 | |  The New South Wales Government this week released the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal's (IPART) assessment of NSW local government Fit for the Future proposals. IPART made the assessments based on information provided by councils, long-term financial reports and other available data. IPART Chairman Dr Peter Boxall said 52 of the 139 proposals (received from 144 councils) were found to be 'fit' under the Fit for the Future criteria established by the NSW Government last year. These included four merger proposals (covering nine councils) and 48 proposals from councils proposing to stand alone. The NSW Government will now give councils a 30-day consultation opportunity to inform the Government's position on local government reform and respond to these IPART findings. The NSW Government also announced a new Stronger Communities Fund, providing each new council that emerges from amalgamations up to $15 million to invest in community infrastructure projects such as sporting fields, libraries, and parks and funding of up to $10 million for each new council to cover the up-front costs of merging. This funding will be available to those mergers agreed to by councils and the NSW Government. The final assessments, council proposals, assessment methodology and submissions received for each council are available on IPART's website You can also read the media release from Mike Baird, Premier of NSW, at this link and the response from LGNSW President Cr Keith Rhoades here. | | | | |  The Council on Federal Financial Relations recently met in Sydney to discuss a range of national economic and fiscal issues, including the national tax system. The Council is made up of the Commonwealth Treasurer and the Treasurers from each of Australia's states and territories. During the meeting, the Council discussed the possible elements to comprehensive tax reform. The Council recognised the work undertaken by the Commonwealth on the options for the tax system following the discussions between the Treasurers at the special tax meeting in August. It was agreed that the Council would continue to explore options for improvements to the tax system and that the Commonwealth Treasury with the state and territory counterparts would review the operation of all state and Commonwealth taxes as part of the overall review of the national tax system. The Treasurers agreed that these consultations would be fed into the COAG process and that the Leaders would be provided with an update on progress in the consideration and evaluation of how a better tax system for Australia could be achieved. Read the communique from the meeting at this link | | | | |  The 2015 National Local Roads and Transport Congress is less than four weeks away. This year's Congress is themed 'Connecting Communities: Building the Nation' and the discussions will be focused squarely on how increased connectivity will help Australia's economy grow and how central local government's role is. Delegates will hear from the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Warren Truss MP, the Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP and the new Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP. This will be an important opportunity to interact with these political representatives as the Government and Opposition develop their policies in advance of the next Federal election. There will also be concurrent sessions on the role of local government in addressing the nation's productivity challenges from both the regional and urban perspectives as well as the opportunity to discuss regional roads groups and the future of national infrastructure funding. Accommodation is filling up fast so for the program and information on registration, please visit our website | | |
| |  One of the greatest challenges faced by Local Government in my experience is the capacity constraint we face in delivering and expanding the services sought by the community, and nowhere is this challenge harder to manage than in our infrastructure provision role. During my time as ALGA President and Mayor of Joondalup, and my previous role as President of WALGA, I have championed the value of collaboration to achieve outcomes, and I believe a collaborative approach towards infrastructure is important in dealing with the infrastructure challenge that we face. I have recently been exploring a joint approach to infrastructure advocacy between ALGA and other peak bodies including the Australian Logistics Council, the Australian Trucking Association, the Australian Rail Association, the Property Council of Australia, and the Planning Institute of Australia among others. Such a partnership could provide a concise and succinct call regarding infrastructure in the lead up to the next Federal election. It could leverage our shared interests for better infrastructure and provide a powerful voice in our calls for greater Commonwealth investment in public infrastructure. Local Government is no stranger to collaboration. We utilise this approach through Regional Organisations of Councils. My own City of Joondalup and the neighbouring cities of Waneroo and Stirling have joined together in a TriCities Alliance to strengthen our advocacy. This collaborative approach underpins the operations of ALGA, which is a federation of State and Territory Local Government Associations coming together and presenting a united voice to the Commonwealth. We must use this approach to highlight the importance of the maintenance and funding of infrastructure. Infrastructure will be the focus of the 2015 National Local Roads and Transport Congress, which is now less than four weeks away. The Congress will be an important opportunity to interact with political representatives as the Government and Opposition develop their policies in advance of the next Federal election, and I encourage you to register for the Congress if you have not already done so. More information about registration and the Congress program is available on the ALGA website. Mayor Troy Pickard
ALGA President | | |
| | Local government has paid tribute to former long-time mayor of the Barossa, Brian Hurn OAM, who sadly passed away last weekend. Former Mayor Hurn served for 37 years in local government in the Angaston District Council (10 as its chairman) and the Barossa Council as its inaugural mayor following amalgamations in 1996. He also served as a Board member of the Australian Local Government Association from April 2000 to December 2001 and was a leading voice for the Roads to Recovery Program. Local Government Association of South Australia President, Mayor Dave Burgess, said Brian was a gentleman who always wanted to know how communities were reacting to issues, but who was not afraid to make a decision and justify it. "He was passionate about the Barossa and always willing to defend a Barossa red against all-comers," he said. Read the statement from the Local Government Association of South Australia on its website. | | | | | The Western Sydney Airport draft plan and draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) were released for public consultation on Monday by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss. The draft Airport Plan includes: - the development objectives for the proposed airport
- a land use plan
- indicative flight paths and indicative noise contours
- details about the proposed airport, including requirements for Stage 1 (a single runway facility expected to commence operations around 2025) and a long-term vision (a dual runway facility, with the second runway expected to be operational around 2050).
