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Speeches: 2005

Better Rural Service Project
Address to IT 2005 Conference
18 November 2005
Anna Hughes, ALGA Assistant Director, Finance and Economic Policy
… As part of the BRS project, we decided not to refer simply to the digital divide as it only refers to the inequalities in the use of the Internet and new telecommunication services. …
Explaining the meaning of ageing through research, policy and practice
Address to the Australian Association of Gereontology
11 November 2005
Cr Paul Bell AM, ALGA President
Many thanks for inviting me here today. I've just come from Canberra where we have had our own conference - the National General Assembly of Local Government. And it's fair to say that ageing and demographic change are rapidly becoming high priorities for councils across the country. And it's easy to see why.
Closing address
2005 National General Assembly of Local Government
10 November 2005
Cr Paul Bell AM, ALGA President
Local government plays a vital role in the economic and social health of our nation. It's time local communities got the fair funding, fair treatment and formal recognition they deserve. Look out for our campaign kits in the New Year. Stay in touch through ALGA News and the ALGA website. Have a safe trip home and hold on to your hats - 2006 is going to be one heck of a year!
Address to the Assembly
2005 National General Assembly of Local Government
10 November 2005
Ms Jenny Macklin
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
The character of our economic growth has changed in the last five years. When you take out the effect of the resources boom, serious structural problems are emerging. Globally, we're losing market share across the board. Export volumes have been almost flat across virtually every category - despite the best period of global economic growth in 30 years.
Address to the Assembly
2005 National General Assembly of Local Government
10 November 2005
Senator Kim Carr
Shadow Minister for Housing, Urban Development, Local Government and Territories
Labor is committed to finding a better way. We want to craft a new policy framework that will encourage the three spheres of government to operate cooperatively. We want an atmosphere of mutual respect for each others' capacities and for the complementary roles played by each.
Fair Share: The intergovernmental agreement to stop cost shifting
2005 National General Assembly of Local Government
9 November 2005
Cr Paul Bell AM, ALGA President
This session will focus on one part of our three-pronged campaign - fair treatment. Fair treatment means exactly what it says - fair treatment of local government by our state and federal counterparts. If we had fair treatment, we wouldn't have cost shifting. Cost shifting is tantamount to theft - robbing local communities of between $500m and $1.1 billion each year.
Plenary Address
2005 National General Assembly of Local Government
8 November 2005
The Hon Mark Vaile MP, Deputy Prime Minister
The Government has also decided to change the financial assistance arrangements for councils that amalgamate, to make sure they are not financially penalised. We will maintain the Financial Assistance Grants paid to amalgamated councils for four years, as if they were still separate bodies.
Opening Address
2005 National General Assembly of Local Government
8 November 2005
Cr Paul Bell AM, ALGA President
Local government has - for more than 50 years - been pursuing fair federal funding as the demands on local government outstripped the sector's financial capacity to respond. We have been fighting long and hard for better treatment at the hands of our federal and state counterparts. And we have been advocating constitutional recognition for decades, our case being put to referendum on two occasions.
Plenary Address
2005 Regional Co-operation and Development Forum
7 November 2005
The Hon Simon Crean MP, Shadow Minister for Regional Development
In my view no area of policy reform in the Whitlam era was more important than the Commonwealth's embrace of regional development responsibilities. The legacy of that approach is Labor's continuing commitment to build a sustainable future for our regions.
Plenary Address
2005 Regional Co-operation and Development Forum
7 November 2005
The Hon Warren Truss MP, Minister for Transport and Regional Services
Broadband has been able to reach so many Australians is, in part, due to Government funding assistance. But we need to keep broadband in perspective. It is not something everyone wants, and it is not always as cheap as lower bandwidth services. Due to technical limitations, broadband is not something that is going to be available at extraordinarily high speeds everywhere, immediately.
Opening Address
2005 Regional Co-operation and Development Forum
7 November 2005
Cr Paul Bell AM, ALGA President
Welcome to this - the ninth Regional Co-operation and Development Forum. This Forum provides us with an important opportunity to do a number of things. It allows us to assess the state of play in regional development in this country. Are we making progress, marking time or going out backwards? It also allows us to learn and share ideas about specific issues in regional development.
Local government and housing: Challenges for the future.
Address to the National Housing Conference
28 October 2005
Councillor Ann Bennison, ALGA
Creating liveable and sustainable communities is the fundamental purpose of local government. That's why planning at the local and regional level is such a critically important part of the housing equation.
Independent study into council sustainability
ALGA address to the Local Government Association of New South Wales
24 October 2005, Mudgee, NSW
Cr Paul Bell AM, ALGA President
First of all, let me congratulate the New South Wales Local Government and Shires Associations on commissioning your independent study into council sustainability. Your inquiry will provide a comprehensive, independent assessment of the financial position of local government in NSW - a state that carries one third of the Australian population. This is a bold move - make no mistake about that.
Local Government Week
ALGA address to the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory
13 October 2005, Adelaide
Cr Bill Mitchell, ALGA Vice President
In 1960, the British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, talked of the "wind of change" that was blowing through Africa. The wind of change is now starting to blow through local government here in Australia. And it doesn't matter whether you are in South Australia, my home state of WA, Queensland or here in the Northern Territory - the wind of change is clearly upon us. These winds are being fanned by a number of factors - all relate to the increasing fiscal pressure confronting local government today.
Showcasing Local Government Conference
ALGA address to the Local Government Association of South Australia
10 October 2005, Adelaide
Cr Bill Mitchell, ALGA Vice President
It's a time of challenge - but also - if we play our cards right - opportunity. We have - at the national level - been watching developments in South Australia with great interest. You are, in many ways, at a flashpoint where the financial pressures facing local government is very much in the public eye.
A community for all ages: Building the future
National Speaker Series seminar
27 September 2005, Sydney
Councillor Geoff Lake
The built environment has a critical impact on the mobility, independence and quality-of-life for older people. Of course, the concept of an age-friendly environment is easy to support - but much harder to achieve.
Conference address
Engaging Communities conference
16 August 2005, Brisbane
Cr Paul Bell, AM
It's my task to give you an overview of how local government - at the national level - acts as a conduit between our communities and our national government. But I'd also like to advocate some important changes that need to take place to if we are to have a truly effective federal system of government - a system where the voice of communities is heard in loud and clear in the corridors of power in Canberra.
Closing address
6th National Local Roads and Transport Congress
5 July 2005, Launceston, Tasmania
Senator Kerry O'Brien
With AusLink the government promised to 'revolutionise' the planning and funding of Australia's national roads and railways through a new strategic approach to our transport future. Even failed revolutions begin with high spirits and goodwill among comrades, so excuse me if I reserve my judgement on the AusLink project thus far.
Plenary address
6th National Local Roads and Transport Congress
5 July 2005, Launceston, Tasmania
The Hon Jim Lloyd MP
Audio only. Transcript not available.
Plenary address
6th National Local Roads and Transport Congress
4 July 2005, Launceston, Tasmania
The Hon John Anderson MP
Today, I would like to give focus to AusLink- the most important change to the national land transport agenda in the past 30 years - and its implications for the future of transport infrastructure in Australia. I would also like to discuss Roads to Recovery, a program of particular importance to local government, and an avenue through which federal-local government cooperation is making a significant difference to our important local road networks.
President's address
6th National Local Roads and Transport Congress
4 July 2005, Launceston, Tasmania
Cr Paul Bell
Since we first met in Moree in the year 2000, the National Local Roads Congress has been a fighting forum for transport needs of local communities. We first came together to find a way forward to address the massive maintenance backlog facing councils across the country. We did our homework, we developed a plan, we lobbied hard, and most importantly, we got a result.
ALGA's national priorities
Address to the Shires Association of NSW annual conference
8 June 2005, Sydney
Cr Paul Bell
As we speak, the Australian Government is considering its response to David Hawker's Fair Share report - a report that examined the pressures facing local government and made some significant recommendations for reform. Hawker wasn't perfect. But it did pick up on our core issues and - to its credit - acknowledged the financial pressures we face. Importantly, the report hit the nail on the head when it identified the core problem as - and I quote: "the underlying issues relating to governance arrangements between the three spheres of government."
The future of local government
Address to MAV's The future of local government summit 2005
7 June 2005, Melbourne
Cr Paul Bell
Councils are increasingly engaged in planning with the longer-term future in mind. We are anticipating change - change in the way people live and work, change in the way we travel, change in our demographic profile, change in our cultural profile. We also want to influence the way things change and are increasingly examining the drivers of change.
Local government and reconciliation
Address to Reconciliation Australia's National Reconciliation Planning Workshop
31 May 2005, Canberra
Cr Genia McCaffrey
Local government is very pleased to be here to participate in this important event - an event that will - we hope - pave the way forward for reconciliation to achieve real and lasting change in the coming years.
Building partnerships for a safer Australia
Address to the Security in government conference
12 May 2005, Canberra
Cr Geoff Lake
Following the attacks on the New York and Washington - almost four years ago now - local government was all but forgotten in the rush to make Australia in general - and Australians in particular - more secure.
Better rural services
Address to the United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific Regional Section conference
27 April 2005, Daegu, Korea
Cr Paul Bell AM
Information technology provides us with the opportunity to connect people in regional areas to services and information in a way which can make incredible differences to their economic, social and cultural well-being.
Tackling local government's infrastructure crisis
Address to the Building and financing local government infrastructure conference
7 April 2005, Sydney
Cr Paul Bell AM
It's a Catch 22 for councils. There has been a rapid change in demand for services - but no rapid change to the way local government acquires revenue.
Local government and water policy
Address to the National Water Summit
30 March 2005, Sydney
Cr Paul Bell AM
Australian governments are working together to deliver the funding from the Natural Heritage Trust and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality through regional, catchment-based arrangements.
Blot on the landscape
Address to the Commonwealth Local Government Conference
16 March 2005, Aberdeen, Scotland
Cr Ann Bennison
There continues to be one big blot on our democratic landscape - our failure to recognise local government in the Australian Constitution.
Culture and the environment in human development
Address to the Transformations conference
9 February 2005, Canberra
Cr Paul Bell AM
One important aspect of cultural diversity is participation in the democratic process. An increasing number of councillors are from diverse ethnic backgrounds, more closely reflecting the composition of the local community.

 
Page last updated: 8 February 2006