 | |  The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has sought independent advice on the repeal of the Carbon Tax and the implications for councils that own and operate landfills. A copy of the briefing paper prepared for ALGA, Implications of Carbon Price Repeal for Local Government, by Norton Rose Fulbright is available on ALGA's website. The advice has been provided to each of the State and Territory Local Government Associations as well. While the Carbon Price has been repealed, ALGA is awaiting the outcome of the debate on the Carbon Farming Initiative legislation. The ALGA Board will bring together the state associations in the coming months to look at the outcome of these parliamentary decisions to explore opportunities for local government under the Direct Action Policy. | | | | |  The 2014 National Local Roads and Transport Congress will be held in Tamworth from 12 - 14 November. With the theme, Collaborations and Corridors, the congress will highlight the importance of federal funding in overcoming road and infrastructure challenges and reinforce the need for increased and permanent funding under the Roads to Recovery program beyond June 2019. The Congress will also focus on broader policy issues such as transport challenges on "paddock to plate", the Inland Rail Project and improving transport access. Delegates will hear from international keynote speaker Mr Jack Short, former Secretary General of the International Transport Forum based in Paris. Mr Short will explore the theme of Transport Reform, the European Story and participate in other panel sessions. Information on the Congress is available on the ALGA website and registrations are now open. | | | | |  Minister for Justice Michael Keenan announced $3.7 million in grants to assist Australian communities better prepare, respond to and recover from natural disasters and emergencies on 28 July. In 2014-15 the Federal Government will fund 19 nationally-significant projects under the National Emergency Management Projects (NEMP) Program. In 2014-15, successful projects include: - $93,650 to make use of new data that will help organisations make sure food gets to our most vulnerable people, when food-supply-chains are disrupted during a disaster;
- $200,000 to help build disaster resilience in our indigenous communities, through projects that support the Keeping our Mob Safe: National Emergency Management Strategy for Remote and Indigenous Communities (KOMS);
- $230,000 to improve land-use and built-environment professionals’ awareness and understanding of disaster risks, through the development of an education program;
- $256,300 to help make flood study reports and data publically available through the National Flood Risk Information Project’s Portal;
- $280,000 to improve methods for estimating grassland-fire behaviour;
- $450,000 to develop specifications and business requirements for a new fire danger rating system; and
- $50,000 to complete the draft Spontaneous Volunteer Strategy - the final strategy will clarify roles and responsibilities when managing spontaneous volunteers.
Further information on all successful 2014-15 projects and the NEMP can be found at www.em.gov.au/fundinginitiatives | | |
| |  At the heart of many local communities are the parks, gardens and sporting facilities; the footy fields, swimming pools and ovals that are owned and maintained by the local council. A quick check of the Australian Bureau of Statistics website to find out how much local government invests in sport and recreation activities reveals that the most recent data collected was in 2000-01. At that time, local governments contributed 49 percent of all government funding for sport and recreation activities. The Commonwealth contributed nine percent and the state and territory government, about 41 percent. The majority of the money spent by local government was on the provision of venues, grounds and facilities. I expect these percentages haven't shifted too much, but it would be interesting to see a snapshot of what the expenditure is in 2014, and track what happens to these expenditures in coming years as councils reconsider their budgets in light of the freeze on indexation of Financial Assistance Grants. The provision of these outdoor spaces it important in our communities for the health and well being of our residents, but financial pressures on council budgets could well take their toll in this space. Add to this the ever increasing cost of water and energy, essential for the maintenance of green spaces and running community sporting venues, and it is clear that there is an increasing challenge for communities to maintain these vital facilities. While some residents may go on to Commonwealth or Olympic Games glory, after starting their career in a council pool, or on a council oval, for most of us, it is about having access to sport and recreation facilities so we can enjoy being active and healthy. And for those who are part of our Australian team at the Commonwealth Games, congratulations on your selection, and your participation in Glasgow. Mayor Felicity-ann Lewis President | | |
