The "last mile" workshop to be held at the 2013 National Local Roads and Transport Congress will examine the capacity of local governments, as owners of community transport assets, to meet increasing demands and costs associated with operating and maintaining local roads and infrastructure.

First and last mile issues manifest where the level of "access" is lower than available on key freight routes.  Local roads often are not built to a sufficient standard to meet the needs of the heavy vehicle industry and this is commonly referred to as a "first and last mile" problem.  This means that larger heavy vehicles with access to the main arterial routes are unable to access the local road off the arterial road at either the origin pick up point or the destination drop off point.  First and  last mile access problems on state and territory roads also limit greater use of higher productivity vehicles.

Governments and industry are working to identify solutions to specific local issues on a case by case basis.  A major issue for local government is the lack of appropriate direct funding to meet the higher needs generated by freight operators wishing to use higher productivity (usually larger) vehicles. 

This workshop provides the chance for council staff and local government elected officials to influence the policy agenda in this area.

Council colleagues from around Australia will have the opportunity to share and discuss challenges and solutions relevant to their local communities at panel sessions and workshops during the November Roads Congress.

Two sessions, one on local transport infrastructure projects and the other on projects addressing last mile challenges, will highlight difficulties, opportunities and pragmatic solutions that local governments have been implementing around Australia.

These fast moving sessions will involve three or four speakers and are designed to inform, invigorate and generate ideas and discussion.

The Desert Knowledge Precinct (DKP) is a community-driven, Northern Territory Government supported initiative to create a "knowledge economy and community" that shares and leverages resources for the benefit of desert Australia and its people.  The 73 hectare Precinct in Alice Springs provides a national and international focal point for desert knowledge activities.

The Desert Knowledge Precinct represents over $40 million in investment - primarily by the Northern Territory and Australian Governments.  Current infrastructure includes:

• Desert Knowledge Business and Innovation Centre
• Desert Peoples Centre
• Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre

Join council colleagues on this visit to the Precinct during the National Local Roads and Transport Congress.  The bus will depart at 3.30pm from the Convention Centre and will return at approximately 5.00pm.  

For more information, please visit the ALGA website: www.alga.asn.au

Meena Naidu, Project Director of the Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment (HVCI) Reform will address this year's Roads Congress in Alice Springs.

Ms Naidu joined the project in early 2012 to oversee the development of a reform designed to promote productivity growth in the Australian road freight transport sector.  This year, her work is focused on the delivery of the Regulatory Impact Statement, assessing reform options for alternative heavy vehicle charging, funding and investment arrangements.  This work will be submitted for COAG consideration by the end of 2013.

Ms Naidu has a strong career background in policy and economic regulation.  Prior to her appointment to the HVCI, Meena was the National Transport Commission's (NTC) Chief Policy Officer, responsible for the policy development of the NTC reform agenda.  Ms Naidu has previously led NTC's work on heavy vehicle pricing determinations and Performance Based Standards.

Ms Naidu has worked for the New South Wales Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal on water pricing, and the UK Office of the Rail Regulator.  She has also spent a number of years as a consultant with the Adam Smith Institute in the UK, where she primarily advised the World Bank and developing countries on transport and utility reform.

Ms Naidu holds a Bachelors Degree in Commerce and a Masters Degree in Economic Regulation and Competition.

Richard Hancock is the CEO of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and will be addressing the Roads Congress in November.

Previously, Mr Hancock was the Project Director of the NHVR Project Office, responsible for the establishment of the NHVR together with jurisdictions and industry.

Mr Hancock brings a wealth of experience, a proven leadership record and a keen focus on the importance of strong partnerships.  He is a highly experienced chief executive and project manager with extensive networks across Commonwealth, state and territory governments.

The Congress will have a strong focus on heavy vehicle reforms and their implications for councils.

The program features updates and workshops from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (which commences operation on 1 September 2013) and the national Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment board (HVCI), both of which have immediate and significant implications for local government.  

Badgerys Creek has been endorsed as the site of Sydney's second airport by the Coalition Government.

Expansion options for Bankstown Airport appear to be off the table.  However, Bankstown resident and Sydney's United Groups Against Aviation Vandalism spokesman Jon Hillman said building an airport in the Sydney basin was poorly conceived.

