National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) Chief Executive, Sal Petroccitto, and recently elected President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), Mayor Troy Pickard, are committed to supporting local governments in their role as road managers for nearly 80 percent of Australia's road network.

Speaking at the ALGA National Local Roads and Transport Congress in Tamworth earlier this month, Mr Petrocitto said local government is a critical stakeholder for the NHVR and the Regulator was working closely with ALGA to better understand what support local governments need.

"I recognise that for many local governments considering whether to open up their road networks to heavy vehicles is a balancing act," said Mr Petroccitto.

"Councils have a responsibility to protect road infrastructure assets, but also know that the 'first and last' mile of many heavy vehicle journeys is vital for local productivity and to keep the country moving.

Mayor Pickard highlighted that local government invests an estimated $7.5 billion per annum in the local road network.

"It is important to protect local government's most important asset, while managing road access to maximise benefits to our community" Mayor Pickard said.

Read the full media release here.

Cairns Regional Council and the Sydney Coastal Councils Group were the joint winners of the local government category of the 2014 Resilient Australia Awards.

Cairns teamed with Deaf Services Queensland, CentaCare Migrant Services and ARC Disability Services for the project Be Ready, Cairns which includes producing cyclone publications using Auslan, YouTube clips, braille and talking books, publications in 10 different languages along with developing multi-lingual radio warnings on local radio.

The Sydney Coast Councils group project worked with the University of Sydney to produce a multi-hazard assessment tool which compares the risks to coastal areas posed by multiple hazards, mainly tsunamis and storm surges.

Tasmania's Kingborough Council and WA's Shire of Augusta Margaret River received Highly Commended awards.

Nillumbik Shire Council was also highly commended for its work with the St Andrew Fire Safety and Awareness Project Group in the Not for Profit sector for their involvement in a fire preparedness calendar.

The awards were presented at a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on Monday by Justice Minister Michael Keenan.

A total of 24 entries were recognised from 160 applications.

A full list of the award recipients can be found here.

Applications close at 5pm today for Round 1 of the National Stronger Regions Fund.

The Australian Government has committed $1 billion to the fund over five years commencing from 2015-16.

Funding will be provided for capital projects which involve construction of new infrastructure, or the upgrade, extension or enhancement of existing infrastructure. Local Government and incorporated not-for-profit organisations are eligible to apply for grants of between $20,000 and $10 million. Grant funding must be matched in cash on at least a dollar for dollar basis, and the funded part of the project must be completed on or before 31 December 2019.

Join more than 200,000 Australian's of all ages and backgrounds who are supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality. Register for National Close the Gap Day, Thursday 19 March, 2015.

Simply host an activity to show you care, to raise awareness, and to take action in support of health equality by 2030.

Please take a moment to register an event for national Close the Gap Day and encourage your colleagues, networks, friends and family to do the same. 

The Close the Gap Campaign has made real progress since its inception in 2006. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infant and child mortality rates have declined significantly and a wide variety of new Indigenous health initiatives have been introduced at both State and Federal levels.

National Close the Gap Day (NCTGD) is a way for all Australians to join together and remind our political leaders of their commitments to close the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by 2030.

Neighbour Day is Australia's annual celebration of community, bringing together the people next door, across the street or on the next farm for a beer, a barbie or just a cuppa. in 2015 Neighbour Day will be held on Sunday 29 March.

Neighbour Day is the perfect opportunity for local councils to bring people together to acknowledge and celebrate the strong sense of neighbourhood many communities have.

Councils can support Neighbour Day by:

• Linking existing events, workshops or community activities to Neighbour Day and promoting awareness of social connection and inclusive communities to healthy, happy people.
• Promoting the day on council websites, through the Council or the Mayor's column in the local newspapers, or via Facebook and Twitter.
• Organising a Council event to acknowledge Neighbour Day in the local community.
• Encouraging locals to hold their own events.
• Making it easy for neighbours to hold street parties or events in local parks by providing a ‘how to’ on your website including details about permissions and notifications.
• Providing council equipment if it's available such as cricket sets, tables and chairs or street closed signs.

