By Kim Powell in Hobart Unless regional infrastructure is up to scratch, investors will not look beyond major cities when funding projects, and several federal inquiries have confirmed this is already happening, said an expert in investment attraction at the LGAT conference in Hobart. “The worldwide evidence is that the quality of regional infrastructure is...
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Pursue financial autonomy and political renewal
By Kim Powell in Hobart Local government should put constitutional recognition and the call for more federal money on the backburner and instead focus on community engagement and long term strategic planning, said Graham Sansom in a keynote address at the 94th Conference for Local Government in Hobart in June. Professor Sansom is the director...
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Chance to succeed
By Jane Garcia Both the public and private sectors need to carefully consider their plans for succession, with good tactics, a dedicated budget and senior management buy-in crucial to success, according to a workplace researcher. The University of Sydney’s Workplace Research Centre (WRC) recently released a HR in Practice report on Succession Management, which was...
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Promoting holidays at home
By Jane Garcia Australians are keen to spend their holidays exploring their home country, according to a recent survey of 5000 people conducted by travel agency group Travelscene American Express. About 34 per cent of participants said they were planning their next major trip within Australia, rather than overseas. More people were interested in planning...
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Lesson plan for councils
By Kim Powell In his opening address at the 94th Conference of Local Government in Hobart the new Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) president, Mike Gaffney, told delegates that local government could no longer shirk its responsibilities. His words were not out of place at a conference in which a keynote speaker said the...
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Legislative changes are costly and time-consuming: LGAQ
By Rachel Borchardt in Brisbane The new legislative changes to the Queensland Local Government Act will create a costly and time-consuming exercise for councils, according to the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ). The proposed legislation, introduced into State Parliament by Local Government Minister Desley Boyle yesterday, will provide the Local Government Minister with “the power...
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BUDGET 09: Funding boost to local government
By Rob O’Brien Federal funding commitments including a renewal of disaster mitigation programs, new investment in roads and support for drought-affected rural communities, have been welcomed by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) in its response to the Federal Budget. The Roads to Recovery program will be funded to the tune of $350 million per year...
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MAV slams state for reneging on planning permits
By Rob O’Brien The Municipal Association of Victoria has accused the State Government of breaching an agreement made with local government over planning permit requirements for social housing and school building projects funded by the Rudd Government. The Victorian Premier’s office did advise the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) in April that it would consult with...
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Win to Wingecarribee in battle against Lehman Bros
By Angela Dorizas The administrators of Lehman Brothers Australia will be required to hand over details of the bank’s insurance policies, including personal indemnity insurance, to a former council client. Wingecarribee Shire Council in New South Wales has won Federal Court approval to uncover the insurance policies of Lehman’s in its bid to recoup funds lost through...
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Peak humanity raises security concerns
By Angela Dorizas As the world nears ‘peak humanity’ there will be greater demand for security within Australia, says leading demographer and social commentator Bernard Salt. “The world’s population will peak at around about 9 billion in the year 2070,” Salt said at the recent ASIAL Security 2009 conference in Sydney. “When we reach this...