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The Federal Government is calling for public input into creating a regional data hub to better inform local leaders and regional communities. The proposed hub will 鈥渋mprove the evidence base for regional communities, local leaders, industry and all levels of government by bringing together key economic, demographic and socio-economic data to provide easy access to+
Posted 28 May, 2021 -
Six new Bureau of Meteorology staff will be deployed to Townsville, where the Australian Climate Service (ACS) is being based. Announcing the ACS’s home, Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said the new staff (supported by the BOM鈥檚 Brisbane office) will provide 24/7 on-ground support to Emergency Management Australia, local disaster management groups, and Queensland Fire+
Posted 28 May, 2021 -
First-round applications for a share of $4.5 million being offered under the Networks to Build Drought Resilience program opened this week. The program is part of the Commonwealth鈥檚 $5 billion Future Drought Fund and is intended to support the community organisations, networks, and infrastructure that help people and communities prepare for, and survive, drought. The+
Posted 28 May, 2021 -
Future places of refuge for threatened species will set up and protected under a new biodiversity blueprint unveiled last week. The Threatened Species Strategy 2021-31 will also look at 鈥渁ssisted colonisation鈥� for populations whose local environments are impacted by changing climate, and will pursue a coordinated approach to culling feral pest animals and weeds that+
Posted 28 May, 2021 -
The national Covid-19 vaccination program for residents in aged care facilities is nearly complete, and the focus is now shifting to aged care workers. The Federal Department of Health has advised that aged care workers are able to get their Covid-19 vaccination now, in line with medical advice. Aged care workers under 50 years will+
Posted 28 May, 2021 -
The City of Melbourne鈥檚 response to 鈥渟ignificant transport challenges鈥� in the CBD has been recognised with a major planning award. The council鈥檚 Transport Strategy 2030 received the Best Planning Ideas 鈥� Large Projects award at the 2021 National Awards for Planning Excellence convened by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA). Judges commended the city for+
Posted 28 May, 2021 -
A further $12.6 million is being provided by the Federal Government to expand the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation Program. The funding will allow for the renovation, building or purchase of accommodation to support women and children experiencing family and domestic violence in Cairns and Logan-Beaudesert in Queensland, and Albany, West Pilbara, and the Goldfields in+
Posted 28 May, 2021 -
Funding of $39.8 million has been announced for projects under the Women鈥檚 Leadership and Development Program (WLDP). The money will go toward supporting a variety of opportunities intended to 鈥渂reak down work barriers and enable women to advance in their chosen careers or professsion鈥�. Five key areas, including job creation, economic security, workforce participation, leadership,+
Posted 28 May, 2021 -
A webinar exploring the UN-recognised carbon removal technology of biochar using pyrolysis and gasification is being held next week. Convened by the ANZ Biochar Industry Group (ANZBIG), the webinar will be of interest to local councils that want to make their biochar project more viable through voluntary carbon removal credits. The International Carbon Drawdown in+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
Councils are being encouraged to nominate their most effective crime mitigation projects for the Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards. Projects or initiatives that reduce violence and other types of crime in the community are all eligible to be nominated for the awards. They can relate to specific groups such as rural and remote communities,+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
Your 51暗网has a new chief executive officer, Matt Pinnegar 鈥� who takes up his new role when the National General Assembly of Local Government gets underway next month. Many of you probably already know Matt, who is the current CEO of the Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA). Matt has seen the LGASA+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
West Australian councils have raised concerns about more recyclables ending up in landfill when a federal export ban on some waste plastics comes into force in July. The state鈥檚 biggest recycling plant, operated by Cleanaway in suburban Guildford, burned down in late 2019 and is scheduled to re-open just days before stage one of the+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
A new organisation to 鈥渓ead efforts鈥� to eliminate plastic in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands was launched in Sydney this week. The ANZPAC Plastics Pact comprises 60 founding members from across the plastics supply chain, including corporations, packaging manufacturers and retailers, resource recovery leaders, governments, and NGOs. Its members have pledged to work+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
