SITEWISE is a best practice model for implementation and monitoring of erosion and sediment control funded under the Local Government Development Program (LGDP). The model has been produced by the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) and the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation in cooperation with twelve councils.
Nine of the participating councils have adopted an erosion control policy devised under Sitewise and a resource pack has been developed to train other councils. Penrith City Council was a participant in Sitewise and its Soilwatch project focused upon training and educating the local community in the benefits and principles of erosion control. Soilwatch won the Environment category in the National Awards for Innovation in Local Government this year.
For more information on SITEWISE contact Neville Pavan, Urban Advisory Specialist, NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation on (047) 210 188.
Another environmental project funded through the LGDP involves researching alternative and innovative accounting practices for environmental costs in local government. The University of Canberra’s Australian Centre for Regional and Local Government Studies (ACRLGS) has developed a project which researches alternative environmental accounting practices.
The Environment Finance Research project identifies and accurately accounts for environmental costs in local government practice and seeks alternative methods for financing these costs.
This year the University team is studying measures and transactions between economic activity and ecological processes such as environmental accounting in the management of a total water catchment. It will produce discussion papers and a template for learning circle kits that will raise awareness in local government of environmental accounting and financing as a means of efficient and effective management.
More information on the ACRLGS can be obtained by contacting Dick Osborn at the University of Canberra on (02) 6201 2558.
