The Cities Power Partnership (CPP), a consortium of Australian local government authorities to encourage the use of renewable energy, has increased its number of members to 70, exactly double the number that signed up when the group was formed in July 2017. Numbers are likely to grow even more after the next round of applications […]
28 January, 2018
As the old saying goes, you can’t manage what you can’t measure. Perhaps that is why the ‘Approach to performance measurement’ report is the first part of the Productivity Commission’s 2018 Report on Government Services series. This first component of the report focusses on the importance of measurement, the scope of the report, and methodology. […]
23 January, 2018
It didn’t take long. On Monday the Federal Government made a big deal out of investing $60 million over 18 months to “set in motion” a major research and development program for the restoration of the Great Barrier Reef. Within 24 hours the plan was attacked by environmentalists, marine scientists and the Greens as too […]
22 January, 2018
The Prime Minister’s southern tour is taking on the look of an election campaign. One morning it’s the promise of a City Deal for Hobart (noticeably devoid of any actual projects or funding), that afternoon it’s a re-announcement of Launceston’s City Deal, the next day after a hop across the Bass Strait Geelong gets a […]
17 January, 2018
Tasmania’s capital Hobart will become the fifth Australian city to sign up to the Federal Government’s City Deal program, well after cross-island rival Launceston. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman have announced they will “help make a City Deal for Hobart a reality” – consistent with the Federal Government’s strategy of announcing […]
15 January, 2018
Opposition to a new purpose-built Apple Store in Melbourne’s Federation Square is growing. Opponents say it will dominate the area and will be a permanent advertisement for Apple in a public space. The building, which will be very first purpose-built Apple Store in Australia, is planned for the banks of the Yarra River on the […]
8 January, 2018
Government assistance to Australia’s regions has often been poorly directed, says the Productivity Commission in a major new report. It wants a more efficient system, which would admit that some regions are in decline and will remain so. The report, ‘Transitioning Regional Economies’ is the latest in a series of reports by the Productivity Commission […]
14 December, 2017
Increased discussion about immigration to Australia has done nothing to stem the tide of people coming to Australia. In fact, the numbers are rising, not falling. Overseas immigration into NSW alone last year exceeded the combined populations of Wagga Wagga and Tamworth, two of the state’s largest regional cities. Figures released by the Australian Bureau […]
14 December, 2017
Nearly one third of Sydney’s households now live in apartments, with the proportion set to grow to one half within a generation. That means more and more families are opting for apartment style living, for both financial and lifestyle reasons. But as their children grow they are more likely to live in detached houses. Development […]
11 December, 2017
The Australian Government has released its first National Cities Performance Framework. It is a major report that provides a snapshot of the productivity and progress of Australia’s largest 21 cities, including Western Sydney. The Government says it is the first official framework of its kind in Australia and “brings together critical data on our cities […]
7 December, 2017
New research shows that besides using the right species for the local environment, their social acceptability, economic use and Indigenous significance need to be carefully considered. “There are many benefits of bringing nature back into urban areas,” says Dr Luis Mata from RMIT’s Interdisciplinary Conservation Science Research Group. “Nature in all its forms provides a […]
3 December, 2017
South Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) has won the top prize at this year’s Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Sector Management. The Gold award was given for PIRSA’s South Australian River Murray Sustainability (SARMS), a $265 million program funded by the Australian Government under a National Partnership Agreement, which is […]
15 November, 2017
Australia’s major cities fare badly in a recently released global ranking of mobility – how well they allow their citizens to move around. The ranking of 100 global cities, the ‘Sustainable Cities Mobility Index 2017: Bold Moves’, was published by Arcadis, a major Dutch engineering and management consultancy. Each city is rated on three factors: […]
30 October, 2017
Two separate announcements this week have shown a glimpse of Melbourne’s future. The city is evolving rapidly and will soon regain its former position as Australia’s largest city. In the 19th century, fuelled by money from the gold rushes, the city was called ‘Marvellous Melbourne’. In just 40 years it grew from a village on […]
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