 | |  President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), Felicity-ann Lewis has called on the Australian Government to establish a Parliamentary Committee as the next step towards a referendum on the constitutional recognition of local government. "ALGA has long maintained that the only way to protect direct federal funding for community services and infrastructure is to have local government recognised in the Australian Constitution and we are keen to work with the Commonwealth on putting in place the conditions for a successful referendum," Mayor Lewis said. During a meeting with Mayor Lewis last month, Minster Crean said that the Government would consider establishing a Parliamentary Committee based on a proposal put forward by the ALGA Board for progressing the issue of constitutional recognition. This follows an undertaking by Prime Minister Julia Gillard to hold a referendum on the financial recognition of local government by 2013. "I have written to each political party, including the Independents, asking them to support ALGA’s proposed way forward on constitutional recognition of local government, including a Parliamentary Committee" Mayor Lewis said. ALGA is seeking an amendment of Section 96 of the Constitution so that it would read: "Parliament may grant financial assistance to any state or local government body formed by or under a law of a state or territory on such terms and conditions as the Parliament sees fit." "As part of our proposal, we are also seeking a federally funded community awareness program that educates the public regarding the Constitution, constitutional change and the local government question," Mayor Lewis said.
"ALGA acknowledges the need for support from all sides of politics to ensure maximum success for a referendum proposal and we are seeking to ensure that all parties support direct funding of local government and have firm commitments to promote the sustainability of local government." This week, the Australian Government decided to postpone a referendum on the recognition of Indigenous people in the Constitution, arguing that there was not enough community support for a successful referendum. Labor had previously planned to hold referenda on the constitutional recognition of both local government and indigenous people at or before the 2013 election. | | | | |  Strong registrations have been received for this year's National Local Roads and Transport Congress, which will be held from 14-16 November in Hobart at the Wrest Point Conference Centre. The Congress is one of local government's key advocacy opportunities, as it provides a unified voice for councils across the country. The call for the extension of the Roads to Recovery program during last year's Congress was heard and answered by the Australian Government. In this year's Federal Budget, funding was provided for the program to be extended for an additional five years. The 2012 National Local Roads and Transport Congress - Shaping Your Agenda is about ensuring the local government transport policy platform meets the needs of councils ahead of next year's federal election. The program reflects the National Local Roads and Transport Agenda 2010-2020, with speakers and sessions focussing on Agenda themes such as mobility and access, rural and regional communities, road safety, improving capacity and freight. The Congress will also include the launch of the State of the Local Road Assets Report, which builds on the critical work undertaken in 2010 that exposed a $1.2 billion shortfall in local road funding. The Leader of the Nationals, the Hon Warren Truss MP, and Australian Greens Senator for NSW, Senator Lee Rhiannon, have both confirmed that they will address this year's Congress. An exciting partners program has recently been finalised. Details can be found here. Registration for the Congress is open and if you register on or before 28 September, you can save over $100 with the early bird registration of $845. Register online at www.alga.asn.au | | | | |  ALGA is celebrating the achievements of the drumMUSTER program, which has collected 20 million empty chemical containers during the past 13 years of operation. The major milestone represents the results of hard work and cooperation between farmers, the chemical industry and local governments across the country in the responsible management of used chemical containers. The drumMUSTER program is supported by a unique partnership between the member organisations of AgStewardship Australia: the National Farmers Federation (NFF); CropLife Australia; Animal Health Alliance (Australia) Ltd; Veterinary Manufacturers and Distributors Association (VMDA); and the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA). It has assisted in cleaning up farms and the environment, improving occupational and health outcomes on farms and at council drop-off points. It has also encouraged the recycling of plastic and steel and thus, the diversion of materials from landfill into new products. As part of the celebrations to mark the collection of the 20 millionth chemical container, participating councils and staff have been recognised for their role in removing waste and recycling materials. In particular, drumMUSTER this week acknowledged the efforts of Helen Turner, based at the Coolamon Shire's landfill for her involvement in the program for 10 years. She has inspected more than 55,000 drums! Geoff Portbury of the Jerilderie Shire Council was also recognised for his work as a noxious weed inspector. He sees first-hand the use of chemicals and the need to responsibly manage the waste packaging. He has inspected close to 50,000 