General News

1.  Canberra pushing for national asset management framework

The Federal Government is moving towards implementing a national framework for local government asset management.

[ top ]

2.  New community infrastructure funding to be released to councils later this year

The latest federal funding allocated to local governments across Australia to deliver community infrastructure will begin to be distributed to councils late in 2009.

[ top ]

3.  Unis move to establish local government centre of excellence

The consortium which successfully bid to host the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government will soon hold talks to determine the best way forward for the centre.

[ top ]

4.  Top Jobs - New CEO for Wellington Shire

The new Chief Executive Officer of Wellington Shire in Victoria is Tim Johnson, the present General Manager of Governance at Latrobe City Council.

Mr Johnson will succeed Lyndon Webb, who is retiring as Wellington CEO at the end of August. Mr Johnson has also worked for the Victorian Government – he has held senior roles in the Department of Treasury and Finance, and worked with Parks Victoria.

In Western Australia, the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council is advertising for a new CEO. The appointment is for five years with a salary range of $175,000 to $225,000. Applications for the position close on July 13 and further details can be found here.

Other senior positions currently on offer among Australian local governments include: General Manager for Huon Council in Tasmania (see here); Director Commercial Services for Mackay Regional Council in Queensland; Manager Project Delivery for Indigo Shire in Victoria; Works Manager for Cobar Shire Council in NSW; and Manager Development for Alice Springs Town Council in the Northern Territory.

More information about these positions is available on the website of LG Jobs, the specialist email and web-based service that assists councils to locate administrative, executive and engineering personnel, available at www.lgjobs.com.au.

[ top ]

5.  General Assembly renews call for overhaul of local government funding

The local government sector has renewed its call for an overhaul of the methodology used to determine funding to councils around Australia.

[ top ]

6.  2009 Benchmarking Best Practice in Local Government Conference

• Sydney, July 8-9 at the Novotel Brighton Beach

• Focusing on best practice in - organisational development - staff productivity & workforce culture - management structures & systems - financial & asset management - technology implementation - sustainability benchmarks - risk management.

A host of local government CEOs, General Managers and senior directors of Australia’s most innovative and leading-edge councils will address the 2009 Benchmarking Best Practice in Local Government national conference.

These speakers will provide local government managers with detailed insights into innovative and successful management tools being used by Australia’s leading councils to cut costs, increase organisational efficiency, and optimise the delivery of services to their communities.

Speakers at this year’s conference will include:

• John Burgess, General Manager, Auburn Council
• Graeme Emonson, CEO, Knox City Council
• Geoff Lake, President, Australian Local Government Association
• Lyn Russell, General Manager, City of Wagga Wagga
• Phil Rowland, CEO, Mount Alexander Shire
• Alexis Hunt, Coordinator People & Change, Gold Coast City Council
• Andrew MacLeod, Chief Internal Auditor, Brisbane City Council
• Betsie Young, Manager Human Resources, Glen Eira City Council
• Craig Milburn, Director Corporate Business, Coffs Harbour City Council
• Russell Dally, Risk Management Coordinator, Bankstown City Council

The conference agenda is available at www.halledit.com.au/bestprac09/agenda.

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural conference, the 2009 Benchmarking Best Practice in Local Government conference is designed to improve the ability of council managers to efficiently access high-quality information about the most innovative management solutions and techniques being employed by their peers within the local government sector.

As a result, this conference will provide an opportunity for councils to benchmark their own organisation’s performance against a wide range of leading-edge local government projects that are setting the pace for innovation and best practice.

Delegates will be provided with detailed insights that they can immediately use to help drive continuous improvement and achieve a culture of excellence within their own local government administration.

In recognition of the Benchmarking Best Practice in Local Government Conference serving as a key national forum for discussions on local government innovation and best practice, this year’s conference will be followed on July 10 by a meeting of the councils participating in the Local Government Business Excellence Network, which will also be held at the Novotel Brighton Beach.

For more details, phone Hallmark Conferences on (03) 8534 5000, email denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au or visit www.halledit.com.au/bestprac09.

 

PLATINUM SPONSOR

 SILVER SPONSORS

 

 STRATEGIC PARTNER

[ top ]

7.  Planning proceeds for local government constitutional recognition

One of Australia’s leading experts in constitutional law has presented a technical paper to the Australian Local Government Association on how to advance local government’s push for constitutional recognition.

[ top ]

8.  Councils test-run local government emissions trading scheme

Twelve New South Wales councils developing Australia’s first greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme for local government are presently involved in what they call a “practice trading period”.

