The Government this week called for a national conversation on Australian citizenship and is seeking contributions to a discussion paper on the issue.

The discussion paper asks questions such as: are the responsibilities of Australian citizenship well enough known and understood? Do we do enough to promote the value of citizenship, particularly among our young people? Have we got the balance right between the safety of our community and the rights of the individual? How should we deal with citizens who act against the best interests of our country?

Your views on these and other thoughts you have on the value of citizenship are welcomed here.

The Government recently commenced the 2015 Regional Telecommunications Review - conducted every 3 years into the adequacy of telecommunications services in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia - with a Review Committee appointed in early May this year.

The Committee has now released an Issues Paper inviting submissions on key issues.

The Terms of Reference for the Committee include:

• consideration of the adequacy of telecommunications services in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia
• whether people in these areas have equitable access to telecommunications services that are significant to them, and are currently available in one or more parts of urban Australia.

Submissions will be accepted until Wednesday 15 July 2015 and are not limited to the questions raised in the Issues Paper - any other areas of comment are also welcome.  Instructions on making a submission are available here.

The Committee has also indicated that it would welcome the opportunity to discuss the Issues Paper and the Review with ALGA or the state/territory associations. ALGA has undertaken to consult with state and territory associations to assist in identifying areas of concern for local government.

The Government recently announced that applications for the 2015 Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR) for both home care and residential aged care places will open in August.  This round continues to expand the Home Care Packages Programme, which provides home care services on a Consumer Directed Care basis to help older Australians remain independent.

Changes were announced in the 2015-16 Budget to ensure that the aged care system in Australia continues to meet the needs of an ageing population, with the Government progressively moving aged care to a market-based system.

The invitation to apply for places and capital funding will be announced in newspapers and on the Department of Social Services website in August.

The continued growth of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is reflected in the latest figures in a report released by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

Key findings of the report included:

• 13,610 people with disabilities had an approved plan, at a total cost of $754 million
• the cost of the average package (excluding residents of large institutions) is $34,900. This remains below the expected full scheme average of $36,750
• participant satisfaction levels remain very high. On a scale of very poor (- 2) to very good (+2), with neutral being 0, participant satisfaction is at 1.64.

When fully rolled out, it is estimated that around 460,000 people with disability will benefit from the NDIS.

Detailed schedules outlining how and when each state and territory will continue the transition to the NDIS will be released in August this year.

Access the quarterly reports from the NDIA at this link.

The Clean Energy Council anticipates big opportunities ahead for renewable energy following the release of the key findings of the Clean Energy Australia Report.

Chief Executive of the council, Kane Thornton, said 2014 was one of the toughest years for the renewable energy sector. But with a bipartisan deal on the Renewable Energy Target now agreed between the major parties and legislation being debated in Parliament, the future for the sector was looking much brighter.

Some of the key findings coming out of the report include:

• 13.47 per cent of Australia's electricity came from renewable sources in 2014, enough to power 4.5 million average homes for a year.
• Hydro (6.2 per cent of Australia’s total power generation) still produced the most clean energy of any source, while wind power (4.2 per cent) and solar power (2.1 per cent) continued to grow.
• Bundaberg in Queensland was Australia’s solar capital in 2014, followed by Mandurah in Western Australia and Hervey Bay, which is just over 100 km from Bundaberg.
• Approximately 40 per cent of South Australia’s power came from renewable energy during 2014, while about 95 per cent of the electricity used by Tasmanians came from renewables. The next best was Western Australia (13 per cent).

The Clean Energy Australia Report 2014 is available on the Clean Energy Council website.

A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has presented a widening gap in cancer rates and mental health issues in Aboriginal people compared to other Australians.

The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation said that while there are areas such as infant mortality where the gap is slowly closing, there are other areas that need to be urgently addressed like mental health and incarceration rates.

Some statistics from the report included that Aboriginal teenagers aged 15-18 were five times more likely to take their own lives than other Australians of the same age, and that 31 percent of the health gap is due to socioeconomic factors.

The report is the eighth in a series of reports that provide a comprehensive statistical picture of a range of topics considered important for improving the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people.

You can access the full AIHW report at this link.

The Government recently released a number of Board of Taxation reports as part of the national conversation on the future of the tax system. These reports, an important input into the tax reform process, will be considered alongside the submissions received in response to the tax discussion paper Re:Think.

The Board of Taxation is a non-statutory advisory body charged with contributing a business and broader community perspective to improving the design of taxation laws and their operation. It is tasked with advising the Treasurer on improving the general integrity and functioning of the taxation system and commissioning research and other studies on tax matters approved or referred to it by the Treasurer.

If you'd like to find out more about the recommendations made by the Board of Taxation to Government, you can access their reports here.

You're also welcome to read the media release issued by the Assistant Treasurer, the Hon Josh Frydenburg, here.

The Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG) based at the University of Technology Sydney has released a new resource to help Local Government create, adopt, and evaluate a community learning plan for Local Government areas.

The resource Learning Community Framework and Measuring Impact Toolkit (Vols 1 and 2) links the idea of learning partnerships between councils, their communities and learning organisations, and is closely aligned to the UNESCO 'Key Features of Learning Cities' framework.

ACELG Director, Associate Professor Roberta Ryan, said that the report will help develop innovative strategies for citizens to learn new skills and to shift local cities and centres into ‘learning cities’ and that this could only have positive social and economic results within local areas.

The Learning Community Framework and Measuring Impact Toolkit can be downloaded here.

Protecting Australia’s underground infrastructure is vital in keeping essential services used daily such as gas, electricity, water and telecommunications. Dial Before You Dig, a free national referral service for information on underground infrastructure, works closely with asset-owning member organisations including Local Government to promote safe excavation practices and ensure Australia’s underground pipes and cables are protected.

The service proves especially useful for many of the councils around Australia that are members to monitor excavator behaviour around council property. Excavating safely around these assets is vital as any interference or damage to these underground pipes and cables can trigger major setbacks to both businesses and the community.

That is why councils intending to excavate should first lodge an enquiry with Dial Before You Dig to locate underground assets. Enquiries can be lodged online anytime at www.1100.com.au, using a mobile device or by downloading the Dial Before You Dig iPhone app. A national call centre operating during business hours is also available and can be contacted by calling 1100.

The Clean Beaches program celebrates and awards communities that actively work for a cleaner, more sustainable coastal environment.

Awards are presented to local councils, volunteers, surf lifesaving clubs and other community groups implementing initiatives that care for dunes, waterways, protect habitats, educate the community, reduce litter and support tourism.

This year's state and territory winners, and finalists for the iconic Australian Clean Beaches Award 2015, have been announced:

• Bondi Beach, New South Wales
• Richardsons Beach, Tasmania
• Port Julia, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
• Guilderton, Western Australia
• Burleigh Heads - Queensland
• Garig Gunak Barlu - Northern Territory

Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory was the 2014 Australian Clean Beaches winner.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the 2015 winner via this link.