VLGA eNews: 2011

19 December 2011

VLGA President’s Message
Last week, I met with Planning Minister Mathew Guy and his senior staff. The Minister advised that he would be receiving the report on the Review of Victoria’s Overall Planning System (the ‘Underwood Review’) on 16 December. More than 500 submissions have been received and the report will bring together a diverse and wide range of views from stakeholders. Minister Guy committed to making the report public in the New Year and to taking the time in 2012 to have a proper dialogue with the community and local governments around the recommendations from the Review. We also discussed the Urban Growth Boundary and Green Wedges, and the Growth Areas plans. We raised the need for a greater focus on coastal planning and assisting local governments with greater clarity and good data to help them plan effectively. We are aware that the Minister has been working with a number of local governments on their specific needs and the Minister advised coastal planning will be given greater emphasis in the first part of 2012. This is our last eNews for the year, and we will recommence our communications with members in mid-January. I want to take this opportunity to wish all our members the very best for the festive season and to ask that you stay safe and have some time to relax with your loved ones. Thank you for your support throughout 2011 and I look forward to seeing many of you in the New Year when I return from my break. Warmest wishes.
Cr Samantha Dunn, President

Keeping you up to date

A brief summary of the year that was…
The VLGA has had a productive and successful 2012. Major news was our receipt of the 2011 VicHealth Award for Outstanding Achievement in Health Promotion for building capacity in local governments and communities for our Food for All Information Dissemination Project. Our other exciting news was that the Victorian Local Sustainability Accord Committee has approved the VLGA to undertake our new Resilient Neighbourhoods project from January to August 2012. Other highlights include:
* a well-regarded submission for Victorian planning system review
* a very successful inaugural Essential Councillors Workshop and development sessions for new councillors and deputy mayors
* commencement of the Good Governance Guide review project in partnership with the MAV, LGPro and Local Government Victoria
* productive meetings with the Minister for Local Government and her advisors and other Ministers and Opposition members
* we commenced the Local Government Gaming Officer and the Supporting Local Governments on Gaming Policy project
* delivery of Food Security Planning in Urban Design workshops and initial council activities for the Municipal Food Security Scanning Tool project
* governance sessions with a number of member councils

We look forward to working with you in 2012.

$5,000 grants for local government Responsible Gambling Awareness Week activities
The Department of Justice has issued an invitation for local governments to apply for a grant of up to $5,000 for Responsible Gambling Awareness Week events or activities, from 14-20 May 2012. This is a significant increase from the $500 offered by the Department of Justice to local governments in previous years. The closing date for submissions is 23 January 2012. With many people taking leave in January, you may want to start discussions with your Gambler’s Help Service and neighbouring local governments this year to get an application together in time. The theme for this year is young people. Events, activities and initiatives that effectively reach this target group will be considered. Six grants are available and will be chosen on a regional basis to ensure a spread of activities across Victoria. Joint applications with more than one local government are strongly encouraged. You will need to be as detailed as possible in your application. Application guidelines and assessment criteria are outlined here. For more information, contact Madeleine Scanlon from the Department of Justice on (03) 8684 1988 or via email.

Whittlesea’s ‘See Beyond Race’ media campaign recognised for outstanding journalism
Whittlesea LEAD project’s December eNews has reported that the ‘See Beyond Race’ media campaign, a partnership of Whittlesea Leader and the City of Whittlesea, has won the 2011 VicHealth Award for Outstanding Journalism on Health Promotion. Journalist Cheryl Balfour took out the award for the articles that profiled five local residents from diverse backgrounds in a bid to breakdown cultural prejudice and stereotypes and reduce race-based discrimination. The media partnership was a key strategy of the City of Whittlesea's ‘See Beyond Race’ campaign. The campaign involved mainstream advertising, communications and media activities, in order to build positive attitudes and behaviours towards diversity in the wider community. Award judges said the quality, depth and fairness of the reports was “extremely impressive and a terrific asset for the Whittlesea community at large”. For more information about the 2011 VicHealth Awards for health Promotion, go here.

Launch of the Responsible Gambling Advocacy Centre Guides
The Minister for Gaming, Hon Michael O’Brien MP, formally launched the Responsible Gambling Advocacy Centre’s (RGAC) GAP Project: Guides to the Application Processes associated with EGMs, on Wednesday 14 December 2011. VLGA Chief Executive Officer, Maree McPherson and Gaming Policy Officer, Emma Shepherdson attended the event at the Melbourne Town Hall. The Guides were developed in response to community confusion about the licence and planning processes associated with Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs). The Guides aim to make planning and licence processes for EGMs clearer and enable communities and local government officers to develop informed responses to any application for an EGM in their community. The guides provide simple and practical information in the form of three Guides, as well as process charts and useful fact sheets with tips, case studies and information. K2 Planning was commissioned as planning expert to deliver the project with RGAC. The Guides are an online document available at: http://egm.responsiblegambling.org.au/. Downloadable PDFs of the Guides are also available on the website.

Update on Women’s Policy
For more than 12 years the VLGA has been demonstrating leadership around the issues affecting women councillors and citizens and their participation in local governments. In 1999, the VLGA became an active member of the Women’s Participation in Local Government Coalition (WPILGC) and has undertaken the Secretariat role for this Coalition since 2000. In 2005, the VLGA appointed what was possibly the first peak local government Women’s Policy Officer. The VLGA’s Women’s Policy Advisory Group reports to the VLGA Board about issues that support the VLGA’s role in this area. The VLGA is a major signatory to the Victorian Local Government Women’s Charter which has three principles: gender equity, diversity and active citizenship. The VLGA’s leading work on women’s policy continues and a comprehensive run-down on our activities can be found here. A whole range of useful information can be located through this link including resources for download, fact sheets and links. The Think women for local government 2012 project continues into next year and workshops start in earnest from March 2012. More information can be obtained via email.

Reconciliation in Local Government
Over the past year, Reconciliation Victoria has led the Reconciliation in Local Government Action Research Project, in partnership with the VLGA and Reconciliation Australia, and with funding support from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria. The aim of the project was to explore the usefulness, advantages and limitations of the Reconciliation Action Plan tool for Victorian local governments to advance reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. The project assisted three local governments to develop Reconciliation Action Plans – Baw Baw Shire Council and the Cities of Whittlesea and Stonnington. The report of the project has made recommendations related to the Reconciliation Action Plan program for local governments, recommendations directed at individual local governments, and recommendations for peak bodies and State government regarding support for the local government sector.

International Women’s Day
In 2012, International Women’s Day will be celebrated on Thursday 8 March 2012. The entire month of March has become a landmark month for events that celebrate and champion women for their achievements in families, communities, organisations and politics. Why not make ‘think women for local government’ a theme in 2012? Now is a good time to start planning. If you would like some have a look at some tips from 2011, click here.

VLGA Events

2012 Essential Mayors Weekend
From all accounts, a high number of first-time Mayors have been elected over the last couple of weeks. Being Mayor is a challenge at all times, and there will be added pressures in navigating the final year of the council term. The VLGA’s Essential Mayors’ Weekend is one of our most popular training offers, and we encourage as many Mayors as possible to join us for networking, master classes, and a range of opportunities to work together in a confidential environment on local challenges and solutions. Interested Mayors can download the program and the registration form from our website.

