Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced a $100 million Women's Safety Package to provide a safety net for women and children at high risk of experiencing violence. The package will aim to improve frontline support and services, leverage innovative technologies to keep women safe, and provide education resources to help change community attitudes to violence and abuse. 

The package includes:

• $5 million for safer technology, including working with telecommunications companies to distribute safe phones to women, and with the eSafety Commissioner to develop a resource package about online safety for women, including for women from CALD communities
• $17 million to keep women safe in their homes by expanding successful initiatives like the Safer in the Home program to install CCTV cameras and other safety equipment
• $5 million to expand 1800RESPECT, the national telephone and online counselling and information service, to ensure more women can get support.

The package is part of the Government’s longer term response to domestic and family violence and the COAG Advisory Panel’s final report, due in early 2016, will advise on what further measures could be introduced.

The Commonwealth will work with states and territories to trial innovative new technologies to keep women safe, to train more frontline staff to recognise and respond appropriately to women experiencing violence, and to provide better resources and infrastructure to police working in remote Indigenous communities.

More information about the Women's Safety Package is available at this link.

Australia Post has provided the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) with a draft price notification regarding proposed price increases for letter services. Australia Post is proposing a 43 per cent increase to its postage rates for letters from 70c to $1 per standard letter. As well as these increases it is proposing a new delivery timetable from next day delivery in the metropolitan area to delivery in three business days.

The proposed prices are intended to take effect in early January 2016.

On 7 September 2015, the ACCC released an issues paper seeking submissions from interested parties on Australia Post's proposal.

These proposals may have possible ramifications for council budgets for mail and the efficient delivery of letters to communities. Councils are encouraged to make submissions to the ACCC by the closing date of 15 October.

More information about the proposal and on how to make a submission are available on the ACCC website.

The World Disasters Report 2015 has shown that local communities played a critical life-saving role in recently-experienced disasters, and focuses on the urgent need to invest more in local communities to best prepare for future disasters.

The report examines the complex and challenging relationship between local and international humanitarian organisations responding to crises and calls for greater recognition of local organisations, more equal partnerships and mutual accountability.

The report finds that many more lives can be saved before, during and after disasters, provided we get the balance right by adequately supporting local organisations and communities.

The World Disasters Report is produced each year by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and includes a summary of disaster data and the latest analysis on disaster management.

Take a look at the report on the IFRC website.

The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development recently wrote to its industry stakeholders about the importance of the National Infrastructure Construction Schedule (NICS), an online Government initiative that brings together information on major infrastructure projects from all jurisdictions and across the three tiers of government.

The NICS was established in recognition of the benefits of transparency in the delivery of major publicly-funded projects, providing industry with a one-stop portal that collates all government infrastructure commitments in a single timeline of projects.

While the NICS is administered by the Department, the government agency responsible for procuring a project is required to ensure the information on the project, including planning and feasibility studies, is up to date. The Department has encouraged any councils that have procured infrastructure projects listed on the NICS to check the project information on the Schedule for currency.

Take a look at projects listed on the NICS at this link. If you have any questions about the NICS, the NICS team can be contacted on 1800 155 798 or NICSProject@infrastructure.gov.au.

The Australian Government has introduced amendments to the Building Code 2013 that will require contractors on taxpayer-funded construction sites to have a comprehensive policy for mandatory drug and alcohol testing by 16 October 2015.

From this date, in addition to the requirements they already have under the Building Code, building contractors or building industry participants subject to the Building Code 2013 must include in its Work Health Safety & Rehabilitation management plan a fitness for work policy to manage alcohol and other drugs in the workplace, which would apply to all persons engaged to perform building work on a project.

This would apply for building work that is:

• the value of the Commonwealth’s contribution to the project that includes the building work is at least $5,000,000 and represents at least 50% of the total construction project value, or
• the Commonwealth’s contribution to the project that includes the building work is at least $10,000,000 (irrespective of its proportion of the total construction project value). 

Fair Work Building and Construction will be responsible for auditing contractors to ensure those subject to the Code have in place a fitness for work policy that is compliant with the Building Code.

More information about the changes is available on this website.

The Northern Territory Planning Commission (NTPC) wants to hear from the community - including from councils, residents and landowners - on the development of the draft Alice Springs Regional Land Use Plan.

