 | |  ALGA is delighted to announce that the Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove will open the 2014 National General Assembly on 15 June. Sir Peter had a long and distinguished military career and was awarded the Military Cross in 1971 for his performance and leadership during an assault on enemy positions during the Vietnam War. He came to national attention in 1999 when, as the Commander of the International Task Force East Timor (INTERFET), he was responsible for overseeing that country's transition to independence. He was appointed to the position of Chief of Army in 2000 and served as Chief of the Defence Force from 2002-2005. He retired from the Australian Defence Force in 2005. Peter Cosgrove was appointed by the Queensland Government to lead the taskforce rebuilding communities in the Innisfail region following the devastation caused by Cyclone Larry in 2006. From 2007 to 2012 he chaired the Council of the Australian War Memorial, and served as Chancellor of the Australian Catholic University from 2010 until early 2014. He was named Australian of the Year in 2001. On 25 March 2014, Prime Minister Tony Abbot announced that General Cosgrove would become a Knight in the Order of Australia when sworn in as Governor-General. The NGA will be held from 15 to 18 June. To register click here | | | | |  In recent weeks the President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), Mayor Felicity-ann Lewis, has sought and received assurances from the Government and the Opposition that they both support the extension of the Roads to Recovery program beyond 30 June 2014. ALGA, like many councils around Australia, has been concerned by reports that legislation currently before the Parliament (the Land Transport Infrastructure Bill 2014) would not be passed resulting in an end to the Roads to Recovery program. ALGA has held discussions with both the Government and Opposition in recent weeks in an effort to seek assurances that the current program would not be affected by the actions of either major party. It is clear that both sides of politics are completely committed to extending Roads to Recovery to 2019, but it is also clear that there is disagreement between them on other issues included in the Bill before Parliament. Without passing any comment on those other matters, ALGA is absolutely of the view that nothing should be done by either party to imperil the extension of the R2R program, which is universally lauded for its objectives and achievements in helping to address the needs of local communities across Australia. At a meeting with the Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, the Hon Anthony Albanese, last week, Mr Albanese stated the Opposition’s view that its actions in the Senate regarding the legislation would not stop the R2R program from continuing beyond 30 June 2014. Mayor Lewis accepted this reassurance, noting that the R2R program was vital for local councils and that the consequences if the program was not extended would be far-reaching. | | | | |  Councils across Australia are still coming to terms with the impact of the freezing of the Financial Assistance Grants (FAGs) in the Federal Budget and what it will mean for local communities. Councils across the contry have joined ALGA and the state local government associations in calling for the Government to re-think the decision which will place the provision of vital community services and infrastructure at risk. This week ALGA's president Mayor Felicity-ann Lewis wrote to every council in Australia calling on mayors and shire presidents to write to their local Coalition Federal Members and Senators to bring home to them the consequences at a local level of freezing indexation for FAGs. The decision to freeze the indexation of the grants will cost councils an estimated $925 million by 2017-18. For many smaller rural and remote councils where FAGS form the majority of their revenue, the impact will hit hardest. All councils will need to assess at a local level how these funds are used, but clearly some services at a local level will suffer. ALGA will continue to campaign for the value of FAGs to be restored to a level equivalent to one percent of tax revenue, the level they were at in 1996. In recent years the value has slipped to 0.7 percent, but by 2017-18 that figure will have fallen to just 0.53 percent. The ALGA board will be looking at the impact of the FAGs decision at its next meeting on 15 June and the National General Assembly will provide councils with a forum to put forward a position from local government on the impact of the Budget decision for each and every local council and their communities. The Budget, coupled with recommendations from the Commission of Audit on funding for local government highlight the importance of the upcoming Federation White Paper process. ALGA will be involved in this process, and it is important that local councils are also involved to ensure local government plays an appropriate part in any new Federal model. Registrations for the NGA are still open and councils are encouraged to register and contribute to the shaping of our national policy response. For more information or to register visit www.alga.asn.au | | |
