 | |  Hundreds of local government representatives from across the country met in Alice Springs this week for the 2013 National Local Roads and Transport Congress, where ALGA launched the National State of the Assets Report 2013 and heard from a range of experts on managing the local road network. The State of the Assets Report represents the findings from analysis of data provided by 344 councils, which manage almost $100 billion worth of transport assets, including sealed local roads, unsealed local roads, concrete bridges and timber bridges. Key findings suggest that $8.3 billion in sealed roads are in poor or very poor condition, together with a further $1.9 billion in unsealed roads and $1.4 billion in concrete and timber bridges. In launching the Report, ALGA President Felicity-ann Lewis said the findings reinforced the need for further investment in local roads and bridges, which are critical to the social and economic development of communities and national prosperity. "We can't afford to have substandard local roads and bridges. These are the gateways to and from our communities. They provide access to local, regional, state and national services and markets and play a vital role in driving our economy," Mayor Lewis said. "Local roads and bridges make up the first and last mile of every journey. We depend on them to move freight efficiently. But local access points are not of the standard that they should be and the State of the Assets Report released today confirms that." The Report builds on research commissioned in 2010 which indicated that the level of expenditure on local roads would need to increase by an average of $1.2 billion per year to avoid deterioration of the local road network. In 2006, the results of a study undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that the potential aggregate backlog for all 560 Australian local councils was approximately $14.6 billion, with an annual funding gap of $1.1 billion. Mayor Lewis said that while councils appreciate assistance provided through the Federal Government's Roads to Recovery program, more needs to be done to address the estimated funding shortfall for local roads of $1.2 billion annually. "Local government manages more than 80 per cent of our national road network and we need to ensure that we can afford to maintain local roads to a sufficient standard, otherwise local and national productivity will suffer," Mayor Lewis said. ALGA will send a copy of the Report to every council next week. To access the Report online, please click here. | | | | |  Council delegates at the ALGA's 2013 National Local Roads and Transport Congress in Alice Springs have welcomed the Federal Government's commitment to assist local governments in upgrading bridges. Through the Bridge Renewal Programme, the Government has committed $300 million to replacing old and unsafe bridges, which will help to address concerns highlighted in a study commissioned by ALGA to examine the quality, function and capacity of local roads and bridges. The 2013 National State of the Assets Report was launched yesterday and found that $1.4 billion worth of bridges are in poor to very poor condition. Despite federal parliament sitting in Canberra this week, Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Warren Truss addressed the Congress by video. He said that through matched funding, the Government's investment would deliver at least $600 million to this much-needed infrastructure. "Funding, to be matched by councils and state governments, will be allocated on a transparent, competitive basis, giving priority to community need and economic return," Minister Truss said. "Together with other programmes to renew our roads and reduce accident spots, the Bridges to Renewal Programme will help to deliver the infrastructure our regions and cities need for a strong and competitive global future." Minister Truss said that the Government's new National Stronger Regions Fund would also help to "build the infrastructure missing in our regions". "Grants between $20,000 and $10 million will be available from 2015 to meet the infrastructure needs of regional Australia," Mr Truss said. "The Government will provide $200 million each year over five years, with the potential for this contribution to increase as the economy improves. In the interim, we will be delivering on around 100 projects worth close to $300 million, which we announced during the recent election campaign." Opposition Spokesman for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese also addressed the Congress by video. Mr Albanese has called on the Government to reinstate infrastructure grants worth $150 million allocated in July by the previous Labor Government under the Regional Development Australia Fund. "After being elected on September 7 the government froze payments of infrastructure grants allocated in July from the Regional Development Australia Fund. Two months later the grants, designed to create economic activity and jobs while also providing community facilities like roads and bikeways, have still not been honoured," Mr Albanese said in a media release issued this week. In closing the Congress on Thursday afternoon, delegates noted the adverse impacts of poor and very poor roads and bridges on community access, including restrictions on freight movement that can be a barrier to national transport productivity. The Congress also noted the importance of local road access in road reforms under the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and delegates resolved to work collaboratively with all levels of government and industry to support appropriate reform. Delegates also highlighted the importance of appropriate funding for maintenance and upgrades of local infrastructure to support any national reforms.
