Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

CDEP non negotiable

The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has welcomed a Federal Government assurance that the Community Development Employment Program – which is of vital importance for Australia’s 90 Aboriginal Councils – is not under threat. The Community Development Employment Program has been in operation throughout Australia since 1976. This program was introduced to give Aboriginal people a chance to gain skills to further their employment prospects as well as deliver vital services within many remote communities.

Intergovernmental agreement vital to addressing cost shifting

The Federal Local Government, Territories and Roads Minister, Jim Lloyd, and the President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), Councillor Paul Bell, have pledged to work together to achieve a new deal for Local Government over the next two years. Minister Lloyd and Councillor Bell met in Canberra in February to discuss how the ALGA and the Australian Government can work more closely to achieve an intergovernmental agreement (IGA).

Editorial

Local Governments are leading the charge to reduce greenhouse emissions despite the Federal Government refusing to ratify the Kyoto Agreement. From July 1999 to June 2004, under the programs such as Cities for Climate Protection (CCP), 131 Local Governments have achieved 2,981,541 tonnes of carbon dioxide abatement. The Australian branch of International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) has been working with Councils large and small to achieve this reduction. World wide, under the ICLEI banner, more than 500 Local Governments are now involved in Cities for Climate Protection to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The number of Australian Councils involved in this program is clear evidence, that at the government level, Local Government is certainly doing its part.

President’s comment

In each edition we feature the views of a Local Government Association President. The following is from Councillor Geoff Lake, President of the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV).

2005 LGMA National Congress

Paul Arnold, General Manager of Burnie City Council, Tasmania and Local Government Managers Australia (LGMA) National President, invites colleagues from around Australia to join him at Australia’s only national conference designed by and for Local Government professionals.

Mega skate park for Bondi Beach

In February, International guest skaters joined locals to celebrate the opening of Waverley Council’s new skate park, Bowl-A-Rama, which is located almost on the sand at Bondi Beach. Waverley Council decided to build the $800,000 skate park, one of the biggest in Sydney, after extensive consultation with skaters and the local community.

Japanese visit highlights Fremantle’s delivery of its aged care services

A delegation from Japan’s Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Cooperative Union visited the City of Fremantle in February. Community Services Manager, Joanne Lorraine, said this visit provided valuable insights into how older people are cared for in Australia.

Volunteers set a blooming good example

Residents and visitors to Angaston in the beautiful Barossa Valley could not have missed how well gardens have been maintained over the spring and summer months. This is all due to the untiring volunteer work of members of the Angaston Garden Society Inc.

Reserve Bank buys into infrastructure debate

The Good Oil by Rod Brown*
Reserve Bank Governor, Ian Macfarlane, has warned Australians that the days of booming economic growth and low interest rates are over. He told the House of Representatives Economics Committee in mid February that Australians need to brace for a double whammy of lower growth and higher interest rates. Most interestingly, the Reserve Bank has put its oar in about the lack of investment in infrastructure, based on the capacity constraint argument with the Queensland port and NSW rail systems as examples.

International Local Government Asset Management Conference

25–26 May 2005
Melbourne Convention Centre (Latrobe Theatre)

In the past decade there has been a remarkable convergence of direction in many countries with community sustainability becoming the core strategic function of government. The critical role of asset management in planning for community sustainability has placed this task on the centre stage of the political landscape locally and globally, and everywhere in between.

Penrith supports work and family research

Penrith residents have become a part of a vital Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) research project on women, men, work and family. In February, Penrith City Council hosted HREOC focus groups led by Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Pru Goward, to ask local residents, both men and women, what they think about balancing paid work and caring for a family.

Learning the ropes at VLGA mayors weekend

In January, close to 40 mayors gathered for a weekend retreat in the Dandenong ranges outside Melbourne to learn the ropes of Local Government. This annual event organised by the Victorian Local Governance Association aims to help mayors elected in November get up to speed before their term begins in earnest.

Councillor profiles

A regular feature this month featuring two Councillors from Tasmania.

Community partnership leads to a cleaner, safer environment

South Australia’s Mid Murray Council, located within regions generally known as the Murray Mallee, Riverland and the Eastern Foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges boasts one of Australia’s great natural features, the River Murray. Following the amalgamation of four small Councils to form Mid Murray, the new Council found itself not only responsible for 220 kilometres of this magnificent waterway, but also 220 kilometres of prime recreational land – land that combined all of the complicated issues of intensive development with a vital resource and a sensitive natural environment.

Building tomorrow’s communities today

For its annual conference in February, Local Government Professionals (LGPro) chose the theme, Building Tomorrow’s Communities Today. With members across the Local Government professions in Victoria, once again the conference aimed to involve as many officers as possible through a series of streamed sessions and workshops.

LG Pro Awards focus on excellence in Victoria

Tunnels, buildings and a community development were among the winners at the 2005 Local Government Professionals Awards for Excellence announced last month.