The regional land use plan is a strategic planning policy document covering Alice Springs and surrounding areas, including Brewer Estate, land adjacent to the airport and Amoonguna. It will be used to establish a long-term vision and framework for future development in the region.

A discussion paper has been released for comment as the first step in developing the land use plan. The paper provides information about the region and links to relevant planning documents, including a background investigation report listing research undertaken so far in preparation for the land use plan.

Planning Commission chairman Gary Nairn said: "This discussion paper is part of the consultation process and will assist people to provide input for development of the draft land use plan. Key issues for this draft plan are regional transport, essential resources and services and land for residential, industrial, commercial and community purposes."

Comments on the plan are due with the Planning Commission by COB Wednesday 21 October 2015.

Further information, including the discussion paper and the background investigation report, can be accessed on the NTPC website.

1800RESPECT is inviting councils to the next webinar in its free webinar series: Understanding Violence Against Women with Disabilities.

The webinar, to be held on 1 October, will include an overview of the scope and prevalence of violence against women with disability, violence against women with disability in a human rights framework, barriers to addressing violence for women with disability and how we can best address the issues around gendered disability violence.

Samantha Connor, a woman with a disability and a passionate advocate for the rights of women with disability, will present at the webinar. Samantha has a lengthy professional background in disability and human rights, is a board member of People with Disability Australia and a member of Women with Disabilities Australia. Samantha has been instrumental in advocating for the rights of people with disability to be free from acts of violence, neglect and abuse.

Find out more about the webinar, including how to register to attend, on this online invitation.

According to recent statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia's population growth rate has slowed to a rate last seen nearly 10 years ago.

In the year to March 2015, Australia's population growth rate continued to slow from its peak in 2008-09 and is now just below the 20-year average growth rate. The annual increase to March 2015 was 1.4 per cent.

The Northern Territory recorded its lowest growth rate in 11 years, at 0.2 per cent for the year ending March 2015, which is 80 per cent lower than that of March 2014. Net interstate migration losses were the greatest contributor to this slower growth, with the territory recording its largest ever interstate migration loss in the year to March 2015.

Western Australia also recorded slower growth. In the past two years, net overseas migration to the state has dropped by 71 per cent, while net interstate migration has dropped to the point where the state has seen a net interstate loss. This has not been seen in over 10 years in this state.

Victoria and Queensland were the only states recording a net gain from interstate migration.

Further information is available on the ABS website.

Remote Northern Territory communities will benefit from improved water safety as part of the Commonwealth's half a million dollar investment in the Royal Life Saving Society NT.

This funding of $504,300 over two years will support the Royal Life Saving Society NT operate water safety programmes in Yuendumu, Maningrida, Gunbalanya, Peppimenarti, Emu Point, Wadeye, Nauiyu Nambiyu, Numbulwar,Wurrumiyanga, Pirlangimpi, Milikapiti, Angurugu, Umbakumba, Lajamanu, Kintore, Areyonga, Santa Teresa, Ngukurr, Borroloola, Robinson River, Yirrkala, Kalkarindji, Elliot, Mutitijulu, Urapunga, and Tennant Creek.

Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion, said: " There will be a number of water safety programmes delivered thanks to this funding including swimming, survival and water safety training for all school aged children in these communities, and a pool lifesaving programme for young people aged 15-24."

This funding will also see 180 Indigenous people participating in water safety training such as AUSTSWIM Teacher of Swimming.

More information is available at this link.

Anti-Poverty Week 2015 will be held from 11-17 October, leaving just two weeks for councils to organise activities to strengthen public understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and hardship, and encourage discussion around the issue.

Helpful resources have been provided on the Anti-Poverty Week website to assist councils with organising activities, such as an organiser's checklist, ideas for activities, a guide for attracting media coverage and an information sheet on how councils can get involved.

Participation by local government and the involvement of local communities is an essential part of Anti-Poverty Week and local councils have been encouraged to plan an activity, however small it may be. 

Support Anti-Poverty Week this year by registering your event or activity on the Anti-Poverty Week Calendar of Activities.

You can find more information on the Anti-Poverty Week 2015 website or by following Anti-Poverty Week on Facebook.