Post on 10-Apr-2015
The Australian Local Government Yearbook® 2010
ISBN 978-1-921345-14-2
MINISTER’S FOREWORD
Our Regional and Local Community Infrastructure
Program now stands at more than $1 billion. It
has already provided funding to every local
government across Australia to build more than
3,300 small- and large-scale projects. 3,000 of these
projects have already been completed and others are
underway.
Together, we are building local infrastructure that
has supported thousands of local jobs during the
global economic recession while leaving a lasting
legacy in local communities. We have provided
this funding through local government because we
understand that as the sphere of government closest
to the community, councils and shires understand
community needs and priorities.
Our Local Government Reform Fund, a $25 million
partnership between all levels of government, has
begun funding collaborative reform projects to build
capacity and improve the sustainability of local
government.
The Australian Centre of Excellence for Local
Government – which the Prime Minister announced
at the ACLG last year -- has opened its doors, thanks
to an $8 million endowment from the Rudd Labor
Government.
The Government has also made sure that local
government is represented on every one of the 54 local
committees that form Regional Development Australia
– an organisation to help coordinate regional planning
and development and give regional Australians a
stronger voice in government.
We continue to provide record funding for local
roads through the Roads to Recovery program - $350
million each year. Over the past year, we have also
delivered funding to local governments to help improve
dangerous road black spots in communities.
Central to our approach is the Rudd Government’s
recognition of the key role that local government plays
in communities and in the lives of every Australian.
Each year, Australian councils and shires are
responsible for more than $20 billion of expenditure.
They employ more than 168,000 people and
maintain over half a million kilometres of road.
Local governments today provide a range of
services – child care, community services, parks,
playgrounds and recreational facilities, environmental
services and infrastructure.
Increasingly, they are involved in the economic
development of their communities as well as ensuring
social inclusion. They contribute to the productivity,
sustainability and liveability of our communities.
I look forward to working with local government
over the coming year to build and strengthen our
partnership.
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 1
Minister’s ForewordOver the past 12 months, the Rudd Labor Government’s partnership with local government has gone from strength to strength. We have changed the ways we work together to improve the quality of life of our communities. So far, we have held two meetings of the Australian Council of Local Government, which have brought mayors, shire presidents and local government representatives from across the nation to Parliament House to hold a genuine dialogue with the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers. I am pleased to say that the third meeting will take place on 18 June this year.
The Hon. Anthony AlbaneseMinister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
CONTENTS
2 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Editor-in-Chief: Ric NavarroDesign: Joanne MarchesePublished by:
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be reproduced in any form without the permission of the publisher.
First Edition 1993, Second Edition 1994, Third Edition 1995, Fourth Edition
1996, Fifth Edition 1997, Sixth Edition 1998, Seventh Edition 2000, Eighth
Edition 2001, Ninth Edition 2002, Tenth Edition 2003, Eleventh Edition
2004, Twelfth Edition 2005, Thirteenth Edition 2006, Fourteenth Edition
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Published 2010
ISBN 978-1-921345-14-2
While all reasonable care has been taken in the preparation of this
Yearbook, the editors and publishers do not guarantee the accuracy
of information contained in the text and advertisements. Every effort
has been made to acknowledge all sources and owners of copyright.
The views expressed in this Yearbook are those of the individual authors
and do not necessarily refl ect the opinion of the publishers and editors.
1 Minister’s Foreword
LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT4 Observations from COP15 – Copenhagen,
Denmark
9 Choose the savings plan from ME Bank that
suits you
10 Audits facilitate reform in local government
tendering
BEST PRACTICE12 Queensland Local Government Act 2009:
turning compliance into business success
14 Fleetcare – Technology & Innovation
18 What’s better than winning a Golden Globe?
20 Sydney Council says No to Coal
COMMUNITY & SOCIAL FABRIC21 ILUA binds Jangga People and councils
24 Food and urban change
EQUIPMENT & MACHINERY22 Mowing forwards with Toro Groundsmaster
5900/5910 series
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY26 Panasonic Australia
AGED CARE & COMMUNITY SERVICES28 Aged care packages in the community –
What local government needs to know
ANIMAL HEALTH31 Medibank & Lort Smith Animal Hospital
32 Lort Smith Animal Hospital - caring for animals
for 75 years
COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE34 Community Infrastructure:
Addressing overdue reforms
MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP37 What does good governance mean for councils?
41 Unlocking the potential of frontline managers
EDUCATION & TRAINING39 New Infrastructure Asset Management Course
40 Charles Sturt University
CONTENTS
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 3
INNOVATION46 New KODAK i4000 Series scanners
ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY48 The future of sustainable energy
52 Solar Inverters Pty Ltd
54 Local government can play major role in
promoting renewable energies
56 AGL leading the way
58 On Road to a cleaner future with Century Batteries
59 SHOROC Councils’ e-waste ban leads
Australia and confi rms new National Policy
60 Conergy – Our world is full of energy
62 Climate Report shows Australia getting warmer
63 Council’s new recycling initiative proving a
success
PARKS & OPEN SPACE64 Action for Young Australians Report
FINANCIAL & BUSINESS STRATEGY72 Business and Councils: Partnering for success
ASSET MANAGEMENT73 Councils under pressure to prepare asset
management plans
INFRASTRUCTURE75 Spatial data infrastructures – driving government
and society
82 Road crashes on Local Government Roads:
Causes and Solutions
87 Saferoads – Total Road Safety Solutions
89 AECOM transition delivers more for local
government
INFRASTRUCTURE & ENGINEERING80 The Gorge Road has the fi rst Basyc motorcycle
barrier installation in Australia
91 Now Komatsu Vantage-series graders
INFRASTRUCTURE – LIGHTING92 LED to light the way for councils
95 Councils struggling with street lighting costs
96 Generate more, with less
URBAN PLANNING, REVITALISATION & DEVELOPMENT98 New report fi nds traffi c congestion set to increase
100 Urban Renewal Revitalising Central Dandenong
102 Sustainable cities, sustainable councils
106 Can VicUrban help develop council-owned assets?
WATER108 Water reform vital for future supply
110 Taking the lead in Waterproofi ng the East
112 Managing Basin water resources –
a partnership at all levels of government
113 Harnessing recycled water
116 Water – the change challenge
119 Whittlesea sports fi elds makeover
122 Waterproofi ng Northern Adelaide
TENDERING & CONTRACTING124 Law surrounding the tender process
FLEET MANAGEMENT127 Century Batteries – Power Solutions for Australia’s
vehicle fl eet!
NATIONAL AWARDS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT128 Minister’s message
129 National Award for Excellence
131 Category Winner – Improving Service Delivery
Through Collaborations
132 Category Winner – Excellence in Alcohol
Management
133 Category Winner – Health and Wellbeing
134 Category Winner – Innovation in Community
Engagement
135 Category Winner – Innovation in Natural
Resource Management
136 Joint Category Winner – Leading Community
137 Category Winner – Leading Community
Greenhouse Actions
138 Category Winner – Strength in Diversity
140 Category Winner – Managing Community Assets
141 Category Winner – Women in Local Government
142 Category Winner – Strengthening Indigenous
Communities
144 Category Winner – Youth Engagement
LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Copenhagen was a fascinating spectacle. There
was much happening each day around the Bella
Centre (the venue for the talks) and it was great
to see the views of local government from around the
world being fed into the negotiating agenda of many
countries. There were about 20 people from Australian
councils who were also in Copenhagen for the talks as
part of the more than 30,000 strong army of observers.
I met regularly with many of them to ensure that the
Australian local government message was a consistent
one.
ICLEI (the International Network of Local
Governments for Sustainability) was pursuing the
inclusion of a specifi c reference to local government
in the ‘shared vision statement’ which was being
negotiated by countries at the COP. Although the
shared vision draft was shelved as the COP struggled
to achieve consensus at its conclusion, countries
generally saw and accepted a key role for local
government and other sub national governments to
play in adapting to the impacts of climate change in
the future.
If you followed the media coverage from
Copenhagen at the time, you will have a very good
idea of how the negotiations progressed - it was a fl uid
and diffi cult to control beast. The elephant lurking in
every room of the huge Bella Centre was the question
over what emissions targets should be agreed to by
nations, how this should differ between developed and
developing countries and the level of fi nancial support
to be paid by rich countries to poor countries. These
were the headline matters which were never far away
no matter what technical minutia was being thrashed
out between negotiators in one of the many rooms.
As a member of the Australian delegation, I was
able to participate in the daily Australian delegation
briefi ng meeting each morning. There were about 60
people involved in these discussions which took place
each morning at 8.30am prior to the commencement
of negotiating meetings. The business of the
delegation was very effi ciently organised and the
various Australian Government offi cials were allocated
across the myriad of meetings which took place
simultaneously each day. The morning delegation
meetings were a chance to report back on events from
the previous day and also to highlight issues that may
arise over the course of the coming day. I was also
given the opportunity to provide feedback at these
meetings.
(continued on page 6)
4 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Observations from COP15 –Copenhagen, DenmarkBy Geoff Lake, President of the Australian Local Government Association
I arrived in Copenhagen in time for day three of the COP15 talks at the end of last year. My role at Copenhagen was to represent the interests of Australian local government as part of Australia’s offi cial delegation. The Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann, was there representing premiers and chief ministers, and the Queensland climate change minister also attended. Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong, and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd were the federal elected members in the delegation. The rest of Australia’s 114 strong delegation were senior offi cials – mainly from the federal level but also a small number from state government.
Pictured with Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong
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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
6 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
(continued from page 4)
The Australian delegation was led by Louise Hand
who is Australia’s Ambassador for Climate Change. It
mainly comprised offi cials from the various relevant
Commonwealth departments (in particular the
Department of Climate Change and the Department
of Foreign Affairs and Trade). Perhaps appropriately for
a two week global discussion on climate change, a
weatherman from the Bureau of Meteorology was also
present.
It is hard to describe exactly what it was like being
in Copenhagen. The Bella Centre was a massive
space and it had been extended for COP15 with
huge temporary canvas structures. The peak morning
arrival of participants (almost all by train) was orderly
and generally effi cient – although this changed in
the second week as security was stepped up with
the arrival of world leaders. The tight security and
massive cloakroom was fast and the papers offi ce
similarly nimble in its ability to dispense thousands of
documents in a short period.
There were various interest groups broadly
recognised at COP15: businesses, farmers, indigenous
people, local government, trade unions, young people
and women. Each day there were approximately
100 side events scheduled which were open to all
participants. Topics discussed at the side events
traversed virtually all imaginable issues related to
climate change and sustainability. They tended to
be of varying quality, but most were informative and
featured expert presenters who had invested signifi cant
time in preparing their presentations. There were also
about 1,000 trade exhibitors – mostly NGOs trumpeting
their particular cause or countries boasting that
they had been doing more than their fair share in
combating climate change.
The whole experience resembled something similar
to a music festival – with 20,000 or so people milling
around, talking, eating at one of the various food
vendors (which were generally overpriced and of
fairly dismal quality), debating ideas or simply going
along to one of many events which were going on
throughout each day. Wireless internet was everywhere
and there were almost as many laptops as there were
people and mobile phones. NGO representatives
scampered left and right trying to get their hands on
that latest draft of some meeting just concluded or to
lobby someone or other. Other participants would be
checking their Facebook page or media websites from
their home country to see how it all was being reported.
On Thursday of the fi rst week, I passed a group of
enthusiastic young climate activists who had bailed
up Lord Christopher Monckton, a prominent climate
change sceptic, and engaged him in a rigorous
debate over climate science. Unknown to him, some
plucky person had stuck a sticker on his back which
proclaimed ‘I love climate change’.
Not surprisingly, sceptics like Lord Monckton were
in short supply at Copenhagen. Participants were
generally either passionate representatives of one
of the thousands of NGOs, part of one of the various
country negotiation teams or part of the army of
journalists.
As a member of Australia’s delegation I got
unrestricted access to all negotiating rooms and
sessions. Negotiations were divided between the twin
track proceedings of the ‘Conference of the Parties’
under the United Nations Convention on Climate
Change and the ‘Meeting of the Parties’ under the
Kyoto Protocol. When either track was not meeting
in plenary, negotiations were separated into two
respective ad hoc working groups and then these were
broken down further into subsidiary bodies, contact
groups and informal consultations. Negotiations
typically extended well past the 8.00pm slated fi nishing
time, with some sessions often still going after 2.00am.
Wandering in and out of these, one couldn’t help
but admire the patient offi cials diligently debating the
issues in dispute.
When meeting in plenary, a massive room
was set up with the 193 lead country negotiators
seated behind hundreds of tables. These sessions
were chaired from the front table on the stage and
delegates patiently waited for the call to make their
contribution. Contributions were typically spoken
slowly and with extreme deference to the chair. Brevity,
thankfully, was almost always practiced.
Conveniently, countries organised themselves into
blocs of like interests. Australia was part of the ‘Umbrella
Group’ which it chaired and this group comprised
non-EU developed countries such as the United States,
Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and Russia.
Through this leadership role, Australia was contributing
well above its relative international size. Along with
Denmark (which was similarly elevated by virtue of its
role as host), the European Union, the United States,
Brazil and China, Australia was one of the key players
over the two weeks.
The outcome reached at Copenhagen has been
widely reported in the world’s media and people will
have drawn their own conclusions on what was, or
was not, achieved. I am not as pessimistic about the
outcome as many media commentators have been.
(continued on page 8)
Lord Monckton engaging with delegates.
Black Spot Program
Australian GovernmentDepartment of Infrastructure, Transport,Regional Development and Local Government
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development andLocal Government may be able to assist with the treatment of ‘Black Spots’in your area.
$59.5 million is available in 2011-12 for the treatment of Black Spots.
To date the Black Spot Program has provided almost $748 million for morethan 5,400 road safety projects throughout Australia.
Projects have included:
• Roundabouts• Traffic signals• Roadside shoulder sealing• Turning lanes• Guard railing
Approximately half the total funding will be allocated to regional areasbecause of the large number of accidents on country roads.
Funding is mainly available for the treatment of Black Spots sites, or roadlengths, with a history of at least three casualty crashes over a five yearperiod. Project proposals must be able to demonstrate a benefit to costra�o of at least 2:1.
For sites which do not meet the crash history criterion, up to 30 per cent ofprogram funds may be used for works which have been recommended onthe basis of a road safety audit.
For more information visit: www.nationbuildingprogram.gov.au
LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
8 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
(continued from page 6)
I think getting world leaders to agree to limit global
warming over coming years to two degrees and
to a $100 billion per annum transfer to developing
countries is signifi cant. Obviously, there is still a long
way to go in putting the necessary commitments
in place to achieve such goals, but progress was
defi nitely achieved and I am hopeful this momentum
will continue into this year – in particular at COP16 in
Mexico at the end of the year.
In terms of local government, what is clear is that
we are a critical player in any approach by countries
to tackle climate change. Many of the adaptation
and mitigation strategies discussed at Copenhagen
had relevance to local and state level governments
and in this sense local government’s role was
regularly touched upon. Obviously, the focus of the
negotiations was at the international level between
countries so specifi c aspects of the role of sub-national
governments was more of an issue of framing each
individual country’s particular position rather than
part of the general plenary discussions. However, any
emissions target that is adopted by a country will need
the active championing, support and intellectual
property of its local government if they are to have any
chance of succeeding.Lord Monckton showing off his true colours?
WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY, ESPECIALLY FROM THIS ANGLE
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 9
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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
10 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
To ensure that this funding is used effi ciently,
local government needs to make sure that its
procurement strategies are in line with the best
interests of the community and service providers.
The Local Government Act 1989 (The Act) requires
councils to seek best value for their communities and
publicly tender contracts worth $150,000 or more for
goods and services, and $200,000 or more for capital
works.
The Victorian Auditor-General carried out an audit
on tendering and contracting in local government,
focusing on a sample of tenders from fi ve councils:
the City of Casey, the City of Greater Bendigo, Mount
Alexander Shire Council, Colac-Otway Shire Council,
and the City of Yarra. The objective of the audit was to
examine whether policies, guidelines and procedures
for tendering and contracting are adequate, have
been complied with and have resulted in value for
money.
The audit found that although the councils
demonstrated adequate procurement policies overall,
there were weaknesses to be addressed within each
council’s set of procedures. Limited guidance to
staff, weaknesses in local management controls and
oversight arrangements meant that there was generally
less than desirable assurance that probity standards
had been consistently applied, and that confl icts of
interest had been avoided.
The audit report noted that there was signifi cant
scope for achieving greater value for money through
procurement. Noted areas for improvement included
attention to the benefi ts of strategic procurement,
and clarity on statutory obligations when aggregate
payments to suppliers exceeded the tender thresholds.
The lack of suffi cient focus on these areas is not
conducive to a culture of effective procurement within
councils, and does not reinforce the imperatives for
seeking and demonstrating value. The results and
recommendations from the audit report provide
salutary advice for councils across all states.
Probity and value for moneyProbity in procurement relates to the fairness,
impartiality and integrity of the process and is critical
to achieving value for money. The fi ndings of the report
showed that although all councils had established
adequate probity standards, in most cases guidance
to staff was insuffi cient, resulting in potential and actual
confl icts of interest being inadequately managed.
Of the fi ve councils, only the City of Yarra required
members of a tender evaluation panel (TEP) to sign
confl ict of interest declarations before evaluating
tenders. During the audit, the other councils addressed
their lack of TEP declarations, with a view to reviewing
this procedure.
The City of Casey was found to have a confl ict of
interest regarding its contract with a service provider
tendering for building works. The fi rm’s staff routinely sit
on tender panels for council, but this raises a confl ict of
interest as the fi rm receives a percentage of the value
of the works tendered, which represents poor practice
in probity. Additionally, Casey has delegated fi nancial
authority to the fi rm’s staff to approve invoices up to
$100,000 contrary to the Act, which only permits a
council to delegate such functions to staff.
Despite the lack of probity in these operations, it
was found that contract staff at Casey had not acted
inappropriately. It was suggested, however, that the fi rm
should adhere to the Act as council staff are required
to. Council staff are prohibited from exercising their
delegated powers, duties or functions if they have
confl icts of interest. It was noted that Casey took action
during the audit to address TEP declarations regarding
confl ict of interest.
The City of Casey’s response to the report noted
concerns but raised some of its own. “The Chief
Executive Offi cer supports many of the observations
and recommendations that have been made and
issues that need addressing, however, expresses
concern that some parts of the report do not fairly
represent Council’s practices in relation to tendering
and contracting.
Audits facilitate reform in local government tendering and contractingLocal government spends more than $2.7 billion annually on goods, services and works. Most expenditure is on roads, construction, waste management and plant and equipment.
LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 11
“The Chief Executive Offi cer advises that Council has comprehensive systems in place that are not referred to in the report. Despite this, Council acknowledges that there is room for improvement and has addressed, and is continuing to address, issues raised.”
Similarly to Casey, Bendigo has an internal civil works unit that competes as an in-house bidder on public tenders by council, and there was insuffi cient assurance that the in-house team did not have access to information about competing tenders that could provide an unfair advantage. During the course of the audit, Bendigo developed an action plan to strengthen local procurement practices, as confi rmed by CEO, Mike Tyler.
“Since the audit, there is now greater clarity as to the actions required to improve the current arrangements. The staff Code of Conduct has been completely revised to emphasise confl ict of interest issues.
“The Council has also adopted a Tendering Policy which clearly states probity requirements and specifi es which in-house bids can be made in response to Council’s request for tender,” Tyler said.
The report found that all fi ve councils had examples of recurring services that resulted in cumulative payments to suppliers that, over time, had exceeded public tender thresholds, and where there was no contract or evidence of a competitive process. Therefore, there was insuffi cient assurance that councils had optimised value for money through competition, or that they had complied with their statutory obligations to go to tender.
Additionally, councils’ oversight was seen to be inadequate, with a lack of systematically monitored cumulative payments to suppliers to identify ways to better achieve greater value.
RecommendationsThe report put forward three recommendations:
1. Councils should strengthen the application of probity standards in procurement by: • Training all staff involved in procurement to identify and manage confl icts of interest and probity • Requiring all tender evaluation panel members to document declarations of confl icts of interest • Assuring TEP reports provide suffi cient detail and analysis to support decisions to award tenders • Maintaining suffi ciently detailed and secure records of all procurement activities and decisions to reliably acquit transparency and accountability obligations. 2. Councils should strengthen oversight and monitoring of procurement by: • Regularly monitoring cumulative payments to suppliers to identify opportunities to use competitive and/or collaborative procurement arrangements for improved value • Establishing procedures for assuring compliance with and adherence to statutory requirements and public sector probity standards • Systematically reviewing the effectiveness of procurement activities and associated controls3. Local Government Victoria (LGV) should review and enhance guidance to councils on strategic procurement in consultation with stakeholders.
This should include amending the Local Government Regulations to: • Better prescribe the range of circumstances under which a council’s statutory obligations to tender apply, and specifi cally address situations involving cumulative spend with suppliers • Require councils to set the scope, timeframe and value of works to be covered by a contract entered into because of an emergency and to report this publicly.
Submissions from the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD), and the audited councils, addressed the above recommendations.
The DPCD agreed with the fi rst two recommendations, and said of the third, “the Department will continue to work with the local government sector on enhancing guidance to councils on strategic procurement. Amendments to the regulations will be considered in the context of procurement reforms that are being delivered through the ‘Councils Reforming Business’ and ‘Reducing the Regulatory Burden’ programs.”
The City of Yarra’s submission noted that Council’s recently implemented Contract Management system and new procedures now include each of the dot points under recommendations 1 and 2. Yarra also praised the timely report for its pursuit of opportunity and innovation across the sector. “We have reviewed the proposed report and … record that key new probity processes noted as in progress during the audit process at Yarra have been incorporated in Council’s Procurement Procedure Manual and procedures implemented.”
Craig Neimann, CEO of The City of Greater Bendigo appreciated the opportunity to make amendments to improve processes. “I welcome and accept the three recommendations in the report as an opportunity to further review and refi ne our procurement process and improve our contract administration. Since the audit was undertaken there have been signifi cant improvements in our probity and transparency arrangements and increased internal scrutiny of our processes.
“In relation to recommendation two, I acknowledge that strengthening the oversight and monitoring of procurement will enhance Council’s statutory compliance and improve best value outcomes for the community.” The council has made amendments to its procedures including monthly reviews of key procurement performance indicators, and are considering additional resources to achieve more strategic procurement outcomes.
“Mount Alexander Shire Council welcomed the suggestions in the report, saying, “As a result of the report, Council is already considering a number of enhancements to systems and procedures that will address the matters raised and recommendations put forward,” Neimann said.
Overall, councils agreed that better management of procurement processes would lead to increases in probity and value for money, and have since implemented changes to effect this improvement.
BEST PRACTICE
12 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
The Commonwealth Government and a number
of state governments have taken that study
on board, and the Queensland Government
also undertook its own assessment of the fi nancial
sustainability of local governments. It found the
focus of improvements was largely short-term and
that greater emphasis was required in order to plan
for the sustained management of infrastructure
over its useful life. As a result, Queensland’s Local
Government Act (the Act) was amended in 2009 to
emphasise the importance of strategic planning. The
detailed thinking and requirements of the Act are
now becoming clearer with the late 2009 release of
Draft Regulations to support the implementation.
Under the revised Act, councils in Queensland
must demonstrate long-term fi nancial sustainability
by meeting a set of developed criteria in fi nancial
forecasts and asset management plans. While some
may see this as adding further pressure on already
strained resources, if managed at an organisational
level, there are a number of opportunities for councils
to improve their overall effi ciency.
The changes resulting from the legislation will
be almost immediate. Councils should introduce
more robust planning exercises and will also
need to ensure long-term planning is in place. The
sustainability and reporting process for Queensland
local governments incorporates an emphasis
on sustainable communities and sustainable
councils. The process requires councils to provide
information periodically on specifi c areas associated
with governance and accountability, planning,
asset management and fi nancial performance
management. The existence of asset management
plans for key assets is a necessary predecessor to
councils having a complete long-term fi nancial
model that supports the planning and decision-
making processes.
The Commonwealth Government has set a target
to have all infrastructure asset classes managed by
councils covered by asset management plans by
December 2010. To help achieve this, the Queensland
Department of Infrastructure and Planning has
established the ‘Asset Management Advancement
Program 2009–10’. While some councils are in a
position to adopt these changes, the majority do
not have any formal asset management plans. Local
councils will need to commit time to achieve these
deadlines and, with already strained resources, this
can be a challenging task.
(continued on page 16)
Queensland Local Government Act 2009: turning compliance into business successBy Kevin Atkins, Team Leader, Strategic Investment Planning, MWH
Following a 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers study conducted for the Australian Local Government Association, a backlog of $14.5 billion in infrastructure renewals was identifi ed.
Interested in preserving your local wartime heritage?
The Saluting Their Service commemorationsprogram offers modest grants to assist localcommunities to honour the service and sacrificeof Australia’s veterans.The program is designed to help preserve ourheritage from wars and conflicts and encouragecommunity participation in commemorativeevents.A wide range of community projects may besupported including:• establishing or refurbishing community
war memorials;• restoring vandalised memorials;• restoring and publicly displaying wartime
memorabilia; and• activities that recognise significant events
and themes in Australia’s wartime history.Local councils, schools and community groups suchas historical societies and ex-service organisationscan apply for grants through the Department ofVeterans’ Affairs.
available from theDEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS on:133 254 – metropolitan callers1800 555 254 – non-metropolitan callersWebsite: www.dva.gov.au/grants
Application formsand funding guidelines
Fleetcare is a prime example of a company
displaying best practices. A company that
may be a small player in size is certainly a
big player in brand competing successfully with
brands twice and three times its size. How have
they managed this? What is their point of
difference exactly that lets them mingle with the
big boys? The answer? Technology &
Innovation.
Unlike their competitors Fleetcare are an
independent outfit not tied to any financial
institution. They are currently celebrating 20
years in business, making them one of the
oldest companies in their industry. However,
managing director and founder Nigel Malcolm
didn’t make 20 years without having a set idea
of the core principles that would build his business,
“Prior to launching Fleetcare, I spent six months
researching the fleet management market, through
talking to business owners about their needs, and what
they truly required and wanted from a fleet
management company,” he says, “ Being independent
and smaller than our competitors meant we really had
to prove ourselves and come up with something no
other fleet management business had. Technology and
customer focus were the areas we knew we had to
excel in.”
Fleetcare and indeed Nigel Malcolm have stayed
true to this mantra and have spent 20 years delivering
outstanding customer service through cutting edge
technology and applications and innovative products,
setting them apart from their larger competitors.
Malcolm recognised that the technology aspect was
integral to delivering the customer service he was so
passionate about. It was, in fact, due to this
commitment to customer service that saw the birth of
their unique customer portal, Fleetmanager. “It was
clear that we needed to design a cutting edge fleet
management system that gave greater control to the
fleet managers, letting them access all necessary fleet
information from one point in real time and at any time.”
Malcolm explains.
To achieve this Fleetcare invested in their own in-
house IT team to build an in house system, tailored
exactly to their customer’s requirements. The result,
Fleetmanager, has been instrumental to the company’s
growth and is Australia’s most intelligent fleet
management software according to Malcolm.
Not a company to rest on their laurels, Fleetcare
have continued to build on Fleetmanager over the
years, constantly developing new functionality within
the portal. When they saw their 20th Birthday
approaching, they again wanted to deliver something
special for their clients. Cue Australia’s first fully
integrated GPS Fleet Tracking system. All Fleetcare
clients can now track every vehicle in their fleet in real
time within their Fleetmanager accounts. Malcolm
maintains, “In the fleet management sector we are
definitely ahead of the competition in terms of fleet
management technology and the added value
associated with implementing such systems.” Fleetcare
are also ahead of companies that solely provide GPS
Tracking, “Many of the latter claim to be fleet
management companies but in reality only provide
GPS Tracking and none of the other services that are
essential to total fleet management, such as fuel, or
maintenance.”
Over the coming months Fleetcare will launch yet
another innovation, CO2 reporting within Fleetmanager.
This again hands control back to the client so they can
monitor emissions and aim to minimise their fleet’s
environmental impact, a hot topic within the industry at
the moment.
So it seems then that Fleetcare is your one stop shop
for all things fleet management and you can be
guaranteed that by being their client, you will always be
privy to the latest technology and innovation. You can’t
really ask for much more than that.
Fleetcare – Technology& Innovation
14 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
BEST PRACTICE - CASE STUDY
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS
IN THE DRIVING SEAT
As Australia’s largest privately owned fleet management company, we are proud
of our 20 year history of service and care to fleet customers around Australia.
With over 30,000 cars on the road, businesses large and small enjoy superior
customer service, our innovative approach to applying the latest technology and
the powerhouse reporting systems that underpin our passion to deliver the best
fleet management services in Australia.
Whether you require a fully outsourced fleet solution, a fuel management
product for your company’s fleet or want to talk to us about a Novated Lease,
our products cover all your fleet requirements.
And, with the introduction of our state of the art GPS tracking system, your fleet
will always be at your fingertips.
Talk to us today about the Fleetcare difference. Contact 1300 655 170 or visit www.fleetcare.com.au
BEST PRACTICE
16 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
(continued from page 12)
Many of the issues faced here in Australia were encountered when similar legislation was introduced in New Zealand in 2002. In the lead up to the implementation of the New Zealand legislation, MWH assisted a signifi cant number of the local government authorities and developed an approach that has since been adopted by more than 75 local authorities in New Zealand, as well as several other organisations worldwide. As learned through that process, councils must remain service or activity-focused.
Whether an individual or department is responsible
for maintaining water infrastructure, roads or other
assets, they must also strive to provide continuous
and exemplary service to the customers. In May 2009
the NZ Government undertook the ‘Transparency,
Accountability and Financial Management’ (TAFM)
review. An intention of the review is “simplifying long-
term council community plans and giving them a
more strategic focus”. There are a number of interesting
parallels between the TAFM review and what is
being proposed through the Act and regulations in
Queensland. The main concerns relate to the increased
cost and compliance requirements.
