Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

LG managers taking the lead

In May, Local Government Managers Australia (LGMA) staged its 2006 National Congress in Perth. Some 440 managers and elected members from Councils across Australia heard from a range of presenters who addressed three key themes - strategic directions, community outcomes and organisational development.

Editorial - More equitable funding for remote communities can wait no longer

Like everything in life, some organisations will always be better at what they do than others. So long as your Council is doing the best with what it has and the resources it can muster, what more can your residents expect? So imagine the difficulties faced by Councils in remote Indigenous communities. Providing services for Australia's most disadvantaged residents is a massive task. In many cases, the Local Government body is the key service provider for hundreds of kilometres.

President's comment

In each edition we feature the views of a Local Government Association President. The following is from Councillor Col Sullivan, President of the Shires Association of New South Wales.

Indigenous construction company wins $4m roads contract

An indigenous construction company that started digging rubbish holes for remote communities has recently signed a $4 million road building contract with the Northern Territory Government. Members of the Ntaria Council at Hermannsburg, 120km west of Alice Springs, formed Ntaria Construction and Maintenance after seeing the need for a remote area excavation company.

Saferoads 2006 - Moving towards a safe system*

In September 2006, Victoria's most influential road safety stakeholders, practitioners and decision makers will converge on Melbourne to take part in the biennial Saferoads Conference. To be staged on 7-8 September, the venue will be the Carlton Crest Hotel, Melbourne.

Galbraith must have been a good bloke

The Good Oil by Rod Brown*
The ANU Aussie Rules Club in the 1970s was a gathering point for graduates from the southern states, including Barry Critchley, now Canada's leading money market commentator. He recently sent me this story.

Adelaide workforce growing faster than targeted

The number of workers in Adelaide is growing faster than targeted. The Adelaide City Council Land Use and Employment Report 2005, presented to Council in February, found the city was just 400 workers short of the target set for the end of 2006.The report found that between 2002 and 2005, the number of people working in the city had increased by 4.8 per cent to 97,585.

Bracing for change in NT

With the theme of its conference being Brace for Change, President of the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory (LGANT), Alderman Kerry Moir, said that in light of recent announcement by both the Territory and Australian Governments this was very appropriate.

Faces of Sutherland celebrate centenary

Sutherland Shire Council in Sydney's south is celebrating its centenary with Faces of the Shire, a roving exhibition some 100 significant people in the Shire's history. Mayor Kevin Schreiber said selecting only 100 faces was a difficult task.

Councillor profiles

A regular feature, this month we profile two Councillors from Tasmania.

Kalamunda: extensive services for all

If you've ever flown into Perth and wondered at those vast tracts of forest on the city's doorstep, you've already discovered the Shire of Kalamunda and Perth Hills. The Shire of Kalamunda is located 24 kilometres to the east of Perth. It has a land area of 349 square kilometres, an elected Council of 12, employs 170 staff and has a population of 50,000 people. The semi rural/forest theme of the community is reflected in the gumnuts entry statements used in the town of Kalamunda and Forrestfield village precincts.

IPWEA Engineering Excellence Awards

Public Works Professionals: Getting on with the job
The IPWEA NSW Engineering Excellence Awards were presented at the Annual Conference Gala Dinner on 22 May 2006. These awards provide members with the opportunity to receive recognition for their projects in front of their peers as well as providing the opportunity for resource sharing among Councils.

IPWEA/RTA Local Government Road Safety Strategy

The IPWEA/RTA Local Government Road Safety Strategy works to raise the priority of road safety in Local Government. This is achieved through support for Council road safety strategic planning, the administration of funding for local road safety initiatives and through the presentation of annual Local Government Excellence in Road Safety Awards, to recognise outstanding Council achievements.

Queensland Councils place key emphasis on water during Local Government Week 2006

With the theme 'Safeguarding Our Communities' Water', over 100 Queensland Councils participated in Local Government Week 2006 which ran from 15-21 May. Informative activities and entertaining events were held throughout the many communities, promoting a greater awareness and understanding of Councils' roles and responsibilities in relation to urban water issues communities are currently facing.

Local Government office professionals seminar a great success

The Local Government Personal Assistants Network (LGPAN) is a group of executive and personal assistants who organise an annual one day seminar for Local Government office professionals. This year's seminar was held on 19 May at the Springvalley Golf Club in Clayton, Victoria and was attended by 48 delegates from 14 Councils.