drums. The network of local governments remains an important component that has provided access points to the program throughout the country. The overwhelming benefit for councils is the opportunity they receive to provide a service, particularly to famers who want to do the right thing by the environment. Without exception, participating councils recognise the importance of agriculture to their local and regional communities. This is their way of adding value to farm production in their area. The programs support farmers and improve environmental outcomes. The other big benefit to councils is the reduction in landfill. drumMUSTER has diverted 25,000 tonnes of waste from landfill and recycled it into new products. That is the equivalent of 465,000 cubic metres of uncompacted waste, enough to fill more than 120 Olympic swimming pools! | | |
| |  The concept of healthy and sustainable communities has been a passion of mine for many years and I continue to promote the importance of wellbeing at every opportunity. As ALGA President and Mayor of Marion, South Australia, I take a professional and personal interest in initiatives of the World Health Organisation, which is responsible for the Alliance of Healthy Cities. The Alliance is an international network that aims to protect and enhance community health. I am proud to say that Marion is part of this Alliance and we, as a community, support and implement initiatives to enhance healthy lifestyle behaviours wherever possible. Next month presents a great opportunity for community members and leaders to learn more about global initiatives in this area, when The 5th Alliance for Healthy Cities Global Conference (AFHC) takes place in Brisbane from 24-27 October. This will correspond with a 10 Day International Healthy City Forum, including Mayoral events, from 22-31 October. The conference will hear from a range of speakers who will address issues such as urban and regional planning; energy efficiency, pollution and environmental sustainability; environmental health; emergency preparedness and response; and empowerment of individuals and communities. This event is well-worth attending and I would encourage those who can attend to participate. At the national level, ALGA continues to be engaged in this space through the Healthy Spaces and Places program. Healthy Spaces and Places is a national guide for planning, designing and creating sustainable communities that encourage healthy living. It is a unique collaboration between the Australian Local Government Association, National Heart Foundation of Australia and the Planning Institute of Australia and was funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Healthy Spaces and Places demonstrates how, through proper planning of the built environment, Australians can be more active more often, helping to reduce the increasing prevalence of preventable disease in Australia, encourage social inclusion through greater opportunities to interact with others in the community and reduce carbon emissions as more people walk, jog, cycle or use public transport. There is a growing body of research showing a connection between our health and general wellbeing and the design and structure of our towns, cities and regions. Urban planning decisions in the 21st century can either contribute to growing levels of overweight, obesity and loneliness or help to prevent lifestyle-related diseases through facilitating physical activity, community engagement and positive mental health. Good health is an issue for every resident in every community, which is why I will continue to advocate strongly in this area. As they say, a healthy body supports a healthy mind. Let's be sure to play our part at the community level. Mayor Felicity-ann Lewis
ALGA President | | |
| | The Australian National Audit Office has concluded that the first round of the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) was effectively administered and that public servants implemented improvements in the way the Fund was administered, based on lessons learnt from the administration of the Strategic applications-based component of the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program. The Audit Office released its report into the first round of the RADF on 19 September. The first round saw 35 projects awarded $149.65 million in funding in September 2011. There has been a Second Round which subsequently funded 46 projects for a total of around $200 million and three more funding rounds are proposed to allocate the remaining $625 million. The Audit Office did make a small number of recommendations to further improve RDAF administration including a more robust rating scale for projects, more comprehensive advice to the Minister on whether applications represent value for money and clearer guidance for the Minister on the process to be followed when choosing projects other than those recommended. The Audit Office did reserve some criticism for the unusually high level of ineligible applications (63 per cent of applications were assessed as ineligible compared with an expected 20 per cent) which it attributed primarily to inadequate clarity in program guidelines about various threshold requirements for project eligibility. | | | | | New research from the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG) can assist in rethinking one of the most important relationships in local government: the Mayor as leader of the council, and the chief executive officer (CEO) as leader of the council organisation. This is the first significant investigation on the Mayor-CEO relationship in the Australian context. The research is