Maintaining a healthy community should be at the forefront of our community planning. With so much media coverage in the past few weeks concentrating on urbanisation and growth, it is timely to note that Wednesday 7 April is World Health Day. This year’s theme of Urbanisation and Health reminds us that urbanisation impacts on community health and wellbeing unless we take measures to secure health based design, infrastructure and services. The Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct (AMREP) will be holding a free Conference on the day. See details in Events later in this eNews. If you have World Health Day events you would like us to promote, email us at vlga@vlga.org.au.
Vice President Cr Ruth McGowan resigns from VLGA Board
It is with sadness that the VLGA has accepted Cr Ruth McGowan’s resignation from the VLGA Board this week. Ruth was diagnosed with cancer at the end of last year and has reluctantly chosen to step down in order to focus her energy on staying well as she considers treatment for non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She will continue in her role as councillor with the Baw Baw Shire.
Cr McGowan wrote, “It has been a great privilege to work with fellow Board members who are dedicated to serving the community and strengthening democracy. I admire the commitment and passion to local government shown by VLGA members and staff and I hope to continue supporting the VLGA where I can.”
We all convey our deep thanks to Ruth for her service to the VLGA as Vice President and Interim President, and her outstanding commitment to communities, social justice and local government. We wish her and her family well at this time.
VLGA congratulates Kaele Way AM JP on her service to ALGWA
Last week, we omitted an important acknowledgement when reporting on the successful ALGWA Conference. Our sincere thanks to Kaele Way AM JP for her tireless work for women in local government. Kaele has been a driving force in ALGWA for 13 years serving as both President and also National President during that time. Congratulations Kaele and we wish you well.
Essential Services Commission – Local Government Performance Monitoring Framework
After five months of working with CEOs, mayors and councillors, the Essential Services Commission has released their Draft Report for comment. The Draft Report can be found via the Essential Services Commission website.
Submissions are due by 23 April and can be submitted via email to localgovernment@esc.vic.gov.au.
There are two seminars for councillors including ESC presentation of its preliminary findings, presentation from invited guest speakers, as well as the opportunity for questions and answers. Call (03) 9651 0259 to register your attendance.
Melbourne: Thursday 29 April 2010, 5.30-7.30pm
Treasury Theatre, Ground Level, 1 Macarthur St, Melbourne 3002
Shepparton: Tuesday 4 May 2010, 6.30-8.00pm
Shepparton RSL, 88 Wyndham St, Shepparton VIC 3630
Other forums and seminars include:
* Local Government Ministerial forum, 22 April
* Public Forum (Melbourne): Wednesday 28 April, 2-5pm
Treasury Theatre, Ground Level, 1 Macarthur St, Melbourne 3002
* LGPro CEO Forum, 30 April
* Public Forum (Shepparton): 11 May Tuesday, 2-4pm
Country Comfort Shepparton Parklake, 481 Wyndham St, Shepparton VIC 3630
Meetings with councils to road-test indicators will also occur during April-May.
The VLGA has been vocal throughout the consultation process to date about the need for any performance measures to be useful, not overly costly or onerous, and to report on and to be focussed on driving improvement rather than making unfair comparisons. We will be sending an email soon with some initial thoughts about the draft report. We look forward your comments.
Landfill levies to assist recycling
On Wednesday 24 March, Environment Minister Jennings announced an increase in the landfill levy as a charge on the delivery of material to landfill sites. The aim of this levy is to provide an incentive to avoid landfill and stimulate the development of innovation around recycling. The VLGA generally welcomes the State Government’s $54 million reinvestment to reduce waste including: $5.5 million to help councils implement the Metropolitan Waste Plan; a $6 million strike force to address illegal dumping; and $5.69 million to ensure waste agencies can fully support households, councils and industry to tackle waste. We welcome the work with local governments to tackle illegal dumping. The environmental gain is significant, despite the cost impost. The cost to individual households is likely to be $10-$15 maximum per annum (half that in rural areas). The changes have been supported by environmental groups in the state through the Boomerang Alliance. We know that sometimes it is financially difficult for smaller rural councils to find matching funds to meet Government grants and welcome the opportunity to explore this issue further with the State Government. The impacts of the levy on council budgets and rates will be felt sharply this year, but should be balanced by the long term benefits to the environment and local amenity. The VLGA Board spokesperson on this issue is Cr Heinz Kreutz.
Agriculture and food shortage – the next national challenge?
As our members would know, the VLGA has been leading the charge to raise awareness on food security for many years now. As we mark World Health Day on Wednesday 7 April, it is timely to also link other issues such as urbanisation, health, agriculture and food security. Our most recent work involved looking at the economic significance of the Food Sector and as mentioned in previous editions of this eNews, the need to integrate land use planning and food security. You may be interested in a recent article sourced from the Foodforethought blog. This article from SBS’s World News Australia proposes a government intervention to help the nation cope – by way of a national food policy. For more information on the VLGA’s Food Security work, contact Dr Beverley Wood on 03 9349 7999 or beverley@vlga.org.au.
Sharing government and community facilities
One of the pressures facing urban and regional or rural local governments alike is to ensure that our facilities can keep pace with community needs. An area that has recently come under the spotlight is the issue of sharing government and community facilities. With the release of the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission’s (VCEC) Final Report and the State Government’s Response, the focus in the future will be on simplifying government grant processes for shared facilities and increasing community access to them. VCEC consulted the VLGA when it was scoping the issues to be covered in the inquiry, and we welcome the recommendations in their final report.
A significant number of local governments made submissions to the inquiry. These included Ararat, Banyule, Bass Coast, Baw Baw, Bayside, Boroondara, Cardinia, Casey, Colac Otway, Darebin, Frankston, Greater Geelong, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Knox, Latrobe, Manningham, Melbourne, Monash, Moorabool, Moreland, Moyne, Strathbogie, Surf Coast, Warrnambool, Wellington, West Wimmera, Whitehorse and Wyndham. You can download copies of these submissions here.
Transport notices
Wyndham City Council is hosting the Transport Access & Inclusion Forum: Exploring Transport Access & Inclusion Challenges & Options in a Growth Area on Thursday 13 May 2010, from 9.30am-3.30pm, as part of the Wyndham Transport Connections Project. Further details can be found via the Thinking Transport website.
Also, three more area-specific surveys have been released by pt4me2 for the North-East, South-East and Western regions of Melbourne. Access the survey for your area via Thinking Transport.
Statistical training opportunities with ABS Victoria in 2010
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is offering practical, informative and relevant training to help you develop your statistical skills. Courses include: Introduction to ABS Statistical Collections; Turning Data Into Information; Analysing Survey Data Made Simple; Making Quality Informed Decisions; and Understanding Demographic Data.
Find further details and a flyer via our website.
Events
Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct World Health Day Conference
Wednesday 7 April, 8.30am-5pm
Ormond Hall, 557 St Kilda Rd, Prahran (enter off Moubray Street)
The two inter-related themes of the conference include:
* Implications of urbanisation for the health of poor and disadvantaged populations, and
* Multi-faceted approaches to improving maternal health in low-income settings.
This conference is organised by Monash University and the Burnet Institute, on behalf of the AMREP Global Health Consortium, with support from 'Compass', the AusAID-funded Women's and Children's Health Knowledge Hub, and VicHealth. The conference is free to all participants, and you can register your details with Emma.Frean@med.monash.edu.au. You can find the Conference and Workshop programs here.
Emily’s List: Empowering the Community Sector training for women
Monday 19 April 2010, 9-11am: Introduction to Lobbying
Monday 10 May 2010, 9-11am: Advanced Lobbying – Lobbying Labor
The Atrium, Level 5, Queen Victoria Women's Centre, 210 Lonsdale St Melbourne
2010 is an important election year at both State and Federal government levels. The Empowering the Community Sector Series is designed to give women in senior levels of the community sector essential skills, insight and tips on how to impact the political process as they advocate for their organisations’ key issues to be placed on the election policy agenda. For more details, including the program and booking forms, go to VLGA Events.
Moreland Energy Foundation Limited (MEFL) Energy Management Course
Tuesday 20 April 2010 or Tuesday 22 June 2010, 9am-5pm
233 Sydney Road, Brunswick
This popular one day course is offered by VLGA member MEFL to equip participants with a broad understanding of energy use, assessment and auditing techniques. If you, or council officers or others you know are interested, you can download the flyer and registration form at VLGA Events.
2010 Premier’s Sustainability Awards
Thursday 22 April 2010, 7pm-12 midnight
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Wharf
Dress: Lounge Suit
Join the Hon. John Brumby MLA, Premier of Victoria, host Eddie McGuire and keynote speaker Mr Andrew Tan, Director of the Centre for Liveable Cities Singapore, at Victoria's most prestigious environmental awards ceremony on 22 April. There are a number of Award Categories and finalists, including Local Government Award finalists Nillumbik Shire Council, Darebin City Council and Boroondara City Council. Community Award finalists include the Alternative Technology Association, FareShare and SecondBite. The event includes unveiling the winners, a night of entertainment and a four-course meal showcasing Victoria's finest local produce.
Tickets to the ceremony are available until 9 April 2010. Individual tickets are $170 plus GST and corporate tables are $1,600 plus GST. Tickets can be purchased here or call 1300 302 161.