| |  This week I wrote to every mayor and shire president across Australia to seek support for ALGA's call to have the Federal Government restore the indexation of the local government Financial Assistance Grants (FAGs) which has been frozen for three years until 2017-18. The decision to freeze indexation was included in last week's Federal Budget and it will cost councils an estimated $925 million in FAGS by 2017-18. The impact will however continue beyond this date as the base level of FAGs will be permanently reduced by more than 12 percent. The FAGs are a vital part of the revenue base of all councils. For many smaller rural and remote councils, FAGs form the majority of their revenue. These councils are likely to be hit the hardest by the reduction in grants. ALGA has been fighting to have the value of the FAGs restored to the level equivalent to one percent of tax revenue, the level they were in 1996. In recent years they have slipped to 0.7 percent, this value will fall to just 0.53 percent by 2017-18. The Government's decision will impact on the delivery of local services and infrastructure by councils. Local government must make all Coalition Federal Members and Senators aware of this impact on local communities and the consequence of this Budget decision. To raise awareness I urge every mayor and shire president to write to their Federal Government representative and highlight how the decision will affect your community. I would hope that many Federal Government members would recognise the severe impacts on their communities and support a review of the Government's decision. ALGA's National General Assembly on 15 to 18 June will also provide local councils with an opportunity to send a strong message to Government about the need to restore indexation of the FAGs. There is still time to register and be involved in this vital debate. Visit www.alga.asn.au for conference registration details. Mayor, Dr Felicity-ann Lewis President | | |
| | Draft bilateral agreements between the Commonwealth and the New South Wales and Queensland Government for environmental assessment and approval processes are now open for public comment. The agreements, part of the government's One-Stop Shop reform, aim to remove duplication between the federal government and state and territories while maintaining strict environmental protections. The bilateral agreements provide the structure for enabling the single approval process to be implemented. To assist with the implementation of this reform, the EPBC Amendment (Bilateral Agreement Implementation) Bill 2014 has been introduced into Parliament. Water resources are a matter of national environmental significance, in relation to coal seam gas and large coal mining development-usually referred to as the 'water trigger' - under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Water resources will continue to be included in the EPBC Act as a matter of national environmental significance under the One-Stop Shop. Under the current provisions of the EPBC Act, water trigger projects must go through two separate approval processes. This is different to how all other matters of national environmental significance are treated which can be accredited for approval at a state level. In line with the One-Stop Shop policy, the Government is amending the EPBC Act to allow the Minister to accredit state and territory processes for approving projects involving the water trigger. The amendments will also allow all states and territories to request advice from the Independent Expert Scientific Committee for Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development. This will ensure that the states and territories are able to access the best available scientific information. Where state and territory processes meet the high standards set out in national environmental law, the Federal Government can accredit them under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Under the current Act, it is possible to accredit local councils, where they meet the definition and the other prerequisites for accreditation. In some cases, they will meet the definition. In others, they will not qualify. The EPBC Act amendments deal with a technicality relating to how local councils or state agencies may be defined. It does not change the environmental standards that they are required to meet. The draft approval bilateral agreements with both NSW and Queensland are open for public comment until Friday 13 June. For further information click here. | | | | | The creation of a Green Army to deliver environmental projects in Australian communities is now one step closer, with legislation passing the House of Representatives on 15 May. $525 million was committed to the Green Army over four years in the Federal Budget. The Green Army will give young Australians aged 17-24 the opportunity to gain training and experience in environmental and heritage conservation projects in urban, regional and remote locations. From July this year, 250 Green Army projects will be established, providing employment and training to around 2,500 participants. The Green Army will become Australia's largest-ever team supporting environmental action across the country, building to 15,000 young Australians by 2018. Participants will be eligible to receive an allowance and have the opportunity to gain Certificate I or Certificate II qualifications in areas such as land management, park management, landscaping or horticulture. Projects announced during the election campaign will be rolled out from July. Applications for additional first round projects are currently being assessed. Further details are available here. | | | | | A new resource to assist Australian councils with climate risk assessment and planning was launched on 14 May in the New South Wales City of Canada Bay by Mayor, Angelo Tsirekas. The resource Climate Adaptation Manual for Local Government: Embedding Resilience to Climate Change was developed by the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government and partner councils from all Australian states. In launching the manual, Mayor Tsirekas said the City of Canada Bay recognised the challenges and impacts of climate change on Australia. "Our commitment to the environment starts at the top with innovative strategies, developing partnerships and working together with key stakeholders to realise this vision," he said. The manual highlights leading case studies and practical resources from Australian councils