Roles and functions

The UK Experience by Malcolm Morley*
On 20 July 2004, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer commissioned Sir Michael Lyons to undertake an independent inquiry to consider changes to the present system of Local Government funding in England.

Small Shire makes big impact on the environment

The Shire of Bruce Rock in Western Australia's central wheat belt region is taking huge steps towards creating a sustainable, plastic bag free township. Located 244kms east of Perth, with a population of just 700 people, the Shire is working to promote a sustainable future for its residents, industry, flora and fauna.

New recycling facility saves 30,000 tonnes from landfill*

Located in Melbourne, Australia's most technologically advanced glass recycling facility is set to recover and recycle an extra 30,000 tonnes of glass every year. Visy Recycling recently launched its multi million dollar new fully automated glass recycling facility at Laverton. In total, the facility will recover about 100,000 tonnes of glass every year.

Future directions in environmental management

An interview with Adele Gliddon, Environmental Health Officer at the City of Launceston in Tasmania.

Ryde moves to hi tech recycling

In a mammoth effort spanning April and May, Ryde City Council has distributed almost 100,000 brand new bins to its residents. The new service will help reduce waste to landfill through increased recycling and composting of vegetation.

Whittlesea City a winner in 2005 'Livcom' awards*

Victoria's City of Whittlesea's achievements were recognised in the finals of Livcom, the world's most prestigious finals for liveable communities. Whittlesea was awarded the 2005 Enhancement of the Landscape Award in recognition of the community's efforts in the transformation in the quality and quantity of its open space.

Noosa River Plan a winner

Noosa Council has received a Healthy Waterways Government Award for the protection of its iconic waterway under the Noosa River Plan. These awards recognise efforts to improve the health and sustainability of waterways and catchments in South East Queensland.

Moonee Valley pioneers new lighting technology

A new control system for solar powered LED lights has been invented for Moonee Valley City Council to illuminate trees at a key intersection in metropolitan Melbourne. David Söderblom and Darren Kirschner, who run an electrical company AA Sparky, developed LED lighting specifically for Moonee Valley City Council to use at the intersection of Buckley Street and Milleara Road in Moonee Ponds.

Buying Green - it's so easy

Simple ways for people to consider the environment when purchasing goods and services were outlined at the recent Buying Green Conference. Hosted by the WA Local Government Association (WALGA), the third national Buying Green Conference was staged at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre.

Tea Tree Gully launches second stormwater scheme

The City of Tea Tree Gully north of Adelaide will save over 50,000 kilolitres of mains water each year by treating stormwater to use for the irrigation of Council reserves. Council's Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) schemes collect stormwater during winter for treatment and harvesting during summer. This involves injecting treated stormwater into underground rock aquifers, which can be pumped out for irrigation purposes.

The future is water tight at the Gold Coast

Gold Coast City Council is implementing the Pimpama Coomera Master Plan to guarantee a water supply for its current and future residents. The suburbs of Pimpama and Coomera in the city's north are experiencing a population boom, with more than 150,000 people expected to be residing there by 2056.

Caboolture Shire's disaster planning earns plaudits from Planning Institute Australia

Caboolture Shire Council's Bushfire and Landslide Hazard Mapping Study (2005) recently received national recognition at the Planning Institute Australia (PIA) Awards for Planning Excellence ceremony held at PIA National Planning Congress on the Gold Coast. The award was for the Environmental Planning or Conservation category.

Victorian Councils tackle weeds

Victorian Councils have become more involved in weed management over the past three years, according to a new study by the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV). Weed management is now seen as an important issue in rural and urban areas. More than half of Victoria's 79 Councils are developing specific weed management strategies and one third adopting local laws to assist land managers.

Coast care action

Our coasts are the world's worst kept secret. They read like a luxury holiday brochure: Sydney's Bondi Beach, Queensland's Great Barrier Reef, Victoria's spectacular Great Ocean Road escarpment and Western Australia's Ningaloo Reef. So it's hardly surprising that one quarter of Australia's population lives within three kilometres of the coast. We live on the world's only island continent with more than 25,000 kilometres of coastline!

Responsible recycling of your fluorescent tubes and high intensity discharge lamps

An interview with Doug Rowe, CEO of ARA Pty Ltd.