First Leading Edge Forum for 2012
2012 Timor-Leste Elections: implications, opportunities and challenges
Thursday 2 February, from 6pm
VLGA, 60 Leicester Street Carlton
As Timor-Leste faces its third round of democratic elections since it formally achieved independence in 2002, our first LEF for the year brings a range of speakers together to reflect on the implications for our nearest neighbour and Australians. Join experts and observers to explore who’s who in the Timor-Leste Elections; long-term dynamics and issues likely to face any new President, the Government and people; implications for the strategic relationship with Australia, and how Australian friendship relationships are influencing wellbeing in local communities. See the flyer for more information. You can register online or phone (03) 9349 7999.

Being Deputy Mayor in the final council year
Thursday 9 February 2012
5.30pm for 6pm start -9pm (incl. light refreshments)
VLGA, 60 Leicester St, Carlton
The VLGA is offering our popular development session for those serving as Deputy Mayor in 2012. There is no uniform role for Deputy Mayors, and this could be particularly challenging during an election year. The role can vary from simply deputising for the Mayor when they are unavailable, to sharing some of the team-building, strategy and other responsibilities with the Mayor. This session will include ample time to explore your individual needs and circumstances and those of your council. It is a unique opportunity to learn from others performing the same role, share and reflect on your own experiences, hear about strategies from others and plan for the rest of your term.

For further information please contact (03) 9349 7999 and you can download the registration form here.

12 December 2011

VLGA President’s Message
As we wind down towards the end of the year, this will be the second last eNews, so we thought we would keep it short and sweet. We will be up and running again in mid-January, so if you miss your weekly fix of our eNews, we encourage you to use the time to rest and spend time with family and friends. I would like to thank everyone who came along last Thursday morning to celebrate International Human Rights Day. The th

eme for the 2011 International Human Rights Day is ‘promoting human dignity’ and also marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. It was wonderful to see people, and to get some important updates about what is happening in this space. I also wanted to share some really good news with members that late last week we received approval from the Victorian Local Sustainability Advisory Committee for a VLGA project called Resilient Neighbourhoods: integrated approaches to urban planning. The project seeks to address three key challenges for local government:
* The need for more integrated planning within local government, and between government agencies, for urban growth and change
* Opportunities to facilitate effective community dialogue about sustainable urban growth and change
* To support local governments to meet the increasing challenge of engagement over diverse and sometimes confronting issues

We will be working with lots of local governments facing urban growth and change, and if you would like to know more about the project, drop me a line. That’s it from me this week. In the meantime please don’t hesitate to call me to discuss issues of interest to you on 0407 364 509, or drop me a line via email. Cheers.
Cr Samantha Dunn, President

Keeping you up to date

VLGA Submission on Pre-commitment for Pokies
The State Government recently released a Discussion Paper on Pre-Commitment for Pokies. In our submission, we stated that in our view, voluntary pre-commitment – if it is well-promoted and there is a high take-up rate – can assist (but is not really as effective as fully as mandatory) those people who have accepted they are beginning to develop, or have a problem with gambling and want to stay in control. While our strong preference would be for a mandatory model, we believe that voluntary pre-commitment should be combined with other measures (e.g. lower limits on machines, and reduced spin rates) if it is to be effective.

Program announced for 2012 Essential Mayors Weekend
From all accounts, a high number of first-time Mayors have been elected over the last couple of weeks. Being Mayor is a challenge at all times, and there will be added pressures in navigating the final year of the council term. The VLGA’s Essential Mayors’ Weekend is one of our most popular training offers, and we encourage as many Mayors as possible to join us for networking, master classes, and a range of opportunities to work together in a confidential environment on local challenges and solutions. Interested Mayors can download the program and the registration form from our website.

Independent Commissioner to oversee FOI requests
Members may be aware that legislation to establish a commissioner to oversee freedom of information (FOI) requests made to Government departments was introduced into State Parliament last week. The appointment of an independent FOI commissioner was one of the Coalition's key election promises. It is proposed that the independent commissioner will be appointed by the Governor-in-Council as an officer of the Parliament. The commissioner will have the power to review FOI decisions, investigate complaints and educate government departments about how to better handle FOI applications. The State Government deserves congratulations on this announcement, but the VLGA believes that a statutory officer alone cannot turn around a secretive FOI culture that has been allowed to thrive in Victoria. We look forward to monitoring whether this culture changes in the interests of transparency and community access to decision-making.

More coverage on the IBAC
In last week’s eNews, we provided some information about the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) and we note the passing of the First and Second Readings of the Bill in Parliament last Thursday. There was plenty of coverage on talk-back radio on Friday morning, with a wide and diverse range of commentators welcoming the Bill. There was further coverage in The Age on Thursday. To see the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission Amendment (Investigative Functions) Bill 2011 and associated documents, go here. The VLGA will provide further information to members in the new year.

Inspiring Communities Conference papers now available
Some time ago in eNews, we talked about the wonderful Inspiring Communities Conference held in Shepparton earlier in the year. This Conference highlighted the need to work ‘inside-out’ with communities to ascertain and harness their assets and strengths, rather than ‘top-down’ approaches that can often be viewed suspiciously by communities. Conference organisers have now advised that presentations are available at http://www.inspirecommunities.com.au/, under the ‘Resources’ tab. Once other presentations become available they will be placed on this page as well.

2012 From Strength to Strength Conference keynote speaker announced
National Disability Services (NDS) is pleased to announce that the opening keynote speaker for the 2012 From Strength to Strength conference will be Stuart Taylor, Managing Partner of The Resilience Institute, speaking on Resilient Leadership in Challenging Times. In 2002, while climbing the ladder to corporate executive, Stuart was diagnosed with brain cancer and given a prognosis of two and a half years to live. Far from accepting the prognosis, Stuart embarked on a journey back to physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual health. Part of this journey included creating The Resilience Institute in Australia to share his experience and philosophy with Australian organisations. Stuart has recently celebrated his nine year milestone and really is going from strength to strength. Keep up to date with the conference program by visiting their dedicated conference website. For more information about the conference program, please contact Jieh-Yung Lo, at NDS, on 03 8341 431 or email.

Federal Parliamentary Library Clean Energy Bill Digest
Following the passage of recent legislation has been a very complex task. To assist with community understanding, the Parliamentary Library has produced a Bills Digest of the Clean Energy Bills that explains what the new Acts will do, describes the genesis of the MPCCC, summarises different parties policies, different countries' emissions reduction commitments, and lots of other useful bits and pieces – all with the meticulous citation that the Library always provides – all in 117 concise pages!

Victorian Inquiry into the Social and Economic Costs of Problem Gambling
The State Government will direct the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) to undertake a public inquiry next year into the social and economic costs of problem gambling in Victoria. This directive is one of the Victorian Coalition’s pre-election promises on tackling problem gambling, within the Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition Plan for Gaming (2010). The VLGA supports the State Government’s decision to undertake an independent inquiry into the social and economic costs associated with problem gambling in Victoria, taking into account the significant work already undertaken by the Productivity Commission in this area. The State Government should, however, consider broadening the scope of the inquiry to consider the impact that gambling as an industry has on the Victorian community, rather than just problem gambling. For local governments in particular, data directly related to gambling is very difficult to source in regards to debt and bankruptcy, crime, interpersonal relationship breakdown, expenditure diversion and employment. Any inquiry should address these costs as identified by the Productivity Commission. The VLGA welcomes the inquiry, which will assist not only State Government, but also local governments to provide effective policy and problem gambling prevention programs at a local level.

VLGA Events

First Leading Edge Forum for 2012
2012 Timor-Leste Elections: implications, opportunities and challenges
Thursday 2 February, from 6pm
VLGA, 60 Leicester Street Carlton
As Timor-Leste faces its third round of democratic elections since it formally achieved independence in 2002, our first LEF for the year brings a range of speakers together to reflect on the implications for our nearest neighbour and Australians. Join experts and observers to explore who’s who in the Timor-Leste Elections; long-term dynamics and issues likely to face any new President, the Government and people; implications for the strategic relationship with Australia, and how Australian friendship relationships are influencing wellbeing in local communities. More details and invitation to follow!

5 December 2011

VLGA President’s Message
The days are winding down to Christmas and we are all running between events it seems. The past week has been a hectic time at the VLGA with our annual Christmas function for members on Thursday night, where we were delighted to award our second John Jago Award for Good Governance (see below). On the same night, we were very proud to receive our own award – the 2011 VicHealth Award for Outstanding Achievement in Health Promotion (also see below). Last Tuesday, the VLGA co-convened the Urban Climate Justice Research Roundtable with Curtin, Griffith, Macquarie, Monash and RMIT universities and the University of Melbourne as a step in bridging the gap between research and practice. We were welcomed by Federal Member for Melbourne, Adam Bandt MP, at RMIT’s Storey Hall, and more than 40 participants workshopped what it means to have a ‘climate just’ city in Australia. Particular thanks to VLGA Vice President Cr Heinz Kreutz and the VLGA staff team for putting this together.

Also last week, I wrote to Premier Baillieu regarding the Victorian Government’s review of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic) (the Charter). I commended to the Premier the evidence provided by local governments to the Review, which was overwhelmingly in favour of a retention of the Charter and for strengthening the capacity of local governments as responsible authorities. The Charter has made a real difference to the lives of many Victorians and has had a direct impact on the policies and practices of local governments. See the letter here.

Finally, in my meeting with Minister Powell last week, I provided feedback from VLGA members on the Ministerial Mayors Advisory Panel, which was well-received. The Minister also reinforced her desire to include all peaks in the discussions on the VLGSA.

That’s it from me this week. In the meantime please don’t hesitate to give me a call to discuss issues of interest to you on 0407 364 509, or drop me a line via email. Cheers.
Cr Samantha Dunn, President

Keeping you up to date

Indigo wins the VLGA’s 2011 John Jago Good Governance Award
Indigo Shire Council's Indigo 2030 Community Vision Project has won the John Jago Award for good governance for 2011. Indigo's win was announced at the VLGA's end of year function on 1 December and was accepted by Indigo Shire’s CEO Brendan McGrath and General Manager Sustainable Communities Mark Florence. We received seven entries this year, and the winning entry was judged as being a very innovative approach to community planning by a small rural shire with significant challenges around geographical size and dispersed populations. Indigo utilised very creative approaches including the arts and storytelling to enable its various communities to speak in their own voices.

The other highly commended short-listed entries were Alpine Shire Council and the Harrietville Community Building Initiative Committee's Community Building Initiative; Baw Baw Shire Council's Baw Baw 2050 plan; and the David House Redevelopment Project by Maribyrnong City Council. All the entries exhibited excellent governance and the VLGA will be displaying all these projects on our website as terrific examples of what Victorian local government can do. Congratulations again to Indigo Shire Council. The VLGA looks forward to running the John Jago Award again in 2012.

VLGA wins prestigious VicHealth Award
Speaking of awards … the 2011 VicHealth Award for Outstanding Achievement in Health Promotion has been awarded to the VLGA for building capacity in local governments and communities (or for ‘Organisational Development’) for our Food for All Information Dissemination Project. The VLGA was one of only 22 Award Finalists for health promotion and disease prevention projects across the whole of Victoria – so a prestigious win it was!

Our congratulations especially to Leah Galvin as the Project Officer, Darren Ray as Project Manager, and our administration and policy teams for their contributions to this successful project. We also acknowledge the previous work of VLGA member Dr Beverley Wood on food security over a number of years, which established our reputation in this space. You can see more information on the project in the Award Application Statement. This Award places the VLGA in a good position to continue negotiations with government about improving food security at the local level. It lends considerable weight to existing leverage such as the mention of the VLGA’s food security work in the new State Government’s Preventative Health Plan actions. Watch this space!

Community involvement in planning … matters?
Members may have come across this very good article by Alan March, senior lecturer at the Melbourne School of Design, and Executive of Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, where he makes the case for retaining appeal rights for communities. Alan concludes with the view that “the planning system must be able to determine what the future of the city should be and to get people to generally agree to it in advance, rather than expecting that many tiny incremental changes initiated by infill developments will lead to good outcomes.” The VLGA has been making these points for many years, with a focus on the lead-up to the last State Election, and subsequently in meetings with the Planning Minister. This was a key theme of our submission to the Underwood Inquiry looking into the future of Victoria’s Planning System. Our submission emphasises the need for the planning system to incorporate collaborative approaches that embody the principles of community engagement and good governance. For this to occur, it is vital to ensure that there is equitable access to the planning processes, with local government maintaining its functions in strategic and statutory planning for local communities. While significant gains in efficiency can be made, they should not be sought through a deregulated system that bypasses fair and transparent processes. We await the outcomes of the Underwood Inquiry, and we will continue to make the case for appeal rights and community involvement to be maintained.

VLGA members offered 20% discount for Place Making Training
Creative Communities is offering VLGA members a 20% discount to this season's new and improved 2012 Place Making workshop series with David Engwicht. The focus of the workshop is Day One: The Art of Place Making; and Day Two: Becoming a More Creative Place Maker. David Engwicht is one of the world's most innovative thinkers on creating vibrant public spaces. David empowers design professionals, city officials and citizens with new low cost tools and powerful community engagement approaches to tame traffic, create vibrant places, stimulate economic development, promote civility and build resilience. To claim a 20% discount simply put VLGA in the discount code box. Go online to download the brochure, register, and get more information.

16 Days of Action to prevent violence against women
Don’t forget to take a look at the VLGA’s ‘16 Days of Action’ on our website at www.vlga.org.au, which will run until International Human Rights Day on 10 December. If you’d like to join us for our International Human Rights Day Morning Tea on 8 December with a focus on women, see the details in VLGA events below. We encourage you to have a look at the simple actions you can take as part of our ‘16 Days of Action’, with new actions loaded each day.

Fresh new look for Footscray
Maribyrnong City Council’s Mayor, Cr Sarah Carter, launched the Footscray Integrated Marketing Strategy (FIMS) and a fresh new brand for Footscray at a launch event at Victoria University's Footscray Park Campus last Wednesday. The event highlighted the collaborative, strategic partnerships between key partners in Footscray: Maribyrnong City Council, the State Government, Victoria University, and the Western Bulldogs. The event was attended by senior figures from all the partner organisations. The launch event featured a performance by local artists, the Snuff Puppets, who performed as a 7-tonne elephant, complete with elephant handler. The marketing strategy aims to encourage residents and visitors to take a fresh look at Footscray and what is has to offer: located on the city fringe, offering riverside lifestyle, city views, arts and cultural festivals and unique Asian and African dining experiences and easily accessible to Melbourne’s western growth corridor. The marketing strategy has already led to the creation of a new Footscray destination website – www.footscraylife.com.au – partnered with a bi-monthly Footscray Life newsletter in English, Vietnamese and Chinese.

Melbourne City Council’s Urban Forest Strategy
Melbourne's tree population is vast – we have 60,000 local government owned trees, worth around $650 million. Trees are a defining part of Melbourne. But the trees are now under threat. After a decade of drought, severe water restrictions and periods of extreme heat, combined with an ageing tree stock, we expect to lose 27 per cent of our current tree population in the next decade and 44 per cent in the next 20 years. To pre-empt this major loss, Melbourne City Council has just released their new Urban Forest Strategy. This may also be a model other local governments and communities are interested in following. You can have a read and have your say by visiting melbourneurbanforest.com.au.

Honouring Victorian Women
Nominations for the 2012 Victorian Women’s Honour Roll are closing on 21 December 2011. Since its launch in 2001, 478 women have been included on the Honour Roll. The new inductees will be announced as part of International Women’s Day celebrations in March 2012. Women can be nominated for their contributions in a diverse range of fields including health, science, law, social justice, arts, media and education, as well as their involvement in culturally diverse and Indigenous communities. For more information, nomination forms and posters visit the website at Victorian Women's Honour Roll, contact Brenna Murphy on (03) 9918 7343 or view the website www.dhs.vic.gov.au/for-individuals/women.

Call for applications: Future City Leaders Initiative
Are you a young Mayor or Councillor currently involved in your local government’s sustainability initiatives looking to build your knowledge, leadership skills and networks? Future City Leaders is a global initiative that offers a unique two-year environmental capacity building program for 21 selected young mayors and councillors. The accelerated learning curriculum uses face to face mentoring alongside group activities online to help leaders looking for the next step up. Highlights include networking with global peers and experts; attending the ICLEI World Congress and potentially Rio +20 in June 2012; and receiving expert mentoring from established leaders and (also in collaboration with the World Mayors Council on Climate Change). FutureCityLeaders is an outstanding program essential for young mayors and councillors looking to build their leadership skills, collaborate internationally and share best practice case studies in a supportive group of global peers. Applications should be sent to ICLEI by January next year. For further information on the program and to apply, please visit www.iclei.org/futurecityleaders or contact via email.

Supporting Victorian Local Governments Manage Climate Risks and Plan for Change

This MAV report is the second part of the Supporting Victorian Local Governments Manage Climate Risks and Plan for Change project, funded by the Department of Sustainability and Environment. The aims of this, Part B, were to: understand the barriers and constraints local governments face in undertaking, integrating and implementing adaptation planning; to assess the ability of current methodologies, guidance, information and tools to address these issues and barriers; and finally, to identify potential measures to assist councils in their adaptation planning.

Events for your diary

VLGA events

International Human Rights Day Morning Tea
Thursday 8 December, 10-11.30am
VLGA, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton
The VLGA invites you to celebrate International Human Rights Day. The theme for the 2011 International Human Rights Day is ‘promoting human dignity’ and 2011 also marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. Our focus for this year will be on the progress and future of local government and community actions in:
* Preventing Violence Against Women
* Promoting participation of women in next year’s Local Government Elections, and
* The uptake of the Victorian Local Government Women’s Charter.

Come along and network with colleagues, and do your bit for International Human Rights Day. Numbers are limited, so please RSVP via email or phone (03) 9349 7999.

Other events

Local Government Promising Practice Forum on the Prevention of Violence against Women

Wednesday 14 December, 12.30-5.30pm
Department of Human Services, Level 1, 50 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
Speaking of preventing violence against women, and acknowledging the wonderful leadership that local governments in particular have demonstrated, the MAV is holding a Local Government Promising Practice Forum on the Prevention of Violence Against Women on 14 December in Melbourne. The audience is primarily local government people (both elected representatives and officers), key community partners and government representatives. This half-day event (including lunch) is offered by the MAV at no charge. Registrations are required by COB today, 5 December, and you can find more information and register online.

28 November 2011

VLGA President’s Message
As members know, the VLGA has provided a good deal of comment on the issue of a directly elected mayor for Geelong. A week or so ago, the Victorian Government announced the details of the legislation, which includes specific powers that the directly elected mayor will have in Geelong, in particular the right to appoint Special Committee Chairs and Council representatives on other bodies. We have continued to emphasise in our media comments and our representations to the Minister that there needs to be research into the governance and other implications of a directly elected mayor model in a regional city, particularly when that mayor will have new and additional powers to other mayors. This is important so that the issue can be informed on a broader scale. The VLGA notes that the State Government will review the directly elected mayoral systems of Geelong and Melbourne after the Geelong model has been in operation for two years. We stated in our submission to the consultation that it would have been preferable for a proper inquiry to take place before the process for electing the mayor was changed, and we still hold this position. We also advocated that any decision-making process around direct election needed to include consideration of the powers of the mayor and deputy mayor, as there is no clear role statement for deputy mayors in the Local Government Act 1989. There are issues to be considered with the model of a mayor being directly elected by the public, when the deputy mayor, if council chooses to have one, is elected by their fellow councillors. A directly elected mayor will rely heavily on their fellow councillors and a deputy mayor to be able to achieve what s/he sees as their mandate. Good working relationships will be crucial. It will be instructive to learn how the directly elected mayor’s powers of appointment in Geelong will contribute or otherwise to these good relationships and good governance in general. Our primary interest is in a participatory system that will deliver good outcomes for council and the communities of Greater Geelong. We will continue to monitor the developments with interest.

That’s it from me this week. In the meantime please don’t hesitate to give me a call to discuss issues of interest to you on 0407 364 509, or drop me an email. Cheers.

Cr Samantha Dunn, President

Keeping you up to date

Green Wedge – Review of urban growth boundary anomalies outside of Growth Areas

The VLGA is aware that a number of our member local governments have requested that Planning Minister Matthew Guy provides them with an extension to the review to allow time to consult about their specific needs in Green Wedge areas. Other member councils have rejected any changes, and some have put forward what they see as ‘anomalies’. The review has been controversial and ever since the Government announced their intention to re-look at Green Wedge zones, developer interest has sparked and communities have become alarmed. With a review now pending bi-annually, there is a level of concern for VLGA members, particularly in food production areas and where land values are escalating thus potentially impacting the viability of agriculture. The uncertainty created by the review and the public debate that has ensued has been unfortunate and we are keen to discuss this with Minister Guy when we next meet with him.

John Jago Award 2011
We have a very high-standard field of entries for the 2011 John Jago Award. A short list of four entries is now being assessed to determine the 2011 winner. The short listed entries are from the Indigo Shire Council (Indigo 2030 – long term strategic vision), Alpine Shire Council (Harrietville Community Building Initiative), Baw Baw Shire Council (Baw Baw 2050 project) and Maribyrnong City Council (David House redevelopment). We face a very challenging task to pick a winner from these excellent projects. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our end of year function on 1 December where the winner will be announced.

Local government inspectorate improves information flow
The VLGA has been conveying the need to the State Government and the Municipal Inspector for more case studies and information to be provided to the sector about the rights of councillors. We are pleased to see that this is now occurring. Go online for recently updated Frequently Asked Questions; if you need to know more about your rights; and if you would like to know more about the investigation process. We still believe there is room for sharing with councillors the issues and outcomes of particular investigations and that this would support good governance and transparency. While we congratulate the Inspectorate for improving information flow, we will continue to lobby the State Government for more training and other support to councillors.

Local government first: Frankston City Council measures community greenhouse gas emissions

Local governments, as opposed to other levels of government, are at the forefront of taking mitigation and adaptation measures in response to climate change. The VLGA often highlights good practice by our local government members, and the work that Frankston has done is one such example. The purpose of this project was to establish a methodology for measuring annual community greenhouse gas emissions based on localised data at the city-wide and suburb level. Frankston has been involved in an innovative project to measure Frankston City's community greenhouse gas emissions – as they accept that they can't manage what they don't measure. Whilst emissions are measured at national and state levels, there has been no reliable way to measure emissions on a local level. Frankston, with consultant Renewable Future, has successfully developed 'Measure it, Manage it' – a new methodology that has tracked Frankston City's community greenhouse gas emissions for 2005 and 2009. In demonstrating the feasibility of measuring greenhouse gases on a local level, this project will be used to build Council support for tailored localised behaviour change programs. Click here to view the Report, which is a first for local government.

