 | |  ALGA President, Mayor Troy Pickard, has put the call out to councils for proposed community infrastructure renewal projects as part of ALGA's development of its 2016 Federal election strategy. Councils have been asked to submit two or three ideas of projects that may include upgrades, replacement and maintenance works to the Community Infrastructure Ideas Register on ALGA's website. This register builds on the highly successful strategy employed in 2007-08 that resulted in the $1.2 billion Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program as part of the economic stimulus measures. At the time, the register played a major role in demonstrating to the Government the range of shovel-ready projects that could be undertaken that would benefit local communities by meeting their pressing infrastructure needs, as well as stimulating the local economy and creating jobs across the nation. A success story from the previous community infrastructure program comes from Latrobe Council, Tasmania where its nearly 80-year-old Port Sorell footbridge, which crosses the Panatana Rivulet and connected the township to the rural and residential areas on the other side, was in dire need of an upgrade. The only alternative route was a 5km loop around the township. Funds from the community infrastructure program topped up with its own contribution saw Latrobe Council complete the upgrade work in September 2009, maintaining the Port's link to its neighbouring residential areas and its residents' access to scenic walking tracks. Councils' input into the new register will assist ALGA to make a powerful case to the Commonwealth for a similar program as part of its 2016 Federal election strategy and in the process gain more support for local government to stimulate growth over the longer term and build community resilience. | | | | |  The Government has responded to the findings and recommendations of the second review of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002, which reported on the effectiveness and efficiency of the standards 10 years after their introduction. In particular, the review indicated that local government, while having the best intentions to ensure accessibility for people with disability to public transport, especially through providing accessible bus stops, bears a large part of the burden of providing the required infrastructure with little or no financial assistance. Submissions to the review from several local government bodies detailed the difficulties of providing accessible bus stops without definitive guidance on accessible bus stop design. To address these concerns, the review recommended that: The Australian Government, jointly with state and territory governments, commence a process for updating and modernising the Transport Standards. This work should be undertaken in close consultation with industry, local government and the disability sector, and include research on the technical issues raised in this review, the development of options, and assessment of the impact of any proposed changes to the standards, with this work to be completed by 30 June 2017. The Government's response to this recommendation was favourable; it noted that the standards may not provide sufficient guidance to providers and operators in their efforts to fulfil their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act. The Government will commence a process for updating the Transport Standards involving close consultation with industry, all levels of government and the disability sector. Read the final report and the Government's full response at this link. | | | | |  The Department of the Environment has said in its Threatened Species Strategy launched this week that local councils play an integral role in protecting threatened species and delivering nationally-important environmental outcomes. The strategy emphasises that everyone has a role to play in protecting Australia's threatened species and particularly highlights that, in partnership with local councils and drawing on Government funding, the Federal Government can work more closely with local communities to support delivery of significant on-the-ground conservation initiatives that protect threatened species and their habitat. An initiative prioritised in the strategy includes improving habitat where the Government aims to work with state and territory governments, local governments, community groups and non-government organisations to: - protect significant vegetation communities, wetlands and marine ecosystems
- re-establish vegetation connectivity and natural pathways such as wildlife corridors
- revegetate riparian and coastal zones which link aquatic and terrestrial environments
- create artificial wetlands
- ensure best practice management of our reserve system
- deliver broad landscape-scale revegetation and management of weeds.
Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, said that the Government has established a new national approach to threatened species and this strategy is a plan for how the Government will prioritise effort and work in partnership with the community and state and territory governments over the next five years. Read the Threatened Species Strategy and its action plan identifying key action areas and targets to measure progress at this link. Image courtesy of the Department of the Environment and Gregory Andrews | | |
| |  Preparations are in full swing for the COAG Leaders' Retreat coming up next week. My priority for the retreat is to canvass options for reform of the Federation from a local government perspective to not only improve the way the Federation works by clarifying roles and responsibilities but also strengthen collaboration between the spheres of government. It is important to ensure that all options are put on the table and deliberated with an open mind. Although the Federation White Paper process rightly has its focus on major issues such as health, education, and housing and homelessness, the contribution that local government makes should not be overlooked. Local government is an extensive network providing public administration as well as local services and infrastructure across the nation. Maintaining the direct relationship between the Commonwealth and local government is critical to the provision of these essential services. Local government is also ready to work with COAG and the Federal Government to fight domestic violence, in particular violence against women and children. At the National General Assembly last month, a motion was moved by Tumut Shire Council Mayor, Trina Thomson, and unanimously carried by the Assembly, to support my advocacy at COAG to ensure the national campaign against domestic violence is appropriately resourced. I look forward to productive discussions within COAG on how all spheres of government can work together to educate the community about domestic violence and provide sufficient support for victims of domestic violence. The COAG Leaders' Retreat is a vital opportunity to highlight the importance of local government and to ensure that any reform strengthens rather than weakens local government's ability to deliver services and infrastructure for local communities. I will be working towards outcomes that are in the best interest of Australian communities and that lead to improvements in the way our Federation operates. Mayor Troy Pickard
