect them via fibre to the National Broadband Network (NBN).
The Diamantina and Barcoo councils say they risk being left behind under the Federal Government's NBN rollout because the shires will only get a satellite service and that may not be adequate for 'e-health' or 'e-education' purposes.
Barcoo Mayor Bruce Scott says Telstra will conduct a detailed cost study so the shires will be ready to seek funding when opportunities arise.
"So we've got $5.6 million of our own funds including the State [Government] funds to go towards this project," he said.
"You'll hear governments these days talking quite regularly about 'shovel-ready' projects.
"Well we want to have this project to the point where if there is a funding opportunity we are ready to go.
"So that's why we are prepared to spend $63,000 with Telstra to have them do a detailed cost."
The Victorian Government has called for more women to consider nominating themselves for council elections in 2012.
Officially opening the first Think Women for Local Government 2012 forum, Victorian Minister for Local Government, Jeanette Powell said that through the provision of community support and encouragement for women considering candidacy, the under-representation of women at the local government level could start to be addressed.
"In Victoria there are more women than men but fewer than 30 per cent of the state's councillors are female. There are 14 councils with only one female councillor, while a small number of councils are without a female councillor at all," Mrs Powell said.
Victorian Minister for Women’s Affairs, Mary Wooldridge said that the Victorian Government is providing $200,000 to fund the Think Women for Local Government 2012 project to encourage women in regional and metropolitan areas to actively consider candidacy at the upcoming council election.
"As in all aspects of public life, women add value to local government through their skills, talents and perspectives. Having women councillors adds to the richness of the representation and debate about important local issues," Ms Wooldridge said.
The Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) is leading the work to deliver this project, which is funded by the Victorian Office of Women's Policy.
Elections for Victoria's 79 local government areas are held every four years and the next elections are scheduled for October 2012.
Councils have until 1 December to apply for grants under Round Two of the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF), which was launched on 3 November to provide a further $200 million to support priority projects in regional Australia.
Key changes to the program include:
- A two-stage application and assessment process, including a short paper-based Expression of Interest (EOI);
- A stronger role for Regional Development Australia (RDA) committees;
- Applicants can submit one EOI and application for a single project;
- Maximum grant of $15 million;
- Preference for applications that demonstrate partnership funding of 1:1 for grant requests of $5 million and less, and 1:2 for grant requests of more than $5 million;
- At least 50 per cent of partnership funding must be cash;
- Not-for-profit organisations must have a minimum annual income of $1.5 million;
- Projects located in capital cities must demonstrate how the proposed project will benefit the broader region, or other parts of regional Australia; and
- Provision of guidance on content of mandatory documents.
Regional Development Australia committees will consider all EOIs from their region and select three viable priority projects to proceed to full application and assessment.
To access an EOI lodgement form, click here.
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More than 300 elected representatives and other local government officials from across Australia united at last week's National Local Roads and Transport Congress in Mount Gambier to pass a resolution calling on the Federal Government to continue the Roads to Recovery program on a permanent basis and increase funding to recognise a massive shortfall in local roads expenditure.
Leader of the Nationals, Warren Truss has announced that a Coalition Government would extend and enhance the Roads to Recovery program beyond 2014.
During last week's National Local Roads and Transport Congress held in Mount Gambier, the ALGA President, Mayor Genia McCaffery and ALGA representative on the Standing Council on Transport and Infrastructure (SCOTI), Cr Paul Bell released a booklet on the Roads to Recovery program.
The massive turn out of elected representatives and other local government officials for the National Local Roads and Transport Congress in Mount Gambier last week reinforces the depth of grassroots support for our national campaign to secure more federal funding for community roads and bridges.
