General News

1.  National survey reveals lack of women applying for senior roles

A major review of local government recruitment statistics has shown that women are generally more successful than men when applying for senior council management positions - but the low number of women who actually apply for such jobs is leading to a lack of women who end up working at senior levels.

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2.  Federal Government announces first Local Government Reform Fund projects

The Federal Government has commenced allocating funds to projects through its $25 million national Local Government Reform Fund, with initiatives designed to improve local government management processes in South Australia and the Northern Territory having recently been announced.

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3.  Local government seeks financial reform commitments in Federal Budget

The reform of local government financing and the need to achieve constitutional recognition of councils are some of the key requests made the Australian Local Government Association in its formal submission to the Federal Government’s 2010-2011 budget.

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4.  Shire settles lawsuit following bike path death

Victoria’s Nillumbik Shire Council has settled a lawsuit brought against it by the widow of a cyclist who was killed after his bike struck a culvert hidden in long grass while he was riding on a public bike path.

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5.  Top Jobs: Bland seeks new GM

 

Regional New South Wales’ Bland Shire is seeking to recruit a new General Manager after its previous GM, Phil Marshall, left the council last year to become the new General Manager of Narrabri Shire.

Mr Marshall had been GM at Bland Shire since the beginning of 2007.

Applications for the General Manager’s position at Bland Shire close this Friday, March 5. The council is offering a remuneration package of about $185,000.

More information about the position is available on the LG Jobs website here.

Other senior positions currently on offer among Australian local governments include: a Chief Information Officer at Sunshine Coast Regional Council in Queensland; a Manager - Governance at the City of Ryde in NSW; and a Human Resource Management Coordinator at South Gippsland Shire Council in Victoria.

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.

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6.  Victorian shire’s CEO recruited to head up Launceston City Council

Tasmania’s Launceston City Council has recruited the CEO of Victoria’s Moorabool Shire, Robert Dobrzynski, for its General Manager position.

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7.  Councils launch court action against Victoria’s Roads Minister

The suburban Melbourne cities of Stonnington and Yarra have launched court proceedings against Victoria’s Roads Minister and the state’s roads authority in relation to controversial decisions made to extend clearway hours on roads in the municipalities.

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8.  Victorian planning system's response to sea level rise to be analysed

The Victorian Government’s Coastal Climate Change Advisory Committee is seeking feedback from councils and other organisations on how Victoria’s land-use planning system should support the management of the coastal impacts of climate change.

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9.  Local Government Risk Management Summit - AGENDA NOW AVAILABLE

 

* AGENDA NOW AVAILABLE *

 

• Wednesday 28th - Thursday 29th April
• Novotel Brighton Beach, Sydney (close to airport)
  
• Agenda now available on summit website www.halledit.com.au/rm2010/agenda

A wide range of case studies will be delivered by Australia’s leading local government risk management practitioners at the inaugural national Local Government Risk Management Summit in April.

At a time when Australian councils face an increasingly complex risk environment with limited resources, this important event will provide attendees with the latest advice about leading local government risk management practices – information attendees can then apply within their own organisations to minimise risk and reduce exposure to liabilities.

Case study presentations will cover topics including: successfully implementing an Enterprise Risk Management framework in a local government organisation; incorporating risk management into organisational governance and culture; optimising internal auditing and audit committee procedures; ensuring council contractors meet compliance requirements; and how councils need to address the risks posed by climate change.

Speakers will include:

• Peter Napier, Integrated Risk Management Coordinator at Ipswich City Council and Vice President of the Risk Management Institution of Australasia.
• Donna Graham, Corporate Counsel, Glen Eira City Council
• Ken Muir, Risk Management Coordinator, Penrith City Council
• Geraldine Wood, Executive Manager Corporate Governance, Townsville City Council
• Simon Iliffe, Manager Risk Management Services, Shellharbour City Council
• Jeff Webb, Director Risk Services, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
• Glen Davis, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Grampians Shire
• Ian Waters, Redland City Council’s Risk & Liability Services Manager
• Greg Hunt, Executive Officer, South East Councils Climate Change Alliance
• David Simon, Data Manager, National Exposure Information System (NEXIS), Geoscience Australia
• Grant Whitehorn, a former Director Enterprise Risk Management at the Department of Defence, and currently a Consultant for RiskWare
• Tony Harb, Director, InConsult
• And Wollongong City Council’s former General Manager, Rod Oxley, who will provide insight into the Wollongong Council corruption scandal and detail the difficulties faced by councils to install a risk management framework that prevents corrupt activity.

