 | |  In its response to the Harper Review, the Government has announced that it will accelerate work with states and territories on heavy vehicle road reform and investigate the benefits, costs and potential next steps of options to introduce cost-reflective road pricing for all vehicles. Minister for Major Projects, Territories and Local Government, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said: "It is important that road pricing does not involve higher overall charges on road users, as the Harper Review specifically noted - hence its recommendation that any introduction of direct road pricing should be accompanied by reductions of indirect charges and taxes on road users." The Transport and Infrastructure Council will investigate the benefits, costs and potential next steps of options to introduce cost reflective road pricing for all vehicles, building on the work being done on heavy vehicle pricing under the oversight of the Federal, state and territory transport ministers in the Transport and Infrastructure Council. Read Paul Fletcher's media release at this link. | | | | |  The Commonwealth Government has opened applications for its revised arts excellence funding program, Catalyst: The Australian Arts and Culture Fund. It will allocate $12 million per year over the next three years for innovative arts projects from small, medium and large arts organisations at a national, regional and community level. Catalyst will assist organisations to focus on creative and financial partnerships and stimulate ways to build participation by Australians in cultural life. There will be a strong focus on both small and medium projects, as well as those from regional communities and international activities that achieve cultural diplomacy objectives. Local government will have a role in both supporting new partnerships, as well as having cultural institutions that will be eligible to apply for funding under this program. The guidelines and information on applications are available on the Ministry for the Arts website. | | | | |  Recently Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appointed me as Minister for Major Projects, Territories and Local Government. This is the first time for some years that there has been a Minister whose title includes specific reference to local government. There are at least three important reasons why the Turnbull Government has chosen to underline the importance of local government in this way. The first is to explicitly and formally recognise the vital role that local government plays. The sector is an important part of our national economy, employing 188,900 people and annually spending $32.7 billion in providing services to Australians according to 2013-14 ABS statistics. The second important reason for this decision by the Turnbull Government has been our ambition to demonstrate a better integration between all three levels of government. When Australians engage with government, nothing annoys them more than buck-passing and finger pointing between different governments. Of course it is true that different levels of government have different responsibilities - but all of us have a responsibility to work together to deliver the best possible outcomes for citizens and residents. A third reason behind the establishment of a portfolio with specific, stated responsibility for local government is because of the important nexus with the Turnbull Government's priorities when it comes to cities and infrastructure. As Prime Minister Turnbull has made clear, he sees a renewed role for the Commonwealth in working to support and plan for the growth of our cities - which collectively in 2011 contributed $854 billion to our national economy according to the Infrastructure Australia audit issued earlier this year. Read the full article by Minister Paul Fletcher at this link. | | |
| |  This week the Government provided its response to the Competition Policy Review, better known as the Harper Review. The Review, commissioned by the Government and publicly released in March this year, provided a broad analysis of Australia's competition framework making 56 recommendations to modernise and simplify Australia's competition laws. ALGA welcomed the review and lodged a submission late last year which supported some of the draft recommendations while outlining concerns with several other recommendations relevant to Local Government, specifically those relating to human services, planning and zoning that appeared to oversimplify how competition policy could impact these public services. You can access ALGA's submission at this link. The Government has supported 39 of the Harper Review's recommendations in full or in principle and a further 5 recommendations in part. It has also noted 12 recommendations in areas where implementation will be considered following further review and consultation. ALGA is working through the detail of the Government's response but there are clearly areas where Local Government will need to be engaged on the implementation of some of the recommendations, such as recommendation 3 which calls for the introduction of cost-reflective road pricing. ALGA supports this recommendation and has long argued for improved road pricing mechanisms based on road user charges and investment needs. However, we have also strongly maintained that moving to a more direct road pricing mechanism should not result in a reduction in, or reallocation of, existing funding available to councils from the Commonwealth and state and territory governments. The Government's broad response to the Review also places an emphasis on the provision of competition policy payments for reforms undertaken by governments that lead to improved productivity and economic growth. ALGA will continue to argue that Local Government should be entitled to such payments where councils are the ones incurring the costs of implementing reforms. Governments will need to work together to implement the reforms in response to the Review and we look forward to engagement and consultation on the development and implementation of any reform proposals. Mayor Troy Pickard