United States experts inspect Rockhampton landfill cap

In May, leading environmental scientists from the USA visited Rockhampton's Lakes Creek Road Landfill to view the City's phytocap trial. Rockhampton Mayor, Councillor Margaret Strelow, said this trial is testing an environmentally sustainable and cost effective new capping system for the landfill.

ICLEI-A/NZ accelerates toward a sustainable future

ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability-Australia/New Zealand (ICLEI-A/NZ) is focused on identifying Local Government's role in sustainability and ensuring they have the tools, technical expertise and political will to play that role effectively.

Spotlight on Greater Dandenong

In what is being hailed as the biggest rejuvenation effort undertaken in Victoria since the Docklands project, the State Government has pledged more than $290 million to upgrade central Dandenong. The announcement of an additional $197 million follows a $92 million funding package announced last year to rejuvenate the Dandenong CBD.

New logo for new era

With the many changes taking shape across the city, Council decided to reflect them all by rebranding the logo. It's fresh, vibrant, reflective and encompasses vision. With the former logo decidedly outdated, a lengthy design process created a bright that better reflects this growing and dynamic city.

Metro Village

Stage One of VicUrban's Metro Village 3175 residential project is now underway with building commencing on site this month. The estate will showcase a mix of housing including detached single and double storey homes, town homes, and apartment style housing.

Sports facility on the move

Greater Dandenong is to become home to a State Basketball/Volleyball Stadium after Council awarded ADCO Construction the tender for construction of the centre. Extension and alteration plans will see the creation of a State Volleyball Centre housed at the existing Dandenong Basketball Stadium.

Marked art in Dandenong

In an effort to light up the streets of central Dandenong, Council is close to unveiling a series of art markers named 'Vessels of Light' as part of a commitment to public art in the city. Sinatra Murphy Pty Ltd was chosen for its experience in developing public art projects in urban settings. It has worked closely with local based plastics company Ausplastics Pty Ltd over the past two years developing a unique composition for a 'Numinescent' or 'Inner Glow' plastic solution.

A multicultural haven

The City of Greater Dandenong is proud to be the most culturally diverse locality in Victoria and the second most diverse in Australia, with residents from 151 different birthplaces. Fifty-four per cent of our residents were born overseas, and 48 per cent in nations where English is not the main spoken language.

The Drum Theatre - the City's heart beat

After years of planning, public debate and design changes, the Drum Theatre - Dandenong Town Hall has now reopened its 115 year old doors to the public. And according to Council CEO, Carl Wulff, the wait was worth it.

Dandenong Market - the future

If there is one thing that has stood the test of time in Dandenong, it's the Dandenong Market. The goods and produce market, established at its present site in the city centre in 1926, brought hundreds of farmers and their families into the town each Tuesday.

Fit for a King!

Armytage Hall in Dandenong is now Council's premier youth music venue. Known as The Castle, more than $1 million has been spent building a raised stage, backstage area, audio control facilities and an acoustic buffer to turn the run down hall into a new home for the Council's Muso Network.

Dandenong Bypass underway

Victoria's Transport Minister, Peter Batchelor, has officially turned the sod for works to commence on the Dandenong Southern Bypass. This marks the start of major work on the $85 million bypass which is considered to be a significant part of the overall EastLink project. Greater Dandenong Council lobbied hard for the Dandenong Bypass within the Dingley Freeway reservation and was very pleased when the Government included it in the EastLink project as a toll free new four lane arterial road from Perry road to South Gippsland Highway.

Employment peaks in Greater Dandenong

Greater Dandenong's future is looking stronger than ever, as the City's unemployment rate hits a 15 year low. According to the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, unemployment fell by a third during the two years up to December 2005, to currently rest at 6.9 per cent.

Top class community facility

Since opening only a few months ago, the Paddy O'Donoghue Centre, a state of the art community facility in the heart of Noble Park, has welcomed hundreds of residents and community groups. The centre delivers childcare, maternal and child health services, preschool, senior citizens centre and other services for senior residents. Other services include gymnastics, tae kwan do plus a range of social programs run by community groups.

Manufacturing heartland

Greater Dandenong is ideally positioned to deliver sustainable prosperity and liveability. It is already the economic hub of the south east region and is expected to experience significant growth over the next 20 years.