Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Tasmanian restructure to halve Councils
Just four years after Tasmania restructured Local Government, reducing Councils from 46 to 29, a new round of amalgamations has commenced. The Minister's Terms of Reference for the Board set down that there should be no more than 15 Municipal areas in the State, and this must include a Greater Hobart and Launceston as single areas.

Hervey Bay takes out national innovation award
From over 240 entries, Queensland's Hervey Bay City Council has won the prestigious 1997 National Award for Innovation in Local Government. Council's Eli Creek Effluent Irrigation Scheme captured the judges' approval for its protection of coastal waters off Fraser Island, enhancement of local agriculture and tourism, and reduction of long term infrastructure costs.

Editorial
Reneging on the COAG agreement on National Competition Policy, the Commonwealth Government has cut Financial Assistance Grants to Local Government by 1.2%. Announced in the Budget, this translates into about $15 million in real per capita terms per annum. Local Government's only benefit from the National Competition Policy to date, the real terms per capita guarantee, has been spirited away to help the Federal Government balance its books. The question has been put by Cr John Campbell, President ALGA, that as the only benefit has been withdrawn from Local Government why should Councils continue to cooperate with National Competition Policy?

Search FOCUS Online
Since May last year, large sections of each edition of Local Government FOCUS have been available on the Internet. As well as highlighting current issues, initiatives and events, the Online pages can now be used for research purposes. Anyone seeking information about Local Government in Australia, can make use of our new 'Search' facility.

Deloraine named Community of the Year
Tasmania's Meander Valley Council and its community have notched up many significant community achievements. The latest of these being named Australian Community of the Year 1997 by the National Australia Day Council. The Town of Deloraine and surrounding district, has made the most of the area's natural assets bringing increased activity to the Town, the district and the State.

Crowing over a new nest
A short trip across Sydney Harbour brings you to Crow's Nest where a joint effort between traders and North Sydney Council has seen the area undergo a major transformation. Impetus for the work came about when local traders recognised that the area was changing from a neighbourhood shopping to a speciality shopping centre. They sought the involvement of Council in finding the best way to harness new opportunities.

Best Practice and the Local Government Development Program
The Commonwealth Government seeks to support Councils in their quest for best practice. It does so primarily through the Local Government Development Program (LGDP). Managed by the National Office of Local Government (NOLG), the LGDP aims to develop Local Government's contribution to the social, cultural and economic well-being of the community, particularly in regional Australia. The LGDP supports projects which are designed to achieve best practice in particular areas of Council activity, such as building approval. This article briefly showcases some LGDP projects which are about achieving best practice.

Introducing the energy smart home
Energy is fast becoming the environmental issue of the new millennium. But to date there has been no comprehensive approach to introducing energy efficiency policies at the local level. Enter the Energy Smart Homes Program. Funded jointly by the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA), the GreenLight Consortium and major industry sponsors, the program is designed to help Councils implement an energy efficient housing policy in their local area.

Food safety under the microscope
The role of Local Government in ensuring public health standards has been brought to national attention with recent outbreaks of salmonella poisoning and other diseases.

Council tackles graffiti problem head on
In a concerted effort to stamp out graffiti 'tags' on business premises in the West Ryde area, the Chamber of Commerce and Ryde City Council have combined to offer a $1,000 reward for the first successful conviction of a graffiti vandal.

Conservation network to meet in Coffs Harbour
The Australian Network for Plant Conservation's (ANPC) biannual Conference in Coffs Harbour will be staged from 23 to 27 June. The Conference brings together over 200 delegates with interests in plant conservation to exchange ideas and experiences.

A future for recycling
Recycling has become the universal environmental activity of the 1990s. Local Government involvement in recycling began with packaging materials like glass, aluminium and steel cans, and newsprint. Since then, many Councils have expanded their services to include collection of PET, liquidpaperboard and HDPE. A few also collect greenwaste. Unfortunately, prices for many of the commodities traditionally collected at the kerbside have reduced significantly in the last 12 months. This turn of events is creating a crisis for Local Government because the reduction in returns will result in kerbside recycling services becoming more expensive.

A better litter trap
Rubbish washing into the oceans from stormwater drains is a major contributor to river and marine pollution. A new solution is currently being developed by the City of Boroondara, in conjunction with Swinburne University of Technology. The prototype litter trap is designed to capture and reduce the amount of litter accumulating in stormwater drains.

Leadership beyond 2000
Delegates from Councils across Australia gathered in Canberra recently for the 16th Institute of Municipal Management National Congress. A range of speakers from the public and private sector, Australia and overseas, addressed the Congress theme 'Vision for Communities - Leadership Beyond 2000'.

Visionary leadership for all Australians
The Congress was officially opened by IMM's patron the Governor General, Sir William Deane. He called on those present, that in carrying visionary planning and community leadership, to recommit themselves to the ideal of a tolerant, multicultural Australia.

Leadership in times of crisis
Michael Langley, a Board Member of the Port Arthur Historical Site Management Authority, provided his views of the pressures on leadership in times of crisis in light of the events that occurred at Port Arthur on the afternoon of 28 April 1996, and in the 13 months to the present time. Hw said that a crisis must not be allowed to destroy those whose misfortune it is to have been, to be and to continue to be, in the wrong place at the wrong time and in the wrong job.

NZ does it again
North Shore City Council from New Zealand has won the 1997 Australasian final of the Active Learning Management Challenge. Now in its fifth year, a New Zealand team has been successful on three occasions. This is a great record of achievement given that New Zealand provides only two of the eleven Australasian regional finalists.

Leading change
Marcia Griffin, Victorian Business Woman of the Year, told delegates that with 'change being life's only certainty', it is vital as leaders we assure the people around us that change is okay. She said that the key to problem solving is admitting you do not have all the answers, seek advice from others, get outside views and brainstorm. Above all, do not procrastinate or avoid problems, they will only come back to haunt you!

Community leadership in practice
During a hands on session, representatives from six Councils presented case studies of projects they are undertaking in the area of community leadership. An overview of each was presented to all delegates. In the following session, delegates were invited to attend one of the six more detailed coverages of these projects. Presentations were made by Brisbane City Council; Maroondah City Council; Launceston City Council; Alice Springs Town Council and Jabiru; Deniliquin Council; and Belmont City Council.