Councils ‘punch above their weight’ on health

Local governments are playing a unique role in helping people to lead healthy lives, research shows.

13 December, 2018

‘Putting their feet in the water for the first time in decades’

Councils seeking to make their beaches accessible to all residents, including those living with disability, shouldn’t let cost, maintenance or liability get in their way.

20 August, 2018

Council calls for action on problem gambling

Brimbank City Council says its residents have lost $1.4 billion on electronic gambling machines in in the past decade. Now it’s calling for fines and limits on withdrawals.  

15 May, 2018

Aboriginal ranger jobs a boost for native land conservation

An indigenous ranger employment program in remote south-western Australia is tackling rural unemployment while rehabilitating native plants through traditional indigenous agricultural techniques.

30 April, 2018

New body to coordinate natural disaster recovery

New national resilience taskforce welcomed but councils seek federal mitigation program to fund local recovery.

17 April, 2018

Council’s bid to combat domestic violence shelter shortage

Randwick Council has announced a plan to allocate affordable housing units to reduce the pressure on shelters, becoming the latest local government to help tackle domestic violence.

10 April, 2018

Home alone: tool helps connect isolated residents

An Australian innovation could help local councils tackle worrying rates of social isolation in their communities, particularly among seniors living alone.

5 March, 2018

AMA plan for more doctors in rural communities

The Australian Medical Association has released a paper outlining ways to get more doctors into the bush. The ‘Position Statement – Rural Workforce Initiatives’ outlines what the AMA says is a comprehensive five-point plan to encourage more doctors to work in rural and remote locations and improve patient access to health care. It says at […]

29 January, 2018

PC Report on Government Services – Justice

The Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services (RoGS) also covers Justice – Police, Courts and Corrective Services. Total government expenditure for the justice services measured in RoGS was almost $16 billion in 2016-17, around 7.2 percent of total government expenditure on services. Police services were the largest contributor (65.4 percent of this amount), followed by […]

24 January, 2018

PC Report on Government Services – Housing and Homelessness

The Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services (RoGS) has a detailed section on governments’ delivery of services in the housing sector. It covers social housing services and subsidised rental housing provided by not-for-profit, non‑government or government organisations to assist people who are unable to access suitable accommodation through the private market. The report also examines […]

23 January, 2018

PC Report on Government Services – Community Services

The Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services (RoGS) contain a large section on Community Services. It breaks the sector into four categories: aged care, services for people with disabilities, child protection services, and youth justice services. It is an enormous sector, second only to health. Total Federal, state and territory government recurrent expenditure on community […]

23 January, 2018

AMA and PHAA build anti-sugar campaign

The Australian medical Association is increasing its pressure on governments to ban the advertising of  junk food and sugary drinks to children. It also wants a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages “as a matter of priority.” Its call has been echoed by the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA). Releasing the AMA’s ‘Position Statement on Nutrition […]

8 January, 2018

Council attacks NSW Government over food inspection responsibilities

One Of NSW’s largest local government authorities has criticised the state government for its plans to force councils to inspect home-based food businesses. Changes to the Food Regulation Partnership between local government and the NSW Food Authority (NSWFA) will see councils take on extra responsibility for inspection and enforcement. Currently it is the NSWFA’s duty […]

4 January, 2018

Services in small town Australia declining

The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) has released a ‘Pillars of Communities’ report on the availability of services in Australia’s small towns. The findings are not good. The report is accompanied by a Report Card’, which rates how well Australia provides access to ten essential professionals for residents living in small towns across Australia. Access to […]

7 December, 2017