presented in the report, Political Management in Australian Local Government: Exploring Roles and Relationships between Mayors and CEOs, written by John Martin (Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities, La Trobe University) and Chris Aulich (ANZSIG Institute for Governance at the University of Canberra). The paper presents ideas and resources on what is known about the topic and may provide some guidance to councils and state governments considering ways of redesigning and redefining the roles of the two local leaders. One of the authors of the report, Professor John Martin said: “The working relationship between elected mayors and appointed officers in western democracies is one where the prescribed roles and responsibilities are negotiated over time between those who occupy these positions. This is the reason why we see so many differences in style and approach in councils.” Given the lack of research on the Mayor-CEO relationship, this paper is seen as a starting point for a more concerted research effort, especially on how the relationship plays out in the different Australian jurisdictions. Comments and suggestions are invited from the local government community to enhance this project and contacts are provided in the paper. The report can be downloaded here. | | | | | The Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, Jan McLucas this week highlighted the benefits of designing homes that are more accessible for people with disability at the official launch of Livable Housing Australia in Parliament House, Canberra. Livable Housing Australia (LHA) is a not-for-profit organisation established to encourage Australians constructing new homes to comply with design standards to meet the changing needs of home occupants across their lifetime. “Universal housing design is about making our homes easier and safer to live in - for people with a disability, families with young children, people with temporary injuries and senior Australians,” Senator McLucas said "Incorporating these design principles puts a premium on the property that will assist in resale. There are returns for both homeowners and the broader community." “Livable housing means better living and makes good financial sense.” LHA promotes greater understanding of the value of universal housing design practices and has developed guidelines to help guide the residential and building industry and all levels of government. “The Livable Housing Design guidelines seek to raise national awareness about the benefits of designing homes for everyone, regardless of abilities.” Leaders of the housing industry and disability and ageing sectors are working towards having all new homes built to reflect the new standards by 2020. | | | | | The new report from the Grattan Institute’s Cities program, Tomorrow’s suburbs: building flexible neighbourhoods, explains why Australia's newest suburbs must prepare to meet the needs of future generations, not just today’s residents. Urban growth areas are home to more than three million Australians, and the population in these areas is growing at twice the national average. As households mature, and people move in and out, the needs and preferences of residents change. Suburbs that can’t keep up with these changes will become less desirable places to live. If they fail to attract new residents and new businesses then they won’t undergo the process of renewal that is essential for successful cities. Grattan’s report recommends ways to make our new suburbs, shopping centres, buildings and homes more adaptable to change, without imposing undue burdens on current residents. To access the report, click here. | | | | | The Planning Institute of Australia’s 2013 National Congress will be held 24-27 March at the National Convention Centre, Canberra. Papers are now being sought for the 2013 National Congress in order to present a lively and informative exposé under the theme "Celebrate the Value of Planning". PIA invites planning professionals to submit an abstract for a contribution to the 2013 Congress Program. The deadline for abstract proposals is Friday 28 September 2012. The Congress also has three key sub-themes which seek to expound the wide range of valued outcomes achieved by diverse contributions of our profession, under the following headings: - Making a difference
- Achieving effective planning
- Collaborative action
To read more on submitting an abstract, click here. | | | | | The Asian Century white paper will focus on driving the nation's productivity and resilience through five policy pillars embracing education and skills, innovation, infrastructure, tax reform and regulatory reform. The Australian Government commissioned a White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century late last year to consider the likely economic and strategic changes in the region and what more can be done to position Australia for the Asian Century. Specifically, the paper discusses: - the current and likely future course of economic, political and strategic change in Asia, encompassing China, India, the key ASEAN countries as well as Japan and the Republic of Korea;
- the domestic economic and social opportunities and challenges of the Asian Century for Australia;
- opportunities for a significant deepening of our engagement with Asia across the board, including in the economy, science and technology collaboration, clean energy, education, business-to-business and people-to-people links and culture;
- the political and strategic implications of the Asian Century for Australia; and
- the role of effective economic and political regional and global cooperation.