ALGA President | | |
| | For the first time, Australians with a severe and complex mental illness will have access to an integrated care package tailored to their individual needs, as part of broad reforms unveiled by the Government this week. Part of the package would see people identified by health professionals as needing complex care services eligible to access a package of integrated health services, including: comprehensive assessment and care-coordination support; psychological services; mental health nursing; drug and alcohol services; vocational assistance; and peer support. It also includes the establishment of a single national mental health phone line that will direct callers to the appropriate phone or online mental health service they need. The single phone line service is part of the Government's development of a new 'digital gateway' to help people with a mental illness navigate through the digital mental health services that are currently available. Further information about the new reforms is available at this link. | | | | | Under the recent carbon tax, the waste sector faced significant cost increases as a result of the need to set aside funding upfront for emissions to be released over many decades. Most operators charged customers upfront for the anticipated future carbon tax liability for each tonne of waste deposited during 2012-13 and 2013-14. Earlier this year the landfill industry, through the Australian Landfill Owners Association (ALOA) and the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), developed a Protocol to ensure that surplus early-collected carbon charges would be returned to consumers or expended for community benefit. ALOA and ALGA are pleased with the positive response received so far, with the following operators advising that they will abide by the Protocol: - Veolia
- Ti Tree Bio Energy
- Integrated Waste Services
- Suez Environment (SITA/PSWMG)
- Boral Waste Solutions
However, as some landfill owners are yet to commit to the Protocol, ALOA and ALGA are calling for them to review the benefits of registering under the Protocol. More information is available on the ALOA website. | | | | | The Australian Government has asked the Productivity Commission to undertake a nine-month public inquiry into the regulatory burden on farm businesses. The terms of reference were released last Friday with the inquiry to commence immediately. The inquiry will focus on regulation with a material impact on domestic and international competitiveness of farm businesses and the productivity of Australian agriculture. It will define priority areas for removing or reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens where doing so would raise the productivity of farm businesses as well as the wider economy. The inquiry will also review regulation of farm businesses to identify unnecessary restrictions on competition. More dates and information on the release of an issues paper will be posted on the Productivity Commission's website. | | | | | The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation recently met in Canberra and considered a range of food regulation matters including the Health Star Rating (HSR) system. Members welcomed the news that in Australia at least 55 companies have adopted the voluntary HSR system, and that there are now more than 1,500 products displaying the HSR graphic. A progress review on the implementation of the HSR system will be undertaken after 2 years (June 2016) before a formal review after 5 years (June 2019). The Forum comprises all Australian and New Zealand Ministers responsible for food regulation and includes the Australian Local Government Association - represented on this occasion by Mayor Damien Ryan. The communiqué following the recent meeting is available on the Department of Health website. | | | | | Governments have cooperated to produce the first national pilot benchmarking of infrastructure procurement processes and construction costs as recommended by the 2014 Productivity Commission Inquiry into Public Infrastructure and agreed by the Transport and Infrastructure Council on 28 August 2014. The Infrastructure Benchmarking Report, issued this week by the Transport and Infrastructure Council, covers the findings of the initial benchmarking and outlines plans for continued and improved future monitoring of infrastructure procurement performance and construction costs. Analysis of the procurement processes found the majority of the projects in the pilot study sample met most timeliness targets and most qualitative and quantitative performance measures specified by Infrastructure Australia. Project phases involving extensive client-contractor