 | |  The Department of the Environment is undertaking an operational review of the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) and this week released a review paper. NTCRS involves a combination of government regulation and industry action to take responsibility for the collection and recycling of waste televisions, computers, printers and computer products. Under the Scheme, householders and small business can drop-off these items for free at designated access points, which may include permanent collection sites, take-back events or through a mail-back option. This program was first put in place in 2012 after a two-year long consultation period. In order to align with new Federal regulations on the product stewardship (with a key focus on e-waste), the Federal Government is undertaking a review of the Scheme to determine its suitability and viability under these new regulations. Submissions are being sought by the Government from interested stakeholders. Information on the review can be found here and submissions will be open until close of business, 6 February 2015. | | | | |  The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) released the findings of a review of road trauma, on Tuesday 2 December. The review shows that road trauma costs the nation an estimated $27 billion per year. This is equivalent to 18 per cent of total health expenditure and 1.8 per cent of Gross Domestic Product. The BITRE review has evaluated both domestic and international road safety solutions, and identified road investment as key to continuing the current downward trend in fatalities. Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Jamie Briggs said the outcomes of the BITRE review have also informed a major review of the National Road Safety Strategy and development of the National Road Safety Action Plan 2015-2017. Minister Briggs said in Australia significant progress has been made towards the target of a 30 per cent reduction in casualties by 2020. National fatality numbers are now 17.4 per cent lower, putting Australia well on track to achieving its reduction target. While road deaths have trended down, BITRE's analysis confirms that these gains have not flowed equally to all road users with motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, older drivers and remote communities over represented in the road toll. The report is available online at www.bitre.gov.au. | | | | |  The Australian Government released its response to the 37 recommendations and related issues raised in the Aviation Safety Regulation Review Report, on Wednesday 3 December. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said the Report backs-up Australia's advanced aviation regulatory system as one of the safest public transport systems in the world. "The Australian Government has agreed to 32 of the Report's 37 recommendations and has agreed to undertake a more detailed examination of a further four. "Aviation safety systems need everyone in the system to work closely and cooperatively to identify safety risks and to ensure that the most appropriate practices and technologies are adopted to address and reduce risks. "Active engagement between industry and aviation agencies will help inform future regulatory priorities and the development of simpler regulations, standards and orders. "Successful implementation of the Australian Government’s response to the Report will require our civil and military aviation agencies to work closely together, as well as the active and constructive participation of both the aviation industry and aviation agencies. The Government's response to the Aviation Safety Regulation Review Report is available here. ALGA's submission to the Aviation Safety Regulation Review can be read on the ALGA website | | |
| |  The Australian Government this week released its response into the Productivity Commission's Inquiry Report into Public Infrastructure. A key message of the Productivity Commission report is the need for an overhaul of the processes currently used in the development and assessment of infrastructure investments. The Productivity Commission has identified a range of reforms aimed at improving the delivery of public infrastructure by governments, particularly in regards to the selection, prioritisation and governance of public infrastructure projects. Last week I met with Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Jamie Briggs and while the Productivity Commission report was not specifically on the agenda, infrastructure and road funding was. The government's response to the report includes a number of items of particular interest to local government. The Government has supported the PC recommendation to improve project assessment, selection and evaluation as part of an effort to improve procurement. This has been a major area of focus for jurisdictions given escalating project costs and the need to look at improving tender processes. While the PC focus is primarily on large scale infrastructure this is also an area where local government has sought improvements through the efforts of state associations to provide guidance to councils on procurement. These improvements will benefits our communities and no