Video addresses made to the Congress by Minster Warren Truss and Opposition Spokesman Anthony Albanese can be downloaded from the ALGA website at alga.asn.au | | | | |  ALGA President and long-serving Mayor of Marion, Dr Felicity-ann Lewis, has been named South Australia's Australian of the Year for 2014. Dr Lewis has been recognised for her work in local government, dedication to the reconciliation movement and settlement of migrants and refugees. While Dr Lewis is humbled and honoured to be recognised as South Australia's top citizen, she said she was happy "just to be recognised with the other finalists". She said the nomination meant more to her than winning because it was unsolicited and spontaneous. "As mayor and national President of ALGA, I've had many opportunities to raise issues that I'm passionate about and I'd like to think that this acknowledges and recognises that I've used those opportunities to my best advantage to keep those issues on the radar," Dr Lewis said. Dr Lewis said she felt privileged to be able to put a spotlight on important issues and honoured to have received the award. Dr Lewis has been Mayor of Marion for almost 14 years, served as president of the South Australian Local Government Association and fulfilled the role as ALGA President for one year. | | |
| |  It was with great pleasure that I welcomed delegates from councils across the country to Alice Springs this week for the 14th National Local Roads and Transport Congress. The Congress marked an exciting opportunity for local government representatives to play a part in shaping the policy agenda for national local roads and transport. As I told delegates when I opened the Congress, local governments as a collective can influence the future management of roads and transport. The recent change of federal government offers changes of ideas, changes in policy and changes in priorities and most importantly, it offers opportunities. A new government offers opportunities for councils to advocate policies to a new audience, to explain specific needs and propose sensible solutions to the problems we all face. This change also provides opportunities to review what councils have been doing and to think about better ways of doing things and working together. Over the past 14 years, the Roads Congress has discussed the importance of local roads and the role they play in our nation's transport system. Our objective has remained the same: we need more help; better funding; and more support to manage community infrastructure assets. To underscore the critical need for additional assistance, ALGA this week released the 2013 State of the Assets Report. It provides evidence of the backlog in expenditure and the need for further work on asset management. We also heard from a range of speakers including roads and transport experts from Canada and New Zealand, who outlined their experiences in local government infrastructure and associated finance issues. CEO of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, Richard Hancock updated us on road reforms and the new access regime and we heard about changes to heavy vehicle charging and investment. A number of sessions and workshops were also held to discuss transport issues specific to local communities and I thank Alice Springs Mayor, Damien Ryan for hosting these discussions. To download material from the Roads Congress, including my own video message, please visit the ALGA website at alga.asn.au
Mayor, Dr Felicity-ann Lewis
ALGA President | | |
| | Meena Naidu, Director of the Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment (HVCI) Reform and Richard Hancock, CEO of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) addressed this week's National Local Roads and Transport Congress about the development of reforms designed to promote productivity growth in the Australian road freight transport sector. The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) will soon come into effect to ensure national consistency in heavy vehicle law and regulations. The new law will have immediate and significant implications for local government. Unlike current legislation, the new national law introduces concepts of vehicle, road and travel conditions and distinguishes between the different types of condition. Applying road and travel conditions are the responsibility of councils managing local roads and relate to conditions that limit access to a road, for example to particular days or hours or specify the direction of travel. Road conditions are intended to ensure that the use of restricted access vehicles on local roads do not endanger the road infrastructure, impose adverse effects on the community or expose significant risks to public safety. As with other road managers, the new national law also imposes time limits on councils for making decisions on applications relating to restricted vehicles using local roads. The NHVR expects that most heavy vehicle access applications will be reasonably straight forward and councils should be able to respond within the given time limit. If a council decides to refuse access or to impose road or travel conditions, the council is required under the national law to provide a written statement of reasons to the NHVR to explain its decision. Permit applicants can appeal such decisions to the NHVR for internal review by the local council concerned. The NVHR has assured councils that it will provide as much support as necessary to councils in assist them to meet the requirements of the national law. An information pack prepared by the NHVR, in consultation with ALGA and local government representatives, has been developed to support councils in their role as road mangers when the HVNL commences. To access the information pack, click here. | | | | | The capacity of local governments as owners of community transport assets in meeting increasing demands and costs associated with operating and maintaining local roads and infrastructure was the focus on the "last mile" workshop held at this week's 2013 National Local Roads and Transport Congress. 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 provided the chance for council staff and local government elected officials to influence the policy agenda in this area. | | | | | The Federal Government will commence a thorough examination of infrastructure costs and financing in Australia with a new Productivity Commission inquiry. This inquiry delivers on a key Coalition commitment and forms part of the Government's ambitious infrastructure agenda. The Terms of Reference for the inquiry provide scope for the Productivity Commission to analyse and report on the following areas: - How infrastructure is currently funded and financed in Australia, including by the Commonwealth,
- The States and the private sector;
- The rationale, role and objectives of alternative funding and financing mechanisms;
- Examine the cost structure of major infrastructure projects in Australia, including where
- Infrastructure project costs have increased considerably, compared with other countries;
- Provide advice on ways to improve decision-making and implementation processes to facilitate a
- Rreduction in the cost of public infrastructure projects; and
- Comment on other relevant policy measures, including any non-legislative approaches, which would help ensure effective delivery of infrastructure services over both the short and long term.