and overseas. It is a resource for council staff involved in climate risk assessment and planning such as asset managers, strategic planners, and corporate and community services staff. A step-by-step framework for effectively embedding climate risk into council operations is included in the manual. ACELG Director, Associate Professor Roberta Ryan, said the resource addressed a gap in translating existing research about climate change into practical guidance for the benefit of all councils. It was an ACELG Research Partnership Scheme project, with the involvement of and participation of twenty councils across the country. Download the manual here. | | | | | Next Friday, 30 May is Fatality Free Friday, a national initiative aimed at reducing road fatalities. Fatality Free Friday is an initiative of the Australian Road Safety Foundation and Australia’s largest community-based road safety campaign, which calls for road users to make a promise to themselves, their family and friends to consciously drive safely and obey road rules. Australian Road Safety Foundation CEO Russell White said road users are the key to saving lives, and while a Friday free of any fatalities is the ultimate goal, the initiative calls for drivers to actively concentrate on safety all year round. For more information about Fatality Free Friday or to take the pledge click here. | | | | | Australian school children rank among the worst in the world for overall physical activity levels, narrowly avoiding a fail in a new national report card released on 21 May. Supported by the National Heart Foundation of Australia and Exercise and Sports Science Australia, the inaugural Active Healthy Kids Australia Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth has found 80% of 5-17 year olds are not meeting the Australian physical activity guidelines of at least 60 minutes of exercise each day. Using an international ranking tool developed in Canada, Australia's Report Card will be measured against 14 other countries around the world. Report author Natasha Schranz, PhD from the University of South Australia said too many Australian parents believe playing sport is enough to keep their kids healthy. "Australia is a sporting nation, and vast numbers of children are involved in some type of organised sport but this report clearly shows we need to be looking at further ways to keep kids active when they are not on the sports field," Dr Schranz said. "Things like walking to school, playing outside and turning off televisions and computers also contribute to overall health and physical activity levels - and these things are being forgotten." The Heart Foundation’s National Lead on Active Living, Associate Professor Trevor Shilton said the evidence can’t be ignored. "We're raising a generation of couch potatoes and if we don't start to reverse this trend this will drive up health problems in the future - obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease," he said. "It requires a coordinated response - governments, communities, schools, families and individuals can all play a role, we just need to start the conversation." Full copies of the Report Card can be downloaded here. | | | | | NBN Co has established a register to identify the location of lift phones and fire indicator panels, to support the continuity of these services. Due to specific in-building cabling requirements, NBN Co is working closely with industry to develop solutions to connect lift phones and fire indicator panels to the NBN. These services should not be connected to the NBN until solutions are available. Disconnection of existing services is scheduled from 23 May 2014*, and will affect parts of Tasmania, Victoria, NSW, Queensland and South Australia where fibre has been rolled out. It is vital to register the location of lift phones and fire indicator panels with NBN Co well before the existing network is scheduled to be disconnected in an area. Disconnection could result in undetectable failure of these services. What building owners need to do: - Call NBN Co on 1800 687 626
- Make sure you have the following details ready:
- Contact details
- Building address
- Type of essential service (emergency lift phone or a fire indicator panel)
- The phone number of the Service
- The Fire Line or Lift Line Service Company
- The RSP providing the phone service if known
The move to services over the NBN is not an automatic process. For any other common property services in the building that use a landline connection, like security alarms, you will still need to order a service over the NBN well before the scheduled disconnection date to avoid disconnection. To order a service over the NBN, call your preferred phone company or internet service provider today. Medical Alarms NBN Co is particularly focused on the most vulnerable members of society and wants the transfer of their services to be as smooth as possible. In March NBN Co established a Medical Alarm Register to identify households with medical alarms and where support may be needed to assist people to move across to services over the NBN. If you use a medical alarm or care for someone who does, you need to move it to the NBN to keep it working. To move your medical alarm across to services over the NBN you will need to take the following steps: - Contact your alarm provider
- Ask what internet or phone services over the NBN will support your alarm
- Ask what in-home wiring changes are required (charges may apply)
- Contact your preferred phone company or internet service provider
- Let them know that you have a monitored medical alarm
- Tell them your alarm requirements
- Arrange to have any required wiring changes done to connect your alarm to the NBN (charges may apply)
- After the NBN is installed and working, test that your alarm is working correctly with your alarm provider or emergency contact.