doubt there is more to be done. The PC Report also recommended that local government associations should encourage local governments to explore regional road funds for networks of local roads and the Government has given its support in principle to this as a long term reform option. ALGA is working with state associations on this recommendation and the opportunities that might exist for pilot projects between groups of councils. On the issue of road user charging the Commonwealth has supported the recommendation in principle, again as a long term reform option. The Government said in its response the issue of user charging would need ongoing discussion and it is currently working with all levels of government to investigate options to trial distance-based road user charging for heavy commercial vehicles on commercially significant road corridors. ALGA will continue to work with the Federal Government and our state and territory associations on these issues, recognising that we must explore more innovative ways to fund our local roads if they are going to meet the freight challenges that lay ahead. Mayor Troy Pickard President | | |
| | Three new appointments to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Board were announced on Wednesday 3 December. As part of the Government's response to the Aviation Safety Regulation Review, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss has appointed Ms Anita Taylor, Mr Ian Smith AM and Captain Murray Warfield to the CASA Board for the next three years. The announcement completes the expanded CASA Board following the recent appointment of Air Vice Marshal (Rtd) Mark Skidmore AM as Director of Aviation Safety and Mr Jeff Boyd as Deputy Chair earlier this year. | | | | | Representatives from business and community sectors have begun a dialogue about tax reform to explore areas of agreement and disagreement ahead of the Government's tax review next year. "If we are to effect meaningful tax reform in Australia and encourage inclusive growth that benefits both business and the community, we need to present a case for change," said Tom Pockett, Chairman of the Members of the Business Community for Tax Reform (BCTR), which brings together a range of business groups covering the broad spectrum of the Australian business community, are meeting with members of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), representing community organisations and people on low incomes, in Sydney on Monday 15 December. The forum is an opportunity for a range of stakeholders to address critical issues in our tax system, such as Australia’s budget challenge, sustainable growth, affordable housing, fairness, equity and simplicity. The groups have released a statement of intent in relation to tax reform, Tax reform for the common good. | | | | | NBN Co announced a new national rollout plan revealing the next 1.9 million homes and businesses across more than 400 cities, suburbs and towns set to receive the National Broadband Network (NBN) on Monday 1 December. The expansion of the rollout across every state and territory is the first to reflect the company's new, flexible multi-technology approach and is an important step toward reaching its goal of 8 million connections to the NBN by 2020. The plan provides an indicative view of scheduled construction work up to June 2016. It will be updated each successive quarter with further detail to reflect ongoing variations brought about by process and technology improvements. This greater transparency will give individuals, communities and the telecommunications industry the most accurate short-term view of construction progress while at the same time acknowledging the flexible nature of the rollout. More information on the new construction schedule is available here. | | | | | A major national research project about to get under way will allow us to measure for the first time how "liveable" Australian cities are in terms of the impact they have on our health. The National Liveability Study, outlined in the current edition of the journal Public Health Research & Practice , will develop Australia's first set of national "health liveability indicators". The results will be an important tool for federal, state and local governments, developers, public health planners and other groups working to create healthy neighbourhoods. The National Liveability Study project has buy-in from state and federal governments and nongovernment organisations, who will sit on a national advisory group. State-based technical working groups in the ACT, Victoria, NSW, Queensland and WA will provide advice during the project, which will run over two years. The study's research team will kick-start the measurement process by using a Geographic Information System (GIS) to examine five domains of liveability: - Alcohol - access to licensed and off-licence premises
- Food - access to local food outlets such as grocery stores, supermarkets and takeaway outlets
- Public open space - access to parks, open spaces and vegetation
- Transport - access to public transport and private vehicles, and household travel patterns
- Walkability - access to street connectivity, land-use mix and residential density.