The Government is mindful of the financial risks posed by alternative funding and financing mechanisms. In this respect, the Terms of Reference also ask the Productivity Commission to consider these risks to the Commonwealth, as well as their possible impact on the Budget and fiscal consolidation goals. The Productivity Commission will also have regard to work already underway by the Commission of Audit. The overall cost of infrastructure and engagement with the private sector on infrastructure financing are key economic challenges faced by Australia and other countries in our region. The Productivity Commission will hold public hearings and release a draft report for public comment before delivering a final report to the Government within the next six months, with a draft report to be released in March 2014. More information is available at www.pc.gov.au | | | | | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss this week announced an independent review of aviation safety regulation in Australia. "This announcement delivers on one of the key commitments outlined in the Coalition's 2013 Policy for Aviation," Mr Truss said. "Australia has an enviable record in aviation safety - among the best in the world - which has been built on a strong regulatory system, forged over many years." In launching the review, Mr Truss said aviation activity is expected to double in the next twenty years. The industry is a vital part of our economy and we must ensure it is supported by a regulatory system that delivers the highest levels of safety. "Now is the right time to reassess how our safety regulatory system is placed in dealing with this dynamic and evolving sector. The independent review reinforces the Government's commitment to maintaining safety as the highest priority in aviation. "The review will be strategic in nature. It is about whether we are on the right track to meet future challenges and respond to growing demand in aviation." The review is to be undertaken by a panel of leading aviation safety experts and will benchmark Australia's safety regulation against other leading countries. Mr David Forsyth AM, will Chair the review panel. Mr Forsyth is a prominent figure in Australian aviation. He is the chair of Safeskies Australia, former chair of Airservices Australia and has over 30 years of experience in safety management and aviation business. Over the coming months, the review panel will undertake extensive industry and public consultation. Further details, including how to make a submission, will be available from the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development's website at: www.infrastructure.gov.au/aviation/asrr. The review panel will provide its report to the Deputy Prime Minister in May 2014. | | | | | Grants totalling $4.79 million have been awarded to 39 local government adaptation projects in Victoria. Through the Victorian Adaptation and Sustainability Partnership, the State Government has granted funding to help councils work with communities on adaptation measures that increase local resilience to a changing climate. "We need to ensure our communities are prepared for the future. These grants will get them on the front foot and put in place plans that reduce the associated cost of adapting to a changing climate," State Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Ryan Smith, said. "Seventy Victorian councils will benefit from our adaptation grants, with a number of projects made up of councils that will work in partnership to address regional adaptation issues. "The projects will deliver tangible benefits to a range of local communities. For example, landscape data collected by rural councils can be used to develop new methods to maximise efficient and productive land management. "Other examples of adaptation planning include helping the agricultural sector consider where to invest efforts and resources to suit climate conditions. "These grants also enable councils to take a more 'hands on' approach by empowering and educating households to help improve the environment." Mr Smith said partnerships with local government and communities were vital to coordinated adaptation planning. He said supporting local climate resilience in partnership with local government was a key action from the government's Climate Change Adaptation Plan. The funding builds on this year's release of the Adaptation Plan, which Mr Smith described as "the most comprehensive adaptation plan in Australia". The successful projects can be viewed here. | | | | | More than 20 advisory bodies are to be merged or scrapped altogether, ranging from the National Housing Supply Council to the Animals Welfare Advisory Committee. Prime Minister, Tony Abbott said many of the boards have either outlived their original purpose or were not focused on the Government's priorities. "As a result, their work is best carried out by the relevant Government Departments or Agencies," Mr Abbott said. Twelve bodies will be scrapped altogether, including the Commonwealth Firearms Advisory Council and the High-Speed Rail Advisory Group. National Secretary of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, Bob Nanva said he was staggered by the decision to scrap the rail group. "What this decision will do is relegate Australia to one of the few high-speed rail backwaters when really we should be getting on with job of building this network after decades of talking about it," Mr Nanva said. The Government has