Tuesday 27 April, 2010

Ministerial Forum
I was delighted this week to attend the Local Government Ministerial Forum dinner with Ministers Wynne, Allan and Morand, along with CEOs and Mayors from all local governments. Maree McPherson, VLGA CEO and I received requests from attendees to gather feedback about the day’s events and forward suggestions to the Minister for future forums. I welcome your comments on this.

The VLGA received strong and supportive feedback from members I spoke to in the evening. It was great to speak with Minister Wynne and MAV President Cr Bill McArthur about the VLGA and its principles in general.

Pokies and problem gambling

Over 25 members of the VLGA’s Local Government Working Group on Gambling (LGWGOG) met last Wednesday and received a report from the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation about tighter timelines for local governments to make submissions on applications for new pokie venues or transfers of existing machines. LGWGOG also considered advocacy issues for the State and Federal Elections. At the VLGA we are continuing our strong advocacy to minimise the harmful effects of pokies for problem gamblers because we know this is a growing matter of concern for our local government and community members. Feel free to contact Darren Ray at darren@vlga.org.au or 03 9349 7902 to discuss further or share your ideas.

Essential Services Commission

As you may know, the City of Melbourne and several other local governments will be joint signatories to a submission on the ESC’s Performance Monitoring Framework. I also note that the MAV has come out calling for this process to be halted. Next week’s eNews will detail the VLGA’s position on the joint signatories submission, which is currently being carefully considered by the VLGA board. The VLGA has consistently expressed that compliance and duplication costs need further consideration. I’d be pleased to hear your views - feel free to contact me via heinz@vlga.org.au or 0438 006 656.

Victorian government celebrates 2010 Year of Women in Local Government

The VLGA congratulates all local governments who are taking steps to improve the participation and visibility of women on their councils, in their organisations and in reaching out to engage women in the community. Keep it up – we are here to support you in this work to assure our collective community futures for the 21st century and beyond. To hear more about the VLGA’s important work in this area contact Linda Bennett, VLGA Women’s Policy Officer, linda@vlga.org.au or 03 9349 7904.

The annual Local Government Ministerial Forum hosted by Minister for Local Government the Hon. Richard Wynne and Cabinet colleagues, was opened this year by a celebration of and information session about women in local government. The State-wide data about women’s participation as councillors, CEOs and senior managers is alarming. However, it is heartening to hear Victorian Ministers for Local Government and Women’s Affairs talk of their deep interest in supporting local governments to reach out to women. To read more, go here.

Transport and Social Inclusion
Consultation on the Hoddle St upgrade: The Hoddle Street planning is now underway and this is a chance to voice your opinion on the possibilities.
Hoddle Street/Punt Road is Melbourne’s main north-south route and polls have indicated that it is drivers’ least favourite thoroughfare. Peak hour traffic east bound and west bound along Johnston Street, Victoria Street, Bridge Road and Swan Street is also held up at the intersection with Hoddle Street. To participate in the forum and to have your say, go to www.hoddlestreetstudy.com.au. Or you can email VicRoads at hoddlestudy@roads.vic.gov.au, or visit Collingwood Town Hall or Melbourne Town Hall to fill in a feedback form.

Social Inclusion Principals for Transport Engineers seminar
Friday 14 May 2010, 9am-12pm
Department of Transport Theatrette, 121 Exhibition St, Melbourne
This seminar is relevant to all who work in the transport field, providing unique access to expert presenters who will provide an overview of the social implications of transport planning and specific examples of how to respond.

Presenters include:
* Professor Graham Currie – Monash University Institute of Transport Studies
* Emily Simatos – Victorian Department of Transport
* Kate Colvin – Victorian Council of Social Services

Thanks to Victorian Department of Transport assistance, this seminar is FREE for all attendees. Bookings are essential, and close Friday 7 May 2010.
Registration forms are available via this link. To book places or for further information, contact Gordon Young, VLGA Local Government Transport Facilitator at gordon@vlga.org.au or (03) 9349 7943.

Creating Better Places Round 6 Urban Improvement Grants
Monday 3 May 2010
Treasury Theatre, Treasury Reserve, Ground Floor, 1 Macarthur Street, Melbourne
The State Government allocated $17.9 million over six years to the Creating Better Places Program. This program supports Melbourne 2030 initiatives by funding innovative urban improvement projects on:
(a) Principal and Major Activity Centres in metropolitan Melbourne; and
(b) Eligible towns and cities in networked corridor identified in Melbourne 2030.

The Creating Better Places Program will implement Melbourne 2030 objectives by co-funding councils for place managers and projects that will result in physical improvements within activity centres in metropolitan Melbourne and regional cities and towns along the networked cities corridors. The closing date for applications is 10 June 2010.