The service-based approach is being suggested
through the release of the consultation document,
Local Government (Finance, Plans and Reporting)
Regulation 2009. The Draft Regulations include further
details about the compliance requirements placed
before Councils. The Draft Regulations require the
preparation of a number of long-term plans:
• long-term community plan (s83)
• long-term fi nancial plan (s86)
• long-term asset management plan (s92).
The long-term plans are complemented by the
Annual Operational Plan for the fi nancial year (s95).
It is at this point that the Draft Regulations place
a focus on the services being offered by a local
government. The Annual Operational Plan must “state
the proposed outputs of the local government for the
fi nancial year to which the plan relates”. It is noted that,
“An output is a discrete service or other product that
the local government delivers to its external clients
(including policy advice, for example)” (s96 (2)).
The Annual Operations Plans will require Councils to
focus on the delivery of services whilst at the same
time defi ning/managing the assets that are required
to support the delivery of the services. What is not
included is the attention that should be placed on the
identifi cation and delivery of non-asset solutions.
The process for developing the Long-Term
Community Plan is clearly laid out in s85. There is a
requirement to demonstrate long-term performance by
the inclusion of detailed ratios of fi nancial sustainability
including:
• asset consumption
• asset sustainability
• interest coverage
• net fi nancial liabilities
• operating surplus ratio
• working capital ratio.
These performance measures will need to be
supplemented by more direct annual targets or
levels of service that state the performance measures
adopted by the local government for the delivery of the
proposed outputs. Again the focus is on the delivery of
the outputs or services which will involve discussions
and agreement with the community on the services
required.
By working in conjunction with external providers (to
supplement already stretched in-house resources) and
developing a clear link between a community plan
and the more detailed service delivery plans, councils
are able to best manage their limited resources (see
Figure 1). This helps councils identify the current state
of affairs and provides them with a sound improvement
plan to best manage their services and assets.
While it will require additional work, the Act is an
undeniably excellent opportunity for councils. Far from
being a ‘tick and fl ick’ situation, councils should instead
consider how to use this requirement to ensure the
sustainable delivery of services for local communities.
Through its introduction, senior council members will
be in a much stronger position to plan for the long-
term by determining how much they are in a position
to spend and where they will source this funding from.
By establishing early on which areas require greatest
attention, and where the opportunities for improving
effi ciencies lie, councils should be in an even stronger
position than they are today.
Kevin Atkins has more than 30 years of experience in Council Operations and Management. He is MWH’s Practice Leader, Asset Management. For further information, please contact him at kevin.atkins@mwhglobal.com.
Figure 1: By developing a clear link between a community plan and the more detailed service delivery plan, councils are able to best manage their limited resources and ensure that work carried out supports the overall strategy and service delivery targets.
WorkCover NSW Workplace safety doesn’t just affect you at work. It affects your whole family.
For ways to make your workplace safer contact WorkCover on 13 10 50 or visit workcover.nsw.gov.au.
In 2007/2008 in NSW there were:30,077 major workplace injuries reported4,775 cases resulting in permanent disability79 deaths resulting from workplace injury or disease
For information and assistance on staying safe at work talk to us:
Over the phone: Phone us on 13 10 50 for information on workplace health and safety, injury management and workers compensation.Face to face: Attend one of our workshops or have a business advisory officer visit your workplace.Online: Visit workcover.nsw.gov.au for advice, activities and programs that can assist your business.In print: Subscribe to WorkCover News and eNews, or ask for our catalogue of publications.
For more information about how WorkCover NSW can assist you to achieve a safer
workplace call 13 10 50 or visit
Safe business is good businessWe all want our families to arrive home from work safely every day.
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 17
BEST PRACTICE
18 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Winning a Green Globe of course. In 2009 Local
Government Super was awarded a Green
Globe for Commercial Property Sustainability.
The Green Globe awards were introduced by the NSW
State Government to recognise the efforts of business
and the community to actively reduce their
environmental footprint.
Local Government Super won the award ahead of
well-known property firms such as Mirvac, Multiplex and
GPT. The award recognised our sustainable portfolio
program and our commitment to reducing building
emissions.
Each commercial building in our property portfolio is
now accredited with a five-star NABERS rating for
environmental sustainability through the use of
renewable energy. NABERS is the National Australian
Built Environment Ratings System and it measures a
commercial building’s environmental performance
based on the building’s energy and water use, waste
reduction and greenhouse emissions.
Under our sustainable portfolio program, each
building in the portfolio sources 100% of its base
building energy from fully-accredited renewable green
power, reducing emissions by approximately 10,000
tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.
Local Government Super encourages all existing
tenants to use renewable energy for their own electricity
needs and all new leases require tenants to source their
power from green energy suppliers.
So what does this mean for members of LocalGovernment Super?Many tenants including banks, professional
organisations, IT companies, and government
departments and agencies, are now demanding more
sustainable commercial and industrial premises and
this is driving up the demand for greener buildings.
In fact, starting in 2011, all government tenants will
be required to only occupy buildings which have a
minimum NABERS rating of 4.5 stars, and these
government tenants account for around 20% of the
total commercial leasing market.
The greater demand for greener buildings should
reduce vacancy rates over the longer term and
improve rental return for these premises. In Local
Government Super’s property portfolio for example, the
current vacancy rate is around 5.5% which is lower than
the market average of 8-12% for industrial and office
buildings.
Over time there will be a growing distinction
between buildings with high NABERS ratings and other
less energy efficient buildings and it’s expected that this
distinction will lead to a widening gap in vacancy rates
and investment returns.
Local Government Super will continue to improve
the NABERS ratings of our buildings so we can maximise
the returns on your super investment.
To find out more about Local Government Super’ssustainable portfolio program, just go towww.lgsuper.com.au
Long term returns for your superand your environment.
What’s better thanwinning a GoldenGlobe?
CEO Local Government Super, Peter Lambert receives the Green Globe Award
Everyone wants good returns on their super.
But more and more people want to know exactly how their super fund is achieving those returns.
Local Government Super is committed to an environmentally sustainable investment policy and this means that all of our investment decisions take into account environmental, social and governance issues.
In fact just last year Local Government Super was recognised with a Green Globe award for reducing carbon emissions from the buildings in our commercial property portfolio.
Our aim is to maximise the returns on your super by investing in the long-term interests of our environment.
To find out more just go to
Long term returns for your super and your environment.
0936
-LG
S-2
/10-
LG y
earb
ook
Please note that the information contained in this document is of a general nature only and does not constitute personal advice as it does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Any advice in this document is provided by FuturePlus Financial Services Pty Limited (ABN 90 080 972 630) as an Australian Financial Services Licensee (AFSL 238445) on behalf of the Trustee of Local Government Super, LGSS Pty Limited (ABN 68 078 003 497). LGSS Pty Limited is an APRA Registrable Superannuation Entity Licensee (ABN Pool A - 74 925 979 278 and ABN - Pool B 28 901 371 321). A reference to Local Government Super refers to Local Government Superannuation Scheme Pool A and Pool B as the context requires. Local Government Super is a registered business name of LGSS Pty Limited. Members should not rely solely on this information and should consider their own personal objectives, financial situation and needs before acting on this information. Prior to making any investment decision you should obtain and consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) pertaining to your membership and seek professional investment advice.
A number of essential reports have been adopted
by Council to progress the city’s plans including: A
Renewable Energy Master Plan tender, Alternative
Waste Technology plant tender and a trigeneration
report for Prince Alfred Park Pool. The City is currently
tendering for a Combined Cooling, Heat and Power
(trigeneration) masterplan for the LGA.
“We cannot continue to rely on electricity produced
from burning dirty coal. It accounts for about 80 per
cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the City of Sydney
and is a major contributor to global warming. It is also
extremely ineffi cient – only about 30 per cent of the
energy from burning coal in the Hunter Valley actually
reaches your house in Sydney,” Ms Moore said.
The City’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan commits
the Council to:
• Produce 70 per cent of the electricity (330
megawatts) supply by 2030 from trigeneration
– converting natural and waste gas into
electricity, heating and cooling;
• Ensure by 2020 that 25-30 per cent of energy
use comes from renewable energy (solar, wind,
marine, geothermal, Green Power and
renewable fuels);
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per
cent by 2030; and
• Divert 66 per cent of domestic waste from landfi ll
by 2014.
Councillors resolved to appoint the international
engineering and design fi rm ARUP to develop a
Decentralised Energy Master Plan for renewable
energy. City of Sydney Sustainability Manager Chris
Derksema said this Plan will be the roadmap for
converting 25-30 per cent of the City’s electricity use
from coal-generated electricity to renewable sources.
“ARUP will be looking at a range of renewable means
of generating electricity and methods to implement it,”
Mr Derksema said. “CBD roofspace and its capacity to
produce solar power will be one component as well
as wind energy, including off-shore, hydro and marine
renewables.
“Another vital resource will be the use of renewable
gases potentially sourced from household, commercial
and industrial waste and other sources including
sewage, agricultural, landfi ll and low carbon coal seam
gas. These gases can be harvested and converted into
locally-produced electricity providing low-cost heating
and cooling for buildings from a trigeneration network
across the City,” Mr Derksema said. The City is currently
seeking tenders for its Trigeneration Plan also known as
Combined Cooling, Heat and Power.
The plan is expected to detail specifi c information
about the locations, size and scale of a network of
trigeneration machines – similar to what energy expert
Allan Jones implemented in Woking, Surrey. The City
has already commissioned a study into the fi rst such
trigeneration or cogeneration plant to be located
at Prince Alfred Park Pool in Surry Hills. Council is now
proceeding with a business case to develop the
system.
Council has also appointed ARUP to develop
a business case to establish an Alternative Waste
Technology Facility (AWTF) in or near the City of Sydney.
AWTFs take general household waste and recover
reusable materials such as recyclables or organic
matter. The plan will also include the potential to
capture gases produced during the recovery process
to help power the trigeneration network.
An AWT could greatly reduce waste going to landfi ll
and will help the City deliver on its target of diverting 66
per cent of waste from landfi ll.
Sydney Council says No to CoalPlans to turn Sydney into a low carbon city using locally-produced electricity from the sun, wind, marine, Green Power and waste gases are being developed by the City of Sydney Council as part of its Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan. Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the City is challenging traditional electricity supplies from coal-fi red power stations.
BEST PRACTICE
20 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 21
The National Native Title Tribunal
registered the legally binding
agreement on 11 February between
the Jangga People, Charters Towers
Regional Council, Isaac Regional Council
and Whitsunday Regional Council over
the Jangga People’s traditional country
centred on the township of Mt Coolon,
120km west of Mackay and 150km south
of Townsville.
Tribunal Member Graham Fletcher,
who mediated between the groups, said
the ILUA recognised the Jangga People
as the traditional owners of the area and
established how they would work with the
three local governments in the future.
“The agreement gives the groups
certainty about the protection of their
rights and clarity about how they will
carry out their business on a day-to-day
basis,” he said.
“The Jangga People are assured their
cultural heritage will be protected as
the councils have agreed to include the
Jangga People in their decision-making
processes about matters that could
impact on their rights.
“Clear terms about access have been
developed for the councils to follow when
developing infrastructure, such as roads
and buildings, and providing services to
the communities.
“The parties are to be congratulated
for reaching an agreement over such a
large area. The solid working relationship
they built during the negotiation process
stands them in good stead for the
successful implementation of the ILUA.”
Across Australia 402 ILUAs have
been registered with the Tribunal, with
214 of these agreements registered in
Queensland.
*ILUAs are legally binding agreements about the use and management of land, made between indigenous groups and others with interests in a particular area. ILUAs are practical and fl exible as they are developed to suit the different needs of the groups and the land issues they’re working through.
ILUA binds Jangga People and councils The Jangga People and three north Queensland regional councils have fi nalised an indigenous land use agreement (ILUA*) about infrastructure development, terms of access and consultation protocols over 20,700sqkm under a native title claim.
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P:\GEO_INFO\Products\QLD\ILUA\QI2007_007 Jangga and Local Government ILUA\Mapping\GT2008_1855 Media Map\20081028_QI2007_007_Media_Map_A4P.worMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 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map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdf
Jangga and Local GovernmentILUA Area
Data StatementAgreement boundary data compiled by NNTT.
Other locational data sourced from Geoscience Australia and PSMA.Compiled by the National Native Title Tribunal on 28 October 2008.
Rockhampton
Townsville
Cairns
BRISBANE
MapArea
Queensland
N
Copyright © Commonwealth of Australia
The Registrar, the National Native Title Tribunal and its staff, members and agents and the Commonwealth (collectively theCommonwealth) accept no liability and give no undertakings guarantees or warranties concerning the accuracy, completenessor fitness for purpose of the information provided. In return for being allowed to access this information you agree to release andindemnify the Commonwealth and third party data suppliers in respect of all claims, expenses, losses, damages and costs arisingdirectly or indirectly from your use of the information and the use of the information you obtained by any third party.
Jangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA Area
148°
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19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S
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22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' SGDA94
0 30 60
KILOMETRES
GLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDEN
COMMUNITY & SOCIAL FABRIC
Graham Fletcher
EQUIPMENT + MACHINERY
22 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Launched in July 2008, the new Groundsmaster
5900 / 5910 Series is the ultimate top of the line
mower from Toro Australia, the leading worldwide
provider of commercial turf and turf management
equipment.
The new generation of wide area rotary mowers, the
Groundsmaster 5900 / 5910 Series sets the standard for
productivity, uptime and increased operator comfort.
The most powerful ride-on mower in its class, the
Groundsmaster 5900 / 5910 Series features a powerful
99hp (74kW) turbo-diesel engine which powers through
the toughest turf with ease, while the high pressure
common rail (HPCR) electronic fuel delivery system
provides fuel efficiency resulting in lower emissions.
With a large 16 foot mower capable of mowing
more than 100 acres of turf daily and full-time four-
wheel drive, the Groundsmaster 5900 / 5910 Series
offers greater manoeuvrability on all terrains, and can
turn 180° to mow around trees leaving no uncut grass,
increasing productivity.
Equipment downtime is a thing of the past thanks to
the Toro InfoCentre, a new multi sensor onboard
diagnostic system which is standard on all
Groundsmaster 5900 / 5910 rotary mowers. It continually
undertakes monitoring of the internal systems to provide
up to the moment information on the calibration of the
machines, and ensures that even the slightest variation
from the normal operating function is reported. All
operating information is displayed within the onboard
unit, and a visible and audible alarm is raised to notify
the operator of any potential problems.
Keeping your motor engines cool is even easier with
the revolutionary sensor trigger SmartCool System,
which briefly reverses the cooling fan to blow of any
chaff and debris which can block the air intake screens,
leading to overheated engines which need time to cool
off. Yet another small but significant victory in the fight
against equipment downtime!
Recognising the importance of operator comfort,
the Groundsmaster 5900 offers an open air cockpit,
while the Groundsmaster 5910 offers a factory installed
climate-controlled cab which provides protection and
comfort during extreme temperatures. Both cabs
features rubber mounts which isolate the operator
platform from the frame, thereby reducing vibration and
improving comfort. Ergonomic seating which can be
adjusted for height and angle, an adjustable steering
tower, as well as one-touch controls provide exceptional
comfort during operation.
