ALGA News

The Federal Government’s current Roads to Recovery (RTR) funding period will end in June next year and a new RTR program will begin on 1 July 2024. Councils may still have funding available under the current funding period which ends on 30 June 2024. The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts+

Annual conferences and events I was delighted to attend the Local Government Association of Queensland’s (LGAQ) Conference in Gladstone last week, and thank LGAQ President Mayor Mark Jamieson and my fellow ALGA Board members Mayor Matt Burnett and Mayor Jack Dempsey for hosting me. Addressing the Conference, I outlined some of our recent advocacy wins,+

A new bike safety project called BikeSpot 2023 has been launched to help improve cyclist safety in Australia. The crowd-funded project, that will benefit all councils, is a collaboration between the Amy Gillett Foundation and CrowdSpot, as part of the Federal Government’s Safe Roads for Safe Cycling Program. The information collected by BikeSpot will be publicly+

An innovative web-based toolkit is set to improve road safety outcomes for local governments and help reduce road fatalities across Australia. Pioneered by the National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO), the new Road Safety Intelligence Toolkit (pictured above) can be used by councils to identify crash trends and provide real-time insights for local jurisdictions. The customised,+

The humble granny flat could help address Australia’s housing supply shortage and rental crisis, according to new research. Based on analysis from Archistar, Blackfort and CoreLogic, granny flats have the ability to quickly and affordably address some of the current housing crisis. Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne could potentially have up to 655,000 self-contained two-bedroom granny+

Australian councils are reminded to support critical national research by providing data on the state of their local roads and community infrastructure. ALGA is partnering with the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) to deliver an update to its National State of the Assets (NSoA) report, which is due to be published in 2024.+

State Cabinet meeting with LGSA I was delighted to join Local Government Association of South Australia President Dean Johnson and present to the South Australian Premier and Cabinet Ministers in Adelaide last week. We discussed a range of policy issues at the State Cabinet meeting including the economic development challenges and opportunities facing councils, and how local+

Local governments looking to stage original live music and festivals can apply for a new round of funding through Live Music Australia. The $20 million Live Music Australia program aims to bring music to more Australians by supporting organisations to professionally stage original live music, including in regional areas. Round 7 is open for applications+

Local governments can access a new publication developed by the Australian Signals Directorate’s (ASD) Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) about effectively dealing with a cyber security incident. Coinciding with Cyber Security Awareness Month 2023 in October, the publication How the ACSC can help during a cyber security incident is designed for professionals who lead an organisation’s+

Local governments can provide feedback to the Multicultural Framework Review by the Federal Government. The review will advise the Government on what institutional, legislative and policy settings can best build Australia’s multiculturalism over the next decade. It will also aim to identify how to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse society. The Australian Government+

Road Safety Ministers’ Meeting I was delighted to attend the Road Safety Ministers’ Meeting in Cairns last Wednesday. Australian councils manage around 75 percent of our local road network, and we’re continuing to advocate for the funding we need to deliver and maintain safer local roads for our communities and upgrade them to be more+

Local governments are invited to provide feedback and ideas for the Federal Government’s National Autism Strategy, being developed to help autistic people across Australia. The Government has committed to delivering the National Autism Strategy and a range of ideas are based on information gathered through evidence and reviews and the outcomes of a Senate Select+

Lively discussions were held around a range of local government infrastructure issues at ALGA’s 2023 National Local Roads, Transport & Infrastructure Congress at the ANU in Canberra from 6-7 September. Some of the highlights included Rohit Srivastava from the Berrigan Shire Council and Dr Jeremy Smith from the Australian National University discussing how local government+

A new State of the Profession Report by the Planning Institute of Australia has confirmed one of the key findings of ALGA’s 2022 Jobs and Skills Survey: that Australia’s 537 councils urgently need more qualified planners. This is expected to become a bigger issue, especially for local government following the recent passing of the Federal+

Win! Minister Bowen attends local government climate change breakfast We were delighted to host Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen at a climate change breakfast at our 2023 National Local Roads, Transport and Infrastructure Congress last week. Minister Bowen highlighted the Government’s plans for transitioning to net zero, while acknowledging the important role+

