News

Crean reaffirms support for constitutional recognition of local government

The Federal Government’s commitment to seeking the constitutional recognition of local government has been reinforced by new Local Government Minister, Simon Crean.

Mr Crean says Canberra recognises that local government is being required to do more to meet challenges such as population growth, the ageing population, climate change, and building future prosperity and sustainability.

He says councils play a vital role in the life of Australia – not only in delivering services – but in building communities, planning for future challenges, and strengthening partnerships beyond council boundaries with business, community and all levels of government.

Mr Crean says, however, Australia has a constitution which does not recognise “this important tier of government” and the deficiency must be recognised. He says the government is committed to the constitutional recognition of local government; an issue on which the Coalition agrees.

In pursuing constitutional change, Mr Crean says experience shows the critical need to build community support and consensus for a referendum on constitutional recognition for local government. He says without that community support for the sector, any referendum would be doomed to failure.

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Local Government Urban Planning Summit to be held next week

The national Local Government Urban Planning & Development Summit, to be held in Sydney from October 19-20, is on track to be a major event for Australia’s local government sector.

The summit’s agenda and information about how to register is available at www.halledit.com.au/urbanplan2010

This important summit meeting will provide local government planners, managers and councillors with high-quality advice, leading-edge case studies and excellent networking opportunities that will help them plan sustainable community growth and generate successful planning outcomes within their own municipalities.

Leading local government practices will be detailed in areas such as:

• Strategic planning for urban growth;
• Improving development assessment systems;
• Urban renewal and activity centre development;
• Community consultation in planning processes.

Speakers will include representatives of the summit’s supporting local government organisations the National Growth Areas Alliance and the National Sea Change Taskforce as well as:

• Dyan Currie, President Elect of the Planning Institute of Australia
• Angelo Licciardello, Director of Planning and Development, Townsville City Council.
• Teresa Dominik, Manager Economic and Environmental Planning at Manningham City Council.
• Brydon King, Surf Coast Shire’s Planning and Development Manager.
• Nick Vass-Bowen, Ipswich City Council Strategic Planning Manager.
• Andrea Kenafake, Manager of Development Assessment at Brisbane City Council.
• Jill Gaynor, Manager of Strategic Planning Services at Newcastle City Council.
• Paul Waterhouse, Chair of the national Development Assessment Forum (DAF).
• Stephen Fairnham, Gosford City Council’s Manager of The Gosford Challenge urban development project.
• Dr Ian Winter, Executive Director, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
• Jane Blackmore, Research Leader Coastal Vulnerability and Planning for the CSIRO.

To be staged in the wake of the Federal Election, this important summit meeting of local government planning staff, senior managers and councillors from across Australia will analyse the current direction of legislative reform and the future role of councils in planning and approving development in existing suburbs and towns, as well as greenfield areas.

- To Register: Register online by visiting www.halledit.com.au/urbanplan2010

- Registration is only $895 or One Day attendance for only $500.

Delegate attendance enquiries can be directed to: Denise McQueen, Hallmark Conferences + Events, Phone: (03) 8534 5021, Fax: (03) 8534 5121, Email: denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

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Possible delay in finalising new urban policy for Australia

Development of a national urban policy for Australia might not be finalised by later this year as originally planned. The policy is being formulated by the Major Cities Unit within Infrastructure Australia.

A federal government spokesperson says the unit was expected to finish work on the policy by late 2010, but the timing could be put back until early 2011 because of delays associated with the federal election.

Development of the policy was announced in 2009 by Federal Infrastructure Minister, Anthony Albanese, who said at the time that Australia needed a policy framework to assist federal, state, territory and local governments to create productive, liveable and sustainable cities.

Mr Albanese said the key issues facing Australia’s cities were ensuring sustainable development and proper planning and strategic investment in social and physical infrastructure. He said Australia had the knowledge, technology and willingness to improve its major cities, but lacked the right leadership from government and business.