Matt Pinnegar has been appointed the next chief executive officer of the 51暗网, succeeding retiring CEO Adrian Beresford-Wylie. Mr Pinnegar is currently CEO of the Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA). Before taking the helm at LGASA in 2015, Mr Pinnegar was the external affairs manager for BP in South Australia+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
The Morrison Government鈥檚 free-spending Budget marks a major departure from previous economic policy, but one that鈥檚 right for the times, says Danielle Wood. 鈥淚 call it the ‘jump-start the economy strategy’,鈥� the Grattan Institute CEO said this week. 鈥淧ush hard to try and ignite wage growth, get people into jobs, and hopefully the momentum builds+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
Three joint council waste management authorities in Adelaide will get about $15 million in federal funding to invest in new recycling projects. The Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) will get $7.92 million to put towards a $12 million paper and cardboard beneficiation plant in Edinburgh able to process more than 40,000 tonnes of fibre+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
National Road Safety Week 2021 was launched in Adelaide this week at an event attended by Safer Australian Roads and Highway (SARAH) Group founder Peter Fraser. SARAH partners with road safety organisations and governments in efforts to reduce road trauma, and founded National Road Safety Week in 2013 鈥� a year after Mr Fraser鈥檚 daughter+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
Road transport and infrastructure funding will decrease in real terms from 2021-22 to 2024-25 with the end of the $3 billion Road Safety program in sight. The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) says its analysis of the 2021-22 Budget papers shows the Government is predicting a 鈥渄ecrease of 9.7 percent in real terms鈥� in road transport+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
Regional Drought Resilience Planning programs financed by the Future Drought Fund have been launched in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, and the ACT. These will bring together local governments, regional organisations, communities, and industry to prepare for future drought risks by developing regional drought resilience plans. Based on the premise that no two regions are the+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
Further assistance has been activated under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements for Western Australia communities impacted by Tropical Cyclone Seroja. Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements had already been activated in the immediate aftermath of Seroja, but Category C and Category D measures have now been added. This assistance will fund a clean-up program and community+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
Government intervention to help address labour shortages and build resilience will help struggling Victorian tourism destinations, a new report says. The Black Summer Bushfires and the coronavirus pandemic wiped $19.5 billion in visitor spending from the Victoria economy, the report found, with two-thirds of tourism operators losing between 75-100 percent of their income. Lead researcher+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
A new guide to help local government infrastructure managers choose suitably climate-resilient building materials has been published. Though aimed primarily at NSW local governments and developers, the guide will have national application as well, according to Institution of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) CEO David Jenkins. The Climate Resilience Design Guide is intended to assist+
Posted 21 May, 2021 -
It was wonderful to see strong bipartisan backing for local government鈥檚 ability to create jobs and lead economic recovery this week, as part of the Federal Budget and the Opposition Leader鈥檚 Budget in Reply speech. The direct wins for local government from the Morrison Government鈥檚 third Budget included: $1 billion in new funding to extend+
Posted 14 May, 2021 -
The Australian Building Codes Board is inviting public comment on the development of the 2022 edition of the National Construction Code. Some of the more significant amendments developed for the next edition of the NCC, and covered in this first of a two-stage release of content for public comment, include: Draft provisions relating to accessible+
Posted 13 May, 2021 -
The City of Darwin council has taken out the top award at this year鈥檚 Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) National Awards for Excellence in Technology. The city won the Australian Achievement of the Year Category (and the Smart City Achievement of the Year category) for its myDarwin Support Local Program. This discount voucher program, launched+
Posted 13 May, 2021 -
A new safety campaign has been launched to reduce the number of dangerously loaded trucks operating on NSW regional roads. The Load Restraint Public Education Campaign was initiated by the Parkes, Forbes, and Lachlan Shire Councils and includes new 鈥渉ow-to鈥� load restraint videos and factsheets, a social media awareness campaign, and a series of load+
