As the VLGA anticipated in a previous edition of eNews, the Local Government Amendment (Electoral Matters) Act 2011 has passed both houses of Parliament. The Act contains some important governance reforms we have been advocating for, including bringing forward local government elections to the fourth Saturday in October, starting on 27 October 2012. Importantly, the Act also allows for: the return of democracy to Brimbank City Council; the shortening of time to lodge campaign donation returns from 60 days to 40 days following election day; and a measure called for by the City of Melbourne, namely regular electoral reviews there by the Victorian Electoral Commission. Speaking of the declaration of election donations, it is noteworthy that the Act also shortens from 28 days to 14 days the period that CEOs will have to report election donations to the Minister following candidate declarations. The issue of election donations received a bit of media attention last week, with some calling for the mandatory publication of such donations on local government websites. The VLGA supports this call, but we also believe that the resource needs of smaller local governments should be reflected by a reasonable implementation period. When we next have one of our regular meetings with Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell, we will be keen to discuss this issue further.
I look forward to seeing you around and about, and 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
Advance diary notice! 2011 Essential Councillor Retreat: Making the 4th year count
Councillors are invited to pencil in 18-19 November for the VLGA’s Essential Councillor Retreat to be held at Peppers The Sands Resort in Torquay. The retreat will feature a number of expert-led practical workshops and networking opportunities pertinent to how councillors approach the 4th year of the council term. There will be a focus on: identifying and addressing public emotion and outrage; engaging effectively with local communities; taking stock and leaving a legacy; governing in the final year of council’s term; as well as ‘beyond Facebook and Twitter: communicating in ways that suit community needs’. A program flyer has been sent to all councillors, and the registration form and program will follow shortly. For more information, contact Darren Ray, Director Policy & Public Affairs via email or telephone (03) 9349 7902. Inspiring Communities Conference in Shepparton
Last week VLGA staff attended the above conference along with several hundred, mainly local government attendees. It was indeed a very inspiring conference organised and hosted by the Greater Shepparton City Council. A central theme of the conference was that in times of economic downturn and funding challenges, the critical work that local governments do every day to build stronger communities, through genuine and broad community engagement, is as important as ever. In a local media story in the Shepparton News, US expert Jim Diers noted that “…people say ‘how can you afford community planning’ and I say ‘how can you afford not to?’”. (Please note: the Shepparton News website is currently down – leave it a day or two then access the story here.) The conference also highlighted many case studies of smaller towns thriving despite drought, unemployment and other changes, mainly due to creative ‘bottom-up’ actions of communities across the country. Inspiring speaker Peter Kenyon reminded attendees of a saying that ‘we can either be victims of change or we can plan for it, shape it, and emerge stronger from it. The choice is ours’. As conference papers become available we will provide links to members, but in the meantime you may wish to look at similar presentations by Peter Kenyon and Jim Diers.
Review of Victoria’s Planning Systems
Speaking of genuine and broad community engagement, in our submission to the review we highlight the value of investing in community engagement in critical land use and development issues, but in a different way. Not top down engagement or ‘outside in’ but from the ‘inside out’. We also argue that effective strategic planning requires genuine, creative and ongoing community engagement partnerships; and this is supported by enabling better public access to and understanding of the system, but goes well beyond access by encouraging and enabling full public participation. We believe that democratic and governance principles are upheld when the system ensures input into decisions by those who will be affected by them. This includes community engagement in strategic planning processes, appropriate third party objection rights regarding statutory planning decisions and a process for appealing them, all of which need to be transparent and accessible. These need to be maintained as vital aspects of the planning system, without creating undue delays or encouraging vexatious objections. This will help the planning system to maintain delicate balancing acts, such as protecting local neighbourhood character and amenity on the one hand, while implementing strategic goals such as a more compact urban form where appropriate. This is the trade-off that communities expect and deserve. If you have views you would like to share with us contact Philip Schier, the VLGA’s Senior Policy Officer, via email or phone (03) 9349 7999.
Improving inter-agency rail corridor communications workshop
Last Thursday, the VLGA co-hosted a VicTrack workshop with CEOs, general and infrastructure managers, and customer service managers from the Cities of Banyule, Brimbank and Hume. The workshop focused on developing a communications filter process that aims to improve community’s ease of interacting with government bodies and departments in relation to issues raised in the rail corridor. Speakers included the Public Transport Ombudsman Janine Young, Geoff Oulton from the Department of Transport, Banyule CEO Simon McMillan, and others from VicTrack, Metro and Brimbank. Attendees also included representatives from V/Line and the Australian Rail Track Corporation. The workshop arose from earlier discussions at the North Western Metro Regional Managers Forum by the CEOs of Banyule, Brimbank and Hume about their difficulty in knowing how to contact VicTrack, particularly in relation to strategic planning and progressing development proposals in the rail corridor. The VLGA is pleased to have supported our member local governments and VicTrack in this initiative and we aim to develop a wider outreach to more local governments on this basis. The VLGA acknowledges the excellent support of VicTrack in enabling this workshop to take place.
Comments invited on the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2011-2015
The State Government recently released Victoria's first ever Public Health and Wellbeing Plan to fight rising rates of chronic and preventable diseases. Minister for Health and Ageing David Davis said the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2011-2015 sets the agenda for improving health and wellbeing across the state over the next four years. The plan aims to improve the health and wellbeing of all Victorians by engaging communities in prevention, and by strengthening systems for health protection, health promotion and preventive healthcare across all sectors and all levels of government. The VLGA is pleased to see the recommendation in the plan to “…support local councils and urban planners to enhance supply of and access to nutritious food in municipalities through promoting the uptake of existing tools (for example, the Victorian Local Governance Association’s Municipal food security scanning tool and the Heart Foundation’s Food-sensitive planning and urban design).” Written comments and feedback on the plan are sought by the State Government. Comments and feedback not exceeding 1500 words can be sent by email. The closing date is 14 October 2011.State Government policy published on cumulative impacts of licensed venues
Following its first planning reform on coming to government, the State Government has now published the following statement representing its policy concerning the assessment of the cumulative impact of licensed premises. In the gazetted statement by Michael O’Brien MP, Minister for Consumer Affairs and the Minister responsible for administering the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998, he states that the Victorian Government aims to ensure that Victoria remains one of the most liveable, attractive and prosperous areas in the world for residents, business and visitors. In the planning (licensed venues) and liquor licensing contexts, the Victorian Government believes that harm minimisation; cultural vibrancy; competitive liquor, hospitality and tourism industries; economic wellbeing; and liveability should all be considered, with particular emphasis on harm minimisation. For a full copy of the statement, see the State Government’s Gazette.
$110 million out of $150 million from Regional Development Australia Fund goes to local governments
The Federal Government will provide $150 million towards 35 community projects worth about $418 million, from Round One of the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF). Twenty-two of the 35 successful projects (approximately $110 million), are local government projects, underscoring the critically important role they play in the regions. Projects funded in Victoria include the Sandhurst (Bendigo) Community Theatre Complex – Bendigo; the new Geelong Library and Heritage Centre – Geelong; the Skilled Stadium Redevelopment - Stage 3 (Southern Stand) – Geelong; the Lake Hamilton Regional All Abilities Playground and Foreshore Redevelopment – Grampians; and the Clunes Community and Interpretive Centre – Clunes. Details of all funded projects, along with information on Round Two (another $150 million) which will open in November, can be found on the Regional Australia website.
VLGA supports Thriving Neighbourhoods
Thriving Neighbourhoods (TN) is a conference series that explores the impact of the built and natural environments on communities’ health, wellbeing and productivity. The VLGA is a major conference supporter and as such, VLGA members are entitled to a $100-discount on the registration fees. The 2011 conference at the St Kilda Town Hall, 25-26 October focuses on the role of local governments in creating liveable, sustainable and healthy communities: how they engage stakeholders including the property, planning, parks and recreation, health, and other government sectors. The conference will take these diverse groups out of their silos and work collaboratively to create a living environment where residents are healthy and productive. Paul Hawken, renowned author whose works have transformed businesses’ thinking about their impact on the environment, will be in Melbourne to address the conference. In The Ecology of Commerce, he argues for ‘full-cost accounting’: taking account of social, environmental and economic costs to truly gauge the impact of a business decision. For the full program and to register go to http://thrivingneighbourhoods2011.org. TN is hosted by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, a non-profit movement of local governments aimed at building capacity of councils to implement long-term local actions to achieve sustainable development. The City of Port Phillip is ICLEI’s principal partner.
Making human rights real – Bendigo workshop
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. A workshop will be held in Bendigo on Tuesday 27 September, 9.30am-12.30pm, in the Reception Room, Council Offices, 195-229 Lyttleton Terrace. See the flyer and registration details here. To register please phone Michelle at VCOSS on (03) 9654 5050. There will be no charge for the workshops. For further information, contact the VLGA’s Human Rights Policy & Project Officer Gary Jungwirth via email or phone (03) 9349 7999.
