The Local Government Focus RSS feed is now available for viewing. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/rss/index.xml en http://www.lgfocus.com.au/images/smlogo.gif http://www.lgfocus.com.au/rss/index.xml 140 51 The economy is recovering from the global financial crisis and councils are still working to finalise major projects funded under the Federal Government’s $1 billion stimulus package, but President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), Councillor Geoff Lake, said that climate change will be the issue for Local Government in 2010. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/agenda.php Although December’s Copenhagen climate change summit produced an underwhelming result, the event in itself has placed a far greater global emphasis on the need for action than we have ever seen before. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/editorial.php The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) held its 28th meeting at Parliament House in Brisbane on 7 December. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/coag.php Camden Council in Sydney’s southwest refused a development application in 2008 for an Islamic school in a rural area close to Camden. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/camden.php Parkes Shire Council in central west New South Wales is gearing up to host the next Annual National Local Government Touch Carnival on 27 February 2010 http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/carnival.php The Productivity Commission’s (PC) final report on gambling hits Ministers’ desks on 26 February and councils should be paying close attention because communities throughout Australia will face major problems if this issue is not handled intelligently. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/brown.php On 15 December 2009, the Federal Member for Maribyrnong, Bill Shorten, officially opened the Keilor Park synthetic turf facility in Melbourne’s Brimbank City Council. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/greenfields.php The launch of a new resource by ICLEI Oceania aims to provide councils with greater confidence and clarity when addressing alcohol related harms in their municipality. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/alcohol.php Following the highly successful relaunch of the Town of Vincent’s Liquor Accord, the initiative has been Highly Commended in the Injury Prevention category of the Injury Control Council of Western Australia (ICCWA) Awards. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/liquor.php More than half of Victoria’s 79 councils are demonstrating their commitment to support users of mobility aids through a Recharge Scheme initiated by Nillumbik Shire Council in 2006. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/nillumbik.php With almost one fifth of Australians living with some form of impairment, and one in 12 children suffering a disability, Local Government must do more to ensure full and free access is available to everyone. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/stronger.php Two surprised graffiti vandals are facing charges in a South Australian court after being apprehended while spraying tags onto a Salisbury City Council property. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/graffiti.php Increasingly, people are seeking certainty in a world brimming over with uncertainty. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/grunt.php In September, Adelaide City Council unveiled another of many projects scheduled for 2009/2010 under the City’s Major Solar Panels Installation project. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/carbon.php Victorian Local Government has, for more than a decade, been working to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, largely by developing and implementing mitigation strategies. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/climate.php South Australia’s Coorong District Council has implemented a risk management approach to address riverbank slumping caused by the ongoing drought. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/riverbank.php Located 120 kilometres south of Sydney, Kiama Council recently opened a new section of the Kiama Coast Walk, providing the general public with access to previously unavailable coastline areas. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/kiama.php A mobile red couch was a great conversation starter in Kingborough, Tasmania, last year, with young people taking a seat to share their views on the area’s transport issues. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/kingborough.php Polycom Stabilising Aid is fast being adopted as the best practice method for unsealed road management. Local Governments around the country are embracing Delete the Re-Sheet. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/earthco.php Like many regional councils, Towong Shire Council in northeast Victoria is heavily reliant on the agricultural sector. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/farmers.php Over 5,000 tonnes of silage film and covers are discarded after use every year in Australia. These products are made from high quality linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) plastic, which does not break down when buried, is unsightly and presents a hazard to stock. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/tapex.php In tough and often volatile economic times it’s difficult for councils and community groups to justify investing taxpayer dollars on solar power. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/solar.php With the United Nations Climate Change Conference ending in only a ‘letter of intent’ rather than a binding agreement to limit global warming to a maximum of two degrees Celsius above preindustrial times, the challenge remains of how the issue of climate change is to be dealt with in practice. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/morley.php Waverley spans only 9.2 square kilometres and is the most densely populated Local Government area in New South Wales, with 61,689 residents calling it home. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/snapshot.php Waverley has been leading the way with significant numbers of women in leadership roles for many years. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/diversity.php Overall, Local Government has a low representation of women as Councillors and Mayors. Of the 1,468 elected Councillors in New South Wales, just 396 are female, with 31 women Mayors and one Lord Mayor. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/history.php Waverley Mayor Sally Betts is now in her second consecutive year in Council’s top job. http://www.lgfocus.com.au/index.php?view=editions/2010/january/spotlkight.php