The Country Liberal Government will provide local government in the Territory with an extra $5 million in annual funding.   The additional funds will be earmarked for the new local authorities created when the Giles Government abolished Labor's shire councils.   The reforms are designed to return a voice to the local level.

Addressing the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory (LGANT) Annual General Meeting in Katherine last week, Local Government Minister Dave Tollner said it was important the new local authorities were able to undertake local projects.  The NT Government is keen for local government in the Territory to have greater self-management, through a proposed new agreement with the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory (LGANT).

"In particular the Government is offering LGANT the opportunity to take on greater responsibilities in recognition that local government does not need the Territory Government looking over its shoulder", Minister Tollner said.

"While the Department will still take the lead in policy development and high-level compliance matters, this proposal allows local government to set its own agenda and have more control over issues that affect its ability to deliver value for ratepayers," he said.

The announcement paves the way for local government in the Territory to have greater self-management through a proposed new agreement with LGANT.  The NT Government will now negotiate with LGANT to identify functions, and appropriate funding that could be transferred to LGANT through a service delivery agreement.  LGANT President Damien Ryan welcomed the changes.

Minister Tollner said the extra $5 million will be distributed to regional councils based on the number of local authorities in the area. The Grants Commission is currently investigating the best and fairest formula for doing that.

Mr Mark Birrell will succeed Sir Rod Eddington as the new Chairman of Infrastructure Australia, from on 8 April 2014, when Sir Rod's term expires.  Mr Birrell is currently a member of Infrastructure Australia.  He plays a leading role in the transport and construction sectors as Chairman of the Port of Melbourne and founding Chairman of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia. He was a Victorian State Cabinet Minister responsible for major projects. The Hon Mark Birrell holds a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws from Monash University and was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1983.

In a joint release press release, Prime Minster Tony Abbott and Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Jamie Briggs, described Mr Birrell as having the expertise, energy and experience to lead Infrastructure Australia at a crucial time, adding that he recommended by Sir Rod as a suitable replacement.  Under the Coalition Government, Infrastructure Australia will be given a broader range of responsibilities and will be charged with developing a rolling 15-year infrastructure plan for Australia.

Sir Rod leaves after serving as Chairman of Infrastructure Australia since 2008.

Development on Victorian beaches covered by a Public Conservation and Resource (PCR) Zone can only proceed with agreement by the State Government, under changes gazetted by the government.  No use or development could occur on the land without a planning permit, every application for which must have the consent of the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Primary Industries.

Victorian Planning Minister, Matthew Guy, said the change would cover a loophole that, until now, had allowed the owners of private land within the zone to build permanent structures as of right.  Public Conservation and resource Zones will now be safe from private development. The government will not allow public accessed beaches to be built on, where the land is technically held in private ownership.  The government had moved quickly to close the loophole and give certainty to beach goers and was also examining legislative options around the clarification of title boundaries along Port Phillip Bay, Minister Guy said.

Permit applications would be assessed by the local planning authority, which was in most cases the local council.

With this change, any permit application to use or develop land within this zone will require consent. This is wide-ranging and includes fences, signs, outdoor furniture, shade sails, flag-poles, sheds, pergolas, verandahs and decks. Until the reform, building these structures on private land in this zone did not require a planning permit.

Establishment of a Greater Sydney Authority has been suggested to bring a co-ordinated focus to planning and decision-making.  Mr Gary Sturgess,  director-general of the NSW Cabinet Office under the Greiner Government, has commented that Sydney has always lacked a body which thinks about Sydney as a whole, giving the example of the agonising process in relation to a second Sydney airport.

He suggested that one model would be to establish a Greater Sydney Authority which would work closely with local councils.

Company director Rod McGeoch, a key player in setting up the Committee of Sydney, said the Committee had campaigned for a more streamlined approach 20 years ago.    Current Committee for Sydney chair Lucy Turnbull said momentum was building for such a move and unless the current system is changed Sydney will fall behind - not just other global cities, but other Australian cities as well. 

Westfield co-chief executive Steven Lowy addressed a recent MySydney event suggesting the creation of a single powerful overarching body like the Greater London Authority, to cut layers of bureaucracy, in order to create a more coordinated city.

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW (IPART) has released a Draft Report and Draft Determination for a review of the prices councils will pay for land valuation services provided by the NSW Valuer-General from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2019.

The Draft Report released for public comment explains IPART's Draft Determination on these prices, including the rationale and analysis that underpin IPART's draft decisions.

IPART is seeking submissions from stakeholders on the Draft Report and its Draft Determination on these prices, by 28 April 2014, before making its Final Determination in May 2014.

The documents are available here.