Changing cultures, changing attitudes: preventing violence against women
Wednesday 7 April 2010, 10-11am, followed by light refreshments
Zinc, Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne
The Minister for the Status of Women, the Hon. Tanya Plibersek, MP, will launch the report of the National Survey on Community Attitudes to Violence Against Women 2009, Changing cultures, changing attitudes: preventing violence against women, produced by VicHealth with the support of the Social Research Centre, the Australian Institute of Criminology and funded by the Australian Government.
Speakers include:
Nelly Thomas, comedian and creator of the No Means No Show for young people
Waleed Aly, politics lecturer, media commentator, and White Ribbon Ambassador
Jen Allen, advocate, Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service
With a performance by the cast of the No Means No Show, a program focused on promoting respectful relationships among young people.
RSVP by Wednesday 31 March to launch@vichealth.vic.gov.au or 03 9667 1354.
Please note there will be no eNews next week. We wish everyone a restful Easter break.
Regards
Cr Rose Iser
VLGA President
0414 959 427
rose@vlga.org.au
Monday 22 March, 2010
The VLGA Board has returned from its annual retreat at which we workshopped the year’s priorities. Thanks to all Board members and staff who worked hard to plan how the organisation can best meet members’ needs over the next 12 months.
Your Opinions: Good governance in local government is...
Good corporate governance in the context of democratically elected local governments was the subject of a key discussion of the Board at our retreat. What is ‘good governance’ in local government and how should the VLGA continue to assist members in this area? I asked all Board members to complete the following phrase: Good governance in local government is...
... open and transparent questioning without fear or favour. Cr Samantha Dunn, Shire of Yarra Ranges, VLGA Treasurer
... transparent, participatory, inclusive, responsible, accountable, responsive and democratic. Cr Jeanette McRae, Shire of Yarra Ranges, VLGA Vice-President
... the values, policies & procedures adopted by Council and staff to provide ethical, transparent and accountability within the sector. Cr Grace La Vella, City of Manningham
... partnering with the community (among other things!) Richard Brown, community Board member
... not a restriction on input or opinion. It is about when & how that opinion is proffered. Tom Moloney, community Board member
... not only doing the right thing but we need to be seen doing the right thing. Cr Ruth McGowan, Baw Baw Shire, VLGA Vice-President
... time to make informed and considered decisions; commitment; and attention to detail. Maree McPherson, CEO VLGA
... honesty, to everyone, all the time. Cr Rose Iser, Moonee Valley City Council, VLGA President
... respect, and in particular for ratepayers. Bill Penrose, VLGA community Vice-President
… not a natural occurrence; requires education to inform, guide and interpret the process, procedures, expectations and legal requirements; acting in an ethical, transparent, inclusive, responsible, accountable and democratic manner when making decisions arrived at by predetermined policies and procedures; the timely delivery of communication re decisions in many areas that will affect the general well-being of the public it serves. Kate Lempriere, community Board member
We have seen a focus on good governance by way of a review of Conflict of Interest requirements, Code of Conduct Panels, Ombudsman reports, the Municipal Inspectorate, Performance monitoring by the Essential Services Commission – but are these measures achieving the goal of good governance?
Meeting with Minister Wynne’s office
Maree McPherson and I met with Minister Wynne’s advisors last week. We discussed the process for the Conflict of Interest Review now that submissions have been received. We were advised that a summary of the feedback would be available shortly. An important matter for discussion was the absence of ready advice for councillors on the Municipal Inspectorate. It was agreed that councillors, officers and community members would benefit from accessible advice on how to use the Ombudsman and the Municipal Inspectorate, as well as the Code of Conduct Panels. Currently a Guide to Councillor Conduct Arrangements is available at the LGV website. However, we also stressed the importance of a comprehensive guide advising how all of the mechanisms operate.
Congratulations to ALGWA
The WomenCan! Conference held by ALGWA (Australian Local Government Women’s Association) last week and hosted by the City of Melbourne was a great success. At the AGM the following members of the Executive Committee were appointed until 2012. We congratulate them all. The Executive Committee members for the term 2010-2012 are:
President - Kate Lempriere, VLGA Board member
Vice President Metro - Cr Coral Ross, City of Boroondara
Vice President Rural - Cr Jean Wise, Yarriambiack Shire Council
Secretary - Cr Helen Harris OAM, City of Whitehorse
Treasurer - Cr Jill Parker, Moyne Shire Council
Committee Members: Cr Helen Coleman, Nillumbik Shire Council; Cr Bev Colomb, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council; Cr Meg Downie, City of Manningham; Cr Cheryl Bromfield, City of Ballarat; Cr Ellen White, Buloke Shire Council; Cr Helen Relph, Macedon Ranges Shire Council.
Congratulations also to outgoing ALGWAVic President, Councillor Pam McLeod, for her long-standing commitment to women in local government and ALGWA’s goals.
Efficient Street Lighting
As a member of the Public Lighting Taskforce, the VLGA supports the efforts being made to seek funding from State and Federal levels of government for councils to change over streetlights to more efficient lighting – thus reducing greenhouse emissions from lighting by up to 60% and overall council emissions by around 30%. We look forward to supporting efforts being made by the MAV, Maribyrnong City Council and others. This area of innovation and investment in sustainability is an opportunity for partnership across local governments.
Victorian Local Sustainability Accord – next phase launched
On 16 March, The Hon Gavin Jennings MLC, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, launched the next phase of the Victorian Local Sustainability Accord, at the Reservoir Civic Centre. Minister Jennings introduced the Chair and members of the Victorian Local Sustainability Advisory Committee, and announced successful projects in round four of the Accord. Minister Jennings noted the partnership of LGPro, the MAV and the VLGA in this next phase of the Accord which is focused on local sustainability projects that build the community's capacity to adapt to climate change. The VLGA congratulates Cr Janet Bolitho on her appointment as Chair of the Advisory Committee, and other members on their appointments to the Committee including VLGA Vice-President Cr Ruth McGowan.
Social Housing – media
Social housing projects and consultation processes were in the news recently. Click on the following links to see some articles:
* Push for more consultation on housing
* MPs fear backlash on social housing projects
* Locals call for say in $24m project
Essential Services Commission – local government performance monitoring framework
Due to the rescheduling of the Consultative Committee meeting, I was not able to attend. The VLGA was represented at the meeting and we continue to monitor progress in this area and discuss issues with the ESC. The reporting framework is not necessarily accommodating all views put forward, but we are continuing to impress upon the ESC the need for meaningful comparisons and data collection that is of use to communities, councillors and local governments. The value of any performance monitoring is in how the process contributes to continued improvement – rather than shifting priorities away from community priorities as outlined through community and council plans. To date 108 performance measures have been proposed by the working groups and councils may have been sent an early copy of this. A draft report is due to be released on 26 March. We will alert you to the process for submitting feedback about this report.
Liveable & Just: effects of extreme climate events on people explored
The VLGA recently held its metropolitan (Carlton) and regional (Mansfield) launches of our Liveable & Just Toolkit for local governments and communities. As part of the launches, we also held practical workshops where attendees provided feedback on how local communities were dealing with their own challenges. Two themes that emerged from these workshops included the challenge of getting cross-departmental and councillor support, and the need to build responses to extreme climate events into everything we do, rather than singling these out in separate events. Clearly, the VLGA and others will need to ensure that we take note of the different responses of metro and rural areas. While we all know a lot about the economic and environmental impacts of extreme climate events we don’t always talk about the effects on people. If your local government and community groups are not yet talking about these impacts on local residents, then the VLGA's Liveable & Just offers practical ways to start to have the discussions. The toolkit can be viewed on our website. Stay tuned for Liveable & Just Mark II.
Pictured at the Liveable & Just Regional Launch with Mansfield Mayor Cr Tom Ingpen (2nd from left) are (from l-r): Mike Hill – Director Victorian Local Sustainability Accord; Damien Sullivan – Brotherhood of St Lawrence; Cr Janet Bolitho - VLGA Liveable & Just Steering Committee Chair; and Professor John Wiseman - University of Melbourne McCaughey Centre Project Consultant.
Bold Ideas, Better Lives Challenge
Got a great idea for creating better lives for people in Australia? Want access to amazing mentors and a bucket of cash (up to $1million) to get your idea off the ground??
The Australian Centre for Social Innovation is giving you the chance to turn your big idea into big impact. We’re committed to supporting up to 10 projects that show the best and brightest ideas in social innovation across Australia. Your idea could deal with anything from healthcare to education, climate change to the internet as long as it addresses a social need faced by communities in Australia. For more information or to apply online, see their website or contact Erin Green at challenge@tacsi.org.au. Or you can check our website.
Read the Exford Hotel 24-hour bottleshop decision here!
This decision has been in the news since VCAT handed it down on 9 March 2010. While the VCAT decision set aside the Director of Liquor Licensing’s decision to reduce the hours of trading in the applicant’s bottleshop to 11.00pm each evening, this matter may not be over. The bottleshop forms part of the Exford Hotel at the corner of Russel and Little Bourke Streets, Melbourne (“the Exford”). We’ve had some requests for the decision - see it under Additional Articles on our website. It is clear that the decision and the resulting community and local government debate will affect the issue of access to 24-hour alcohol.
Local government role in keeping Victoria litter-free supported with $$
While it is not always the case, when local governments receive funding our partnerships with the State Government are even more meaningful. An example last week is the announcement that local governments will receive funding to employee up to 12 litter prevention officers. Fourteen years ago the EPA issued 1,600 fines compared to today’s 18,000 littering fines. For further information you can go to their fact sheet under Additional Articles on our website.
Over 500 Transport Research Papers now available on the Thinking Transport website!