Relationships Australia became the new home for Neighbour Day on 1 January 2014.

A new website for Neighbour Day will be launched in the New Year and will provide free downloadable resources to support involvement in Neighbour Day 2015.

To find out more about our annual national celebration of Neighbour Day visit neighbourday.org.au, follow on Facebook facebook.com/neighbourday or Twitter @neighbourday.

Ten individuals and organisations were honoured a the 2014 National Disability Awards at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday evening.

Twenty-three finalists from more than 200 nominations across eight award categories attended the event.

Senator Mitch Fifield, the Assistant Minister for Social Services said the award recipients worked hard to break down the barriers for people with disability.

"From innovative education programs and inclusive sports for adult and children alike, to leadership in business and employment, and community support programs that are making a positive difference in health, tourism, emergency services and opportunities for Indigenous Australians"

The National Disability Awards are a major part of celebrations marking the International Day of People with Disability on 3 December each year.

For more information about the recipients visit www.idpwd.com.au

Around 7,600 homes and businesses will soon be the first in the Hobart and Launceston CBD’s to complete the transition to the National Broadband Network (NBN).

As part of a national upgrade to Australia's fixed-line infrastructure, services over the NBN are scheduled to progressively replace most existing landline phone and internet services in parts Hobart City including Sandy Bay, Dynnyrne, Hobart city and Battery Point as well as parts of South, West and Launceston city starting from 20 February 2015.

This week NBN Co also announced work is underway for an additional 3,100 homes and businesses in Northern Tasmania including parts of Prospect, South Launceston, Summerhill, Kings Meadows, Lilydale and Swansea (surrounds).

This continues the momentum of the NBN rollout across the state with work underway to bring the NBN to an additional 48,000 premises. There are also more than 26,000 homes and businesses already connected to the NBN in Tasmania.

You can find out whether you are eligible to connect to the NBN as well as more information about the steps you need to take to make the switch by visiting nbnco.com.au/switch.

PIA's program for Planning Congress 2015 to be held in Melbourne next May, is well under way representing a diverse mix of international professionals who have all driven change in places to improve them for communities. 

Andrew Dixon, a cultural advisor from the north of England who re-invigorates towns in industrial decline, will be sharing his knowledge of why focusing on culture is important in the regenerating and repositioning of place. 

Planning Congress is this country’s premiere gathering for town and regional planners. The first event was held in 1951, and next year marks its return to Melbourne after a decade being held in other states. Keynote speakers from around the globe, who have all driven change in a variety of places, will be amongst Australia’s top planners to discuss the topic of Great Places. 

Planning Congress 2015 runs from May 13 to 15, 2015 at South Wharf in Melbourne. For more information see: piacongress.com.au or call Planning Institute Australia on (02) 6262 5933.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) Board announced a revised leadership structure for the Regulator on Friday 21 November.

NHVR Chief Executive, Sal Petroccitto, speaking on behalf of the Board, said the NHVR is embarking on a new phase of collaboration and partnership with industry and government, driving more responsive customer service and practical regulation.

"To be able to meet the needs of industry and partner organisations, the NHVR is implementing a revised business model and a new organisational structure," said Mr Petroccitto.

"This will facilitate the NHVR to move to the next stage of its development," he said.

"All organisations evolve and change," said Mr Petroccitto, "and our new leadership structure will make sure we have the right talent, skills and experience to take the Regulator forward".

International Volunteer Day (IVD) will be celebrated on 5 December. The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985.  IVD provides volunteer organisations and individual volunteers with the opportunity to raise the public awareness of their contributions to economic and social development at local, national and international levels.

IVD is celebrated worldwide with thousands of volunteers involved in a range of events as diverse as the volunteers themselves.  Events include clean-up campaigns, conferences, exhibitions, morning teas and many other activities all aimed at highlighting the role of volunteers in their communities.

Volunteering Australia supports IVD and thanks the over six million Australians who volunteer their time. We encourage the broader community and all volunteer based organisations to get involved with the celebrations in your area.

The last edition of ALGA News for 2014 will be published on Friday 12 December; and ALGA News will re-commence publication in the New Year on Friday 30 January 2015.