not revealed how much of the billion dollars it aims to save by scrapping the advisory groups. But in a statement, Mr Abbott said the Government was determined to deliver on its election commitment to reduce the cost of unnecessary and inefficient regulation. | | | | | An independent regulator will be revived to reform Australia's building industry and maintain the rule of law in the sector, under a Bill introduced to Federal Parliament this week. Minister for Employment Eric Abetz said the Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Bill 2013 would re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission to stamp out lawlessness and improve productivity on building sites. "Workers deserve to be able to go to work each day without the fear of being harassed, intimidated or the subject of violence," Senator Abetz said. "The former Labor Government undermined confidence in the building and construction industry. Abolishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) under union pressure has seen a return to lawlessness and an increase in the number of days where work is simply not being done in the industry. "Australia cannot afford to have a building and construction industry which is inefficient and unstable. The restoration of the ABCC and the code which supports its work is a critical reform for Australia." The Bill makes it clear that unlawful action will not be tolerated and there are significant penalties for taking unlawful industrial action, or for engaging in or organising an unlawful picket. Safeguards are built into the legislation which ensure that the ABCC is able to separate legitimate protests from unlawful and organised picketing aimed at disrupting building and construction work. A wide range of effective remedies will also be available to the ABCC and parties affected by unlawful behaviour, including injunctions. "The changes encourage productivity and the pursuit of high levels of employment in the building and construction industry," Senator Abetz said. "This industry is a major employer that is vital to job creation and essential to Australia's economic and social well-being. "The Bill will restore the ABCC to ensure that, on commercial building sites, the rule of law is respected, productivity is improved, jobs are created and major national construction projects are kept on track." | | | | | Broken Hill City Council this week hosting a three-day Sister Cities Australia National Conference which included delegates from as far as Japan, Korea and China. National President of the Sister Cities Organisation, Bill Wilson said the conference was critical for the continued success of the organisation. "It's very important because it's the annual get-together of Sister City personnel from around the country," he said. "It's our one and only real get-together where we can discuss issues that affect all of us with our relationships, whether they be in Australia or internationally, and it is one of the few occasions we get to host some of our international guests." Mr Wilson said the conference would benefit Broken Hill immensely. "Delegates go away and talk about the place, so they broadcast the message about the area that they visit," he said. "You get friendship relations happening around the world, and in this day that we're living, that is surely the most beneficial thing to any group, it's certainly an education." | | | | | Ideas and suggestions for an Australian Heritage Strategy are being requested by the Government. Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt said he wanted to hear from heritage practitioners and experts across Australia. "The Australian Heritage Strategy will provide a common framework and priorities for Australia's heritage and help ensure our heritage is recognised and protected for future generations," Mr Hunt said. "A draft strategy will be released for public comment in Australian Heritage Week next year." He said the Government's plan was to develop partnerships and provide initiatives that enabled practical local actions and solutions to protect and manage heritage places. "We are providing $1.4 million over three years for small-scale community heritage projects for the conservation, protection and interpretation of local heritage. Grants of up to $10, 000 will be available to local heritage groups and historical societies, commencing in the 2014-15 financial year," Mr Hunt said. "Under the Community Heritage and Icons Program we will invest $1.5 million on vital restoration work at Port Arthur's World Heritage-listed penitentiary building, one of Australia's most significant heritage icons." Mr Hunt said the Government's Green Army would also play a key role in the protection of local heritage. "Green Army projects will focus on the conservation and refurbishment of significant local heritage while contributing to a skilled workforce for heritage-focused business and industry," he said. | | | | | The Australian Sustainable Cities and Clean Beaches Awards 2013, hosted by City of Cockburn, will be announced on 18 November. In the running for the Australian Sustainability Awards are: - Brisbane City Council QLD
- Canberra Indian Myna Action Group ACT
- City of Canada Bay Council NSW
- City of Marion SA
- City of Moreland VIC
- City of Swan WA
- Launceston TAS
For more information about the Australian Sustainable Cities and Clean Beaches Awards, please click here. | | |
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