Annual Reporting – the new (Knox) way
In another achievement for a VLGA member local government, we extend our hearty congratulations to the City of Knox for their innovative new Annual Report. It’s worth noting that the video format Annual Report was produced entirely in-house using Council staff, and Knox councillors are very proud of the innovation and expertise of the staff team in conceiving and producing the report. In our view, the Knox Annual Report is contemporary, accessible, and really well put together. It’s as easy as clicking here! There are even handy transcripts right throughout for anyone having trouble viewing the video links. Or check out the videos directly on Youtube and ‘like’ what you see.

White Ribbon Day
Last Friday saw the celebration of White Ribbon Day, held to promote the campaign to prevent violence against women. It also marked the beginning of the VLGA’s ‘16 Days of Action’ on our website at www.vlga.org.au, which will run until International Human Rights Day on 10 December. If you’d like to join us for our International Human Rights Day Morning Tea on 8 December with a focus on women, see the details in VLGA events below. We encourage you to have a look at the simple actions you can take as part of our ‘16 Days of Action’, with new actions loaded each day.

Implications of Carbon Pricing for Waste Management in Metropolitan Melbourne

Waste management has both negative and positive greenhouse impacts. The Federal Government’s moves to put a dollar price on some of these carbon impacts will affect the costs of waste management. The Metropolitan Waste Management Group has developed a simple information sheet that summarises the ways that carbon pricing are likely to affect waste management in metropolitan Melbourne. It addresses the carbon pricing mechanism, the carbon farming initiative, materials and energy recovery, and what local government waste managers can do.

Green Wedge paper open for discussion
The Westernport Green Wedge Discussion Paper public exhibition period is open for submissions until 5pm on 2 December. The paper outlines the management plan of the Victorian State Government in partnership with City of Casey and Cardinia Shire Council. The plan aims to deliver a long-term vision for land use in the green wedge. Visit http://caseyconversations.com.au or Cardinia www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/greenwedges.
For more information contact Lisa Brassington (Cardinia) 1300 787 624 or email Cardinia, or Paul Laughton (Casey) 9705 5200 or email Casey.

Media coverage for ‘Think women for local government 2012’
The VLGA’s Think women for local government 2012 project continues to receive local media coverage in the Hobsons Bay Leader, as well as the Bendigo Advertiser. It is wonderful to see local governments taking up the challenge to promote the project, and if you need more information to do this, download a sample media release, or visit the Think women website or the Facebook page for plenty of resources, including the update of A Gender Agenda which contains lots of tips about campaigning. This resource is also highly relevant to men.

Have your say: new research to look at the experiences of students with disability in Victorian schools

For the first time in many decades, this issue received a great deal of attention in the lead up to the last State Election. The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) is conducting research into the experiences of students with disability in Victorian schools. This follows an increase in complaints to the Commission relating to disability discrimination in education, and concerns raised by parents of children with disability, disability advocacy groups and members of the Commission’s Disability Reference Group about the provision of education services to students with disability. The purpose of the Commission’s research is to gather information about the issues and challenges experienced by students with disability in the Victorian school system and to identify potential solutions, consistent with Victoria’s equal opportunity and human rights framework, to improve access to education for students with disability. VEOHRC is keen to hear from students, parents and educators about what works and what could be improved when it comes to the education of students with disability in Victoria. There are several ways you can have your say. You can complete a confidential survey if you are a student with a disability, a parent of a student with a disability, or a principal, teacher or you work in a Victorian school. The survey is anonymous – and VEOHRC does not ask for any personal or identifying information. If you work in a community organisation or otherwise provide support to families, children and young people with disability, you can tell VEOHRC your views by sending an email to research@veohrc.vic.gov.au. VEOHRC will treat this as a written submission to our research. You can also ring VEOHRC’s state-wide telephone call-in on Saturday 3 December 2011 – call 1300 292 153 or (03) 9032 3583 from 10am to 4pm. If you need an interpreter, you can call the Commission using the interpreter service on 1300 152 494 or TTY at 1300 289 621. Further information about ‘have a say’ days in regional Victoria in February 2012 will be available soon. If these options are not convenient, please feel free to tell VEOHRC your story by sending them an email to research@veohrc.vic.gov.au.

Events for your diary

VLGA events

Making human rights real – Bairnsdale
Tuesday 29 November
Learn more about human rights and how to translate them into the work of your organisation.
The Australian Centre for Human Rights Education at RMIT, the VLGA and VCOSS are hosting a series of free participatory workshops across Victoria to facilitate people's understanding of human rights and to develop a human rights approach to service delivery and policy development in locally based organisations. The workshops are funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department as part of a project to identify the importance of human rights education. The workshops are designed for both the community and local government sectors – for management, service delivery workers, board members, councillors, advocates and members of vulnerable groups – and use case studies to highlight human rights and how to support human rights for people in local communities. The next workshop will be held in Bairnsdale on Tuesday 29 November, 10am-2pm, at the Mercure Hotel, 355 Main St.

To register for the workshop, please phone Michelle at VCOSS on (03) 9654 5050 or register online. To see the workshop flyers, click on our VLGA Events Calendar. For further information, contact the VLGA’s Human Rights Policy & Project Officer, Gary Jungwirth, via email or phone (03) 9349 7999.

VLGA End-of-Year Members’ Function
Thursday 1 December, 6-8.30pm
Carlton
Members are invited to join the VLGA Board and Staff to celebrate our successes at our end-of-year drinks with local government, community and State Government colleagues. Come and hear the announcement of the winner of the 2011 John Jago Good Governance Award. Please RSVP by either registering online or phoning (03) 9349 7999.

International Human Rights Day Morning Tea
Thursday 8 December, 10-11.30am
VLGA, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton
The VLGA invites you to celebrate International Human Rights Day. The theme for the 2011 International Human Rights Day is ‘promoting human dignity' and 2011 also marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. The VLGA Board therefore has pleasure in inviting you to mark these occasions at an informal morning tea. Our focus for this year will be on the progress and future of local government and community actions in:
* Preventing Violence Against Women
* Promoting participation of women in next year’s Local Government Elections, and
* The uptake of the Victorian Local Government Women’s Charter.

Come along and network with colleagues, and do your bit for International Human Rights Day. Numbers are limited, so please RSVP via email or phone (03) 9349 7999.

Other events

5th ‘State of Australian Cities’ National Conference
Tuesday 29 November – Friday 2 December
University of Melbourne, Parkville
Australia’s society and economy are dominated by its cities and regions, and the future of Australia’s environment is also linked to urban sustainability. The State of Australian Cities is a national forum, held biennially, to share scholarship directed at the complex and multidimensional issues facing us as an urban nation. Australian cities are highly ranked internationally for their liveability, and have continued to grow strongly through a global financial crisis. Yet we are confronted with significant challenges. These challenges should not blind us to opportunities. For the first time in two decades, the Federal Government is talking about the need to address the infrastructure gap in cities. A growing body of urban researchers is interested in the policy implications of their work, while policy-makers are increasingly turning to the developing evidence base. Unlikely coalitions are springing up to address intertwined social, economic, environmental, governance, and infrastructure issues.