For maximum productivity, precision, minimum
downtime and costs, look no further than the
Groundsmaster 5900/5910 Series from Toro Australia.
Get mowing today by contacting your local Toro dealer, orgo to www.toro.com.au
Mowing forwards with ToroGroundsmaster 5900 / 5910 Series
HER
O/T
OR3
364J
For more information call 1800 356 372
www.toro.com.au
New standards in productivity and operator safety and comfortReady to take on any wide-open, important-to-be-maintained space Australia can throw at it, the new Groundsmaster 5900/5910 has touched down. It is also the grandmaster of maintenance, delivers up to 40.5 hectares per day capability, climate controlled cabin and full rollover protection and a range of innovative safety and comfort features, this is a machine designed with the operator and the whole of Australia in mind.
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COMMUNITY & SOCIAL FABRIC
24 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Food and urban changeBy Juris Greste
It is not the most obvious proposition to make but it could very well be that, indirectly, the cost and supply of food could drive changes to the way we live in cities and towns.
COMMUNITY & SOCIAL FABRIC
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 25
Consider this:
In 1900, 10 per cent of the world’s population lived
in cities. Today 50 per cent live in cities. In 2050, 75 per
cent are expected to be living in cities. On top of that,
there are likely to be another 3 billion people on the
planet - another 50 per cent more!
What does all that mean? One thing it means is that
fewer people are on the land producing food, while there
are more people to feed. Food producing land is taken
up by urban development. Furthermore, not only are
we reducing the area under food production but fewer
people want to farm because it is getting increasingly
diffi cult. Add to that the effects of climate change which
will not aid overall global food production. In all of human
history, food has never been so cheap. One of the factors
has been cheap and abundant fertilisers derived from oil.
This cannot last for ever.
Considering the changes in energy sources, carbon
reduction, climate effects and population increase, it is
unlikely that the production and availability of food will
greatly increase. A more likely consequence is that food
is going to cost more; energy is going to cost more; and
we need to reduce the size of our carbon/ecological
footprint which will impose further costs.
Here are some basic (rounded off) consumption
statistics. The average Australian divides the household
budget thus:
food - 15 per cent;
transport - 15 per cent;
housing to buy - 30 per cent; and
all other things - 40 per cent
The cost of housing does not include maintenance
and energy costs.
The most important essentials in life are food and
shelter. Even though Australia produces more food than
it consumes, in a globalised world, our food prices will
be determined by world markets.
If food and energy (for housing and transport) are
likely to cost more, how do we balance the household
budget and leave enough for the “other things”? Unless
we greatly reduce spending on “other things”, we need
to reduce the cost of housing and transport to pay
for increased costs of food and energy. Where (and
how) you live is going to affect all your other life costs
(unless we all become super rich - and how likely is
that?). These kind of cost savings are only possible with
a conspicuous adjustment and transformation of the
way we live in cities and towns. This is likely to be driven
by the notion of proximity and the urban values and
benefi ts that it can bring.
Certainly for at least the last 30 years, we have
become addicted to the growth paradigm. From a
city and town making perspective, this has meant that
the pattern as well as a form of urban change has
been driven by the economics of construction and
infrastructure development (like a string of beads of
independent projects) instead of the more nuanced
socioeconomic and urban ecological systems. This has
meant urban spread and increasing travel distances.
Historically all of our cities have emerged, and for
many years existed, as a clustering of small towns
and villages. Their life depended on the proximity
of synergy generating and co-located activities.
While trade relationships between cities and towns
obviously required transport, within the towns and
cities themselves the need for travel and long distance
movement was regarded as undesirable. Once the
technologies for cheaper transport emerged, distance
was not seen as a barrier or problem. Under the
pressures to expand and grow, the good sense of older
urbanism was overtaken by other forces.
As our own cities continue to grow and energy
costs escalate, we need to recognise the values of the
urbanism of years past. Instead of regarding Transport
Oriented Development as the answer to contemporary
urban growth and expansion, we need to look to
develop the concept of proximities and concentration.
I don’t want to suggest that the idea of proximity is
a euphemism for the nasty label of density. However,
in the context of all the major challenges that are
facing us (and the rest of the world), the underlying
drivers of city and town making have to be the notion
of proximity and concentration. Proximity embraces
the qualities of connectivity, variety and amenity - all
essentials of a good urban place and liveability.
This is a radical reversal. However, to base urban
growth on the basis of beating the transportation
problem is like putting city making on a treadmill. You
expend a lot of energy but don’t get anywhere. In
the longer term, if we value housing and adequate
food, we need to moderate and rationalise our
housing expectations generally so that we can
reduce expenditure on energy and transport. This
means putting the concept of proximities uppermost
with the understanding that in the age of digital
communication, proximity also takes on a meaning
that is different from the past.
The growth of cities in the fi rst place was enabled by
greater effi ciency of food production. All the indications
are that the cost and availability of food will transform
cities - certainly in Australia - yet again.
About the AuthorJuris Greste is an urban designer with an
architectural background and over 50 years of
professional experience as a consultant. He has been a
full time educator in architecture and urban design at
QUT for about 12 years since 1977 and has continued
teaching as a part time lecturer and contributor ever
since. Juris has a Masters urban design qualifi cation
from Oxford Brookes University (with Distinction). He was
an instigating member of the Urban Design Alliance
of Queensland Inc - a multi-disciplinary association of
built environment professional groups (and is its fi rst
Life Member); is the secretary of the Australian Institute
of Urban Studies Qld for the ninth year and recipient
of the 2004 Year of the Built Environment exemplar
award. In 2007 he was awarded the Order of Australia
Medal (OAM) “For service to urban design, particularly
through raising community awareness of the need
for high quality and sustainable environments, to
professional associations and to education.”
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26 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
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28 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
CACPs help older Australians to remain within the
community, offering assistance at home. EACH
packages provide similar services, with the
addition of nursing and allied health services. EACH
Dementia packages differ from CACP and EACH in
that they are specifi cally targeted towards those with
behavioural problems or psychological symptoms
associated with dementia. Although the services
offered to EACH Dementia recipients are similar to
those offered by EACH packages, the assistance may
be delivered using a more fl exible approach, and
strategies which better cater for people suffering from
dementia. Recipients must be approved by an Aged
Care Assessment Team to access an EACH or an EACH
Dementia package.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s ‘Aged
care packages in the community’ report, published in
October 2009, presented statistics regarding each of
the three types of care packages, and their recipients.
The report examines the 2007-2008 period, and
makes a comparison between the three package
types at June 2008.
CACPs were introduced in 1992, followed by EACH
packages in 2002, and EACH Dementia packages
in 2006. In February 2007, the Australian Government
announced that the target for aged care provision
would increase from the existing target of 108
operational places and packages per 1,000 people
aged 70 years and over to 113 by 2010-11, with the
community care component totalling 25 places (up
Aged care packages in the community - What local government needs to knowCommunity care packages help people who are eligible for entry into residential aged care to stay in the community, by providing them with help in their own homes. There are three types of packages offered in Australia: Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs) for people with low-care needs, Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) packages for people with high-care needs, and the more fl exible EACH Dementia packages.
AGED CARE & COMMUNITY SERVICES
AGED CARE & COMMUNITY SERVICES
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 29
from 20), and 4 of every 25 community care packages
going to high-care recipients. In June 2008, there were
23.3 care packages per thousand, with 3.4 in every 25
for people with high-care needs.
Availability The availability of these types of packages is
increasing. Compared to the longer-established CACPs,
of which there were 40,280 operational packages, the
EACH and EACH Dementia packages were still relatively
small at June 2008 with 4,244 and 1,996 operational
packages respectively, but were expanding rapidly.
During 2007-08 there were 725 new EACH Dementia
packages, 942 new EACH packages, and 2,283 new
CACP packages.
The distribution of CACPs among states and
territories generally refl ects the distribution of the
Australian population, with 34% available in New South
Wales, and 25% in Victoria. Major cities and inner
regional areas receive the highest percentage of this
allocation (a combined total of 90%), followed by outer
regional, remote and very remote areas.
EACH and EACH Dementia package allocation
increased rapidly from 2007-08, 29% and 57%
respectively. Again, 90% of these were allocated in
major cities and inner regional areas. The fi rst high-care
packages for very remote areas became available
in 2007-08 when fi ve EACH packages became
operational.
Outlets and occupancy At 30 June 2008, 1,100 mainstream CACP service
outlets were providing 39,638 packages throughout
Australia. EACH service outlets increased from 205
to 266 during 2007-08, and EACH Dementia outlets
increased from 111 to 187. Again, the highest
percentage of outlets was located in the three states
with the largest populations – New South Wales, Victoria
and Queensland. The average number of packages
per outlet for CACP was 36, with the majority of the
outlets being small (up to 20 packages). Averages
for both EACH options were slightly lower, at 16 EACH
packages per outlet, and 11 packages for EACH
Dementia outlets.
Occupancy rates for the places on offer varied
state to state. For CACPs, the occupancy rate was 93%
Australia-wide. For EACH packages nationwide, the
occupancy rate was 89%, and for EACH Dementia, 76%.
Remote and very remote areas experienced the lowest
occupancy rates, with the highest rates of occupancy
occurring in major cities.
Age and sex distribution of recipients Across all care types, the majority of packages were
allocated to women. Women make up the majority
of care recipients for all three programs, particularly
for the CACP program, with the proportion of women
being 7 percentage points higher than the other two
programs, which provide help to people with high-care
needs.
The ratio of women to men varied between states,
with the Northern Territory in particular showing a lower
margin between the number of men and women
receiving packages, particularly EACH packages.
Recipients of all package types also had an
average age above 80 years, with less than 20% of
recipients being above 90 years old, and under 7%
being under 65. Male recipients as a rule tended to be
younger than female recipients across all categories.
EACH recipients had the youngest age profi le with
7% of recipients aged under 65 years and 55% aged
80 years and over, while the CACP recipients had the
oldest age profi le, with 65% aged 80 years and over.
In the EACH package category, the median age of
recipients tended to be lower in remote and very
remote areas.
Birthplace and preferred language People born in non-English-speaking countries
made relatively high use of care package services
compared to Australian-born, and people born
overseas in English-speaking countries.
The majority of care recipients were born in
Australia. Approximately 30% of CACP and EACH
recipients were born overseas, while 41% of EACH
Dementia recipients were not born in Australia. Of
people aged between 75-84 years, 2.17% of people
born in non-English-speaking countries made use of
the packages, while 0.66% of Australian-born people
in this age group received community care. Of the
over-85 population, the percentages were 5.82% and
4.4% respectively. The highest concentration of people
from overseas requiring care packages was in Western
Australia and the ACT for CACPs.
The preferred language for all care recipients was
English, ranging from 79% to 84% of recipients across
the care packages. Preference then tended towards
European languages.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander care recipientsUse of packages by Indigenous Australians was higher
than for overseas-born people from non-English-
speaking countries. Overall, Indigenous people over 50
years used community aged care packages at over 3
times the rate of other Australians.
In total, 1,337 of care recipients across all three
categories identifi ed as Aboriginal or Torres Strait
Islander. 1,275 of these were CACP recipients, while
only 8 belonged to the EACH Dementia category. This is
infl uenced by limited availability of high-care packages
combined with diffi culties in providing high level
community care and dementia-specifi c care in more
remote areas.
The highest proportion of Aboriginal or Torres Strait
Islander recipients lived in the Northern Territory. Of
those receiving CACP packages, 40% lived in remote
or very remote areas, and the rest were quite evenly
split across major cities, inner regional areas and outer
regional areas.
Only 8 EACH Dementia recipients identifi ed as
being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, and of those,
three lived in major cities, two in inner regional areas
and three in outer regional areas. None lived in remote
or very remote areas.
30 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Invariably, the median age of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander care receivers was lower than that of the
general population of care recipients, with an average
of 68 years compared to the median of 82 years in the
general population of care recipients.
Living arrangements The report showed that of the CACP recipients, the
majority lived either alone (54%) or with family (42%).
The only state in which this differed was the Northern
Territory, where the majority lived with family (65%),
followed by alone (26%).
71% of EACH recipients did not live alone – 68% lived
with family and 3% lived with others. The report states
that this relatively small proportion of EACH recipients
living alone refl ects the importance of informal care
arrangements in supporting high-care recipients in
their home. This care seems to be more commonly
provided by family.
EACH Dementia recipients showed the lowest
percentage of people living alone, with 78% living with
family or with others. The remaining 22% lived alone at
the time of application, but by 30 June 2008 a further
4% lived with a carer, and 14% had a carer who did not
live with them. Only 4% lived alone, without a carer, at
the time of assessment.
Admissions and SeparationsEach category saw more admissions than separations
over the 2007-08 period. The majority of admissions
were women, across each package type. The majority
of admissions in the CACP category were for over-75s,
and in the other two categories the majority were over
80 years old.
The majority of separations across the board were
due to the recipient moving into residential aged
care. In the CACP program, this was followed by death,
moving to another carer, then hospital admission. This
was largely the same for EACH and EACH Dementia
recipients, but the proportion of EACH Dementia
recipients moving to residential aged care was higher.
The report stated that there did not seem to be a
correlation between length of stay and reason for
separation.
AGED CARE & COMMUNITY SERVICES
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ANIMAL HEALTH
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 31
With Medibank Private and Lort Smith Animal
Hospital sharing common aims with regards to
companion animal health and wellbeing and
promoting socially responsible pet ownership, it made
good sense to set up a partnership relationship that not
only sees benefits delivered for both organisations, but
through the joining of forces, also means good news for
companion animals everywhere.
The long-term partnership has an ambitious
schedule of programs and projects aimed at improving
companion animal health and educating on the
importance of responsible pet ownership.
In December 2009, Medibank Pet Insurance kicked
off the first of these programs with their ‘Spread the Love’
campaign. Working with Lort Smith the campaign
promoted the importance of health insurance for pets,
while raising much needed funds to provide healthcare
for the hundreds of thousands of animals in need that
Lort Smith treats every year, raising over $10,000 for the
Hospital.
The company take their support to the hospital
seriously, with employee volunteers regularly rolling up
their sleeves to get stuck in to help out in our busy
shelters. As part of Medibank’s corporate responsibility
commitment, employees have one working day every
year when they can take time out to volunteer and
make a difference in the community. Teams of
employees take advantage of this on a recurring basis
to spend a morning being directed on the finer points of
animal care by Lort Smith’s Animal Management
Officers.
Medibank Private Pet Insurance is also Key Sponsor
of the Lort Smith PALS pet therapy program. The benefits
of pet therapy in the sick and elderly have long been
cited with research dating back about 45 years. The
PALS (Pets Are Loving Support) program is delivered by
Lort Smith through 300 community volunteers who visit
hospital patients and nursing home residents with their
dogs to help provide interaction, warmth and
companionship to residents and patients. Medibank’s
support has enabled us to provide the volunteers and
dogs with t-shirts, identification tags and doggie coats,
as well as provided support to increase awareness via
the Medibank health and wellbeing magazine and
website.
Future potential programs to be delivered through
the partnership include research on the significance
and benefits of the human animal bond, education on
responsible pet ownership, a pet-health advice line and
further fundraising activities to support the hospital in
delivering exceptional pet health care to lost,
abandoned, mistreated and sick animals.