The Social Research and Transport (SORT) Clearinghouse and Thinking Transport are announcing a partnership today to promote the vast library of transport-related research available via the SORT Clearinghouse online library. The clearinghouse collates research reports focussing on social issues such as disadvantage and inequality, and researchers can search the database to find and access reports, sign up to a newsletter providing updates on new research reports, or submit research to be included on the system. Visitors to the Thinking Transport website will now find a menu on the front page entitled SORT Clearinghouse – Top Five Latest Research Papers, automatically updating the most recent reports available. For further information on these resources contact the VLGA’s Local Government Transport Facilitator, Gordon Young at gordon@vlga.org.au or (03) 9349 7943, or Pauline Forbes at SORT Clearinghouse on (03) 9905 5568.
WPILGC receives Women’s Leadership Grant
The VLGA offers warm congratulations to the Women’s Participation in Local Government Coalition (WPILGC) on receiving a Women’s Leadership Grant to strengthen Victorian local governments’ ongoing commitments to women’s participation and leadership in local political decision making. The grant will be used to support local governments to endorse the Charter’s three principles of gender equality, diversity and active citizenship in local governments and communities. The project, as well as being a symbol of Victorian support for 2010 National Year of Women in Local Government, is designed to build momentum to the 2012 elections and beyond. Let's hope the reduction in numbers at the last election are an aberration, although we will continue to keep the pressure up to see specific responses like this project funded and delivered.
Events
Environment Victoria - WATER & HEALTHY RIVERS
Thursday 25 March, 5.45-7.30pm
Green Building Meeting Room, 60 Leicester St, Carlton
The big challenge at Environment Victoria will be to show all parties contesting the November state election that delivering environmental flows to our stressed rivers is critical – both for rescuing our river systems and to be seen as a credible government.
The Rivers Supporter Evening will be held on Thursday 25 March at the Green Building in Carlton. Environment Victoria would love the opportunity to share with you some of the key issues and campaign themes they will be focusing on this year, and to hear from you about your passionate ideas to deliver water flows to rivers.
For an invitation click here. Please RSVP to Healthy Rivers Campaigner Amelia Young on (03) 9341 8120 or email her at amelia.young@environmentvictoria.org.au by Tuesday 23 March.
Earth Hour 2010
Saturday 27 March 2010, 8.30-9.30pm
This annual event is being held this coming Saturday. For further details and to register your own Earth Hour event, please click here.
Leading Edge Forum: Forethought or afterthought: what needs to happen to improve liveability, funding and strategic planning in regional and rural Victoria?
Thursday 15 April, 6-9pm
Warrnambool Civic Centre, 25 Liebig Street, Warrnambool
Following dinner and networking from 6pm, we will host a range of speakers including Rural and Regional Mayors and CEOs to talk about a range of issues relevant to the topic. Your feedback will also be sought in an interactive session.
Details:
Thursday 15 April
Warrnambool Civic Centre, 25 Liebig Street, Warrnambool
6pm Finger-food and refreshments
7pm LEF commences
Registrations for all LEFs can now be made via our website and current LEF information can be found here.
Regards
Cr Rose Iser
VLGA President
0414 959 427
rose@vlga.org.au
Your Opinions: Good governance in local government is...
Good corporate governance in the context of democratically elected local governments was the subject of a key discussion of the Board at our retreat. What is ‘good governance’ in local government and how should the VLGA continue to assist members in this area? I asked all Board members to complete the following phrase: Good governance in local government is...
... open and transparent questioning without fear or favour. Cr Samantha Dunn, Shire of Yarra Ranges, VLGA Treasurer
... transparent, participatory, inclusive, responsible, accountable, responsive and democratic. Cr Jeanette McRae, Shire of Yarra Ranges, VLGA Vice-President
... the values, policies & procedures adopted by Council and staff to provide ethical, transparent and accountability within the sector. Cr Grace La Vella, City of Manningham
... partnering with the community (among other things!) Richard Brown, community Board member
... not a restriction on input or opinion. It is about when & how that opinion is proffered. Tom Moloney, community Board member
... not only doing the right thing but we need to be seen doing the right thing. Cr Ruth McGowan, Baw Baw Shire, VLGA Vice-President
... time to make informed and considered decisions; commitment; and attention to detail. Maree McPherson, CEO VLGA
... honesty, to everyone, all the time. Cr Rose Iser, Moonee Valley City Council, VLGA President
... respect, and in particular for ratepayers. Bill Penrose, VLGA community Vice-President
… not a natural occurrence; requires education to inform, guide and interpret the process, procedures, expectations and legal requirements; acting in an ethical, transparent, inclusive, responsible, accountable and democratic manner when making decisions arrived at by predetermined policies and procedures; the timely delivery of communication re decisions in many areas that will affect the general well-being of the public it serves. Kate Lempriere, community Board member
We have seen a focus on good governance by way of a review of Conflict of Interest requirements, Code of Conduct Panels, Ombudsman reports, the Municipal Inspectorate, Performance monitoring by the Essential Services Commission – but are these measures achieving the goal of good governance?
Meeting with Minister Wynne’s office
Maree McPherson and I met with Minister Wynne’s advisors last week. We discussed the process for the Conflict of Interest Review now that submissions have been received. We were advised that a summary of the feedback would be available shortly. An important matter for discussion was the absence of ready advice for councillors on the Municipal Inspectorate. It was agreed that councillors, officers and community members would benefit from accessible advice on how to use the Ombudsman and the Municipal Inspectorate, as well as the Code of Conduct Panels. Currently a Guide to Councillor Conduct Arrangements is available at the LGV website. However, we also stressed the importance of a comprehensive guide advising how all of the mechanisms operate.
Congratulations to ALGWA
The WomenCan! Conference held by ALGWA (Australian Local Government Women’s Association) last week and hosted by the City of Melbourne was a great success. At the AGM the following members of the Executive Committee were appointed until 2012. We congratulate them all. The Executive Committee members for the term 2010-2012 are:
President - Kate Lempriere, VLGA Board member
Vice President Metro - Cr Coral Ross, City of Boroondara
Vice President Rural - Cr Jean Wise, Yarriambiack Shire Council
Secretary - Cr Helen Harris OAM, City of Whitehorse
Treasurer - Cr Jill Parker, Moyne Shire Council
Committee Members: Cr Helen Coleman, Nillumbik Shire Council; Cr Bev Colomb, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council; Cr Meg Downie, City of Manningham; Cr Cheryl Bromfield, City of Ballarat; Cr Ellen White, Buloke Shire Council; Cr Helen Relph, Macedon Ranges Shire Council.
Congratulations also to outgoing ALGWAVic President, Councillor Pam McLeod, for her long-standing commitment to women in local government and ALGWA’s goals.
Efficient Street Lighting
As a member of the Public Lighting Taskforce, the VLGA supports the efforts being made to seek funding from State and Federal levels of government for councils to change over streetlights to more efficient lighting – thus reducing greenhouse emissions from lighting by up to 60% and overall council emissions by around 30%. We look forward to supporting efforts being made by the MAV, Maribyrnong City Council and others. This area of innovation and investment in sustainability is an opportunity for partnership across local governments.
Victorian Local Sustainability Accord – next phase launched
On 16 March, The Hon Gavin Jennings MLC, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, launched the next phase of the Victorian Local Sustainability Accord, at the Reservoir Civic Centre. Minister Jennings introduced the Chair and members of the Victorian Local Sustainability Advisory Committee, and announced successful projects in round four of the Accord. Minister Jennings noted the partnership of LGPro, the MAV and the VLGA in this next phase of the Accord which is focused on local sustainability projects that build the community's capacity to adapt to climate change. The VLGA congratulates Cr Janet Bolitho on her appointment as Chair of the Advisory Committee, and other members on their appointments to the Committee including VLGA Vice-President Cr Ruth McGowan.
Social Housing – media
Social housing projects and consultation processes were in the news recently. Click on the following links to see some articles:
* Push for more consultation on housing
* MPs fear backlash on social housing projects
* Locals call for say in $24m project
Essential Services Commission – local government performance monitoring framework
Due to the rescheduling of the Consultative Committee meeting, I was not able to attend. The VLGA was represented at the meeting and we continue to monitor progress in this area and discuss issues with the ESC. The reporting framework is not necessarily accommodating all views put forward, but we are continuing to impress upon the ESC the need for meaningful comparisons and data collection that is of use to communities, councillors and local governments. The value of any performance monitoring is in how the process contributes to continued improvement – rather than shifting priorities away from community priorities as outlined through community and council plans. To date 108 performance measures have been proposed by the working groups and councils may have been sent an early copy of this. A draft report is due to be released on 26 March. We will alert you to the process for submitting feedback about this report.
Liveable & Just: effects of extreme climate events on people explored
The VLGA recently held its metropolitan (Carlton) and regional (Mansfield) launches of our Liveable & Just Toolkit for local governments and communities. As part of the launches, we also held practical workshops where attendees provided feedback on how local communities were dealing with their own challenges. Two themes that emerged from these workshops included the challenge of getting cross-departmental and councillor support, and the need to build responses to extreme climate events into everything we do, rather than singling these out in separate events. Clearly, the VLGA and others will need to ensure that we take note of the different responses of metro and rural areas. While we all know a lot about the economic and environmental impacts of extreme climate events we don’t always talk about the effects on people. If your local government and community groups are not yet talking about these impacts on local residents, then the VLGA's Liveable & Just offers practical ways to start to have the discussions. The toolkit can be viewed on our website. Stay tuned for Liveable & Just Mark II.
