Themed National Voice, Local Choice - Infrastructure, Planning, Services this year’s National General Assembly of Local Government (NGA) will involve concurrent sessions designed to allow for deeper exploration and discussion around a particular theme.

This year, delegates can select to attend one of three sessions.  The sessions focus on transport infrastructure, climate change and planning:

• Local  government and the major transport infrastructure project: Local government plays an important role in land use planning and development in all jurisdictions across Australia.  In the context of strategic planning at a local level, transport is becoming increasingly important especially in urban areas faced with growing congestion problems and councils have to consider the options in providing for alternative modes of transport. 
• Planning - the opportunities and challenges: This concurrent session focuses on the importance of planning in shaping the places where we live and work.  Local government plays an important role in planning and development assessment within the legislative directions given to it by the state jurisdiction. 
• Climate Change: Sponsored by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, this session will build on the address by Parliamentary Secretary the Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP, and allow delegates to discuss the issues around the mitigation and adaptation to climate chance.

The NGA will be held from 17-20 June.  Register your attendance online by clicking here.

The Australian Local Government Women’s Association (ALGWA) and White Ribbon invite all ALGA delegates, members, supporters and friends to join the ALGWA National Executive for a networking breakfast.

The breakfast will feature White Ribbon Chairman, Andrew O’Keefe.

White Ribbon works to prevent men’s violence against women by changing attitudes and behaviours.

When:
Monday, 18 June
7.15-8.30am

Where:
The Murray Room, National Convention Centre
27-31 Constitution Avenue, Canberra

Tickets are $70 and available from http://www.whiteribbon.org.au/events/algwa

For further enquiries visit http://www.algwa.net.au/html/s01_home/home.asp, or contact Helen Harris on (03) 9897 1312.

Local councils will be considering a range of carbon price issues leading up to 1 July.  Weighing up claims made by suppliers of goods and services is one of these issues. As part of its role in providing guidance and educating businesses and consumers about their rights and responsibilities under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has a range of guidance available at www.accc.gov.au/carbon

There are some key considerations councils need to bear in mind when looking at claims or representations made by suppliers about the impact of the carbon price:

• your suppliers are entitled to increase their prices as they see fit - in this sense, it is business as usual;
• leading up to and following the start of the carbon price, the same legal obligations on businesses not to mislead or deceive apply; and
• like any other price increase, if your supplier makes a claim about the impact of the carbon price, the claim should be truthful and have a reasonable basis.

There are some important issues councils will be looking at over the coming months, particularly the impact of the carbon price on landfill facilities, energy use and building and construction services.

When considering claims made by your suppliers about these factors, it is important to consider:

• any explanation the supplier has provided about the impact of the carbon price, and any other factors (unrelated to the carbon price) that has contributed to a price increase;
• what contracts with your suppliers say about price increases;
• the impact of any compensation or rebates available to the supplier; and
• in the landfill sector, the extent to which a supplier’s direct liabilities may be offset by any current or future abatement technologies such as gas flaring or capture.

The ACCC’s focus is to ensure businesses do not make misleading claims about price increases as a result of the carbon price.  The ACCC does not have a role in formally monitoring, setting or restricting prices linked to the carbon price and cannot stop a business from putting up its prices as a result of the carbon price.

The ACCC can investigate and take action against businesses that make false or misleading claims about the impact of the carbon price.  For more information and guidance, or to lodge a complaint or inquiry, visit www.accc.gov.au/carbon

The first meeting of COAG’s Legislative and Governance Forum of Food Regulation was held on Friday, 1 June, and was attended by ALGA.  Ministers noted the good progress which had been made on a revised health claims standard and front-of-pack labelling.  Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) provided Ministers with a progress report on the Nutrition, Health and Related Claims Standard.  Ministers supported elements of the proposed standard with regard to nutrition content claims, high level health claims and the application of nutrient profiling scoring criteria applying to general health claims.  Further consideration of the treatment of general health claims was considered necessary following consultations with consumers, public health organisations and industry.  Ministers also noted developments in establishing a front-of-pack labelling system as recommended by the Blewett Review Labelling Logic: Review of Food labelling Law and Policy, through a collaborative process with stakeholders.  The front-of-pack labelling will assist consumers in making more informed food choices through a widespread, simple and interpretive system, while fostering an innovative food industry, Ministers said in a communiqué.  A standard on raw milk products; foods for special medical purposes; and a review on the proposed extension of the standard on country of origin labelling to include all unpackaged meat products, were also agreed.

The value of residential construction in the first quarter fell 8.3 per cent from a year earlier, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data.

