News

1.  Councils urged to assist broadband roll-out in new developments

The Federal Government says it wants to work with councils throughout Australia to ensure the roll-out of super-fast broadband to new housing and business estates.

The Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy, says the government wants to ensure more new greenfield developments are serviced by broadband.

The minister says a number of local governments are already using their planning powers to encourage the roll out of fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology in greenfield estates. He says the government wants to support these initiatives to make sure this best practice approach is replicated.

Senator Conroy says the government wants to engage with industry and stakeholders to find out the best ways to address greenfield broadband roll-outs.

President of the Australian Local Government Association, Geoff Lake, says councils have a key role to play through their planning powers and they could also be involved in the provision of land for any infrastructure needed to achieve the roll-out.

Cr Lake says local government would like to have a place at the table when the roll-out is discussed.

[ top ]

2.  Climate change planning policies to be developed for councils

Local government ministers have agreed that all states should develop climate change planning policies to assist councils to plan for the impacts of a changing climate.

A recent meeting of the Local Government and Planning Ministers’ Council undertook to develop these state-specific planning policies by mid-2011.

The state climate change planning policies are to be be used to inform local government and regional planning responses to climate change.

The ministers also agreed to work to develop a national framework and tools that local governments can use to assist with planning for climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.

The national framework and tools would be developed by the ministers in collaboration with the Climate Change and Water Working Group, Australian Transport Council, and the Ministerial Council on Police and Emergency Management.

[ top ]

3.  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 ]

4.  2009 Environs Australia Sustainability Awards now open

The Environs Australia 2009 Sustainability Awards will recognise nine award categories for progressing sustainability at the local level by:

• Local Government individuals (Councillors and Officers),
• Local Government Authorities (LGA’s) and 
• Local Government Partnerships.

The awards will be judged by an independent panel and are structured at two levels ‘Gold’ and ‘Silver’, and against two themes ‘Council’ and ‘Partnerships’ as well as providing opportunities for smaller LGA’s to be judged against their peers.

Each Award will be assessed on its merit and all information necessary to assess the Award must be emailed to David Keenan, President, Environs Australia at president@environs.org.au before close of business, Tuesday 30 June 2009. If there are any queries, please contact David Keenan on 0448 324 116.

All entries should address the selection criteria, outlining the purpose of the project and how it relates to the three key sustainability principles. Applications must not exceed five pages of text. To enter the awards, simply download the nomination form from the Environs website: www.environs.org.au

The awards will be presented on the evening of Day 1 of the Local Government Sustainable Development 2009 Conference being held on Tuesday 18 August 2009 at The Sebel Hotel, Albert Park, Melbourne. For further details on how to register for the conference and the awards please visit: www.halledit.com.au/lgsd09

The 2009 Conference will hear from more than 25 experts and leading councils in the sustainable development field. 2009 will be the fourth year that the Local Government Sustainable Development Annual Conference has been held, and it has become recognised as the premier conference for showcasing leading sustainable development initiatives within local government.

If you know of a potential, worthy recipient do not hesitate to encourage them to apply.

[ top ]

5.  Top Jobs - Whitehorse seeks Principal Planner

Melbourne’s Whitehorse City Council is seeking to recruit a Principal Planner.

The selected applicant will be responsible for pre-application discussions and the processing of permit applications.

Applications for the position close on June 24. For more information about the role visit the LG Jobs website here.

These and many other jobs on offer within Australia’s planning industry are currently available on the PlanJobs website www.planjobs.com.au - the nation’s leading employment service for planning positions within local government and the private sector.

Other positions currently available on PlanJobs include: a Strategic Planner/Statutory Planner at Frankston City Council in Victoria; a Development Services Coordinator at Palerang Council in NSW; a Strategic Planning Officer at Rockhampton Regional Council in Queensland; and a Town Planner at the Shire of Esperance in Western Australia.

For further details about these positions visit the PlanJobs website www.planjobs.com.au. For more information about PlanJobs contact Blake Duggin by emailing blake.duggin@halledit.com.au or telephone (03) 8534 5012.

[ top ]

6.  Vic councils oppose fast-tracked planning for nation building projects

A decision by the Victorian Government to streamline the planning system to secure $3 billion in social housing and education building projects has met with strong opposition from the Municipal Association of Victoria.