For more information on the hospital visit www.lortsmith.comor contact the Development Office on (03) 9321 7214.
Medibank & Lort SmithAnimal Hospital
32 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
ANIMAL HEALTH
ANIMAL HEALTH
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 33
COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE
34 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
The Program identifi ed projects for infrastructure
funding on both a formula and competitive basis.
Round One of the Program, worth $800 million,
is well underway, with all of the funds having been
allocated, and a number of projects either completed
or underway. Round Two applications, vying for a share
of a further $220 million, were allocated in early 2010
with works scheduled to commence throughout the
year.
Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure,
Transport, Regional Development and Local
Government, acknowledged the scale of the
government’s contribution to community infrastructure.
“In just over a year, this Program has delivered $1
billion to build and renew community facilities across
Australia, making it the largest single federal investment
in community infrastructure in the nation’s history.”
“Already more than 3,300 community construction
projects have been completed or are underway
through the fi rst round,” he said.
“Across the country, the Regional and Local
Community Infrastructure Program is funding local
projects like sporting fi elds, swimming pools, libraries,
community halls, water and energy saving facilities, as
well as improving elderly and disabled access.”
The Minister has visited many of the sites where the
RLCIP has already contributed to the community. One
such visit included the offi cial opening of the new and
improved Merbein Pool in Mildura, in February this year.
What was once an ageing facility has been
transformed into an eight-lane, 25-metre swimming
pool, surrounded by landscaped gardens, that
provides a communal venue for Mildura residents and
locals from surrounding areas to spend hot Mildura
days, and will bring the communities together.
As well as being ideal for leisure activities, the pool
is a valuable asset for the disabled community, with
access ramps and stainless steel handrails providing a
safe environment for rehabilitation and recreation.
“It is expected [that] over 8,000 people will use
the upgraded Merbein Pool each summer – a great
investment for this small town,” said Mr Albanese.
In Bellerive, Tasmania, a century-old cricket ground
has fi nally been illuminated. Bellerive Oval, built in 1914
and the home of Tasmanian cricket since 1987, could
only be used during the daylight, due to a lack of
lighting suitable for night matches.
In December 2009, the four new 56-metre light
towers were switched on for the fi rst time, casting a
long awaited glow on the pitch at night. As a result, the
fi rst international cricket game to be played under the
lights took place between Australia and the West Indies
in February this year.
The installation was jointly funded by the Tasmanian
Government, who contributed $2.85 million, the Federal
Government, whose Nation Building Stimulus Package
contributed $2 million, and the Tasmanian Cricket
Association who added $100,000 to the pot.
Community Infrastructure: Addressing overdue reformsA year after the inception of the Nation Building Stimulus Package, communities across Australia continue to benefi t from the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program (RLCIP) funding provided by the Federal Government. The list of funding recipients is still growing, creating jobs, stronger local economies and vital infrastructure to support the growth of communities into the future.
COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 35
Mr Albanese, who attended the auspicious match,
was impressed by the oval’s contribution to the
Tasmanian community. “This project is a great example
of our economic stimulus money at work supporting
local jobs during the height of the global recession
while at the same time leaving a lasting legacy for the
community,” he said.
“All up, some 50 jobs were supported during the
installation of the lights, with new ongoing jobs likely
now that there’s the possibility of more world class
events being held at the Oval.
“In partnership with the State Government, the
Clarence City Council, Tasmanian Cricket Association
and the local community, we have delivered a piece
of infrastructure that will support the growth of sport in
Tasmania.”
Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett emphasised the
importance of the facility, noting that Bellerive Oval
had been in danger of becoming obsolete in the
international cricket sphere, and also highlighted the
benefi ts to the local community.
“It has provided an important injection of money
into the local economy, helping to keep the order
books of Tasmanian companies moving and
underpinning the jobs of Tasmanians.”
Along with the celebratory opening of many new
facilities comes the announcement of funding for more
projects, and Tasmania is set to receive another boost.
The Federal Government will provide another $1.3
million in funding to Tasmania for 26 projects that are
waiting to begin across the south of the island state.
At the announcement of this additional funding,
Julie Collins, Member for Franklin, said, “The funding
we’ve announced today will keep more people working
in our community, it will support our local economy,
and importantly, it will build local infrastructure for the
future.”
The funding will enable projects such as the
$222,000 refurbishment of Blackmans Bay Community
Hall, a $241,000 promenade construction at Kangaroo
Bay, as well as many other projects including the
construction of playgrounds and sporting facilities,
church redevelopment, and the enhancement of
public spaces.
Over in the west, $724,000 worth of community
infrastructure projects have been approved for the
south-western region. These include a fund of $216,000
for the City of Bunbury, which will use the cash injection
to extend the Western Aeroplane Taxiway at Bunbury
Airport, install shade sails at Jetty Baths Playground,
and upgrade access to various tourist facilities.
Many other regions have received substantial
fi nancial assistance packages from Round 2 of the
Government’s stimulus scheme, including nine new
projects in Queensland’s Redland, worth $842,000, a
$2.1 million upgrade for the Whyalla foreshore in South
Australia ($730,000 of which was provided by the
RLCIP), and many more across every state and territory
in Australia.
South Australia will be provided with up to $2.65
million from the Federal Government that will be put
towards urban planning and local government reform
in the state.
Adelaide will receive $1 million of this to pilot an
Integrated Design Strategy, focused on improving the
productivity, liveability and sustainability of the city.
The intended result of the strategy is to encourage
a new model of collaboration between state and
local government, and to integrate urban planning
and infrastructure management across the major
metropolitan councils to drive a better approach to
inner city planning in the future.
Another $1.65 million will be dedicated to three
local government reform projects to assist South
Australian councils in the management of their
infrastructure and other assets. This initiative will help
local governments to collaborate and identify improved
ways of serving their communities. To augment this
process, audits will be conducted of council operations
to identify opportunities for improvement.
Community infrastructure projects not linked to the
Nation Building Plan are also gathering momentum.
Many councils and private land developers are
planning and constructing areas for community
integration, including a signifi cant development in the
suburbs of Perth.
Alkimos is located in the north-west corridor of Perth,
an area earmarked for substantial growth over the next
three decades. Alkimos is one of the largest coastal
developments in the corridor, and will eventually house
a future population of up to 50,000 people, just 40km
from the Perth CBD.
In January this year, the West Australian
government’s land development agency, LandCorp,
announced that the Delfi n Lend Lease Group had
been selected as development partner for the fi rst
stage of the $400 million suburban development.
The Alkimos-Eglinton development is planned to
incorporate a marina, shops, up to 11 schools and
more than 500 hectares of regional open space.
COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE
36 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
The residential estate will be named Shorehaven
at Alkimos and will be constructed on land owned by
Peet Alkimos Pty Ltd.
Preliminary earthworks began onsite in August 2009,
and development of residences is expected to begin in
mid-2010. The residences have been designed to refl ect
the highest standard of urban design and sustainability.
Peet Limited’s Managing Director and Chief
Executive Offi cer, Brendan Gore, explained the move to
environmental housing. “The community will maximise
green energy and smart water. All homebuyers will
receive a full sustainability package including water
tanks to service their homes and waterwise front
garden landscaping packages.”
The Peet Alkimos project is expected to create close
to 1,000 jobs in the construction, retail and transport
industries at the estate over the next 12 years.
“As well as these economic benefi ts, Shorehaven at
Alkimos provides homebuyers with an opportunity to
invest today in what will become an important, growing
and vibrant coastal centre in Perth’s popular northern
beachside suburbs,” Mr Gore added.
Much of Western Australia is undergoing a total
transformation, with funding from Round 2 of the
Community Infrastructure Program being allocated to
a number of regions across the state. Plans to reunite
Perth and Northbridge by sinking the rail line and
constructing a modern, attractive town square will
link the two communities, and a similar project to the
Alkimos project is underway in Karratha.
On the other side of the country in Geelong,
regional Victoria’s fastest growing area, another estate
similar to Alkimos is gearing up for development.
Armstrong Creek is located near the Surf Coast
Highway outside South Geelong, and is the primary
growth corridor for Geelong. Only a ten-minute drive
from the popular beachside town of Torquay, and close
to the ring road, the estate is expected to be a unique
and popular offering.
Armstrong Creek, like Alkimos, will be developed
with a focus on the environment. Innovative solutions
for the capture, recycling and use of water will be
implemented, along with drought tolerant landscaping.
The effi cient use of energy will also be promoted,
with energy lots onsite dedicated to solar energy
capture, and the encouragement of effi cient co-
generation systems for big businesses in the area. Solar
power will be used where possible for the lighting of
public spaces.
Land is projected to be available for development
this year, and should provide housing for between
55,000 to 65,000 people, as well as schools, retail space,
parks, open space and bike paths. Employment will be
boosted in the area, as 22,000 positions will be required
for the construction and development of the site.
A different type of housing has received the go-
ahead from the Parliamentary Standing Committee
on Public Works. Twelve defence bases across
Australia are set to receive new housing for members
of the Australian Defence Force and their families.
Defence Housing Australia (DHA) will build six-star
energy effi cient houses, in advance of the Federal
Government’s plan to introduce a six-star energy rating
into the Building Code of Australia by May this year.
Derek Volkmer, Chairman of the DHA Board, said, “DHA
was keen to commit to this new standard as quickly
as possible. We are very pleased to have a number of
six-star energy rated houses underway and more are
planned for the future.“
Construction of the houses, to be built around
Australia in six states and territories, is expected to
be completed by the end of 2010. This project has
an estimated cost of $1.457 billion, and will help the
Defence Force to increase its size by approximately
3,000 members.
The past twelve months and the foreseeable future
focus on community infrastructure, and promise to
provide countless community benefi ts, including
jobs, housing, sustainability, accessibility, security, and
building infrastructure. Combined, these projects are
addressing long overdue infrastructure upgrades
across the broad spectrum of Australia’s communities.
Integrated Group Limited is a
national leader in the supply of
recruitment, labour hire and
managed labour services across
all sectors of
industry and commerce.
HOBART
Phone: (03) 6208 5555
Fax: (03) 6208 5500
Email: hobart@intgroup.com.au
LAUNCESTON
Phone: (03) 6334 5498
Fax: (03) 6364 7685
Email: sstokie@intgroup.com.au
MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 37
What does good governance mean for councils?By Martin Gray, Jeito Pty Ltd
Good governance ultimately defi nes the inherent confl ict between control and risk, as was elegantly defi ned by John Uhrig in his Review of Corporate Governance of Statutory Authorities and Offi ce Holders in June 2003.
The current economic crisis has spawned much
introspection about its causes and many of the
reviews have focused on the principles of good
governance.
The OECD states that there are eight main
characteristics of good governance. It is participatory,
consensus oriented, accountable, transparent,
responsive, effective and effi cient, equitable and
inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that
corruption is minimised, the views of minorities are
taken into account and that the voices of the most
vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making.
(OECD, 2001)
Clearly such divergent characteristics will lead
to stresses, and in certain cases confl icts, which will
require some fi ne-tuning. This article will discuss certain
characteristics of Local Government which are peculiar to
effective councillor decision-making, and which include:
MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP
38 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
• Councillors as representatives and team players
• The council meeting as the forum for decision-
making
• Leadership
• Councillor access to information.
Councillors as Representatives and Team PlayersDecision-making for councillors is made signifi cantly
more diffi cult by the need for them to represent both
their constituents, who elected them, as well as the
welfare of the community as a whole.
Nevertheless, once elected, councillors need to
understand that their pre-election agendas and
allegiances are superseded by the expectation of the
local community for effective governance.
And the democratic nature of Local Government,
with its emphasis on transparency to the community of
the decision processes, demands that the electorate
can follow the decision processes in some detail.
The Council Meeting as the Forum for Decision-Making
Councillors are able to exercise their authority after
they have been formally sworn in and when they meet
formally as council. Neither the mayor nor councillors
have executive authority as individuals.
However, for councils, like all effective teams, it is
the quality and skill of the participants’ interactions
and their ability to function and perform as a unit,
that determines the outcome – success, failure or
somewhere in between.
And even with the best will in the world, behavioural
psychologists have shown that effective team
behaviour can be impacted by inbuilt forces that
oppose productive dialogue amongst team members,
such as the need to protect themselves from seeming
to be incompetent.
In the end, good governance requires councillors
to be part of a process that asks the hard questions,
validates the information, debates the issues, seeks
understanding of the issues before them and to then,
and only then, make a decision.
LeadershipGreat teams require the political acumen of
effective leadership – being able to align agendas,
create coalitions, smooth ruffl ed feathers, etc. But
perhaps most importantly, it is the capability to
effect changes in the attitudes of colleagues and
their behaviour so that they are less defensive, more
prepared to listen to other points of view and to face
the brutal facts of current circumstance.
The mayor, as the chair of the council, has the
unenviable task of moulding and cajoling his or
her councillors into a team capable of effective
governance – what they are elected to do.
With their many agendas and allegiances, inside
and outside of chambers, mayors often feel that it would
be easier to herd cats than the bunch of councillors the
community has given them. It is no less of a problem for
the Chief Executive and his or her management team,
they too have to manage this herd of cats, a herd that
changes every time there is an election.
Information Access and Decision ProcessesLocal Government decision-making is based on a
wide range of issues on behalf of the community. This
is no simple task for councillors. Indeed, if you think
about the vast volume of complex and sometimes
contradictory information councillors are expected
to read and understand, and the challenges that this
can represent, perfunctory endorsement of report
recommendations is not surprising.
And this problem of information overload is
compounded by the limited access by councillors to
administrative support, so that they need to individually
satisfy themselves about the validity of the information
they receive.
The Way ForwardThe fi rst step on the way to achieving good
governance through great teamwork is to fi nd out
what the team thinks of its own performance. It does
not matter what others think. What does matter is what
the team thinks of itself, what skills and competencies
it thinks it has, how effective the decision processes are
and what the individuals that comprise the team think
of each other. This is about unearthing from the tacit
consciousness of team members what they really think
and feel, through reviews such as:
• Assessments about the information and
decision-making processes that underpin the
effectiveness or otherwise of council meetings
• Councillor opinions of mayoral leadership both
within the council meeting and externally
• Peer reviews by the councillors of each other’s
behaviour within and outside the council meeting.
In the fi nal analysis, rarely is Local Government
performance accidental. Rather, it is the alchemy of
good strategy, strong teams and discipline based
upon a virtuous cycle of facing the brutal facts through
regular review (assessments), learning from the fi ndings
and implementing remedial and proactive actions as
appropriate.
(Source: Local Agenda, Issue 21)
EDUCATION + TRAINING
This course, initiated by the Institute of Public Works
Engineering Australia (IPWEA) and jointly developed
with the Centre for Pavement Engineering Education
(CPEE) will respond to the need for a program for
engineering and science graduates employed in local
government and public works authorities in the
emerging discipline of Infrastructure Asset
Management.
The recent recognition of the long-term lifecycle
costs associated with the operation, maintenance and
renewal of physical assets has created the need for skills
in the management of infrastructure networks such as
roads, water supply, drainage and sewerage. State
governments have legislation requiring local authorities
to create and implement asset management plans for
the physical infrastructure under their control. This will
add to the demand for specialists with Infrastructure
Asset Management qualifications.