ALGA President | | |
| | The Australian and NSW/VIC Governments this week announced the Chair and Deputy Chair appointments to Regional Development Australia (RDA) committees across both states, with local government councillors winning some of the appointments. Congratulations to Cr Stuart McLean, appointed as Deputy Chair at Victoria's RDA Loddon Mallee committee, and Cr Sue Whelan OAM, appointed as Co Deputy Chair at New South Wales' RDA Southern Inland committee. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said the three-year appointments will provide leadership to RDA committees to drive economic growth and make the most of the potential capability of their region. RDA committees provide advice to the Government on critical issues affecting each region and are an important mechanism to increase access to government programs in their communities. The committees also assist local community stakeholders to develop project proposals and have the capacity to unlock regional economic development and improve the productivity of their region. More information about RDA committees is available at this link, where you can also find your local RDA. | | | | | An Australian Bicycle Council report published this week has found that Australian states and territories invested $112.8 million in cycling-related infrastructure, education and promotion in 2013-14.  The report, National Cycling Strategy 2011-16: 2014 implementation report, showed the considerable progress made in 2014 on projects that redefine existing planning frameworks to enable the consideration of bicycles alongside other modes of transport. The safety of vulnerable road users was again targeted with the launch of several campaigns aiming to improve the interactions between people driving motor vehicles, riding bicycles and walking, and through parliamentary enquiries, citizens' juries and the National Road Safety Strategy. The National Cycling Strategy 2011-16 was approved by Ministers in November 2010 with the aim of doubling the number of people cycling in Australia by 2016. Read the report at this link. | | | | | Councils have been invited to participate in the The Future of Australia's Federation Survey: Australian Policymakers & Practitioners Study, an important research project informing the future of Australia's system of government. This study is the first major national survey of public officials and policymakers from all levels of government on issues related to the functioning of the federal system, led by Griffith University's Centre for Governance & Public Policy. The survey promises to provide valuable new insights into how those with most direct involvement in advising government on policy, designing services and regulation, and delivering those to the community, consider how processes of government might be developed or reformed to deliver better outcomes. The survey closes on 31 July. For further information, please read the study's information sheet. | | | | | The QLD Budget announced this week delivered a new $40 million Community Resilience Fund to help councils mitigate against natural disasters. The Community Resilience Fund will allow QLD local governments to protect existing infrastructure, help communities become more resilient and reduce future expenditure on asset restoration after a natural disaster. Eligible projects funded under the Community Resilience Fund include those that address urban flood and cyclone mitigation infrastructure gaps such as levees, detention basins, stormwater systems and shelters and projects that identify and address bushfire mitigation risk strategies across QLD. Local Government Association of QLD said the budget continues the state's commitment to recovery and reconstruction works following Tropical Cyclone Marcia and other natural disaster events, with funding to flow to local authorities for rebuilding projects this financial year. Read the media release from the Local Government Association of QLD on the QLD Budget. | | | | | The VIC Government released a Better Apartments discussion paper in May seeking input from the development industry, design professionals, councils, apartment residents and the wider community about how to improve the overall standard of internal apartment amenity, where or when any new guidelines should apply and how these guidelines should be implemented. The VIC Government noted in the discussion paper the pressures on industry and councils to design, assess and construct apartments in a timely fashion and the often competing nature of these pressures. The VIC Government Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne, chaired a forum last Thursday on the discussion paper attended by mayors, council chief executives, planning and policy experts and representatives from industry groups. Issues raised at the ministerial forum included: - apartment sizes, ceiling heights and whether a minimum size should be set
- daylight and borrowed light in bedrooms
- separation between buildings, privacy
- noise
- car and bicycle parking.
The discussion paper has so far received more than 500 responses, with the community encouraged to have its say before submissions close 31 July. More forums and workshops have been planned during July and August to engage with industry, councils and the community. The discussion paper, an online survey and information about submissions are available via the VIC Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning website. | | | | | Entries for the 2015 Australia Award for Urban Design, highlighting leading examples of excellence and innovation in urban design in Australia, are now open. The awards aim to: - recognise recent urban design projects of the highest quality in Australia
- promote the critical role of good urban design in the development of our cities and towns
- encourage cities, towns and emerging settlements of all sizes to strive for improvement.
Councils are encouraged to nominate by 30 July, along with individuals, groups and organisations in the planning, development and design industries recently involved with Australian urban design initiatives, projects or developments that deserve national recognition. Further information about how to submit a nomination is available in this information sheet. | | | | | The Women for Election Australia (WFEA), a non-partisan not-for-profit organisation with a vision of an Australia with equal representation of women and men in public life, launched in Canberra this week with a report Futureproofing Australia: Gender Diversity in Politics that found Australian women face significant hurdles when embarking on a career in politics. The research surveyed past and serving women members of government and indicated that Australian female politicians face barriers in five key areas: - Candidate selection and merit - processes of candidate selection is hostile towards women and decisions are largely determined by male party figures.