interaction (Interaction, Evaluation and Finalisation) were found to be most time-intensive, exhibited most time variation and had poorest compliance with targets. The analysis was undertaken by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) for the Infrastructure Working Group of the Transport and Infrastructure Council. For further findings, download a copy of the report on the Council's website. | | | | | The winners of this year's Resilient Australia Awards were announced this week at Parliament House. This year's entries covered all aspects of disaster management including risk assessment, mitigation, education and training, community awareness, response and recovery. Innovative technologies such as social media were also recognised for the vital role they now play in keeping the community better informed and coordinating recovery and relief efforts. The overall 2015 National Resilient Australia Award winner was the Brisbane-based company GIVIT, which was recognised for its sophisticated online platform that provides a simple, proven, coordinated response to quickly match donations and ensure offers of assistance get to where they are most needed. Two councils also received highly commended citations. The Western Australian City of Mandurah was commended for its project Beyond The Gate: Aged Care Emergency Support Network, which was designed to improve the way aged care facilities deal with natural disasters, and Victorian Mansfield Shire Council Community Resilience Leadership Program was recognised for its work to bring together community members and leaders to build a greater understanding of emergency management planning and responses. More information on the winners is available on the Attorney General's Department website. | | | | | Councils will increasingly turn to partnerships and consolidation in the future to offset tightening funding, according to a new study of local government leaders in Australia and New Zealand. Managing Directors, CEOs, and Senior Managers from 176 local councils were surveyed as part of The Changing Landscape for Local Government in Australia and New Zealand: A Vision for 2025 report. The report found that while 73 per cent of respondents believed providing sustainable infrastructure will be the main policy issue in the next 10 years, about a quarter (26 per cent) said the scale of requirements would exceed the amount of available budget. The squeeze meant that 40 per cent of leaders expected councils to look to strategic partnerships in the coming decade while 32 per cent of local government leaders believed council mergers would be the primary operational response to meet future challenges. The study was conducted by the University of Technology Sydney, Centre for Local Government and commissioned by Civica International. It can be downloaded on the Civica website. | | | | | 1800RESPECT has released an online toolkit for frontline workers to help them better recognise the signs of domestic and family violence and empower them to respond well. Developed in consultation with experts and funded by the Department of Social Services, the1800RESPECT online toolkit has information on good practice, educational videos with specialists, webinars, tools and resources, and apps. The toolkit can be accessed in full or tailored according to workers' own learning and development needs. The toolkit was launched to coincide with White Ribbon Day and the global 16 Days of Action campaign to end violence against women, which runs from 25 November to 10 December 2015. 1800RESPECT's frontline worker toolkit is available at this link. | | | | | Parramatta will learn from the lessons of Chicago and Amsterdam as they become the world's next Smart City. The city recently hosted a summit of international Smart City experts and local industry leaders. The aim was to position Parramatta as one of Australia's future leaders in the field following the council's recent adoption of its Smart City master plan and appointment of a strategic smart city officer. The summit featured speakers from Amsterdam and Chicago who discussed leading edge technologies and innovations that can be incorporated in Parramatta's future planning, including the $2 billion Parramatta Square. Find out more in this article and on the Parramatta City Council website. | | | | | The Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS), Austroads, and The George Institute for Global Health have announced that the call for abstracts for their 2016 Australasian Road Safety Conference is now open. Abstracts from local councils have also been welcomed. As the southern hemisphere's largest road safety-dedicated conference, the event is expected to attract more than 600 delegates including researchers, educators, policing and enforcement agencies, policymakers and students working in the fields of behavioural science, emergency services, and local, state and federal government delegates. More information about submitting an abstract is available on the ACRS website. The closing date for abstracts is 12 February 2016. | | | | | Melbourne-based company, SolarOne Enterprises, has recently completed trials of a new form of renewable-energy-powered pathway lighting and is now seeking to assist councils maintain suitable after-dusk pathway lighting. PathFinders provides path lighting, a little like an aircraft runway, that delineates the paths providing line-of-sight