Managing energy information across multiple Council sites *

Many Local Governments experience difficulties in managing and aggregating energy information across multiple Council sites. As the number of sites increase so too does the challenge of providing a variety of staff access to this information.

Socially Responsible Investment *

The GREENing of fixed interest
Local Government finance managers have been big supporters of the wave of collateralised debt obligation (CDO) issues that have been brought to the interest bearing securities market in recent years, attracted by the relatively high yields offered by the CDOs compared to their ratings bands. Another trend in Local Government financing is the adoption by Councils of Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) criteria, against which the suitability of investments is assessed not only on financial grounds, but with regard to their social and environmental aspects.

Councillors’ unpaid service

A recent survey by the Local Government Association of South Australia has shown that Councillors devote more than 73 hours a month of unpaid work in fulfilling their Council role. The commissioned survey of elected members also provides an insight into the demographics of South Australian Councillors. South Australia’s 751 Council members devote an average of 73 hours a month to community business. This translates into about 110 working days – or almost half a year – of voluntary service each year.

The Future of Local Government Summit 2005

7–8 June 2005
Melbourne Convention Centre (Latrobe Theatre)

A lack of sector wide planning and self determination, restricted access to a sustainable financial base, the relatively low appeal of Local Government as an employer, and the often -poor public perception of Local Government are all factors working to constrain or even threaten the future of the sector. While Local Government has variations in responsibilities and characteristics from region to region and country to country, there are certain basic functions that are relatively consistent across many First World nations.

Get involved – international conference on engaging communities

All levels of government have challenges ahead of them when it comes to effectively engaging communities around policy, decision making, and service delivery. Successful community engagement is increasingly important for government because communities want to have a direct input in decisions that matter to them.

Yarra Ranges puts performance online

An online performance management system introduced recently by Victoria’s Shire of Yarra Ranges is giving staff a new sense of clarity and ownership in their own performance development. Shire of Yarra Ranges Executive Organisational Development, Jill Colson, said that replacing the old paper based Word template performance management program with an online, software driven system was likely to deliver significant benefits over time.

Adaptive technology improves library access

Access to information, resources, and the Internet at Moreland City Council’s Coburg Library just got a whole lot easier for people with vision impairment. The library launched its newly acquired ‘adaptive technology’ – a range of resources and software to assist people with vision impairment to access information and library services.

Future directions in IT management

An interview with Ron Sanderson, Deputy General Manager at Brighton Council in Tasmania.

Maroochy Plan now accessible online

The Maroochy Plan 2000 has been in place since June 2000 and last year was included in Council’s web site. Town Planner, Phillip Roth, said that the web presence represents a fundamental shift for planning in Queensland with the introduction of the Integrated Planning Act (IPA), requiring all Local Governments to prepare an IPA compliant planning scheme.

IT2005 – call for papers

2005 sees the 8th Information Technology Conference for Local Government – IT2005, to be staged from 15–18 November in beautiful Coffs Harbour. The conference, hosted by Coffs Harbour City Council, provides a forum for Local Government managers and support staff to network, learn and exchange ideas.

Webcasting of Council meetings

Warringah Council’s fortnightly meetings at the Council Chambers in Dee Why will now be broadcast live over the Internet to increase public participation and access. The live broadcast – known as webcasting – will allow the community to watch the meeting from their homes or offices without the need to physically attend.

New computer system for fire prevention

Melton Shire Council has developed a new high tech computer system which is saving resources and giving a major boost to efficiency in fire prevention checks. The new system helps record and control potential fire risk sites around the Shire by Local Laws officers using laptop computers linked to GPS satellite systems.

Kiama’s SMS info@yourlibrary

Kiama residents in New South Wales can now SMS their library to get faster answers to their questions Kiama’s SMS info@your library is both a new service and new concept in information access.

WA portal launched

A whole of WA Local Government Portal has been launched by the Western Australian Local Government Association. As the latest milestone in the Linking Councils and Communities (LCC) program, the portal is the first online shared service that includes all WA Councils.

Local-e procurement for NSW Councils

New South Wales Councils now have the opportunity to purchase goods and services online using one program. Local-e Online Action for the NSW e-Procurement project is an initiative of the Local Government Association of NSW and the Shires Association of NSW (LGSA), in association with the Australian Government’s Networking the Nation (NTN) program.

Mobile mapping takes off at Noosa *

Mapping on hand held computers was first deployed by the Works Directorate of Noosa Council 12 months ago to manage the location and maintenance of infrastructure assets in the field. This exercise resulted in a 90 per cent reduction in paperwork and a 50 per cent cost saving over the traditional methods.

Assisting our remote communities with ICT

With many of the Northern Territory’s Local Governments being small, remote communities the latest information and communication technology (ICT) can greatly assist in overcoming isolation as well as enhance local services and governance practices.

