News

Local government workforce blueprint to be updated before release

A blueprint outlining the strategies local government should adopt to ensure the sector has an effectively functioning workforce will be revised and updated to include the outcomes of a forum held recently in Canberra.

The blueprint was scheduled to be released at the National Local Government Workforce Development Forum on March 23-24, but the launch was postponed because the relevant Federal Government ministers were not available.

John Ravlic, Chief Executive Officer of Local Government Managers Australia, says ideas rising out of the forum will be incorporated in the blueprint, which is now expected to be launched in June.

Mr Ravlic says the forum, run by the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government, identified the need for better skilled and trained middle managers in local government. He says the current level of supervisory and management skills is responsible, in part, for employees leaving their jobs in councils.

Mr Ravlic says the forum also highlighted the need for local government to make use of the talents of Australia’s Indigenous people. He says local government is a place-based employer and represents a natural fit for Indigenous people.

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Minister calls for council cultures to be more inclusive of women

Council cultures must be more inclusive and supportive of women councillors, executives and staff, according to Victoria’s Minister for Women’s Affairs, Maxine Morand.

Ms Morand says research has shown one of the biggest issues that underpins many of the concerns of women in local government is the need for more accommodating cultures.

2010 is the 'Year of Women in Local Government' and the minister has called on councils to look at how they can encourage and support women’s participation in local government.

She says as the tier of government closest to communities, it is vital that the numbers of women standing for and elected to councils more accurately reflect the communities they represent.

Ms Morand says councils can benefit greatly from the skills, experiences and perspectives of women, but in 14 of the state’s 79 councils there is only one woman councillor. Another six councils do not have any women councillors.

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2010 Benchmarking Best Practice in Local Government Conference

Australia’s peak annual conference for local government organisational development and performance improvement

• Wednesday, July 7 to Thursday, July 8, 2010
• Venue: Novotel Brighton Beach, Sydney (close to airport)
  
• Agenda available at: www.halledit.com.au/bestprac2010/agenda

Leading-edge local government performance improvement strategies, organisational development programs and tactics to become an “employer of choice” will be among topics discussed at next week's 2010 Benchmarking Best Practice in Local Government Conference.

The CEOs and senior managers of some of Australia’s most innovative councils will address this annual national conference, to be held in Sydney on July 7 & 8.

Speakers will provide local government managers with detailed information about the management tools and initiatives being successfully used by leading councils to increase organisational performance and efficiency, cut costs and improve service delivery.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Mark Searle, City of Marion CEO and Chair of the Local Government Business Excellence Network.
  
• Dave Walker, General Manager of The Hills Shire, who will detail how his council is adopting the Six Sigma management framework.
  
• James Trail, CEO of the Shire of Kalamunda, who will reveal how the shire has developed a leading-edge performance management framework.
• Aaron Jones, General Manager, Blayney Shire.
• Fred Warner, Manager People, Performance and Organisational Culture at Moonee Valley City Council, who will detail how the council is well on its way to becoming an ‘Employer of Choice’.
• Ken Wallis, Manager Learning & Development, City of Boroondara.
• Philippa McNally, Coordinator Quality Systems at Rockdale City Council.
• Jan Lawson, City of Stonnington’s Manager Human Resource Management & Organisational Development.
• Monica Sidhu, Manager Communications & Change, Central Highlands Regional Council.

The 3rd Annual Benchmarking Best Practice in Local Government Conference will focus on local government best practice in areas such as: organisational development and performance improvement; staff productivity & workforce culture; management structures & systems; financial management; technology implementation; and sustainability improvements

In recognition of this conference serving as a key national forum for discussions on local government innovation and best practice, this year’s conference will be followed by a meeting of councils participating in the Local Government Business Excellence Network, which will also be held at the Novotel Brighton Beach. This venue is very close to Sydney’s airport, allowing interstate attendees to quickly fly in and out to attend the conference.

Conference attendance enquiries should be directed to: Denise McQueen, Hallmark Conferences + Events, Ph: (03) 8534 5021; Email: denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au.

Further information, including access to online registration, is available on the conference website www.halledit.com.au/bestprac2010.

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Councils to receive $2 billion in Financial Assistance Grants

Councils across Australia will receive $2 billion in Financial Assistance Grants and $350 million through the Roads to Recovery program in 2010-2011, according to the Federal Budget.

The $2 billion in FAGs is nearly $100 million more than last year’s entitlement and is the biggest level of FAG funding on record.