Applications are now being received for the 2014 Resilient Australia Awards.  Minister for Justice, Michael Keenan said the awards provided a rare opportunity to highlight the work being done across the nation to improve disaster resilience.  The awards acknowledge the valuable contribution of all sectors, from community groups and private industry to our emergency management volunteers. 

Mr Keenan said last year more than 170 applications were received nationally featuring a wide variety of projects covering areas such as community self-reliance, mental health, educational and training resources, emergency broadcasting, forecast and warning systems and a volunteer developed multi-Agency communications platform.

Mr Keenan added that a new award category had been added this year to celebrate the 15th year of the award program - a new category for photographs.  The winning photograph would be published on the front cover of the Australian Journal of Emergency Management.

The Resilience Awards are sponsored by the Attorney-General's Department in conjunction with the State and Territories.  The Awards recognise the vision, commitment, passion and hard work of the applicants in responding to the disasters inherent in Australia's uniquely challenging environment.

Applications will be accepted up until midnight 2 July 2014. To apply online or for further information, on the awards is available here.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has published guidelines to explain new water trading rules due to take effect on 1 July. The new rules will improve the way people can operate within the water market.

The guidelines have been developed to help people understand trade rules in the Basin and give them much better access to market information, regardless of which state they operate in.  They have been developed through consultation with Basin States, industry bodies, irrigation infrastructure operators, the Department of the Environment and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Murray–Darling Basin Authority spokesman David Galeano said the new rules would give everyone who trades in the basin much better access to market information, as trading activity in the basin has been complicated by a lack of transparency in the water market.

Mr Galeano said the most important change for individuals trading water would be the new requirement to declare their sale price. Otherwise, most changes apply to basin governments and irrigation companies.

"Governments will now have to explain the characteristics of the different types of water entitlements so people wanting to trade have a better understanding of what they're buying," he said.

The MDBA will publish all of the states' water trading rules in a central location to make them easier to find.  From 1 July, governments will only be able to restrict trade where the restriction meets certain criteria under the new rules. State agencies will also need to ensure that their water announcements are publicly available.

"This will mean increased transparency-buyers and sellers will have more information on the true value of water in the market."

The guidelines explaining the rule changes are now available on the MDBA website.  People wanting more information about the rules can call the MDBA hotline on 1800 230 067.

A new report focusing on "spectrum crunch" in future wireless applications and how it could affect the way in which we connect and access essential services in the future, has been released by the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial and Research Organisation (CSIRO).

Director of CSIRO's Digital Productivity and Services Flagship, Dr Ian Oppermann said wireless technology had been adopted at "breakneck pace" in Australia.  The data rates that people now expect from their mobile services are about a hundred times the amount we thought possible only two decades ago.    Some estimates suggest that spectrum demand will have almost tripled by 2020, and existing infrastructure will need to rapidly expand its currently available capacity if it's to meet this demand.

The report, World Without Wires, points out that wireless communications rely on the availability of radiofrequency spectrum.  However, the spectrum had practical limits and more spectrum could not be created,  leaving us with a finite resource and growing demands to use it.  Today's technologies and infrastructure will be hard pressed to support further increases in demand, both in terms of speed and volume, for wireless data and services over the coming decades.

Many global cities, including here in Australia, are fast approaching the point of 'peak data' - where user demand for wireless internet, telephony, and other services can no longer be fully accommodated by the available radiofrequency spectrum.

The CSIRO's World Without Wires Report is available here.

A new National Aged Care Data Clearinghouse, at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is an independent and centralised repository of national aged care data.  The Clearinghouse has been developed to provide aged care data to a range of stakeholders including policy makers, researchers, service providers and consumers.

The Data Clearinghouse is a component of the Australian Government's package of aged care reform measures an aims to encourage transparency and independence in aged care policy research and evaluation, through the provision of data and information in a timely manner for research, evaluations and analysis (subject to data release protocols and confidentiality requirements).

You can access aged care information, or request custom aged care data from the AIHW here.

Australia's largest accounting body, CPA Australia, is working to get small businesses back on their feet after a major disaster with the release of a new disaster recovery toolkit.   The toolkit takes into account feedback from the release of the first toolkit 5 years ago and provides a comprehensive guide and check-list for business owners that find themselves in uncharted territory following an unforeseen disaster event.

Following a disaster, it is anything but business as usual and the guide assists the business owner or manager to take a considered approach to the many elements of recovery following a disaster.

CPA Australia chief executive Alex Malley says that it’s important for businesses to know that they can access this free resource in tough times. "Australia is no stranger to extreme events - such as drought, bush fires, floods and cyclones - and the evidence suggests these are only likely to become more frequent and more intense in the future."

"Yet our experience shows that many small to medium businesses do not have a disaster recovery plan."

Mr Malley said the toolkit is not just about recovery, it can also be used to help businesses adjust and identify opportunities they may want to explore.

The disaster recovery toolkit is available here.