Planning portal payment postponed
Local Government in South Australia (SA) will not contribute to the State’s new Planning Portal this year, saving some councils as much as $36,000.
Plastic bags finally banned in the west
The Western Australian government announced yesterday that lightweight, single-use plastic shopping bags will be banned from 1 July 2018.
Rate capping inquiry hears small councils are struggling
While the Andrews Government advertises rate capping as a ‘Fair Go … system for Victorians’, many councils are facing a decline in service provision according to the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV).
Water pressure
The implementation of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan has left many communities struggling and local councils are calling for greater consideration from the Federal Government.
Sowing seeds
Libraries in Cairns are swapping books for seeds in a new program to encourage an interest in gardening and growing fresh food.
Council staff help environment
Moonee Valley City Council staff swapped tree planting for pancakes to celebrate World Environment Day recently.
Holden workers offered tree change
Regional Development Australia Limestone Coast (RDALC) and the City of Mount Gambier have encouraged more than 100 Holden employees to consider a tree change to the region.
A chapel for all faiths
Alice Springs Town Council in the Northern Territory has constructed a community chapel that accommodates dignified funeral services for all faiths and cultures.
Knitting for good
Hornsby Shire Council in New South Wales held its tenth annual ‘Knit-In’ recently, resulting in hundreds of knitted wraps being donated to charity.
Community spirit high on the agenda
The Shire of Dowerin in regional Western Australia has commenced a major review of its Strategic Community Plan, undertaken in close consultation with the local community.
New town centre for community events
The Shire of East Pilbara in Western Australia recently celebrated the launch of The Square, a new multi-use facility in a revamped town centre.
Family day shares indigenous culture
Community members in the Shire of KOJONUP celebrated a successful NAIDOC family day at the Kodja Place Precinct earlier this year.
Looking at the future*
Coffs Harbour City Council is organising the 20th Anniversary Local Government Information Technology Conference at Opal Cove Resort, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 29th November – 1st December 2017.
A provocative new role for local government? - The Good Oil by Rod Brown
One of the best parts of my job is to visit Europe annually to ask economic development practitioners about global issues and their likely impact on Australia. I also get to visit our son and his lovely new wife, who work in advertising and banking in London and thus provide great insights.
Theatrical power unites community
A theatrical production centring on the experiences of mining communities was staged in Queensland’s Isaac Regional Council recently – and engaged a cast and crew of several hundred talented locals.
Students help develop walkway
A partnership between Goulburn Mulwaree Council in New South Wales and students at the University of Canberra has delivered innovative ideas for a river walkway.
Dreaming project in the Bega Valley
The new Children’s Dreaming Garden in Bega Valley Shire Council, on the south coast of NSW, has been delivered thanks to thorough community consultation and collaboration.
Disruption: a catalyst for change*
Many regions in Australia are experiencing unprecedented disruption to their traditional industry bases, markets, supply chains and business models.
Land parcel secured for growing community
After several years of planning, Mitchell Shire Council in Victoria has secured a strategic parcel of land for future recreational and open space use to meet the needs of its booming population.
Tree canopy a community asset
Greater Shepparton City Council in regional Victoria has launched its Urban Forest Strategy to create a greener, shadier city and provide the right trees in the right location.
Regional audiences welcome Royal Ballet
More than 2500 people braved a rainy night in July to catch a ‘once in a lifetime’ outdoor performance by the Royal Ballet in Cairns.
Enhancing open space
After six years of park improvements worth almost $34 million, the City of Gosnells in Perth is keen to build on its success as the second phase of its Public Open Space (POS) Strategy shifts into gear.
Enriching neighbourhoods with community hubs
The City of Stirling in Western Australia is establishing community hubs to provide residents with grouped facilities, resources and spaces in and around one central location.
Tasmanian council makes leap to cloud
Brighton Council, which straddles Hobart’s northern fringe, has become the first Tasmanian council to go ‘serverless’.
Engaging the community online
The City of Nedlands in Western Australia is communicating with residents via an online engagement hub – which has become something of a success story since launching in March 2016.
Corporate Real Estate - Management and Systems*
A familiar debate within all medium to large organisations centres on whether there are benefits to outsourcing requirements for property services compared to managing them in-house.
Community encouraged to think big
Narrabri Shire Council in northern New South Wales has engaged a diverse cross section of its community to help inform future planning.
Social media engages community
Upper Lachlan Shire Council in New South Wales has developed its Facebook page as a tool to actively engage with the community.
Community leads on park design
Moree Plains Shire Council in New South Wales has trialled a new community consultation process to help inform the design of a park and family meeting place in a disadvantaged area of Moree.
Customer journey mapping fixes the pain
In its bid to create great customer experiences, Lake Macquarie City Council in New South Wales is using customer journey mapping to systematically identify and remove ‘pain points’ in its service and information pathways.
Storytelling achieves best practice in aged care
Roper Gulf Regional Council in Northern Territory is putting a focus on learning about and recording the stories of clients in its remote Aged Care facilities, and the results are being recognised at a national level.
New contact centre connects citizens
Manningham Council in the greater Melbourne area recently launched a new customer service contact centre as part of its commitment to become a higher performing and more contemporary organisation.
Web portal connects residents and council
The City of Rockingham in Western Australia has developed an online portal that residents can tailor to their specific interests and use to provide direct feedback to the City.
Disability inclusion framework for local government
The University of Technology Sydney Institute for Public Policy and Governance (UTS:IPPG) has released a resource for local government to improve the social and economic inclusion of people with disability.
New standard in community engagement
The Tasmanian community of Glenorchy will have a say and contribute to the decisions that affect it in the future, with the recent launch of a new international best-practice Community Engagement Framework.
Dashboard provides economic insight
The City of Adelaide has launched an online economic insight tool that provides reliable data to improve decision-making.
Inclusive tourism on the rise
A recent forum held in Parkes Shire in New South Wales discussed the growing market for tourism and travel by ageing people and those with disabilities and how councils can help.
Working together to improve service
The Town of Victoria Park in Western Australia is taking customer service to the next level, focusing on building relationships with the community to provide services that suit customers’ needs.
Recreation centre success
Campbelltown City Council in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide has successfully redeveloped an out-dated recreation centre to become a major regional facility.
Putting innovation on the map
Campbelltown City Council in New South Wales has helped develop a substantial business event program aimed at helping local businesses grow.
Head in the clouds
Noosa Council in Queensland has reported significant energy savings since transitioning to a cloud-based computing system.
One million dollar dividend paid to council
On 17 August 2017, East Arnhem Regional Council received a dividend payment of one million dollars ($1,000,000) from its subsidiary, Latitude 12 Pty Ltd.
CityIGNITE 2017*
CityIGNITE 2017
16th to 17th October; Sydney Town Hall
