The Hon Paul Fletcher MP, Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects, has said that he will examine using technology to make better use of existing roads, a move that could "avoid the need for multi-million-dollar road expansions" according to The Australian.

The Minister said that in some cases only 20 per cent of the surface area of a road was covered by vehicles, leaving room to increase the number of cars that could use it by improving traffic flows. Under the approach, traffic signals on entry roads to major arterials would be coordinated to maximise the flow. Another approach included increasing smart signs on roads to increase the information flow to motorists.

"If you have got a choice between allocating capital to building a new road or building new lanes or allocating capital to information technology that allows an existing road to be used more efficiently, then it’s worth understanding what the choice is and seeing whether you can get a benefit from the investment in the technology," Mr Fletcher said.

Mr Fletcher said he would seek early advice from his department about what work had been done on this issue here. He will be working closely with state and local governments to deliver major infrastructure projects as part of the Prime Minister’s bid to make cities more liveable.

Article originally published by The Australian.

An annual review of the digital capabilities of local councils by Technology Indicators highlights the progress being made with digitisation of government services and the effects on councils operations.

The report shows that the range of online services available to the public has continued to expand. Some of the e-services, such as online payments of rates, have matured considerably with approximately 60 per cent of local councils reporting that they have fully automated the online payment process. These councils also reported that the effectiveness of e-payments exceeds that of those being processed through alternative channels (phone, counter).

The report also points to key issues that are hindering progress. The uptake of some e-services by the public has been slower than some councils have anticipated, which has negatively affected realisation of operational benefits. Councils also report concerns over lack of skills required to advance their online capabilities and that a capability gap between large, medium-sized and small councils has increased.

The report, now in its 6th year, is a systematic and collaborative benchmarking tool that brings together councils with shared commitment to the Digital Government agenda, including City of Greater Geelong, City of Sydney, City of Stirling, City of Launceston, Sunshine Coast Regional Council and others.

Find out more about the report at this link.

Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, recently announced that the Government has sought urgent clarification from Volkswagen Australia and Audi Australia on whether emissions defeat devices were being used in vehicles in Australia.

Defeat devices provide a means for vehicles to perform better in emissions testing than they would in real-world operation, and are specifically prohibited in the Australian Design Rules mandated under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989.

“If defeat devices have been used in Volkswagen or Audi vehicles in Australia, the Government will ensure that affected vehicles are no longer supplied to the Australian market and that a recall of any affected vehicles already in the Australian fleet will be implemented as soon as possible," Mr Fletcher said.

Emissions in this case relates to noxious emissions that can cause smog and adverse health impacts, but not to CO2 levels.

Read more in the Minister's media release.

Better broadband for Australians living in rural and remote areas is a step closer with the launch this Thursday of the first of NBN's two world-class communication satellites.

The Sky Muster satellite blasted off from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana heading for its orbital slot around 36,000 kilometres above Australia. The NBN satellite service will help to bridge the digital divide between Australia’s cities and regions and is a key part of the Government’s plan to make sure Australians who need it most have access to better broadband.

The launch comes as the new Minister for Communications, Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield, said in a Fairfax Media interview that the NBN, tackling mobile black spots and the digital government agenda were among his top priorities in the role.

NBN will now carry out testing on the new satellite and work with the retail providers who will offer services to customers next year.

The second satellite will be launched early next year and user connections will be available in the first half of 2016 following a period of equipment testing and customer trials.

Read the media release from Minister Fifield on his website.

This week the Minister for Health, the Hon Sussan Ley MP, released two Consultation Papers seeking stakeholder feedback on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review.

The Review will involve the examination of the approximately 5,700 medical service subsidies administered under the MBS by a specially-created Medicare Benefits Schedule Review Taskforce.

The Consultation Papers are intended to inform industry and stakeholder feedback on the MBS Review. The first Consultation Paper addresses a broad audience, giving an overview of the process and encouraging input from any interested party. The second Consultation Paper is directed at a professional audience for those with a detailed knowledge of the MBS.

The responses to the Consultation Papers will aid the Taskforce in establishing areas of priority in the MBS and assist it in formulating recommendations for the Government.

Submissions to the review are due by 9 November 2015 and stakeholders are encouraged to provide their feedback as early as possible.

