1. Lake Macquarie begins using new project software

Councils participating in the $105-million Councils Online project are beginning to reap its benefits, with Lake Macquarie City Council this week becoming the first council to start using the core suite of IT applications developed through the initiative.

Tailored to the needs of the councils, the applications are expected to deliver significant efficiencies and long term cost savings for the five participating local governments. On Monday Lake Macquarie 'went live' with applications supporting business functions such as: payroll, HR, asset management and financial management.

While the applications comprise the core of the council's business operations, a further eight applications performing functions such as online procurement will be rolled out by November. The efficiencies have also been achieved through the synchronisation of the applications and will enable faster assessment of development applications and improved documentation systems.

The other four councils - Hornsby, Wyong, Randwick and Parramatta - will go live with the core applications over the next two months. The syndicate of councils expects to eventually on-sell the IT system it develops to other councils, with many local governments, particularly Victorian and WA councils, already having inquired about future purchases. To contact Lake Macquarie City Council phone (02) 4921 0333.

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2. Pittwater gains efficiencies from online DA services

Pittwater Council has developed a unique internet service that allows people to identify development controls and regulations relevant to individual properties by themselves online, reducing the amount of time council officers spend handling customer queries.

The council believes it is the first local government in Australia to introduce the system, which enables customers to easily access all the development controls relevant to particular forms of development on specific sites.

Termed the 'Masterplan' service, the website is also synchronised with the council's innovative new electronic development application and construction certificate tracking service. Pittwater is also rolling out a new online service that speeds up the conveyancing process through a range of relevant certificates and associated payments able to be submitted over a council website. For further information phone Pittwater Council on (02) 9970 1111 or visit
http://www.pittwater.nsw.gov.au.

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3. Victorian councils to cut sector-wide IT costs

In an innovative step to reduce IT costs for councils, the Municipal Association of Victoria is planning to establish a company that would aggregate the buying power of local governments and generate economies of scale in order to cut costs and improve the IT capabilities of the state's councils.

The company would initially seek to reduce telecommunications, software and hardware costs, reduce merchant service fees and cut tender costs. Individual councils would likely pay a fee to become a member of the company and receive its services, with eventual cost-savings to outweigh the participation fee.

The MAV is urging councils to signal their interest in participating in the project by contacting the association's John Hennessy on (03) 9667 5525 by May 20.

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4. 3D software aids in development assessments

Adelaide City Council has developed cutting-edge 3D modelling software to enable its planners to more efficiently implement development controls and undertake development assessments. The council has developed a 3D computer model of the city's entire urban environment, allowing a number of issues in development assessment to be quickly addressed, including: bulk, massing and scale in the streetscape; sight lines from ground level and from an aerial point of view; overshadowing; implications of urban design guidelines; and desired future character.

Planners and designers have been able to use computer simulations from the preliminary stages through to final assessment as a means of efficiently envisaging and addressing issues related to development proposals. The software is able to be continually updated at little expense and has taken significant amounts of advanced level modelling out of the hands of planning staff. The council is aiming to expand the use of the modelling software to other areas such as strategic planning and public consultation.

More information about Adelaide City Council's use of 3D modelling in civic planning is contained in the latest edition of 'Public Works Engineering', the official journal of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA).

For more information about the journal, phone Hallmark Editions on (03) 9530 8900.

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5. Study into e-planning capabilities

A study designed to provide local government managers with case studies and advice on how to assess their council's capacity to adopt e-planning systems is expected to be completed soon. A project of the NSW division of Local Government Managers Australia, the study is expected to bring clarity to the numerous councils uncertain about what form of e-planning system their council has the capacity to undertake, and whether they should adopt e-planning at all.

The project is seeking to identify leading cases of councils developing innovative e-planning initiatives that have increased the efficiency of their planning processes. It will also gauge the capacities that different types of councils have to successfully undertake e-planning initiatives.

The project is expected to culminate with the categorisation of e-planning systems available to councils, ranging from the simple to the complex, a framework that councils will be able to use to assess what type of system their local government has the capacity to undertake successfully. The LGMA (NSW) is presently negotiating with the NSW Government to ensure the study's findings take into account state planning procedures, many of which are presently in the throes of being revised.

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6. 7th Information Technology Conference for Local Government - IT2004

2004 sees the 7th Information Technology Conference for Local Government - IT2004, scheduled for 16th to 19th November in beautiful Coffs Harbour. The conference is hosted by Coffs Harbour City Council and provides a forum for local government managers and support staff to network, learn and exchange ideas.