Pictured at the Liveable & Just Regional Launch with Mansfield Mayor Cr Tom Ingpen (2nd from left) are (from l-r): Mike Hill – Director Victorian Local Sustainability Accord; Damien Sullivan – Brotherhood of St Lawrence; Cr Janet Bolitho - VLGA Liveable & Just Steering Committee Chair; and Professor John Wiseman - University of Melbourne McCaughey Centre Project Consultant.
Bold Ideas, Better Lives Challenge
Got a great idea for creating better lives for people in Australia? Want access to amazing mentors and a bucket of cash (up to $1million) to get your idea off the ground??
The Australian Centre for Social Innovation is giving you the chance to turn your big idea into big impact. We’re committed to supporting up to 10 projects that show the best and brightest ideas in social innovation across Australia. Your idea could deal with anything from healthcare to education, climate change to the internet as long as it addresses a social need faced by communities in Australia. For more information or to apply online, see their website or contact Erin Green at challenge@tacsi.org.au. Or you can check our website.
Read the Exford Hotel 24-hour bottleshop decision here!
This decision has been in the news since VCAT handed it down on 9 March 2010. While the VCAT decision set aside the Director of Liquor Licensing’s decision to reduce the hours of trading in the applicant’s bottleshop to 11.00pm each evening, this matter may not be over. The bottleshop forms part of the Exford Hotel at the corner of Russel and Little Bourke Streets, Melbourne (“the Exford”). We’ve had some requests for the decision - see it under Additional Articles on our website. It is clear that the decision and the resulting community and local government debate will affect the issue of access to 24-hour alcohol.
Local government role in keeping Victoria litter-free supported with $$
While it is not always the case, when local governments receive funding our partnerships with the State Government are even more meaningful. An example last week is the announcement that local governments will receive funding to employee up to 12 litter prevention officers. Fourteen years ago the EPA issued 1,600 fines compared to today’s 18,000 littering fines. For further information you can go to their fact sheet under Additional Articles on our website.
Over 500 Transport Research Papers now available on the Thinking Transport website!
The Social Research and Transport (SORT) Clearinghouse and Thinking Transport are announcing a partnership today to promote the vast library of transport-related research available via the SORT Clearinghouse online library. The clearinghouse collates research reports focussing on social issues such as disadvantage and inequality, and researchers can search the database to find and access reports, sign up to a newsletter providing updates on new research reports, or submit research to be included on the system. Visitors to the Thinking Transport website will now find a menu on the front page entitled SORT Clearinghouse – Top Five Latest Research Papers, automatically updating the most recent reports available. For further information on these resources contact the VLGA’s Local Government Transport Facilitator, Gordon Young at gordon@vlga.org.au or (03) 9349 7943, or Pauline Forbes at SORT Clearinghouse on (03) 9905 5568.
WPILGC receives Women’s Leadership Grant
The VLGA offers warm congratulations to the Women’s Participation in Local Government Coalition (WPILGC) on receiving a Women’s Leadership Grant to strengthen Victorian local governments’ ongoing commitments to women’s participation and leadership in local political decision making. The grant will be used to support local governments to endorse the Charter’s three principles of gender equality, diversity and active citizenship in local governments and communities. The project, as well as being a symbol of Victorian support for 2010 National Year of Women in Local Government, is designed to build momentum to the 2012 elections and beyond. Let's hope the reduction in numbers at the last election are an aberration, although we will continue to keep the pressure up to see specific responses like this project funded and delivered.
Events
Environment Victoria - WATER & HEALTHY RIVERS
Thursday 25 March, 5.45-7.30pm
Green Building Meeting Room, 60 Leicester St, Carlton
The big challenge at Environment Victoria will be to show all parties contesting the November state election that delivering environmental flows to our stressed rivers is critical – both for rescuing our river systems and to be seen as a credible government.
The Rivers Supporter Evening will be held on Thursday 25 March at the Green Building in Carlton. Environment Victoria would love the opportunity to share with you some of the key issues and campaign themes they will be focusing on this year, and to hear from you about your passionate ideas to deliver water flows to rivers.
For an invitation click here. Please RSVP to Healthy Rivers Campaigner Amelia Young on (03) 9341 8120 or email her at amelia.young@environmentvictoria.org.au by Tuesday 23 March.
Earth Hour 2010
Saturday 27 March 2010, 8.30-9.30pm
This annual event is being held this coming Saturday. For further details and to register your own Earth Hour event, please click here.
Leading Edge Forum: Forethought or afterthought: what needs to happen to improve liveability, funding and strategic planning in regional and rural Victoria?
Thursday 15 April, 6-9pm
Warrnambool Civic Centre, 25 Liebig Street, Warrnambool
Following dinner and networking from 6pm, we will host a range of speakers including Rural and Regional Mayors and CEOs to talk about a range of issues relevant to the topic. Your feedback will also be sought in an interactive session.
Details:
Thursday 15 April
Warrnambool Civic Centre, 25 Liebig Street, Warrnambool
6pm Finger-food and refreshments
7pm LEF commences
Registrations for all LEFs can now be made via our website and current LEF information can be found here.
Regards
Cr Rose Iser
VLGA President
0414 959 427
rose@vlga.org.au
Tuesday 9 March, 2010
Hail stones and flash floods – the experience of Melbourne’s storm on Saturday reminds us of how important storm water management is to communities, waterways and the land. Urban communities face both an increase in flood frequency and increase in impervious surfaces making the incidence of flooding more likely. Storm water harvesting, capture and management during downpours are of increasing importance. Many council crews worked late hours over the holiday weekend cleaning up storm debris and assisting families in need and we acknowledge their tireless efforts.
Your Opinions: International Women’s Day
Yesterday was International Women’s Day (you couldn’t have missed it in Canberra!). This week, three of the 16 Victorian female Mayors share their thoughts and activities for IWD in the Year of Women in Local Government.
Mayor Janine Booth at Hepburn Shire Council writes about Increased Participation of Women in Local Government:
“In response to the 2008 Local Government election in Hepburn Shire, in which there was one woman among 14 nominations for 5 wards, the Council Plan includes the following aims: “Operating in a way that further encourages a diverse and representative group of candidates to contest the 2012 Council elections and promoting the importance of civic leadership through sponsoring community involvement in leadership and development programs.” The intended outcome is that “a better cross-section of the Hepburn Shire community will contest the 2012 municipal elections.”
In addition, the Council Plan includes “advocating for the ongoing provision of adequate quality childcare options across the Hepburn Shire.”
By developing strategies and action to support the above initiatives, it is believed that members of the community will be more informed and empowered to be actively involved in Local Government. These actions will underpin the aims outlined in the Victorian Local Government Women’s Charter which the Hepburn Shire Council adopted in 2004.”
See Mayor Booth’s full comments on our website.
Mayor Stella Kariofyllidis from Moreland City Council tells us about the events in Moreland this week (which I won’t be missing!):
International women’s event at Coburg Town Hall on Friday, 12 March Moreland Council acknowledges its commitment to women by celebrating International Women’s Day with the presentation of Honouring Women in Moreland Awards.
The event acknowledges the leadership of women, followed by a community celebration together with the Neighbourhood Houses and featuring a conversation with Indian Consul General, Anita Nayar and Cr Rose Iser, President of the VLGA. This free event is scheduled for Friday 12 March at the Coburg Town Hall; all are invited. The award presentation will be at 5.30pm followed by a community celebration at 7pm. RSVP’s to Grace Chiera on 9240 2372.
Mayor Mary Lalios of the City of Whittlesea tells us of the report from Women Matter 2008.
In November 2009 Council received this report and endorsed the Women’s Charter. In December 2009 a small group of organisations met to discuss establishing a women’s network as indicated by the report. Women Matter Two Network: WM2 is in the process of establishing terms of reference. It will be launched on Tuesday 9 March by Cr Kris Pavlidis in the Great Hall as part of the International Women’s Awards. Women will be invited to a consultation to discuss the role of the network in the community. It is an independent community network and will seek to source funds to start working on women’s affairs. For a copy of the report, contact Cr Mary Lalios on 9217 2343.
Women in Local Government survey
…And as a way of collecting information about activities during 2010, please complete our survey. You can complete the survey in just 10 short minutes while helping build local government momentum for progressive change. Make sure you don’t miss out on responding to the survey.
Women in Local Government survey.
The closing date for the survey is Monday 15 March 2010. Results will be reported on the VLGA’s special 2010 webpage. The national website can be found here. If you have any questions about this online survey or VLGA matters generally, contact Linda Bennett on T: 03 9349 7904 or E: linda@vlga.org.au.
Links to Meetings, Minutes and Agendas
As part of the upgrade of our website, the VLGA now has a direct link to all 79 local governments’ dedicated web pages for their meetings, minutes and agendas here. These links will help you see how other local governments are responding to a common issue and access content of interest.
If you are a VLGA member local government, and you need to research a specific topic and would like assistance from the VLGA, please contact our Director Policy & Public Affairs, Darren Ray on 9349 7902 or 0413 334 523 or darren@vlga.org.au.
2010 National Awards for Local Government
Nominations have now opened for the 2010 National Awards for Local Government. These awards now reward local governments for the innovative and important work they do in supporting local communities. This year, the National Awards recognise local governments’ efforts in delivering local infrastructure, collaborating with neighbouring councils, improving their asset and financial management planning, and building their capacity to serve communities.