"Dumping a major airport with horrendous noise and chemical pollution in the Sydney basin is lunacy," Mr Hillman said.

He said the only sane solution was to build a second airport at Wilton. "There are many alternative uses for the land (at Badgerys Creek) including hi-tech secondary and tertiary industry, that will provide jobs without the pollution or huge traffic congestion," he said.

Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils president Tony Hadchiti said he was confirming the Coalition's position with Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss.  Australia and International Pilots Association president Nathan Safe has alled on the Government to commit to a Badgerys Creek airport.

Climate change remains an issue of considerable importance to local government and ALGA will continue to advocate for national focus on practical measures to address the effects of climate change in communities.

GREENHOUSE is a biannual conference, where academics, practitioners, decision makers and interested members of the public gather to discuss critical issues in relation to climate change including; climate modelling, biodiversity, extreme events and communication.  This year's conference, GREENHOUSE 2013, is being held in Adelaide, under the banner of 'Water, Wind and Wine' from the 8th until the 11th of October.

The conference is being supported by a range of organisations including the South Australian Government, the Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO.  Adelaide City Council and the Local Government Association of South Australia are major drivers of this event.  Information on the program and how to register is available here.

The City of Marion has been recognised for its community planning initiatives by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Australasia.

IAP2 is an international member association which seeks to promote and improve the practice of public participation or community engagement, incorporating individuals, governments, institutions and other entities that affect the public interest throughout the world.  IAP2 Australasia is the leading public participation Association in Australasia.

IAP2 Australasia's premier Core Values Awards recognise and encourage projects that demonstrate leading practice in public participation.  The City of Marion entered the 'Making Marion, a Community Plan Towards 2040' project, which was undertaken by Council during 2012.  The project was awarded the Australasian Project of the Year, as well as Project of the Year in South Australia.

Professor Tim Flannery says human beings may be the brain of the planet, but they must co-operate with all forms of life in the eco system if nature is allowed to thrive.

The 2007 Australian of the Year delivered a passionate speech to open the 2013 International BiodiverCities Conference at Joondalup Resort - one of many regional and international environmental experts to address biodiversity conservation in a changing climate.

The Conference was hosted by the City of Joondalup in partnership with the ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) and attracted attendees from across Australia and overseas.

Professor Flannery, who made it clear during his speech that he had a zero tolerance policy to the extinction of any species, also joined fellow keynote speakers Andre Mader and Dr Michael Dunlop on stage for a question and answer session.

Overseas speakers and delegates came from countries including Taiwan, India, Sweden, South Africa, Mexico, Indonesia, Africa and New Zealand for the event with a host of interstate and local speakers also addressing the Conference and taking part in panel discussions.

Topics discussed included:

• How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth;

• Valuing Urban Ecosystems in a Changing Climate;

• Using Biodiversity to Build a Climate Smart City;

• Restoring Biodiversity through Corporate and Community Partnerships and;

• Redesigning our Cities as Ecosystem Service Centres in a Challenging Climate.

Joondalup Mayor Troy Pickard said each of the keynote speakers delivered first-class presentations.

"Professor Flannery's engaging and relevant speech was the perfect start to the Conference and each of the speakers thereafter provided thought provoking and informative presentations that reinforced the need for local action when it comes to biodiversity conservation," he said.

Delegates were taken on a guided night stalk tour and bushtucker tour of Neil Hawkins Park and visited diversity-rich locations throughout the City including the Hepburn Heights Conservation Area.

The 2013 International BiodiverCities Conference was made possible through Principal Sponsor Landcorp, Major Sponsors Edith Cowan University, Natural Area Consulting and Eco Logical Australia and Support Sponsors Carbon Neutral and Tamala Park Regional Council.

ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) is hosting the annual Thriving Neighbourhoods Conference, of which ALGA is a partner, at the Melbourne Town Hall from 28_30 October.  Local government representatives are encouraged to attend. 

The Conference will be streamed so that those unable to travel to Melbourne can access all or selected plenary sessions on-line.  There will be a registration fee but of course if it is streamed it saves on travel and accommodation. Contact Martin Brennan, CEO ICLEI Ocenia at martin.brennan@iclei.org

For more information, click here.