Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

A message from the Minister

It is with great pleasure that I welcome readers to the first issue of A National Perspective. Produced by the National Office of Local Government (NOLG), this quarterly newsletter will highlight some of the key areas in which local government is working towards the achievement of national priorities.

A National Perspective will focus primarily on projects funded under the Local Government Development Program (LGDP), a strategic Commonwealth program that promotes reforms and greater efficiency and effectiveness in local government. It seeks to improve local government's contribution to the social, cultural and economic well-being of the community, particularly in regional Australia.

Projects funded under the LGDP span a wide range of council responsibilities including micro-economic reform, regional development, provision of services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and environmental management.

Australia's Guide to Good Residential Design is one example of the many outstanding projects funded under the LGDP. The Guide assists individuals, councils and local communities in understanding the important principles underlying good design, both in how we build and in the way we use land.

Most of the ideas that the Program fosters come directly from the councils themselves or from regional organisations of councils, local government representative organisations, or agencies responsible for local government issues within State and Territory government infrastructures.

Local government's importance in helping to achieve national priorities should not be overlooked and I urge everyone with an interest in local government to take this opportunity to look at the many projects appearing in this newsletter over the coming months.

The following articles are also included in this edition or go BACK to the main page: