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Today I’m attending COAG where the Prime Minister, First Ministers and I, on behalf of our sector, will discuss the issues currently impacting our country. These include bushfire relief, drought, violence against women, mental health, the proposed waste export ban, and the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Bushfire relief has been slow, despite best efforts of governments.+
Posted 13 March, 2020 -
Now in its 27th year, the Community Heritage Grants (CHG) program provides grants of up to $15,000 to community groups to help preserve and manage locally held but nationally-significant cultural heritage collections. Since the program began in 1994, more than $7.26 million has been allocated to 1,445 collection preservation and management projects around the country,+
Posted 6 March, 2020 -
Time is running out for councils to have their say on life in regional Australia. The House of Representatives Select Committee on Regional Australia is looking at the contribution regional Australia makes to the nation’s identity, economy and environment. The committee is also examining the effectiveness of existing programs to develop and promote regional centres,+
Posted 6 March, 2020 -
What needs to change, across government and industry, to curb the roughly 1.4 million tonnes of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres that we export every year? With the waste export ban drawing nearer – in less than six months for glass and just over a year for mixed plastics – we need practical solutions+
Posted 6 March, 2020 -
While Victoria’s recycling system is set to change following an announcement this week by the Andrews State Government, Local Government New South Wales has warned that Australia’s most populous state risks having more of its waste sent to landfill. Recycling Victoria is a $300m, 10-year plan to create a circular economy through measures including a+
Posted 28 February, 2020 -
A new site has for the first time brought together millions of data sets to provide a wide-ranging picture of the state of housing in Australia, from financing for a mortgage through to population changes and homelessness. The Housing Data Dashboard as developed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the Commonwealth+
Posted 30 August, 2019 -
The Australian Government has published a new biosecurity web site aimed at helping the general public, councils, businesses and individuals better understand how to identify and respond to biosecurity threats. The site has been developed by the National Biosecurity Committee, to which the Australian Local Government Association is an observer, and follows an agreement by+
Posted 30 August, 2019 -
I was pleased to participate in a memorable second meeting of the Joint Council on Closing the Gap last week in Adelaide. There can be few more pressing tasks than reducing the differences in life span, health, housing and employment between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians – and local government has a key role to play.+
Posted 30 August, 2019 -
Local councils are at the forefront of community efforts to tackle Australia’s worsening housing affordability and homelessness challenges. While people sleeping rough on the street in our capital cities is of course a problem, our communities in rural, regional and remote Australia are also responding to housing challenges including lack of affordable housing, or overcrowding.+
Posted 19 July, 2019 -
In the majority of towns and cities within Australia there are memorials to veterans that have not returned home. A growing problem, however, continues to be the integration into the community of those that have returned from active service and have been affected by that service, whether it be physically or psychologically. Organisations such as+
Posted 26 April, 2019 -
Last month the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, Minister for Families and Social Services, and the Hon Sarah Henderson MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services issued a media release announcing that from April, the Australian community can take part in national consultations to shape the future of Australia’s disability policy for beyond+
Posted 26 April, 2019 -
My column this week comes at a time of reflection for us as individuals and as community service providers. Today marks the end of a week which has included Easter and Anzac Day, events of great religious and national significance which have been celebrated and commemorated in local communities right across Australia. Councils and elected+
Posted 26 April, 2019 -
Don’t miss the early bird registration discount for this year’s National General Assembly of Local Government (NGA), which will be held from 16 to 19 June in Canberra. Early bird registrations are set to close on 10 May. The theme for this year’s NGA is Future Focused, reflecting that change is constant – and we+
Posted 18 April, 2019 -
The upgrade of 1860 payphones across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide are causing Councils concerns. In March the City of Melbourne refused 81 development applications by JCDecaux to upgrade Telstra payphones including new 75 inch (190cm) digital advertising screens that will display commercial advertising. Chair of the City of Melbourne’s Planning portfolio Councillor Nicholas Reece+
Posted 18 April, 2019 -
This week, ALGA News is coming to you a day earlier than usual because of the Easter break and I expect that many Australians will be taking the opportunity for an extended break over the Easter/Anzac Day period. This period also coincides with school holidays in the majority of states and territories and so people+
Posted 18 April, 2019 -
The Australian Local Government Association and your state/territory local government association have made it simple for your council to participate in the national advocacy campaign to get fairer funding for local government and our communities. http://fairershare.com.au/ We have designed a staged advocacy program that will ensure that our message is heard and understood and lead+
Posted 12 April, 2019 -
Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited Government House early yesterday morning to ask Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove to trigger an election to be held on 18 May 2019. The 45th Parliament was suspended and Parliament dissolved. This cancelled the Senate Estimates hearings that were due to commence at 9am. The 2019 election will see all MPs+
Posted 12 April, 2019 -
