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Talks to continue on $10b national water plan

The President of the Australian Local Government Association, Cr Paul Bell, has welcomed the thrust of the Prime Minister's $10 billion 10-year water plan, saying he is looking forward to further talks on this crucial issue.

Cr Bell said the talks yesterday in Canberra were constructive and that a national approach to water management was 'long overdue.'

"This is a bold, innovative proposal and ALGA is committed to working with state and federal governments to get the best result for local communities and the environment," he said.

Cr Bell said that he was fighting hard to ensure that urban water supplies were protected and had argued strongly that structural adjustment for communities must be included as part of the $10 billion package. "I strongly believe that the pain must be shared and that communities are given recognition for the sacrifices they are asked to make as part of dealing with this national problem."

The meeting will resume on February 23rd.

The plan:

  • 70 per cent of all water use in Australia is for farm irrigation
  • Up to 30 per cent of water is lost in transport, through leakage, seepage and evaporation
  • $6 billion to seal major delivery channels, improve metering and install drip systems to save 3,000 gigalitres of water each year
  • $3 billion to buy back irrigators' water entitlements in the Murray-Darling basin
  • Federal government to take control of Murray-Darling basin from states
  • $480 million for the Bureau of Meteorology to collect national water information
  • Taskforce to investigate moving farmers to northern Australia where there is more water
  • Australian Water Fund grants to be made conditional on city water utilities investing in dams and other infrastructure.

It's a dry argument for local government

The central NSW town of Wallabadah has become the 12th community in the state to import water after running dry.

Water was trucked into Wallabadah when its reservoir became empty after the town well failed.

The town of 300, near Quirindi, is typical of the small communities throughout NSW which receive water from neighbouring dams or reservoirs.

Liverpool Plains Shire Council acting general manager Bob Stewart said the town had been looking for other sources of water because the well's levels were so low and the situation had become critical.

"We can only pump for three minutes at a time and the pump ceases, so that means that the water reservoirs are effectively empty," Mr Stewart told ABC Radio.

"And in terms of the well, we need to have a look at that tomorrow morning. I need to give the guys a chance to have a look at that and see if we can get any more water out of it or not."

NSW Water Utilities Minister David Campbell said the number of towns carting water changes quickly, and after small amounts of rain carting may stop.

Mr Campbell said as a result of 93.2 per cent of NSW being drought declared in December, all country town water supplies are monitored by the Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability in liaison with the local water utilities.

Meanwhile, Brisbane has reduced its water consumption by record levels, new figures show.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman today said residents and businesses had slashed their water use by more than 42 and 24 per cent respectively during the last three months of 2006.

He said the figures showed the drought message was hitting home.

"This is an outstanding result across the city and some of Brisbane's suburbs have even managed to cut their water consumption by more than 60 per cent," Mr Newman said.

"Under the current level four water restrictions, we have a collective target of reducing the residential sector's water use by 30 per cent - these latest quarterly figures have exceeded our expectations."

Brisbane City Council itself has reduced its water usage by 59 per cent.

Premier Peter Beattie has scrapped plans for a controversial $10 million referendum, which would have gauged whether residents of 18 south-east Queensland areas would accept drinking recycled water.

Mr Beattie said the drought and drastically low water levels in the Wivenhoe-Somerset Dam system, now standing at just 23 per cent, were reason enough to mandate recycled drinking water.

Prime Minister John Howard has expressed support for drinking waste water, saying he would be prepared to put a bottle of recycled toilet water in his fridge.

However, Mr Beattie's controversial plan has split the Labor states, with South Australian Premier Mike Rann, NSW Premier Morris Iemma and Victoria's acting Water Minister Justin Madden rejecting it.

Labor plan for childcare waiting list

ALGA President Cr Paul Bell has cautiously welcomed a Labor proposal to work with local governments to develop a single waiting list for childcare places in each local government area.

"Local government childcare centres are facing many difficulties which need to be addressed." he said. "I am happy to discuss any proposal which assists in service delivery to communities. However, we would not want this to be a cost-shifting exercise."

Shadow families and community services spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said a Labor government would work with local councils to create one centralised waiting list in each area covering both public and private centres.

"It makes sense for parents, governments and childcare providers to have single local waiting lists," she said. "We'll have a much better idea of where the need is greatest.

"Some local councils are already doing it. Others are thinking about it. We'll sit down with the Australian Local Government Association and make it work across the country."

Ms Macklin today said the one-stop-shop plan would have the added benefit of creating a more accurate picture of which areas are suffering childcare shortages.