The government has amended the Victorian Planning Provisions to make Planning Minister, Justin Madden, the responsible authority for the projects which are being funded under the Federal Government’s nation-building plan. In addition, the projects will not be subject to public notification or review.

Mr Madden says streamlining the system will mean the projects can start sooner without being held up by red tape. He says the government is taking action to ensure the Federal funding stays in Victoria to deliver nation building projects and jobs. He says the new planning provisions will be temporary and will expire on June 30, 2012.

But the MAV has condemned the government’s actions. Its President, Bill McArthur, says fast-tracking of infrastructure to stimulate the economy can not be undertaken at the expense of fair, transparent and inclusive planning processes.

He says the government has a clear emphasis on “jobs” and “stimulus”, but it is disregarding good planning and design outcomes, neighbourhood character, local amenity and the wishes of surrounding communities.

Cr McArthur says that in April, Premier Brumby’s office told the Australian Local Government Association that it would consult with local government about the planning processes for the projects before making a decision. He says that local government has not been consulted and the agreement with the ALGA has clearly been breached.

[ top ]

7.  New online planning application process being rolled out in Victoria

The roll-out of a new online planning application process in Victoria will commence from July 1, 2009.

The recent Victorian budget provided $10.4 million over four years for the new system, which the state's Planning Minister, Justin Madden, says will slash the red tape associated with planning applications.

The funding will enable the system to be supported and enhanced as required, and resources will also be committed to rolling out the system to councils as well as providing training and support.

A spokesperson for Victoria's Department of Planning and Community Development says the planning module has been developed as part of the State Government’s SPEAR system. The SPEAR system covers electronic applications and referrals for subdivision, building and planning.

The spokesperson says that under the system, planning applications can be lodged, referred, advertised, tracked, decided and appealed (if warranted) all online. The system is designed for use by councils, planning applicants, referral authorities, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and the public.

The spokesperson says a live trial of the module was successfully tested between August 2008 and March 2009. Parties involved in the trial included Banyule, Greater Dandenong, Hepburn, Hobsons Bay, Melbourne, and Moreland councils as well as VCAT.

[ top ]

8.  NSW Government analyses planning system's impact on businesses

A discussion paper dealing with ways in which the New South Wales planning system can increase competition and investment growth has been released by the Rees Government.

NSW Planning Minister, Kristina Keneally, says all regulatory systems should be reviewed periodically and now is an appropriate time to focus on the issue of competition and investment growth in the planning system.

Ms Keneally says it is important in the current economic climate that the government, through use of the planning system, ensures businesses are given flexibility to respond to market demands. The minister says submissions from councils, business and the community will help the government strike the right balance between sustainable planning and environmental outcomes, and promote a competitive business environment.

The NSW Local Government and Shires Associations say local government supports a planning system that strikes a balance between community wellbeing and opportunities for economic growth, but they are not sure why Ms Keneally is only now taking the opportunity to consult with stakeholders.

President of the Local Government Association, Genia McCaffery, says she hopes the discussion paper is not a platform for “even more drastic and unnecessary changes to the already complex planning system”.

Cr McCaffery says the associations will respond to the discussion paper, highlighting the importance of promoting economic growth while maintaining the community’s best interests. The deadline for submissions was June 12, 2009, and a copy of the discussion paper can be downloaded here.

[ top ]

9.  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 ]

10.  Darebin forced to delay its $140m development project

A $140 million development being planned by Melbourne’s Darebin Council is to be delayed because of the Victorian Government’s failure to allocate money for the project in its 2009 State Budget.

The Preston Civic Project, consisting of an inter-cultural centre and community hub, commercial offices, affordable housing, public space and council offices, was due to start in 2010.

Darebin’s General Manager for City Development, Kevin Breen, says council can understand the government had to revise its budget priorities in view of the economic environment and the bushfire recovery effort in Victoria.

Mr Breen says the lack of funding means the procurement process that was undertaken for the project has been abandoned. He says eight companies had made submissions in response to a Request for Qualifications issued by the council.

Mr Breen says the council will now begin the big job of seeking fresh state or federal government funding for the development. He says the project remains commercially viable but the council may need to revise the plans for it depending on the level of funding that can be secured.