Local Government Promising Practice Forum on the Prevention of Violence Against Women
Wednesday 14 December, 12.30-5.30pm
Department of Human Services - Level 1, 50 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
Speaking of preventing violence against women, and acknowledging the wonderful leadership that local governments in particular have demonstrated, the MAV is holding a Local Government Promising Practice Forum on the Prevention of Violence Against Women on 14 December in Melbourne. The audience is primarily local government people (both elected representatives and officers), key community partners and government representatives. This half-day event (including lunch) is offered by the MAV at no charge. Registrations are required by 5 December, and you can find more information and register online here.

21 November 2011

VLGA President’s Message
I was delighted to see so many of you at the VLGA’s inaugural Essential Councillor Retreat at Torquay. The retreat attracted a lot of interest from councillor colleagues and I know a number of you arrived the night before to have some time in each other’s company. On behalf of the VLGA Board, I thank Cr Dean Webster, Mayor of Surf Coast Shire, for the welcome to his ‘patch’ and to all of you for your participation and engagement throughout the two days. We benefitted from getting to know each other better, and from Master Classes with Joel Levin, Ed Cornelissen, and our panellists Tony De Fazio, Liana Thompson, Bill Forrest and Tony Douglas. Sessions ranged from managing community outrage, using social media more effectively, and getting your message out in a meaningful way in the last year of the council term. You also provided us with useful input for our future activities with elected representatives. With the Essential Mayors Weekend coming up in January, this has been a busy time for the VLGA team and we have enjoyed the interactions with you all.

Our other major event this past week has been the launch of the Social and Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) Framework for EGMs last Monday. There is more news on the SEIA Framework and the launch below in this bulletin. I want to make space here to thank everyone who attended the launch and to acknowledge the work of Emma Shepherdson on this project, which has been developed by a partnership between inner and northern local governments and other stakeholder organisations with the VLGA.

In our roles as President and CEO in representing member and sectoral issues to the Government, Maree McPherson and I have been out and about in various meetings recently. These have included meetings with Minister Powell, with another in the next fortnight; Richard Wynne, Shadow Minister for Local Government; advisers to Ministers Smith and McIntosh; and meetings coming up with Minister Guy and with his Shadow, Brian Tee. If you have items you would like us to include on our agendas for these discussions please let me know. In the meantime please don’t hesitate to give me a call to discuss issues of interest to you on 0407 364 509, or drop me a line via email. Cheers.
Cr Samantha Dunn, President

Keeping you up to date

IBAC & Municipal Inspectorate
The VLGA has been watching with interest the progress towards an Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). We have recently received correspondence from the Minister responsible for the establishment of the Commission, The Hon Andrew McIntosh MP, advising that legislation for the IBAC and an independent Victorian Inspectorate has been introduced to the Victorian Parliament. The Independent Board-based Anti-corruption Commission Bill 2011 (the IBAC Bill) establishes the Commission and the position of the Commissioner as an independent officer of Parliament. The IBAC Bill also outlines the education and prevention functions to be undertaken by the IBAC, establishes the parliamentary committee overseeing the IBAC’s role and functions, and sets the reporting mechanism to Parliament. $170 million over four years has been allocated for the establishment of the IBAC. Most importantly from the VLGA’s perspective, the Victorian Inspectorate Bill 2011 establishes the body that will oversee the IBAC, monitor its compliance with relevant laws and deal with complaints against the IBAC and its personnel in exercising their powers and duties, to ensure they are used responsibly and proportionately. We have raised several key items with the Minister’s office namely:
* the definition of corruption and whether the IBAC will share similar definitions to anti-corruption bodies in other states;
* whether the Commission’s investigations will be retrospective or prospective; and
* the relationship of the Local Government Inspectorate to the IBAC and the referral mechanisms that will exist between the two bodies.

It is understood the Local Government Inspectorate will continue to have a role in dealing with reported breaches under the Local Government Act and the IBAC will deal with issues of corruption. We are keen to continue our advocacy for clarity, transparency and fairness in all processes, including about the legal supports, resources and advice available to councillors. We will continue to monitor this development and report back to you.

Launch of ‘Social Impacts of Pokies.org.au’
On Monday 14 November, socialimpactsofpokies.org.au was officially launched by VLGA President, Cr Samantha Dunn. This Social and Economic Impact Assessment Framework for EGMs is an online evidence base and data book for Victorian local government staff, community members and applicants to build their own social impact assessments. The launch was used as a professional development session for local government and community staff. Presentations from John Rantino, Partner at Maddocks; and Felicity Leahy, Manager Social Development at Hume, discussed the role of social impact assessments in gaming cases, with case studies. Emma Shepherdson and Susan Rennie presented on the use of the Framework on behalf of the Inner Northern Working Group on Gambling. The Framework was developed by the Inner Northern Working Group on Gambling, a partnership including representatives from the local governments of Darebin, Hume, Melbourne, Moreland, Whittlesea and Yarra; the PCPs of North East, Inner North West and Hume Whittlesea; and the Responsible Gambling Advocacy Centre. You can watch the podcast of the presentations on the website.

End-of-Year Function & 2012 John Jago Good Governance Award
Don’t forget to RSVP for our end-of-year function taking place on Thursday 1 December from 6pm. We hope you can join the Board and Staff to celebrate our successes at our end-of-year drinks with local government, community and State Government colleagues. Come and hear the announcement of the winner of the 2011 John Jago Good Governance Award. Please RSVP by Monday 28 November online or phone (03) 9349 7999.

Grants available for National Youth Week 2012 events
The Victorian Government has opened the doors for young people to apply for grants to help celebrate next year’s National Youth Week, held from 13-22 April 2012. Minister for Youth Affairs Ryan Smith said the National Youth Week 2012 grants, available for young people aged 12-25 years old, would help young people plan and stage workshops, events or local projects for youth. “Young people make significant contributions to their communities each day and we support their efforts to create opportunities for other young people to enjoy National Youth Week,” Mr Smith said. Mr Smith added that the $155,000 grants program has been made available through a partnership between the Victorian Government, Commonwealth Government and Youthbeyondblue. Mr Smith said grants of up to $2,000 were available in two categories:
* Grants for young people working with an organisation to deliver a local community-based event, and
* Grants for young people working with an organisation to deliver an event that raises awareness of depression and anxiety

Applications for National Youth Week 2012 grants close on Friday 9 December 2011. For further information on the grants program visit www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/nyw.

Local Government Promising Practice Forum on the Prevention of Violence Against Women

The MAV is holding a Local Government Promising Practice Forum on the Prevention of Violence Against Women on 14 December in Melbourne. The audience is primarily local government people (both elected representatives and officers), key community partners and government representatives. This half-day event (including lunch) is offered by the MAV at no charge. Registrations are required by 5 December, and you can find more information and register online here.

A plan for a revitalised Broadmeadows
Residents, community groups, businesses and other stakeholders are invited to have their say on the future of Broadmeadows. Broadmeadows is set to become Melbourne’s capital of the north. It will accommodate new housing, transport and a mix of retail, leisure and learning facilities. It will become a vibrant hub attracting people, businesses and employment. The Victorian Government and Hume City Council have a 20-year plan to sustainably manage growth and change in Broadmeadows Activities Area. The draft Structure Plan sets out the long-term vision for Broadmeadows. It identifies potential land uses, building size and design, and defines precincts for particular use and development. For more information and to find out about the ways you can get involved, go to the Broadmeadows Structure Plan Website.

Events for your diary

VLGA events

Making human rights real – Ballarat & Bairnsdale workshops
Ballarat – Tuesday 22 November
Bairnsdale – Tuesday 29 November

Learn more about human rights and how to translate them into the work of your organisation.

