President's column
Our first formal one-on-one meeting with a Prime Minister in seven years was the highlight of last Friday's COAG meeting. On behalf of local government, I advocated for an end to the Financial Assistance Grant indexation freeze and a return to previous funding levels, with an emphasis on the impact on regional and remote communities.
I also assured the PM that the sector has a very successful track record in delivering nearly 60,000 projects in
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National General Assembly Resolutions
The Government's responses to the Resolutions from the 2016 National General Assembly of Local Government have recently been received by ALGA and published to the ALGA website.
Responses received cover the Government's intention to resume the indexation of financial assistance grants from 1 July 2017, City Deals, infrastructure funding, smart city and digital transformation initiatives, water, regional development telecommunications and community service provision.
The responses received to date are from: Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham,
Release of Smart Cities and Suburbs Program guidelines for comment
Draft guidelines for the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program have been released by the Assistant Minister for Cities, the Hon Angus Taylor MP, with stakeholders - including councils - invited to provide feedback on the guidelines.
Assistant Minister Taylor said the program would support projects which put citizens at the centre.
"Smart Cities need to take a people-first approach to designing and delivering responsive public services with the help of smart technologies. The Australian Government is
Latest News
Happy holidays from the ALGA team!
The team at the Australian Local Government Association would like to wish you a happy and safe holiday season! We would like to thank all
Australia's first City Deal now official
Australia's first City Deal to grow Townsville's economy and transform the city centre was signed last Friday by the Prime Minister, Queensland Premier and Townsville Mayor.
LED street lighting roll-out could save councils $100 million each year
The street lighting, smart control and energy industries have joined forces for the release of a major report on the future of Australia's street lighting
Call for pre-Budget submissions
The Federal Government has called for pre-Budget submissions from individuals, businesses and community groups on their views regarding priorities for the 2017-18 Budget.
Productivity commission to study the transition of regional economies
The Australian economy's transition away from the resources-led boom towards broader-based growth is presenting different challenges and opportunities for Australia's regions.
Senate inquiry into delivery of outcomes under NDS
The Senate Community Affairs References Committee is set to inquire and report on the delivery of outcomes under the National Disability Strategy 2010-2020 to build
Second stage of Productivity Commission Human Services inquiry
The Productivity Commission (the Commission) has released an Issues Paper on its Human Services inquiry covering a range of issues on which the Commission seeks
New report affirms value of local government to South Australians
A new study titled "Why Local Government Matters in South Australia" has shone new light on attitudes held by South Australians towards local councils.
Happy holidays from the ALGA team!
The team at the Australian Local Government Association would like to wish you a happy and safe holiday season! We would like to thank all
Australia's first City Deal now official
Australia's first City Deal to grow Townsville's economy and transform the city centre was signed last Friday by the Prime Minister, Queensland Premier and Townsville Mayor.
LED street lighting roll-out could save councils $100 million each year
The street lighting, smart control and energy industries have joined forces for the release of a major report on the future of Australia's street lighting
Call for pre-Budget submissions
The Federal Government has called for pre-Budget submissions from individuals, businesses and community groups on their views regarding priorities for the 2017-18 Budget.
Productivity commission to study the transition of regional economies
The Australian economy's transition away from the resources-led boom towards broader-based growth is presenting different challenges and opportunities for Australia's regions.
Senate inquiry into delivery of outcomes under NDS
The Senate Community Affairs References Committee is set to inquire and report on the delivery of outcomes under the National Disability Strategy 2010-2020 to build
Second stage of Productivity Commission Human Services inquiry
The Productivity Commission (the Commission) has released an Issues Paper on its Human Services inquiry covering a range of issues on which the Commission seeks
New report affirms value of local government to South Australians
A new study titled "Why Local Government Matters in South Australia" has shone new light on attitudes held by South Australians towards local councils.
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There is too much at risk hinges on ICT. Contact service@tech-indicators.com or +61 2 9879 7115 to receive sample ICT SCAN dashboard.
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
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Bring your community together this Australia Day with the Australian Citizenship Affirmation
Each year on 26 January citizenship ceremonies are held across the country to welcome over 16,000 new citizens to the Australian community.
Get the crowd involved by including the Australian Citizenship Affirmation in your Australia Day citizenship ceremony. The Affirmation is a short declaration based on the Australian citizenship pledge that gives all event attendees an opportunity to affirm, or perhaps reaffirm, their loyalty to Australia, along with our newest citizens. It’s a simple addition to a citizenship ceremony and is a wonderful way to bring the whole community together to celebrate our shared values on Australia Day.
To make it easy for you, we have developed affirmation cards that can be placed on seats or handed to guests as they arrive at your event. Visit australianaffirmation.org.au for more information and to order these resources free of charge.
New Scholarship Available to Support Professional Development of Local Government Practitioners
A new $5,000 scholarship from the University of Technology Sydney Centre for Local Government is now available to support local government professionals seeking to broaden their knowledge and skills through postgraduate study. Open to Master of Local Government applicants, the scholarship will be awarded on merit.
The Master of Local Government will expand your knowledge, open new possibilities and equip you with skills to take your career to the next level.
The course:
- Is prepared with and for local government
- Allows you to gain a sound understanding of current issues in local government
- Provides an evidence-based learning approach to build a high level of influence and leadership
- Has flexible entry requirements - we consider applicants without a degree who can demonstrate substantial relevant work experience
- Allows you to study part-time or full-time with our flexible block-delivery study mode.