[ top ]

9.  New program helps councils tackle community alcohol and drug problems

A program has been launched to help councils across Australia reduce the impact of alcohol and drug-related harm in their communities.

[ top ]

10.  Ambassadors wanted for Year of Women in Local Government

Women and men who want to act as ambassadors for the Year of Women in Local Government in 2010 have been urged to put forward their names by Local Government Managers Australia.

[ top ]

11.  Government reveals regions to receive broadband investment

The Federal Government has identified the first six regions in Australia where infrastructure will be installed as part of the roll-out of the National Broadband Network. And the government expects to name by the end of this year the second batch of regions to receive broadband infrastructure investment.

[ top ]

12.  Funding available for Murray Darling councils facing climate challenges

Councils in the Murray-Darling Basin have been asked by the Federal Government to submit proposals for funding to help them deal with the challenges posed by reduced access to water.

[ top ]

13.  Data service to assist SA councils' benchmarking activities

'EasyData' consolidates publicly available data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and disseminates the information into state and local government regional areas. The data includes economic, environmental and social information.

[ top ]

14.  Local Government Sustainable Development Conference

 

Tuesday 18th - Wednesday 19th August
The Sebel Albert Park, Melbourne

The peak national local sustainable development conference designed to assist local government practitioners to identify, plan and implement best practice sustainable development solutions, particularly related to reducing the carbon footprint. It will showcase leading edge examples of outstanding environmental initiatives by Australian local governments. 

Topics will include:

• Expert analysis of Local Government’s emissions trading obligations
• 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
• Community engagement in environmental initiatives
• Green purchasing and procurement

Invited speakers include:

• Geoff Lake, President, Australian Local Government Association
• Cr Colin Hampton, Mayor, City of Frankston
• Cr Geoff Ablett, Mayor, City of Casey
• Cr Peter Young, Gold Coast City Council
• Stephen Sawtell, General Manager, Coffs Harbour City Council
• Louise Hicks, Partner, DLA Phillips Fox
• Nick Bailey, Manager, Local Government, Sustainability Victoria
• Chris Newman, Manager, Councils Reforming Business, Local Government Victoria, Department of Planning and Community Development
• Peter Kinrade, Senior Consultant, Marsden Jacob Associates
• Gareth Williamson, Senior Waste Management Consultant, Meinhardt Infrastructure and Environment Pty Ltd
• Jack Holden, Senior Manager, KPMG
• John Gertsakis, Executive Officer, Product Stewardship Australia
• Steve Harrison, Director, Business & Economic Development, City of Prospect
• Geoff Withycombe, Executive Officer, Sydney Coastal Councils Group
• Peter Maganov, Manager Sustainability, Randwick City Council
• Michael Top, Group Manager, Sustainability, Bayside City Council
• David Lemcke, Senior Planner – Planning, Policy & Legal, Wyong Shire Council
• Rosemary Dillon, Manager, Corporate Planning and Community Outcomes, Blue Mountains City Council
• Matthew Trigg, Sustainable Design Officer, City of Port Phillip
• Robyn Evans, Research Director, RMIT Centre for Design
• Faye Adams, ESD Officer, Manningham City Council
• Simone Dilkara, Project Manager, Goulburn Mulwaree Council.

For further information, or to register for the Conference, go to www.halledit.com.au/lgsd09 or contact Denise McQueen on 03 8534 5021 or denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

 

PLATINUM SPONSOR

Ecosave has become the fastest growing energy and water conservation company in Australia. Our clients tell us this is because Ecosave offer FREE SITE ASSESSMENTS conducted by our engineers, because we offer a SAVINGS GUARANTEE with every project we install and because Ecosave only propose solutions with verifiable savings that meet their financial criteria. Judge for yourself www.ecosave.com.au

 

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSOR

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

 

 

 

[ top ]

15.  Victorian training initiative to improve council procurement

Council staff in Victoria who are involved in procuring goods and services can improve their skills under a $180,000 training initiative launched by the State Government.

[ top ]

16.  NSW planning panels start work despite local government opposition

Joint Regional Planning Panels which are now in force in New South Wales have been described as a “poisoned chalice” by Genia McCaffery, President of the Local Government Association of NSW.

[ top ]

17.  Victorian councils tipped to lift rates by about 5%

Council rates in Victoria are expected to increase by an average of 5.16% in the 2009-2010 financial year.

[ top ]

18.  Shire's improvement of finance practices profiled in Council Manager

Mitchell Shire’s efforts to engage non-finance managers in financial management processes in order to improve the shire’s financial culture are analysed in the May/June edition of Council Manager magazine.