The course can be studied entirely by distance and
will provide graduates with the knowledge and skills to
fill senior positions in this specialist field.
Applicants for the course must hold a Bachelor
degree in Engineering or Science (in an appropriate
discipline) or an equivalent qualification. An applicant
holding a three year Bachelor degree will be required
to have had at least three years relevant work
experience.
New Infrastructure AssetManagement Course The Centre for Pavement Engineering Education and the
University of Tasmania are offering in 2010 an industry
specific four unit Graduate Certificate in Infrastructure
Asset Management.
If you would like to be amongst the first to study this exciting new program contact CPEE on (03) 9830 5721 or at
info@pavementeducation.edu.au log on to www.pavementeducation.edu.au
The course has as core units: ���� Asset Management Fundamentals ���� Asset Management Practices
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The course will provide today’s Infrastructure Asset Management Specialist with the opportunity to expand their skills and knowledge and to gain recognition with a
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Education Enhancement Opportunities
Accredited by the University of Tasmania, this new program has been jointly developed by the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA) and
CPEE to meet the need for enhanced technical skills in the field of public works Infrastructure Asset Management
Graduate Certificate in Infrastructure Asset Management
Infrastructure Asset Management
This is a Commonwealth Supported Course
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 39
EDUCATION + TRAINING
40 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
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MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 41
Unlocking the potential of frontline managersBy Aaron De Smet, Monica McGurk, and Marc Vinson
Instead of administrative work and meetings, frontline managers should focus on coaching their employees and on constantly improving quality.
Aretail manager responsible for more than $80
million in annual revenue, an airline manager
who oversees a yearly passenger volume worth
more than $160 million, a banking manager who deals
with upward of seven million questions from customers
a year. These aren’t executives at a corporate
headquarters; they are the hidden—yet crucial—
managers of frontline employees.
In a majority of the companies we’ve encountered,
the frontline managers’ role is merely to oversee a limited
number of direct reports, often in a “span breaking”
capacity, relaying information from executives to
workers.1 Such managers keep an eye on things, enforce
plans and policies, report operational results, and
quickly escalate issues or problems. In other words, a
frontline manager is meant to communicate decisions,
not to make them; to ensure compliance with policies,
not to use judgment or discretion (and certainly not to
develop policies); and to oversee the implementation
of improvements, not to contribute ideas or even
implement improvements (workers do that).
This system makes companies less productive,
less agile, and less profi table, our experience shows.
Change is possible, however. At companies that have
successfully empowered their frontline managers, the
resulting fl exibility and productivity generate strong
fi nancial returns. One convenience store retailer, for
example, reduced hours worked by 19 to 25 percent
while increasing sales by almost 10 percent. It
achieved this result by halving the time store managers
spent on administration; restructuring their work (and
that of their employees) to focus on the areas most
relevant to customers, such as the cleanliness of
stores and upselling efforts at the cash register; and
creating easy-to-understand performance metrics that
managers now had enough time to coach employees
on daily.
The key is a shift to frontline managers who have
the time—and the ability—to address the unique
circumstances of their specifi c stores, plants, or mines;
to foresee trouble and stem it before it begins; and
to encourage workers to seek out opportunities for
self-improvement. In diffi cult economic times, making
employees more productive is even more crucial than
it is ordinarily.
The reality of the front lineTo unlock a team’s abilities, a manager at any
level must spend a signifi cant amount of time on
two activities: helping the team understand the
company’s direction and its implications for team
members and coaching for performance. Little of
either occurs on the front line today. Across industries,
frontline managers spend 30 to 60 percent of their
time on administrative work and meetings, and 10
to 50 percent on nonmanagerial tasks (travelling,
participating in training, taking breaks, conducting
special projects, or undertaking direct customer
service or sales themselves). They spend only 10 to 40
per cent actually managing frontline employees by, for
example, coaching them directly (Exhibit 1).
MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP
42 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Even then, managers often aren’t truly coaching
the front line. Our survey of retail district managers, for
example, showed that much of the time they spend
on frontline employees actually involved auditing
for compliance with standards or solving immediate
problems (Exhibit 2). At some companies we surveyed,
district managers devote just 4 to 10 percent of their
time—as little as 10 minutes a day—to coaching teams.
To put the point another way, a district manager in
retailing may spend as little as one hour a month
developing people in the more junior but critical role of
store manager.
Exhibit 1: Where the time goes
Exhibit 2: Not enough time
In our experience, neither companies nor their frontline
managers typically expect more. One area manager
at a specialty retailer with thousands of outlets said,
“Coaching? A good store manager should just know
what to do—that’s what we hire them for.” A store
manager in a global convenience retailer told us,
“There are just good stores and bad stores—there’s
very little we can do to change that.” Another store
manager, in a North American electronics retailer, said,
“They told me, ‘We don’t pay you to think; we pay you to
execute.’”
MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 43
These shortcomings are rooted in the early days
of the industrial revolution, when manufacturing work
was broken down into highly specialised, repetitive,
and easily observed tasks. No one worker created
a whole shoe, for example; each hammered his
nail in the same spot and the same way every time,
maximising effectiveness and effi ciency. Employees
didn’t necessarily know anything about the overall
job in which they participated, so supervisors (usually
people good at the work itself) were employed to
enforce detailed standards and policies—essentially,
serving as span breakers between workers and policy
makers. Many manufacturing companies still use this
approach, because it can deliver high-quality results
on the front line, at least in the short term. In many
service industries, the same approach has taken hold
in order to provide all customers in all locations with a
consistent experience.
Although attention to execution is important,
an exclusive focus on it can have insidious long-
term effects. Such a preoccupation leaves no time
for efforts to deal with new demands (say, higher
production or quality), let alone for looking at the big
picture. The result is a working environment with little
fl exibility, little encouragement to make improvements,
and an increased risk of low morale among both
workers and their managers—all at high cost to
companies.
The effects of poor frontline management may be
particularly damaging at service companies, where
researchers have consistently detected a causal
relationship between the attitudes and behavior of
customer-facing employees, on the one hand, and
the customers’ perceptions of service quality, on the
other. In service industries, research has found that
three factors drive performance: the work climate; the
way teams act together and the way things are done;
and the engagement, commitment, and satisfaction
of employees. Leadership—in particular, the quality
of supervision and the nature of the relationships
between supervisors and their teams—is crucial
to performance in each of these areas.2 Clearly,
the typical work patterns and attitudes of frontline
managers are not conducive to good results.
At a North American medical-products distributor,
for example, one supervisor refl ected that the
company “is like California—forest fi res breaking out
everywhere and no plan to stop them. A lot of crisis-
to-crisis situations with no plan. We’ve been in this
mode for so long, we don’t know how to stop and
plan, although that’s what we desperately need to
do. I wish I knew how to intervene.” Because frontline
managers were so busy jumping in to solve problems,
they had no time to step back and look at longer-term
performance trends or to identify—and try to head
off—emerging performance issues. It’s therefore no
wonder that the company’s performance had begun
to decline: inventories were increasing and errors in
shipments became more frequent. Companies can
also get into frontline trouble if they fail to maintain
well-managed operations.
Time better spentAt best-practice companies, frontline managers
allocate 60 to 70 per cent of their time to the fl oor,
much of it in high-quality individual coaching. Such
companies also empower their managers to make
decisions and act on opportunities. The bottom-
line benefi t is signifi cant, but to obtain it companies
must fundamentally redefi ne what they expect from
frontline managers and redesign the work that those
managers and their subordinates do. The examples
below explain how two companies in different
circumstances and industries made such changes.
Manufacturing and the front lineSometimes a corporate crisis drives frontline
changes. A global equipment manufacturer, for
example, was facing backlogs, capacity constraints,
and quality and profi tability issues in its core
vehicle assembly business. The company’s senior
leaders concluded that they would have to change
operations at fi ve plants by running two shifts rather
than three while also raising production levels and
quality. “Substantial” results would be needed in no
more than seven weeks. Frontline managers were
to have a critical role in the changeover—indeed, it
couldn’t succeed unless they adopted a new way
of working. To communicate the importance of the
changes being introduced, senior leaders, among
other things, ordered vice presidents to spend full days
in vehicle assembly stations and sent the company’s
director of operations to participate in daily shift start-
up meetings at each plant.3
Meanwhile, the jobs of frontline managers
changed. They were to spend more time in active
roles: critical processes and workfl ows were
redesigned according to lean principles,4 and the
managers played the principal part in implementing
these changes. Administrative activities, such as
writing reports to plant managers and gathering data
to prepare for site visits from regional managers, were
eliminated. Innovations spouted—boards posted on
factory fl oors, for example, were continuously updated
with performance information, such as hour-by-hour
tracking of lost time, as well as long-term problems
and the solutions found for them. End-of-shift reports
let each shift know exactly what the previous one
had accomplished. Weekly reports informed workers
about the fi ve most important defects to correct and
the fi ve most important actions needed to improve
performance. A typical manager’s span of control fell
to 12 – 15, from 20 – 30.
Such changes freed managers to spend more
time providing on-the-fl oor coaching and helping
teams solve immediate problems. Managers received
on-the-job training in lean technical skills as well as
in coaching, team building, and problem solving.
They also moved their desks from offi ces to the shop
fl oor and spent at least fi ve hours a day there, literally
putting themselves in the middle of the transformation.
As a result, managers and workers identifi ed and
implemented other improvements—for example,
making parts more available, with fewer defects, and
MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP
44 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
routing materials more effi ciently—so that lost
production and the need for rework fell. Overall, though
the transformation took ten weeks rather than seven,
the initial targets were exceeded. Across the fi ve plants,
the number of completed vehicles rose by 40 per
cent a month—despite the elimination of a shift—and
quality by 80 percent. Worker hours fell by 40 per cent.
Retailing and the front lineChanging the mindsets and capabilities of
individual frontline managers can be the hardest part.
In our experience, many of them see limits to how
much they can accomplish; some also recognise
the need to restructure their roles but nonetheless
fear change. At times, before the job of coaching
can begin, companies must address more insidious
mindsets—such as a belief that employees can’t learn,
their negative attitudes toward customers, or a lack
of confi dence that frontline managers can infl uence
performance.
The fi rst step is to help frontline managers
understand the need for change and how it could
make things better. At the convenience store retailer
mentioned earlier, for example, an analysis revealed
that store managers spent, on average, 61 percent of
their time on administration and that they struggled
with poorly defi ned processes for interacting with
customers. In addition, these managers felt that they
had no control over key performance drivers (such
as sales in important product categories), lacked
simple tools to monitor daily performance, and had
inadequate leadership and coaching skills. They
were also tired of “fl avour of the month” corporate-
improvement initiatives that dictated more work without
addressing the fundamental causes of problems.
To give store managers a sense of what could be,
this company showed some groups of managers a
radically different model store. There, work processes
such as stocking took much less time than it did in the
company’s ordinary stores, because similar products
were grouped together, and high-volume stock was
stored in a common and much more accessible
location. Cleaning was easier because the layout
had been improved, employees had the equipment
and supplies to clean more frequently and quickly,
and an if-it’s-simple-clean-it-now policy had been
introduced. Such steps created a more attractive store
environment, simplifi ed the work of employees, freed
them to interact with customers, and reduced the
amount of time managers had to spend dealing with
problems in these areas.
Managers also gained time in other ways: for
example, they no longer had to complete long weekly
sales reports, respond to corporate directives that
arrived at unexpected times, and accommodate too-
frequent visits by district or regional sales managers.
Streamlined sales reporting captured fewer but more
essential indicators, such as the volume of sales in key
product categories. All visits from district or regional
managers were scheduled in advance and followed a
predetermined and performance-focused agenda.
As a result, the time store managers spent on
administration fell by nearly half, so they could devote
60 to 70 per cent of their days to activities such as
coaching workers and interacting with customers.
These managers spent more time on the sales fl oor
with individual employees and regularly discussed
store strategies and performance metrics with them.
The discussions took advantage of a new performance
scorecard with just a few key metrics, such as the
number of customers greeted during peak hours,
success rates on “suggestive selling” at checkout,
and immediate follow-up with customers to gauge
their satisfaction. Because the stores stayed open 24
hours a day, managers weren’t always present. They
therefore engaged all employees in regular problem-
solving sessions to create a better selling and service
environment in the stores—for example, by ensuring
that more employees would be available at critical
times of the week. Furthermore, managers could now
adapt the company’s general operating model by
deciding how many (and which) employees would be
present in stores at any given time.
This vision of a well-run store, contrasting starkly with
the stores of the managers who visited it, overcame
their fears. Once frontline managers have accepted
the need for change, however, they must learn the
new ways of working required by the demands of
their redefi ned roles. At the convenience store retailer,
training sessions and trial-and-error fi eldwork helped
the managers develop the needed capabilities
quickly. Some of these skills were technical, focused
on managing more effective processes and revised
daily routines, as well as keeping track of the simplifi ed
store performance scorecards. Other forms of training
enhanced the managers’ interpersonal skills, such as
how to engage and empower subordinates; to have
regular, constructive conversations about performance;
and how to provide feedback and coaching.
Managers were also made aware of the negative
mindsets (such as, “I am just another associate when
I go on the store fl oor,” and “My job is to make sure
that tasks get done”) that made it harder to develop
the right skills and capabilities. They learned how to
counter these mind-sets and to adopt more positive
ones (for instance, “I regularly provide my employees
with constructive feedback and tips,” and “My job is
to ensure that tasks are complete and that customers
are served as well”), which promote more appropriate
behavior and better performance. When the company
rolled out the program broadly, the results were
impressive: productivity rose by 51 percent in one
region and by 65 percent in another.5
Companies that succeed in redefi ning the job of
the frontline manager can improve their performance
remarkably. Successful approaches can be applied
across many industries. A mining company that
implemented such a program enjoyed a 10 percent
increase in tonnage per frontline employee. A bank
branch found that cross-selling went up by 24 percent
within a year. Total sales at a department store rose two
percent in one six-month period.
MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 45
The key is to help frontline managers become true
leaders, with the time, the skills, and the desire to help
workers understand the company’s direction and its
implications for themselves, as well as to coach them
individually. Such managers should have enough
time to think ahead, to uncover and solve long-term
problems, and to plan for potential new demands.
A nursing supervisor at a European hospital that
empowered its nurses offered perhaps the clearest
description of the way frontline leaders ought to
think—a description that couldn’t be more different
from the role of traditional frontline managers: “I am a
valued member of this team, who has responsibility to
make sure my ward nurses have the right coaching
to improve patient service while contributing to the
overall functioning of our ward—for the fi rst time, I feel
as important as a doctor or an administrator in the
success of this institution.” That kind of frontline leader
can consistently help employees to enhance their
impact on an organisation’s work.
About the AuthorsAaron De Smet is a principal in McKinsey’s
Houston offi ce, Monica McGurk is a principal in the
Atlanta offi ce, and Marc Vinson is a consultant in the
Cleveland offi ce.