Posted 13 May, 2021 -
Public consultations on the development of the 10-year National Children’s Education and Care Workforce Strategy (2021-30) are now open. And the Australian Children鈥檚 Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) is encouraging anyone working in early childhood to: read the consultation document; and provide feedback through an online survey. Feedback will support the development of the+
Posted 13 May, 2021 -
The Federal Government鈥檚 waste and recycling funding initiatives from Tuesday鈥檚 Budget have drawn a mostly favourable response from stakeholders. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced $77.9 million in new investments to reduce waste impacts on the environment, with $67 million of that to be directed to new food organic and garden organic waste (FOGO) initiatives. A Food+
Posted 13 May, 2021 -
Rockhampton Regional Council鈥檚 bid to lure Alliance Airlines to its regional airport has been boosted with a $25 million Community Development Program grant. Tuesday鈥檚 Federal Budget committed $25 million (under the Community Development Grants Program) towards the construction of a maintenance repair and overhaul facility at Rockhampton airport for Alliance鈥檚 use, a move which could+
Posted 13 May, 2021 -
The regions have been major winners from this week鈥檚 Federal Budget with significant initiatives aimed at sharpening their appeal as places to live and work. Issues of disaster resilience and water security in regional areas have also been addressed with new money, including $50 million in co-funding for 22 projects under the National Flood Mitigation+
Posted 13 May, 2021 -
Local governments are being encouraged to partner with the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) to improve cyber resilience across the national economy. The ACSC is the lead Commonwealth agency on efforts to enhance national cybersecurity. In 2020, the centre鈥檚 ReportCyber online portal received around 57,000 cybercrime reports with losses of almost $357 million, with reports+
Posted 13 May, 2021 -
The MyGov and MyHealth government portals will receive $500 million enhancements under the Federal Government’s $1.2 billion digital economy strategy. Tuesday鈥檚 Federal Budget contained more detail about the strategy, including a $200 million myGov overhaul and a $302 million investment in My Health Record and the GovPass digital identity initiative. More than $50 million will+
Posted 13 May, 2021 -
The Federal Government has pledged to release $50 million from the Emergency Response Fund for use in mitigation projects. The commitment came via the Government鈥檚 response to the Senate inquiry into lessons to be learned in relation to the preparation and planning for, response to, and recovery efforts following the 2019-20 Australian bushfires. The Finance+
Posted 11 May, 2021 -
Newcastle Airport鈥檚 runway will be upgraded with Federal funding of $66 million to allow longer-range domestic and international services. The runway is owned, operated, and controlled by the RAAF (as the Williamtown airbase), but also serves the Newcastle Airport jointly owned by Newcastle City Council and Port Stephens Council. The Commonwealth funding, announced in the+
Posted 11 May, 2021 -
In tonight鈥檚 Federal Budget, local governments welcome that the Morrison Federal Government has listened to ALGA鈥檚 advocacy, investing in local government in response to our calls for a locally-led economic recovery for Australia. The Federal Budget includes several wins for Australian councils and our communities, including: Community Infrastructure New funding for $1 billion towards Local+
Posted 11 May, 2021 -
This year鈥檚 Federal Budget further recognises Local Government’s essential role in supporting local communities, employment and businesses. It also addresses many of the priority issues that 51暗网has been advocating and campaigning for over many years. The level of Financial Assistance Grants is estimated to be 0.6 percent of Commonwealth taxation revenue. This is unchanged+
Posted 11 May, 2021 -
Local governments provide a vast array of services, functions, and amenities according to individual state government legislative frameworks. Last night’s Federal Budget contained measures of varying relevance to local governments, depending on their jurisdiction or location. They include (with Budget Paper references): Home Ownership 鈥� First Home Super Saver Scheme (BP2 P17) and First Home+
Posted 11 May, 2021 -
A Sydney baseball club, the Ryde Hawks, has become the first of 110 local sporting organisations to enlist in a national waste reduction program. Greening the Green is a 12-week initiative to encourage sporting groups to collect soft plastics and beverage containers through the placement of specific bins placed in high areas. The soft plastics+
Posted 7 May, 2021 -
The regulation and supervision of local government in Western Australia need to be more forward-looking, a new report by the state’s auditor-general advises. The Office of the Auditor-General says that despite a significant local government reform agenda in recent years, the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries is not providing efficient and effective+
