Breaking News
NSW council elections postponed amid COVID-19 crisis
NSW Local Government elections have been postponed by a further three months, as Greater Sydney battles to contain the worsening COVID-19 outbreak.
The election will now take place on Saturday 4 December.
This is the second time the election has been delayed, with the four year term originally set to expire in September 2020.
Announcing the new date, Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock said the decision to postpone the election for a second time had been made to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the state’s communities, voters, polling staff and candidates.
Nominations for candidates to contest the poll will now open on Monday 25 October. The electoral roll, including the non-residential roll, will also remain open until this date.
Councillors elected in December 2021 will serve a reduced term of 2 years and 8 months, with subsequent elections expected to remain on schedule. This means the next election will proceed as planned in September 2024.
Conference returns
Debating the motions before the assembly, Forbes Shire Council Mayor Phyllis Miller.
The 27th Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) National General Assembly returned to Canberra in June this year after a brief hiatus in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Read more >
NGA endorses nuclear weapons ban
Mayor John Daw, Mundaring WA, holding the Nobel Peace Prize is pictured with council representatives from across Australia, ICAN and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Members.
At its National General Assembly in June, the Australian Local Government Association delegates unanimously passed Motion 61 calling on Australia to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Read more >
First to ban single-use plastic takeaway packaging
City of Hobart’s Cr Bill Harvey and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds join owner of local institution Café Daci & Daci, Cheryl Daci, to demonstrate by-law compliant packaging.
Hobart has become the first city in Australia to ban single-use plastic takeaway food packaging as part of a wider move to become single-use plastic free. Read more >
Supporting women’s leadership
The peak body for local government officers will receive a share of $39.8 million in Commonwealth Government funding to support women’s leadership development in local government.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Office for Women will provide $615,000 over three years for Local Government Professionals Australia to increase female leadership in the local government sector.
LG Professionals National President, Victoria MacKirdy, said, “Local Government Professionals Australia is proud to be partnering with the Office for Women on our Local Government Women’s Future Leader Program.
“Since we set a gender balance target of 40:40:20 in local government senior leadership teams to be reached by 2025 last year – that is 40 percent men, 40 per cent women, and 20 per cent unspecified – we have been actively working to make this a reality.
“This funding is a vote of confidence in our efforts by the Minister for Women and a real commitment by the Australian Government to support local government and women in the sector.”
The funded program seeks to increase female leadership in the local government sector through tailored support for women and councils.
The program will offer leadership development opportunities to women while providing support for councils to achieve the leadership gender balance target including mentoring, scholarships, board traineeships, and virtual and face-to-face professional development event attendance.
Councils will be supported through reports, cases studies and toolkit resources to ensure they are able to encourage, accommodate and foster female leaders within their workforces.
Fabric forest highlights fashion waste
Fabric Forest art installation.
Ballarat Youth have engaged local artist Diokno Pasilan to help create an art installation made from fabric waste. Read more >
The 27th Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) National General Assembly returned to Canberra in June this year after a brief hiatus in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