The Federal Election and our call to action is now upon us. To assist, the ALGA Board has authorised campaign materials for your immediate use to help you win a Fairer Share for your local community. ALGA has worked with state and territory local government associations to develop materials for use by every council in+
Posted 12 April, 2019 -
Last night the Federal Labor Opposition Leader, the Hon Bill Shorten MP delivered his Party’s Budget reply to Parliament. Further details are expected to be released during the election campaign but some of the issues in the Budget Reply of interest to local government include: Larger taxation cuts to lower income workers; Transport plans and+
Posted 5 April, 2019 -
Tuesday’s Budget announced the establishment of a new $3.9B Emergency Response Fund. The Fund will be established through legislation as a Commonwealth Investment Fund, and will allocate up to $150M per annum for natural disaster recovery and response initiatives above and beyond existing funding for severe and catastrophic disasters. The additional funding will not interfere+
Posted 5 April, 2019 -
This week’s Federal Budget includes an increase in next year’s base funding for the Roads to Recovery program from $400m per annum to $500m per annum from 2019-20, and also sees increases in the annual funding for the Roads Safety Federal Blackspots and the Bridges Renewal programs of $50m and $25m respectively. Regional Airports also+
Posted 5 April, 2019 -
Last week the MAV presented as a witness to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in Adelaide, which provided the opportunity to reinforce our sector’s national position on the future reform of community aged care. The fifty-minute evidence covered key aspects of the MAV’s written submission which included contributions from the ALGA,+
Posted 29 March, 2019 -
ALGA has been in discussion with the National Rural Health Alliance regarding opportunities for shared advocacy, research and partnerships on rural health and community wellbeing particularly related to access to health services. Access to health services is critical for attracting and retaining people in our rural and remote communities. ALGA is pleased to see that+
Posted 29 March, 2019 -
We have now had two weeks to process the awful events in Christchurch and to reflect on the lessons beginning to emerge, including the importance of social cohesion, both in reducing the risks of community discord and division and in helping to strengthen the resilience of communities in facing traumatic events. The outpouring of offers+
Posted 29 March, 2019 -
The 2019 NGA is fast approaching! With the NGA just around the corner, do not forget to submit your motions by 29 March to ensure your council has the opportunity to influence the national policy agenda. Resolutions passed at the 2018 NGA were progressed by the ALGA secretariat with the most appropriate federal ministers. Formal+
Posted 22 March, 2019 -
One of ALGA’s election priorities is to foster indigenous well-being and prosperity. Key to this is closing the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Only modest progress has been achieved, with only one target met, and Indigenous Australians remain well behind on a range of indicators. Stable, safe and appropriate housing is fundamental to reaching+
Posted 22 March, 2019 -
The Australian Local Government Associations Federal Election Initiatives included support for communities on their digital transformation journeys. This week has seen the Minister for Regional Services and Deputy Leader of the Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie announce a number of initiatives to improve mobile coverage. The first announcement included commitment to delivering 180 new base stations+
Posted 22 March, 2019 -
Local Government Workforce challenges revealed One of local government’s most valuable assets is its workforce and councils across Australia employ around 189,000 across an amazing 394 occupations. Most of our employees are full time (68%), committed, long term employees with the unplanned turnover rate in our sector being a relatively low 8.3%. But we do+
Posted 15 March, 2019 -
The National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC), established by the Australian Government last year to improve housing affordability, is seeking greater engagement from councils which want to access its National Housing Infrastructure Facility. The Facility has $1 billion and has been set up to provide finance for eligible infrastructure projects that will unlock+
Posted 15 March, 2019 -
Mayors, General Managers and key staff from more than 530 Local Government Areas across the country are being invited to join a national conversation in Canberra – with the countdown now on for the Regions Rising National Summit on 4-5 April. Hosted by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), the Summit will place regional issues including+
Posted 15 March, 2019 -
The NGA is an important opportunity for you and your council to influence the national policy agenda. The primary focus of all motions should be to strengthen the capacity of local government to provide services and infrastructure in Australia. To be eligible for inclusion in the NGA Business Papers, and subsequent debate on the floor+
Posted 8 March, 2019 -
Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton has recently announced that round four of the Safer Communities Fund will provide funding for security infrastructure and activity-based projects that aim to protect children from violent attacks and harassment. Almost $32 million in funding is available in the fourth round to assist organisations working with children that are+
Posted 8 March, 2019 -
We are living through an exciting time in history where gender equality has become an expectation, rather than a far-fetched ambition. The community is increasingly questioning its absence at the same time celebrating a whole new era of heroes (or heroines if you prefer). The tenacious campaigns during the early 20th century by the suffragettes,+
Posted 8 March, 2019 -
The NGA19 preliminary program is now available online, with hard copies to be mailed to councils in the coming week. This year, NGA19 is Future Focused celebrating past achievements while firmly focused on the future. The theme acknowledges that change is constant, be it digital transformation, community activism, ageing demographics, population policies or even artificial intelligence. It is+
Posted 22 February, 2019 -
Shoalhaven City Council is entering into a long-term contract with Bioelektra Australia Pty Ltd to build and operate a new waste processing facility that uses state-of-the-art technology to provide an environmentally-sound solution to a landfill problem that all local governments in Australia are facing. The new Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) will be constructed on council-owned land+