Mr Breen says once the council is in a position to proceed with the Preston Civic Project, it will make another request for qualifications from developers and financiers.

[ top ]

11.  NSW Government reveals outcome of developer contribution levy review

The Local Government and Shires Associations of New South Wales have welcomed the initial findings of the NSW Department of Planning’s review of Section 94 development contributions.

NSW Planning Minister, Kristina Keneally, has released the first results of the review, which was initiated after the department announced in December 2008 that it would introduce a $20,000 per lot threshold on council developer levies.

Twenty-eight councils across NSW applied to a Contributions Review Panel to review levies which exceeded the threshold. The first round of the review involved 11 councils and the panel decided to apply the threshold to one council - Lane Cove.

The 10 other councils were granted approvals beyond the threshold. Four councils - Camden, Wyong, Liverpool and Penrith - were asked to make savings adjustments of between $2000 and $18,000 per lot for relevant plans.

Another six councils - Maitland, Hawkesbury, Lake Macquarie, Blacktown, Sydney and Ku-ring-gai - were exempted from reducing their levies on condition that further reviews are undertaken to investigate how savings can be made.

Ms Keneally says the next stages of the review will be announced shortly and they will also seek to balance the needs of local government and the housing construction industry.

President of the Shires Association of NSW, Bruce Miller, says the review has affirmed the principle of development contributions and their importance for local councils and their communities.

Cr Miller says contributions made by developers are crucial to ensure communities are provided with essential services and facilities. He says it is encouraging to see that the $20,000 threshold is indeed a threshold and not an absolute cap.

[ top ]

12.  WA Government to design online subdivision application system

The Western Australian Government will spend more than $3 million in 2009-2010 on developing a system for the electronic submission of subdivision applications.

WA Planning Minister, John Day, says $3.3 million has been committed to developing the Electronic Land Development Project (ELDP) system, which will link agencies and local government, and reduce the time taken to process land approvals. He says the system will move the subdivision approval process online to replace inefficient paper-based processes.

Mr Day says the money will allow for a design process that will provide a clear understanding of what the system should be and how it should be put in place. He says once the ELDP has been defined, the Department of Planning will approach Treasury to request funding for the system to be established.

Mr Day says a tender process for the system that was initiated in 2007 by the previous Labor Government resulted in tender prices ranging from $6.5 million to $19 million.

He says the proposed vendors failed to provide guarantees that the price of implementing the system would not increase as the project progressed. He says the project did not proceed prior to last year’s WA election.

[ top ]

13.  Joint Regional Planning Panels win NSW Government funding

In a pre-budget announcement, the New South Wales Government says it has allocated $2.4 million to establish, operate and administer Joint Regional Planning Panels that come into force from July 1.

Six panels will start operating across the state between July 1 and August to decide the outcome of regionally-significant development applications.

NSW Planning Minister, Kristina Keneally, says council staff will assess projects to be determined by the panels, including some coastal projects, which are currently assessed by the Department of Planning.

The panels will consist of three State Government-appointed members and two nominees from the relevant local council.

Ms Keneally says she is announcing the funding ahead of the State Budget to help councils finalise their budgets. She says the funding will cover the costs associated with administration of the new planning panels and employment costs for the three state members.

Ms Keneally says councils will continue to receive development application fees and will be responsible for the costs of their two members on the panels.

The Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW have welcomed the State Government’s funding announcement. Vice President of the Local Government Association, Allan Ezzy, says the associations are still waiting for clear guidelines on conflict of interest and code of conduct in relation to the panels. He says the associations stand by their advice to councils not to nominate local representatives for the panels until the issues have been clarified.

[ top ]

14.  Wodonga delays sale of industrial hub due to downturn

The City of Wodonga says it could be at least 12 months before it calls for expressions of interest for the sale of the remainder of its ‘Logic’ industrial hub as a single parcel of land.

The council expects to generate about $60 million through the sale of the land and to use the money to pay off debt. Any surplus funds would be allocated to other projects.

The City of Wodonga’s Director of Investment Attraction, Michael Gobel, says the council has received advice from industrial real estate specialists that it would, at present, not be in the interests of ratepayers to push ahead with the sale of the hub's land as a single parcel.