Award categories include: Excellence in Alcohol Management; Infrastructure Development; Innovation in Natural Resource Management; Leading Community Climate Change Action; Strength in Diversity; Strengthening Indigenous Communities; Youth Engagement; Asset and Financial Management; Regional Collaborations’ Urban Planning Reforms; Women in Local Government. For further information on the National Awards for Local Government contact the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government on free call 1800 065 113, or visit the Department’s Website.
Public Transport Survey: What moves you, what moves your vote?
The VLGA and 18 local governments are members of the MTF which is politically independent and exists solely to work for better public transport. Visit pt4me2 to have your say about Melbourne's public transport. The results will be presented to all the major political parties in May. Results will also be sorted into postcodes and the data will be available for local governments. The surveys close on 30 April 2010.
ESC’s Local Government Monitor, Issue No. 4
The periodic newsletter on the development of the local government performance monitoring framework. This issue covers:
* An overview of the working group process
* An overview of market research outcomes that was presented to the working groups
* Consultative Committee and consultation news
* An overview of the release of the draft report
The newsletter can be downloaded in pdf form by visiting our website.
Events
Women’s Planning Network – International Women’s Day breakfast
Wednesday 10 March, 7.30-9am
Parliament House, Spring Street, Melbourne
This year’s breakfast will be held at Parliament House with Jenny Mikakos, MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning as our special guest speaker and also include the presentation of the 2010 Rising Star Scholarship.
Cost: WPN Members and Students: $25; Non Members: $30
Places are limited so please obtain a registration form by emailing admin@wpn.org.au or calling 9347 4622.
Sally Isaac International Women’s Day breakfast
Wednesday 10 March
Reading Room, Fitzroy Library
The City of Yarra will host an International Women’s Day breakfast in Fitzroy Library’s Reading Room on Wednesday 10 March. The event celebrates Sally’s memory and her legacy. It marks the enormous contribution that many women make to public life and their community. The event will also raise funds for the Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Fund, established by family and friends of Sally, to create educational opportunities for young women who make a significant contribution to a range of disciplines. Check our website for more details.
Local Government Planning for a Sustainable Future
Monday 15 March 2010
Quay West Melbourne, 26 Southgate Avenue, Southgate
Presented by Peter Aughton, this workshop will introduce Local Government decision makers to practical and participative planning tools that can be readily applied in their communities.
To register, contact Jill Moor on 9835 8900 or email registrations@pics.com.au or click here for more details.
Ride2School
Wednesday 17 March 2010
Put this date in your diary and be part of the action on National Ride2School Day on Wednesday 17 March, 2010.
ALGWA Conference - WomenCan!
18-19 March 2010
City of Melbourne, Yarra Room, Melbourne Town Hall
This year’s Australian Local Government Women’s Association conference has some wonderful, inspiring speakers attracting a fantastic response from people wishing to attend both the dinner on Thursday 18 March and conference on Friday 19 March, in this, the Year of Women in Local Government. Speakers include Professor Graham Sansom, Mary Barry, CEO of the SES Victoria, Marcia Griffin, a past recipient of the Telstra Women of the Year and founder of Griffin & Row, Melissa Fyfe, state political writer for the Melbourne Age, Melissa Wealands, President of the Women’s Planning Network, and Senator Judith Troeth. For a further list of speakers, to view the program or to register, visit the ALGWA website.
Changing the Dream Symposium
Sunday 21 March 2010, 1.30-5.30pm
The Hub at Docklands, 17 Waterview Walk, Docklands Melbourne (near corner of Bourke St & Harbour Esplanade)
"Creating a bold new future". Attend the Awakening the Dreamer Changing the Dream Symposium. Come together with people who care about what’s happening in the world, our community and with our families. A look at the biggest challenges and opportunities today:
* The state of our industrial world and the thinking that got us where we are today
* A new dream – new ideas about what really matters – leading to deep connection and surprising solutions
* What is your role to play in creating a new future?
Cost: $40 waged, $20 concession (bookings essential)
Access the flyer here or visit their website.
Environment Victoria - WATER & HEALTHY RIVERS
Thursday 25 March, 5.45-7.30pm
Green Building Meeting Room, 60 Leicester St, Carlton
Our big challenge here at Environment Victoria will be to show all parties contesting the November state election that delivering environmental flows to our stressed rivers is critical – both for rescuing our river systems and to be seen as a credible government.
The Rivers Supporter Evening will be held on Thursday 25 March at the Green Building in Carlton. Environment Victoria would love the opportunity to share with you some of the key issues and campaign themes they will be focusing on this year, and to hear from you about your passionate ideas to deliver water flows to rivers. For an invitation click here.
Please RSVP to Healthy Rivers Campaigner Amelia Young on (03) 9341 8120 or email her at amelia.young@environmentvictoria.org.au by Monday 23 March.
There’s also a fantastic opportunity to hear Healthy Rivers Campaigner, Juliet Le Feuvre, talk about our rivers at the Kinglake Ranges Water Expo on Sunday 14 March. For program details click here. Juliet will be talking about the state of Victoria’s northern rivers and what we can do about it.
Regards
Cr Rose Iser
VLGA President
0414 959 427
rose@vlga.org.au
Your Opinions: International Women’s Day
Yesterday was International Women’s Day (you couldn’t have missed it in Canberra!). This week, three of the 16 Victorian female Mayors share their thoughts and activities for IWD in the Year of Women in Local Government.
Mayor Janine Booth at Hepburn Shire Council writes about Increased Participation of Women in Local Government:
“In response to the 2008 Local Government election in Hepburn Shire, in which there was one woman among 14 nominations for 5 wards, the Council Plan includes the following aims: “Operating in a way that further encourages a diverse and representative group of candidates to contest the 2012 Council elections and promoting the importance of civic leadership through sponsoring community involvement in leadership and development programs.” The intended outcome is that “a better cross-section of the Hepburn Shire community will contest the 2012 municipal elections.”
In addition, the Council Plan includes “advocating for the ongoing provision of adequate quality childcare options across the Hepburn Shire.”
By developing strategies and action to support the above initiatives, it is believed that members of the community will be more informed and empowered to be actively involved in Local Government. These actions will underpin the aims outlined in the Victorian Local Government Women’s Charter which the Hepburn Shire Council adopted in 2004.”
See Mayor Booth’s full comments on our website.
Mayor Stella Kariofyllidis from Moreland City Council tells us about the events in Moreland this week (which I won’t be missing!):
International women’s event at Coburg Town Hall on Friday, 12 March Moreland Council acknowledges its commitment to women by celebrating International Women’s Day with the presentation of Honouring Women in Moreland Awards.
The event acknowledges the leadership of women, followed by a community celebration together with the Neighbourhood Houses and featuring a conversation with Indian Consul General, Anita Nayar and Cr Rose Iser, President of the VLGA. This free event is scheduled for Friday 12 March at the Coburg Town Hall; all are invited. The award presentation will be at 5.30pm followed by a community celebration at 7pm. RSVP’s to Grace Chiera on 9240 2372.
Mayor Mary Lalios of the City of Whittlesea tells us of the report from Women Matter 2008.
In November 2009 Council received this report and endorsed the Women’s Charter. In December 2009 a small group of organisations met to discuss establishing a women’s network as indicated by the report. Women Matter Two Network: WM2 is in the process of establishing terms of reference. It will be launched on Tuesday 9 March by Cr Kris Pavlidis in the Great Hall as part of the International Women’s Awards. Women will be invited to a consultation to discuss the role of the network in the community. It is an independent community network and will seek to source funds to start working on women’s affairs. For a copy of the report, contact Cr Mary Lalios on 9217 2343.
Women in Local Government survey
…And as a way of collecting information about activities during 2010, please complete our survey. You can complete the survey in just 10 short minutes while helping build local government momentum for progressive change. Make sure you don’t miss out on responding to the survey.
Women in Local Government survey.
The closing date for the survey is Monday 15 March 2010. Results will be reported on the VLGA’s special 2010 webpage. The national website can be found here. If you have any questions about this online survey or VLGA matters generally, contact Linda Bennett on T: 03 9349 7904 or E: linda@vlga.org.au.
Links to Meetings, Minutes and Agendas
As part of the upgrade of our website, the VLGA now has a direct link to all 79 local governments’ dedicated web pages for their meetings, minutes and agendas here. These links will help you see how other local governments are responding to a common issue and access content of interest.
If you are a VLGA member local government, and you need to research a specific topic and would like assistance from the VLGA, please contact our Director Policy & Public Affairs, Darren Ray on 9349 7902 or 0413 334 523 or darren@vlga.org.au.
2010 National Awards for Local Government
Nominations have now opened for the 2010 National Awards for Local Government. These awards now reward local governments for the innovative and important work they do in supporting local communities. This year, the National Awards recognise local governments’ efforts in delivering local infrastructure, collaborating with neighbouring councils, improving their asset and financial management planning, and building their capacity to serve communities.
Award categories include: Excellence in Alcohol Management; Infrastructure Development; Innovation in Natural Resource Management; Leading Community Climate Change Action; Strength in Diversity; Strengthening Indigenous Communities; Youth Engagement; Asset and Financial Management; Regional Collaborations’ Urban Planning Reforms; Women in Local Government. For further information on the National Awards for Local Government contact the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government on free call 1800 065 113, or visit the Department’s Website.
Public Transport Survey: What moves you, what moves your vote?
The VLGA and 18 local governments are members of the MTF which is politically independent and exists solely to work for better public transport. Visit pt4me2 to have your say about Melbourne's public transport. The results will be presented to all the major political parties in May. Results will also be sorted into postcodes and the data will be available for local governments. The surveys close on 30 April 2010.