From the President

The task of developing a national plan to ensure the sustainability of our towns and cities is an issue which is becoming increasingly urgent and one which has been neglected for too long.

The Australian economy and social landscape is built on diverse, vibrant and connected communities. Our cities are our portals for international trade and commerce and generate around 80% of GDP.

Australia is one of the most highly urbanised countries in the world. The character of Australia's capital cities is shaped by the increasingly diverse range of people who live in them.

And yet the health of our cities is an area that is frequently overlooked by policy makers, who tend to focus on the issue of the moment. But the issues of today - climate change, water, infrastructure investment, housing affordability - are intrinsically linked and feed into how our cities function and whether they are sustainable.

There is a need for a more coordinated and integrated approach that involves all parties - federal, state and local government, developers, planners, architects and the residents themselves.

Local government as the voice of local and regional communities is well-positioned to take an active part in a national debate and we will continue to lobby for a broad overarching vision for the sustainable development of our urban centres. Vibrant cities and towns are also important as a source of skills, materials and markets which support rural and regional economies.

The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull, has showed a strong interest in this issue as the MP for Wentworth, and Committee Member on the Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage - Sustainable Cities, and I am hoping that in his new role he continues to pursue and display his passion for urban development, working with other Ministries.

The Opposition has made some forays into the debate and in a speech in Parliament this week, the Shadow Minister for Urban Development, Laurie Ferguson, canvassed the possibility of setting up a Sustainable Cities Authority. Over a year ago, the then Shadow Minister for Housing, Urban Development, Local Government and Territories, Senator Kim Carr, released the ALP's draft discussion paper on Urban Development, Housing and Local Government. This paper acknowledged that the Australian Government has a clear role in working with others to deliver more sustainable cities - so that the issues such as housing, infrastructure provision, public transport and a fairer distribution of funds to local government to assist in meeting the sustainable challenge can be delivered.

ALGA has been working hard on these issues. Along with key industry and lobby groups, we participated in the Sustainable Communities Roundtable in May last year. We are also currently engaged through the Local Government Planning Ministers Council in assisting to address issues such as affordable housing, natural resource management, and integrated transport systems.

However, we are increasingly frustrated that the House of Representatives Environment and Heritage Committee report, Sustainable Cities, has been on the shelf gathering dust for almost 18 months.

The report has some practical recommendations on how our cities can respond to issues such as climate change, energy efficiency, water use and recycling. It has recommendations about improving our public transport systems to reduce traffic congestion and bottle-necks. This should not be about the Federal Government taking over state and territory responsibilities, it needs to be about a concerted, national approach where the three spheres work together to address these significant challenges.

These are all issues that local government has a keen interest and involvement in. Our recently released Roads and Transport Strategy looks at urban congestion and access to public transport. Good strategic planning at the local government and regional level has direct implications on resource use. Local government provides guidance on protecting areas of natural value and beauty, providing community choice and input, and ensuring that we have more sustainable and attractive urban built environments and facilities. Many cities are leading the way in sustainable planning and showing that when policy challenges are not dealt with in silos, but involve community participation and direct local government action, this can lead to tangible results.

I was very interested in the outcomes of the Creating Child Friendly Cities Symposium late last year. The speakers looked at issues such as child safety in urban communities and how urban services and policies shape the well-being of our children, in the areas of transport, infrastructure, health, housing, and recreation. Also discussed were in the challenges of maintaining child-friendly conditions in high density areas and discussion on the clustering patterns of socio-economic groups. Congratulations to the City of Greater Bendigo - the first Australian city to be recognized by UNICEF and UNESCO to be recognized as a Child Friendly City.

Our children are our future. I strongly believe that professions such as architecture, engineering, building and planning need to take into account the needs of children, as well as the demands of our ageing populations.

The well-being of our cities reflects on us as a nation and directly affects the more than 14 million Australians who live in urban centres. Local government, which really does think globally and acts locally, is committed to driving the sustainability agenda as we share a strong realisation that the future of the planet is and should be the concern and the responsibility of all of us.

Cr Paul Bell AM
ALGA President

Clean Up Australia Day targets climate change

For the first time Clean Up Australian Day will target climate change, and practical measures the community can adopt to help cut greenhouse gas emissions, the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull said. Launching this year's national Clean Up Australia Day campaign, which culminates on March 4, with Chairman Ian Kiernan AO, Mr Turnbull encouraged Australians to participate and take individual action on climate change.