Notes1 Various management studies have defi ned the optimal number of direct reports for a single supervisor as anywhere from 6 to 30. Our case evidence suggests that 12 to 15 direct reports at the front line is typically the most appropriate number, depending on the complexity of individual jobs, the typical number of new problems to solve, and the overall experience of the frontline staff.2 For example, see Florian V. Wangenheim, Heiner Evanschitzky, and Maren Wunderlich, “The employee–customer satisfaction link: Does it hold for all employee groups?” Journal of Business Research, 2007, Volume 60, Number 7, pp. 690–7; S. Douglas Pugh, Joerg Dietz, Jack W. Wiley, and Scott M. Brooks, “Driving service effectiveness through employee–customer linkages,” Academy of Management Executive, 2002, Volume 16, Number 4, pp. 73–84; Benjamin Schneider and David E. Bowen, Winning the service game, Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 1995.3 More on the importance of the senior leadership’s role in driving change can be found in Carolyn B. Aiken and Scott P. Keller, “The CEO’s role in leading transformation,” mckinseyquarterly.com, February 2007.4 Lean transformations, which focus on removing all waste and improving the fl ow in a process, typically involve just-in-time supplies, the standardisation of work, and continuous tracking of quality and timeliness. This company focused particularly on line layout and line balancing, standardising work, 5S (organising and managing workspaces), and index or “takt” time (maximum allowable time to produce a product to meet demand).5 In this case, the productivity metric is the sales-to-labor ratio. The improvement in individual markets ranged from 34 per cent (an increase to 4.0, from 3.0) to 81 per cent (an increase to 7.8, from 4.3).
Source: Organisation Practice
No other risk andinsurance advisorunderstands localgovernment like
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Phone: (02) 9320 2742Email: Stephen.Penfold@jlta.com.au
Sydney Risk Services – General ManagerContact: Joe Zammit
Phone: (02) 9320 2745Email: Joe.Zammit@jlta.com.au
Brisbane Risk Services – General ManagerContact: Russell Ditchburn
Phone: (07) 3000 5541Email: Russell.Ditchburn@jlta.com.au
Melbourne Risk Service – General ManagerContact: Bob Falzon
Phone: (03) 9860 3404Email: Bob.Falzon@jlta.com.au
Adelaide Risk Services - General ManagerContact: Gary Okely
Phone: (08) 8235 6410Email: Gary.Okely@jlta.com.au
Perth Risk Services – General ManagerContact: Leon LawrencePhone: (08) 9483 8855
Email: Leon.Lawrence@jlta.com.au
0604_10
Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pty Ltd ABN 69 009 098 864 AFS Licence 226827
www.jlta.com.au
INNOVATION
46 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Kodak today announced the Kodak i4000 Series
Scanners, designed to help end users, especially
those in local government departments and
small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs), cost-
effectively automate document capture and
management. The new capture platform of the i4000
Series Scanners combines walk-up ease of use, one
touch scanning, comprehensive software capabilities
and simplified integration within new or existing
document management processes, for a complete
information management solution.
“The sheer amount of paper handled by local
government organizations and SMBs on a daily basis is
tremendous, particularly for those with limited resources
for document management,” said Francis Yanga,
Channel Manager Document Imaging, Kodak Australia
and New Zealand. The i4000 Series Scanners’ compact,
ergonomic design makes it easier for average end
users to effectively integrate document capture into
new and existing information-driven business processes.
Kodak’s Smart Touch functionality allows end users to
send digital documents to common destinations
including e-mail, desktop applications, shared file
locations and Microsoft Sharepoint Server. The i4000
Series Scanners also provide flexible, dual-support for
Kodak’s Perfect Page Image Processing Technology or
KOFAX VRS Software.
“With so many Local Government Organisations and
SMBs still dependent on paper documents, the easy-to-
use architecture of the i4000 Series Scanners represents
a strategic first-step for any business working to remain
competitive in the information economy,” said Yanga.
The i4200 Scanner and i4600 Scanner serve as true
production-level entry points, able to process images of
200 dots per inch (dpi) bi-tonal scanning quality at
rated speeds of 100 pages per minute (ppm) and 120
ppm, respectively. The i4000 Series are the smallest
scanners in their class to offer a c-shape transport with
additional straight-through paper path, 500-sheet
feeder. In addition, the i4000 Series are the only
scanners in their class to allow field speed and feature
upgrades to adjust for growing volumes of documents
and continuous enhancement of the solution.
The Kodak i4000 Series Scanners will be available for
shipping in April 2010. The i4200 Scanner will be priced
at A$15,990, and the i4600 Scanner will be offered at
A$19,990. Kodak Service and Support will offer on-site
warranty service with four-hour response and extended
warranty options. For more information, please visit:
www.kodak.com/go/i4000.
More information about KODAK Document ImagingScanners and Services is available atwww.kodak.com/go/docimaging.
New KODAK i4000 Series Scanners Champion Process-DrivenDocument Capture for Local Government Departments and Smallto Medium Businesses to Improving Efficiency and Cut Costs
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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY
48 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
If at all possible, we should be building our future
on more sustainable sources. Something that will
continue to provide our descendents with the
abundant energy that has helped transform the
livelihood of human beings throughout the world.
Sustainable energy is one of those vague terms
that can mean different things to different people. It is
often used as a “green” catch-all for things like energy
conservation, energy effi ciency and renewable energy,
all with a positive environmental overtone.
A more precise (and more useful) defi nition of
sustainable energy is “sources of energy that provide
our energy needs today without jeopardising the
needs of future generations”.
So how far in the future are we looking?David MacKay in his book ‘Sustainable Energy - without
the hot air’ considers that 1,000 years will about do it. If you
consider how technology has changed since the 11th
century, then worrying about what our descendants are
using for energy in the 31st century is probably futile - as
long as we haven’t destroyed the planet in the meantime,
of course.
Others such as the non-profi t organisation inVEST
consider that 100 years ought to be enough. Given that we
are still using the energy sources that were used 100 years
ago this might be too short a period. If these resources had
been exhausted by our forebears by the early 20th century,
then we would be living in a very different world today.
Some, of course, would wish that it were so.
(continued on page 50)
The future of sustainable energyBy Martin Nicholson
Much of our energy today comes from three high-energy resources - oil, coal and gas. These resources took millions of years to form. Over the last couple of centuries we’ve been avidly consuming them so it’s reasonable to suppose that one day they will all be gone.
recyclingatwork.org.au makes it easier for you to help your local businesses to reduce their commercial and industrial waste.
Connect your local cafes, restaurants, retailers and offices, mechanics, builders, manufacturers, landscapers and others with a host of recycling services listed in an up-to-date national database.
To find a local recycling service, businesses simply enter their location and choose from a broad selection of material categories like
plastics, timber, food, paper and cardboard, packaging, metals and more. Businesses then see a list of all local recycling services by distance to their location.
Local councils and shires can list relevant services on recyclingatwork.org.au and provide advice and support to local businesses.
To find out more or to list a service visit recyclingatwork.org.au or call 1300 763 768
YOU WILL BE SURPRISED WHAT YOU CAN RECYCLErecyclingatwork.org.au Call 1300 763 768
(continued from page 48)
Opinions of the experts differ on how long coal, oil
and gas will last, and estimates vary from decades to a
few centuries. But it is generally agreed that these fossil
fuels will not meet MacKay’s 1,000-year test and may fail
the 100-year test and so are not considered sustainable.
The experts also differ on how long uranium can supply
our current generation of nuclear reactors but we will
deal with that below.
Renewable energy sources are often considered
to be sustainable as they use resources such as water,
wind and sunlight that are, for all intents and purposes,
inexhaustible. Many will say that these are the only
truly sustainable energy sources. As we shall see, that
view ignores the 1,000-year test as well as some serious
technical defi ciencies with some renewable energy
sources.
First, not all so-called renewable sources are
themselves sustainable. For example, some biofuels such
as ethanol made from food crops like corn are no longer
considered sustainable because of the competing
need for the land on which the feedstock grows. The
Australian Greens consider some biomass such as wood
waste from old-growth forests to be unsuitable feedstock
because of the risk to the big carbon sinks of old-
growth forests. Hydropower relying on water fl ow from a
particular river may also not be sustainable - particularly
in Australia. Climate change may dry up rivers or change
their course and leave the hydro system stranded.
Second, some renewable sources such as wind and
solar PV are too variable to meet our continuous power
demands unless combined with conventional sources
(fossil fuels and nuclear) to fi ll in the gaps. Others, like
solar thermal with suffi cient heat storage to produce
continuous reliable power, are prohibitively expensive. So
without further technology developments, such as huge
cost effective, sustainable electricity storage systems, our
energy system in Australia is not sustainable today with
or without renewables. See “Hasten slowly into renewable
energy”.
Geothermal energy is said to be promising but
MacKay argues that a geothermal mine would be
sustainable only if we are taking the energy out of the
ground at the same rate as the earth is replacing it. So
we might have to treat geothermal heat more like fossil
fuels - a resource to be mined until it runs out.
MacKay also seriously questions whether Britain could
ever generate enough energy from renewable resources
to meet its energy needs even if technology was not an
issue. Britain (and possibly Australia) may have to look at
other options to fi nd sustainable energy.
Are there any other sustainable energy sources on the horizon?
According to the World Nuclear Association, today’s
generation of nuclear reactors use an average of 175
tonnes a year of uranium per GW. These reactors are
largely using the uranium in a “once-through” cycle
where less than one per cent of the uranium is actually
used to generate energy.
MacKay estimates that the total world recoverable
uranium is about 27 million tonnes. This includes
resources mineable at less than $130 per kg (the higher-
grade resources of around fi ve million tonnes) and
lower-grade resources contained in phosphate deposits
that will be more expensive to mine. According to the
International Energy Agency, because nuclear reactors
use relatively little fuel most of the cost in generating
nuclear energy is in the planning, construction and
decommissioning of the power station not in the fuel. This
means that a signifi cant increase in the price of uranium
has a much lower impact on the price of electricity. So
it is reasonable to suppose that as the cheaper higher-
grade resources become depleted the industry will be
able to turn to the lower-grade resources.
Using all this recoverable uranium, our current nuclear
reactors could operate for 400 years so they would fail
the 1,000-year test but comfortably satisfy a 100-year
test. But the WNA expects the world’s reactor numbers
to more than double over the next few years so our
current once-through reactors using uranium may not be
sustainable depending on your view of sustainability.
Thorium can be used as an alternative to uranium.
It is three times as abundant in the earth’s crust as
uranium and is more evenly distributed around the world
including Australia. Thorium has the added advantage
that, unlike uranium, it can be completely burned up in
simple reactors so it creates less long-lived radioactive
waste. India already uses thorium in nuclear reactors
so the technology is not new, but it will still not be
sustainable using current generation reactors.
The newer generation fast breeder reactors burn up
all the uranium so they can extract much more energy
from uranium than traditional once-through reactors.
MacKay estimates that fast breeder reactors obtain
roughly 60 times as much energy from the same amount
of uranium. They can also use all the discarded uranium
from existing once-through reactors. This technology is
not new either and several experimental reactors have
been constructed over the last few decades but the
promising Integral Fast Reactor technology might take
several decades to become a commercial standard.
Fast breeder nuclear reactors could be the
sustainable energy source we are looking for.
To the Greens this will all be bad news. First renewable
sources will not deliver reliable, sustainable energy on
their own - at least not in Australia. But worse news for
the Greens is that the most likely source of sustainable
energy will actually be nuclear power. James Lovelock
knew this all along of course.
About the AuthorMartin Nicholson lives in the Byron Bay hinterland.
He studied mathematics, engineering and electrical
sciences at Cambridge University in the UK and
graduated with a Masters degree in 1974. He has
spent most of his working life as business owner and
chief executive of a number of information technology
companies in Australia. He is the author of the book
Energy in a Changing Climate and has had several
opinion pieces published in The Australian and The
Financial Review.
ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY
50 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Dalkia Technical Services is a subsidiary
of the Dalkia Group of Companies,
the energy division of Veolia Environnement,
world leader in environmental services.
Through its exclusive distribution agreement with Trane, Dalkia
provides the most comprehensive suite of energy services, multi-
technical facility management and HVAC solutions throughout
Australia and New Zealand.
www.dalkia.com.auExclusive Trane® distributor Australia/New Zealand.
The TRANE® trade mark is used by Dalkia Technical Services Pty Ltd under licence from Trane.
Refrigerent Trading Authorisation Nb: AU01798
ENERGY
52 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Every system, whether large or small requires that
the installers understand the limitations and
component compatibility so as to maximise the life
and output of the systems. This is the only way that
mistakes can be avoided and long term success can
be assured.
Solar Inverters has been actively working in the
industry since 1989. It is a company with science and
engineering at its core. It employs qualified electronics
engineers, technicians and electricians. It trains
apprentices in both the electronics and electrical
trades. It operates a component level service
department that is known in the industry Australia wide
for its high tech inverter repair capabilities.
This allows us to provide fast and reliable back up
service and repairs for our products, customers and
their installations.
Solar Inverters is a vertically integrated company. It is
engaged in every aspect of the renewable energy
industry including import and export of hardware,
design and consultancy, manufacture, tender
specification services, inverter repair and calibration
services, solar instrumentation and R & D.
Understanding the components that go into putting
together a reliable and high performing system has
enabled us to select the best quality equipment
available, for all of our customers in Australia and
overseas.
Mr Bulanyi says that “to us, system performance and
reliability is paramount. This was the key factor in our
company Solar Inverters recently being awarded one of
Australia’s largest solar projects, the design supply,
installation and long term maintenance of a 137kW
rooftop solar system for Coffs Harbour City Council.”
We submitted a unique design using Power-One
Aurora Inverters and Kyocera Solar panels. We clearly
demonstrated that the use of such premium
components for a long term result far outweighed the
short term gain with low cost equipment. We overcame
many unusual technical design challenges in regards
to site shading, mechanical fixing of the solar panels to
the roof and general integration of the system.”
Our aim is to raise awareness and promote a greater
understanding of solar power and why the quality will
always outshine the shady alternatives.
Feel free to call us with your technical questions and
we will happily assist so that you can make the best
purchasing decision.
www.solarinverters.com.au / sales@solarinverters.com.au
/ 1300 767 761
Solar Inverters Pty LtdPeter Bulanyi, Managing Director of Solar Inverters Pty Ltd says, “renewable energy is strictlya science and engineering business. Companies that are serious about renewableenergy primarily employ electronics engineers, technicians and electricians.”
54 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
It is within the powers of local government to
infl uence the energy choices of their citizens and
many progressive municipalities “have already taken
innovative decisions to enhance the deployment
and use of renewable energy resources within their
geographic boundaries,” notes the IEA in ‘Cities, Towns
and Renewable Energy.’
The report is designed to “inspire” local public and
private offi cials “to gain a greater understanding of the
potential for renewable energy, and to comprehend
how its enhanced deployment could benefi t local
citizens and business.”
The document provides guidance to policy-makers
at higher levels of government to incentivise local
communities and to enable these policy-makers to
“appreciate the role that local municipalities might
play in increasing the deployment of renewable energy
and moving further towards the desired transition from
a fossil fuel future to a sustainable energy future”.
