OK, we’re all disillusioned with the federal Labor Party’s blood-letting process. Now we want some action for the remaining 18 months.
So let’s look at the issues that will hold centre stage, and see how local government might play a heightened role. Here are eight that occur to me.
Carbon tax and environmental management – while the carbon tax is now a fait accompli, the environmental management agenda will roll on, and local councils are well situated due to their track record and local orientation. There is sizeable funding – Clean Energy Fund ($1 billion) and the Biodiversity Fund ($946 million) – of which a fair amount is available to councils.
Manufacturing – continuing job losses in manufacturing are on the cards. Some pundits reckon that our manufacturers can weather the effects of the high $A, but fail to appreciate our relative lack of global supply chains, which have helped pull other nations through in the past. We suggest that local councils and their MPs can provide an early warning system for the feds or firms under pressure, and assist with job retraining packages, rates relief etc.
Health – prevention is better than the cure, and there is indeed a shift in emphasis towards preventative health. Local government can usefully be forming alliances with local health service providers to push their case for sports and exercise facilities.
Disability Services – Bill Shorten is passionate about this, and has been championing the Disability Insurance agenda. You might recall he got very animated in at the ALGA National Conference. Take him up on his challenge by seeking partnerships with federal and state agencies!
NBN roll-out – councils should be in the ear of Mike Quigley (NBN Co.) and Minister Conroy. The NBN needs strong revenue streams, and councils can help identify them.
Education – the recently-released Gonski review of federal education funding will hold the Gillard government’s attention. The feds won’t be keen to agree to the $5 billion additional funding sought by Gonski, so the emphasis will be on smarter delivery of educational services and looking after public schools with significant numbers of disadvantage students. LGAs that fit this bill should be active in this space.
Transport Infrastructure – there is a lot of waste in the area of transport infrastructure. Every year, transport ministers talk about improved coordination of federal and state expenditure, better Public Private Partnerships, smarter procurement practices and better project prioritisation. And while Infrastructure Australia was established to do these things, it hasn’t yet nailed much of note. I genuinely think that the bigger local councils need to muscle their way into this agenda.
Urban Policy Forum – this is new, involving experts from across all levels of government, industry and academia. It will advise the Government on National Urban Policy. Former deputy PM Brian Howe is there, and Better Cities Mark II is about as certain as Black Caviar. This Forum is much needed because there has been a lack of focus in recent times. Urban councils can help rejuvenate it.
UCLA’s smart deployment of students
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has a really smart program – the Global Access Program (GAP) where its MBA students prepare business plans for companies aiming to crack the US market with new products. Companies pay a fee (expected to be eligible for an export market development grant), and in return they get the business plan plus the strategic thinking and ideas that underpin it.
Many Australian companies desperately need to forge partnerships to crack overseas markets. We are in talks with the UCLA to see how its program can be delivered to Australian companies. We’re also keen to see how the program can be extended to many more Australian companies, and how they might be embedded into US clusters and networks. If you have companies in your midst with a likely interest, please contact us.
Commercialisation Australia
We figure that local councils often get presented with bright ideas looking for a sponsor or financial partner. Well the Commercialisation Australia Grants Program may well be the answer.
It is quite an accessible program if the company’s ideas measure up. It and offers funds to take products to market i.e. beyond the R&D stage. The main elements are:
- proof of concept – $50k to $250k to prove the commercial viability of new interlectual property
- early stage commercialisation – $250k to $2 million to take a new product, process or idea to market.
Eligible expenditure includes labour, contracting, plant; prototyping and interlectual property protection. Expenditure can be incurred for product development, testing and documentation, tooling-up for full scale production, market validation, and interlectual property strategy execution.
The grant needs to be matched 50:50 by the applicant. The program has been going about 18 months and 115 grants have been made to date. If you have someone at your door with a reasonable proposition, you might give us a ring on 02-62317261 and we will give them free and confidential advice on whether it’s a likely goer.
As you might have noticed, there is a certain symmetry with the UCLA Global Access Program.
HydroSun solar energy trials
As previously featured, we are close to finalising field trials of HydroSun’s unique solar power generation technology. The technology is expected to deliver 40% higher output per dollar invested because it invovles:
- a floating mounting system – easily installed on any body of water (e.g. dam, reservoir)
- unique rotating array – ensures peak efficiency as panels always face the sun
- mounting pontoons incorporate a radiator, so panels are at peak operating temperature
- the water surface is shaded, reducing evaporation by 1-3 metres of surface area
- lithum battery storage or hydrogen storage enables green energy delivery 24/7.
HydroSun has the global rights to market, manufacture and distribute this unique solar power technology. We are looking for two sites – one currently serviced by the grid, and one that is not – NSW and Queensland are the preferred states for the trials, but we are flexible. The trials will cost local councils NOTHING. This technology is on display at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and got a rave review in the Sydney Morning Herald. Please rime me ASAP if this interests you!
Rod Brown is a Canberra-based consultant specialising in industry/regional development, investment attraction, clusters and accessing Federal grants. He also runs the Cockatoo Network. He can be contacted at apdcockatoo@iprimus.com.au or phone (02) 6231 7261.
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