Even as building activity remains subdued, recent data shows prices are stabilising.  Across Australia’s eight state capitals, home prices rose 0.3 per cent in the three months to April 30 and sales of newly-built homes in April rose 6.9 per cent from a month earlier, the most in more than two years.

The nation of 22 million people has the second-least affordable homes behind Hong Kong’s, with dwellings in its cities costing 6.7 times the median household income, according to a Demographia study of prices in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the U.K., the US, Canada and Hong Kong.  Homes in the US cost 3.1 times income, and 5 times in the U.K., it said.

Australian households’ gross debt accounted for 184 per cent of disposable income in the third quarter of 2011, compared with 141 per cent in Spain, 118 per cent in the US and 98 per cent in Greece, according to an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development report this month.  Australia’s level exceeds the 2007 peaks in those countries and the U.K., though remains below Ireland’s 229 per cent.

The annual pace of home-loan growth in Australia declined to 5.5 per cent in March, the slowest pace on records dating back to 1977, according to central bank data.

The Property Council of Australia has welcomed the announcement of a 12-month delay to the extension of Energy Efficiency Opportunities (EEO) reporting to greenfield developments.

The Property Council will continue to advocate for exemptions for the property sector, which already complies with strict mandatory energy efficiency standards in the National Construction Code.

The additional consultation phase will include industry trials to test the effectiveness of the program.

The Property Council is confident that the proposed trials will show that the property sector is already delivering a high standard of energy efficiency in new buildings and that additional reporting adds no direct environmental value.

The chairman of NSW parliamentary inquiry into keeping pets says council rangers should have more authority when dealing with hunting dogs.

Member for Charlestown and veterinarian, Andrew Cornwell says in regional areas, many people have the dogs for legitimate reasons, but live in suburban environments.

A Whitton toddler was mauled to death in 2009 by large hunting dogs, and last year five people were attacked by staghounds in Wagga Wagga.

Mr Cornwell says rangers need to look at individual dogs, then put in place suitable measures.

"My personal view is the powers council rangers have are too black and white," he said.

"They either declare a dog dangerous or not.

"My personal belief is that it should be a graduated system … I think council officers need more discretion.

"I think they need to have the ability to use their judgements as a professional to assess what the requirements are for each individual case.”

Mr Cornwell's concerned that council rangers are reluctant to declare hunting dogs dangerous, for fear of litigation.

Submissions on the companion animals discussion paper close on July 1.

The annual conference of the New South Wales Shires Association was held in Sydney this week.

Vice-President of the Shires Association and Mayor of Gunnedah Shire Council, Adam Marshall, says 300 delegates voted on 120 motions.

They included motions dealing with mining, coal seam gas, affordable housing, rate pegging and the shortage of country GPs.

Adam Marshall says many regional councils were particularly focused on the impacts of mining on housing and transport.

"We had motions calling for state government to increase investment in social and community housing as a result of the resources sector that have pushed up rental and housing prices in the private sector," he said.

"We also had motions calling on the government to fund over-passes and under-passes in towns where railway lines that are carrying lots of coal produce to port cut towns in two."

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan and policing in country towns was also on the agenda.

The Premier, Barry O'Farrell, opened the event, and was one of eight Ministers and MPs that spoke to the delegates.

The Adelaide Hills Council is keen for the Mount Lofty Ranges to be recognised among the likes of the Great Barrier Reef and other UNESCO World Heritage sites.

A new report has recommended four councils pursue a UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Hills region.

Adelaide Hills Council Mayor Bill Spragg said a listing could help keep the area for agricultural purposes.

"It'll allow farming activities to continue and to change and progress with time, but it will help us protect against residential development," he said.

"Also we understand that World Heritage listing puts us on a world stage, that there are a number of agrarian landscapes in the northern hemisphere, and it attracts a certain level of attention from people."

Researchers from Adelaide University say the South Australian Government should pursue a Ranges listing.

Their report has found the Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale regions have unique qualities that should be recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

Councils will consider the report over the next six weeks and decide whether to proceed with a bid.

Each year, in support of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Environment Day, the United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA) recognises innovative and outstanding environmental programs and initiatives from across Australia and the important work of Australian environmental leaders through its World Environment Day Awards program.

The annual national World Environment Day Awards program invites nominations from individuals, organisations, businesses, local councils, schools, journalists and community groups whose work serves to protect, manage or restore our natural heritage.

The preeminent national awards program plays an important role in raising awareness about key environmental issues and challenges, and inspiring and motivating individuals, organisations and businesses to take positive steps towards sustainability and environmental excellence in their homes, schools, communities and workplaces.

Nominations for the 2013 World Environment Day Awards open on 1 February 2013.