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

Summit sponsorship and exhibition enquiries should be directed to: Ben Hutchison, Summit Director, Ph: (03) 8534 5025; Email: benh@halledit.com.au.

Further information is available on the conference website www.halledit.com.au/rm2010.

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10.  Campaspe improves customer service

Regional Victoria’s Shire of Campaspe has improved its customer response times and processes since adopting a Customer Service Charter in 2008, with new statistics showing the council is now responding to 91.5% of correspondence within 10 working days.

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11.  Dubbo to compare internal and external provision of economic development

Regional New South Wales’s Dubbo City Council is to prepare a cost comparison of local economic development services being provided in-house by the council or through an external company.

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12.  Knox achieves top results from stormwater harvesting systems

Melbourne’s Knox City Council is achieving better-than-expected water savings from an innovative stormwater harvesting system.

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13.  NSW councils required to ensure their building certifiers are accredited

New South Wales’ Building Professionals Board has expanded the state’s system of accreditation of building certifiers to include the accreditation of council employees who carry out building certification work.

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14.  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 (Invited)
• Richard Bolt, Secretary, 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
• Rob Freeman, Chief Executive, Murray-Darling Basin Authority
• Professor Chris Davis, Commissioner, National Water Commission
• 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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15.  Government bonds proposed to advance infrastructure development

The use of government bonds to fund infrastructure would be a far more productive way of fostering development than the current system of infrastructure levies and charges that strangle economic growth, according to the Property Council of Australia.

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16.  New transport infrastructure plan for Sydney

The new transport infrastructure plan for Sydney comprises more than $50 billion of spending over 10 years, including $7 billion in new or expanded infrastructure and services.

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17.  Ways to improve number of women in management roles examined in latest Council Manager

The challenge facing Australian local governments to increase the number of women in council manager and Chief Executive positions is analysed in-depth in the latest edition of Council Manager magazine.

In recognition of 2010 being the Year of Women in Local Government, the February/March edition of Australia’s national magazine for senior managers in local government features commentary from a number of current local government women CEOs about how they believe councils can improve the proportion of women in key management roles.

Also in this edition of Council Manager magazine is an examination of how Stonnington City Council has improved its organisational culture, and an article describing how Shoalhaven City Council has implemented a successful staff retention program. Canterbury City Council’s initiatives to improve its governance processes are also examined in this edition.

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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18.  Agreement to upgrade rating tools for buildings

The New South Wales Government and the Green Building Council of Australia have moved to create a more consistent and compatible approach to rating tools to determine the environmental performance of buildings.

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19.  Grants to enhance Sydney's park network

More than $2 million in grants will be allocated by the New South Wales Government to upgrade 17 Sydney parks.

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20.  Stricter controls on waste going to landfill

Regulations now in force in South Australia provide for staged bans on a range of goods going to landfill.

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21.  Australian Road Engineering & Maintenance Conference

• March 16-17, 2010
  
• The Sebel & Citigate Albert Park, Melbourne

The 5th Australian Road Engineering & Maintenance Conference has been designed to alert road engineers from local government, councillors, managers, as well as consultants, contractors and suppliers, about the most important new developments and issues in roads and their environs.

This two-day event will bring together councils, state government road managers, and the private sector. Speakers have been drawn from South Africa, The Netherlands, New Zealand and from throughout Australia and include speakers from Local Government, State Road Authorities, Consultants and Contractors. Over two hundred delegates are expected.

Ian van Wijk, Technical Executive, Aurecon, South Africa, will present on Road Maintenance Management in South Africa - Experiences from Provincial and Local Road Authorities. For a full list of the speakers and their presentations please see www.halledit.com.au/roads10.

Sustainable Practices and the Environment will feature strongly on the program and in many presentations. It includes major roads, local roads, traffic areas, residential streets, rural roads, footpaths and road reserves. All speakers are asked to present very practical presentations.

Key conference topics include achieving Sustainability on Road Infrastructure Projects, Road Delivery Models & Contracts, Road Maintenance Practices & Management, Good Paving & Sealing Practices, Landscape Design and Cracks: Treatment & Prevention.