Posted 22 February, 2019 -
The ALGA Secretariat in Canberra has been abuzz with preparations for the upcoming National Assembly of Local Government, which will be held on 16 – 19 June. At last year’s Assembly, the NGA encouraged you to donate coats to support our first partner charity – National Coat Day via Enormity – and we are excited+
Posted 22 February, 2019 -
The Federal Government announced this week that it would provide an immediate non-gratia payment of $1 million to shires in north west Queensland recently inundated by devastating floods. “This payment will be for them to use on priorities they deem most urgent – whether that be rate relief for impacted properties, infrastructure, or the disposal+
Posted 15 February, 2019 -
Infrastructure Australia has released the 2019 Infrastructure Priority List, presenting 121 nationally-significant infrastructure proposals and a $58 billion project pipeline designed to guide investment towards projects that will deliver the best outcomes for Australia’s growing communities. “The 2019 Infrastructure Priority List is the largest, most comprehensive and most diverse list of investments identified by Infrastructure Australia to meet the+
Posted 15 February, 2019 -
Do you want to run a mile when invited to an annual Strategic Planning workshop? Yet we all know it is a vital process in local government to ensure our limited resources will be applied to the most important tasks in the coming year. Population, infrastructure and planning, waste and recycling, workforce development, and services+
Posted 15 February, 2019 -
Labor’s National Platform outlines its key policy priorities heading into an election year. In its recently-released National Platform, Labor has pledged to work with local government to ensure it has a secure economic base. The Platform states that Labor will: provide long-term funding certainty provide funding through the ongoing Financial Assistance Grants and index these+
Posted 8 February, 2019 -
Six councils are part of 27 organisations that will share in an investment of almost $23 million by the Commonwealth Government aimed at getting millions of older Australians moving more often. The funds will be invested over the next two years under the Move It Aus Better Ageing Grants with a focus on helping inactive+
Posted 8 February, 2019 -
Should there be consistency of Local Government Acts across states and territories in Australia? I had the opportunity last week to speak at the WALGA Future of Local Government State-wide Forum and offer a possible answer to this question by looking at Local Government Act trends in Australia. Local government is a creature of the+
Posted 8 February, 2019 -
The Hon David Coleman MP, Federal Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, recently wrote to councils seeking feedback on proposed changes to the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code. For some time now, the Commonwealth Government has been reviewing the code and, as a result, are proposing the key changes below: local government councils will be+
Posted 1 February, 2019 -
This year’s Australia Day Honours awards have once again recognised and highlighted the contributions and service by outstanding individuals from the local government sector. The Australia Day 2019 Honours List was the largest since the Order of Australia was established in 1975. “On behalf of all Australians I congratulate recipients of Australia Day Honours. These people+
Posted 1 February, 2019 -
New Year etiquette would suggest that today is perhaps a little late to send you good cheer for the new year, but as this is the first ALGA Newsedition of 2019, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a prosperous New Year and every success in the year to come! I trust you all+
Posted 1 February, 2019 -
The Hon Michael Keenan MP, Minister for Human Services and Digital Transformation, has this week launched the Commonwealth’s digital transformation strategy during an address at the National Press Club in Canberra. The Strategy provides a direction for the Government’s work on data and digital transformation, with the aim to have all government services available digitally+
Posted 21 December, 2018 -
ALGA is now calling for Notices of Motions for the National General Assembly 2019 (NGA). The NGA will be celebrating 25 years in 2019! Over the past 25 years, the NGA has provided a platform for local government to address national issues and lobby the federal government on critical issues facing our sector. The theme+
Posted 14 December, 2018 -
On 12 December 2018, the Australian and South Australian governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding, agreeing to develop a city deal for Adelaide. Key to the new Adelaide City Deal will be an Australian Space Agency, to be located at the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site, with the Federal Government committing to invest $41 million+
Posted 14 December, 2018 -
Improving population planning and management was the hot topic at Wednesday’s COAG meeting of First Ministers, which I attended as local government’s representative. It seems everyone has an opinion on population, and that would be reasonable given its far reaching consequences – be it pressures on infill, or fringe areas of the city being developed+
Posted 14 December, 2018 -
The Federal Government has pledged to invest $26 million to boost aerial firefighting capabilities across Australia, support a new national fire rating program and extend funding for a community alert system. The funding will help support Australians confronting the challenges of natural hazards and reduce the impact they have on communities and the economy. The+
Posted 7 December, 2018 -
Minister for Regional Services, Senator Bridget McKenzie, has tabled the report of the 2018 Regional Telecommunications Review, which makes a series of recommendations to improve telecommunications services in regional, rural and remote Australia. The report 2018 Regional Telecommunications Review: Getting it right out there puts forward 10 recommendations to: improve access to telecommunications infrastructure, ensure modern and+
Posted 7 December, 2018 -
The nation’s environment ministers will meet today at Parliament House in Canberra to review the proposed updated National Waste Policy and discuss other national environmental issues. I’m looking forward to attending in my official capacity as ALGA President and ensuring the issues important to our sector get some traction at this influential forum. In particular,+
Posted 7 December, 2018
