Community investment
The remote Aboriginal community of Santa Teresa (Ltyentye Apurte), Northern Territory (NT), has been named the 2019 winner of the Australian Sustainable Communities Tidy Town Award.
The waiting game - has it paid off?*
TechnologyOne Group Director - Local Government, Peter Suchting discuses the idea that: A slow initial uptake has positioned local government to leapfrog ahead on the cloud journey.
Meningie projects go ahead
Coorong District Council, South Australia, has given the go ahead for major upgrades to the Meningie North Jetty and an extension of the Murray Coorong Trail into Raukkan thanks to $1 million from the federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
National conference on infrastructure and asset management*
The 16th Infrastructure and Asset Management Conference will be held 6-7 June at Rydges Melbourne Hotel in Melbourne’s central business district and will continue the tradition of including inspiring speakers from around Australia and overseas.
Action against family violence
Domestic and family violence is the number one callout for general duty police cars in Mackay region and shows no sign of changing.
Williamstown turns 100
On 17 May 1919, His Excellency the State Governor of Victoria, the Hon. Sir Arthur Stanley, officially proclaimed Williamstown a city.
Old school site becomes community hub
Wollondilly Shire Council, New South Wales, has used the huge amount of community feedback received to create a plan for the redevelopment of the Old Menangle School Site.
On TRAC to meet energy goals
Tweed Shire Council, New South Wales (NSW), has installed its largest solar system to date on a council facility, saving 200 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year, the equivalent of emissions from 11 average households.
The lake lights up
Melton City Council, Victoria, celebrated the lighting up of Lake Caroline with a gala opening including a Heart Foundation walk and a wonderful Food and Makers Night Market organised by the Rotary Club of Caroline Springs.
Where lies the truth?
A former University of Canberra lecturer, Ian McAuley, recently highlighted the antics leading up to this month’s federal election.
Film makers welcome
The latest big-screen film production to be made in Fremantle, Western Australia has called it a wrap.
Resource efficiency support
Businesses in Cook Shire, Queensland, are being encouraged to take advantage of a free resource efficiency assessment as part of the Council-supported Clean Growth Choices for Communities in Transition program.
Councils spending too much on IT*
EACH year, Australian councils are unnecessarily spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on computer software and hardware – money that could be spent on providing vital services for their communities.
Art Trail expands with colourful mural
Burdekin Shire, Queensland, has an impressive Art Trail which has expanded yet again, with a colourful mural completed last month.
Proserpine lands a big catch
Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor, Andrew Willcox, and Deputy Mayor, Councillor John Collins, embarked in January on a fishing trip to hook extra funding to kick start the Lake Proserpine Master Plan project.
Return to the dark ages
Blacktown City Council, New South Wales, invites festivalgoers to be transported back in time to a land filled with swords, knights, horses and lances at Blacktown City Festival’s Medieval Fayre.
E-scooter rollout on hold
Safety and public amenity will be the major focus of future deliberations regarding e-scooters and other ‘rideables’ on Noosa’s streets.
Uniting against racism
Glen Eira City Council, Victoria, partnered with the Anti Defamation Commission on 3 May, to host a breakfast forum to show its support for an ethnically, culturally and religiously diverse community.
Coast under pressure
Cairns Regional Council has joined 31 other Queensland coastal councils in developing adaptation plans to protect coastal environments under pressure from rising sea levels and erosion.
Testing river water quality
Penrith City Council, New South Wales (NSW), has developed the Recreational Water Monitoring Program to inform the community when it is unsafe to swim locally.
Taking charge for a sustainable future
Knox City Council, Victoria, is doing its part for a more sustainable future, adding three electric cars to its fleet and installing two electric vehicle charging stations at the Civic Centre in Wantirna South.
Leaders in affordable housing
Central Coast Council, New South Wales, has committed to addressing affordable housing in a bid to provide more housing choice for households earning less than $100,000 per year.
Waste facility upgrades
Maranoa Regional Council has been successful in securing $159,344 to fund upgrades to Mitchell’s and Roma’s waste facilities under the Queensland Government’s 2018-19 Local Government Levy Ready Grant Program.
Hub of sustainability knowhow
Muswellbrook Shire Council, New South Wales (NSW), has identified communication, education and empowerment as the key elements for the future of sustainability in the Shire.
Six playground transformations in six weeks
Six playgrounds across Darwin have received major face lifts over the last six weeks, with the installation of new play equipment and shade structures costing nearly $500,000.
Weaving stories from the woollen mill
The former Onkaparinga Woollen Mill in Lobethal, South Australia, now reimagined as FabriK arts and heritage hub, will be lit up with projections of local stories this month in celebration of the site’s 150 year history.
Sustainability is about more than thinking green*
When we think about what’s possible in sustainable development, it’s easy to jump straight to a solution or get caught up on what things will look like.