You are invited to an information forum to launch the Creating Better Places Round 6 Urban Improvement Grants and to obtain further information about the program. Please RSVP to kathryn.tolliday@dpcd.vic.gov.au to register your attendance.

Mayoral Chain and VLGA Delegates Function
Thursday 6 May 2010, 6.00pm-9.00pm
VLGA rear meeting rooms, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton
Calling all VLGA Delegates and Mayoral Chain members for a night of networking, fingerfood, drinks and learning as you hear from Tanya Makin of The Presentation Group on Not Another ****** Presentation.
Numbers are strictly limited, so if you are a VLGA Delegate and/or Mayoral Chain member and have not yet RSVP’d, please do so as soon as possible. Register here or contact Sarah Colgan by Thursday 29 April at sarah@vlga.org.au or on 03 9349 7983.

Local Government Forum – Fostering Strong Communities: Bridging the Academic-Practitioner Divide
Friday 7 May 2010, 10am-3pm
RMIT University Hamilton Campus, 200 Ballarat Road, Hamilton
$50 per person (includes lunch)
A range of practitioners and academics share their perspectives on how to tackle community development and planning, including organisational change, the gap between community and community development, and governance. Guest speakers have extensive experience, across academia and local government.

For more information, access the flyer and registration form under the Additional Articles and Resources heading on the President's eNews page of the VLGA website. Registrations close Wednesday 5 May, 2010.

Regards
Cr Heinz Kreutz
VLGA President
0438 006 656
heinz@vlga.org.au

Tuesday 20 April, 2010

This is my first eNews as president of the VLGA and I feel honoured to be in such a privileged position. As members, you will share my appreciation for the distinct role the VLGA fulfils in the community and for local government. As someone who is actively involved both in several community groups as well as local government, I can attest to the importance of the VLGA in both domains. I am a strong believer in local democracy and rigorous advocacy and know few organisations that fit this brief as well and competently as the VLGA. We are supported by a very capable and committed VLGA board and reassured by staff whose competence and commitment is second to none. VLGA officers, with our CEO Maree McPherson at the helm, have my full confidence.

I would like to thank Councillor Rose Iser who has done a magnificent job as immediate past President. While her resignation is also a loss of talent, we will continue to work with Rose and her council. Her expertise and values have benefited the VLGA greatly.

I will also endeavour to make every effort to liaise and collaborate with other representative bodies and peak organisations. Last week, for example, when I attended the MAV National Environment Conference, I was pleased to see that our respective organisations share the common goal of assisting our communities with their transition to a more resilient future. Of course, we at the VLGA understand the leadership, learning, and the social justice and equity challenges of the transition. The recently launched Liveable and Just Toolkit is a perfect case in point.

In addition to social and environmental sustainability, my passions include multiculturalism and community education, an area where I am able to combine my professional work at Monash University with my community interests. Some of you are aware of my role and responsibilities as the chair of the Melbourne Metropolitan Waste Management Board. In a sense, the waste portfolio is also about education, behaviour change and advocacy. The recent State Government announcement about increasing the landfill levy has been an interesting event. While most members agree with the increase and accept the need for a fresh approach to waste management and diversion of waste to landfill, there remains concern about lack of consultation and engagement by the State Government. A unanimous message has been that the additional revenue generated by the higher levy needs to be redirected to responsible agencies such as local government. The VLGA will take this message to the Minister and advocate on members’ behalf.

I will attempt to be as approachable as possible and look forward to meeting our many individual members, community groups and councillors in due course. You can reach me by email at heinz@vlga.org.au or mobile on 0438 006 656.

Feedback from Warrnambool Leading Edge Forum
Thank you to the dozens of councillors, CEOs and community members who attended our LEF in Warrnambool last Thursday night. Our thanks also go to our generous hosts, Warrnambool City Council as well as our guest speakers, Mayors Judy Verlin (Ballarat) and Michael Neoh (Warrnambool) and CEOs Bruce Anson (Warrnambool) and Anthony Schink (Ballarat). As you might already know, the topic we canvassed was Forethought or afterthought: what needs to happen to improve liveability, funding and strategic planning in regional and rural Victoria?

We were also joined by many from around the state who watched our live webcast of the LEF which can be viewed here. Some great food for thought which we recommend you view if interested.

No Leading Edge Forum on 6 May, but…
We will not be holding a Leading Edge Forum on Thursday 6 May. Instead we are using this date to bring together our VLGA Delegates and Mayoral Chain members for a night of networking, fingerfood and drinks as well as learning. Those present will hear from Tanya Makin of The Presentation Group on Not Another ****** Presentation.

Event: Mayoral Chain and VLGA Delegates Function
Date: Thursday 6 May 2010
Time: 6.00pm-9.00pm
Venue: VLGA rear meeting rooms, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton

There is no cost for Mayoral Chain members and council Delegates however numbers are strictly limited, so if you are a VLGA Delegate and/or Mayoral Chain member and have not yet RSVP’d, please do so as soon as possible. Register here or contact Sarah Colgan by Thursday 29 April at sarah@vlga.org.au or on 03 9349 7983.