The draft EIS is a comprehensive study of the environmental, social and economic impact the proposed Western Sydney Airport would have on the airport site and the surrounding area. It includes assessments on noise, air quality, transport, heritage, water quality, ecology, local and regional economy, social impacts, property values and other aspects. The community has been encouraged to have its say on both draft documents, with the public consultation period closing on 18 December 2015. To find out more about the submission process and community consultation activities for both the draft Airport Plan and draft EIS, visit: westernsydneyairport.gov.au/ | | | | | The 2015 Regional Telecommunications Review Report to Government has been tabled in Parliament, looking at telecommunications access in regional, rural and remote Australia. The report highlights the importance of mobile coverage in regional Australia, the potential to maximise benefits from the rollout of the NBN satellite and fixed wireless networks, and the need to develop consumer safeguards to support regional Australia. The report makes 12 key recommendations, including: - improving the availability of mobile phone services, by attracting new investment and better leveraging existing infrastructure
- establishing measures to ensure the nbn fixed wireless and satellite networks meet the demands of consumers into the future, and
- ensuring the funding and delivery of universal service obligations and related standards remain appropriate as consumer preferences change.
A link to the Minister for Communication’s announcement of the release is available on his website. The full report and list of recommendations is available at: www.rtirc.gov.au The Government will consider the Committee’s recommendations before providing a response. | | | | | More premises across Australia have been added to NBN's construction plan, as outlined in its three-year rollout schedule released recently. The new plan covers the period up to September 2018 and for the first time includes the areas where NBN will use cable TV networks (HFC - Hybrid Fibre Coaxial cable), located mainly in metropolitan areas. The numbers of homes and businesses in each state and territory planned to start construction by September 2018 are: | State or Territory | Estimated number of homes and businesses in plan to start construction by September 2018 | | NSW | 2,214,190 | | VIC | 2,149,820 | | QLD | 1,504,480 | | SA | 617,300 | | WA | 802,540 | | TAS | 104,500 | | NT | 11,300 | | ACT | 81,200 | | Total: | 7,485,330 | The full list of areas included in the plan, the technologies they are scheduled to receive and when construction is due to start is available at: nbnco.com.au/3yearplan | | | | | The Digital Productivity Report 2015 commissioned by the Local Government Association of Queensland, shows local government in QLD generally understands the benefits of technology in engaging and serving their communities. But the report also reveals that many council plans to incorporate digital innovation are being hampered by lack of money, time, skills, confidence and reliable communications infrastructure. Some of the key findings of the report include: - 92% of councils are optimistic towards transitioning to a digital way of working.
- More than half of councils use data and information to make better decisions, but 24% of councils are unable to do so due to the poor quality of their information or difficulties in gaining access to it.
- Councils are investing in mobile applications to assist their workers to have access to real-time information on the go.
- 69% of councils see technology as a driver of increased productivity.
- There is a high level of commitment to using information to provide better services to the community, with 84% of councils committed to that goal.
The Digital Productivity Report 2015 is available on the LGAQ website. | | | | | To participate in the Emissions Reduction Fund auction on 4-5 November, councils must complete an auction registration application by midnight AEDT 27 October. The registration application is available on the Clean Energy Regulator client portal. The auction registration application asks applicants to provide: - The CAC-xxxxxx reference number you received at auction qualification
- The total quantity of Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) to be delivered under the contract
- The delivery period (that is, the period over which you will deliver the abatement)
- The dates that ACCUs are to be delivered (your delivery schedule)
- The quantity of ACCUs to be delivered by those dates.
The Clean Energy Regulator has also released an auction user guide, which provides step-by-step details on how to submit an auction bid. | | | | | The Recognise Australia's First Peoples website was launched this week on Thursday 22 October. The website provides information and viewpoints on the forthcoming Constitutional Recognition Referendum, enabling public access to a diversity of information and to elevating discussion at a grass roots level of the Referendum and any arising implications. The Recognise campaign hopes to achieve: - the recognition of our first peoples in the Australian Constitution and the recognition individually of all the separate nations that have existed in this land for millennia. Additionally, the removal within the whole document of references to race so that our first peoples and all ethnic groups are included as equals and not as a "special case" category
- the removal of the discriminatory clause section 25 that allows governments to exclude minority and ethnic groups of all types from the vote
- a change to section 51(xvi) so that laws made using the heads of power within this clause must be framed such that they cannot be discriminatory or detrimental to Australians.