The Federal Government will again bring forward the first quarterly payment of the grants, worth an estimated $511 million, into 2009-10, a move that has been welcomed by the Australian Local Government Association.

President of the ALGA, Geoff Lake, says bringing forward the first quarterly payment from August to June will help to smooth councils’ cash flows, especially rural and regional councils which rely heavily on the grants. The grants allocations to local governments are:

• $683 million for councils in New South Wales and the ACT;
• $481 million for Victoria;
• $406 million for Queensland;
• $243 million for Western Australia;
• $153 million for South Australia, including nearly $15.5 million for supplementary local roads funding;
• $65 million for Tasmania; and
• $29 million for the Northern Territory.

Roads to Recovery funding allocations for each local government can be viewed on the website here. Over five years, the current Roads to Recovery program is expected to deliver $1.75 billion towards councils' road projects.

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City of Darebin recruits new CEO

Melbourne’s City of Darebin has recruited the CEO of Moonee Valley City Council, Rasiah Dev, to serve as Darebin’s new Chief Executive Officer.

Mr Dev served as a General Manager at Darebin from 1998 until 2002, and has spent the past eight years at Moonee Valley - three of them as CEO.

He will succeed Michael Ulbrick, who left the City of Darebin prior to his contract expiring in July 2010.

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ICAC report shows councils more at risk of corruption

Councils in New South Wales are more vulnerable to corruption than state agencies, according to the most recent research by the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

ICAC’s Profiling the NSW Public Sector 11 Report 3: Differences between local and state government says councils face a wider range of corruption risks than the agencies, but appear less likely to use management controls that are important to sound corporate governance.

The commission says this makes councils more vulnerable to corruption.

It says councils’ increased vulnerability arises from the number of high-risk functions they perform and the business processes used to conduct the functions.

ICAC says the finding that councils appear less likely to use management controls that are important to sound corporate governance was observed across a range of management controls including audit mechanisms, risk management processes and fraud control plans.

The research shows 58% of councils had an audit plan compared with 92% of state agencies; 85% of councils had a risk management process compared with 95% of agencies; and 44% of councils had a fraud control plan compared with 62% of the agencies.

ICAC’s Deputy Commissioner, Theresa Hamilton, says the report notes that management controls are arguably more important in an environment where many corruption risks abound because of a greater need to prioritise and organise the management of corruption risk.

The report does show there several areas where councils appear to use a greater number of operational controls relevant to corruption prevention than agencies - they are in the areas of record keeping, gifts and benefits, and codes of conduct. For example, 95% of councils had a gift register compared with about 75% of state agencies. The report can be downloaded via the link here.

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Burwood Council terminates contract of General Manager

Burwood Council in Sydney has terminated the services of its General Manager, Pat Romano, a key figure in an investigation being undertaken by the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption.

ICAC is investigating whether Mr Romano and other council officers engaged in corrupt conduct in the course of their administration of staff and the use of resources at the council.

The investigation is ongoing and a spokesperson for ICAC says the commission has three months after completing the inquiry to present its report to the NSW Parliament.

A statement issued by Burwood Council says Mr Romano was initially suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry, but the council subsequently decided to terminate his employment contract on legal advice. The statement says it was clear that Mr Romano’s position at the council “was untenable”.

Burwood Council’s Mayor, John Sidoti, says the council is determined to re-establish firm and decisive leadership focused on delivering service to the Burwood community.

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Managing rapid growth issues examined in latest Council Manager

The methods that senior managers of councils facing rapid population growth are using to ensure their administrations effectively deal with the many growth-related issues they face is examined in the latest edition of Council Manager magazine.

The May/June edition of Australia’s national magazine for senior local government managers includes commentary from a number of local government CEOs on how they are ensuring their management structures are best addressing the infrastructure, financial and employment challenges their organisations face as a result of rapid growth.

This edition also includes articles detailing Playford City Council’s leading long-term financial plan, and Campaspe Shire’s design of an innovative asset renewal strategy as part of a sweeping review of the council’s financial sustainability.

Also included in the May/June edition are articles looking at how councils have implemented initiatives designed to encourage more women to take up senior management positions.

Published by Hallmark Editions, which also produces LG News and Councillor Magazine, Council Manager is a quarterly magazine that provides senior management of local governments across Australia with a rich stream of case studies about leading-edge council management practices that managers can use to benchmark their own council’s performance.

For information about how to subscribe to Council Manager, please phone Naomi Braham at Hallmark Editions on (03) 8534 5000, email naomi.braham@halledit.com.au or visit here.

