 Third award for pump lift
George Town Council in Tasmania has again been recognised for its development of an innovative
lifting device. The device, a pump lifter, achieved Bronze status in the category of Best Solution to an Identified Workplace Health and Safety Issue at last year’s Workplace Safety Awards. It also received a commendation in the National Awards for Innovation late last year.
New regional centre for Cockburn
Cockburn City Council is working with the Western Australian Department of Planning and Infrastructure to build a major new regional centre south west of Perth. The centre, to be known as Cockburn Central, is now formally included in the Western Australian Government’s Metropolitan Region Scheme.
Award winning DCP focuses on sustainable development
The incorporation of ecological sustainable development (ESD) principles into the newly revised Residential Development Control Plan (DCP) by Manly City Council has brought positive and innovative results. With legislative amendments in the late 1990s incorporating economic sustainable development and the adoption of the Manly Sustainability Strategy in 1998, Council undertook a review of its 1986 Residential DCP.
Campbelltown turfs out traditional sprinklers to create a level playing field
South Australia’s Campbelltown City Council has installed a revolutionary underground drip irrigation system in one of its sporting fields to save water and create a more even playing surface. The installation by Greene Eden Watering Systems will also be used in other areas in the City.
Bayside says no to plastic bags
Bayside City Council hopes to keep its beaches clean by asking local retailers and shoppers to cut the use of plastic bags by refusing, reducing, re-using and recycling. Bayside is an ambassador for the national ‘Bag Yourself a Better Environment’ campaign, which is aimed at keeping plastic bags out of the waste stream.
Overseas engineers join Boroondara project
The City of Boroondara in Melbourne has given nine overseas engineers a unique look at Local Government in Australia, through a 12 week work placement within Council’s Infrastructure Department Faced with the daunting task of assessing and recording the location and condition of more than 30,000 road signs, Council decided to borrow some expertise from further afield.
Bankstown cuts greenhouse gas emissions and saves money
By Rochelle Fernandez *
A sea change in attitude to energy efficiency is underway and a growing number of Local Government bodies are joining in this historic shift. Just a few years ago most organisations, public and private, considered concerns about energy use’s environmental impact as ‘something for the future’.
Monitor and maintain great road quality
with IRIS-2000 *
Amskan Ltd have recently introduced a range of asset management tools, which will be of considerable interest to Local Government managers responsible for local road and footpath quality and construction maintenance and management. The Amskan IRIS-2000 is a portable, self contained instrument for measuring the International Roughness Index (IRI) of existing road assets, or of newly completed road construction work.
North Sydney Council leading the way in environmental responsibility
Containing one of Australia’s larger CBDs, the North Sydney Council area is rapidly becoming an environmental case study in its own right. Through its own initiatives and partnerships with organisations such as the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) and The Wilderness Society, North Sydney Council is set to lead the way in Local Government environmental responsibility.
Council drives road safety campaign
The City of Greater Dandenong has become a driving force in slowing local traffic since Victorian speed limits were reduced two years ago. After the default speed limit in residential areas was cut to 50 kph, Council’s Slow Means Safe campaign led to the number of casualty accidents on Dandenong’s 50 kph roads dropping by 25 per cent – nearly double the State average.
Local streets, schools and speeding
The City of Greater Dandenong has developed a safety kit for 55 local schools, after parents expressed concern about their children’s safety near school crossings, main roads and bus stops. Schools reported that vehicles were speeding and driving in inappropriate places, endangering school children, parents, teachers and other road users.
Gosnells wins the fight against crime
The City of Gosnells in Western Australia has received two Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Certificates of Merit for its SafeCity Urban Design Strategy. The strategy was launched after a Space Syntax study by the University College of London and Murdoch University, which Council believes was the largest urban crime study ever undertaken in the southern hemisphere.
Making rubbish light work
The City of Whittlesea, in Melbourne’s north, has developed a litter eating machine by adding its own snorkel vacuum system and litter catch cage to a standard Gator vehicle. It can cruise wide median strips and road reserves to clean up rubbish at more than twice the rate of someone on foot. Council’s Director of Engineering, Richard Young, said the Litter Gator easily patrolled more than 240km of roadsides a week, instead of the 145km usually covered by a standard vehicle.
Rental the secret of Casey’s success
At the City of Casey, in Melbourne’s south east,
the road maintenance unit has been expanding its business operations by relying more heavily
on hired equipment and the services offered by the Cat Rental Store at Hallam.
Woollahra developers fined
Woollahra Council has successfully prosecuted three builders for water pollution offences under the New South Wales Protection of the Environment Act.
Without my car!
The UK Experience by Malcolm Morley *
On 22 September 2002 over 1,400 towns and cities from
38 countries throughout Europe participated in the In Town, Without My Car! day, resulting in town centre streets being closed to cars and lorries. Started in England in 1995, and soon adopted throughout Europe, streets took on a new life for people to enjoy walking, cycling, street theatre, live music, dancing, public art and children’s play areas. With huge support from the public, it has proved to be one of the more popular traffic initiatives and is seen as part of a vision for town centres less dominated by cars and lorries.
Palmerston pet plan has tails wagging
Dogs and residents in Darwin’s Palmerston City Council are living in harmony, thanks to several initiatives from Council’s volunteer Animal Management Committee. The Committee was formed to create a better quality of life for Palmerston’s 25,000 residents and 5,200 registered dogs.
Paying by phone parking trial
The City of Subiaco, in collaboration with iTouch Australia Pty Ltd, is conducting a six month trial of a hi-tech parking payment system. The inner city Perth Council has developed iPark, which allows motorists to prepay for their parking with a mobile phone. Each vehicle is issued with a barcode to be placed inside the windscreen, so parking inspectors can check their status.
International speakers heading to Hobart for national Public Works Engineering Conference
An impressive list of national and international speakers will lead what promises to be an excellent IPWEA 2003 National Conference in Hobart from 24-28 August.
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