- Register your Medical Alarm on the Medical Alarm Register.
- To register visit nbnco.com.au/medicalregister or call 1800 227 300 9am - 5pm AEST Mon-Fri
* Services not replaced by the NBN include some TransACT, OptiComm, some Telstra Velocity services and others. For a full list please visit www.nbnco.com.au/switch or call us on 1800 687 626. Optus cable internet may be switched off on a different date and existing customers will be advised separately | | | | | The Australian Drug Foundation is hosting a free seminar and webcast on preventing alcohol and drug problems in local communities on Wednesday 18 June. The Foundation said grass roots community prevention programs can have a significant impact on reducing the number of people who die or suffer each year from preventable alcohol and other drug (AOD) - related causes. Prevention can be challenging, but this seminar looks at best practice approaches to prevention that communities can use to help them achieve the greatest impact from their programs and campaigns. The seminar will focus on case studies and existing programs which communities can use in their own area to inspire anyone who is concerned about AOD harm to take action. The seminar will be held at the State Library of Victoria between 9.30am and 12.20pm and will also be webcast. To find out more and register click here. | | | | | Publicly owned assets proposed for sale or lease will now be listed on a National Infrastructure Construction Schedule website. The Asset Sales page is a key platform of the Australian Government's $5 billion Asset Recycling Initiative, which provides incentive payments to states and territories that sell mature assets and reinvest the proceeds in infrastructure across Australia. Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Jami Briggs welcomed the initial strong enthusiasm from state governments including Victoria and South Australia who have already registered potential assets for acquisition. Mr Briggs said it’s clear they have recognised the significant opportunities the Australian Government’s Asset Recycling Initiative will deliver by generating additional revenue to build the infrastructure of the 21st century. The Federal Government flagged in the Budget that an additional $350 million will be provided in Roads to Recovery funding in 2015-16 from the Asset Recycling program once established. The Asset Sales page can be found here. | | | | | Outdoor dining areas in South Australia will be smoke free by July 2016. Health Minister Jack Snelling said outdoor dining areas were among the last public places where the community are regularly exposed to potentially harmful tobacco smoke. "The majority of people who responded to our public consultation last year indicated that they supported the introduction of smoke-free outdoor dining areas," Mr Snelling said. "By banning smoking in outdoor dining areas by July 2016 we will help protect the health of our community and increase the comfort and enjoyment of non-smokers using public spaces. Mr Snelling said South Australia was the last state apart from Victoria to take action to restrict smoking in alfresco settings. Smoking will still be allowed in outdoor drinking areas but only in an area where food is not served. The changes to smoke free outdoor dining areas will require an amendment to the Tobacco Products Regulation Act 1997. | | |
| | |  New Research Underway by the AIC: CCTV Use in Australia The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) is conducting research exploring the extent and nature of CCTV use in Australia. Every local government in Australia is invited to participate in an online survey about their use of CCTV, including those without CCTV systems in their local government area. The AIC is interested in developing a national picture of CCTV use, which is important considering the ongoing investment in CCTV by the Commonwealth, state and territory, and local governments. This research is important because it will help to better inform the use of CCTV and other crime prevention initiatives in local communities. Please contact Shann Hulme (by phone) 02 6260 9242 or (by email) Shann.Hulme@aic.gov.au for more information about how your council can become involved in this important national research project. There is only one week left to participate as the survey closes on 31st May 2014. Every participating council will go in a draw for a chance to receive one of two free registrations to the AIC’s upcoming Crime Prevention and Communities conference held at the Melbourne Convention Centre on 10-11 June 2014. |
| | | | | |  The National Local Government Customer Service Network is the peak industry body for customer service professionals within the Australian Local Government sector. Our members benefit from a range of services and events, including: - Entry into the inaugural National Local Government Customer Service Network Awards in 2015
- Annual National Conference
- Seminars and Meetings
- Subsidised training
- Online Members' Resource Centre
- Careers Section including Submit Your Vacant Positions and create Job Alerts
- Social Media Forums
- Learning and Development Program
- Benchmarking Survey and Mystery Shopper
- Sharing of policies, procedures, position descriptions
2014/2015 Membership registration is now open and we encourage our colleagues within our industry to join us. Connect with people who are passionate about customer service and local government. Join us today! Visit our website, www.csnetwork.org.au for further information. |
| | |
|