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New General Manager for Ashfield

The new General Manager of metropolitan Sydney's Ashfield Council is Vanessa Chan, who has served as Acting General Manager for the past four months.

Ms Chan was selected for the GM’s role ahead of more than 50 other applicants. She will serve as General Manager for the next five years.

Ms Chan joined Ashfield Council in 2007 as Director of Corporate and Community Services.

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New CEO for Wyndham

Wyndham City Council’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Kerry Thompson, is moving there from the nearby City of Maribyrnong, where she has served as CEO for seven years.

Ms Thompson will start work at Wyndham, which is located in Melbourne's outer west, in July. She previously worked at Wyndham as the council's Director for Financial and Community Services in 1995 and 1996.

Ms Thompson has held executive positions with a number of other councils and in March 2009 she was seconded to advise the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority following the Black Saturday bushfires. She is also the current Chair and founding member of the Western Transport Alliance.

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LG Jobs now the leading local government employment website in Australia

- LG Jobs is the #1 Google search for “Local Government Jobs” & “Local Council Jobs”

LGJobs is now the largest online employment site for local government, with over 250 positions listed each week.

It is published by Hallmark Editions, who also produces Councillor Magazine, LG News and Council Manager magazine.

LGJobs is an excellent way to maximise the exposure of your positions vacant whilst minimising your advertising outlay. For a cost of only $250 plus GST (discounts available for advertising packages) your position will be listed on the LGJobs website www.lgjobs.com.au, which receives an average of 22,000 hits per day, and the weekly LG Jobs e-newsletter (18,000 subscribers) until the specified closing date, or for a six week period.

All relevant positions are also listed on our associated boards and mail outs - EnviroJobs, EngineeringJobs, PlanJobs, WaterJobs and RoadJobs FREE of additional charge.

To advertise with LGJobs simply email your ad copy to blake.duggin@halledit.com.au or telephone (03) 8534 5012. Your ad will be loaded and live on the website with a confirmation email and link sent to you before the close of business on the day received.

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Councils seek to improve employment prospects for the disabled

Victoria's City of Monash and Yarra Ranges Shire Council are combining with State Government agencies to undertake an innovative program designed to improve the employment prospects of people with disabilities.

The councils and the agencies will hold a series of workshops and training sessions that are designed to identify the talents of people with disabilities in order to build a list of potential jobs that best suit their skills.

The 'Seeds of Employment' program will be run during June and July 2010, and will be open to people with disabilities, their families and carers, and disability support workers.

The workshops and training sessions will be facilitated by an employment specialist from the United States who has been involved in similar programs.

Monash Mayor, Charlotte Baines, says the job-seekers and their families have found the program helpful in previous years and have used the skills they have developed to make plans for future work.

Monash and Yarra Ranges are also providing a three-day 'Work it Out' course for families, carers and disability support workers to learn practical skills to assist people with disabilities to find meaningful, well-paid work. For further details contact the City of Monash on (03) 9518 3555 and Yarra Ranges Shire Council on 1300 368 333.

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Tamworth advertises for new General Manager

Rural New South Wales’s Tamworth Regional Council has commenced advertising for a new General Manager to replace incumbent GM Glenn Inglis, who announced earlier this year that he would not seek to renew his contract with the council.

The council’s Mayor, James Treloar, says Mr Inglis has indicated he is prepared to vacate the position when the council completes the recruitment process and appoints a new General Manager.

Mr Inglis has been GM at Tamworth Regional Council since February 2005 and was appointed to the job after serving as the General Manager of Parry Shire Council for 11 years. He says he is definitely not retiring but is seeking some new career moves.

More information about this position is now available on the LG Jobs website www.lgjobs.com.au. Applications for the position close on May 24.

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3rd Victorian Sustainable Development Conference

The 3rd Victorian Sustainable Development Conference is to be held on May 25-26, 2010, at Zinc, Federation Square, Melbourne.