The article, written by Mitchell Shire’s Finance Manager, Tom Caelli, describes how, in a bid to turn around its financial performance, the rural Victorian council has completely re-engineered its finance processes. This has resulted in councillors, non-finance and financial staff working cooperatively in addressing financial issues.

Other articles in the May/June edition of the national magazine for senior local government managers also include an anaylsis of Lake Macquarie City Council’s innovative programs that improved the efficiency of the relationships between the council’s various departments, which in turn have improved customer service levels.

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.

[ top ]

19.  Council partners with State Government to invest in rail project business case

Moreton Bay Regional Council has joined with the Queensland Government to develop a business case for a major rail infrastructure project.

[ top ]

20.  Vic councils investigate use of recycled material for footpaths

The Municipal Association of Victoria is involved in a project to increase the use of recycled crushed brick and glass in the construction of footpaths and shared pathways.

[ top ]

21.  New land use policy for Perth released by WA Government

The Western Australian Government has released a new strategy, 'Directions 2031', which is designed to shape land use in the Perth and Peel regions for the next 20 years.

[ top ]

22.  SA councils heavily involved in stormwater project funding push

Adelaide councils are involved in four of seven South Australian stormwater projects that are being submitted to the Federal Government for funding consideration.

[ top ]

23.  Community wants say in WA amalgamations

The community in Western Australia wants to be consulted and have a vote on any proposed amalgamation of councils, according to an independent survey commissioned by the WA Local Government Association.

[ top ]

24.  LGJobs 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 150 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 $200 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.

[ top ]

Conferences & Events

25.  Building and Financing Local Government Infrastructure Conference 2009

 

Tuesday 22 - Wednesday 23 September, 2009

Dockside Convention Centre, Sydney

The rapidly growing demands on local government to build new infrastructure – as well as to replace ageing assets – is leading councils to seek innovative solutions to the financing of the next generation of infrastructure.

Joint ventures with the private sector, developer contributions, public private partnerships and a number of novel financing techniques are being explored with the goal of building high quality public assets.

An impressive array of speakers will discuss Australia’s most successful local government partnerships between the private and public sectors, and explore important themes in the current investment spotlight such as financing infrastructure in the global financial crisis, market uncertainty and its impact on infrastructure credit risk, risk management, probity, value for money outcomes, international perspectives on infrastructure funding and project management.

The Conference will also provide insight into accessing Federal infrastructure funding from the various programs available to local governments.

Who should attend?

• Local Government CEOs and Senior Management Teams • CFOs • Councillors • Strategic Planning Professionals • Engineers • Developers • Financiers • Constructors • Lawyers • Consultants • Business Development Executives.

For further information go to http://www.halledit.com.au/lginfrastructure09 or contact Denise McQueen on 03 8534 5021 or denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

[ top ]

26.  3rd Australian Small Bridges Conference

- To be held from July 7-8 at Darling Harbour, Sydney.

This conference will explore the important issues involved in small (to medium span) bridge design, testing, building, replacement and strengthening.

There are in excess of an estimated 30,000 small bridges in Australia on our public road network alone, many of them coming to the end of their structural lives. The cost of replacing these bridges is in the billions of dollars, and could impose a crushing burden on councils which are responsible for the vast majority of these (mostly) timber bridges. In addition there are many other related structures including culverts and arches.

The Australian Small Bridges Conference has been designed to alert bridge and road engineers, managers, contractors, asset owners and suppliers about significant new developments and requirements for bridges and like structures.

The two-day conference program will focus on small to medium bridges and like structures, including for road, rail, animals and pedestrians - unlike most bridge conferences which are dominated with presentations mainly on very large bridges. Small and medium bridges are the most common type of bridge in Australia.

Experienced bridge practitioners, including a number of council engineers, will present case studies that will focus on best practice in maintenance, repair, construction, asset management, new technologies and related topics.

For more information visit www.halledit.com.au/bridges09, phone Hallmark Conferences on (03) 8534 5000 or email denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

[ top ]

27.  Smart Government Technology Summit 2009

October 15-16 2009
National Convention Centre, Canberra

For government and the public sector, ICT provides tremendous opportunities to deliver IT services more efficiently. Today, more than ever, government and public sector agencies need to ensure a more comprehensive service to its citizens.

The SMART Government Technology Summit will address the issues raised in the Gershon Report, released in October 2008, which provided comprehensive analysis of a wide range of issues affecting the Government’s use and management of ICT, as well as other important e-government technology issues being faced by Australian governments.

