I am pleased to be invited to introduce this edition of the National Perspective and to take the opportunity to share with you what has been happening at the national level since February.
National Awards for Local Government
From the City of Albany in my home State of Western Australia, to the Shire of Young in New South Wales, councils throughout Australia provide vital services to local communities, share community aspirations, support community development, listen to local concerns and lead communities in times of change. Local Government is the principal means by which local and regional communities express their identity, build their capacity, care for their environment and relate to the other levels of government.
This year, the Australian Government, through the National Awards for Local Government, will continue the important task of recognising, rewarding and promoting the innovative and leading practices of local government. The awards encourage constructive talks between councils, as well as celebrate the unique role councils have in local communities.
There are 18 categories in the 2004 awards reflecting the diverse range of Local Government services and priorities. Entry for the awards will once again be online at the Department of Transport and Regional Services’ web site at www.dotars.gov.au/localgovt and entries can be lodged from 25 May. Kits containing all the information needed to help your council participate in the awards will be sent to every local governing body in Australia. Additional copies of the kit can be obtained by contacting the department on freecall 1800 065 113.
This year the closing date for entries will be Monday, 12 July and I encourage all councils to showcase their ideas, excellence and innovation, and to share them with their colleagues throughout Australia by entering the awards.
Leading Practice Seminars
The Leading Practice Seminars allow entrants in the National Awards for Local Government to share their experiences with other councils. A number of seminars are being planned:
Eurobodalla – 24 June: This seminar is being held in conjunction with the Southern Councils Group meeting. The theme for the seminar is ‘Local Government and Future Communities and Services’. Presentations will be made by the City of Whittlesea, the City of Marion, Launceston City Council and the City of Onkaparinga. Further seminars will be held in Hobart in early June and Perth in August, with details to be confirmed.
Home Based Work in Local Government Project
In September last year Local Government Managers Australia (LGMA) completed a report commissioned by the Australian Government called ‘Home Based Work In Australian Local Government’.
The report was based on surveys and research on the issues involved for councils and provides evidence from case studies of councils which have had experience with staff working from home. The report is available on the LGMA web site at www.lgma.org.au
To complete this project I have agreed to the publication of a “how to” guide for Local Government based on the report’s findings. This guide will explain how Local Governments can introduce home based work, covering a range of issues including those which may have previously deterred some councils from considering the option of home based work for their employees, such as insurance, workers compensation and so on.
LGMA is aiming to have the guide finished this month and it will then distribute copies to all Local Governments throughout Australia. The guide will also be available on the LGMA web site. LGMA will also develop a web based search facility for the report and the guide so that councils can go online and easily find specific topics of interest in the report and the guide.
Report of the House of Representative Standing Committee on Economics, Finance and Public Administration’s Inquiry into Cost Shifting Rates and Taxes: A Fair Share for Responsible Local Government
The February issue of National Perspective advised that as part of developing the Government’s formal response to the report I had established a departmental taskforce to draw together the views of all relevant Australian Government departments and to provide the Government with further advice. At the February meeting of the Local Government and Planning Ministers Council in Perth it was decided that the Council would convene a roundtable meeting with peak Local Government bodies to discuss issues raised in the Report. This meeting, which I will chair, is scheduled to be held at Parliament House on 10 June. The States and Territories and the Australian Local Government Association have been asked to provide their responses to the recommendations of the Hawker Report before the meeting.
Senator Ian Campbell, Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads.