ESC’s Local Government Monitor, Issue No. 4
The periodic newsletter on the development of the local government performance monitoring framework. This issue covers:
* An overview of the working group process
* An overview of market research outcomes that was presented to the working groups
* Consultative Committee and consultation news
* An overview of the release of the draft report
The newsletter can be downloaded in pdf form by visiting our website.
Events
Women’s Planning Network – International Women’s Day breakfast
Wednesday 10 March, 7.30-9am
Parliament House, Spring Street, Melbourne
This year’s breakfast will be held at Parliament House with Jenny Mikakos, MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning as our special guest speaker and also include the presentation of the 2010 Rising Star Scholarship.
Cost: WPN Members and Students: $25; Non Members: $30
Places are limited so please obtain a registration form by emailing admin@wpn.org.au or calling 9347 4622.
Sally Isaac International Women’s Day breakfast
Wednesday 10 March
Reading Room, Fitzroy Library
The City of Yarra will host an International Women’s Day breakfast in Fitzroy Library’s Reading Room on Wednesday 10 March. The event celebrates Sally’s memory and her legacy. It marks the enormous contribution that many women make to public life and their community. The event will also raise funds for the Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Fund, established by family and friends of Sally, to create educational opportunities for young women who make a significant contribution to a range of disciplines. Check our website for more details.
Local Government Planning for a Sustainable Future
Monday 15 March 2010
Quay West Melbourne, 26 Southgate Avenue, Southgate
Presented by Peter Aughton, this workshop will introduce Local Government decision makers to practical and participative planning tools that can be readily applied in their communities.
To register, contact Jill Moor on 9835 8900 or email registrations@pics.com.au or click here for more details.
Ride2School
Wednesday 17 March 2010
Put this date in your diary and be part of the action on National Ride2School Day on Wednesday 17 March, 2010.
ALGWA Conference - WomenCan!
18-19 March 2010
City of Melbourne, Yarra Room, Melbourne Town Hall
This year’s Australian Local Government Women’s Association conference has some wonderful, inspiring speakers attracting a fantastic response from people wishing to attend both the dinner on Thursday 18 March and conference on Friday 19 March, in this, the Year of Women in Local Government. Speakers include Professor Graham Sansom, Mary Barry, CEO of the SES Victoria, Marcia Griffin, a past recipient of the Telstra Women of the Year and founder of Griffin & Row, Melissa Fyfe, state political writer for the Melbourne Age, Melissa Wealands, President of the Women’s Planning Network, and Senator Judith Troeth. For a further list of speakers, to view the program or to register, visit the ALGWA website.
Changing the Dream Symposium
Sunday 21 March 2010, 1.30-5.30pm
The Hub at Docklands, 17 Waterview Walk, Docklands Melbourne (near corner of Bourke St & Harbour Esplanade)
"Creating a bold new future". Attend the Awakening the Dreamer Changing the Dream Symposium. Come together with people who care about what’s happening in the world, our community and with our families. A look at the biggest challenges and opportunities today:
* The state of our industrial world and the thinking that got us where we are today
* A new dream – new ideas about what really matters – leading to deep connection and surprising solutions
* What is your role to play in creating a new future?
Cost: $40 waged, $20 concession (bookings essential)
Access the flyer here or visit their website.
Environment Victoria - WATER & HEALTHY RIVERS
Thursday 25 March, 5.45-7.30pm
Green Building Meeting Room, 60 Leicester St, Carlton
Our big challenge here at Environment Victoria will be to show all parties contesting the November state election that delivering environmental flows to our stressed rivers is critical – both for rescuing our river systems and to be seen as a credible government.
The Rivers Supporter Evening will be held on Thursday 25 March at the Green Building in Carlton. Environment Victoria would love the opportunity to share with you some of the key issues and campaign themes they will be focusing on this year, and to hear from you about your passionate ideas to deliver water flows to rivers. For an invitation click here.
Please RSVP to Healthy Rivers Campaigner Amelia Young on (03) 9341 8120 or email her at amelia.young@environmentvictoria.org.au by Monday 23 March.
There’s also a fantastic opportunity to hear Healthy Rivers Campaigner, Juliet Le Feuvre, talk about our rivers at the Kinglake Ranges Water Expo on Sunday 14 March. For program details click here. Juliet will be talking about the state of Victoria’s northern rivers and what we can do about it.
Regards
Cr Rose Iser
VLGA President
0414 959 427
rose@vlga.org.au
Monday 1 March, 2010
International Women’s Day is approaching, Monday 8 March, and, as you know, we are celebrating the Year of Women in Local Government during 2010. Some fast facts:
* of 620 councillors in Victoria, only 183 or 29.5% are women
* there are only 16 female Mayors (20%) in 2010
* there are only 20% of women in management roles amongst local government officers
As I pop children into bed, pack school bags, hang out washing, thank partner for cleaning kitchen, then sit down to work, it is obvious that we all juggle demands to be effective councillors. More work is needed to remove barriers that prevent people from standing for council and achieving equal representation across gender, age and cultural difference.
Your Opinions: Women in Local Government
This week, Dr Andi Diamond, CEO City of Yarra, writes as one of only 10 female local government CEOs in Victoria. Her article (a speech recently delivered) is titled Is ambition a dirty word?:
“A quick scan (Google) of article and book titles illustrates how we as women continue to search for ways to legitimise our aspirations as well as justifying our leadership: “Blindsided Ambition: Diagnosing a crisis in young women's lives”; “Will she fit in: What is holding women back?”; “Women on Corporate Boards makes good business sense”; “ What keeps women from the top”; “The girls guide to being a boss (without being a bitch)”; and “Valuable lessons, smart suggestions and true stories for succeeding as the chick in charge”.
And these are meant to be titles that inspire us, that recognise women’s aspiration, careers and leadership. We clearly have a long way to go. It’s no wonder we still are asking if ambition is a dirty word for women. This question in itself is reflective of a much bigger question and that is, does gender matter?
Time to debunk a myth: whilst we still get preoccupied with gender differences in leadership styles the majority of findings indicate that there are more similarities than differences between male and female leaders.”
See Dr Diamond’s full article on our website.
Next week we’ll hear from some elected representatives on this issue.
We welcome your comments.
VCAT Review
Some of you may have already seen the Media Release we issued late last week in regards to the Report of the VCAT President, Justice Bell. We are struck by how frank and honest Justice Bell’s Report is in acknowledging the problems many of our local government and community members have had with VCAT.
See our full media release which warns that fast tracked large developments need more time for proper assessment by councils before being able to be fast-tracked at VCAT.
For a full copy of the Report, go to www.vcatreview.com.au to read Justice Bell’s 78 recommendations about improving VCAT.
See the media release from the State Government announcing two immediate reforms – a priority list for developments over $5M and new fee waiver guidelines.
Submission to the Planning and Environment Act Review
Thank you to many member local governments who sent a copy of their submissions through, and for the comments on our draft submission.
Please see our final submission here.
Grants for events in responsible Gambling Awareness Week, 17-23 May
You can apply for a $500 matched grant if you run an event for Responsible Gambling Awareness Week (17-23 May). The VLGA sought an extension to expressions of interest which are now due 15 March. Details on how to apply and the grant can be found via this link.
A brief for local governments on RGAW can be found here.
Please let the VLGA know if you are holding an event!
The EPA invites comment on regional draft noise guidelines
Live in a regional or rural area and concerned about industry noise?
EPA Victoria invites industry, local government and the community to comment on new draft industry noise guidelines. Two new draft guidelines are open for comment, Noise from industry in regional Victoria (NIRV), to replace EPA’s existing country noise guidelines, and Industry noise and statutory approvals, which will support planning and other approvals around industrial noise. The guidelines do not cover sources such as domestic noise, wind farms or traffic on road and rail corridors. EPA invites comments from industry, government and the community. View the guidelines.
Victorian Government Release SmartRoads Operating Plans
The State Government has released its SmartRoads strategy – see the media release.
SmartRoads is a planning tool which uses complex economic modelling to designate which modes of transport have priority on particular roads. This is designed to improve the efficiency of the metropolitan road network, reducing delays and congestion for commuters and maximise existing road space. SmartRoads will be used to guide planning into the future and encourage smarter road sharing.
A comprehensive list of Operating Plans for each metropolitan Council area is available via the VicRoads website by clicking on the blue underline link, along with an overview video. Updates on SmartRoads will be posted on Thinking Transport as they come to hand. See the ‘SmartRoads Connecting Communities’ brochure on our website for further details.
Conflict of Interest Submission
You can find our final submission on our website. This has been an incredibly detailed and challenging issue to tackle, and we appreciate all of the feedback and comments we have received. While it is a bit glib to say that we would all benefit from a simpler and clearer set of rules, the issue of conflicts of interest is most likely one that will continue for some time. The VLGA will continue to be a strong voice for councillors and local government officers.
We look forward to talking with the Minister and his department about the results of the review process and potential legislative amendments.
Financial sustainability of small rural local governments
I have written to rural local governments indicating that the VLGA has mounted a campaign on behalf of those struggling to fund the gap between expenditure and income.
Northern Grampians Shire Council resolved at its Meeting of 25 February 2010: ‘That the Council work collaboratively with other financially disadvantaged Councils to manage the risks arising from funding shortages and to seek funding entitlements for all council obligations.’ We encourage other councils to consider similar resolutions and inform us of these. Please contact me for further information on rose@vlga.org.au.