Case Studies are a feature of this conference including Local Government Case Studies.

A series of Workshops will be conducted parallel to the speaking stream and there will be an exhibition for opportunities to update on services, equipment and road materials.

For more information, including registration, please see the website www.halledit.com.au/roads10 or contact Denise McQueen, Ph: (03) 8534 5021 (direct) or (03) 8534 5000 (switch), Fax: (03) 8534 5121, denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

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22.  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 180 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 $220 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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Conferences & Events

23.  National Awards for Planning Excellence 2010

• 26 March 2010
• 7–11pm
• National Portrait Gallery, Canberra

 

Keynote Speakers:  • Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce

                                      • Professor Bill Randolph

Master of Ceremonies:  Mr Ross Solly, ABC Radio

The Planning Institute of Australia, the peak national association for the planning profession in Australia, will present its 2010 National Awards for Planning Excellence at a gala dinner at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra on Friday, 26 March 2010.

The evening will commence with a private tour of the award-winning National Portrait Gallery at 7pm, followed by the official presentation.

This evening is the pinnacle event of the planning profession and tickets will definitely sell-out, so book early to secure your place.

For more information visit www.planning.org.au

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Training Opportunities

24.  Water Industry Training for Local Government

The ICE WaRM Short Courses Programme successfully provides education and training in water resources management. The short courses are designed to provide understanding and knowledge to help you perform your job better, give you better job opportunities and develop you as a professional in the water industry.

ICE WaRM offers training for staff, raising both personal and organisational capacity and is aimed at long-term development.

The 2010 ICE WaRM Short Courses Programme is now available. For calendar dates, locations and course descriptions please click here.

Short courses on offer this year include:

• Australian Water Industry Essentials
• Hydraulics and Hydrology for Non-Engineers
• Policy and Governance
• Siphonic Roof Drainage Design
• River and Floodplain Modelling

Feedback from 2009 Short Courses:
"The discussion on who manages/legislates water in each of the states- I had no idea it was so complex and varied!" (Australian Water Industry Essentials).

"A good general overview of hydraulics and hydrology supported by an interesting review of the water cycle. Overall, a great re-cap of barely remembered principles". (Hydraulics and Hydrology for Non-Engineers).

"It was useful to work through examples and questions".

"The broad scope of the information was useful as well as learning about the equations".

"The presenter has excellent knowledge on the subject matter".

To register, please contact ICE WaRM at training@icewarm.com.au or 08 8236 5213.

For more information, please visit our website www.icewarm.com.au.

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25.  Contaminated Site Assessment, Remediation and Management (CSARM)

 Professional Development Short Courses for Environmental Practitioners

Registrations are now open for:

Module B: Effective Site Assessment 29^th April – 1^st May 2010

This module focuses on the purposes and principles of site assessment and covers reporting responsibilities, sampling design, field sampling and the management of non-technical issues related to contaminated site assessment. A site visit and case study analysis are used to reinforce the coursework.

Module C: Demystifying Contamination 17^th -19^th June 2010

The aim of this module is to put the chemical flesh on the bones of contaminated site assessment. The focus is on the importance of understanding how chemical processes in the media of concern impinge on the practice of effective site assessment .Laboratory demonstrations and a site visit will illustrate the practical application of contaminated site chemistry.

Supported by the NSW Department of Environment Climate Change and Water (DECCW),

this series of six professional CSARM modular short courses is designed to upgrade your knowledge, build capacity within your organisation and provide you with an advantage in your career progression.

YOU SHOULD ATTEND IF YOU ARE

• an environmental scientist, engineer, manager or consultant seeking to update your knowledge,
• a new graduate entering this multidisciplinary field
• aspiring to become a site auditor, as part of your career development
• a professional in an allied discipline
• an environmental professional changing career direction,

HOW ARE THE COURSES RECOGNISED?

• UTS Certificate of Attendance
• UTS Certificate of Attainment upon completion of post work
• Recognition of prior learning for UTS Master of Science
• CPD programs run by EIANZ (CEnvP), EHA and Engineers Australia.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

• Full price of each module is $1200, Early Bird registration and for members of professional societies and UTS Alumni $950
• Two or more modules $840

For full program details contact: Marea Martlew 02 9514 1766, marea.martlew@uts.edu.au

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