Townsville access mapping

Townsville Access Mapping (TAM) is the newest addition to the suite of products available to residents and businesses. Townsville City Council was one of the first Local Governments in Australia to implement a Geographic Information System some 20 years ago. Council understood that representing information spatially in map format with associated databases would provide tremendous benefits to both its internal processes and the community.

Cashless parking now in Fremantle

Fremantle residents should no longer find themselves in the situation of being short of change when they need to pay for parking. A solution is now at hand for motorists to pay with their mobile phones. Western Australian company iPark Australia was awarded the contract to install the iPark cashless parking service in the City of Fremantle, which became operational last December.

Virtual planning at Doncaster

An online 3D presentation tool has proved to be a highly successful consultation and planning tool for Manningham Council in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. The online tool has been used during consultation for the major Doncaster Hill project.

Responding to the challenge

The UK Experience by Malcolm Morley*
Many Councils have recognised the reality of competition for talent and now offer salaries that make them more competitive in the marketplace. Increasingly they are using technology to help to change perceptions about themselves and to address the challenges of supply, retention, development and organisational culture change.

A dynamic and innovative growth Council

The City of Whittlesea is located on the metropolitan fringe 20 kilometres to the north of the Melbourne Central Business District. Covering an area of 487 square kilometres, geographically, this City is one of the largest municipalities in metropolitan Melbourne.

A wired Whittlesea

As a fast growing municipality, the City of Whittlesea has been vitally concerned that its residents and businesses can reap all the benefits of the information age. Council boasts an impressive record in using information technology and in recent years has won many awards for its work.

Planning excellence

In the next three to five years, the City of Whittlesea faces the exciting prospect of being Victoria’s fastest growing community. It is well placed to handle this due to its rigorous approach to forward planning.

One house, one job

As a major development corridor in Melbourne’s north, one of Whittlesea City Council’s commitments is to have at least one person in full time paid employment for every house built. With the area set to become the fastest growing region in Victoria this is an enormous challenge. To meet it, the City of Whittlesea has approved land for a new employment precinct in Cooper Street, which is ideally positioned near the newly opened Craigieburn Bypass, Melbourne airport and the inland rail port in Somerton.

Lots of people LEAPing

The City of Whittlesea’s seniors community is an extraordinarily active one, with dozens of seniors groups operating within the municipality. As well as the recreational opportunities offered by the groups themselves, Council has established the LEAP program for people aged over 55 years. LEAP stands for Let Everyone Actively Participate.

Bikes improve asset management

The use of old and new technology has saved the City of Whittlesea a great deal of time and money. Every two years, all footpaths need to be audited to ensure that they are not cracked or have sunk. Using officers on bicycles fitted with palm pilot computers and linked to a Global Positioning System (GPS) has improved the efficiency of the process.

GIS aids growth planning

State of the art technology has been applied in an innovative way by the City of Whittlesea to create the first draft of a master plan for Transit City Centres at Epping and South Morang. Geographic Information System (GIS) technology has been used to create three dimensional models of the entire plan.

30 year strategic plan for a growing community

Looking to a 30 year horizon, the City of Whittlesea has unveiled a strategic plan for the delivery of human services. Director Community Services, Ruth Spielman, said the strategic plan was the result of an unparalleled collaboration across close to 20 organisations delivering community services in the City.

Thomastown Library creates a community hub

Creating community hubs around libraries is a key part of the City of Whittlesea’s commitment to building strong, sustainable and connected communities. As part of this drive, in February Whittlesea Mayor, Councillor Sam Alessi, opened the new Thomastown Library and Community Centre.

A conference on community and leisure facilities – August 2005

Better Facilities – Stronger Communities, a conference focusing on community and leisure facilities, is to be held on 15 and 16 August 2005 at the Melbourne Park Function Centre. The aim of the conference is to explore best practice in facilities planning, design and management.

Many accolades for Victoria’s newest public golf course

The acclaimed and award winning Growling Frog Golf Course is a testament to the staff at the City of Whittlesea.

Innovative shot in the arm for food manufacturing

In a groundbreaking initiative, the City of Whittlesea has formed a Food Industry Cluster to help build up this important industry sector. The Food Industry Cluster aims to create networking opportunities for local food related businesses, and most importantly to save them money through collective purchasing of common services and stimulate growth through collaboration and a common purpose.

Community House promotes dignity and independence

The innovative Greenbrook Community House in Epping is designed to meet the social needs of people with a disability. Council’s Access Planner, Angela Armstrong-Wright, said the community house provides community space, leisure and recreation opportunities and a place for social interaction.

Building Chinese herbal medicine industry

In a first for Local Government in Australia, the City of Whittlesea is attempting to create a modern industry using some of the most ancient products in the world. Chinese Herbal Medicine has been used in China, Korea and other Asian Countries for thousands of years.