VLGA President’s Message
It was great to see so many of you at the National General Assembly last week in Canberra. What struck me this year was the large number of councillors who were either fresh out of their local government elections or heading for them later this year as we are in Victoria, and I enjoyed meeting people from other states. While we were there, some significant challenges emerged for the sector. The outcome of the High Court decision on the Commonwealth chaplaincy program (the Williams case) has brought the possibility that the key Roads to Recovery program may be vulnerable to constitutional challenge. If you haven't seen the ALGA's media release on this matter I strongly suggest you read it and seek further information within your Council. The VLGA believes that the Williams case provides a catalyst for renewed effort by the local government sector and the Commonwealth Government to ensure the Australian Constitution recognises local government. While the High Court decision strengthens the case for constitutional recognition, it remains far from certain that the Commonwealth government will proceed with a referendum. If we are serious as a sector about constitutional recognition of local government, we need to capitalise on the strategic implications of this decision – the ALGA needs to continue communicating with the Australian public about financial recognition, about what it means for them as citizens and ratepayers, and what this decision means longer term. Our communities need certainty about funding programs that provide them with critical infrastructure and they need to comprehend the importance of local government if we are to secure a 'yes' vote in the proposed referendum. Referenda only succeed with mass and bi-partisan support. As the level of government closest to the people, we are best placed to convince people that local government is important and that constitutional recognition is crucial. Local governments need to take this matter directly to their communities, to supplement the ALGA and MAV leadership on this issue. Passivity in our sector can only lead to failure. This means that on a nationally coordinated basis, local governments must lead a national conversation about the importance of constitutional recognition. The VLGA Board is a strong supporter of constitutional recognition of local government. The other significant matter last week was the introduction to the Victorian Parliament of the Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2012. This legislation deals with a large range of issues including differential rates. The VLGA believes that local governments must be empowered to work with their communities to take leadership on important issues and delivering crucial services. We have more to say on this below. Please don’t hesitate to email or give me a call on 0407 364 509 if there’s anything you wish to discuss. Cheers.
Cr Samantha Dunn, President
Keeping you up to date
Victorian Government to change local government
The Victorian Parliament is currently considering the Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2012. The Bill proposes a number of changes, including campaign donation disclosure, conflict of interest and councillor conduct hearings. Some brief detail is provided in the Minister for Local Government’s media release on the Bill. The VLGA is particularly concerned about the proposal to change the process for councils to implement differential rates, and you can see our media release online. The changes will allow the Local Government Minister to implement new guidelines for differential rates and provide the Minister the power to prevent councils from implementing differential rates. We welcome the six-month consultation process for the development of the guidelines. We will be working with the Victorian Government, VLGA members and community leaders to ensure that the new guidelines continue to allow councils to address defined objectives by implementing differential rates and associated policies and programs. The VLGA will also be seeking the views of councillors and local governments on the content and implications of the Bill. For further information or to provide the VLGA with your views on the Bill, please contact Toby Archer, Director Policy, on 9349 7902 or via email.
Census updates and other statistics about Victorian communities
Census 2011 profiles of all Victorian municipalities, and profiles of indigenous residents, are now available via the VLGA website. Further Census updates, including profiles of Victorian townships and suburbs, spoken languages, birthplaces, educational outcomes and other issues, as well as maps, will become available over the next two months. This is part of a collaborative project between the VLGA and the City of Greater Dandenong, to provide up-to-date, user-friendly statistical information about all Victorian municipalities. In addition to 2011 Census findings, the website features information about social, health and economic conditions; housing; cultural diversity and settlement; employment and education; gambling, crime, transport and young people. For access, click on the Resources menu on the VLGA homepage, then select Social Statistics about Victorian Communities.
Electoral regulation changes
All election candidates need to be aware that there have been some recent changes to the Local Government Act Electoral regulations. Amendments to the regulations change the deadlines for the submission of candidate statements for postal voting, and the lodgement of how to vote cards for attendance voting among other matters. Visit our Candidate Resources page to find material on the election, campaigning and other local government information.
More funding for recycling
The VLGA is pleased to see that last week, Minister for Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith announced an additional $11.5million towards improved recycling infrastructure and programs. This brings to more than $25million the total of recent investments of landfill levy announced by the Government since the Sustainability Victoria review.
Food security and the metropolitan planning strategy
In the VLGA’s view, previous metropolitan strategies have given little consideration to planning for food security Melbourne and beyond. A recent series of reports and maps in The Age highlighted the importance of planning for food; see here and here. The Victorian Parliament Environment and Planning References Committee Inquiry into Environmental Design and Public Health in Victoria recently emphasised this in its recommendation that, “the Melbourne Metropolitan Strategy includes measures to identify and protect valuable agricultural land in peri-urban Melbourne”. You can make your views known about the importance of planning for food and to keep informed about the strategy’s development by subscribing to the Planning Strategy newsletter for updates.
