Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Combined voice of Tas LG
With the protracted review process and uncertainty of further amalgamations, the Local Government Association of Tasmania invited the Institute of Municipal Management, the Institute of Municipal Engineering Australia and the Local Government Community Development Association to join with it in staging a joint Annual Conference. Titled 'Local Government - A New Beginning', the combined Conference was a first for Australian Local Government.

Excellence recognised
In recognition of the many ways people in Local Government are creatively responding to the needs of the communities they serve, the 1998 William Adams Boral Resources Local Government Awards for Excellence were presented at Tasmania's Local Government Annual Conference. Twenty-three entries were received, with Awards presented in four categories plus an Overall Award.

Editorial
The fact that almost one in four Queensland voters were prepared to move to the extreme right, electing candidates from a Party espousing, in the most part, sketchy policies, certainly has led to a rethink by the major Parties. For some years, Local Government has been trying to channel information through to the other spheres of government about what is happening in communities. The Australian Local Government Association has long argued that it is vital it is represented at key policy forming forums to feed through how policies are impacting on the ground and what people are saying. Maybe now the other spheres will finally sit up and take notice.

President's comment
Each edition we feature the views of a State Local Government Association President. The following is from Mayor Sue Smith MLC, President of the Local Government Association of Tasmania.

Coffs Harbour hosts national IT 98 Conference
Coffs Harbour City Council, in association with the local Southern Cross University, will again host a national information technology conference in September. Titled 'Productivity, Power and Performance' the Conference has been specifically tailored to meet the needs of Local Government.

Tracking Australia's ancient history
Although it is just over 200 years since European settlement, the pace of development, among other factors, has obliterated much evidence of Australia's ancient culture. This is particularly true in our major cities. But sites do still remain, even in built city environments, showing another way of life existed on this continent before the British arrived.

Geelong - smart move
The City of Greater Geelong has appointed eleven highly accomplished, high profile, 'ambassadors' to promote the City's virtues and attract new residents and investment. Together with an extensive television advertising campaign, Council hopes the ambassadors will convince people from Melbourne and elsewhere that a shift down the Princes Highway has much to offer.

Towards Year 2000 compliance
Governments, industry and private companies across the globe have been looking into the effect the Year 2000 date change problem will have. While the Year 2000 date change problem is raising different issues for corporate business, government, smaller enterprises and the general community, there is a single common thread that affects everyone. Time is running out!

Parramatta Road beyond 2000
One of Sydney's oldest and most significant transport routes, Parramatta Road, is to be revamped. This major project will involve all Councils along the 23 kilometre stretch from The Broadway in Sydney to Church Street in Parramatta.

Working out agreements - a practical guide
'Working out Agreements: A Practical Guide to Agreements between Local Government an Indigenous Australians' was launched in Canberra on 3 June by the Hon Peter Baume AO, Professor of Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales and former Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

Making agreements central to the native title process
The National Native Title Tribunal publishes a comprehensive guide on how to make agreements, with actual draft examples, on its Internet site at www.nntt.gov.au All information is provided free of charge, and can be downloaded from the site at Council offices and printed for circulation among elected representatives, staff and the public.

Council updates aging systems
Glen Eira City Council has recently selected a suite of enterprise applications from Computron Software. These include financials, workflow and COLD (Computer Output to Laser Disk), as well as payroll software from Peterborough and Stowe's Pathway Local Government property management product.

Effective budgeting and financial control
Holroyd City Council in NSW believes it has developed a new budgeting system which overcomes some of the problems associated with other systems. BUDSYS' advantages lie in its speed, clarity and ability to provide a standardised approach to budgeting.

Tribunal rules in favour of Special Charge
Although rate capping has been eased to a certain extent in Victoria, finding the means to finance many projects is an ongoing issue of Councils. Special Charges, in particular, provide an important source of additional funds for projects which might not otherwise receive a budgetary allocation.

International award for Ballarat
A new approach to asset management has seen the City of Ballarat win the prestigious AMQ International Award. Developed by Council's Infrastructure Planning Engineer, Phil Holloway, as part of the City's corporate planning process, the system aims to better manage infrastructure assets in an environment of tight economic constraints and increased external controls.

Self direction the driving factor for success
Since its inception in early 1996, the Local Government Boundary Reform Board has overseen 34 voluntary amalgamations of South Australian Councils. This has reduced the number of Councils in South Australia from 118 to 69 in the most significant period of change in the State's Local Government history.

Consultation the hallmark of reform
Extensive public consultation will continue to be a hallmark of reform in Local Government in South Australia as the State moves into a legislative review of the Local Government Act.

The SA model for change
Rejecting the temptation of simply drawing lines on a map, the South Australian Government opted for a voluntary approach to structural reform. It provided the mechanism, through the Boundary Reform Board, to work in partnership with Local Government to achieve change.

State and Local Government taking up the challenge of change
The public consultation phase of the Local Government legislative review is prompting lively discussion among Councils and communities around the State. A series of metropolitan and country information sessions and issues workshops follow the launch of the consultation documents.

SA hosts National Structural Reform Workshop
Following widespread acclaim for its approach to structural reform, the South Australian Local Government Boundary Reform Board initiated and hosted a National Workshop on Structural Reform. Held in Adelaide last April, the Workshop profiled how each State and territory was dealing with structural reform, looking specifically at the advantages and disadvantages of various models.