ALGA News

The last of 130 properties damaged by a devastating fire in outer metropolitan Perth in February has been cleared, paving the way for rebuilding. The Wooroloo Bushfire Residential Coordinated Clean-up comprised three separate programs funded with $18.1 million provided under joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. Western Australian Minister for Emergency Services Reece Whitby said+

Round 2 grants under the Driver Reviver Site Upgrade Program have been announced, with 71 roadside rest areas in line for improvements. The grants, totalling $7.2 million, will go towards improving amenities and equipment such as shelters, picnic tables, power and water facilities, barbecues, parking, lighting, and kitchen facilities. Driver Reviver Australia national director Allan+

A new report covering climate change impacts, challenges and risks facing Australian councils will be unpacked in a webinar being held next week. The report, “Neighbourhood issue: climate costs and risks for councils”, was prepared by the Climate Council and Cities Power Partnership and will be released on 22 September. The virtual briefing will examine+

This year’s National Asbestos Awareness Week campaign is asking communities to avoid complacency and “Think Twice About Asbestos”. The campaign, running from 22-28 November, challenges complacency by reminding home renovators and tradespeople that the danger of asbestos is far from over. Asbestos is in one in three Australian homes. It is also still present in+

Two adjoining councils in the central west of NSW have successfully applied for federal funding for an innovative driver behaviour-change campaign. The Orange City Council and the Cabonne Shire have secured Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI) funding for their campaign pointing out the early warning signs of driver fatigue and encouraging power naps. The Flinders+

Australians’ appreciation of the environment and public realm has risen sharply because of Covid-19’s impacts, a new liveability survey shows. Attributes such as good, well-maintained public open space, walking/jogging/bike paths that connect housing to communal amenity, and easy access to neighbourhood amenities were all highly rated by respondents to the 2021 Australian Liveability Census. Conversely,+

Passenger movements at Australia’s 50 busiest regional airports fell by an average of 30 percent in 2020-21 because of Covid-19 travel restrictions. Ayers Rock (Yulara) suffered the steepest decline in passenger movements – around 80 percent – according to new figures published this week. Passenger movements at Mildura airport (South Australia) and Hervey Bay airport+

The federal government says it is committed to greater Black Spot Program funding and to increased funding flows to regional and remote areas. Responding to a federal parliamentary report on road safety, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications said the Australian government’s total commitment for the Black Spot Program from 2013‑14 to+

The Australian Taxation Office is holding an online event on Monday 27 September covering two topics relevant to council finance officers. 1. Your Future Your Super – Introduction to Stapled Super Funds This will give an overview of the Your Future Your Super measure and the process needed to be followed to request a stapled+

In September 2020, Commonwealth legislation requiring developers to give new housing developments better access to modern telecommunications came into effect. To help raise awareness of the requirements for pit and pipe installations, particularly amongst smaller developers and owner-builders, the federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (DITRDC) is asking local councils and other+

The benefits of providing high-quality active transport and public transport options in residential growth areas easily outweigh the costs, a new study has found. RMIT University researchers said the overall benefits of providing early, high-quality transport options in the Casey and Wyndham local government areas of metropolitan Melbourne added up to about $925 million and+

The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) is examining how well rural community groups are coping with successive natural disasters. According to the FRRR, there is anecdotal evidence that many groups working in the social, economic, cultural, and environmental resilience space are feeling overwhelmed by the wave of disasters, including Covid-19, that have swept+

Smaller regional centres can attract and sustain population and economic growth by focusing on distinctive economic strengths or locational advantages. A new Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) report says there is no single model for regional planning or development. However, there is a trend towards place-based regional interventions focused on unique regional attributes+

Nine notorious accident sites on Northern Territory roads will be made safer with new funding from the Commonwealth’s Black Spot Program. The NT government will receive more than $1.7 million under the program’s 2021-22 funding round, with councils contributing a further $1.4 million to the successful projects. The locations chosen for upgrades have seen a+

New resources supporting individuals and organisations engaged in disaster recovery, including local governments, have been published by Phoenix Australia. The resources are the outcome of the Recovery Capitals (ReCap) project, which aims to support wellbeing after disasters by providing evidence-based resources for those engaged in recovery. Designed to support strengths-based, holistic and inclusive recovery approaches,+

A “place-based” approach to infrastructure investment will bring jobs growth to regional centres and better address local community needs, a new report says. Infrastructure Australia’s latest 15-year infrastructure plan says better transport links and rural manufacturing hubs will also help bring regional GDP growth in line with Australia’s fastest-growing cities. The 2021 plan includes waste+

A federal agency has called for a conversation on developer contributions, saying financially constrained councils are using them to raise revenue. In a new study published this week, the National Housing and Finance Investment Corporations (NHFIC) said developer contributions now account for 8-11 percent of total home construction costs in NSW, Victoria, and Queensland. Contributions+

Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis has been returned for another term after local government elections were held across the Northern Territory on 28 August. Mr Vatskalis claimed victory with 56 percent of the votes counted, at which point he led his nearest rival, Amye Un, by more than 10,000 first preferences. In a social media+

Martin O’Malley, once named one of America’s five best big-city mayors by Time Magazine will be speaking at next month’s Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum in Brisbane. The former Baltimore mayor was also a 2016 US Democratic presidential candidate, and the 61st Governor of Maryland. Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said: “While events+

The Taxation Office is advising councils that are registered community housing providers, or that partner CHPs, to lodge their annual reports. An annual report from a registered CHP is a requirement for eligible individuals who invest in qualifying affordable housing and who want to claim the affordable housing capital gains tax (CGT) discount of up+

Public consultation for the National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy has begun, with feedback possible up until COB Monday 6 September. The strategy is intended to provide a “clear and practical pathway for a resilient Australia” by: showcasing national adaptation and resilience efforts; and strengthening national coordination to manage physical climate impacts such as floods,+

Councils want to digitally transform to improve customer satisfaction and employee productivity but lack the wherewithal, a new survey suggests. Commissioned by Local Government Professionals Australia (LGPro) and software provider Technology One, the survey found over 80 percent of respondents rated digital transformation as a high priority. However, 56 percent reported that they did not+

Australian councils are more now more active than ever in delivering climate action, with many also increased their emissions reduction targets. In its Australian Local Government Climate Review 2021 issued this week, ICLEI Oceania – Local Governments for Sustainability, said 100 Australian councils have now declared a climate emergency, joining 1800 others around the world.+

A new mobile phone app has been launched nationally to help households and businesses work out which of their waste items can be recycled. As well as providing localised information on what items can be recycled and where, the Recycle Mate app allows users to photograph an item and check it against a catalogue to+

Communities along the Melbourne-Brisbane Inland Rail route may miss out on the project’s full benefits because of poor consultation with local governments. A federal parliamentary inquiry into the $20 billion rail infrastructure project has found that councils had largely been frustrated in their efforts to engage with the project manager, Australian Rail Track Corporation, and+

Government-to-government property transactions will be streamlined under proposed legislative reforms agreed to by the Commonwealth this week. The Federal Government has accepted all 16 recommendations of a review of the Land Acquisitions Act (1989) carried out by the federal Department of Finance in 2020-21. Among other things, the review recommended that Section 40 of the+

The Commonwealth Local Government Forum has begun a “Month of Mentoring” to support female councillors and encourage women to stand for office.   “Mentoring is a proven peer-to-peer methodology that supports women leaders to navigate the political environment, increase their confidence, and build their political network,” acting CLGF Secretary-General Lucy Slack said last week. “While+

Plastic Oceans Australasia (POA) is inviting council staff to host plastic-free picnics next month to help heighten awareness of pollution from single-use plastics. The inaugural Picnics Unwrapped campaign encourages people, as individuals or teams, to host or participate in a waste-free picnic from 1- 30 September. POA hopes the campaign will raise awareness of the+

Feedback on the federal government’s Peri-Urban Mobile Program (PUMP) is being sought from community representatives and industry. Announced as part of the 2021–22 federal Budget, the $16.4 million program will fund improve mobile connectivity in bushfire-prone areas on the peri-urban fringe, where suburbs encroach into bushland, potentially creating bushfire risks for those living and working+

Five national projects to reduce the risk and impact of natural disasters on Australian communities are getting $4.2 million in new federal funding. The largest grant of $3 million will go to the Bushfire Building Council of Australia to develop a self-assessment app to provide site-specific mitigation guidelines to improve resilience. The CSIRO will receive+

An initiative using recycled glass as a natural sand substitute in local roads and footpaths has expanded to include 16 suburban Sydney councils. The Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) initiative turns locally recycled crushed glass into coarse sand suitable for use as a substitute for natural sand in asphalt, non-structural concrete and pipe+

Councils providing residential aged care have won a share of $150 million in funding under the Commonwealth’s 2020 Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR). Seventy-two infrastructure projects have won on average about $2.1 million each in capital grant funding. The 2020 ACAR also includes the allocation of over 4000 residential care places and more than 1000+

The Australian Local Government Association is partnering with ICLEI Oceania to help councils tackle global warming and plan for a sustainable future. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed this week commits ALGA and ICLEI Oceania to work at boosting information and tools available to local governments. This work will encompass: Awareness-raising and promotion of effective+

Sixty-seven new mobile base stations will be built across Australia under Round 5A of the Mobile Black Spot Program. The 67 base stations, to which local governments will be co-contributing costs, will address coverage issues across regional and remote Australia, including in bushfire-prone areas and along major highways. They are expected to collectively deliver over+