Posted 7 May, 2021 -
Prototypes of two new satellite data tools to map burnt areas and flood extents are expected to be available by July. Developed by Geoscience Australia鈥檚 Digital Earth Australia program, the tools will support emergency management efforts across the country. The new tools are intended to complement Geoscience Australia鈥檚 existing national bushfire monitoring tool, DEA Hotspots.+
Posted 7 May, 2021 -
Local Governments have until 10 June to notify the Department of Foreign Affairs of non-core foreign arrangements entered into on or before 9 March. Under the Foreign Arrangements Scheme that began last December, Local Governments have (since 10 March) been required to: notify the Minister when proposing to enter into any non-core foreign arrangements; and+
Posted 7 May, 2021 -
The Federal Parliamentary committee inquiring into matters affecting regional Australia will hold a public hearing in the Tumut region on 14 May. The chairman of the Select Committee on Regional Australia, Tony Pasin MP, said public hearings had interrupted by the pandemic. 鈥淸But] we鈥檙e excited to be hitting the road again to meet and hear+
Posted 7 May, 2021 -
In response to sustained local government advocacy, I鈥檓 so pleased to welcome the Federal Government鈥檚 announcement this week of a properly funded National Recovery and Resilience Agency by July, with former NT Chief Minister Shane Stone as its coordinator-General. Disaster funding must go beyond recovery and reconstruction to embrace mitigation and resilience measures and, this+
Posted 7 May, 2021 -
The Victorian Government will look at the 鈥渂ehaviour and culture鈥� of local councils with a view to strengthening respect, integrity, and trust across the sector. The review will be overseen by Local Government Victoria and will 鈥渂e undertaken by a research institute, academic or person with appropriate skills and experience from the sector鈥�. The Minister+
Posted 7 May, 2021 -
A new strategy setting out how Adelaide councils could divert more food waste from landfills, potentially saving $6.8 million annually, has been published. The Green Industries SA strategy, Valuing our Food Waste, is part of the South Australian Government’s pivot towards a circular economy. It integrates policy measures, behavioural change actions, and support for industry+
Posted 7 May, 2021 -
A new federal agency will support local community responses to major natural disasters and administer a $600 million 鈥淧reparing Australia Program鈥�. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the new program will enable the Commonwealth to directly fund disaster mitigation and risk-reduction projects. These projects will include flood levees, hardened telecommunications infrastructure, and bushfire and cyclone-proof housing.+
Posted 6 May, 2021 -
The Morrison Government will earmark an additional $250 million for a Sixth Round of Building Better Regions Fund in next week鈥檚 Federal Budget. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack made the announcement in a speech at Rockhampton on Wednesday, where he thanked local government for the job 鈥測ou are doing on behalf of your local communities鈥�.+
Posted 6 May, 2021 -
Insurance costs for flood and cyclone-prone communities in northern Australia are expected to fall when a reinsurance pool is set up next year. Announcing the initiative this week, the Federal Government said insurance premiums for households, strata, and small businesses north of the Tropic of Capricorn should drop by a combined $1.5 billion over 10+
Posted 6 May, 2021 -
Federal and state Building Ministers have agreed that the National Construction Code 2022 will include minimum accessibility provisions for housing. The Ministers, who met last week, said the provisions for residential housing and apartments will be based on the Liveable Housing Design Guidelines (LHDG) silver standards. This will mean all new homes will have to+
Posted 6 May, 2021 -
Planning is well underway for the Water Management Conference 2021 convened by Local Government NSW and its co-host, the Narrabri Shire Council. The theme for this year鈥檚 conference is Building Resilience and Capability, with the agenda covering all aspects of water management including water supply, sewerage services, and more. The event is being staged at+
Posted 30 April, 2021 -
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg鈥檚 revelation that next month鈥檚 federal Budget will contain further fiscal stimulus and job-creation initiatives is great news for our sector. As the national focus shifts to creating the infrastructure and jobs needed to sustain a more dynamic and prosperous Australia, 51暗网will be stepping up its campaign for funding from the Commonwealth+
Posted 30 April, 2021 -
The Federal and Victorian governments are investing a combined $24 million in Australia鈥檚 first drum pulper to recycle mixed waste paper and cardboard. To be installed at a Visy paper mill in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, the drum pulper will process an additional 95,000 tonnes of kerbside waste for manufacture into a range of paper products,+
Posted 29 April, 2021