The Australian Centre for Human Rights Education at RMIT, the VLGA and VCOSS are hosting a series of free participatory workshops across Victoria to facilitate people's understanding of human rights and to develop a human rights approach to service delivery and policy development in locally based organisations. The workshops are funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department as part of a project to identify the importance of human rights education. The workshops are designed for both the community and local government sectors – for management, service delivery workers, board members, councillors, advocates and members of vulnerable groups – and use case studies to highlight human rights and how to support human rights for people in local communities. The next workshops will be held in:
• Ballarat on Tuesday 22 November, 10am-2pm, in the Trench Room at the Ballarat Town Hall in Sturt St
• Bairnsdale on Tuesday 29 November, 10am-2pm, at the Mercure Hotel, 355 Main St

To register for the workshops, please phone Michelle at VCOSS on (03) 9654 5050 or register online and select the workshop nearest to you. To see the workshop flyers, click on our VLGA Events Calendar. For further information, contact the VLGA’s Human Rights Policy & Project Officer, Gary Jungwirth, via email or phone (03) 9349 7999.

Climate Justice Roundtable – What does the ‘climate-just’ Australian city look like?

* Michael Williamson, Sustainability Victoria: Distributed generation – the next frontier for energy
* John Edgoose, Sustainability Victoria: Distributed Generation Connection Guide – Sustainability Victoria's new guide for linking into the electricity network
* Joe Thomas, Powercor Australia: How the distribution business looks at distributed energy
* Rick Kwasek, Boroondara City Council: Ashburton Smart Energy Zone – implementing a shared cogen energy system

RSVP by 5pm Tuesday 22 November by email to Nick Bailey or phone (03) 8626 8824.

5th ‘State of Australian Cities’ National Conference
Tuesday 29 November – Friday 2 December
University of Melbourne, Parkville
Australia’s society and economy are dominated by its cities and regions, and the future of Australia’s environment is also linked to urban sustainability. The State of Australian Cities is a national forum, held biennially, to share scholarship directed at the complex and multidimensional issues facing us as an urban nation. Australian cities are highly ranked internationally for their liveability, and have continued to grow strongly through a global financial crisis. Yet we are confronted with significant challenges. These challenges should not blind us to opportunities. For the first time in two decades, the Federal Government is talking about the need to address the infrastructure gap in cities. A growing body of urban researchers is interested in the policy implications of their work, while policy-makers are increasingly turning to the developing evidence base. Unlikely coalitions are springing up to address intertwined social, economic, environmental, governance, and infrastructure issues.

14 November 2011

VLGA President’s Message
What a wonderful time we all enjoyed last Wednesday night, at the ‘Celebrate and Challenge’ event, hosted by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Susan Riley at the Melbourne Town Hall. Mayors, councillors, partners in the Women’s Participation in Local Government Coalition, representatives of government agencies and community groups, and citizens from across Victoria celebrated the endorsement by over 60 Victorian councils of the Local Government Women’s Charter and its principles of gender equity, diversity and active citizenship. Attended by more than 100 guests we also launched successful council models for implementing the Charter’s principles; the fourth edition of the highly successful candidate’s kit, A Gender Agenda, and a new campaign to boost women candidates in the 2012 elections – the VLGA’s ‘Think women for local government 2012’ project. It was wonderful to hear messages of support from Ministers Powell and Wooldridge on the night. Thanks also to Crs Cathy Oke, Jennifer Kanis, Jackie Watts and Brian Shanahan for their involvement in the event and special thanks to Lord Mayor Robert Doyle for dropping in to make us so welcome. I am especially pleased that everyone made it home safely afterwards, given the flood alerts and storm damage, including those of you who had travelled far to be there.

As part of the ‘Think women’ project, on Saturday just gone, Minister Powell opened a forum for the ALGWA Vic North East branch, encouraging women candidates for the local government elections in 2012. I acknowledge the support of ALGWA Vic, and the North East branch, in particular Strathbogie Shire Council, for driving this initiative – the first of our regional forums for the project.

I very much look forward to seeing many of you later this week at the VLGA’s inaugural Essential Councillor Retreat at Torquay. In the meantime please don’t hesitate to give me a call to discuss issues of interest to you on 0407 364 509, or drop me a line via email. Cheers.

Cr Samantha Dunn, President

Keeping you up to date

Draft plans for Melbourne’s growth unveiled
The Growth Areas Authority has released the draft Growth Corridor Plans and is inviting public comment until Tuesday 20 December. New housing, town centres, rail stations and jobs have been unveiled in a draft plan for Melbourne's growth suburbs over the next 30 years. The plan, released by the Victorian Government last Wednesday, guides growth in urban areas as Melbourne copes with an anticipated increase of two million people over the next 30 to 40 years. According to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, Planning Minister Matthew Guy says the growth corridors and the development within them represent the largest current construction project in Australia. Fifty-thousand new housing lots will be released by March 2012, and jobs and activity centres will also be created in outer urban areas along with investigations into new rail lines to Avalon and Melbourne airports. At first glance, this looks like a refreshingly different approach on the surface to getting infrastructure developed early. However, we remain concerned that the required planning, investment and government funding need to be aligned to achieve this outcome. The VLGA is very keen to hear members’ views so please let us know your thoughts on the draft.

Exciting first year for Responsible Gambling Advocacy Centre (RGAC)
The VLGA encourages members and colleagues to take a look at the RGAC’s first Annual Report. We agree with RGAC Chair Fiona McLeod that it has been an outstanding first year, and that, as Fiona says in the Annual Report, “The organisation has met its mandate of adding value to existing knowledge for all stakeholders in the gambling sector, providing a consumer voice, engaging with local government and the community at large, and keeping the Minister informed in relation to gambling issues.” Highlights include the launch of RGAC’s website (which the VLGA regularly refers local government staff and community members to for up-to-date resources and links), formal participation in the 2011 Responsible Gambling Awareness Week, the production of a variety of publications that have attracted high levels of use, and the development of RGAC’s ongoing discussion series program. We congratulate the RGAC Board, CEO Penny Wilson and staff for their work.

Human Rights Oration 2011 – The Big Picture
The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission is pleased to invite you to this year’s Human Rights Oration. Keynote speaker Bernard Salt is best known for his media commentary on the business implications of demographic and social change. He will blend humour and substance to paint the big picture: How will demographic change shape our community, and what has human rights got to do with it? The oration will be held on Tuesday 13 December, 12.30-1.30pm, at Zinc in Federation Square. This is a free and accessible public event, but registrations are required. RSVP by Wednesday 7 December to (03) 9032 3448 or email. Visit the Human Rights Commission website for more details and to register.

Thriving Neighbourhoods conference papers now available – Capturing the returns from liveable, sustainable communities

Thriving Neighbourhoods showed how emerging techniques for the planning, design and management of communities could radically improve health, social engagement, environmental conservation and productivity in communities. Go online to see the conference report and conference papers.

IAP2 Australasia News
This week IAP2 Australasia has published its training calendar for 2012. This year IAP2 has added two new courses to their training calendar: Building an Engaging Organisation focuses on how to build an organisation with engagement at the heart of how it does business. The course is designed specifically for senior practitioners and managers responsible for the community engagement/public participation function in an organisation; Cred! is a new active, practical professional development program that develops your confidence to build strong relationships and personal and professional credibility in your organisation. It is designed for engagement practitioners who want to build respected, influential, credible and valued relationships with key decision makers and leaders in their organisation.