Rights in focus
The Rights in Focus: Local government and the Charter Report document is now available online. You can download the main Charter report as well as the local government report.
VLGA to host Thriving Neighbourhoods session
The VLGA will host a special session at the international Thriving Neighbourhoods 2012, to be held in Melbourne on 12-14 November. As a conference supporter, VLGA members are entitled to significant discounts: up to $260 off the full registration fee, and further discount on early bird registration.
Events for your diary
VLGA Events
Resilient Cities Workshop
Thursday 5 July, 3-5pm
60 Leicester St, Carlton
The VLGA and the Victorian Local Sustainability Accord invite you to a workshop to review and discuss information gathered to date for the Resilient Neighbourhoods: Integrated Approaches to Urban Change project. This free two-hour workshop has been designed for councillors, sustainability officers, statutory and strategic planners, corporate planners and community engagement officers. Registration is essential – RSVP via email or phone (03) 9349 7999.
July Leading Edge Forum – Resilient Cities: What ingredients are needed to support sustainable urban change?
Thursday 5 July, 6-9pm
60 Leicester St, Carlton
We invite you to join us for this practical and informative Leading Edge Forum which will look at how local governments can facilitate sustainable urban change and help build resilient communities for the future. Featuring presentations from three diverse speakers, the forum will share current best practice approaches in integration, community engagement and sustainable development. Register online or phone (03) 9349 7999.
VLGA Facebook updates this week
Don’t forget to visit the VLGA Facebook page to stay up-to-date with VLGA news and activities. Read VLGA CEO Maree McPherson’s posts from the National General Assembly of Local Government. Link through to VLGA President Samantha Dunn’s article in the Local Government Focus newspaper and the new VLGA Social Statistics webpage to view current social, health and economic indicators for your community. Follow the VLGA Facebook page for links to hints, tips and resources as we move toward the October local government elections.
Other Events
15th International Riversymposium
8-11 October
Melbourne
Registrations are now open for the 15th International Riversymposium, to be held for the first time in Melbourne in October 2012. This year’s event will look at Rivers in a Rapidly Urbanising World and will explore the intricately linked pressures on rivers as our urban population grows. For more information and to register, please visit www.riversymposium.com. Earlybird registrations close 11 July.
It was great to see so many of you at the National General Assembly last week in Canberra. What struck me this year was the large number of councillors who were either fresh out of their local government elections or heading for them later this year as we are in Victoria, and I enjoyed meeting people from other states. While we were there, some significant challenges emerged for the sector. The outcome of the High Court decision on the Commonwealth chaplaincy program (the Williams case) has brought the possibility that the key Roads to Recovery program may be vulnerable to constitutional challenge. If you haven't seen the ALGA's media release on this matter I strongly suggest you read it and seek further information within your Council. The VLGA believes that the Williams case provides a catalyst for renewed effort by the local government sector and the Commonwealth Government to ensure the Australian Constitution recognises local government. While the High Court decision strengthens the case for constitutional recognition, it remains far from certain that the Commonwealth government will proceed with a referendum. If we are serious as a sector about constitutional recognition of local government, we need to capitalise on the strategic implications of this decision – the ALGA needs to continue communicating with the Australian public about financial recognition, about what it means for them as citizens and ratepayers, and what this decision means longer term. Our communities need certainty about funding programs that provide them with critical infrastructure and they need to comprehend the importance of local government if we are to secure a 'yes' vote in the proposed referendum. Referenda only succeed with mass and bi-partisan support. As the level of government closest to the people, we are best placed to convince people that local government is important and that constitutional recognition is crucial. Local governments need to take this matter directly to their communities, to supplement the ALGA and MAV leadership on this issue. Passivity in our sector can only lead to failure. This means that on a nationally coordinated basis, local governments must lead a national conversation about the importance of constitutional recognition. The VLGA Board is a strong supporter of constitutional recognition of local government. The other significant matter last week was the introduction to the Victorian Parliament of the Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2012. This legislation deals with a large range of issues including differential rates. The VLGA believes that local governments must be empowered to work with their communities to take leadership on important issues and delivering crucial services. We have more to say on this below. Please don’t hesitate to email or give me a call on 0407 364 509 if there’s anything you wish to discuss. Cheers.
