By Paul Hemsley City of Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi has continued her push for urban transport renewal by easing the pressure off the city’s traffic jammed roads by calling on Canberra to pour funding into an urban rail link from the city to Perth Airport. The airport is located inland to the east of […]
2 August, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Federal Innovation and Industry Minister Kim Carr is playing a straight bat to mounting speculation that Canberra could give struggling local carmakers a $3000 per vehicle rebate for each Australian-made car sold to federal, state and local government agencies. The proposed option is believed to be part of ongoing negotiations between the […]
1 August, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Canberra may well be celebrating its Centenary this year, but locals are weighing the prospect of the public service designer city being partly depopulated. As the election looms, the threat of bulk federal redundancies under a Coalition government has again increased in value as prime political currency among voters there. Senator for […]
30 July, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Coalition support for the ‘yes’ case in the referendum on Constitutional recognition for local government has edged one step closer to official collapse after Opposition leader Tony Abbott intensified his attack on the poll process amid growing internal pressure to withdraw bipartisan support. Speaking at a press conference in Whittlsea, Victoria, Mr […]
2 July, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski If you ever wanted a sign that the digitised economy is fast consuming most things that stand in its path, spare a thought for set-builders of Australian democracy who once laboured to create the National Tally Room (NTR) in Canberra. The Australian Electoral Commission has just announced that its iconic temporary structure […]
2 July, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Federal Labor might be a train wreck, but that hasn’t stopped Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Local Government and Regional Development Anthony Albanese from trying to keep industry and states and councils on track with bold plans to build a $144 billion high speed rail line between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The grand, […]
27 June, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Legislation to make a local government referendum on 14th September has finally cleared the Senate amid a widening split in the Coalition that resulted in seven members of the Opposition cross the floor to vote against the bill and at least as many abstaining. The last minute bid to shoot down referendum […]
25 June, 2013
By Paul Hemsley Councils across Australia have warmly welcomed federal Minister for Local Government Anthony Albanese’s injection of $150 million to share between councils and shires to help build and renew community infrastructure. Formally announced at the National General Assembly of Local Government (NGA) in Canberra this week, the funding measure formed the centrepiece of […]
20 June, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski The electorally popular, multi-billion dollar Roads to Recovery program should be permanently funded and councils dealt into any new road-user charging schemes a pre-election list of demands issued by Australia’s peak body for local governments says. As the federal poll date draws closer, councils across the nation have put both sides of […]
18 June, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Embattled Prime Minister Julia Gillard has bluntly warned Australia’s 560 councils and shires that the forthcoming referendum on Constitutional recognition for local government will be their final chance to guarantee direct funding for projects from Canberra. Speaking at the opening of the 2013 National General Assembly for Local Government in Canberra, Ms […]
17 June, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Opponents to a change in the Constitution that could give financial recognition to local government through a referendum at the 14th September federal poll have launched their official campaign with an attack by former Howard government minister Peter Reith on the Nationals leader in the Senate,. Barnaby Joyce. After months of sniping […]
3 June, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Federal Opposition leader Tony Abbott has used his Budget reply speech to reaffirm a previous promise to eliminate 12,000 Commonwealth jobs from the public service if elected. The recommitment to slash public service positions comes just one night after Treasurer Wayne Swan allayed fears of mass redundancies by announcing that only around […]
16 May, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has delivered a Budget crowned by a gaping $18 billion deficit and underpinned by future “responsible, targeted” savings projections of $43 billion to be delivered by Finance Minister Penny Wong in what could become a largely decorative set of numbers following the federal election in just four-months. After […]
14 May, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Telstra, Optus Mobile and TPG internet have emerged as the winners in the federal government’s lucrative auction of former analogue television spectrum after the carriers plumped almost $2 billion to secure their slice of recycled airwaves. Telstra paid by far the largest amount, shelling out $1.3 billion for two lots of 10 […]
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