Mr Albanese said sub-optimal planning, land use and settlement patterns were a result of Australia’s disparate decision-making processes.

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New Federal Cabinet committee to focus on regional Australia

The Federal Government will establish a special cabinet committee to ensure government decisions take account of the needs of regional communities.

Regional Development and Local Government Minister, Simon Crean, announced the establishment of the top-level committee during an address to the National Press Club on September 29.

Mr Crean says the new Regional Australia and Regional Development Committee will play a “critical whole-of-government coordination role ensuring that regional Australia enjoys a fair distribution of natural resources”.

He says the committee will also ensure that government decisions take genuine account of the needs and priorities of regional communities and that the government prepares a break-down of the national budget which more clearly shows the pattern and priority of Federal spending across all regions of Australia.

Mr Crean says that, in talks with ministerial colleagues, he has already made clear that their departments will need to be more responsive to the needs of regional Australia. He says all sections of government need a change of mindset that sees a “genuine embrace of regionalism within our national portfolio objectives”.

Mr Crean says in addition to the cabinet committee, the government is establishing a House of Representatives Committee on Regional Australia, allowing members to enquire into the needs and resourcing of regions, and the impact of legislation on regional communities.

The government is also funding a regional development policy centre to provide an additional source of independent advice on regional Australia to Parliament and the community.

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Rural councils call for major reform of road infrastructure

An advocacy group that brings together more than 100 councils is calling for major reforms to the funding and management of rural road infrastructure.

The Australian Rural Roads Group comprises 114 councils that each produce more than $100 million per year in agricultural product and face major funding challenges to maintain road networks. They are responsible for 24% of Australia’s road network.

Co-founder of the group – Lyn Russell, Mayor of Colac Otway Shire – says the councils involved are all “incredibly productive rural communities” , but they cannot capture a lot of the economic activity to their own advantage.

Cr Russell says the councils need reform to road infrastructure and management, and also need higher levels of government to understand the poor asset condition in rural areas and what it means for future productivity and rural road safety.

She says the Australian Rural Roads Group wants genuine policy reforms that address rural productivity issues. The group is developing its first written report and plans to launch it in late October.

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New asset valuation system saves Waverley Council millions of dollars

Waverley Council in Sydney has saved tens of millions of dollars over the past five years by changing the way it deals with its asset backlog, according to the council’s Director of Corporate and Technical Services, Bronwyn Kelly.

Dr Kelly says the council was using traditional methods of valuation and depreciation to account for its assets, and that methodology was telling the city it had to spend $93 million to bring its current assets up to scratch. She says that figure – covering roads, footpaths, curbs, gutters, stormwater assets and buildings – was more than the council’s annual budget.

Dr Kelly says the council questioned in 2005 whether it was correctly calculating the necessary expenditure and, over the next five years, developed a program which focused on articulating the service levels of assets. She says the council looked at the reasons for using the assets and what condition they needed to be in to deliver a required level of service, rather than simply looking at the age and monetary value of the asset.

Dr Kelly says by using such a methodology the council found the figure to revitalise the assets was not $93 million, but $14 million. She says the approach has given Waverley Council added flexibility in its operations. Under the old system, it would have been faced with cutting services and social programs that hold the fabric of local society together, but the money saved under the new methodology has given the council more money to spend on services and programs.

Dr Kelly says the new system has not only dropped backlog renewal costs by 84%; it has also dropped council’s estimate of costs to maintain the assets every year by 35%.

She says council still has a financial gap and needs a special rate variation to keep services going, but the level of the variation will be much lower than would have been the case if it was still using the traditional methods of valuation and depreciation to account for assets.

For further information on Waverley Council's initiative call Dr Kelly on (02) 9369 8115 or email bronwynk@waverley.nsw.gov.au.