- Culture - intimidation and bullying remain features of the political workplace, as does a general lack of a collegiate environment. Women MPs felt their appearance counts for more, than their intellectual contribution.
- Childcare and family - political life cannot be described as 'family friendly'.
- Conflict of values - the lack of trust in politicians by the community led to many female politicians feeling their personal integrity was challenged.
- Cash and career - entering politics is costly, insecure and lacking a transparent career path.
Minister for Communications, Malcolm Turnbull MP, put his hand up to be a Male Champion for Change to encourage more women into politics. He said that increasing the number of women in politics is not solely a 'women's issue' - it is in the national interest for Australia to have access to 100 per cent of the nation's talent pool, regardless of gender. WFEA's mission is to inspire and equip women to succeed in politics via training programs that encourage and facilitate women to engage in a career in political life, enabling the leadership potential of women to be fully realised. Find out more about the WFEA at its website. | | | | | A recent report, Fixed Wireless Broadband: a Global Comparison, has examined the performance of the Australian National Broadband Network's (NBN) wholesale fixed wireless product against twenty one similar wireless products from peer operators around the world. NBN's fixed wireless product performed strongly against comparable overseas operators: - NBN's data allowance for its existing 25/5Mbps fixed-wireless product (retailed by Telstra) was more than seven times higher than its next best international peer, PLDT in the Philippines. Note that NBN data allowances are set by retailers and vary between retail service providers.
- NBN's price per GB for its existing 25/5Mbps product (retailed by Telstra) was more than four times lower than its next best international peer, T-Mobile in the Czech Republic.
- NBN's upload speed performance for its forthcoming "up-to" 50/20Mbps fixed-wireless product was 33% higher than its next best peer, Meteor in Ireland.
By the end of the NBN network rollout, more than 600,000 premises are earmarked to receive fast broadband via the fixed wireless network, with more than a third of those homes and businesses already complete and more than 48,000 premises already connected. | | | | | The Northern Grampians Shire Council was this year's category winner of the Contributing to Regional Growth Award in the 2015 National Awards for Local Government. The award recognises councils collaborating on a regional basis with other stakeholders to strengthen investment and development opportunities, share resources, build regional competitive advantage and create jobs. The Northern Grampians Shire Council took out the prize for its 'From Italy to Stawell - the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory' project. This project makes direct and highly creative use of large-scale infrastructure affected by major change in a regional economy. The council has worked closely with regional stakeholders to identify new opportunities for its Stawell Gold Mine site, which is transitioning to closure due to economic and operational business factors. The result is the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory, a project that will create the first underground dark matter detection laboratory in the Southern Hemisphere, forming part of a network of major research laboratories around the globe. The project will bring new jobs, economic activity and opportunity to Stawell resulting from the council's actions to prompt a broad search for solutions. Read about the Northern Grampians Shire Council's project, and about other winners in the 2015 National Awards for Local Government, in the 2015 Winners Book. The National Awards for Local Government is an annual celebration of Australian local government achievements. The Awards spotlight the important role of local governments in delivering targeted quality services to Australians in urban and regional communities. | | | | | Business executives surveyed for the World Economic Forum's Executive Opinion Survey used in the most recent 2014-15 Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) report identified that 'inadequate supply of infrastructure' in Australia was the fourth most problematic factor for doing business in the country. According to the GCI report, extensive and efficient infrastructure is critical for ensuring the effective functioning of an economy as it is an important factor in determining the location of economic activity and the kinds of activities or sectors that can develop within a country. The GCI report also notes that well-developed infrastructure reduces the effect of distance between regions, integrating the national market by connecting it at low cost to markets in other countries and regions - something that the local government sector knows only too well. The GCI report supports the importance of the local road network emphasised in ALGA's submission to the 2014-15 Budget earlier this year, particularly in regard to: - the proposal for a strategic regional roads program aimed at boosting productivity through investment in first and last mile projects
- seeking a commitment to a permanent doubling of Roads to Recovery
- seeking permanency for the Bridges Renewal Program.
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| | |  Providing a national overview of Asset Management Systems, to assist our members with making informed decisions. Choosing which Asset Management System (AMS) is best suited to an individual Local Government (LG) authority can be challenging due to their varied requirements. As a service to its members, ARRB identified a need for a comparative and independent technical review of AMSs commonly in use in the Australian marketplace. The aim of this review is to assist prospective LGs in assessing their AMS needs. The purpose is to ensure that ARRB's members are provided with the best advice to enable them to make well-informed choices in relation to the systems that will best suit their current and future needs. For more information please visit www.arrb.com.au/amsr. |
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