Baillieu Government supports schools to teach second languages
Last week the Victorian Government announced that state schools that do not currently teach a second language will be eligible for $1 million in grants next year to implement second language programs. Wesa Chau, the 2010 Young Victorian of the Year and Deputy President for the Chinese Community Council of Australia (Victoria Chapter), has welcomed the news that the Government will make learning a second language compulsory in prep from 2015.

Statistics from the Victorian Government have revealed there has been a 30 per cent drop in the number of state primary schools teaching a second language over the past decade. The Government has yet to deliver on an election commitment to providing stronger support to community language schools by increasing per student funding from $120 to $190 per year in the Government’s first term.

Yarra Ranges supports the East Africa Appeal – will you?
At its meeting on 8 November, Yarra Ranges resolved to make a donation of $10,000 to the East Africa Appeal and to contact as a matter of urgency all other 78 local government municipalities in Victoria to challenge them to match or improve on this contribution. The crisis unfolding for millions of children and their families in East Africa is the result of years of drought, impacts of climate change and the high price of food and fuel, compounded by exclusion and poverty. Across Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti 13.3 million people, equivalent to two-thirds of the population of Australia, are affected by this devastating crisis, including over 4.14 million children, 1.6 million of whom are under 5 years old. This humanitarian crisis is the result of ongoing conflict and the worst drought in 60 years across the East and Horn of Africa. The UN declared famine in parts of Somalia in September. Hundreds of thousands of starving and malnourished refugees are seeking assistance in aid camps and an estimated 30,000 children have died in Somalia this year from malnutrition. The Australian Federal Government has announced it will match all donations made to the East Africa Appeal by 30 November 2011, on a dollar for dollar basis. Examples of the impact that a donation can have are outlined below:
* $20 will provide a clean water kit – soap, bucket, and water purification tablets for a family of five for one month
* $40 will provide clean water for 175 people for a day
* $75 will feed a family of six for two weeks
* $150 will provide high calorie food for 300 children suffering from severe malnutrition
* $250 will provide a health kit for a clinic to support 150 people for three months
Donations can be made here.

National Rural Women’s Coalition (NRWC) Survey
The NRWC, in conjunction with the Australian Women Against Violence Alliance (AWAVA) and the Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research (CDFVR) at CQ University, is developing a toolkit of materials to support women in their local communities in implementing the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. They require accurate input from those who already work in the field to ensure that the toolkit developed is complementary to existing resources and that there is no unnecessary duplication. If you have been using a wonderful resource, the NRWC would like to hear about it. If you think there is a gap in resources, let them know, and they can include it in their planning for the toolkit. Click here to take the survey. If you would like to receive ongoing updates on the progress of this project, please contact Sandra Stoddart, Executive Officer, National Rural Women's Coalition and Network via email.

Events for your diary

VLGA events

Making human rights real – Melbourne, Ballarat & Hume workshops
Wednesday 16 November (Melbourne CBD)
Friday 18 November (Hume)
Tuesday 22 November (Ballarat)
Learn more about human rights and how to translate them into the work of your organisation.
The Australian Centre for Human Rights Education at RMIT, the VLGA and VCOSS are hosting a series of free participatory workshops across Victoria to facilitate people's understanding of human rights and to develop a human rights approach to service delivery and policy development in locally based organisations. The workshops are funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department as part of a project to identify the importance of human rights education. The workshops are designed for both the community and local government sectors – for management, service delivery workers, board members, councillors, advocates and members of vulnerable groups – and use case studies to highlight human rights and how to support human rights for people in local communities. The next workshops will be held in:
Melbourne CBD: Wednesday 16 November, 10am-2pm; RMIT University, Melbourne (corner Russell & Victoria Streets, Building 13, Level 3, Room 07)
Hume: Friday 18 November, 10am-1pm; Hume Global Learning Centre Council Chamber, 1093 Pascoe Vale Road, Broadmeadows
Ballarat: Tuesday 22 November, 10am-1pm; Ballarat Town Hall – Trench Room, Sturt St, Ballarat

To register for the workshops, please phone Michelle at VCOSS on (03) 9654 5050 or register online for the workshop closest to you. To see the workshop flyers, click on our VLGA Events Calendar. For further information, contact the VLGA’s Human Rights Policy & Project Officer, Gary Jungwirth, via email or phone (03) 9349 7999.

Climate Justice Roundtable – What does the ‘climate-just’ Australian city look like?

Tuesday 29 November, 9am-12.30pm
RMIT Storey Hall, Building 16, Level 7 Conference Rms 1 & 2
*Limited places*
The aim of this roundtable is to bring together a caucus of diverse members of our community to identify and advance climate justice imperatives and opportunities within the Australian city context. The emphasis is on collaborative engagement, deliberation and dialogue focused around key questions such as: What is the climate-just city? How do the practices and stories of climate justice connect people with other elements of the natural world? How does the notion of a ‘climate just’ city challenge, complement, or replace current rights and privileges? Who dominates, who benefits and who gets left behind? Please join us for this inaugural event of the Australian climate justice research network (ACJRN) jointly hosted by the VLGA, Griffith University, Curtin University, Macquarie University, Monash University and RMIT. See our website for the registration flyer.

Other events

Better Roads, Better Buses, Better Trains
Wednesday 16 November, 8.45am-1pm
Monash University Berwick Campus, Lecture Theatre G121 Building 903
100 Clyde Rd, Berwick, Melways ref. 111 C10
This forum has been organised by City of Casey on the state of the Monash Freeway and public transport in Melbourne’s south-east. For more details and to register see the Casey City Council website.

Sustainability Victoria quarterly forum – Distributed Generation
Friday 25 November, 9.30-11.30am
Sustainability Victoria
Level 28, 50 Lonsdale St, Melbourne (also via web cast)
Sustainability Victoria invites you to the latest of its quarterly forums for local government officers and managers. Distributed generation of electricity can play a key role in energy management in Victoria and provides great opportunities for local governments. Navigating the process can be difficult but there is help at hand. This forum looks at the benefits of distributed generation and will launch Sustainability Victoria's guide to getting grid connected. You will also hear how distribution businesses view distributed generation and from the project manager of a successful installation.
Presentations will include:
* Michael Williamson, Sustainability Victoria: Distributed generation – the next frontier for energy
* John Edgoose, Sustainability Victoria: Distributed Generation Connection Guide – Sustainability Victoria's new guide for linking into the electricity network
* Joe Thomas, Powercor Australia: How the distribution business looks at distributed energy
* Rick Kwasek, Boroondara City Council: Ashburton Smart Energy Zone – implementing a shared cogen energy system
RSVP by 5pm Tuesday 22 November to email Nick Bailey or phone (03) 8626 8824.

5th ‘State of Australian Cities’ National Conference
Tuesday 29 November – Friday 2 December
University of Melbourne, Parkville
Australia’s society and economy are dominated by its cities and regions, and the future of Australia’s environment is also linked to urban sustainability. The State of Australian Cities is a national forum, held biennially, to share scholarship directed at the complex and multidimensional issues facing us as an urban nation. Australian cities are highly ranked internationally for their liveability, and have continued to grow strongly through a global financial crisis. Yet we are confronted with significant challenges. These challenges should not blind us to opportunities. For the first time in two decades, the Federal Government is talking about the need to address the infrastructure gap in cities. A growing body of urban researchers is interested in the policy implications of their work, while policy-makers are increasingly turning to the developing evidence base. Unlikely coalitions are springing up to address intertwined social, economic, environmental, governance, and infrastructure issues.