More information about the review is available on the Department of Health website.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Building Approvals data shows that the number of dwellings approved in August 2015 fell 0.7 per cent (in trend terms) and has fallen for five months.

In August, dwelling approvals decreased in Tasmania (6.8 per cent), Victoria (4.2 per cent), Western Australia (1.8 per cent), Northern Territory (0.6 per cent) and Queensland (0.2 per cent) but increased in the Australian Capital Territory (8.1 per cent), South Australia (4.5 per cent) and New South Wales (1.4 per cent) in trend terms.

Statistics of building work approved are compiled from:

• permits issued by local government authorities and other principal certifying authorities
• contracts let or day labour work authorised by commonwealth, state, semi-government and local government authorities
• major building approvals in areas not subject to normal administrative approval e.g. building on remote mine sites.

Further information about Building Approvals in August is available on the ABS website.

The drought-affected communities of Richmond and Barcoo in Queensland and Coonamble in New South Wales are now eligible to participate in the Australian Government’s Drought Communities Programme (DCP) to assist in building much-needed infrastructure.

The DCP is designed to deliver benefits in targeted drought-affected regions of Australia.  The Australian Government is providing $35 million over four years, commencing in 2015-16, to fund local infrastructure initiatives that provide employment for people whose work opportunities have been impacted by drought.

The funding is targeted at projects that stimulate local community spending, use local resources, businesses and suppliers, and/or provide a long-lasting benefit to communities and the agricultural industries on which they depend.

Eligible councils yet to submit requests for assistance under the DCP are urged to lodge applications by 24 December 2015 or their eligibility may lapse.

More information about the Drought Communities Programme is available on the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development website.

Changing demographics, particularly in growth areas, have led to some places quickly becoming more culturally diverse which can result in disharmony between newly arrived groups and established communities.

Local governments are at the centre of this ever-changing environment. They know and understand their communities much better than any other level of government and deliver economic, environmental and social outcomes across a range of areas that affect community cohesion. As such, they are well placed to implement initiatives to build social cohesion and to reap the resulting benefits of stronger, more resilient and productive communities.

The Centre for Local Government (CLG) has invited councils to its upcoming seminar, Building Social Cohesion in Our Communities, on 2 to 3 November 2015 which follows the well-received Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG) online resource by the same name. The seminar will develop the capacity of local government staff and their partners to build social cohesion at a local level by encouraging a deeper understanding of how social cohesion links to organisational strategy.

For councils interested in attending, more information about the seminar is available on the CLG website.

The Planning Institute Australia (PIA) recently announced the winners of the 2015 Australia Award for Urban Design, with Western Australian projects and programs taking two of the five main awards.

Brookfield Place, an inner-Perth city block, took out the main gong - the award for a large scale delivered outcome. This project involved the transformation of a city block that had been vacant and unused for 30 years into a vibrant mixed-use development, integrating different spaces into a cohesive, welcoming and engaging public realm.

The Australia Award for Urban Design is the premier award for excellence and innovation in all elements of urban design in Australia and is an opportunity to highlight leading examples of urban design in Australia. The Award intent and scope is broad and invites entries for design initiatives, projects, built developments, and publications that will make a significant difference to the places, spaces, buildings and infrastructure of our cities.

Find out more about the Award and the winners by reading the PIA media release or visiting their website. Photos of the winning projects are also available on the PIA website.

Can you really eat dropped food if it has been on the floor for less than 5 seconds? During this year's Australian Food Safety Week, to be held from 8 to 15 November, the Food Safety Information Council (FSIC) will aim to bust this and other similar food safety myths.

FSIC Chair, Rachelle Williams, said the strength of Australian Food Safety Week was the grassroots involvement.

"It's great to see local councils, libraries and schools get involved in Food Safety Week. With an estimated 4.1 million cases of food poisoning each year, it is a serious issue that affects the whole community," Ms Williams said.

Prior to November, the FSIC will be mailing out free resources - including fridge thermometers, posters, brochures and DVDs - and it encourages local councils to submit their orders.

Councils interested in receiving the free resources will need to send an email to info@foodsafety.asn.au with the heading 'Resource order' by 9 October 2015. The email should summarise the type of event being organised by your council for Australian Food Safety Week and should include the name of your council, contact details and the full postage address.

More information about the free resources and how to order is available at this link.