The Conference will be solution-oriented, bringing together key decision-makers from the private and public sectors, industry leaders, local government, scientists, conservationists and others to discuss ways in which to achieve real and lasting change in areas such as:

• Water
• Waste and resource recovery
• Energy efficiency
• Climate change response
• Planning and urban design
• Land remediation
• Air quality
• Human health
• Sustainable workplaces

Speakers include:

• Dr Kate Auty, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability
• Anita Roper, Chief Executive Officer, Sustainability Victoria 
• Rob Freeman, Chief Executive, Murray-Darling Basin Authority
• Professor Chris Davis, Commissioner, National Water Commission
• Dr Deborah Peterson, Deputy Secretary, Policy & Strategy, Department of Primary Industries
• Kevin Love, Deputy Secretary, Department of Sustainability and Environment
• Clare McArdle, Executive Director, Melbourne @ 5 Million Integration Unit, Department of Planning and Community Development
• Fiona Calvert, Director, Sustainable and Active Transport Policy, Department of Transport
• Professor John Thwaites, Chairman, Monash Sustainability Institute
• Stuart McConnell, Director, Future Focus, EPA Victoria
• Brendan Sydes, Principal Solicitor, Environmental Defenders' Office
• Peter Williams, Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte Digital 
• Carl McCamish, Executive General Manager, Origin Energy
• John Hunt, Technical Manager, Thiess Services
• Louise Hicks, Partner, DLA Phillips Fox
• Dave Appels, Economist, Frontier Economics
• Erin Simpson, Sustainability Services Manager, Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Professor John Wilson, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Swinburne University/Spokesperson, Engineers Australia
• Professor John Fien, Innovation in Leadership Programme, RMIT
• Professor Ralph Horne, Director, Centre for Design, RMIT
• Dan Atkins, Managing Director, Shaper Group
• Chris Newman, Manager, Councils Reforming Business, Local Government, Department of Planning and Community Development
• Phil Hughes, Principal Consultant: Sustainability and Water Management, Halcrow
• Jennifer Williams, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Corporate Express 
• Mike Lloyd, IP Management Consultant, Griffith Hack Patent and Trademark Attorneys
• Donavan Marley, Research Scientist, CSIRO Land and Water

The Conference will also feature best practice case studies in the above areas, as well as addressing challenges of sustainability, and provide advice on how state and local government and business can truly achieve social, environmental and economic sustainability.

The price for registering to attend the two-day Conference is just $695.

To view the Agenda or to register, go to www.halledit.com.au/vsd2010 or contact Denise McQueen on (03) 8534 5021 or denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

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New General Manager for Bland Shire

Bland Shire’s newly appointed General Manager, Ray Smith, is no stranger to overseeing council operations.

Mr Smith is presently General Manager of Cobar Shire and has also been GM of Grafton Shire Council. He will succeed Phil Marshall, who resigned from Bland Shire Council in 2009 to become GM of Narrabri Shire.

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Sixty-five WA councils back structural reform

The Western Australian Government has announced that 65 of the state's councils support local government reform – and 60 of those councils are in non-metropolitan areas.

WA Local Government Minister, John Castrilli, has told Western Australia's Parliament that 22 of the councils which support amalgamation are blocked from moving ahead because of a lack of support from neighbouring councils.

Mr Castrilli says his department and the Western Australian Local Government Association will work with councils that have not been able to gain support for reform to see what steps can be taken to progress the reform process.

He says five councils within the south-east Avon region of the state’s Wheatbelt have agreed to form a Regional Transition Group to fully investigate amalgamation opportunities.

The group, consisting of Beverley, Cunderdin, Quairading, Tammin, and York, is the biggest of four groups of 11 councils that have agreed to prepare regional business plans with a view to amalgamating in 2013. Other councils taking the same step are Esperance and Ravensthorpe in the Goldfields-Esperance region; Brookton and Pingelly in the Wheatbelt; and Claremont and Cottesloe in Perth.

Those councils are in addition to the 10 local governments which have already decided to merge into four entities between 2011 and 2013.

WALGA President, Mayor Troy Pickard, says the association appreciates the opportunity to work with the State Government to achieve reform of the local government sector. Mayor Pickard says everyone recognises the need for reform in local government, and while progress is being made, much more needs to be done.

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Experienced council CEO chosen as new ICLEI Oceania chief

The new CEO/Regional Director of ICLEI Oceania, Bill Forrest, brings 15 years of executive experience in local government to the sustainability organisation.

Mr Forrest, former Chief Executive Officer of Nillumbik Shire Council in Victoria, will take up his role in early May. He will replace Steve Gawler, who will return to his position as Director for ICLEI Oceania’s climate work in Indonesia.

Mr Forrest was selected ahead of candidates from around Australia and overseas. He says his ICLEI appointment will allow him to bring leadership skills and a passion for sustainability to a role that can really make a difference.

Mr Forrest says local government has an important role to play when it comes to sustainability and action on climate change. He says ICLEI has an equally important role in supporting councils to respond to ever-increasing challenges in service delivery and building community resilience.