50% discount for 9th Annual Victorian Transport Infrastructure Conference
As an endorsing partner, the VLGA has secured a massive 50% discount for our members to this conference on 15-16 November in Melbourne. With a strong focus on issues relevant to local governments, guest presenters include Ballarat and Melbourne CEOs Anthony Schinck and Dr Kathy Alexander. There are three easy ways for VLGA members to register: on the internet; by telephone (02) 9080 4307; or via email. Make sure you quote the following exclusive VLGA event code: P11M41 with your booking. For more information and to see the program, go here. To stay connected to this conference, follow it on LinkedIn, Twitter (#victransport), the Informa blog, or Youtube.
Early bird discount and offer for Creative Innovation 2011 Conference
VLGA members are advised that the early bird registration date has been extended until this Thursday 16 September, and you can save over $500, plus receive a free subscription to BRW magazine. To receive a further 10% discount on tickets for your staff, members and associates the special discount code/password is CONNECT. This is a two-day conference with the theme ‘The challenges and opportunities of a super-connected world’ to be held from 16-18 November. Find out more here.
Events for your diary
VLGA events
October LEF – Future population, infrastructure and sustainability in local communities: rethinking the debates
Thursday 6 October, 6-9pm
VLGA, Carlton
To be held on the eve of Victoria’s Planning Week, pencil this next LEF into your diary as we bring a range of economic, planning and sustainability experts together to reflect on the current debates about whether we are ‘managing’ population growth or whether it is managing us, and the implications for local governments and communities. Further details will be sent to members shortly, and you can register online now.
VLGA Training: New Councillors Workshop
Saturday 24 September, 9am-2pm
VLGA, Carlton
The VLGA is holding its next New Councillors Workshop on Saturday 24 September, 9am-2pm at 60 Leicester St in Carlton. This workshop is for councillors who have come into office in the last 12 months or so, and also features a follow-up segment for councillors who attended our previous workshop in March. See our website for the program and to register. Please contact Sarah Colgan, Member Resources Officer, for further information, via email or telephone (03) 9349 7983.
Other events
Reinventing the Regions Series: Hume Region – Transitioning for the Future
Friday 16 September, 8.30am-3.00pm
Parklake Hotel, 481 Wyndham Street, Shepparton
The Hume Region is probably best known as Victoria’s food bowl heartland. The region supplies Victoria and the country with 60 per cent of its agricultural products, and has a broadly diversified economy with strengths in manufacturing, food processing, packaging (warehousing and freight) and logistics. It lies at a critical juncture, linking the towns and cities of Victoria to national highways, rail freight lines and the Port of Melbourne.
It has faced significant challenges over the past few years, overcoming the impacts of droughts and flooding. To transition for the future, deeper investment in skills, education, sustainable and competitive agricultural and water management practices will be required. Importantly, transport connectivity is vital for enhanced growth and this forum will provide an opportunity to look at both passenger and freight needs for the future. New and existing partnerships between the business community and government agencies will continue to be fostered and promoted as a method to collectively work towards achieving the vision for the region. It is through these partnerships that the region will work towards desired outcomes for economic development, infrastructure provisions and community life. Find out more about the event, the panelists and register on the Committee for Economic Development Australia’s (CEDA) website.
Bringing BedZED to Melbourne – Are BioRegional's One Planet Principles useful for Victorian Urban Development?
Tuesday-Wednesday 27-28 September
Storey Hall, RMIT City Campus
The Centre for Design at RMIT University would like to invite you to participate in a free 1½-day event of presentations and discussions around the theme: Bringing BedZED to Melbourne – Are BioRegional's One Planet Principles useful for Victorian Urban Development? Bioregional's One Planet Principles are being used in the design and management of communities by leading developers in Europe, Asia and North America with over 100,000 homes now built, in construction or planning, which have used the framework. The principles and concept of One Planet Living are also being used by municipalities and companies as an overarching strategic planning and communications framework. For more information on BioRegional and their work, you can download the information booklet or follow these links BioRegional and one planet communities. As places are limited, please RSVP by Saturday 17 September to Nicole McGrath, and include details of any special dietary requirements.
Housing: Where to from here?