The website is designed as a bi-partisan platform for individuals to view articles and academia expressing arguments for and against a Referendum. It can be accessed at this link | | | | | The Department of Health recently advised that the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) will be expanded to become the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) as approved by the Government in the 2015-16 Federal Budget. The AIR will improve immunisation coverage by capturing all vaccines given from birth to death, through general practices and community clinics. The expansion will happen in three stages as follows: - From 1 July 2016, the ACIR will expand to collect and record vaccinations given to individuals under the age of 20.
- From September 2016, the ACIR will be further expanded to collect all data on vaccinations given from birth to death, through GPs and community clinics. This is to support the addition of the zoster virus (shingles) vaccine on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for persons aged 70 years, and improve data collection for all vaccines administered under the NIP, regardless of the age given.
- The third stage will be implemented from September 2017 to support a range o improvements to the existing functions and operations of the register.
An overview of the register expansions will be available in the factsheet Expansion of Australia's Immunisation Registers, which will soon be published on the Immunise Australia website. | | | | | The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) Board of Directors has been re-appointed for a second three-year term. The Board is chaired by the Hon. Bruce Baird AM, with Peter Garkse CEO of the Queensland Trucking Association taking up the role as Deputy Chair for this term. Other Board members include NRMA Motoring & Services Director, Coral Taylor; OH&S, IR and public administration expert, Robin Stewart-Crompton; and senior business leader and Chair of Business South Australia, Vincent Tremaine. NHVR Chief Executive Officer, Sal Petroccitto said: "We are delighted to have a wide breadth of business and industry expertise on our Board to underpin our organisation and support the leadership team to deliver on the Regulator’s goals over the next three years."
The NHVR Board was established under the Heavy Vehicle National Law following the unanimous recommendation by responsible State Ministers in 2012. A media release is available on the NHVR website. | | | | | The inaugural National Local Government Customer Service Awards were recently presented at a gala awards dinner in Queensland with ten local councils awarded across five categories. The highest award, the National Customer Service Excellence Award, went to the City of Canada Bay Council in NSW, with a high commendation in the same category awarded to Lake Macquarie City Council also in NSW. Other categories included the Customer Service Strategy Award, Customer Service Team of the Year Award and Customer Focus Innovation Award. Judging convenor, Janelle Nisbet of Progress Training Systems said: "The awards program provides an opportunity for customer service teams within local councils to demonstrate and be recognised for their commitment to providing high quality customer service to their communities." The awards are a new initiative of the National Local Government Customer Service Network and formed part of the 8th Annual National Local Government Customer Service Summit. | | |
| | | | | | | |  The 2015 NELA National Conference - Planning, Climate & Environmental Law: Where to From Here? will be taking place on Friday 13 November at Pullman Hotel Sydney. Hear from Australia's leading experts in Environmental Law addressing the big questions facing the sector today including: - The Hon. Minister Rob Stokes MP, NSW Minister for Planning
- The Hon. Kevin Rozzoli AM, former Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
- The Hon. Justice Nicola Pain, Judge of the Land & Environment Court of New South Wales
- The Hon. Justice Rachel Pepper, Judge of the Land &Environment Court of New South Wales
- Martijn Wilder AM, Partner, Baker & McKenzie
Examine the important issues, including: - What will the new global climate regime look like after the Paris COP and what will it mean for Australian climate law and policy?
- Will planning reforms across the country do a better job of balancing development and environmental imperatives?
- What tools can deliver the best outcomes for resource management and nature conservation
- Where is environmental law heading under current national policy settings?
View the full program details, click here. |
| | | | | |  NCVER Research Forum - When one door closes: VET's role in re-skilling displaced workers
Wednesday 18 November, 10am-4pm, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre The Australian economy is changing with significant job losses in traditional manufacturing and rapidly evolving technological advancements driving industry restructuring resulting in the decline of some jobs and the emergence of others. The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) is hosting a one-day research forum on vocational education and training's vital role in successfully training and re-skilling workers. The dynamic program features: - National and international research about how governments and communities are helping displaced workers transition to new jobs
- Examples of successful training and re-skilling community initiatives for displaced workers
- Interactive Q&A discussion sessions.
For more information and to register |
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- Learn how to present briefing notes, reports and Cabinet submissions, as well as understand the complex structure of government and its functions
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