The team will review relevant urban planning policies of Australian states and territories for each domain, map this against health information, and create and compare a set of indicators based on the policies. The research is a project of The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, a collaboration of more than 20 organisations that is investigating how to build a national system to prevent chronic disease. The Liveability Study team is made up of researchers from institutions across Victoria, NSW, WA, ACT and Queensland. | | | | | The first meeting of the Urban Policy Dialogue was held at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday, hosted by Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Shadow Minister for Cities Anthony Albanese. Urban policy experts from across Australia put forward their vision for a national agenda on cities, including the role Federal Government could play in this area. Cities are home to four in five Australians and produce 80 per cent of Australia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By 2060 our population is expected to double and Sydney and Melbourne will be approaching eight million people. | | | | | MR JOHN Ellice-Flint and Ms Gabrielle Trainor have been appointed to the Infrastructure Australia (IA) Board. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said Mr Ellice-Flint and Ms Trainor bring a mix of public and private sector experience to their new roles, commencing their three-year terms on the IA Board immediately. "Both new Board members already serve on several Boards and bring considerable knowledge and leadership experience to their new positions," Mr Truss said. "Mr Ellice-Flint has been Executive Chairman on the Blue Energy Ltd Board since 2012 and brings with him significant experience from his career in the resources and mining sector. "Ms Trainor has served as Chair on the Victorian Urban Development Authority, Director at the NSW Rail Access Corporation and was appointed to the Infrastructure Partnerships Investment Fund earlier this year." For more information about members of the Infrastructure Australia Board click here. | | | | | The City of Sydney has been recognised as one of the world's most forward-thinking cities with an invitation to join a group of 100 global cities that are creating a more secure future for their communities. Alongside, London, Paris, Chicago and Singapore, the City has been selected to join the 100 Resilient Cities network funded by The Rockefeller Foundation. 100 Resilient Cities is spending US $100 million to make cities better prepared to cope with shocks and strains ranging from climate change to social problems and issues such as housing affordability. The 100 Resilient Cities network will fund a Chief Resilience Officer at the City of Sydney for two years to work with all levels of government to better prepare Sydney and its residents for expected or unexpected stresses in the future. These can range from the global competitiveness of businesses, to natural disasters and climate change, violence caused by alcohol and drug abuse, or social challenges such as homelessness. | | | | | More than 17,500 new aged care places will be delivered across the country, worth an estimated $833 million, following the conclusion of the 2014 Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR). The funding will help meet demand for residential aged care across the country, and support people to stay in their own home for longer. Assistant Minister for Social Services Senator Mitch Fifield said older Australians will benefit from 11,196 new residential aged care places worth an estimated $660.5 million in annual recurrent funding. A further 6,653 new home care places, worth an estimated $173.1 million in annual recurrent funding, will help older Australians remain living in their own home for as long as possible. This is an increase from the 5,835 home care places allocated last year. New or existing providers have also been allocated $103 million in capital grants to help them establish new services or upgrade their facilities. The ACAR is the process that allocates funding for new Government residential aged care and home care places and for capital grants each year. More information on the 2014 ACAR is available here. | | | | | A new initiative launched by the Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG), Our Living River, is on a mission to bring back swimming to the entire Parramatta River (the river) by 2025. The initiative, spearheaded by 12 local councils, and government agencies and community groups within the catchment area, is proposing to set a range of achievable targets in the aim of bringing currently unusable parts of the river and surrounding creeks back to life. Benefits to improving currently un-activated parts of the river, surrounding creeks and open areas include better public amenities, greater liveability, healthier living, social connection, increased biodiversity, business opportunities and increased property value. The initiative is calling on the community to get involved by; going to ourlivingriver.com.au, voting for their favourite swimming spot, and showing their support to bring the river and surrounding creeks back to their former glory. The project also aims to create an all-levels of government task force to look at issues related to restoring the river to full health and activation, including coordination of a river master plan. | | | | | 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. | | |
| | |  Bring your community together this Australia Day with the Affirmation Across the country, there are thousands of organised events held on Australia Day, from fun runs first thing in the morning to the fireworks in the evening. And in most towns across Australia, a citizenship ceremony is held. Citizenship ceremonies are an integral part of Australia Day, with tens of thousands of people becoming Australian citizens on 26 January each year. A great way to welcome these new citizens into the community is to include an Australia Citizenship ceremony at official Australia Day events. The Australian Citizenship Affirmation can be included as part of every citizenship ceremony and gives the whole community the opportunity to affirm their loyalty to Australia and its people. It’s a wonderful way to bring the whole community together to celebrate our values on Australia Day. All the resources and information you need to include the Affirmation are sent to you free of charge, so why not bring the whole community together at your event with an Affirmation ceremony this Australia Day? For information and free resources, visit australianaffirmation.org.au |
| | | | | |  The pressure on local councils to demonstrate efficiencies, including better use of Information Technology, increases. However, the conundrum of adequately measuring IT contribution to business outcomes is hard to address because IT value may not be directly evident or is affected by organizational changes. The use of common standardized measures (pertinent to priorities and conditions of Local Government) helps local councils get past the struggle and effort of ICT performance measurement & reporting and focus on effective steering of IT strategies. Please contact service@tech-indicators.com.au or +61 2 9879 7115 to register. |
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