| | The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has called for submissions from the Australian public on evidence regarding the health effects of water fluoridation. Water fluoridation is a public health initiative used by governments to help reduce tooth decay. Current NHMRC advice recommends that water be fluoridated at the level of 0.6 to 1.1 mg/L, which balances the benefits of reduced tooth decay with the occurrence of dental mottling (fluorosis). The NHMRC said the call for published scientific articles is the first step in a comprehensive review process to ensure that NHMRC's advice is based on the most current evidence. Once this stage is complete, an expert working group will prepare a draft Information Paper summarising the evidence. This will be released for public consultation around September 2015. Following the public consultation next year, NHMRC will consider all feedback before confirming or suggesting any amendments to its current recommendations. Details about how to submit evidence are available here. The call closes on 22 August 2014. | | | | | The first hearing of the Senate Inquiry into Affordable Housing was held in Adelaide on Monday, 28 July followed by a public hearing in Canberra on Wednesday, 30 July. The Senate Economics References Committee will report by November 2014. The inquiry's terms of reference, stakeholder submissions and details of public hearings are available online. | | | | | The Government has declared Thursday 7 August 2014 to be a National Day of Mourning to honour the victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. On this day, flags on all Government buildings, here and overseas, will be flown at half-mast. The Government has arranged for a National Memorial Service to take place at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, at 10.30am on Thursday 7 August 2014. The Service will honour those who have lost their lives and seek to support those who have been bereaved. Thursday’s National Memorial Service is interdenominational and members of the public are invited to attend. Arrangements have also been made for the outside broadcast of the National Memorial Service in anticipation of large crowds wanting to support the families of those lost on Flight MH17. Those wishing to attend the National Memorial Service should contact a Ceremonial and Protocol Officer on (02) 6271 5991 or (02) 6271 5209 or via email at MemorialService@pmc.gov.au up until 12 noon on Wednesday 6 August 2014. | | | | | The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), responsible for establishing and operating the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), has completed a progress report in its first year of operation. The report benchmarks how the NDIS is tracking against the goals and outcomes identified in the National Disability Insurance Agency’s Strategic Plan 2013-2016. It identifies the following achievements in the last 12 months: - 6434 participants have been found eligible for the Scheme, with 5414 having an approved plan by the end of March 2014.
- The majority of participants are very satisfied, with a satisfaction rating of 1.66 on a scale of -2 (extremely unsatisfied) to +2 (extremely satisfied).
- The NDIA has made preparations to expand the NDIS trial sites across the whole of ACT, Barkly in the NT and Perth Hills, in WA. These sites join four existing one-year old sites in the Hunter (NSW), Barwon (VIC), South Australia (for children under six years of age) and in Tasmania (for young people, aged 15 to 24 years). In addition, a new office will be opened in Colac in the Barwon region.
- Head Office has been relocated, with the Prime Minister, the Hon Tony Abbott, MP, opening the Head Office of the National Disability Insurance Agency in Geelong in April 2014.
- Over 450 staff have been recruited - of which almost 11 per cent identify as having a disability. Over 50 per cent of staff in the Agency have identified as having lived experience of disability - which refers to close or personal experience with disability.
- NDIA is continuing to implement major operational improvements to manage Scheme costs. At present costs remain comfortably within the allocated budget - around $107 million of support will flow to participants in 2013/14. This is well within the funding envelope of $152 million for 2013/14. However, the NDIA recognises that there is a significant amount of work to.
The full report is available here. | | | | | Assistant Minister for Education, the Hon Sussan Ley MP announced the establishment of a Ministerial Advisory Council for the child care and early learning sector on 26 July. The Ministerial Advisory Council provides leaders of the sector with a direct opportunity to share their expertise and advice on issues and policies affecting the sector. Assistant Minister Ley will co-chair the Council with respected former Departmental Secretary, Dr Jeff Harmer AO. The Ministerial Advisory Council members are: - Ms Kylie Brannelly - Queensland Children's Activities Network
- Ms Gwynn Bridge - Australian Childcare Alliance
- Ms Brianna Casey - Childcare NSW
- Ms Ros Cornish - Early Childhood Australia
- Ms Anita Jovanovski - NSW Family Day Care Association
- Ms Christine Legg - KU Children's Services
- Ms Judith McKay-Tempest - Macquarie University
- Ms Carla Northam - Family Day Care Australia
- Ms Robyn Paterson - National Association of Mobile Services for Rural and Remote
- Families and Children
- Ms Prue Warrilow - Australian Community Children's Services
- Ms Naomi Wilson - Former QLD Minister for Families Youth and Community Care
The first meeting of the Ministerial Advisory Council was held in Brisbane on Monday, 28 July 2014. Further information about the Council is available from the Council page. | | | | | Efforts to reduce the environmental impact of mobile phones have taken a significant step forward with the announcement of MobileMuster as the first programme to be accredited under the Australian Government's voluntary product stewardship arrangements. MobileMuster is the national recycling programme of the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association and keeps old phones out of landfill by collecting and recycling them in a safe, secure and ethical way. Since it started in 1998, MobileMuster has collected and recycled over 1000 tonnes of mobile phone components including almost eight million handsets and batteries. Environmental pollution and e-waste is a growing problem in Australia and across the globe. Product stewardship involves manufacturers and importers taking responsibility for ensuring that the impact of their products and materials on the environment, and on human health and safety, is reduced throughout their lifecycle. More information on voluntary product stewardship arrangements can be found on the Department's website | | | | | More than 100 councils, covering more than 480 library branches or one-third of all public libraries, across Australia are becoming eSmart, a cyber safety initiative of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation. More than half of these branches are from Victoria and NSW. The program is a risk management system for community cybersafety that includes library staff professional development as well as library user training and guidance. For more information about the free program watch a short Information video. Industry bodies supporting eSmart Libraries include the - Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)
