New Act includes sexual harassment
In an Australian first, the new Victorian Local Government Act includes a clear definition of sexual harassment in the Councillor Code of Conduct and introduces the power to remove councillors for serious sexual harassment.
South Australia's LGA appoints new president
City of Adelaide Councillor, Sue Clearihan, was appointed as the new Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA) President at a special meeting of the Board yesterday.
Articles
Give a little, change a lot
Volunteer fire fighting resources within Western Australia’s Great Southern Region were stretched beyond capacity at 6.30pm on 24 May 2018. City of Albany alone had crews responding to 27 bush fires across the district.
Dog park is a hit
The community opening day for the City of Armadale, Western Australia’s, first off leash dog exercise area, at John Dunn Memorial Park in Kelmscott, was a howling success.
Antelco launches ReuZitTM*
Antelco a world leading Australian manufacturer of micro irrigation products has launched the ReuZitTM range of products specifically for the domestic and small commercial waste water and non-potable rain water market.
Protecting our marine ecosystems
The City of Charles Sturt is helping to protect South Australia’s marine ecosystems through the construction of raingardens in Flinders Park.
Film wins at Cannes
A short film shot almost entirely in Victoria’s City of Greater Dandenong won a prestigious Cannes Film Festival Award last month.
First White Ribbon Community
The northern New South Wales Shire of Inverell has received recognition as Australia’s first White Ribbon Community.
City of Design
City of Greater Geelong, Victoria, was formally designated Australia’s first and only UNESCO City of Design last month at the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.
Wattle Cloud Platform*
Anomaly Software has a track record of building platforms for local government.
Sea life takes hold
The City of Cockburn has received a $78,000 Lotterywest grant to help build the $300,000 Coogee Maritime Trail.
Community called on for ideas
Newcastle City Council is offering local sporting groups and the broader community an opportunity to participate in updating one of the City’s most well utilised parks.
Regional airfares not warranted
Alice Springs Town Council has combined with Tourism Central Australia to release a detailed report exploring issues impacting on the high cost of airfares in regional Australia.
Council flag policy
Mount Alexander Shire Council, Victoria, has adopted a new flag policy that will allow community flags to be flown on a designated flagpole at the historic Market Building in the centre of Castlemaine.
Building resilience against bushfires*
A meeting of building industry experts to be held in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales (NSW) this September will raise the bar on bushfire safety.
Festival celebrating veteran trees
Redland City Council, Queensland’s Indigi Day Out and Folk Redlands Festival of Music is the biggest event on the local calendar, marking the end of National Reconciliation Week and the opening of the Quandamooka Festival early this month.
Ceremonial rock circle an award finalist
Moonee Valley City Council’s new ceremonial rock circle at Five Mile Creek Reserve, Essendon was shortlisted as a finalist in the Local Government category of this year’s HART (Helping Achieve Reconciliation Together) Awards.
Councils enter into new agreement
Two Tasmanian councils, Circular Head and Waratah-Wynyard, have entered into a new five year resource sharing agreement to take effect when the current agreement expires in December.
Invaluable volunteers
The City of Perth’s volunteers are the friendly faces you may see at the iCity Visitor Information Service and the Citiplace Community Centre.
Gatehouse goes to Venice Biennale
Glamorgan Spring Bay Council has teamed up with Gilby + Brewin Architecture to build the Triabunna Gatehouse on Tasmania’s east coast, the first built project of the Triabunna Tomorrow project.
Railway Lands is the national winner
The Mount Gambier Railway Lands won the National From Plan to Place Award at the Planning Institute Australia (PIA) National Awards for Planning Excellence 2018 held in Perth last month.
It’s never too late to learn to swim
After a lifetime of being afraid of the water, at 87 years old, Pat finally took the plunge and decided to learn how to swim.
Coastal hazard strategy
Bundaberg Regional Council has secured almost half a million dollars to compile a strategy aimed at reducing the future risk of beach erosion and flooding on coastal settlements.