Cr Samantha Dunn, President
Keeping you up to date
Victorian Government to change local government
The Victorian Parliament is currently considering the Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2012. The Bill proposes a number of changes, including campaign donation disclosure, conflict of interest and councillor conduct hearings. Some brief detail is provided in the Minister for Local Government’s media release on the Bill. The VLGA is particularly concerned about the proposal to change the process for councils to implement differential rates, and you can see our media release online. The changes will allow the Local Government Minister to implement new guidelines for differential rates and provide the Minister the power to prevent councils from implementing differential rates. We welcome the six-month consultation process for the development of the guidelines. We will be working with the Victorian Government, VLGA members and community leaders to ensure that the new guidelines continue to allow councils to address defined objectives by implementing differential rates and associated policies and programs. The VLGA will also be seeking the views of councillors and local governments on the content and implications of the Bill. For further information or to provide the VLGA with your views on the Bill, please contact Toby Archer, Director Policy, on 9349 7902 or via email.
Census updates and other statistics about Victorian communities
Census 2011 profiles of all Victorian municipalities, and profiles of indigenous residents, are now available via the VLGA website. Further Census updates, including profiles of Victorian townships and suburbs, spoken languages, birthplaces, educational outcomes and other issues, as well as maps, will become available over the next two months. This is part of a collaborative project between the VLGA and the City of Greater Dandenong, to provide up-to-date, user-friendly statistical information about all Victorian municipalities. In addition to 2011 Census findings, the website features information about social, health and economic conditions; housing; cultural diversity and settlement; employment and education; gambling, crime, transport and young people. For access, click on the Resources menu on the VLGA homepage, then select Social Statistics about Victorian Communities.
Electoral regulation changes
All election candidates need to be aware that there have been some recent changes to the Local Government Act Electoral regulations. Amendments to the regulations change the deadlines for the submission of candidate statements for postal voting, and the lodgement of how to vote cards for attendance voting among other matters. Visit our Candidate Resources page to find material on the election, campaigning and other local government information.
More funding for recycling
The VLGA is pleased to see that last week, Minister for Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith announced an additional $11.5million towards improved recycling infrastructure and programs. This brings to more than $25million the total of recent investments of landfill levy announced by the Government since the Sustainability Victoria review.
Food security and the metropolitan planning strategy
In the VLGA’s view, previous metropolitan strategies have given little consideration to planning for food security Melbourne and beyond. A recent series of reports and maps in The Age highlighted the importance of planning for food; see here and here. The Victorian Parliament Environment and Planning References Committee Inquiry into Environmental Design and Public Health in Victoria recently emphasised this in its recommendation that, “the Melbourne Metropolitan Strategy includes measures to identify and protect valuable agricultural land in peri-urban Melbourne”. You can make your views known about the importance of planning for food and to keep informed about the strategy’s development by subscribing to the Planning Strategy newsletter for updates.
Rights in focus
The Rights in Focus: Local government and the Charter Report document is now available online. You can download the main Charter report as well as the local government report.
VLGA to host Thriving Neighbourhoods session
The VLGA will host a special session at the international Thriving Neighbourhoods 2012, to be held in Melbourne on 12-14 November. As a conference supporter, VLGA members are entitled to significant discounts: up to $260 off the full registration fee, and further discount on early bird registration.
Events for your diary
VLGA Events
Resilient Cities Workshop
Thursday 5 July, 3-5pm
60 Leicester St, Carlton
The VLGA and the Victorian Local Sustainability Accord invite you to a workshop to review and discuss information gathered to date for the Resilient Neighbourhoods: Integrated Approaches to Urban Change project. This free two-hour workshop has been designed for councillors, sustainability officers, statutory and strategic planners, corporate planners and community engagement officers. Registration is essential – RSVP via email or phone (03) 9349 7999.
July Leading Edge Forum – Resilient Cities: What ingredients are needed to support sustainable urban change?
Thursday 5 July, 6-9pm
60 Leicester St, Carlton
We invite you to join us for this practical and informative Leading Edge Forum which will look at how local governments can facilitate sustainable urban change and help build resilient communities for the future. Featuring presentations from three diverse speakers, the forum will share current best practice approaches in integration, community engagement and sustainable development. Register online or phone (03) 9349 7999.
VLGA Facebook updates this week
Don’t forget to visit the VLGA Facebook page to stay up-to-date with VLGA news and activities. Read VLGA CEO Maree McPherson’s posts from the National General Assembly of Local Government. Link through to VLGA President Samantha Dunn’s article in the Local Government Focus newspaper and the new VLGA Social Statistics webpage to view current social, health and economic indicators for your community. Follow the VLGA Facebook page for links to hints, tips and resources as we move toward the October local government elections.
Other Events
15th International Riversymposium
8-11 October
Melbourne
Registrations are now open for the 15th International Riversymposium, to be held for the first time in Melbourne in October 2012. This year’s event will look at Rivers in a Rapidly Urbanising World and will explore the intricately linked pressures on rivers as our urban population grows. For more information and to register, please visit www.riversymposium.com. Earlybird registrations close 11 July.
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