The Theme for this year's conference is "Evolution" - in the provision of information technology, managers are required to adapt, evolve and grow. It's survival of the fittest and they need to adapt quickly to a rapidly changing environment.

This conference will equip the local government IT professional with the skills, knowledge, and personal/professional development to grow, evolve and prosper. The conference has grown and evolved into the premier local government IT event in Australia.

Registration will shortly be available from the website
http://it2004.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au.

We are currently calling for papers on the following topics from suitably qualified IT professionals, Local government IT Managers and relevant organizations: IT Best Practises; Cutting edge and emerging IT technologies; Council case studies; Industry and Government trends; Management Skills and Techniques; Personal/Professional Growth & Development.

For more information contact the conference co-ordinator on (02) 66 48 4000 or email IT2004@chcc.nsw.gov.au.

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7. Redland Shire Council's Red-e-Map Released to Residents

Redland Shire Council has released a new internet application called Red-e-Map, giving ratepayers access to a wide variety of information on land and property, community services, transport services, and environmental regions.

Powered by ESRI's internet mapping solution ArcIMS and spatial database engine ArcSDE, Red-e-Map was developed from the council intranet solution that has been in place for twelve months. By accessing Red-e-Map, residents can view and interact with a large number of map layers running from simple land parcel boundaries to aerial photography.

Residents can use Red-e-Map to find the locations of council land, ferry routes, koala habitats, fire ant zones, bikeways, public toilets, and much, much more. Another feature soon to be added to Red-e-Map is the 'Address Matcher' application.

Users will be able to search for house addresses by entering the lot and plan, or for a lot and plan by entering an address, without having to open up a map. Redland Shire Council's Information Systems Services Manager Peter Benfer said "Redland Shire Council will continue to take advantage of advances in ESRI technology to improve the delivery of GIS services to council staff and the Redland's community".

Red-e-Map can be accessed via the 'Online Mapping' link on the Redland Shire Council website http://www.redland.qld.gov.au.

To find out more about ESRI Australia's complete solutions for local government, register for one of our free GIS Solutions for Local Government seminars being held in Adelaide, Melbourne and on the Gold Coast in May. To register, or find out more information, visit our website http://www.esriaustralia.com.au.

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8. Bunbury unveils strategy for boosting local IT infrastructure

Western Australia's Bunbury City Council has formulated a sweeping strategy for developing local IT and communications infrastructure and resources in an effort to boost the city's economy.

The strategy, endorsed by the council last month, serves as a framework for turning the city into a 'smart community' by enhancing broadband connectivity, reducing telecommunications costs, driving up IT use in the community and commercial sectors and ensuring the city becomes a regional hub for IT services.

The council will seek to aggregate local demand for telecommunications costs, possibly through the formation of a community telco, in an effort to reduce communications costs.

Bunbury has also conceived a process for ensuring high bandwidth internet access is available across all sections of the city through modifying and upgrading existing technical infrastructure. The strategy is seen as a means to increase the IT skills-base among the city's residents, which presently is growing slower than the national average.

The council's 'Smart Community' strategy is available at http://www.bunbury.wa.gov.au.

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9. Eurobodalla improves local planning decisions through GIS

Eurobodalla Shire has taken an innovative approach to local government planning by using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) modelling to evaluate the best use for rural land earmarked for future urban development.

The GIS modelling system evaluates environmental factors to identify the best use of rural land, including the identification of areas suitable for residential development and environmentally-sensitive areas requiring protection. The council believes its assessment system can be used across all levels of government and in a wide range of fields.

Eurobodalla Councillor David Laugher says the use of GIS modeling increases the transparency of land development assessments as it reduces the level of subjectivity in decision-making.

Eurobodalla's scientific approach to sustainable rural and regional land management saw the council recently receive a Planning Institute of Australia NSW Division Award for Excellence in Planning.

The results of the modeling work are being used in several ways by the council, including providing input into a review of a Rural Local Environmental Plan, the assessment of environmental impacts of development proposals and the development of planning policy.

For more information contact Eurobodalla Shire Council on (02) 4474 1000.

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10. Councils reap benefits of secure network environment

Without an effective authentication scheme in place, security measures such as firewalls, Virtual Private Networks, cryptography, Public Key Infrastructure and digital signatures, are at risk of being compromised with local governments.

