Anzac Day is one of Australia's most important national commemorative occasions. Saturday 25 April marks the landing in Gallipoli in 1915 and the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. In the campaign from 25 April to 8 January 1916 more than 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed.

Local governments throughout Australia will work with their local communities to convene commemorative services and remembrance activities that will commence at dawn which is the time of the original landing in Gallipoli.  Later in the day marches by ex-servicemen and women throughout cities and town centres will also be held. To find out what is happening in your area, head to your council's website or contact the local Returned Services League.

The Australian Government this week announced $53.5 million in funding for 210 Black Spot projects across NSW. The Black Spot Program aims to reduce crashes on Australian roads. Black Spot projects target those road locations where crashes are occurring.

The NSW panel, which reviews priorities for the programme, includes representatives from the NRMA, NSW Federation of P&C Associations, Council on the Ageing, the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia, NSW Police and state and local government.

A full list of NSW Black Spot projects can be found here.

The 2015 National Awards for Planning Excellence finalists have been announced with 20 councils and the Western Australian Local Government Association included. The Awards recognise innovation and excellence in the built environment, and have grown over the past three decades to become the pre-eminent forum for planning projects in Australia's cities, towns, regions and places.

Finalists include councils from across Australia recognised for projects covering planning ideas, planning promotion public engagement, planning process improvements and public places. A full list of finalists can be found here with the National Awards being presented on 13 May 2015.

The State of the Regions report prepared by National Economics and published annually by the Australian Local Government Association. 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.

State of the Regions this year will include regional estimates of the economic costs and opportunities from resulting from underperforming infrastructure.  The report will also update economic modelling for the Regions and discuss the latest implications for Australia's regions after the mining boom and with the lower Australia dollar exchange rate.

Officially launched at the Regional Cooperation and Development Forum, on Sunday 15 June, the report contains vital research, commentary and statistical information for councils, regional development bodies and practitioners working in economic and regional development.

You can pre-order the report now by emailing clare.hogan@alga.asn.au. This will give you electronic access to the report when it is launched on Sunday 15 June 2015.

The Climate Change Authority is reviewing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals this week releasing its first draft report. The report included recommending that Australia target a 30 per centre reduction in its emissions by 2025, compared with 2000 levels. While not recommending a specific target for any year beyond 2025, the Authority has recommended Australia pursue further emissions reductions within a target range of 40-60 per cent below 2000 levels by 2030.  The Authority also warned that if Australia cannot do better than the current targets over the next few years it will necessitate more rapid and potentially more costly reductions post-2020.   

This comes ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris later this year where countries will pledge national targets to reduce their emissions in the post 2020-period.

Several climate change bodies are strongly advocating for the Government to increase its target in greenhouse gas emissions reduction and for Australia to contribute to the international goal of avoiding global warming of 2°C.  The Climate Change Institute is among them pushing for more ambitious emissions reduction targets of 40 per cent by 2025, and 60 percent by 2030.  

Australians most at risk of bowel cancer will have access to more frequent screening with the Government investing an additional $95.9 million to ensure Australians aged 50 to 74 would receive a free, at home bowel cancer screening kit every two years by 2020. Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in Australia with approximately 80 Australians dying each week. The kit is simple and discreet to use in the privacy of your own home.

Once fully implemented, the programme will invite about 4 million Australians to screen each year and could detect approximately 3,500 potential bowel cancers each year.

For more information, visit Australia.gov.au/bowelscreening or call the information line on 1800 11 88 68.

The Australian Government is hoping to deliver safer roads and better vehicles for motorists through a review of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act (MVSA). The MVSA delivers national vehicle standards for new motor vehicles and regulates the first supply of imported vehicles to the Australian market.

The Government has consulted over the past 12 months to ensure a balance between appropriate safety standards and consumer access to vehicles at the lowest possible cost was met.

As part of the Review the Australian Government will continue to cut unnecessary red tape by accelerating the harmonisation of our vehicle standards with international best practice to ensure we lower costs for business and make Australia more competitive. Currently, the MVSA imposes $281 million a year in regulatory compliance costs to Australian business with the Government stating it believes these costs can be reduced substantially.

Information on how the public can participate in the consultation process can be accessed online.

Forbes Shire Council, located in central New South Wales, is well located with access to the major capital cities along the eastern seaboard.  Agricultural industries including beef, sheep, pigs, grains and fruit growing underpin the local economy.  Forbes also has a saleyard, extensive grain storage facilities and a honey factory.  Forbes has higher mass limits (HML) heavy vehicle freight access available via 26 metre B-doubles between Melbourne and Brisbane on the Newell Highway and on the Mid-Western or Sturt Highways to Adelaide, as well as several other regional links.

Recognising the potential productivity benefits to transport operators, Council's priority is to improve HML access on its regional road network to ensure HML access is possible on local roads in industrial areas and roads which connect facilities receiving grain and livestock, the so-called first mile/last mile issue.  Council is currently upgrading the Forbes-Gate Road within Forbes' urban area and has plans to redirect this route to join the Newell Highway north of the present Highway intersection and is also prioritising other related freight access issues for future consideration.

Council's policy is to approve HML access on regional and local roads where the road conditions make access possible and on application from transport operators.  Having the Intelligent Access Program (IAP) as a compliance assurance tool is also providing important support for Council to further develop a HML network within its shire boundaries. 

The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been asked to undertake an inquiry to examine practices, attitudes and Commonwealth laws that deny or diminish equal participation in employment of older Australians and Australians with disability.  AHRC has been asked to make recommendations as to how Commonwealth laws should be amended, or action that should be taken, to address this employment discrimination.

The inquiry will be led by the Age and Disability Commissioner Susan Ryan and will consult with older Australians, Australians with disability and their carers and families, business, employer and employee organisations, advocacy groups and stakeholders in order to hear their views, experiences and suggestions for change. The Commission has been asked to report on its findings and recommendations by July 2016.

Further information on the inquiry is available here.

The National Mental Health Commission's Review of Mental Health Programmes and Services paints a complex, fragmented, and in parts, disturbing picture of Australia's mental health system.   The report was presented to the Government on 1 December 2014 and contained 25 recommendations across nine strategic directions to guide a detailed implementation framework of activity over the next decade.  The focus of the review was on assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of programs and services in supporting individuals experiencing mental ill-health and their families and other support people to lead a contributing life and to engage productively in the community.  

The Government released an initial response to the Commission's review this week saying it will establish an Expert Reference Group to inform the entire process, including the development of short, medium and long-term strategies in four key areas based on the findings and recommendations presented in the National Mental Health Commission's Review. The four overarching mental health areas are suicide prevention; promotion, prevention and early intervention of mental health and illness; the role of primary care in treatment of mental health, including better targeting of services; and national leadership, including regional service integration.

The National Mental Health Review report can be downloaded at the National Mental Health Commission website here.