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Sustainable population advisory panels pushing ahead with consultations

Three panels, including local government representatives, established in mid-2010 to play a key role in establishing a policy for sustainable population are close to being on track with their work.

The Demographic Change and Liveability Panel; the Productivity and Prosperity Panel; and the Sustainable Development Panel were set up by the Federal Government as the “first step in establishing an open national dialogue” on its Sustainable Population Strategy.

A spokesperson for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Minister, Tony Burke, says the panels did not meet during the caretaker period of government leading up to the August 21 election and are slightly behind their intended schedule of consultation.

The spokesperson says, however, that a public issues paper to be developed on advice received from the three panels should still be released around the end of 2010 or in early 2011.

Graeme Sawyer, the Lord Mayor of Darwin and Chair of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors; Pam Parker, the Mayor of Logan City Council; and Ruth Spielman, Executive Director of the National Growth Areas Alliance have seats on the Demographic Change and Liveability Panel.

Nicole Lockwood, President of the Shire of Roebourne is a member of the Productivity and Prosperity Panel; while Bob Abbot, Mayor of Sunshine Coast Regional Council; and Bill Forrest, CEO/Regional Director of ICLEI Oceania are members of the Sustainable Development Panel.

Minister Burke says all members of the three panels will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience on population issues and will be vital in developing a comprehensive population strategy. He says the Sustainable Population Strategy panels will reflect a diverse range of community views and provide advice on the issues, views, tradeoffs, opportunities and challenges associated with population growth and population ageing.

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Report says voluntary reform of WA local government is 'not adequate'

The voluntary reform of local government in Western Australia has not brought about the scale of change needed to deliver meaningful benefits, according to the report of a Parliamentary Steering Committee.

The Local Government Reform Steering Committee report follows 12 months of research and analysis, including the findings of the committee’s four working groups and feedback from local government. It says the voluntary reform process relies on leadership being shown by the sector to “rise to the challenge of reform” but this has not happened to the degree required.

The committee says impediments to reforms include the level of trust or distrust between local governments, fear of being taken over by a larger council, concern about loss of identity, and fear of losing grant revenue as a result of amalgamation. It says the issues dominated dialogue between non-reforming local governments.

The committee’s key recommendations include consideration of options for targeted government intervention, including major boundary adjustments, and/or legislation to trigger activity in critical areas of reform.

It calls for legislation to provide for the appointment of an independent panel of three specialists to review local government boundaries every eight years and for amendments to legislation to change the prescribed number of councilors to between six and nine. The report can be found here.

The Western Australian Local Government Association says it disagrees with aspects of the report that are at odds with the principle of voluntary reform because voluntary change is the only way to ensure “buy in” from the community and to ensure long-term, sustainable change.

WALGA President, Troy Pickard, says councils will want Local Government Minister, John Castrilli, to reconsider his position on ending the voluntary process, and to work with the sector to bring about voluntary change and build capacity.

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Major initiative to deliver sustainable planning and design standards

A project to develop best practice sustainable planning and design standards is being launched by the Green Building Council of Australia and the Planning Institute of Australia.

The council and the institute have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will see them work together on the development and delivery of a Green Star Communities rating tool.

The GBCA says the project is in its infancy and should take about 18 months to be completed. It will be developed in two stages. The first stage will involve the development of a national framework for sustainable communities that establishes five national best practice principles to guide sustainable communities in Australia.

Those principles are: enhance liveability; create opportunities for economic prosperity; foster environmental responsibility; embrace design excellence; and demonstrate visionary leadership and strong governance.

The second stage of the project focuses on the development of the rating tool which provides best practice benchmarks informed by the framework. The tool will be used for assessing sustainable communities. Stage two will also define appropriate governance processes for accreditation, certification, review and continual improvement.

According to the GBCA's Chief Executive, Romilly Madew, the MoU confirms Green Star Communities as a project of national significance. Ms Madew says best practice planning is vital if Australia is to deliver communities that are liveable, sustainable and adaptable.