WorkCover for Councillors
Thank you to all those who responded so quickly last year to enable us to demonstrate to Ministers Wynne and Holding and the shadow spokesperson for local government, Jeanette Powell, that there was widespread community and local governments support for councillors to be covered by WorkCover. As we advised you in December last year, and following an invitation to us from Minister Wynne the VLGA will be part of stakeholder negotiations to bed down this legislation and to ensure that regulations and guidelines to support its introduction are reflective of these stakeholder discussions.
Congratulations from VLGA Training...you have won a 2 night stay at the Hotel Windsor
Thanks to all the councillors, officers and community members who completed our Online Training Needs Assessment Survey. The information we have been able to gather will be instrumental in finalising the types, locations and prices of our training. Congratulations to Anna Quirk from Casey who has won 2 nights accommodation at the Windsor Hotel for participating in the survey. If you would like more information about training, contact Darren Ray on 03 9349 7902 or darren@vlga.org.au.
Local and Public Drug Use Resources
The issue of public drug use and the role that local governments and communities have in addressing these issues is seldom far from the media’s attention.
Two new resources have been published that we wanted to highlight as they show ways that local communities can be part of the solutions to problems associated with public and local drug use.
The first is the Resource Guide for Planning Effective Community Drug Prevention.
The second is the Local Solutions for Public Drug Use resource (regarding use of drugs in public) and the Local Solutions Compendium.
Please share these resources with your fellow community members, councillors and officers.
2010 National Awards for Local Government
Nominations have now opened for the 2010 National Awards for Local Government. These awards now reward local governments for the innovative and important work they do in supporting local communities. This year, the National Awards recognise local governments’ efforts in delivering local infrastructure, collaborating with neighbouring councils, improving their asset and financial management planning and building their capacity to serve communities.
Award categories include: Excellence in Alcohol Management; Infrastructure Development; Innovation in Natural Resource Management; Leading Community Climate Change Action; Strength in Diversity; Strengthening Indigenous Communities; Youth Engagement; Asset and Financial Management; Regional Collaborations’ Urban Planning Reforms; Women in Local Government. For further information on the National Awards for Local Government contact the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government on free call 1800 065 113, or visit the Department's website.
pt4me2 website now live
The pt4me2 website has been launched. pt4me2, which stands for 'Public Transport for me Too', is a communication tool for the community to have a say about public transport in Melbourne.
The website offers multiple methods for users to express their opinions, including:
* The pt4me2 blog - for people to publically share their experiences of public transport and their ideas for making it better
* The pt4me2 myspace page, Twitter feed and a Facebook page
* The pt4me2 YouTube - for videos created by the public about public transport
pt4me2 is a project of the Metropolitan Transport Forum which represents 18 municipalities across Melbourne on transport issues.
Public Transport Survey: What moves you, what moves your vote?
The VLGA and 18 local governments are members of the MTF which is politically independent and exists solely to work for better public transport.
Visit www.pt4me2.org.au to have your say about Melbourne's public transport. The results will be presented to all the major political parties in May. Results will also be sorted into postcodes and the data will be available for local governments.
Events
Liveable and Just Toolkit Launch
In response to the outcomes and recommendations of climate change workshops conducted across Victoria, the Liveable & Just Toolkit has been developed to assist councils to integrate social and equity issues into efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Melbourne launch
Tuesday 2 March, 9.30am-12noon
VLGA rear meeting rooms, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton 3053
Register here
Regional launch
Tuesday 9 March, 10.30am-1pm
Mansfield Shire Council, 33 Highett Street, Mansfield 3722
Register here
Leading Edge Forum: 2010 State & Federal Elections: will you be heard or drowned out?
Thursday 4 March, 6.30-9pm
VLGA, 60 Leicester St, Carlton
This election year will be different from any other! It’s a chance for your council to lobby on issues important to you. We want to help! Come along to the Leading Edge Forum on Thursday 4 March where expert speakers will be available to offer important insights to assist your campaign to ‘cut through’.
Details:
Thursday 4 March
VLGA, 60 Leicester St, Carlton
6.30pm Finger-food and refreshments
7pm LEF commences
Registrations for all LEFs can now be made via our website and current LEF information can be found here.
Celebrate International Women’s Day with international students
Friday 5 March, 11.30am-2.00pm
State Library, Swanston Street to march to Parliament
The Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Coalition is celebrating this year’s International Women’s Day with a March for Harmony led by female international students. Everyone is invited to show their solidarity with international students. Female international students have a different story to tell about their life in this country. This is their day, the day they can be heard and acknowledged for the optimism, resilience and talent they bring to this country. There will be a colourful march of hundreds of women around the Melbourne CBD.
Clean Up Australia Day
Sunday March 7
Check out the website to find cleanup sites in your area.
Women’s Planning Network – International Women’s Day breakfast
Wednesday 10 March, 7.30-9am
Parliament House, Spring Street, Melbourne
This year’s breakfast will be held at Parliament House with Jenny Mikakos, MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning as our special guest speaker and also include the presentation of the 2010 Rising Star Scholarship.
Cost: WPN Members and Students: $25; Non Members: $30
Places are limited so please obtain a registration form by emailing admin@wpn.org.au or calling 9347 4622 by Friday 5 March.
Sally Isaac International Women’s Day breakfast
Wednesday 10 March
Reading Room, Fitzroy Library
The City of Yarra will host an International Women’s Day breakfast in Fitzroy Library’s Reading Room on Wednesday 10 March. The event celebrates Sally’s memory and her legacy. It marks the enormous contribution that many women make to public life and their community. The event will also raise funds for the Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Fund, established by family and friends of Sally, to create educational opportunities for young women who make a significant contribution to a range of disciplines. Check our website for more details.
Local Government Planning for a Sustainable Future
Monday 15 March 2010
Quay West Melbourne, 26 Southgate Avenue, Southgate
Presented by Peter Aughton, this workshop will introduce Local Government decision makers to practical and participative planning tools that can be readily applied in their communities.
To register, contact Jill Moor on 9835 8900 or email registrations@pics.com.au
Ride2School
Put this date in your diary and be part of the action on National Ride2School Day on Wednesday 17 March, 2010.
To see the active travel rates amongst students in your council for Term 4, 2009, see the website.
ALGWA Conference - WomenCan!
18-19 March 2010
City of Melbourne, Yarra Room, Melbourne Town Hall
This year’s Australian Local Government Women’s Association conference has some wonderful, inspiring speakers attracting a fantastic response from people wishing to attend both the dinner on Thursday 18 March and conference on Friday 19 March, in this, the Year of Women in Local Government. Speakers include Professor Graham Sansom, Mary Barry, CEO of the SES Victoria, Marcia Griffin, a past recipient of the Telstra Women of the Year and founder of Griffin & Row, Melissa Fyfe, state political writer for the Melbourne Age, Melissa Wealands, President of the Women’s Planning Network, and Senator Judith Troeth. For a further list of speakers, to view the program or to register, visit www.algwa.com.au.
Regards
Cr Rose Iser
VLGA President
0414 959 427
rose@vlga.org.au
* of 620 councillors in Victoria, only 183 or 29.5% are women
* there are only 16 female Mayors (20%) in 2010
* there are only 20% of women in management roles amongst local government officers
As I pop children into bed, pack school bags, hang out washing, thank partner for cleaning kitchen, then sit down to work, it is obvious that we all juggle demands to be effective councillors. More work is needed to remove barriers that prevent people from standing for council and achieving equal representation across gender, age and cultural difference.
Your Opinions: Women in Local Government
This week, Dr Andi Diamond, CEO City of Yarra, writes as one of only 10 female local government CEOs in Victoria. Her article (a speech recently delivered) is titled Is ambition a dirty word?:
“A quick scan (Google) of article and book titles illustrates how we as women continue to search for ways to legitimise our aspirations as well as justifying our leadership: “Blindsided Ambition: Diagnosing a crisis in young women's lives”; “Will she fit in: What is holding women back?”; “Women on Corporate Boards makes good business sense”; “ What keeps women from the top”; “The girls guide to being a boss (without being a bitch)”; and “Valuable lessons, smart suggestions and true stories for succeeding as the chick in charge”.
And these are meant to be titles that inspire us, that recognise women’s aspiration, careers and leadership. We clearly have a long way to go. It’s no wonder we still are asking if ambition is a dirty word for women. This question in itself is reflective of a much bigger question and that is, does gender matter?
Time to debunk a myth: whilst we still get preoccupied with gender differences in leadership styles the majority of findings indicate that there are more similarities than differences between male and female leaders.”
See Dr Diamond’s full article on our website.
Next week we’ll hear from some elected representatives on this issue.
We welcome your comments.
VCAT Review
Some of you may have already seen the Media Release we issued late last week in regards to the Report of the VCAT President, Justice Bell. We are struck by how frank and honest Justice Bell’s Report is in acknowledging the problems many of our local government and community members have had with VCAT.
See our full media release which warns that fast tracked large developments need more time for proper assessment by councils before being able to be fast-tracked at VCAT.
For a full copy of the Report, go to www.vcatreview.com.au to read Justice Bell’s 78 recommendations about improving VCAT.
See the media release from the State Government announcing two immediate reforms – a priority list for developments over $5M and new fee waiver guidelines.
Submission to the Planning and Environment Act Review
Thank you to many member local governments who sent a copy of their submissions through, and for the comments on our draft submission.
Please see our final submission here.