Mr Gobel says the sale will be postponed until the economy and industrial land market recover, but the council will still sell individual lots of the ‘Logic’ hub to investors. He says the council has been encouraged by the interest of local companies in the hub, with the companies planning to expand their operations over the next couple of years.

Mr Gobel says Cope Sensitive Freight has just lodged a planning application for a major distribution centre it is establishing at the hub. He says the establishment of the centre will result in the number of people working at sites within the ‘Logic’ industrial hub will rise to about 500.

Woolworths has already spent about $90 million on a distribution centre and other companies with holdings at the hub are Border Express Transport, Roadmaster Transport, Sydney-based industrial land developer PacLib and property developer RNM Nominees.

Mr Gobel says the council is also involved in negotiations with TAFE to establish a $16 million national industry training centre at the hub. For more information about Logic visit its website www.logicwodonga.com.au.

 

[ top ]

15.  Hearings into new Victorian residential zones

An advisory committee is holding public hearings in Melbourne, Geelong and Bendigo as part of a process to establish new residential zones in Victoria.

The public hearings are outlining draft residential zones and also discussing issues raised in 234 responses to a discussion paper on the zones released by the Department of Planning and Community Development. The submissions were from councils, development industry groups and other stakeholders.

The zones are being established under the auspices of the advisory committee, established by Victorian Planning Minister, Justin Madden.

Mr Madden says the zones are designed to provide councils with better planning tools to manage the location and form of new housing in their communities. He says the three draft zones are the:
- Substantial Change Zone, which promotes significant increase in dwellings, housing diversity and built form;
- Incremental Change Zone, which respects existing neighbourhood character and provides a moderate increase in new dwellings and housing diversity; and
- Limited Change Zone, which protects specific characteristics and limits housing increases.

The advisory committee will make recommendations to Mr Madden on the form of the new zones once the public hearings have been completed.

[ top ]

16.  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 ]

17.  Qld councils look to offset emissions through carbon sinks

A group of councils in Queensland’s south-east is looking to participate in the Rudd Government's proposed national emissions trading scheme by establishing a large vegetation-based carbon sink in their region.

The Council of Mayors - South East Queensland have formed a taskforce with the objective of establishing a regional carbon sink by July 1 this year.

The carbon sink is planned to initially be established across four sites on council-owned land in the state’s south-east. The carbon sink will operate by sequestering carbon in vegetation planted at the sites.

Ipswich City Councillor, Cheryl Bromage, says the sites will first be used to offset council emissions and any excess carbon sequestered at the sites may then be used for carbon trading.

However, Cr Bromage says whether the sites could potentially be used for carbon trading would in part be dependent on the final policy adopted by the Federal Government for voluntary offsets and forestry opt-in provisions under its emissions trading scheme.

If the councils can trade carbon permits generated from the carbon sinks under the emissions trading scheme, any revenue generated from the trades is likely to be used to fund other carbon offset projects.

The amount of revenue that could potentially be generated through carbon trading would depend on the price of carbon under the emissions trading scheme.

Cr Bromage says this is the first time councils in south-east Queensland have moved to establish carbon sinks.

[ top ]

18.  NSW local government wins more time to clarify role of building certifiers

The New South Wales Local Government and Shires Association have won more time from the NSW Government to examine the role of council building certifiers.

State Planning Minister, Kristina Keneally, says the training and accreditation of council building certifiers will not start before July 2009 to give the associations time to discuss the certifiers’ role with the Building Professionals Board. Ms Keneally says the additional time will allow for further feedback from councils and other industry stakeholders to be sought and considered.

She says the associations called for extended consultations during several meetings and a public exhibition process associated with the NSW Housing code.

Ms Keneally says private and council certifiers will be increasingly used in the planning system, particularly for the approval of houses under the NSW Housing Code. The Housing Code allows people to obtain approval for house plans within 10 days, as opposed to going through the development application process which takes, on average, 75 days.

[ top ]

19.  Frankston poised to seek tenders for $80 million marina

The City of Frankston on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula is expected to call tenders in the next couple of months for the development of an $80 million marina complex.