Acting Chief Executive Officer of Planning Institute of Australa, Kirsty Kelly, says the MoU is a clear signal that planners are committed to sustainable communities. She says institute members will contribute urban, environmental and social planning information that will help establish best practice standards in the planning tool. Further information on the Green Star Communities initiative can be found here.

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Determining the cost to councils of alcohol management

Councils around Australia now have access to a resource which can help them to determine how much they spend each year on alcohol management measures.

The Cities for Safe and Healthy Communities Program operated by ICLEI Oceania has developed an economic model that separates the amount councils spend on responding to alcohol related problems from operational and preventative costs.

Alcohol related problems include waste management, property damage to council assets and management of local laws covering alcohol.

ICLEI says councils can be “overwhelmed” trying to reduce the impact of alcohol on their communities and the model contains features including:

• a best practice guide to assist in designing local strategies;
• a localised, coordinated base of alcohol-related data;
• a data inventory tool kit to assist with managing ongoing data collection;
• assessment of the hidden cost alcohol imposes on a council’s budget; and
• state-based guides to help assess liquor licence applications and variations.

Further information on alcohol management measures can be found here.

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Another Melbourne council looks at anti-smoking action

While Frankston City Council on Melbourne's bayside continues its wide ranging consultation process on the proposed introduction of a six month trial smoking ban in parts of its Central Activities District, another Melbourne municipality is considering expanding smoking restrictions.

Monash Council has agreed to start a community consultation process in October to gauge attitudes to the introduction of smoking restrictions on council-owned and managed public spaces across the municipality.

Monash Mayor, Charlotte Baines, says a smoking ban already in place at 126 playgrounds in the city has proved effective, but it is yet to be determined whether the community is in favour of wider restrictions.

Cr Baines says the consultation may include street surveys, online submissions and public meetings, and she has encouraged non-smokers, smokers, traders, shoppers and residents to make known their views.

Frankston City Council has been consulting about a trial ban with the community and health specialists, including the Heart Foundation, Vic Health and Peninsula Health.

Under the plan, no-smoking zones would be declared at the entrance to the large Bayside Shopping Centre at the intersection of two street malls and in two other main streets that are key pedestrian areas. A decision on the trial ban is expected to be made at the October council meeting, and if it is approved, the trial will take effect from November.

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New provisions apply to discretionary funds of Qld councillors

Queensland councils must inform the public about the amount of money in discretionary funds budgeted for use by each councillor for a financial year under new provisions outlined in the state’s Parliament.

The provisions require councils to inform ratepayers about the discretionary funds by publishing details in a newspaper circulating in the local government area within 20 business days of their budgets being adopted.

The councils must also display a notice about the funds in a conspicuous place in their public office. The notice must invite community organisations to apply for allocation of some of the funds and it must state how the organisations should apply.

The actual allocation of councillors’ discretionary funds must comply with a council’s already adopted community grants policy.

State Local Government Minister, Desley Boyle, says the measures will bring new and a proper transparency and accountability for the use of ratepayer funds, and will give some confidence to community groups that they have a fair chance to share in monies available.

Ms Boyle says over the years there have been complaints about councillors who have appeared to have had discretionary funds “in their back pocket". She says it seemed the councillors could go to community functions and make on-the-spot decisions to hand over cheques for thousands of dollars. It appeared to some community groups that this was unfair as councillors, through their discretionary funds, were able to favour some groups over others.

Ms Boyle says the Auditor-General reported on the matter two years ago and, consequently, a new framework for councillors’ use of discretionary funds was included under section 109 of the new Local Government Act 2009 and the Local Government (Finance, Plans and Reporting) Regulation 2010.

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Conferences and Events

Digital Information Management Summit 2010

Dates - Tuesday 9^th & Wednesday 10 November 2010
Venue - Dockside Convention Centre, Sydney, Australia

Knowledge management in the enterprise under the spotlight; featuring keynotes by Senator Kate Lundy and Gwen Thomas, president, Data Governance Institute (USA).