- Public Libraries Advisory Committee (PLAC)
- Public Libraries Australia (PLA)
- National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA)
To find out more, contact eSmart Libraries, call 1300 538 534 or visit www.esmartlibraries.org.au | | | | | The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched a new 3D modeling tool that will allow consumers to estimate the benefits of installing rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the tool was part of a suite of updates to the Australian Solar Map, developed by the Australian PV Institute (APVI) with $436,000 of ARENA support. "The new, freely available tool allows consumers and installers to select a rooftop and receive an estimate of annual electricity generation, financial savings and emissions offset from installing solar panels," Mr Frischknecht said. "It currently includes data for central areas of six Australian cities and the technology provides a platform that may be expanded to cover more regions of Australia. "The interactive map allows users to zoom down to rooftop level and see the surrounding shading, orientation and solar resource available. "Users then have the ability to alter the system design and customise the feed-in tariff in their area to improve the accuracy of savings estimates." More than 19,000 people have already visited the solar map website. The new modelling tool and solar maps are available online. This project is part of ARENA's knowledge sharing activities and addresses identified gaps in renewable energy mapping and forecasting. The solar maps involve a collaboration that includes data from the Bureau of Meteorology, PVOutput.org, the Australian Energy Market Operator and the Clean Energy Regulator. | | | | | A free seminar series hosted by the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government at UTS will commence in Sydney on 14 August with a presentation by Canadian urban politics expert, Professor Ron Vogel called 'Metropolitan Governance - A Comparative Perspective'. The seminar series, 'From Government to Governance' will offer thought-leading presentations by international and national experts in governance, local government and sustainable place-making about the role of local government. The series will examine current thinking about co-operative working within and outside the sector; facilitating citizens shaping their community's future; issues emerging from national reform initiatives; and where local government sits on the Federal Government's agenda, plus other themes. Professor Ron K. Vogel is internationally recognised as an urban politics and administration scholar - his work has focused in particular on global cities and regional governance. Over the last decade Ron has been conducting research on the governance of global city-regions in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London and Toronto. Prof Vogel lectures at Ryerson University (Toronto) and is currently a visiting professor at ACELG at UTS. This is a free seminar. For more information click here. | | | | | The provision of new, high-quality, traffic-free cycling and walking routes in local communities has encouraged more people to get about by foot and by bike, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health. Independent research led by the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, on behalf of the iConncect consortium, surveyed adults living in three communities before and after they benefited from a national initiative led by the sustainable transport charity Sustrans, and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, to build or improve walking and cycling routes at 84 towns, cities and villages around the UK. "This is one of the first studies to show that changing the environment to support walking and cycling in the UK can have measurable benefits for public health," said Dr David Ogilvie of the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, who led the study. "It is also notable that we did not see a significant effect on activity until the two-year follow-up. It can take time for the benefits of this sort of investment to be fully realised." Two years after new routes were developed by charity Sustrans with local authority partners, people living nearby increased their total levels of physical activity, compared to those living further away. Crucially, there was no evidence that the gains in walking and cycling were offset by reductions in other forms of physical activity. | | |
| | | | | | | |  State of the Regions Report 2014-15 The 2014-15 State of the Regions report, Regional Development in a Globailised Economy, is now available. The report is prepared by National Economics and published annually by the Australian Local Government Association. The State of the Regions report provides an annual stock-take of the economic well being of Australia's regions and their prospects for economic development and employment growth. The Report divides Australia into 67 regions and provides specific data for each. To order your copy click here. Proudly supported by Jardine Lloyd Thompson  |
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