By Julian Bajkowski Victoria’s network of council run public libraries could soon be set for a centralised overhaul after a key government report recommended the adoption of a single state-wide library card, radio-frequency tracking of books and new platform to allow digital resources like e-books to be borrowed. The biggest review of public libraries ever […]
5 December, 2013
By Paul Hemsley and Julian Bajkowski There’s no shortage of awards and prizes for sustainability initiatives, but Sydney’s Randwick City Council has taken out top honours over its state local government peers for its unwavering commitment to a long-term, well-rounded suite of community measures designed to deliver water, waste and energy savings. The Eastern Suburbs […]
4 December, 2013
By Paul Hemsley The Queensland government has given councils the all-clear to take aim at “problem” flying foxes in an effort to mitigate the potential health hazards they present. The approval follows a long campaign by councils which demanded that the state government cut “red tape” that previously hindered them from shifting flying fox infestations. […]
3 December, 2013
By Paul Hemsley and Julian Bajkowski The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has made a reinvigorated push stop the states and Canberra from dumping more service delivery functions on the doorsteps of councils without sufficient and ongoing funding. The peak body’s submission to the Abbott government’s National Commission of Audit, which is tasked with reviewing […]
3 December, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Local governments and ratepayers financially stung by the collapse of merchant bank Lehman Brothers are poised to recover close to 50 cents in the dollar from their losses after lawyers representing dozens of councils said liquidators of the failed institution had finally agreed to a settlement, conditional on Court approvals. Litigation funder […]
2 December, 2013
By Paul Hemsley and Julian Bajkowski Angry property developers have called on the New South Wales government to junk its highly controversial new planning system reforms bill, claiming concessions granted to get the laws past the Upper House now make it unworkable. In a scathing attack on the range of concessions granted by the government, […]
29 November, 2013
By Paul Hemsley Queensland Premier Campbell Newman’s has roped in Crime Stoppers to help councils in their battle against graffiti vandalism following the development and launch of a new mobile app that lets the public report the location of vandalised property to their local government. The app is being used by Crime Stoppers Queensland’s anti-graffiti […]
26 November, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski The president of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) and the Mayor City of Marion, Dr Felicity-ann Lewis, has been named as South Australia’s Australian of the Year for 2014. While Dr Lewis is best known outside the state for her tireless campaigning and lobbying on behalf of local government and community […]
19 November, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski The minerals and mining industry is digging deep to produce evidence that its activities contribute far more to communities than the ill-fated Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) could ever collect. As the Abbott government prepares the MRRT for burial by repealing its legislation, powerful peak body the Minerals Council of Australia has […]
19 November, 2013
By Paul Hemsley Queensland councils are to take full control of the state’s specialist infrastructure and engineering advisory service for local government. The Queensland Treasury Corporation has agreed to relinquish its stake in the successful joint venture, Local Government Infrastructure Services Pty Ltd (LGIS), and will hand over its management and its 50 per cent […]
18 November, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski The Abbott government is wasting no time in pushing its roads-led infrastructure renewal policy to the nation’s councils, after Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Warren Truss, pledged $300 million to replace decaying small bridges. In a speech pitched squarely at regional councils and the road freight industry, […]
15 November, 2013
By Paul Hemsley Victoria’s City of Greater Bendigo is digging in for a fight to prevent the state government from shifting responsibility for flood levee bank funding from the Catchment Management Authorities onto local governments. The council has announced is investigating the formation of a lobbying alliance with other municipalities to oppose any potential state […]
15 November, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski If you ever thought the number of problem potholes and bumpy bridges on regional roads just seems to keep growing, you’re in good company. At least $11.6 billion in roads and bridge infrastructure maintained by cash-strapped councils across Australia are now in a poor to very poor condition according to the latest […]
14 November, 2013
By Paul Hemsley An ambitious and controversial bid to overhaul Perth’s metropolitan local government areas by Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett has triggered widely differing reactions from councils targeted to have their boundaries radically redrawn. Formally revealed this week, Mr Barnett’s plan will slash the number of Perth-based councils from 30 to 15 and has […]
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