Taskforce asks for submissions on emissions trading

Prime Minister John Howard's taskforce inquiry into the impact of a global emissions trading system has recommended against a carbon tax on industries.

Instead, the taskforce says emissions trading, whereby an industry might have to offset its emissions through selling credits, is a better tool for the job.

"Such a system works because only enough permits are allocated to ensure total emissions are curtailed over time, and industry uses the open market to discover the lowest cost ways of reducing emissions," the taskforce's interim report states.

"A tradeable permit market creates an explicit carbon price signal which allows business greater certainty in taking long-term investment decisions and allows for the development of financial instruments to manage risk."

The interim report says that, given the scale of the challenge faced by climate change, there is no room for complacency.

"Market-based approaches will generally reduce emissions at a lower cost than other interventions," the report says.

"Indeed, some policies provide only modest abatement at relatively significant cost, both in terms of direct budgetary impacts and regulatory cross subsidies from electricity consumers.

"The multiplicity of programs between jurisdictions, including the significant degree of overlap, has been raised as a key cost and compliance issue for business and the economy.

"Introducing a national emissions trading scheme creates the potential for rationalising some existing climate change measures."

The taskforce is headed by the secretary to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Dr Peter Shergold. Submissions can be emailed to secretariat@emissionstrading.pmc.gov.au and must be received by 7 March 2007

Three mayors join forces for NSW election

The mayors of Lake Macquarie and Maitland will contest the March 24 NSW state election as independent candidates, joining Newcastle Lord Mayor John Tate to form a regional alliance.

Greg Piper will stand in the seat of Lake Macquarie, held for the ALP by Jeff Hunter, and Peter Blackmore will stand in Maitland, the seat he represented for two terms as a Liberal MP.

The three mayors plan to turn the electorates of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland into marginal seats, and say they would work together to benefit each electorate, and the region as a whole.

If successful at the election, the mayors intend to continue in their local government roles and not put their cities through expensive by-elections.

The trio agree the responsibilities of being a city mayor and MP are easily balanced and complimentary, with benefits on both sides.

Special call for entries in Garden Awards

Entries were due to close last month for the Australian Local Government Flower Garden Awards, but have been extended because of technical problems.

A major changeover for the organising body, Bedding Plants Australia, prior to Christmas, resulted in technical problems with its website and any last minute enquiries and even entries were not received.

"We apologise for the problems and encourage any councils who were thinking of entering to get their entries in by next Friday February 17," said Neville Sloss, coordinator of the Awards. Neville, who was formerly responsible for BPA Public Relations and the Awards' organization, has been brought back to assist with the management of the Awards.

"The entry format is very simple so if councils have some good photographs of their public gardens or spaces which featured flowering annuals through 2006, very little extra is required," said Neville. "A simple explanation of the plantings along with photos is the basic requirement for our judges."

Sponsored by Bedding Plants Australia and irrigation specialists Toro Australia, the Awards are supported by the Australian Local Government Association. Gardening experts Graham Ross and Carolyn Blackman are judges along with representatives of the organizations.

Prizes totalling over $12,000 are available to state winners and the one national winner.

Go online to www.beddingplants.com.au for full information or contact Neville direct at neville@greenpr.com.au or ph. 0414 562 010.

2007 Community Engagement Project

Applications for funding opportunities from organisations managing community-based or regional development initiatives are now available for the 2007 Community Engagement Project. Funded by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework this project seeks to foster and embed e-learning within some of Australia's most disadvantaged communities and strengthen the foundation of workforce skills. The project aims to support economic and regional development and sustainability by creating close partnerships within training organisations and ACE providers. This is the third year of funding for this project.

Download the application guidelines and application form.

Is your business prepared for a crisis?

The Australian Government is running free business planning workshops to help position businesses to stay in business. The workshops will help business managers to examine their current capacity to handle a crisis like a natural disaster, product recall, human influenza or other threat.

As a business manager or manager of a not-for-profit agency, these workshops will help you to consider the effects that even the loss of a key supplier might have on your day to day operations, and also provide you with some strategies for managing the unexpected.

Speakers from the Australian Government and business planning experts from the private sector will be in attendance at these workshops to help you develop your own 'all-hazards' business plan.

Register now for a workshop at a location near you by downloading the registration form.

