Armidale sends strong message at waste conference

The head of Armidale Regional Council’s waste management, James Turnell, has flown the flag for local government at a major New South Wales conference about the waste and recycling issues confronting the nation. Read more >

Victorian councils call for population strategy

The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has called on all political parties to work with Local Government to improve liveability and support stronger communities ahead of the State election in November.

The Association has identified 42 policy changes and funding proposals outlined in its Call to Parties, which it is asking each political party contesting the November state election to commit to.

MAV President, Councillor Mary Lalios, said, “We have the fastest growth in Australia, with more than 300 new residents calling Victoria home every day.

“One of the key commitments we seek from political parties is a population strategy to 2050.”

Cr Lalios said that with the right support, local government could be more effective as a key partner to deliver a better future for all Victorians, regardless of where they live.

“It’s a crucial missing policy to guide long-term prosperity for our regions and reduce the impacts of Melbourne’s population boom to retain our status as the world’s most liveable city.

“A population strategy would also help all levels of government to work together to ensure services and infrastructure are provided where and when communities need them.”

Enriching Communities

Declining populations is a problem facing rural and remote Australian communities. While capital cities and regional centres are experiencing unprecedented population growth problems of a different kind plague the bush. Read more >

Editorial

National Youth Week was celebrated last month jointly supported by the Australian Government, State and Territory Governments and Local Governments.

Towns, shires and cities across the country, with the help of community organisations, facilitated soccer tournaments, skateboard championships, staged concerts, held art workshops and competitions, markets, cultural events, animals and rides.

The theme in South Australia was ‘Your Future – Your Way’ with a focus on ideas, skills and resilience, and the benefits that their wide variety of unique backgrounds, interests, identities and perspectives can bring.

One hundred and nine organisations celebrated Victorian Youth Week and staged more than 130 events across the state.

For the first time Queensland staged its own Youth Week with the official website hosting a forum called Youth eHub which provided a space for young people to have their say about what matters most to them.

Youth Week WA favoured events that celebrated the contribution of young people to Western Australia with 58 grants totaling more than $81,000, giving priority to events that involve young people in their design and implementation.

The message in New South Wales notes that Youth Week is organised by young people, for young people. This year’s theme Unity Through Diversity was set by young people, who said that diversity is an important theme for them.

Councils are playing their role in giving young people a voice, providing pathways for involvement in the democratic process and encouraging community cohesion, leadership and good citizenry particularly in the form of youth ambassadors and youth councils.

On the other side of the youth achievements coin Kids Helpline announced that suicide contacts to the counselling service had risen by 22 percent in the last five years.

More than 3,500 contacts from children and young people in 2017 were about bullying.

Local Government NSW (LGNSW) chose Youth Week to call on the State Government to appoint a dedicated Youth Minister.

The Youth Affairs portfolio, last held by the current Local Government Opposition Spokesman, Peter Primrose, was absorbed into the Citizenship and Family and Community Services portfolio after the 2011 election, and now sits with the Minister for Disability and Multiculturalism.

“Yet work undertaken by Australia’s 2017 Youth Representative to the United Nations, Paige Burton, found young people do not feel they have meaningful political representation,” LGNSW President Linda Scott said.

“Ms Burton reported that of the thousands of young people she consulted only 16 percent of young people from NSW agreed their opinions were represented by those in Government.”

Multicultural food

Glenorchy City Council, Tasmania, Taste of the World Festival showcased food, dance, music and cultural activities from across the globe. Read more >

Asset management conference*

The Fifteenth National Local Government Infrastructure and Asset Management Conference 7-8 June, convened by the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV).

Continuing the tradition of:

• quality speakers from around Australia
• ‘good practice’ knowledge-sharing, tools and templates to maximise council sustainability
• your Council being able to implement many of the advances presented at this event
• building credibility for local government to demonstrate ‘yes, we do manage our assets very well’

Key focus areas:

• Now it’s all about integrated asset and financial management, supporting efficient service delivery.
• Asset management good practice case studies:

1. implementing integrated asset management systems and the associated business processes and behavioural change,
2. better ways of doing business by being community-driven,
3. winning collaborative practices by groups of councils (Australia and New Zealand),
4. leading edge advances in asset management methodologies,
5. is your Council really unique?

• Road safety network planning to deliver improved outcomes;
• Rail transport futures;
• Councils and oversize vehicles: issues to be resolved;
• The new heavy vehicle Chain of Responsibility laws;
• Autonomous vehicles: implications for Councils;
• Best practice in stormwater management;

• National Disaster Recovery Funding Reforms: a new approach.

For full event details go to  mav.asn.au/events
*Copy supplied by MAV