Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, the Hon Warren Truss MP, this week delivered the Government's second Annual Infrastructure Statement, which ensures that the Government is held to account for progress on major infrastructure projects.

During the speech, Mr Truss said: "The Government is more than ready to finance infrastructure, road and rail--and will not discriminate between one mode of transport over another.

"We are determined to build on our partnerships with state and local governments, and the private sector, to deliver the critical infrastructure the nation needs, and we will do so while bearing in mind the need to put the Budget on a sustainable footing.

"We need to look at more innovative investment arrangements than have existed in the past. If we are to have the infrastructure we need to meet present and future demand, then we need to encourage the private sector to increase investment in infrastructure."

Mr Truss said that the next financial year will see the single biggest Commonwealth infrastructure investment to date with over $9.7 billion in Commonwealth funding flowing across the nation.

Read the second Annual Infrastructure Statement at this link.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts has announced a new inquiry into the importance of public and commercial broadcasting, online content and live production to rural and regional Australia, including the arts, news and other services.

The Committee will hear from key stakeholders, service providers and communities to learn about how these important services are currently delivered to rural and regional Australia, and explore ways to help ensure that these communities have access to the arts, news and other services.

The Committee invites submissions to the inquiry by 5 February 2016. For further information on the inquiry please visit the Committee's website at www.aph.gov.au/communications or contact the Committee secretariat on (02) 6277 4386.

On 1 December 2015, an inquiry on the future of Australia's aged care sector workforce was referred to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee.

The terms of reference for the inquiry include:

• factors impacting aged care workers, including remuneration, working environment, staffing ratios, education and training, skills development and career paths
• future aged care workforce requirements, including the impacts of sector growth, changes in how care is delivered, and increasing competition for workers
• the particular aged care workforce challenges in regional towns and remote communities.

A submission due date has not yet been set.

More information about the inquiry is available on the Committee website.

The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration is inviting submissions into its new inquiry into domestic violence and gender inequality.

The inquiry is giving particular reference to the role of government initiatives at every level in addressing the underlying causes of domestic violence, including the commitments under, or related to, the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.

It has been noted that on 20 August 2015, the Committee completed a broad-ranging inquiry into domestic violence and it does not intend to cover the same ground as the previous inquiry but will focus on gender inequality as set out in the terms of reference.

Submissions close on 31 March 2016.

More information about the inquiry is available on the Committee website.

LGNSW is beginning new research to determine the state of arts and culture in local NSW government, and Senior Managers and General Managers in NSW councils are encouraged to take part.

The goal of the research is to provide a strong evidence base about councils' work in arts and culture at a time of significant change in the local government and arts sectors. The forthcoming local government reforms and the Create in NSW Arts and Culture Framework 2015 are two of the major upheavals affecting this area.

The new research will provide an overview of the breadth and vigour of arts and culture in NSW local government today.

If you're interested in finding out more about the research, please contact Sally Watterson on sally.watterson@lgnsw.org.au.

The National Disability Awards, held last week at Parliament House in Canberra, recognised the outstanding work of individuals and organisations improving the lives of people with disability.

Fourteen award winners were chosen from more than 200 nominations across seven categories and reflected the achievements of people and organisations improving community access and inclusion, developing technology to unlock education and communication and helping people with disability find meaningful employment.

The National Disability Awards are one of the major events in the lead up to International Day of People with Disability, which was celebrated on 3 December with disability organisations, businesses, governments and the community coming together at events across the country to mark the occasion and celebrate the achievements of people with disability.

International Day of People with Disability is a United Nations sanctioned day that celebrates progress in breaking down barriers, opening doors, and realising an inclusive society for all.

According to the latest edition of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) annual water account, average yearly household expenditure on water in 2013-14 rose 12 per cent to $584 per household while the volume of water used per household decreased slightly, when compared to the previous year.

An ABS spokesperson said: "In 2013-14 Australian households spent more than $5 billion dollars on water, paying an average of $3.08 per thousand litres. New South Wales and Victoria experienced the highest increases in household water prices, up by 27 per cent and 24 per cent respectively. South Australian householders paid the most in Australia at an average of $4.29 per thousand litres."

The ABS annual water account also found that Australian water consumption was 19,000 gigalitres (the equivalent of 38 Sydney Harbours) in 2013-14, down by 6 per cent from 2012-13.

More information is available on the ABS website.
 

The Government recently introduced emergency import measures to safeguard a range of plant species from a destructive bacterial disease that has spread from the Americas to Europe.

Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce, said the enhanced import measures would apply to plant material-ranging from daffodils and yuccas to figs and coffee plants-imported from high risk countries effective from Monday 23 November.

"The exotic Xylella bacteria has the potential to severely hurt our horticulture and forestry industries as well as infect our backyard trees. Australia is fortunate to be free of many of the pests and diseases that are prevalent in other parts of the world-and our biosecurity system is designed to keep it that way." Minister Joyce said.

More information is available on bicon.agriculture.gov.au/

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.

Both programs are designed to equip participants with trans-disciplinary 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 through the relevant partner university by 31 January.

More information is available on watercentre.org/iwc-scholarships

The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) members from Europe were recently hosted by the Local Government Association of England and Wales to discuss the impact of the current refugee crisis on local governments in countries such as Cyprus, Malta and the UK and to share their different experiences in responding to the situation.

Since the first quarter of 2014, the number of refugee and asylum applicants in Europe has doubled from 100,000 a quarter to 200,000. While the system of assessing asylum and setting policy is a national government responsibility, local governments are the organisations dealing with setting and integrating refugees in their areas every day.

Council of European Municipalities and Regions General Secretary, Frederic Vallier, emphasised how local governments are at the forefront of the refugee crisis in Europe and need to be prepared to deliver support and services such as housing, healthcare, and food. He said that cities are the first place to receive refugees and provide shelter and need the funds to do this and that it would be beneficial to have better coordination across EU states and across local governments.

Read more on the CLGF website.