Dealing with heatwaves in southern Adelaide
The Cities of Onkaparinga and Marion played host to 250 community members who came together to learn about the impacts of heatwaves and how to reduce public health risks from these events at an interactive symposium in February.
Tyre and road building bodies team up*
Australia’s end-of-life tyre management challenge and our need for improved and increasing road infrastructure could be two elements of a new green economic cycle.
Helping children reach their potential
Central Coast Council Libraries have called on parents and carers of young children to ‘Find yourself in a library’, which was the theme for this year’s Library and Information Week 2018 held in May.
Time to play
City of Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Mayor, Amanda Findley has officially opened the Pacific City Park at Bayswood to the community.
A ‘ground up’ approach to managing the environment
Woollahra Municipal Council, New South Wales, recently worked with a group of local residents to launch the Cooper Park Community Garden in Bellevue Hill.
No more straws
Cairns Regional Council has resolved to lead by example in a mission to protect the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) by removing single-use plastics from Council events and venues.
Council facilities go OK Organic
The Pavilion Kiama (conference, wedding and event venue) has made the organic change, becoming the first Kiama Municipal Council-owned commercial operation to implement a food waste collection and there are more of the New South Wales Council’s facilities set to follow.
Councils helping kitchen garden programs grow*
The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation is working with local governments to help more children learn positive food habits for life.
Drains become wetland
City of Albany and the Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation have teamed up for a $ 1million partnership to convert a former drainage basins into a wetland.
Berry to join recharge network
The tiny New South Wales village of Berry has been identified as a key candidate location to install an Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) Facility as part of the NRMA Pty Ltd (NRMA) broader intended roll out.
Cutting chemicals flowing to the reef
Mackay Regional Council, Queensland, has partnered with local farmer, Darrell McLennan and regional natural resources management company, Reef Catchments, in an innovative stormwater quality management project.
Don’t bag it campaign
Rural City of Wangaratta, Victoria, is asking the community to pass up the plastic in favour of a more sustainable option.
Isaac roads being rebuilt
Isaac Regional Council will receive more than $2.2 million in funding from the Federal and Queensland governments to restore road networks and floodways across the region.
Renewable energy grown in the Mallee
Mildura Rural City Council’s newly formed Renewable Energy Committee (REC) is paving the way for a sharper focus on renewable energy Victoria’s northwest Mallee region.
Environmental leadership in the Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills Council was a recent finalist in the 2018 Local Government Professionals of South Australia Leadership Excellence Awards for Excellence in Environmental Leadership and Sustainability.
Skate park upgrade underway
The City of Launceston will undertake a major upgrade of the Ravenswood Skate Park this year at a cost of $300,000 including a $45,000 grant from the Tasmanian Community Fund.
Small firm reaches big milestone in recycling plastics*
A revolutionary method for replacing steel mesh used in concrete reinforcement with recycled plastic has seen Queensland engineering firm Fibercon recycle over 50 tonnes of plastic waste.
Experts to advise on tree management
City of Darwin has shown it is taking a thorough approach to replanting and tree management in the aftermath of Cyclone Marcus.
ACCC re-authorises the Tyre Stewardship Scheme
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced that it will grant the Tyre Stewardship Scheme, administered by Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) a new authorisation for a further six years.
Steam weeder to reduce herbicide use
Cook Shire Council, Queensland, will be reducing the use of herbicides around towns, with the addition of a new steam weeder to the parks and gardens arsenal.
Lights on at saleyards
Cootamundra– Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC), has allocated $300,000 from the Stronger Communities Fund major projects program to undertake an electrical upgrade and installation of new lighting at the Cootamundra Saleyards.
Green Shoots’ campaign in Tathra
Bega Valley Shire Council officially launched the ‘Green Shoots’ campaign with a community working bee at Tathra Beach.
Raised walkway protects the lowlands
Central Coast Council, New South Wales, has begun building a $1.05 million boardwalk in Springfield that will provide an essential link between the residential neighbourhood and the local community school.