guidance. It is a directional low-level light source visible only to pathway users, thus no light pollution. The schema is based upon the Australian Main Roads layout, for instance using different colours and light patterns to indicate hazards. The company has reported that councils using the after-dusk pathway lighting include Moreland, Surf Coast, Banyule, Darebin and Wyndham, to name a few. SolarOne principle, Hugh Mitchell, said: "Studies conducted with Bicycle User Groups have concluded that delineation, rather than flood lighting, is a very effective lighting schema. The low level output, unlike street lighting, is also virtually free from incidental light pollution and does not invade private residences nor upset the sensitive circadian rhythm and ecological balance of the local microcosm." For more information visit www.solarone.enterprises. | | |
| | |  International WaterCentre partial scholarships for self-funded students The International WaterCentre is offering a partial scholarship ($7,000 for the Master of Integrated Water Management at The University of Queensland; and $2,000 for the Graduate Certificate in Water Planning at Griffith University) to every self-funded student commencing in Semester 1, 2016. Self-funded students are students who do not receive any full-tuition scholarship. Students who receive a loan (eg. FEE-HELP) or funding from their employer remain eligible for a partial scholarship. Both programs are designed to equip participants with transdisciplinary skills in integrated water management, fast-track their career development and build their capacity to create innovative and sustainable solutions to complex water management issues. To receive a partial scholarship: simply apply for admission by 31 January. Master of Integrated Water Management Graduate Certificate in Water Planning More information: www.watercentre.org/iwc-scholarships Contact: admin@watercentre.org | Phone: +61 7 3014 0200 |
| | | | | |  Bring your community together this Australia Day with the Affirmation Across the country, there are thousands of organised events held on Australia Day, from fun runs first thing in the morning to the fireworks in the evening. And in most towns across Australia, a citizenship ceremony is held. Citizenship ceremonies are an integral part of Australia Day, with tens of thousands of people becoming Australian citizens on 26 January each year. A great way to welcome these new citizens into the community is to include an Australia Citizenship ceremony at official Australia Day events. The Australian Citizenship Affirmation can be included as part of every citizenship ceremony and gives the whole community the opportunity to affirm their loyalty to Australia and its people. It’s a wonderful way to bring the whole community together to celebrate our values on Australia Day. All the resources and information you need to include the Affirmation are sent to you free of charge, so why not bring the whole community together at your event with an Affirmation ceremony this Australia Day? For information and free resources, visit australianaffirmation.org.au |
| | | | | | | | | | |  Lexis Advance®- The best place for Local Government to access trusted legal information Launched in February 2015, Lexis Advance provides a more user friendly environment which means users no longer need to be legally trained in Boolean search strings to complete research requirements. This platform is transforming the way those seeking legal information are conducting their research. This revolutionary new online legal research platform provides Local Government with easy and flexible access to trusted legal content from LexisNexis, the leading provider of legal content for over 100 years. Powered by the smartest search technology tools, Lexis Advance is used by Local Government who are looking for an efficient legal research platform that allows them to balance their workload better, mitigate their department’s legal risks, and demonstrate immediate value to their organisation. No matter what areas of the Law you are seeking expert information on, Lexis Advance delivers what matters to your Council at your fingertips, including: - Building & Planning
- Work Health and Safety
- Human Resources
For more information, go to: www.lexisnexis.com.au/lexisadvance or contact your LexisNexis Representative Byron Whiting to discuss subscription packages available to suit Local Government. Byron Whiting on 0466334159 or email byron.whiting@lexisnexis.com.au |
| | | | | |  Want to work at the pointy end of policy? Make your mark in the public sector with this Graduate Certificate in Policy and Governance. You don’t need a degree to apply for this flexible, online course. All you need is real world experience and a keen interest in getting the skills and confidence to become a key player in policy development. The course was designed with the Queensland Public Service Commission, which means it’s career-focused and hands on. And best of all it can be completed in just one year. So why not put yourself in a position of influence? - Learn from policy and governance experts in the real world
- Learn how to present briefing notes, reports and Cabinet submissions, as well as understand the complex structure of government and its functions
- Course delivered completely online - complete learning items within units as quickly as you like.
Apply now. |
| | |
|
