The Good Oil by Rod Brown*
Frank Lowy is best known for his Westfield empire and his role in the rebirth of soccer in Australia. He has also quietly established the Lowy Institute in Sydney, comprising a team of analysts that provides excellent insights into world affairs.
The Institute recently released a very interesting paper called ‘The Testament of Solomons: RAMSI and International State-building.’ It describes the innovative Australian led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), and notes the significant progress it has made since its deployment in 2003 securing law and order, arresting the country’s perilous decline and placing it on a new trajectory. The author says RAMSI is gaining international recognition due to its unique design – preventive; permissive; regional in nature; nationally led; supported by the United Nations; non sovereign; police led; and light in touch.
A senior AFP officer with a couple of stints in the Solomons (and who coincidentally survived the Bali bombing) told me last week that RAMSI is indeed a template for the future because it is long term and focused on community development. He stressed that it must avoid being a top down, bureaucratic process – it has to pitched in terms of local circumstances.
What’s this got to do with Local Government in Australia? Simple – it understands community development better than the Feds and States, and is about the right scale to interact with small nations. There is a best practice agenda for enterprising Councils to pursue. Give me a ring and I can explain further.
The paper can be downloaded at www.lowyinstitute.org
Tyre recycling
We had a great response to last month’s item on the recycling of tyres. Many Councils cannot wait for the new regime to be introduced, because the collection and disposal of used tyres is a major and highly onerous problem for Councils. We have recently had discussions with a number of Councils about possible off take arrangements and/or the incorporation of recycled rubber technology and products in environmental best practice precincts. If this is of interest to your Council, please contact us.
Flagship projects to spur UK science cities
The UK Government certainly has a sense of place. My colleague, Professor David Charles (University of Newcastle upon Tyne), reports the designation of three science cities Manchester, Newcastle and York – linked with a wider strategy to regenerate the cities of the North of England. The news came as a surprise to the three cities, as there was little detail as to what being a science city meant nor an identified budget. But the UK Government said that if the cities came up with good ideas for the realisation of this vision then funds may be found from other budgets. Subsequently another three cities were designated – Birmingham, Bristol and Nottingham. Each of the cities is now working up strategies to promote the development of science via new forms of commercialisation and communication.
Newcastle’s approach is a partnership between the university, the regional development agency and the City Council, with a flagship project centered on university research and business on a site where Newcastle Brown Ale used to be brewed. A key strength in the city’s strategy is the leading position of the university in stem cell research. For details see www.ncl.ac.uk/sciencecity/ and www.sciencecityyork.org.uk/
Coincidentally, here in Oz the Productivity Commission enquiry into the influence of public expenditure on R&D and innovation is causing serious indigestion in research circles.
Santa came early (Regulation Regulation Incentive Fund)
Back in mid 2005 I reminded Councils of the $50 million available from the Feds to upgrade online IT systems via this fund. The winning bids were announced just before Christmas. We understand that of the 64 applications, 31 were successful – representing some 270 councils in networked arrangements. Cairns, Brisbane, Whittlesea and Adelaide played leading roles as network leaders.
I queried a colleague in the bureaucracy how this windfall fund came about. While details are sketchy, it arose from a commitment from the Prime Minister in the COAG context, where the ALGA had put the idea forward. Plaudits to ALGA.
Iraq another Vietnam, says Fisk
A colleague attended a ‘stunning’ lecture by Robert Fisk at the ANU last month. He reports that Fisk is the doyen of political reporters on the Middle East and his material in The Independent is always informed and fearless.
His summary on Iraq? It cannot be won. The country is in a state of anarchy and statements from our Government and military on ‘turning the tide’ are nonsense, he says, with all of them living in ‘Vietnam style’ compounds. Fisk’s prediction is that it is only a question of time before all the allies pull out.
A tenner on Tanner?
Back in my January column, I observed Lindsay Tanner was looking like a future Federal Labor leader. Some readers were puzzled by this prediction. Let me explain. Beazley made a big mistake when he cut Crean adrift in his preselection ballot. Now Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard are circling. But Tanner could surface above the mayhem – plenty of precedents for this as things become frantic. Remember Gorton and indeed Howard?
According to an inside contact ‘Tanner is waiting on the fence for a clear run. He is carrying a lot of weight because he is from the left, but he has a great standing in the party’. To extend the racing analogy, 2/1 Rudd, 5/2 Gillard, 7/2 Tanner, 20/1 the rest.
* Rod Brown’s Canberra based consultancy group, Australian Project Developments Pty Ltd, specialises in industry/regional development and government liaison. For further information telephone (02) 6231 7261 or email apd@orac.net.au