Award-winning case studies featuring the Australian Taxation Office, Centrelink, Australian National Audit Office, State Water Corporation NSW, Corrective Services NSW, Swinburne University (Vic) Queensland University of Technology, , NSW Department of Education, Office of the CIO (SA), State Records NSW, CSIRO, Department of Treasury & Finance (Vic), among others.

Contact: Shahida Sweeney on 02 8923 8027; email: shahida.sweeney@govtechreview.com.au

Visit our website for more information.

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One week until Local Government OHS & Risk Management Conference

• Dates: March 2 & 3, 2011
• Venue: Dockside, Darling Harbour, Sydney
• Program available at www.halledit.com.au/ohs2011

The Local Government OHS and Risk Management Conference will be staged at Dockside, Darling Harbour, Sydney, on March 2 & 3, 2011.

This conference is designed to provide local government senior executives, risk management and OHS coordinators, human resource professionals and elected members with information on how to identify, plan and implement OHS and risk management strategies that result in safe, productive workplaces and lower insurance premiums.

A key element of the conference will be the presentation of case studies of innovative and successful local government OHS and risk management practices.

This conference will provide councils with important analysis of issues including:

• How councils must respond to the impending harmonisation of Australia’s OHS regulations.
• How to promote and encourage a culture of safety within a council workforce and achieve premium reductions.
• Successful implementation of risk management frameworks in a local government organisation.
• Methods for implementing effective strategies in other vital areas such as: business continuity; internal audit procedures; and climate change risk management.

SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE:

• Bernie de Vries - The National Safety Council of Australia’s Senior OHS Consultant.
• Peter Napier – Risk Management Institution of Australasia Vice President and Ipswich City Council’s Integrated Risk Management Coordinator.
• Cr Bill Kritharas – Senior Associate at law firm Norton Rose Australia and Deputy Mayor of Canterbury City Council, who will analyse the ramifications for councils of the national harmonisation of OHS regulations.
• Luke Wallace, Manager Corporate Planning Performance & Risk, Redland Council, how will describe how the council has successfully undertaken processes to implement enterprise risk management frameworks.
• Matthew Paul, Director of Occupational Medicine, Medibank Health Solutions.

To register for this conference download the Registration Brochure from the conference website www.halledit.com.au/ohs2011 or access the online payment facility on the website.

For more information about this conference contact:

Denise McQueen
Hallmark Conferences & Events
Phone: +61 3 8534 5021
Email: denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

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Public Sector Treasury stream at 2010 FTA Congress

Public Sector Treasury officials will be able to participate in a dedicated stream of technical sessions at the 23rd annual Finance & Treasury Association Congress to be held in Melbourne on 27-29 October 2010.

In addition to this attendees will be able to participate in the gala dinner and welcome cocktail reception to network with fellow treasury professionals from the public and private sectors.

Presenters in the Public Sector Stream include:

• Stephen Rochester FFTP, Chairman, Queensland Treasury Corporation
• Melvin Nunes FFTP, Deputy CEO, WA Treasury Corporation
• Kate Gillies, Manager Treasury, Risk and Strategy, Hydro Tasmania
• Anne Messenger, Executive Manager, Partnerships Victoria Unit
• Jane Wedgwood CFTP, Manager Treasury, Western Power
• Prof Kevin Davis FFTP, Research Director, Australian Centre for Financial Studies
• Fulvio Barbuio CFTP, Head Corporate Treasury & Performance Measurement, Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Topics for the Public sector stream at 2010 FTA Congress include:

• Finding efficient operating parameters in a public sector corporation
• Future options for PPP's and other procurement methods
• Formulating sound investment public sector policies and strategies
• Public sector borrowing constraints and alternative financing mechanisms

For further details and to register on-line.

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