The Summit will feature over 20 experts in the latest ICT and e-government technology, including international keynote speaker, David Hopkins, Director, Public Spirit Ltd (UK).

The speakers will address issues such as:

• How to rationalise IT across Federal Government;
• Tighten management of business-as-usual ICT operations to improve its efficiency;
• Effective change management;
• Strategies for an effective and integrated whole of Government ICT solution;
• Manage our skills base better;
• Plan for the Government’s overall data centre and cloud computing requirements;
• e-Security - data security, internet security, identity management, authentication, and privacy;
• Interact with the industry more effectively; and
• Ensure that the Government’s own ICT operations are sustainable.

Speakers include:

• David Hopkins, Director, Public Spirit Ltd (UK)
• Bob Correll, Deputy Secretary & Chief Information Officer, Department of Immigration and Citizenship
• Dr Bill Petreski, Principal Advisor, ICT Electronics & Electrical Sectors, AiGroup Limited
• Mike Sibly, General Manager OES Content and Services Delivery, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
• Peter Flemming, Chief Executive Officer, National e-Health Transition Authority
• Allan Morris, Executive Director, Information Technology Services, RMIT University
• Dr Jonathan Gray, Senior Researcher, e-government Group, NICTA
• Michael Mudd, Director of Public Policy, Asia- Pacific, CompTIA Asia Pacific
• Graeme Lee, Director & CIO. Grayle (NSW) Pty Ltd
• Linda Shave, Information, Integration and Compliance Manager, City of Ryde
• Kathy Minter, Principal, Coote's Legal
• Danny Davis, Executive Director, CIO Institute
• Graeme Philipson, Research Director, CR Connection Research
• Phillip Campbell, Managing Director, Performance Thinking Pty Ltd

The SMART Government Technology Summit is being run in conjunction and co-located with the Future Broadband Infrastructure Summit, and delegates will be able to attend sessions at both events to maximise information transfer and networking opportunities. The two days will provide unprecedented levels of expertise in the fields of technology infrastructure and information and communication technologies.

For further information, go to http://www.halledit.com.au/govtech09 or contact Amy Congerton-McKim on 02 4382 6178 or email amy.congerton@halledit.com.au

PLATINUM SPONSOR

 

GOLD SPONSOR

 

SILVER SPONSOR

 

ROUNDTABLE SPONSORS

 

LANYARD SPONSOR

[ top ]

Announcements

28.  Australia’s top councils honoured at mobile phone recycling awards

Australia’s top councils honoured at mobile phone recycling awards

Brisbane City Council, Dalby Regional Council, Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council, Eurobodalla Shire Council, Moonee Valley City Council and Shire of Lake Grace Council were praised for their mobile phone recycling efforts at the 2009 MobileMuster Local Government Awards, which were presented at the National General Assembly for Local Government, in Canberra today.

The MobileMuster Local Government Awards, now in its third year, was created by the mobile phone industry’s official recycling program to recognise and reward leading councils across Australia, who have successfully promoted and collected old mobile phones, batteries and accessories for recycling.

Guest speaker Senator Bob Brown presented the awards to the winning councils, including ‘Top Collector Overall’ award to Brisbane City Council, Dalby Regional Council for ‘Best Promoter’, Shire of Lake Grace Council for ‘Top Collector Per Capita’ and Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council for ‘Working with Schools’. Joint winners, Mooney Valley City Council and Eurobodalla Shire Council were crowned the top award – ‘National Excellence’.

Rose Read, Manager of Australian Mobile Telecommunication Association’s (AMTA) recycling program, MobileMuster, congratulates the winning councils for their combined efforts in raising awareness of and driving mobile phone recycling amongst their local residents, schools and businesses.

“By promoting and participating in mobile phone recycling, local councils are playing an important role in recovering essential metals and plastics for reuse, preventing potentially harmful substances ending up in landfill and reducing society’s demand on our precious natural resources.

“There are over 280 local councils registered across Australia, which has seen public collection points nationwide grow to more than 3,500, of which more than 700 are hosted by local councils,” concluded Ms Read.

For further information about MobileMuster, how to start kerbside collections, the Local Government Awards, or to locate your nearest drop-off point, visit www.mobilemuster.com.au or contact 1300 730 070.

Mayor Fergus Thomson, Eurobodalla Shire Council
Senator Bob Brown
Cr Rose Iser, Moonee Valley City Council
Joint winners of the National Excellence Award

[ top ]