Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Councils take a higher profile in rebuilding South Australia
Newly elected President of the Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA), Mayor Rosemary Craddock, wants to see the profile of Local Government raised in the general community, and particularly, with the business sector. She believes that economic development, with Local Government taking a major role, is a key priority

National Heart Awards
Penrith City Council has won Best Overall Project in the Heart Foundation's Healthy Hearts Local Government National Awards. Sponsored by Medibank Private, the annual Awards are presented at national and State level to Councils and community organisations which develop innovative facilities and programs to encourage healthy lifestyles in their communities.

Editorial
During this month, Councils from around the nation will meet in Canberra for what has now become known as the 'Parliament of Local Government'. The National General Assembly of Local Government is certainly a recognition of the key role Councils play, both in ensuring community aspirations become part of national decision making process and national policy initiatives are translated into reality in local areas. Following declarations drawn up by other nations clearly articulating Local Government's position, and the Worldwide Declaration of Local Self Government renewed by the International Union of Local Government in Toronto in 1993, a Declaration on the Role of Australian Local Government will be a key item at this year's General Assembly.

Indigenous plant display village has many benefits
The first indigenous plant arboretum in Australia has been opened in south east Queensland's Shire of Redland. A first for Local Government, the $1.5 million, 14 hectare Redland Indigiscapes Centre is expected to provide an extensive educational and research function in addition to its passive leisure and aesthetic values.

Linking regional libraries to customer service
The City of Port Adelaide Enfield in SA has taken an inventive, benchmarking approach to providing customer service. It is establishing a network of regional offices in community libraries which, along with its new high tech telephone call centre, will deliver an integrated service to over 100,000 residents.

Councils feature in National Planning Awards
Both Brisbane and Melbourne City Councils are among the winners in the recent Royal Australian Planning Institute (RAPI) National Awards. These prestigious annual awards recognise excellence in Planning.

Boundary reviews in WA
Since being set up last year, the Local Government Advisory Board has had a number of separate boundary matters referred to it by the Minister. Comprising Council and Department of Local Government representatives, the Board was established to oversee constitutional changes within Local Government, following changes to the Local Government Act that took effect in mid 1996.

Spread your wings in Knox
Based at the foothills of the picturesque Dandenong Ranges, the City of Knox has set its sights on becoming Victoria's premier community. Combining a strong economic base with large tracts of open space, the City is a well serviced community with many sought after business and residential addresses.

Public recycling launched
Called 'Think Blue', Knox City Council launched its new public place recycling program in October to representatives of community groups, local schools and regional waste management organisations.

Council's Executives take a walk in other people's shoes
The Executive Management Team of Knox City Council recently initiated a five week program called 'Walk In My Shoes'. The program involves the Chief Executive and the four directors becoming 'work experience' students for two hours each week, and attending Council services they do not normally encounter.

Youth Link launched
Knox City Council's Youth Services recently received a grant of $25,440 from the Department of Justice to increase linkages between police and youth services in Victoria. The program offers a support service to young people who have received a caution, who have been charged or who are victims of crime.

Early Parenting Centre
The Knox Early Parenting Centre was officially opened in June by the Victorian Minister for Youth and Community Services, the Hon. Denis Napthine. Based at the Clarekirk Maternal and Child Health Centre in Wantirna, the facility is designed to assist parents who have concerns over their baby's sleeping, eating and behavioural routines.

AMCORD wins another excellence for planning award
The Australian Model Code for Residential Development, AMCORD, has won a Certificate of Merit at the Royal Australian Planning Institute's (RAPI) 1997 National Awards for Planning Excellence in Adelaide. AMCORD qualified for the National Awards after receiving the RAPI South Australian Division Award in 1996. Winning this prestigious planning award is further recognition of AMCORD's success as a manual of best practice in integrated performance based residential development.

Welcome from the new Minister
I would like to welcome readers to this, the second issue of A National Perspective, and my first as the new Federal Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government. As member for the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax, the role of Local Government and the development of regional and rural Australia is very important to me. I share with Local Government an interest in making Australia a better place in which to live and do business, and I am very pleased to have been given the opportunity to work towards achieving this goal.

Thredbo Community Hall
The Snowy Mountains village of Thredbo has received nearly $250,000 to help build a new Community Hall which will serve as a memorial to those who were lost in the landslide of 30 July this year.

SBDC paves the way for legislative review for LGs
The Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) is a statutory authority in Western Australia with a mission to create opportunity and wealth for small to medium-sized businesses in that State. The core activities of the Corporation consist of business, information and management education services.

Commonwealth funding for structural reform
The Commonwealth is providing over $1 million under the Local Government Development Program (LGDP) to foster structural reform of councils. Structural reform includes cooperative service provision, major resource sharing initiatives, joint service delivery enterprises, boundary change and amalgamations.

Benchmarking Projects
The Commonwealth has funded a number of council-led benchmarking projects under the Local Government Development Program (LGDP). It has agreed to fund Cessnock City Council, Singleton Shire Council and Wyong Shire Council to benchmark open space and recreation and roads maintenance. Funding of $50,000 has also been provided for benchmarking to a group of seven Western Australian councils. The group, which includes Narrogin, Merredin, Northam, Donnybrook-Balingup, Bridgetown-Greenbushes and Plantagenet councils, will focus initially on waste management, administration and governance costs, recreation and culture.

Northern Territory Performance Indicator and Benchmarking Seminar
There has been significant advancement on the development of performance indicators over the last four months, with extensive consultations having occurred with the local government industry. These consultations culminated in the organisation of a successful Performance Indicator and Benchmarking Seminar which attracted 14 of the Territory's largest councils.

Local Government Workplace Reform Project
The Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW is funded under the Local Government Development Program (LGDP) to undertake the Local Government Workplace Reform Project. This project aims to increase the pace of workplace reform across Local Government in NSW to make real improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of Local Government operations.

Urban Futures
Issue 22 of the Urban Futures journal was very well received. Issue 23 is now available. This extremely interesting issue features several articles and a book review relating to the theme of 'community' and social belonging.

Local Government National Report
The second Local Government National Report will be available in December 1997. The Report relates to the 1996-97 financial year, a year in which the Commonwealth provided $1.2 billion in untied financial assistance grants to local government.

Natural Heritage Trust - Coasts and Clean Seas
Coasts and Clean Seas is a major component of the Commonwealth Government's Natural Heritage Trust. It is designed to help tackle coastal and marine pollution problems, threats to marine biodiversity and habitat degradation, and to promote sustainable use of Australia's coastal and marine areas, including estuarine areas.