Walkley Foundation's National Public Affairs Convention

The '8th National Public Affairs Convention: From Message Sticks to Sticky Messages,' will be held Thursday 10th - Friday 11th May 2007 at Wesley Conference Centre, 220 Pitt St, Sydney. Hosted by the Walkley Foundation for Journalism and the Media Alliance, the convention will feature keynote Sue Murray, CEO, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Walkley-winning journalist Caroline Overington, 2UE's John Stanley and The Media Report's Antony Funnell. New topics include an analysis of Second Life's PR value, and cases of communicating CSR without the 'greenwashed' effect. To register, please phone 1300 656 513 or for more information visit http://publicaffairs.alliance.org.au/.
Water and sewerage discussion paper for Tasmania

The Tasmanian Government has announced the creation of a Ministerial Water and Sewerage Taskforce. The primary objective of the Taskforce is to identify ways of achieving major long-term improvements in Tasmania's water and sewerage services and infrastructure, through a collaborative approach with local Government. The Taskforce will:

  • conduct a high-level review to broadly assess the adequacy of Tasmania's existing water and sewerage infrastructure and the nature and scope of investment required to meet needs into the future;
  • examine structural, regulatory and other institutional arrangements in Tasmania and in other jurisdictions with a view to identifying a recommended approach for Tasmania;
  • examine the likely financial and other impacts on key stakeholders (including local government and water users) and risks arising from changes to existing structural, regulatory and institutional arrangements; and
  • consult stakeholders, particularly local government, regarding options for a state-wide water and sewerage plan.

Local government is encourage to provide input into the Water and Sewerage Taskforce discussion paper. Comment on the paper's contents must be submitted by 23 February 2007.

Councils welcome infrastructure DVD

ALGA President Cr Paul Bell has welcomed a DVD launched by the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA) addressing local infrastructure challenges facing communities across the nation.

Cr Bell said the DVD supported ALGA's push for a Local Community Infrastructure Renewals Fund - a major recommendation of the PricewaterhouseCoopers report on local government financing which was launched in December.

LGA SA President Cr John Rich said the LGA in SA had negotiated to buy the DVD in bulk for every council in the state as part of a wider program working with IPWEA.

"We have worked with IPWEA using their International Infrastructure Management Manual to provide templates to all Councils to assist them to prepare Infrastructure and Asset Management Plans," he said.

"We have also just announced a major program of training sessions and support which will see more than 40 sessions across the State so every Council has the skills and information they need."

Cr Rich said the program was designed to support all Councils to have the plans in place by 2008.

"Ensuring good data and plans is vital both for organisation of Council resources and to ensure we are putting forward the best case to other Governments for support."

IPWEA CEO Mr Chris Champion said that 500 DVDs had been dispatched to Local Government Associations around the country last week and would reach councils in the next few weeks.

Debate on Citizenship Bill in Senate

Debate on the Australian Citizenship Bill 2006 resumed this week in the Senate. The bill proposes extending the length of time a person must live in Australia before being granted citizenship from two to four years.

Labor supports the legislation, but proposed a number of amendments.

"Labor would like to know whether there is a new intelligence that says that the residency requirement for citizenship needs to be upped to four years. Only a year prior to the bill being introduced the government advised that three years was optimum," Senator Joe Ludwig said.

Also the right for ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) to be allowed to veto a person's application for citizenship was criticised. The bill also enables citizenship to be denied to a person who had been convicted of a crime in another country.

A large number of senators are expected to speak on the bill.

New rural medical stream to fight drought of rural doctors

In one of the most important announcements ever to affect rural health care, the Australian Medical Council has formally recognised the training and education programs of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), creating a new stream of doctors trained specifically for rural practice.

ACRRM President, Dr David Campbell, said the decision by the national standards body to give Initial Accreditation to ACRRM's training and education programs was a world first, and creates a new pathway for doctors to train specifically in rural and remote medicine.

"The recognition of ACRRM's rural medicine training pathway will directly improve the workforce shortage in Australia's regional and rural communities," Dr Campbell said.

"Until now there has been no recognised program that prepares doctors for the full scope of rural practice. The ACRRM program has been designed by rural doctors to specifically meet the needs of rural communities by providing training in diverse disciplines such as Indigenous and population health, mental health, emergency medicine, surgery and other procedural care, as well as providing doctors with the flexibility to work in metropolitan general practice."

Dr Campbell said the decision follows the commitment made by the federal and state governments at the COAG meeting in July last year to allow ACRRM to have its own register of doctors, and recognition within the Health Insurance Act, if approved by the AMC.

Dr Campbell said the ACRRM pathway also provides increased flexibility and choice for existing doctors, who can now receive new financial benefits and government and college assistance, regardless of where they chose to work.