While CEO of Nillumbik Shire, Mr Forrest led the council and community through the period following Victoria’s devastating Black Saturday bushfires in February 2009. The council was awarded a 2010 Premiers Sustainability Award for Local Government for its work on environmental and community recovery in the aftermath of the fires.

Mr Forrest has a Masters Degree in Urban Planning, a Bachelor of Social Work and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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Baw Baw Shire names new CEO

Victoria's Baw Baw Shire has selected a senior executive at a Melbourne council, Helen Anstis, to serve as Baw Baw's new CEO.

Ms Anstis is Director of Organisational Development at Hobsons Bay and she will take up her new role as Baw Baw Shire's CEO in July. Her career spans 28 years in the private sector and all three tiers of government.

Phil Drummond has been serving as Acting CEO at Baw Baw Shire since the departure last year of David Powell.

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PayWorld Summit 2010

Registrations are now open for Australia’s ONLY totally independent, vendor-neutral, learning forum for payroll practitioners.

This is your once-a-year chance to find out everything you need to know about payroll management, including case studies and practical advice on tax, superannuation, changes to legislation (including Fair Work Act), ETPs, Standard Business Reporting, new IT systems, salary sacrifices, and more.

Hear from:

• Australian Taxation Office
• Australian Government - The Treasury
• The Association for Payroll Specialists (TAPS)
• HSBC Bank Australia
• New Zealand Payroll Practitioners Association
• Talent2
• Workplace Law
• Minter Ellison Lawyers

... and many more

When registering online or by phone, mention the product code PAY1 and automatically receive a 10% discount.

http://www.acevents.com.au/payworld2010

Tel. (02) 8908 8555

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Conferences & Events

Local Government Sustainable Development Conference 2010

August 24 - 25th 2010, Dockside Convention Centre, Sydney

~ PROVIDING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ~

The Local Government Sustainable Development Conference 2010 is the leading sustainable development conference for local government, with CEOs, Mayors, Councillors and senior managers from local councils around Australia attending each year.

The national Conference will showcase leading edge examples of outstanding environmental initiatives by Australian local governments, including the winners of the Australian Sustainable Cities Award and the International Liveable Cities Awards as well as international best practice case studies.

Topics will include:

• Climate change and energy efficiency
• Integrating sustainability into economic imperatives
• Future directions for asset management
• Practical approaches to water management
• Sustainable planning and urban design
• Waste management and resource recovery
• Land remediation
• Community engagement in environmental initiatives
• Green purchasing and procurement

Invited speakers include:

• Chris Davis, Commissioner, National Water Commission
• Cr Paul Bell, President, Local Government Association of Queensland
• Professor Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainability, Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute
• Professor Gary Jones, Chief Executive, eWater CRC
• Kelly Pearce, Assistant Secretary, Waste Policy Branch, Department of Environment and Heritage
• Rod Welford, CEO, Australian Council of Recyclers
• Dave West, Founder, Boomerang Alliance
• Pete Williams, CEO, Deloitte Digital
• Ian Blair, Director, Quadraco Asia-Pacific
• Martin Brennan, Deputy CEO, ICLEI Oceania
• Tom Roper, President, Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council
• Wayne Wescott, Chair, Local Government Task Group, Green Building Council of Australia
• Dr Ralf Haese, Project Leader, Coastal Research and Management, Geoscience Australia
• Sean Rooney, Sustainability Program Manager, Sinclair Knight Merz
• Marcus Spiller, Director, SGS Economics and Planning
• Dan Atkins, Managing Director, Shaper Group
• Cr Angelo Tsirekas, Mayor, City of Canada Bay
• Shayne Silcox, Chief Executive Officer, City of Melville
• Bob Gaussen, Managing Director, Review Today Pty Ltd
• Percy Allan, Research Director, Review Today Pty Ltd
• Michele Leembruggen, 1200 Buildings Program Coordinator, City of Melbourne
• Colin Pitman, Director, City Projects, City of Salisbury
• Charles Turner, Manager Asset Management, Bayside City Council
• Greg Hunt, Executive Officer, South East Councils Climate Change Alliance

REGISTRATIONS

Register now by going to http://www.halledit.com.au/lgsd2010 or contact Denise McQueen on 03 8534 5021 or denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

SPONSORSHIP/EXHIBITION

For sponsorship and exhibition enquiries, contact Brian Rault on 03 8534 5014 or email brian.rault@halledit.com.au

PLATINUM SPONSOR

SUPPORTING PARTNER

NETWORKING DRINKS SPONSOR

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Local Road Safety & Traffic Engineering Conference 2010

 

• To be held from 9-10 June in Sydney
  
• Website: www.halledit.com.au/traffic2010
  

Road safety is a very important issue as it is dealing with reducing road fatalities and injuries. While we have all seen the major road advertising campaigns and are aware of actions, such as the now compulsory wearing of seat belts and alcohol limits on drivers, a great deal of what has also been achieved at a local level has often gone largely unnoticed by many.