Wednesday 28 September, 8am-2pm
Hilton on the Park, 192 Wellington Parade, Melbourne
With some of the world’s most expensive properties, Australia’s housing sector is never far from the headlines. The housing sector in Australia is exhibiting signs of a ‘patchwork’ economy – sluggish in some areas, and booming in others. The policy challenge is more significant than the mining boom as it involves issues of town planning and broader land supply constraints while demand is influenced by a wide range of economic and social policies. Another CEDA event, this Housing forum will feature Federal Housing Minister Senator Mark Arbib, and will take an all-encompassing look at the macro-economic picture for the housing market, with a critical analysis of the public policy platforms that determine the condition of the sector. This will include the critical issue of town planning, the effectiveness of which is currently subject to review by the Baillieu Government with the establishment of the Urban Renewal Authority. You will hear from an expert panel of speakers discussing the big picture issues relating to the housing sector, public and social policy issues and the importance of getting land use and planning right. Find out more about the event, the panelists and register on the Committee for Economic Development Australia’s (CEDA) website.
Culture: A New Way of Thinking for Local Government
Tuesday 4 October, 9am-5pm
Melbourne Town Hall
In November 2010 the international peak body of local governments declared that culture was the ‘fourth pillar’ of sustainable development. This conference will look at how the inclusion of culture with social, environmental and economic policies strengthens local governance, and will include diverse perspectives on cultural policy from across the Asia-Pacific region. Conference topics will include:
* Can positive change be expected as a result of the Declaration?
* How can the Declaration assist councils to achieve best outcomes for their communities?
* What are the different ways 'culture' is interpreted and how do these influence local government policies in relation to the arts?
More information at www.culturaldevelopment.net.au.
6th Annual Community Newspapers Association of Victoria Conference
Friday-Saturday, 7-8 October
Geelong Conference Centre, Adams Court, Eastern Park Gardens
The Community Newspapers Association of Victoria (CNAV) is the peak body representing community newspapers in the state, with a current membership of around 60 members. CNAV defines a community newspaper as a newspaper or newsletter that is owned by the community. This could mean a newsletter produced by a community house or a newspaper that is produced by a group of volunteers for a town or community group. CNAV actively works with its members to enhance the capacity and standing of community newspapers, to enable them to fully realise their vital role in communities. To join CNAV at their 6th Annual Conference in Geelong, visit http://cnav.org.au/.
Thursday-Friday 13-14 October
Melbourne Town Hall
3 Pillars Network presents the Climate Change Adaptation National Congress in partnership with NCCARF & CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship & Net Balance. Early bird registration rates are available until 22 September for this two-day interactive forum exploring the policy, strategies and business models needed to enable a climate resilient future for Australia. Keynote speakers include Rear Admiral D. Titley, Oceanographer and Navigator of the US Navy, and Dr Graeme Pearman, Monash University. The Congress is intended for organisations at all stages of adaptation planning. Using a participative process, sessions are designed to engage the collective expertise of all attendees – drawing on Australian and International experts across a range of disciplines to help bridge ‘knowledge gaps’ and inform new ideas. Visit www.climateadaptation.com.au for more details.
“Excite, Engage, Evolve” Australasian Conference for Public Participation
Thursday-Friday 20-21 October
Sydney Masonic Centre
Whether you’re new to the field, a seasoned practitioner, a councillor, or a senior executive keen to learn more, these popular events are a valuable chance to gain cutting-edge knowledge and skills. Aimed at communities, governments and the private sector, this year’s dynamic, interactive program is packed with opportunities to:
* hear from inspiring leaders in the field
* learn the latest techniques from the world’s leading thinkers
* join practicing peers to share ideas and creative approaches
* celebrate and recognise some shining examples of best practice
* share the secrets of quality community engagement outcomes
Speakers include some of the world’s recognised trailblazers in public participation, including internationally renowned social researcher Mark McCrindle, ABC broadcaster and facilitator Julie McCrossin, and highly regarded researchers and thinkers, Professors Lyn Carson (University of Western Sydney) and John Gastil (University of Washington). The winners of the IAP2’s Core Values Awards (both Australasian and International) will be presented at a special Gala Dinner on 20 October. Building on IAP2’s leading-edge reputation, this event promises to:
* Excite – learn why and how to motivate, mobilise and inspire communities to reach solid and sustained results
* Engage – discover how current practice can help communities make better decisions
* Evolve – hear how to meet the challenges of a fast-changing landscape:
- how to use technology effectively to reach different audiences
- how to leave a legacy of strong, resilient communities after natural disasters and other hardships
- how to revitalise and nurture ourselves in the face of sustained community outrage.
For more information and to register, go here.
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