Twenty Australian councils have installed an RSA SecurID two factor user authentication solution over the past ten months. The solution's supplier is Allcom, a certified partner with proven implementations in major NSW Government departments and large corporate environments.

One council explained how a range of employees derived benefits from the RSA solution. The benefits included allowing Health & Building Inspectors to travel freely around the local government area conducting site inspections while having the ability to access the council's network in a secure manner.

Remote access solutions can also provide staff with dependent children who choose to work from home with the ability to securely access the council's network.

Senior management can also catch up on the day's activities via a remote access solution while attending a conference away from the council. Additionally, Road Supervisors can travel around the municipality facilitating work requests and have the ability to access the council's network in a secure manner.

Contact RSA Security: e-mail sales@allcomnetworks.com.au or go to the RSA Security website at, http://www.rsasecurity.com.

Additionally, to contact Allcom phone (02) 9921 1355 or visit
www.allcomnetworks.com.au.

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11. Blue Mountains develops IT system that slashes paperwork and boosts efficiency

Blue Mountains City Council is on track to generate significant long-term cost savings, improve customer service and enhance its asset maintenance regime through the development of an innovative system that reduces the amount of time it takes staff to process information in the field.

The council has developed a system that is seeing staff carry hand-held computers in the field that can be used to take inquiries quickly as well as enter and process data in a fraction of the time it used to take, slashing the amount of paper work involved.

The technology has brought about an ease of data flow that allows entry technicians and systems analysts quick access to the information they require. Confusion and misunderstood instructions are now at a minimum and field crews have more time to focus on customer service.

Additionally, managers no longer have to toil through the drudgery of paperwork to analyse performances and see exactly what is occurring in the field. The 'Remote Link' project, developed within the council's Civil Operations Department, began in July 2002 with the development of an integrated software package that combined the council's finance system with the Vemax Asset Management System.

The hand-held Hewlett Packard iPAQ was selected for the infield tasks because of its versatility and simplicity. No compatible software programs existed, so the council decided to write and develop all supporting software in-house.

The project's software costs eventually totalled about $30,000, while the council purchased 40 iPAQ hand-held computers for about $900 each. Council technicians are now able input data from the field for immediate use by system analysts back at base.

An important part of the project has also been to train employees with the appropriate skills to use the new computers. Due to the simplicity and adaptability of the PC and software programs developed by the council for the project, the entire package can easily be transferred for use by other local governments with similar logistical problems.

Blue Mountains City Council has already demonstrated the system to representatives of Sutherland Shire Council and Ports Stephens Council. For more information contact Blue Mountains City Council Operations Manager Dominic O'Brien on (02) 4780 5000.

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12. Council business and risk management software

Adelaide City Council has developed a state-of-the-art strategic planning, performance measurement and risk management system that can be adopted by all Australian councils. The project is an innovative approach to addressing common problems all councils face in managing their business planning and risk management across diverse organisations.

According to the council, the system represents a best practice model that integrates business planning with prudent risk management practice, assisting local government officers to manage their business plans and outcomes.

The system has features including: multiple levels of reporting on business plans and risk management activities; the ability to reduce extra demands on council managers' resources; the capability to be readily aligned with corporate goals; and the ability for council managers to observe what's happening across the organisation - not limited to views of individual council departments.

For further information about the software, visit
http://asp.adelaidecitycouncil.com/localshare/Site/Pages/Showcase/ste_brm.aspx
or phone the council's Manager Executive Support on (08) 8203 7471.

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13. Positions Available

IT OFFICER, Moyne Shire Council

- $37,700 pa + 9% super Based in Port Fairy

The Moyne Shire Council is looking for an enthusiastic person to join their IT team to assist in the administration, development and maintenance of the Council's IT infrastructure.

Key responsibilities include: Provide first and second level technical support; Provide a point of presence for the user help desk; Co-ordinate and maintain the email system and internet access; Assist in the support, design, control and maintenance of the Council's website.

To be successful in this role you will need: Highly developed customer service skills; Either previous experience in a similar role or a completed (or near completed) relevant qualification; Working knowledge of Windows based hardware and software in a networked environment; Knowledge of web based technologies; Current driver's licence.

Contact: Potential candidates should obtain a position description and information package from http://www.moyne.vic.gov.au or by contacting Claire Thomas on (03) 5599 2500 or cthomas@moyne.vic.gov.au. Applications close Friday 23 April 2004.

The Moyne Shire Council is committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity.

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