Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Setting the Agenda for our community, for our future...

Senator Robert Hill and Senator Ian Macdonald are working together to assist Local Government in meeting the challenge of implementing ecologically sustainable development at the local level.

In 1992 the United Nations launched a ground breaking action plan called Agenda 21 that encourages actions everyone can take to contribute to global sustainability in the 21st century. The process to achieve this is called Local Agenda 21.

Local Agenda 21 encourages Local Government to promote local environmental, social and economic sustainability by translating the principles of sustainable development into strategies that can be implemented at the local level.

In November 1999, Senator Hill, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, launched Our Community Our Future: A Guide to Local Agenda 21, which is an important resource to assist Councils in implementing Local Agenda 21.

The launch was held at a reception at Parliament House and coincided with the National General Assembly of the Australian Local Government Association. Over 60 elected members and senior managers attended the reception to launch Our Community Our Future, demonstrating the increasing interest in Local Agenda 21.

Local Governments across the world have embraced the principles of Local Agenda 21, including a strong network of Councils in Australia.

Senator Hill encouraged Local Government to become more informed about Local Agenda 21 and to start a dialogue with their communities to progress the objectives of sustainable development in local communities. The Guide will be an invaluable resource to assist local and regional organisations take up the challenge of ecologically sustainable development.

It provides a framework that allows Local Government to move from political support for sustainability principles to the implementation of management structures and activities that put the principles into practice.

The framework is intended to recognise and assist Local Government in its role as a local leader in sustainable development. The Government sees the launch of the Local Agenda 21 Guide as providing the basis for this framework and will be working with Local Government associations through the Environment Resource Officer (ERO) in each State and Territory.

Since the launch, there has been considerable interest from Councils across Australia. Further information on Local Agenda 21 is available through the ERO in your Local Government Association and from Environment Australia.

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