Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Local Government joins nationwide Centenary of Federation celebration
In 2001 Australia celebrates its 100th anniversary as a nation. The celebrations for the Centenary of Federation will feature activities and projects involving all Australians. Many of the celebrations will involve local Councils and Shires.

Court on the cusp of history
Corowa Shire is proud of its history as the 'Birthplace of Federation'. Situated in south west New South Wales along the Murray River, Corowa has a population of 5,300 people. It was in 1893 that Sir John Quick put forward a motion at a conference in the Corowa Court House that paved the way towards the federation of the Australian States.

Editorial
Not only are communities looking to Local Government to deliver a range of services vital to their quality of life, they are also wanting Councils to demonstrate leadership and advocacy on their behalf. Councils are ideally placed to draw stakeholders together to address various community matters, including economic developmentå, environmental management and social issues.

President's comment
Each edition we feature the views of a Local Government Association President. The following is from Councillor Peter Woods, President New South Wales Local Government Association.

A mark in time with Stonnington Heritage Trail
On the eve of the celebration of Federation the community of Stonnington has been asked to turn their minds to contemplating those significant people, places and events that have contributed to making the City what it is today.

Win a first for Local Government
For the first time in the Award's history, a member of Local Government has taken out the New South Wales Award for Public Sector Accountant of the Year.

Huon Valley waters run clean
Marine scientists have given one of Australia's most lucrative fish farming production sites an environmental all clear. They have called for an environmental monitoring strategy to guide the long term use of Tasmania's famous Huon Estuary.

Putting all the parts together
Griffith City Council, in central New South Wales, is developing a fully integrated growth strategy plan for the next 30 years.This is a comprehensive and integrated 30 year land use, infrastructure and financial plan.

Council and community celebrates win
How often we forget that capacity building at the local level is achieved by maximising local advantages and having the people on the ground to connect the dots. The same problem surfaces overseas, which is why numerous development agencies in Europe and the USA are busy facilitating the development of industry clusters &endash; each specialising in building on the inherent advantages of their local communities.

Getting off the sheepıs back &endash; a Kiwi perspective
Keynote speaker at the 'Future of Country Towns' conference at Bendigo on 28-30 June, Ifor Williams' mission is to raise awareness of the role that clusters can apply in economic and community development .

Renmark to highlight the economic potential of regional South Australia
The District Council of Renmark Paringa, in collaboration with the State Government of South Australia, is organising a National Conference titled 'Economic Potential of Regional South Australia and its Impact on the National Economy". To be staged on 18-20 October 2000, the theme is 'Regional Australia - Shaping the 21st Century'.

Competitive Internet services for Orana
Councils and communities in the Orana region of New South Wales have combined forces to obtain excellent Internet Service Provision (ISP) at competitive prices.

Coffs Harbour takes out Prime Ministerıs Environment Award
A range of planning measures and environmental initiatives introduced in recent years, has led to Coffs Harbour City Council winning the Sustainable Communities Award in the inaugural Prime Minister's Environment Awards.

International Cities and Town Centres Conference
The International Cities and Town Centres Conference will be staged in Hobart from 3-6 September 2000. As the second oldest city in Australia, Tasmania's capital offers a great blend of heritage, lifestyle, scenery and vibrant culture.

Penrith seizes Olympic opportunity
The golden opportunity of the Olympics has been seized by Penrith City Council with the launch of its biggest bid yet to market Penrith Valley to the world.

SurfLink
SurfLink Corporate Services is a business unit of the Surf Coast Shire formed in 1995. SurfLink has developed software for its own application and now markets and distributes this throughout Australia. The software business unit is a strategic alliance between SurfLink and Icon Global Solutions P/L.

Council offices become an art gallery
When Meander Valley Council consolidated its customer service at Westbury it decided to upgrade the public areas and, at the same time, provide a display space for artwork created by its talented community.

City welcomes young people
A few years ago the City of Melbourne seriously considered banning skating and skateboarding in the central activities district. Instead the SkateSafe Program was introduced. This program has improved safety, decreased property damage, increased access opportunities and encouraged young people to use and enjoy the city.

Community development a boon for Brighton
As part of a region identified as 'Australia's lowest level of well being', Brighton Council's Bridgewater Gagebrook Urban Renewal project (BURP) developed a number of community based strategies to improve the quality of life, community pride and the self esteem of people living in the area.

Community input vital in planning
Providing opportunities, infrastructure, and services to support their community in the face of change was a considerable hurdle for Victoria's Baw Baw Shire Council. Forty five percent of the Shire's population live in townships of less than 500 people. This means that a blanket prescription would not necessarily provide for the unique needs of the small, scattered, communities.

Making information accessible
Knox City Council has become only the second Victorian Council to make ratepayer information available in audio format for people who cannot read standard print. Council now has its quarterly newsletter Horizons available on CD, as well as information on waste and recycling services and rates.

ACTIVE AUSTRALIA is a national initiative to encourage more Australians to be physically active and to create better places to be active. Within Active Australia, three networks have been developed to improve the delivery of sport and physical activity to the community.

• Local Councils are key providers of programs, services and facilities within the community, and many have sport and recreation officers who work with clubs and schools in their council regions.
• Clubs and organisations provide opportunities for sport and physical activity for members of the community.
• Schools provide the opportunities for young Australians to develop positive attitudes and behaviours to be active for life.

There have been many exciting developments for Active Australia over the last year. This supplement focuses on Active Australia in local Councils, outlining the opportunities available under this exciting national initiative. Also highlighted are some of the achievements and activities of the many local groups and organisations embracing Active Australia.

Active Australia Local Government Network
Councils in the Active Australia Local Government Network are committed to improving the quality of the sport, recreation and physical activity opportunities available to their communities. Over 400 councils in Australia have become members of the network or have registered their interest in the network. Many are instigating some interesting initiatives.

Opening doors at the City of Salisbury
The City of Salisbury's Growing for Gold program is central to helping sporting clubs and recreation centres achieve the goals of Active Australia. Growing for Gold encourages children and their parents to visit local clubs and to try sports free of charge.

Active Australia Local Government pilot projects
In recognition of the contribution Councils can make to Active Australia, the National Office of Local Government and the Australian Sports Commission funded 15 Active Australia Local Government Network members to carry out Active Australia projects.

Raising the money
When the Shire of Katanning in regional WA decided to develop a regional standard sport and recreation facility in 1994, it was faced with a difficulty familiar to most Councils &emdash; how to raise the $1.1 million needed to complete the project.

Councils feature in campaign to boost Active Australia
An extensive Active Australia promotional campaign to support the sport and recreation industry and to help build on the legacy of the Sydney Olympics has started. The year 2000 presents the sport and recreation sectors with possibly their best ever marketing opportunity to capture and retain public interest.

Proactive Council wins Active Australia Award
Salisbury City Council in South Australia, one of the most proactive Councils in the Active Australia Local Government Network, won the Local Government section of the 1999 Active Australia Awards.

Volunteers
The Volunteer Involvement Program was first released in 1993 aiming to encourage and support sport and recreation organisations to develop, promote and embrace excellence in volunteer management policies.

Active Australia Day
Sunday, 29 October 2000
Active Australia Day is part of the national Active Australia initiative. The Day provides a great opportunity for Councils to demonstrate their support for active communities by providing an avenue for sport and physical activity providers to link with potential members.

Harassment-free sport strategy
Unfortunately, no area of society is immune from the problems of harassment and abuse. That includes sport &endash; even sport at the community level.