The development, which is predicted to generate about 2000 jobs during construction, will be discussed by the council in July or August and tenders will be called once the council approves the project.

The City of Frankston’s General Manager for Development, Mark Brady, says council expects the major development to be fully funded by the private sector.

Victorian Planning Minister, Justin Madden, has amended the Frankston Planning Scheme to incorporate the council’s preferred development model for the marina. Mr Madden’s decision follows a review process to ensure the preferred model was viable.

Mayor of Frankston, Colin Hampton, says the council will take the role of Committee of Management over the land to be leased for the marina once a successful tenderer has been selected.

The marina will feature public wet and dry berths and parking facilities for 660 cars and trailers. Cr Hampton says it will enormously improve boating facilities in the city and provide a genuine refuge for boat owners in times of bad weather.

The marina will also feature outdoor recreation facilities, a restaurant/café, marine-related retail outlets, and accommodation for local clubs and emergency services.

[ top ]

20.  Draft SEQ Regional Plan attracts more than 3000 submissions

The Queensland Government is considering more than 3000 submissions lodged in response to the draft South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031 - the plan that will shape the region’s development for the next two decades.

The submissions will be taken into account as the government prepares the final SEQ Regional Plan for release in mid-2009.

Queensland's Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, Stirling Hinchliffe, says the State Government wants to finalise the plan so south east Queensland can meet the challenges of rapid population growth, climate change, job creation, housing affordability and traffic congestion.

Mr Hinchliffe says councils in the region will play a vital role as local planning authorities to shape their regions within the parameters of the plan.

Mr Hinchliffe says the draft plan locks away 84% of the region from urban development and protects green space. He says it identifies sufficient space for 735,500 new houses and units that are expected to be needed by the region’s families by 2031.

Mr Hinchliffe says the area will definitely see higher-density living around existing and planned infrastructure like railway lines, but he’s ruled out “wall to wall skyscrapers across the south east like some developers want”. He says the only other option to higher-density living would be to start encroaching into green space. The draft SEQ Regional Plan 2009-2031 can be found here.

[ top ]

21.  New Planning Commission for Tasmania

The new Tasmanian Planning Commission, which is being established under legislation before the state’s Parliament, is to have a dual role.

The commission will provide advice to the Bartlett Government on planning policy matters and take over the independent decision-making functions previously carried out by the Resource Planning and Development Commission.

State Planning Minister, David Llewellyn, says the government has ensured the new body will be immune from political interference by ensuring it maintains the independence of the Resource Planning and Development Commission. Mr Llewellyn says the legislation also clearly separates the Planning Commission’s decision-making and policy roles.

The new body is being resourced by amalgamating the staff of the Resource Planning and Development Commission and the Land Use Planning Branch of the Department of Justice.

Mr Llewellyn says the Tasmanian Planning Commission stemmed from a 2008 review of the state’s planning system.

He says the existing planning system is basically sound, but the new commission is an important part of the government’s plan to create a more contemporary system.

Mr Llewellyn says the government has to keep abreast of development pressures so Tasmania’s future growth areas can be coordinated with infrastructure requirements to achieve sustainable outcomes, including protection of natural resources.

[ top ]

Conferences & Events

22.  Management of bushfire risk to bridges to be discussed at national conference

Bushfire risk management is just one of the many topics that will be featured at the 3rd Australian Small Bridges Conference, to be held in Sydney from July 7 to 8, 2009.

Main Roads Western Australia’s Peter Newhouse will examine the bushfire damage to bridges, case studies of bridges damaged or destroyed in recent years in WA and will outline strategies that can be adopted to minimise the risk to bridges from bushfires.

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

Pedestrian bridges and elevated boardwalks are a particular feature of this year’s conference, including aesthetics and structural innovations in pedestrian bridge design.

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.

Speakers include: Marc Buonomo, Senior Vice-President - Steel Work Division, EIFFEL (Groupe EIFFAGE), France; Dan Tingley Ph.D., P.Eng, Senior Engineer, Wood Research and Development Ltd, USA; as well as many Australian speakers drawn from councils, state road authorities, consultants and contractors.

The conference is to be held from 7 to 8 at Darling Harbour, Sydney. An early bird rate is available for those that book now.

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

 

[ top ]