Grants for events in responsible Gambling Awareness Week, 17-23 May
You can apply for a $500 matched grant if you run an event for Responsible Gambling Awareness Week (17-23 May). The VLGA sought an extension to expressions of interest which are now due 15 March. Details on how to apply and the grant can be found via this link.
A brief for local governments on RGAW can be found here.
Please let the VLGA know if you are holding an event!
The EPA invites comment on regional draft noise guidelines
Live in a regional or rural area and concerned about industry noise?
EPA Victoria invites industry, local government and the community to comment on new draft industry noise guidelines. Two new draft guidelines are open for comment, Noise from industry in regional Victoria (NIRV), to replace EPA’s existing country noise guidelines, and Industry noise and statutory approvals, which will support planning and other approvals around industrial noise. The guidelines do not cover sources such as domestic noise, wind farms or traffic on road and rail corridors. EPA invites comments from industry, government and the community. View the guidelines.
Victorian Government Release SmartRoads Operating Plans
The State Government has released its SmartRoads strategy – see the media release.
SmartRoads is a planning tool which uses complex economic modelling to designate which modes of transport have priority on particular roads. This is designed to improve the efficiency of the metropolitan road network, reducing delays and congestion for commuters and maximise existing road space. SmartRoads will be used to guide planning into the future and encourage smarter road sharing.
A comprehensive list of Operating Plans for each metropolitan Council area is available via the VicRoads website by clicking on the blue underline link, along with an overview video. Updates on SmartRoads will be posted on Thinking Transport as they come to hand. See the ‘SmartRoads Connecting Communities’ brochure on our website for further details.
Conflict of Interest Submission
You can find our final submission on our website. This has been an incredibly detailed and challenging issue to tackle, and we appreciate all of the feedback and comments we have received. While it is a bit glib to say that we would all benefit from a simpler and clearer set of rules, the issue of conflicts of interest is most likely one that will continue for some time. The VLGA will continue to be a strong voice for councillors and local government officers.
We look forward to talking with the Minister and his department about the results of the review process and potential legislative amendments.
Financial sustainability of small rural local governments
I have written to rural local governments indicating that the VLGA has mounted a campaign on behalf of those struggling to fund the gap between expenditure and income.
Northern Grampians Shire Council resolved at its Meeting of 25 February 2010: ‘That the Council work collaboratively with other financially disadvantaged Councils to manage the risks arising from funding shortages and to seek funding entitlements for all council obligations.’ We encourage other councils to consider similar resolutions and inform us of these. Please contact me for further information on rose@vlga.org.au.
WorkCover for Councillors
Thank you to all those who responded so quickly last year to enable us to demonstrate to Ministers Wynne and Holding and the shadow spokesperson for local government, Jeanette Powell, that there was widespread community and local governments support for councillors to be covered by WorkCover. As we advised you in December last year, and following an invitation to us from Minister Wynne the VLGA will be part of stakeholder negotiations to bed down this legislation and to ensure that regulations and guidelines to support its introduction are reflective of these stakeholder discussions.
Congratulations from VLGA Training...you have won a 2 night stay at the Hotel Windsor
Thanks to all the councillors, officers and community members who completed our Online Training Needs Assessment Survey. The information we have been able to gather will be instrumental in finalising the types, locations and prices of our training. Congratulations to Anna Quirk from Casey who has won 2 nights accommodation at the Windsor Hotel for participating in the survey. If you would like more information about training, contact Darren Ray on 03 9349 7902 or darren@vlga.org.au.
Local and Public Drug Use Resources
The issue of public drug use and the role that local governments and communities have in addressing these issues is seldom far from the media’s attention.
Two new resources have been published that we wanted to highlight as they show ways that local communities can be part of the solutions to problems associated with public and local drug use.
The first is the Resource Guide for Planning Effective Community Drug Prevention.
The second is the Local Solutions for Public Drug Use resource (regarding use of drugs in public) and the Local Solutions Compendium.
Please share these resources with your fellow community members, councillors and officers.
2010 National Awards for Local Government
Nominations have now opened for the 2010 National Awards for Local Government. These awards now reward local governments for the innovative and important work they do in supporting local communities. This year, the National Awards recognise local governments’ efforts in delivering local infrastructure, collaborating with neighbouring councils, improving their asset and financial management planning and building their capacity to serve communities.
Award categories include: Excellence in Alcohol Management; Infrastructure Development; Innovation in Natural Resource Management; Leading Community Climate Change Action; Strength in Diversity; Strengthening Indigenous Communities; Youth Engagement; Asset and Financial Management; Regional Collaborations’ Urban Planning Reforms; Women in Local Government. For further information on the National Awards for Local Government contact the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government on free call 1800 065 113, or visit the Department's website.
pt4me2 website now live
The pt4me2 website has been launched. pt4me2, which stands for 'Public Transport for me Too', is a communication tool for the community to have a say about public transport in Melbourne.
The website offers multiple methods for users to express their opinions, including:
* The pt4me2 blog - for people to publically share their experiences of public transport and their ideas for making it better
* The pt4me2 myspace page, Twitter feed and a Facebook page
* The pt4me2 YouTube - for videos created by the public about public transport
pt4me2 is a project of the Metropolitan Transport Forum which represents 18 municipalities across Melbourne on transport issues.
Public Transport Survey: What moves you, what moves your vote?
The VLGA and 18 local governments are members of the MTF which is politically independent and exists solely to work for better public transport.
Visit www.pt4me2.org.au to have your say about Melbourne's public transport. The results will be presented to all the major political parties in May. Results will also be sorted into postcodes and the data will be available for local governments.
Events
Liveable and Just Toolkit Launch
In response to the outcomes and recommendations of climate change workshops conducted across Victoria, the Liveable & Just Toolkit has been developed to assist councils to integrate social and equity issues into efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Melbourne launch
Tuesday 2 March, 9.30am-12noon
VLGA rear meeting rooms, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton 3053
Register here
Regional launch
Tuesday 9 March, 10.30am-1pm
Mansfield Shire Council, 33 Highett Street, Mansfield 3722
Register here
Leading Edge Forum: 2010 State & Federal Elections: will you be heard or drowned out?
Thursday 4 March, 6.30-9pm
VLGA, 60 Leicester St, Carlton
This election year will be different from any other! It’s a chance for your council to lobby on issues important to you. We want to help! Come along to the Leading Edge Forum on Thursday 4 March where expert speakers will be available to offer important insights to assist your campaign to ‘cut through’.
Details:
Thursday 4 March
VLGA, 60 Leicester St, Carlton
6.30pm Finger-food and refreshments
7pm LEF commences
Registrations for all LEFs can now be made via our website and current LEF information can be found here.
Celebrate International Women’s Day with international students
Friday 5 March, 11.30am-2.00pm
State Library, Swanston Street to march to Parliament
The Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Coalition is celebrating this year’s International Women’s Day with a March for Harmony led by female international students. Everyone is invited to show their solidarity with international students. Female international students have a different story to tell about their life in this country. This is their day, the day they can be heard and acknowledged for the optimism, resilience and talent they bring to this country. There will be a colourful march of hundreds of women around the Melbourne CBD.
Clean Up Australia Day
Sunday March 7
Check out the website to find cleanup sites in your area.
Women’s Planning Network – International Women’s Day breakfast
Wednesday 10 March, 7.30-9am
Parliament House, Spring Street, Melbourne
This year’s breakfast will be held at Parliament House with Jenny Mikakos, MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning as our special guest speaker and also include the presentation of the 2010 Rising Star Scholarship.
Cost: WPN Members and Students: $25; Non Members: $30
Places are limited so please obtain a registration form by emailing admin@wpn.org.au or calling 9347 4622 by Friday 5 March.
Sally Isaac International Women’s Day breakfast
Wednesday 10 March
Reading Room, Fitzroy Library
The City of Yarra will host an International Women’s Day breakfast in Fitzroy Library’s Reading Room on Wednesday 10 March. The event celebrates Sally’s memory and her legacy. It marks the enormous contribution that many women make to public life and their community. The event will also raise funds for the Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Fund, established by family and friends of Sally, to create educational opportunities for young women who make a significant contribution to a range of disciplines. Check our website for more details.
Local Government Planning for a Sustainable Future
Monday 15 March 2010
Quay West Melbourne, 26 Southgate Avenue, Southgate
Presented by Peter Aughton, this workshop will introduce Local Government decision makers to practical and participative planning tools that can be readily applied in their communities.
To register, contact Jill Moor on 9835 8900 or email registrations@pics.com.au
Ride2School
Put this date in your diary and be part of the action on National Ride2School Day on Wednesday 17 March, 2010.
To see the active travel rates amongst students in your council for Term 4, 2009, see the website.
ALGWA Conference - WomenCan!
18-19 March 2010
City of Melbourne, Yarra Room, Melbourne Town Hall
This year’s Australian Local Government Women’s Association conference has some wonderful, inspiring speakers attracting a fantastic response from people wishing to attend both the dinner on Thursday 18 March and conference on Friday 19 March, in this, the Year of Women in Local Government. Speakers include Professor Graham Sansom, Mary Barry, CEO of the SES Victoria, Marcia Griffin, a past recipient of the Telstra Women of the Year and founder of Griffin & Row, Melissa Fyfe, state political writer for the Melbourne Age, Melissa Wealands, President of the Women’s Planning Network, and Senator Judith Troeth. For a further list of speakers, to view the program or to register, visit www.algwa.com.au.
Regards
Cr Rose Iser
VLGA President
0414 959 427
rose@vlga.org.au
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