"This decision will greatly boost the status and attractiveness of rural medicine to current and future doctors, and will assist in the fight for more equitable health care across country Australia."

$20 million envirofund opens

Individuals and community groups across Australia are being encouraged to apply for grants of up to $50,000 for local environmental projects as part of the latest round of the Australian Government Envirofund. The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull, and the Minister for Fisheries , Forestry and Conservation, Senator Eric Abetz, announced the availability of more than $20 million in funding through this year's round of Envirofund.

Road reports

The following research and technical reports have been published and are available for download from the Austroads publications website:

Research reports:

  • AP-R288-06; Literature Review of Community Consultation Techniques used by Road Agencies
  • AP-R289-06; Guidelines for the Development of a Level of Service Framework based on Community Consultations
  • AP-R290-06; A Community Consultation Process and Methods for Quantifying Community Expectations on Levels of Service for Road Networks
  • AP-R295-06; Australia and New Zealand Roads Capability Analysis 2006-2016

Technical reports:

  • AP-T62-06; Introduction to Asphalt Mix Design
  • AP-T63-06; Asphalt Characterisation for Pavement Design
  • AP-T64-06; Asphalt Manufacture
  • AP-T65-06; Asphalt Paving
  • AP-T66-06; Asphalt Recycling
  • AP-T67-06; Maintenance of Asphalt Surfacings
Local Government Public Relations Association Conference

"Communication in a Climate of Change"

This year's Local Government Public Relations Association Conference will be held at Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise from 21 to 23 March 2007.

The annual Local Government Public Relations Association Conference is:

  • the only national conference that addresses communication in local and state government
  • a well researched agenda with invited speakers and a diverse range of topics
  • a national forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences
  • great value for money at a bargain cost: $650 + GST - Current LGPRA Member, $750 + GST - Non Member

Who Should Attend: Anyone working in local or state government whose role involves communication (public relations practitioners, events officers, road safety officers, customer service officers, media and information service providers, strategic planners, community relations/ information officers and elected members).

A copy of the program is located at www.lgaq.asn.au. Please register online and look for LGPRA under 'Key Events'. The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) has been appointed the organiser of this event. If you experience any problems with your registration, please contact: Bron Browning, Conference Co-ordinator, LGAQ, Ph: (07) 3000 2220

Financial support for bushfire victims

Fire victims in Victoria's south-west are now eligible for extra financial assistance to help meet immediate recovery costs following an announcement between the federal and state governments to extend the Community Recovery Fund. The announcement is in addition to a $4m package announced by the Victorian government to support the recovery of tourism in fire-affected regions. Applications under the Community Recovery fund can be made on the website www.ruralfinance.com.au

People seeking hardship grants can call their local council, visit the Department of Human Services website or phone the Victorian Bushfire Hotline on 1800 240 667

Quote of the week

"Prime minister, I need to add that I will be passionately critical of delays or policies by anyone that I think are wrong-headed." - New Australian of the Year, environmentalist Tim Flannery, warning John Howard that he will continue to be critical of the government's policies.

International news  
Britain to lead way with green scheme

Britain will be the first country in the world to set standards for "offsetting" schemes which claim to neutralise the environmental impact of individuals' greenhouse gas emissions.

But environmental groups raised questions over the value of offsetting, pointing out that it does not actually remove the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by activities like air travel and driving cars.

An increasing number of companies offer offsetting schemes, under which consumers seek to nullify their own CO2 emissions by paying towards green projects such as tree-planting or providing low-energy lightbulbs for developing countries.

Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that he would ensure that he offset all his personal air travel, while department store chain Marks & Spencer today said that offsetting would play a part in its effort to become the UK's first carbon neutral supermarket.

Bradshaw admitted there was confusion, even at the highest level, about how offsetting was operating.

"That's why this government will become the first government in the world this Thursday to publish a standard for carbon offsetting, so that people will be able to tell whether the offsetting schemes they are using or thinking of using really do take that carbon out of the global carbon economy for good and whether they can trust the schemes they are using."

Friends of the Earth executive director Tony Juniper warned against relying too heavily on offsetting as a way of tackling global warming, rather than taking action to reduce CO2 emissions in the rich world.

"One of the problems with offsetting is we can inadvertently give the signal that you can carry on doing what you have always done and it is somehow going to be made better because you are going to be funding some scheme somewhere that is going to take away the CO2 damage.

"The problem is it doesn't actually remove CO2 from the atmosphere - certainly not quickly enough to undo that damage."

State of the Regions report 2006-07