ALGA is seeking expressions of interest from councils needing further information and support to understand how to manage their responsibilities under the Clean Energy Act.  To register your interest, please visit the ALGA website and provide details here.

The Clean Energy Bill (2012) established the Australian Government’s Carbon Price Mechanism (CPM).   The CPM will commence 1 July 2012 with a fixed carbon price for three years.  From 1 July 2015, a floating carbon price will apply.  All landfills, including council landfills, with annual emissions greater than 25,000 tonnes per annum of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions will be liable and will need to factor in the CPM costs which will be added to the price of disposal from 1 July 2012.

The purchase and disposal of permits, annual acquittals and the management of the carbon emissions over the full decomposition life of new waste estimated to be around 30 to 40 years will require strong management and accounting systems as well as technical expertise. 

Does your council own and manage a landfill?  Is it covered under the Clean Energy Legislation?  Do you understand your council’s obligations under the Clean Energy legislation?  Questions such as these will need to be addressed.   

That is why ALGA is currently working with the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government on holding a national forum specifically designed specifically to help councils address this important issue.

Given the timing of the start of the CPM, and subject to the level of interest, the forum is likely to be held in either late April or early May.  Further details about the forum and other opportunities will be provided to councils that register their interest via the ALGA website by Tuesday, 10 April.

The Property Council of Australia has launched a national campaign geared towards strengthening Australia’s approach to urban policy through engaging the community on the future growth of cities and mobilising support for more political action.

In launching the Make My City Work campaign in Canberra this week, Chief Executive of the Property Council of Australia, Peter Verwer outlined a series of challenges facing Australian cities which he claims are holding the country back from reaching its full economic potential.

“Urban policy and productivity reform are indivisible – poorly planned, undercapitalised and congested cities reduce our national competitiveness and social capital,” Mr Verwer said.

With Australia’s population estimated to grow by more than 10 million people over the next 35 years, Mr Verwer argued that a new reform agenda was needed to improve Australian cities and better articulate the role that governments should play in urban affairs.

“Most of this growth will occur in cities, which already generate more than 80 per cent of our national wealth … and it is in the national interest to implement a strategic plan for better cities.”

The Make My City Work campaign is designed to empower people in urban areas to have a say in the future of their cities.  Residents are encouraged to discuss and debate both positive and negative aspects of their cities and help shape the way they develop into the future.  The initiative complements the results of the My City: The People’s Verdict survey of 5231 city dwellers, which reinforce support for federal funding for city infrastructure and new federal incentives to achieve better planning and streamlined development assessment at state and local levels.    

ALGA has welcomed the concept of a new integrated strategic partnership for managing cities but President Genia McCaffery has reinforced the importance of developing planning strategies and schemes that take into account the inherent values of communities and the needs of the people living in cities and towns across Australia.

“I agree wholeheartedly that there is a legitimate and fundamental case for a stronger national cities agenda and that the broader community must be party to such needed and radical change,” Mayor McCaffery said.

“Local government has been at the forefront of championing the need for strong inter-governmental partnerships for managing cities.  This is precisely the debate that ALGA has raised in numerous submissions and at various ministerial council meetings, within COAG and at the recent Urban Policy Forum.”

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications has recommended in an advisory report tabled in Parliament last week that the Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Community Consultation) Bill 2011 should not be passed by the lower house.

Introduced by Andrew Wilkie MP, the Bill proposed a range of amendments to the Telecommunications Act 1977 to increase the obligation on carriers to consult more widely before installing mobile phone towers and other facilities covered by the Federal legislation.

Although local government supported the intention of the Bill to enhance the level of community consultation in the decision-making process for the installation of telecommunications infrastructure, the Bill would also increase the consultation and notification required for minor maintenance and fault repairs.  Certain installations, including upgrades and maintenance are currently specified as “low impact” facilities under Schedule 3 of the Act to avoid individual approvals being required each time infrastructure is maintained or upgraded.  ALGA’s submission noted that the requirement for all residents within a 500 metre radius to be notified in writing about minor maintenance and upgrade activities could lead to delays, customer frustration, and telecommunications downtime. 

The Committee concluded that the Bill would not meet the objectives of strengthening the role of the community in the decision-making processes by carriers, suggesting that essential routine services would be likely to be severely disrupted by the consultation requirements of the Bill.

Most submissions received by the Committee were from private citizens frustrated with the process and the Committee found that these submissions demonstrated concern about health and environmental issues, as well as confusion about the jurisdiction responsible for the regulation of carriers.  

Arguments outlined in ALGA’s submission were quoted in the advisory report, with the report recognising ALGA’s concerns about the need for further clarity and better mechanisms for communities to understand developments, impacts and consequences, together with a fair and reasonable process of appeal where matters cannot be resolved through standard processes. 

The Committee “considers that targeted, succinct and unbiased information, made available early in any installation proposal process, would benefit the industry and the community” and encourages a proactive approach with regard to community engagement and building community awareness.  The Committee considered that the revised industry code had improved the consultation processes.

The report is available here.

It was with interest that I read the Social Cities report released by the Grattan Institute this week, which raises concerns about the level of social interaction among city dwellers.

According to the report, there are worrying signs that isolation and loneliness are growing in Australia and that a new approach to urban design and planning is needed to address the situation.

In launching the report, the Grattan Institute’s Cities Program Director, Jane-Francis Kelly emphasised that relationships are critical to people’s wellbeing:  “A lack of face-to-face contact can put our health at risk.”  

The report cites further evidence that people have fewer friendships and neighbourhood connections than they did two decades ago, with a quarter of Australian households now consisting of people living by themselves -  the fastest growing household type.

While the statistics and trends are not news to those working in local government or the planning profession, it is important that these issues are raised and given prominence.  It is essential that policy advisers, decision makers and developers put more effort into ensuring that our cities are friendly and sociable places to live.  As the report rightly points out, “Australians have put a lot of emphasis on trying to make cities more productive and sustainable but devoted far less attention to what makes them friendly places to live”.

As a long-term Mayor of North Sydney, I have argued for years that our cities should not be treated as hubs for only commerce and business.  Yes, cities are critically important for Australia’s future and I support the Property Council and others in the need to make them more productive and resilient.  But our cities and towns are also places for families to live, grow and share the many experiences that make us the people we are.  This social side of the equation is too often packaged into a service delivery response - the need to provide childcare, schools and facilities.  

Our cities must also be planned and managed to nurture the overarching wellbeing of our diverse communities.  The Grattan Institute is spot on in calling for the need to “improve the design of our cities and the way they function – from transport networks, to the availability of parks and sporting grounds, to the architecture of public spaces and buildings”.  

The debates we have about cities largely revolve around the question of economics and finance. Local government is often criticised for not toeing the line, or being too bureaucratic or too consultative.  While the planning system we are given to manage is far from ideal, councils actively seek to make our cities more social. Councils do understand that our cities are diverse and that we need to cater for the social needs of residents and visitors. Our cities are as much about social engagement and support as they are about environmental sustainability and economic resilience.

As my ALGA Board colleague and President of the Local Government Association of Tasmania, Cr Barry Easter recently remarked, “It must be remembered that planning systems exist for everybody, not just developers.”   I highly recommend that you take the time to read this new report.

Mayor Genia McCaffery
ALGA President