Councillor Bias?
The VLGA has been getting a lot of emails from councillors and officers concerned about how the Winky Pop case is playing out, particularly now that many false claims of bias are being confused with conflicts of interest. The VLGA is currently working on one of our Good Governance Grabs for distribution to the sector. If you have concerns or suggestions about Councillor Bias, please contact Ron Exiner at ron@vlga.org.au or phone 03 9349 7903.

2010 Human Rights Arts and Film Festival
If, like me, you enjoy using what spare time you have (strange to hear a councillor say that, I know) catching up with arts and cultural pursuits, the 2010 Human Rights Arts and Film Festival (HRAFF) in Melbourne may be of interest. This third Festival from 23 April-9 May includes film, art, music, poetry, dance, speakers and literature with a human rights touch, and this will no doubt challenge some minds. See here for more information.

Moving to a sustainable balance between public and non-government social housing?
Wednesday 28 April, 9.30am-1pm
Monash Conference Centre, Level 7, 30 Collins Street, Melbourne
The VLGA continues to lobby for more sustainable and equitable communities. This includes a better balance of social housing that is integrated and well supported. One upcoming event you may be interested in is the Australasian Housing Institute’s Policy and Practice Forum on 28 April called a truly diverse social housing system by 2015? This is the first in a series of Policy and Practice Forums, where leading policy and practice thinkers tackle the big issues in social housing.

Andrew Larkin (a housing and regeneration consultant, working for State and Territory Governments and housing associations) will examine such key questions as:
* will the current flurry of activity be sustained after the funding boost?
* will Australia finally move to a sustainable balance between public and non-government social housing?
* is there potential to establish new non-government players through large scale transfers?
* what role might smaller and more devolved public landlords play?

Cost $90 for AHI members and $120 for non AHI members. More information and registration here.

Regards
Cr Heinz Kreutz
VLGA President
0438 006 656
heinz@vlga.org.au

Monday 12 April, 2010

Dear VLGA friends and members,

After 15 months of intense activity at the VLGA, I have tendered my resignation as President in order to concentrate on some priorities closer to home. I will finish up on Wednesday 14 April. It has been an immense privilege to represent the interests of councils and community members across Victoria and argue for a more democratically just society with local governments well supported to serve their communities. I thank you for affording me the opportunity of representing you on many occasions. I have enjoyed meeting wonderful and hard working folk across Victoria – keep up the good work and, for those who I don’t see regularly in our local government circles, I wish you all well.

The VLGA will now be well served by Cr Heinz Kreutz who has been unanimously appointed by the Board as the President. Cr Kreutz will be joined by Cr John Doull who was also unanimously appointed as Vice President for the interim until the next Board election in February, as required by the VLGA’s Constitution. They will join Cr Jeanette McRae (Vice President), Bill Penrose (Community Vice President) and Cr Samantha Dunn (Treasurer) on the VLGA Executive. Together with Cr Grace La Vella, Richard Brown, Tom Moloney and Kate Lempriere, CEO Maree McPherson and the VLGA staff will continue the hard work and advocacy on behalf of all of our members. Please contact any of our staff or Board members for support or to bring matters to the attention of the VLGA and our members. The work never stops – and a passionate team will continue to work for progressive social change.

Cr Heinz Kreutz will be well known to many of you as a strong advocate for the environment, multiculturalism and social justice. Cr Heinz Kreutz works as a senior lecturer at Monash University’s School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, and dedicates most of his spare time to his local community, especially the residents of Lynden Ward in the City of Boroondara, where he was first elected in 2002. Heinz' interests cover a broad spectrum. He holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics and has a professional interest in languages, Linguistics and Translation Studies. His community engagement reflects his passion for social justice, local government and the environment at the local community level. In addition to being a VLGA Board member, Heinz is chairman of the Melbourne Metropolitan Waste Management Board, and serves on the Melbourne Metropolitan Transport Forum, Victorian Litter Action Alliance and Environment Advisory Group of the Municipal Association of Victoria. Heinz considers himself fortunate to be able to combine his professional interests and expertise with some of the key principles and underlying philosophies of the VLGA. He is a member of the Centre for Civil Society and the State Government’s Standing Committee for Cultural Diversity in Local Government. His work on cultural learning, neighbourhood cultural exchange, intergenerational education and positive ageing is complemented by a passion for good local government, community governance systems and adequate local support and service delivery to community groups. You can contact Heinz on 0438 006 656.