The 3rd Local Road Safety & Traffic Engineering Conference 2010 to be held on 9-10 June, Darling Harbour, NSW, focuses on road safety and traffic engineering from a local perspective for local and connecting roads, including pedestrian and cyclist safety. It includes local roads and traffic areas from residential streets, to shopping precincts to rural roads. This conference will see a gathering of engineers, road safety officers and others interested in improving road safety at a local level.

A variety of practical presentations will be made on the conference theme with particular emphasis on what can be achieved at a local level including what individual Local Government Councils are achieving with respect to these issues. This is a practitioner level conference and delegates will gain information that they can implement immediately.

One of our Keynote Presentations will be given by one of Australia’s most well known & respected road safety experts in Professor Mary Lydon. Mary will explore “Why road crashes happen & what can be done about it”. Gerard Waldron, Managing Director, ARRB Group will deliver a Keynote Presentation on Safe Systems & Local Roads - Road Safety Development, Planning & Action.

Other speakers at the conference include those from the Melton Shire Council, Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Monash University Accident Research Centre, VicRoads, Queensland Department of Transport & Main Roads, GTA Consultants, NSW Centre for Road Safety, Roads & Traffic Authority of NSW, Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, GHD and Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia.

Extended panel sessions at the conference will also allow many other local issues to be raised, discussed and debated with many shared learnings available to delegates.

Anyone interested in speaking should contact the Convenor: Scott Matthews on 03 8534 5004, or scott.matthews@halledit.com.au

For more information, including registration, please see website www.halledit.com.au/traffic2010  or contact Denise McQueen, Ph: (03) 8534 5021 (direct) or (03) 8534 5000 (switch), denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

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AAPA RoadConstruction and Surfacing Health & Safety Conference

• To be held in Darling Harbour, NSW, on 7-8 June, 2010.
  
• Health and safety will once again be the focus of AAPA’s biennial conference on these topics.
  
• Organised by the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association, with the active support of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia, Roading New Zealand, and Austroads.

This Conference recognises the importance of health and safety issues by all sectors of industry associated with road surfacing and road construction.

The 14th AAPA Road Construction and Surfacing Health & Safety Conference will see people at all levels of government and private industry gather to discuss challenges and solutions to improve the safety and health of workers and the public across all activities associated with road construction and surfacing. This includes handling materials ranging from handling hot bitumen to managing road worksite and traffic conditions. Issues relating to health and safety regulations and standards will also be discussed.

The Conference will bring current issues to the fore and provide updates, enhanced knowledge and the opportunity to learn from others' experiences. Presentations by a wide range of industry and government experts will be enhanced with discussion and panel sessions providing the opportunity for personal input, and practical outputs. The program will facilitate networking opportunities, and delegates will be strongly encouraged to participate frankly in the discussions.

Expert speakers from many areas will contribute to this learning event aimed at continual improvements in health and safety. The speaking program, which include invited key note speakers from Australia and Overseas, will be focus on practical outcomes relevant to field staff as well as supervisors and managers. Speakers include Ib Frandsen, Executive Director of the Association of Danish Asphalt Industries, and Member of Directors European Asphalt Pavement Association, who will provide a keynote presentation on Health and Safety Issues in Europe; Sharon Lomman, Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure who will provide a keynote presentation on the South Australian Roadworker Safety Campaign and Michael Rose , Manager Project Safety, VicRoads Major Projects Division, who will speak on Worksite Safety Innovation on recent VicRoads Major Projects

Topics include: Worksite safety, Worksite traffic management, Work zone speed management, Towards national OH&S regulations, Chain of responsibility and duty of care, Handling dangerous goods and new products relating to health and safety. Bitumen and asphalt materials will be a key focus.

The conference will be held in Darling Harbour, NSW, on 7-8 June, 2010. For more information, including registration, please see website  www.halledit.com.au/RoadHealthSafety2010 or contact Denise McQueen, Ph: (03) 8534 5021 (direct) or (03) 8534 5000 (switch), denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

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