The White Paper set out a series of actions that will be taken over the next five years and further policy initiatives to be developed over the next 10 to 15 years. For more on the white paper, click here. | | | | | Five Queensland councils have had an early victory in their bid for de-amalgamation. Local Government Minister David Crisafulli this week announced the former Douglas, Isis, Livingstone, Mareeba and Noosa shires were successful in their bids to have their mergers with larger councils re-examined. A further 14 councils nominated for possible de-amalgamation were rejected. Mr Crisafulli says Queensland Boundaries Commissioner Col Meng will examine the proposals with input from the Treasury Corporation. The bids will need to convince the Commissioner of their viability, before being put to local referenda early next year, Mr Crisafulli says. "I am determined that every single dollar is costed, every single benefit is put on the table and every hurdle is put on the table," he told reporters in Cairns. "When people turn up to vote, if they get to that stage, they will do so with their eyes wide open." Mr Crisafulli said the state government would not contribute to the financial costs of any de-amalgamation. | | | | | All NSW backyard pools will have to be registered under a safety crackdown by the state government. Under the proposed legislation, a state-wide online registry will be established and the 340,000 pools in NSW will have to be registered within 12 months, Local Government Minister Don Page said. Property owners who do not register their pools within that time will face fines of $2200. Safety compliance inspections will also be conducted by councils and private operators at an expected cost of $150. "If ... their pool [is] found to be non-compliant they can be fined $5000," Mr Page told reporters. Any property with a pool will also have to undergo inspection before it's sold or leased. "Research indicates that by increasing compliance with pool barrier requirements the rate of infant death by drowning could be reduced by up to 41 per cent," Mr Page said. On average, six children drown each year in NSW backyard pools and about 36 children suffer brain damage from swimming pool accidents. Mr Page said the bill would be introduced to Parliament in the next few weeks. He hopes it will be passed during this parliamentary session. For more, click here. | | | | | More than 3000 people from 115 countries became citizens at 60 ceremonies across the nation as part of Australian Citizenship Day celebrations this week. "Australian Citizenship Day is a great opportunity for all Australians to reflect on the value of citizenship, whether they have become citizens by birth or by choice," Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen said. "Becoming an Australian citizen is an important step and shows commitment to this country and its people. "I invite Australia's newest citizens to share in the common bond of citizenship and the responsibilities and privileges it entails." The Department of Immigration and Citizenship, in partnership with local councils, will host around 250 citizenship ceremonies for 9000 people in state and territory capital cities, major metropolitan centres and regional towns throughout Australia in September. Schools, scouting groups and community organisations will also help to celebrate Australian Citizenship Day with educational activities and special citizenship affirmation ceremonies for existing citizens to express their loyalty to Australia. Australia has welcomed more than four and a half million new citizens since the first citizenship ceremony in 1949. | | | | | United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group have launched the 2012 Intercultural Innovation Award. This Award selects and supports the most innovative grassroots projects that encourage intercultural dialogue and cooperation around the world. Selected projects must be sustainable, able to make a long lasting impact and have the potential to benefit the widest possible audience. An international jury of scholars and experts from different regions of the world will assess this year’s applications. Five top winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony that will take place at the 5th Forum of the UNAOC in Vienna, Austria in February 2013. The total price pool for 2012 is USD 100,000, with a first price of USD 50,000. Projects will be supported during one year in order to help them expand to other contexts where they might be relevant. The deadline for entries is 10 October. For application guidelines click here. | | |
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