A big purchase for a small council
Kingston District Council, in southeast South Australia, has purchased a fit-for-purpose cutter suction dredge to manage the ongoing movement of sand and seagrass at the Cape Jaffa Anchorage.
Exploring new waste management options
Five South-East Queensland (SEQ) councils have developed a joint proposal seeking expressions of interest (EOIs) for the provision of future waste disposal and resource recovery services.
Growing community care
Gannawarra Shire Council, Victoria, has expanded its Community Care workforce by 50 percent to meet the demand of National Disability Insurance Scheme clients.
City Deal for Geelong
Geelong, Victoria, is the next local government area to benefit from a City Deal, with the promise of more than $355 million in joint funding to be pumped into the revitalisation of the Geelong region and the Great Ocean Road visitor economy.
Limber up for chasey in the park
Toowoomba Regional Council, Queensland, is urging youngsters to limber up to test their skills at the second Australian venue to host a modern take on chasey.
A smart approach to exploring technology and innovation
Wagga Wagga City Council, New South Wales, will take a unique approach to exploring Smart City infrastructure by bringing together industry leaders and local government representatives at a key event in Sydney.
Building capacity in specialised field
Hawkesbury River County Council is located in Western Sydney and is the weeds authority for Blacktown, Hawkesbury, The Hills Shire and Penrith.
Cities join forces against alcohol
In a Western Australian first, the Cities of Armadale, Canning and Gosnells jointly launched a comprehensive plan to reduce alcohol-related harm in the southeast corridor.
Building awareness to curb bad behaviour*
In 2018, one in five employees reported being bullied, and it’s estimated that bullying costs Australian businesses billions of dollars of lost productivity each year.
Traineeships for local youth
The City of Whyalla, South Australia, is able to provide a great job training opportunity for three people with two positions in horticulture and one in civil construction currently available.
Internal innovation
The City of Canning, Western Australia, is calling for all of its employees to think bold and share ideas that add value as part of its new innovation program – Bounce.
New photo and video search system for national visitor economy promotion*
FunSearch.com.au, a new Australian tech start-up, launched late last year, is an entirely new, simple management system for council promotion of its broad visitor economy offerings including events, attractions, school holiday programs and leisure and recreational spaces.
Makerspace makes a difference
Noosa Library Services’ Makerspaces are bringing a new wave of confidence to members of Sunshine Butterflies.
Bulk water filling stations save time
Goldenfields Water County Council (GWCC), New South Wales, has announced the Temora bulk water filling station ready for use and two more are under construction.
Up, up and away
The Canowindra Balloon Challenge attracted over 11,000 people to City of Orange, New South Wales, last year and injected over $1 million into the economy.
Ahead in the cloud
City of South Perth, Western Australia, is embracing smarter technologies and implementing a cloud-based enterprise software solution over the next three years.
Committed to customer service
Baw Baw Shire Council, Victoria, has endorsed a new Customer Service Charter demonstrating its commitment to service.
Environmentally friendly golf cart
The public golf course at Gordon is now the proud owner of 14 new golf carts powered by lithium batteries.
Findings support long term vision
The Melbourne to Brisbane Rail Alliance (MBIRA) has welcomed the release of a CSIRO pilot study that details the potential transport savings that will eventuate from the Inland Rail.
Office of Sport up and running
Inner West Council, New South Wales, is pleased to announce that Carla Stacey has been appointed as Coordinator of the newly created Office of Sport.
Strategy for skilling the regional workforce
Whitsunday Regional Council, Queensland, is supporting the local Agriculture, Mining and Tourism industries to ensure there is a supply of skilled local people.
Positive partnerships provide opportunities
City of Cockburn, Western Australia, has completed the $8.5 million duplication of a section of one of the city’s most important east-west connector roads, improving safety, traffic flow and reducing congestion through the Bibra Lake industrial area and Yangebup.
Innovation at the library
Virtual and augmented reality demonstrations, an Internet of Things workshop and an intro to borrowable podcasting equipment feature at Newcastle Library during the upcoming Hunter Innovation Festival.
Youth politics camp
Young people from across the Victoria’s northeast were invited earlier this year to learn how to influence change at the 2019 Youth Politics Camp.
Solar savings start
The volunteer run Delungra Bowling Club, Inverell Shire, New South Wales, is expected to reap savings on energy bills with 20 kilowatts of solar panels now installed on the clubhouse.
Active living census
Mayors and Chief Executive Officers from the City of Greater Bendigo and the Shires of Campaspe, Loddon, Mount Alexander, Macedon Ranges and Central Goldfields came together in Bendigo on 24 April to launch the Healthy Heart of Victoria 2019 Active Living Census.
Oral health for pre-schoolers
Pre-schools across the Gannawarra Shire, Victoria, are participating in the Smiles 4 Miles program to promote oral health.
Staff groomed for leadership
The Shire of East Pilbara, Western Australia, continues to break new ground in the workplace, offering a Cert IV leadership program to enhance the skills and knowledge to its developing and emerging leaders.