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has urged local governments to collaborate and partner with the Federal Government to reduce emissions and embrace clean energy solutions to address Australia’s climate change challenge. Speaking at a roundtable at ALGA’s 2023 National Local Roads, Transport and Infrastructure Congress on 7 September, Mr Bowen encouraged all councils to work+

ALGA News sat down with Shadow Minister for Local Government the Hon. Darren Chester to discuss his views and priorities for local government in Australia.  The Federal Member for Gippsland also reflects on his experiences as a former Minister for Local Government and outlines his passion for improving the liveability of regional communities. ALGA: Mr+

Councils are being made aware of the Food and Grocery Sector Group (FGSG) which covers food safety and security during times of crisis or disaster. The FGSG consists of Australia’s food, grocery and beverage industry associations involved in the nation’s food supply chain – from paddock to plate.  It also includes key state and federal+

The Department of Social Services is offering up to one-third of the cost to build Changing Places facilities in Local Government Areas that currently do not have these facilities. Changing Places are accessible toilets with extra features and more space to meet the needs of people with disability and their carers.  These facilities include: a+

Local government feedback is invited for the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) review of topics for the 2026 Census. This important national public consultation is designed to inform recommendations to the Australian Government on topics that could be included in the 2026 Census, including issues affecting councils and local communities. Phase two of the consultation+

ALGA calls for coordinated approach to housing crisis Ahead of this week’s National Cabinet meeting focusing on planning reforms to create affordable housing, ALGA is calling for a more coordinated and collaborative approach across all levels of government to address Australia’s affordable housing crisis. Increasing the supply of more affordable housing can’t be fixed through+

Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen will discuss climate change and emissions reduction at a special breakfast event as part of the 2023 National Local Roads, Transport and Infrastructure Congress. Minister Bowen will be joined by ALGA President Councillor Linda Scott, local mayors and leaders at the breakfast on 7 September. For+

The National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO), formerly known as Australian Road Research Board (ARRB), has a new offering specifically tailored for councils to manage, maintain and measure roads. NTRO Local provides affordable, achievable solutions for all councils to have better maintained, safer, sustainable and resilient roads. Underpinned by ARRB’s 60 years of experience and expertise,+

Local governments are invited to contribute ideas and innovations for the development of the Australian Government’s National Housing and Homelessness Plan. The Plan will be a 10-year strategy and will outline a shared vision to inform future housing and homelessness policy in Australia. Submissions are now invited for an Issues Paper on Housing and Homelessness+

Additional resources have been released for councils by the Department of Health and Aged Care to help boost childhood vaccination rates. Based on a recent community information kit, these extra resources include animations and videos featuring trusted health professionals talking about immunisation and real families sharing their experiences: Animations  Routine Childhood Immunisation – Why timing is+

Local governments are urged to apply for funding under the new National Road Safety Action Grants Program. The Federal Government has committed $43.6 million over four years to the program to deliver infrastructure priorities outlined in the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 and National Road Safety Action Plan 2023-25. The program offers funding across five+

National roundtable on land use planning On behalf of Australia’s councils, I was delighted to attend and speak at an industry roundtable on land use planning last Thursday convened by the Master Builders of Australia, Planning Institute of Australia and Insurance Council of Australia. At the forum, I highlighted how Australia’s 537 councils play a+

Better regulation of end-of-life outcomes for small electrical and electronic equipment (SEEE) and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems will help to reduce waste costs for local councils and communities, according to a new ALGA submission. ALGA has made a submission to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for the development of a+

National Local Roads, Transport and Infrastructure Congress in Canberra Recognising the critical role we play in building, maintaining and upgrading Australia’s community infrastructure and roads, I am delighted to invite you to attend our 2023 National Local Roads, Transport and Infrastructure Congress from 6-7 September. This year’s Congress is in Canberra during a Parliamentary sitting+

The next funding phase of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program, totalling $750 million, is now available for councils across Australia to nominate projects. Phase 4 funding allocations include an additional $250 million targeted to improve rural, regional and outer urban roads. Projects funded under Phase 4 are expected to be completed by+