Presentation skills training
As a result of our recent online survey, we have put together two training courses in the next few months. The first is aimed at officers (14 and 21 May), and the second aimed at councillors (18 and 25 June). The unique feature of this training is that the sessions have a week’s break between them so that participants can practice their learning. This is an introductory program for participants with limited presentation experience specifically focussed on the needs of officers. Participants will work in small groups to learn and practice some of the basic steps in planning, delivering and assessing presentations, as well as responding to questions. Tanya Makin from The Presentation Group has over 30 years experience as a consultant in Learning and Development and is currently working with and supporting many councils in Victoria. Jim Connor from VLGA Training has extensive experience as a councillor, community activist and VLGA Board member, as well as working with and training local government staff in metropolitan and rural councils. Numbers are limited so for more information and registration details, go here.

The power of the human rights charter
Many of you will know of the VLGA’s long-standing work to promote human rights and better access to appropriate and affordable housing. These two issues came together this week following a landmark VCAT decision. President Justice Bell found that the State Government decision to evict a Somali refugee and his young son from public housing leased to his late mother was unlawful and a breach of human rights. See the full article about the landmark decision here and a full copy of the decision here.

Mainstreets and Aged Housing
In the last eNews we talked about the 2010 World Health Day theme of Urbanisation and Health. Two events that are coming up related to these issues:
A Mainstreet Australia Training event on 15 April at Banyule City Council will focus on business and marketing plans, measurement and evaluation of activities and committees’ roles in high performing Mainstreets. For more information and to book a place, click here.
Canadian Aged Care Housing Experts will be in Melbourne on Wednesday 12 May to explore housing options for people seeking affordable housing in their own community. This free forum is brought to you by the VLGA, Department of Human Services, Common Equity Housing Ltd, Community Housing Federation of Victoria, and Aged & Community Services Australia. For more information and to book a place, go here.

Next Leading Edge Forum in Warrnambool this Thursday 15 April
Don’t forget we will be in Warrnambool this coming Thursday 15 April 6-9pm, for our next LEF entitled Forethought or afterthought: what has to happen to improve liveability, funding and strategic planning outcomes for regional and rural Victoria? This event will be webcast live from 7pm and you can go here to view it. Speakers include Mayor Judy Verlin, Ballarat City Council on Regional Cities Victoria: focusing on the future; CEO Anthony Schink, Ballarat City Council on funding for rural and regional communities: challenges and opportunities; Mayor Michael Neoh, Warrnambool City Council on liveability in rural and regional Victoria: what are residents saying and how we need to respond; and CEO Bruce Anson, Warrnambool City Council on land use and strategic planning: challenges and opportunities for rural and regional Victoria.

You can RSVP online here or phone (03) 9349 7999. Accommodation options include Quest Apartments - (03) 5564 1200; Comfort Inn on Raglan -(03) 5562 2755; Choice Hotels Comfort Inn & Suites – (03) 5561 9800; or the Country Comfort – (03) 5562 3866.

Bushfires and transport choices
We bring to your attention a confronting conference paper included on the VLGA’s Thinking Transport website by Professor Graham Currie of Monash University’s Institute of Transport Studies concerning transport disadvantage and experiences during and after the bushfires in Murrindindi Shire. This presentation raises some important questions that need to be asked if we are to minimise the impact of extreme weather events on the most vulnerable in our communities – including those with little or no transport choices. The VLGA’s Thinking Transport website provides an easy way for local governments to share their documentation on a wide range of local government transport initiatives, from long-term strategies to one-off events. Thinking Transport also provides quick access to a database of Victorian Government programs and projects that support local governments in their efforts to provide better mobility for their communities. Visit http://www.thinkingtransport.org.au/.

Availability of residential and industrial lots
The VLGA will continue to speak with many rural and regional local governments about the need for better planning tools to manage future housing and population growth so that we can continue to lobby for these beyond metropolitan Melbourne. Given the currency of urban and population growth debates, the recent release of the Urban Development Program’s 2009 Annual Report makes for interesting reading. The 2009 Urban Development Program has identified that there are 201,071 potential lots on residential broad hectare land across Melbourne and Geelong. The Program has also identified 1,419 redevelopment projects yielding an estimated 106,940 dwellings. You can download a copy of the Annual Report here. You can also see a consolidated map of all residential broadacre areas, major residential redevelopment sites, existing and proposed industrial areas, land suitable for development and significantly constrained land here.

National Youth Week (NYW) is this week, 10-18 April
NYW is a National, State, Territory and Local government initiative that gives young people aged 12 to 25 an opportunity to express their ideas and views, act on issues that affect their lives and have a lot of fun. It’s a week-long party right across Australia where you get to participate in heaps of competitions, events and activities for FREE! If you are young, young-at-heart or care about young people we want you to become involved in an activity, event or project with your school, university, TAFE, local community or just with your mates. For more information on National Youth Week including events, go here.


Regards
Cr Rose Iser
VLGA President
0414 959 427
rose@vlga.org.au