President's column
Local government’s willingness and capacity to step up on behalf of local businesses and local communities has again been to the fore this week. Responding to current COVID lockdowns, councils in Brisbane and Sydney put additional support measures in place to protect local jobs and to support local businesses. Councils in all states and territories+
Strategic LG asset assessments project moving to phase 2
Local government road managers will be able to assess up to 1000 bridges, roads and culverts after a $12.1 million funding announcement this week. The new Commonwealth money will go to support a second phase of the Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP). Established by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) in 2019 with+
Cth bushfires grants program open to disaster-declared LGAs
Communities in areas badly impacted by the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires can apply for a share of a new $280 million federal grants program. The Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program is prioritising recovery and resilience projects, and has been enabled by a lower-than-expected take-up of programs under the $2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund.+
$85m set aside for new natural hazards research centre
The Federal Government has confirmed funding of $85 million over 10 years to establish the Natural Hazards Research Australia (NHRA) centre. The centre will deliver “evidence-based research to better inform natural disaster preparation and to develop technological solutions to mitigate risks”. A series of workshops and meetings with potential end-users and research partners are planned+