Local governments around the world have
instigated policies which can be “easily adopted” by
other local governments. The report provides case
studies from municipalities with populations ranging
from 1,500 to 12.4 million, “to illustrate how policy
development can impact on the deployment of
renewable energy within territorial boundaries.
“Cities tend to target a specifi c renewable energy
resource that best suits their conditions,” from solar PV in
low-latitude high-sunshine regions; geothermal power
in cities located near tectonic plates; and bioenergy in
areas with a nearby forest industry.
“In larger cities, only a portion of the total energy
demand is likely to be met by renewable energy
projects located within the city boundary,” the
report fi nds, but renewable energy “could become
a signifi cant component of the total energy mix of
a distributed energy system by employing new and
improved small-scale technologies together with smart
meters and intelligent grids.
“The local approach to renewable energy project
deployment can help to demonstrate what is possible,
at what costs and who the winners and losers might
be,” it adds. “Social experimentation relating to
renewable energy deployment and climate change
mitigation and adaptation can also be undertaken
at the local level and, where successful, adopted
nationally.”
Local government can play major role in promoting renewable energiesEvery city in the world should undertake policy development to support the deployment of renewable energy, recommends a 200-page report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 55
Development of renewable energy deployment
policies should be associated with energy effi ciency
measures, the report recommends. “Putting parallel
policies in place to support the use of renewable
energy by the local community usually makes good
sense.”
“A wide range of policies is already evident for
councils to select from, that will lead to greater
renewable energy deployment,” it concludes. “None
of these would suit all cities and towns, so careful
evaluation is required to determine those most
appropriate to local conditions.”
Cities with few pro-renewables policies in place
should evaluate the performance of their peers who
embrace renewable energy, and determine whether
similar benefi ts would accrue. “Support from citizens
and local businesses for the greater deployment of
renewable energy technologies is essential, based on a
good understanding of the issues,” the report adds.
“If each of the many successful renewable energy
demonstration projects and innovative policies
undertaken by leading cities as identifi ed in this study,
could be replicated one hundred-fold during the
coming decade,” it states, “then cities could become
facilitators of change in the energy sector.”
ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY
Local governments around the world have instigated policies which can be “easily adopted” by other local governments.
For over 40 years, Aquatec-Maxcon Pty. Ltd. has been in the forefront of supplying water and wastewater treatment technologies.
Aquatec-Maxcon provides fast, cost effective solutions for potable water treatment, municipal wastewater treatment, industrial wastewater treatment and water recycling.
We design and develop, manufacture and install, test and commission.
Through our Aquatec Products Division we can supply Trojan UV Systems, Kubota Membrane Bioreactors, Vortisand Fine Sand Filters, MF/UF/RO Membrane Systems, CSO VacFlush Bottom Tank Flushing Systems, Centrifugal Aeration Blowers (HV Turbo), Capstone Microturbine Co-gen Generators and CSO/ Biogest Mechanical Sludge Hyrdolosis Units.
56 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
RENEWABLE ENERGY
AGL is Australia’s leading integrated
renewable energy company, and is
taking action toward creating a
sustainable energy future. The company
is committed to leading Australia in
minimising the effects of climate change
by investing in sustainable energy
businesses such as wind farms and
innovative environmentally friendly
projects such as the hydroelectric
Bogong Power Station.
AGL has major investments in the
supply of gas and electricity, as well as a
substantial base of over 3.2 million
customers across Australia.
AGL has been developing a suite of
renewable assets for several years and
has a large pipeline of renewable
projects which, when completed, will significantly
contribute towards the long-term goal of 20% renewable
energy by 2020. Whether it is wind farms in South
Australia or gas exploration in New South Wales, AGL
continues to realise its vision and works to minimise its
own impact on the environment. The company
continues to build on its renewable generation capacity,
which is already substantial.
AGL recently announced it would build the 52 MW
AGL Hallett 5 Wind Farm in South Australia, and also
announced it had entered into conditional
arrangements to build the 365 MW Macarthur Wind
Farm in Victoria, pending the passage of legislation
making changes to the Renewable Energy Target
scheme and Board approvals. AGL formally launched its
hydroelectric 140 MW Bogong Power Station last year.
Decisions being made today by AGL to invest in
renewable energy are contributing to Australia’s
response to climate change, by shaping the energy
profile of our community for the years to come. AGL
operates about 800MW of zero emission hydro
generation. Combined with a possible 134 wind turbines
in South Australia with a total capacity of over 255MW,
and an additional 400MW of wind generation permitted
and under investment consideration, these assets will
make AGL the largest listed owner, operator or developer
of renewable generation in Australasia.
As further demonstration of AGL’s sustainability
credentials, it is one of Australia’s leading businesses in
relation to sustainability performance. AGL, a
constituent company on the Dow Jones Sustainability
Asia Pacific Index (DJSI Asia Pacific), is the only
Australian integrated energy company to have been
included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI
World). Furthermore, it has been recognised as a global
leader in relation to the disclosure of carbon related risks
and opportunities and was the only Australian utility to
be named among the 38 Australian and New Zealand
companies on the Carbon Disclosure Project’s Carbon
Disclosure Leadership Index.
At AGL, sustainability is about recognising that if it
wants its business to be here, successful and respected
in the next 10, 20 or 50 years, it needs to do the right
thing by its shareholders, employees, customers, the
community and the environment. By engaging in these
sustainable activities and drawing on over 170 years of
experience, it is uniquely positioned to help its own and
other businesses transition to a carbon-constrained
future.
AGL reduces risk to the environment and minimises
its environmental impact by integrating considerations
of environmental sustainability into all activities. Key
considerations for AGL and its stakeholders in minimising
environmental impact include pollution prevention,
promotion of waste minimisation, reuse and recycling,
the efficient use of resources such as water and energy
and protecting cultural heritage.
For more information please visit agl.com.au
AGL leading the way
AG
L20
88
For superior service, competitive pricing and expert assistanceWe’ve been the energy experts for over 170 years. And that experience has set the
standard for excellence in the delivery of energy to local government. For you that means
priority service with a dedicated service team, competitive rates, expert advice on energy
effi ciency, Carbon Management Solutions and more. And as Australia’s leading renewable
energy company, we are perfectly placed to help you meet your green energy requirements.
Call AGL and we’ll help your organisation do better.
For expert advice and service, call 1300 793 477 (8.30am-5.30pm, Monday to Friday AEST.)
Why choose Australia’s leading renewable energy company?
AGL2088_Local Govt Year Book_A4 ADV_FA.indd 1 9/03/10 11:56 AM
58 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
ENVIRONMENT
It is estimated that 1 in 5 Australian households have
a used automotive battery on their property, which
poses a serious environmental risk, particularly when
we consider that 98% of a used lead acid battery is
recyclable.
Used lead acid batteries contain hazardous
materials which if not handled correctly may prove
harmful to humans, wildlife and the local environment
and this presents local councils with the challenge of
ensuring they are not disposed of with household waste
or discarded on road sides.
Century Yuasa Batteries, Australia’s oldest and most
recognised battery manufacturer has launched a
National Battery Recycling Program designed to help
reduce the impact of used lead acid batteries on the
environment.
The scheme can assist local councils and
businesses with the management and reduction of
costs associated with the disposal of used lead acid
batteries, by providing motorists, homeowners and
businesses with a national network of convenient
locations and resources to recycle their used batteries.
According to Steve Hermann, General Manager of
CenturyYuasa’s automotive division
“As a responsible business it is important that wemanage the ‘cradle to grave’ process of manufacture,distribution and responsible disposal of used batteries.
In many cases we have found that people aresimply unaware of how or where to dispose of theirused batteries correctly and as a result we often seebatteries discarded with household waste, at localrefuse sites or dumped on road sides.
Century is committed to working with local councilsto help reduce the number of used batteries that findthere way into refuse sites and the local environment.Our program provides a total scrap battery
management solution, which includes a range ofmaterials available for use by local councils to supporttheir environmental and recycling programs and helpreduce the environmental impact of used lead acidbatteries.”
To support the scheme Century has created a
dedicated recycling website
www.recyclemybattery.com.au and a national contact
number 1300 650 702 where motorists and homeowners
can find their nearest CenturyYuasa Battery Recycling
Centre. The site features over 800 approved recycling
sites nationally, ensuring coverage throughout metro
and regional Australia and also contains useful
information and advice on all aspects of battery
recycling.
For more information on the CenturyYuasa Battery
Recycling program speak to your Century Recycling
specialist on 1300 362 287 visit
www.recyclemybattery.com.au or email info@cyb.com.au.
On Road to a cleaner futurewith Century Batteries
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 59
ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY
The four councils introduced a ban on the kerbside
collection of e-waste (electronic waste) from
1 January 2010, due to concerns about their
effect on the environment when placed in landfi ll.
E-waste contains an alarming range of toxic materials,
including lead, cadmium and mercury. E-waste also
contains valuable non-renewable resources such as
nickel, copper and zinc which can be recovered during
any recycling process.
E-waste has been defi ned by the councils as
computers, televisions, printers, scanners, modems, DVD
players, VCRs and gaming machines.
Previously e-waste had been collected as part of
each council’s general household clean-up collection,
which normally take place twice a year.
However, from 1 January residents are no longer
allowed to place e-waste items out for collection. The
councils have successfully held scheduled ‘drop-off
days’ in early 2010 at centralised locations to coincide
with its practice on unwanted paints and household
chemicals.
SHOROC President and Warringah Mayor Michael
Regan said that the councils had led the campaign
nationwide. The agreement reached last week between
the state and federal environment ministers on a new
national waste policy includes a nationwide e-waste
recycling scheme by 2011.
“We took our concerns about the effect of e-waste
on the environment to Canberra and we’re pleased to
see a national approach to this issue as a result,” he
said. “Our e-waste recycling/collection strategy such as
drop-off days in 2010 will be an interim measure until a
federal e-waste recycling scheme takes effect.”
The national waste policy announced last week
would introduce a nationwide scheme from 2011
whereby householders would be able to drop off their
e-waste at centralised collection points across Australia.
SHOROC Councils’ e-waste Ban Leads Australia and Confi rms New National PolicyThe SHOROC group of councils of Mosman, Manly, Warringah and Pittwater say their ban on e-waste will likely be followed across Australia, and has received tacit support from combined state and federal governments following the announcement of a new national waste policy.
60 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
ENERGY
Conergy Group is one of the
world’s largest companies solely
dedicated to renewable energy.
Founded in 1998 in Hamburg,
Germany, Conergy now numbers
among the leading international
providers of renewable energy systems.
With offices in over 20 countries across
5 continents, the company has
established itself as a leader in the
booming renewable energy market.
In Australia, Conergy are proud to
have distribution facilities in Brisbane,
Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Darwin
with plans to open two further offices
in 2010. Our network manufactures
and supplies a broad range of solar
hot water, grid connect & off grid solar
power system packages and small
wind power solutions. Our products
are used in individual homes, small
community projects and large
commercial and industrial developments.
Conergy EPC has engineered and constructed
some of the worlds largest Solar PV Megawatt scale
power stations, and has recently finished Asia’s largest
PV power plant, a 24MW project SinAn in Korea.
When Conergy designs and builds turn-key PV
systems, they ensure the best engineering, technologies
and services are used to guarantee clients that their
investment goals are reached. Each customer around
the world can rely on Conergy’s extensive system
experience of over 100 MW of installed capacities, and
in general, on over 1.2 Gigawatt of renewable energy
systems installed, developed or sold around the world.
With our international Megawatt presence on all
major continents, we are the only company that has
proven to be capable of designing and managing a
20+ MW project in and around Asia.
Conergy are not only one of the worlds largest truly
global installer of utility scale PV, but have extensive
experience in managing large scale domestic
installations of Solar Hot Water and PV systems. It has
proven to be successful managing the customers
expectations, site assessment, installation and post
installation quality audits. As a manufacturer, Conergy
are able to offer both quality and value while offering
genuine backup to their warranty’s.
Everyone at Conergy, from engineers to sales
professionals, is passionate about creating access to
efficient, economical and clean energy. With a large
network of renewable energy experts worldwide,
Conergy is proud to provide the building industry with
the best products and service.
Our in-house PV Engineers and Clean Energy
Council accredited solar system designers are only a
phone call away. So whether you’re in the planning
stages of a large or small project or want detailed
technical advice and system design support, Conergy
delivers the goods. You can be assured of top quality
technical advice and guidance at all stages of your
project.
Call us on 1300551303 and ask about our special LocalAuthority discounts on our Proven Wind turbines.www.conergy.com.au
Conergy – Our world is full of energy
R e s o u rc e s a re o u r b u s i n e s s , t o o .
BY HARNESSING ENDLESS RESOURCES LIKE THE SUN AND THE
WIND, YOU CAN FUTURE PROOF YOUR BUSINESS TODAY.
As a global leader in renewable energy technology with over 1 Gigawatt of
renewables installed, Conergy Group’s products and projects are already delivering
clean, renewable energy to over 1.7 million people worldwide every year. In addition
to our range of quality solar solutions, we also supply the world’s only explosion
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O U R W O R L D I S F U L L O F E N E R G Y .
62 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY
The scientists said their monitoring and research of the world’s driest inhabited continent for 100 years “clearly demonstrate that climate change is real.”
“We are seeing signifi cant evidence of a changing climate. We are warming in every part of the country during every season and as each decade goes by, the records are being broken,” said Megan Clark, head of Australia’s state-backed Commonwealth Scientifi c & Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). The U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change acknowledged in January its 2007 report had exaggerated the pace of Himalayan glaciers melting, and last month said the report also had overstated how much of the Netherlands is below sea level. The 2007 report is based on the work of thousands of scientists and is the main policy guide for governments looking to act on climate change. Skeptics have leapt on the errors, saying they undermine the science of climate change but the IPCC, which has announced a review, has defended its work. The CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology report said international research showed it is extremely unlikely that global warming could be explained by natural causes alone. “There is greater than 90 percent certainty that increases in greenhouse gas emissions have caused most of the global warming since the mid-20th century,” said the report. “Evidence of human infl uence has been detected
in ocean warming, sea-level rise, continental-average temperatures, temperature extremes and wind patterns,” said the report. Australia, a major grains and meat producer, battled the worst drought in 100 years for most of the past decade, damaging its farm output, but in recent years the commodities sector has been recovering due to good rainfall. The government estimated farm output for 2008/09 at A$42 billion ($38.4 billion) out of total Australian gross domestic product of A$1.2 trillion. Studies show that rising seas, shifting rainfall patterns and greater extremes of droughts and fl oods could cost Australia’s economy dearly. A government report last November said residential buildings worth up to A$63 billion could be inundated if seas rise by 1.1 metres (3.5 feet) this century.
Heating upSince 1960, the mean temperature in Australia has increased by about 0.7 degrees Celsius, but some areas of the country had warmed by 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius in the past 50 years, the report said. Australia’s warmest decade on record is 2000 to 2009. While total rainfall in Australia had been relatively stable, the geographic distribution changed signifi cantly over the past 50 years, with rainfall decreasing in southwest and southeast Australia, the major population areas. Sea levels around the island continent since 1993 have risen 7-10mm per year in the north and west and 1.5 to 3mm in the south and east, said the report. From 1870 to 2007, the global average sea level rose by close to 200mm (8 inches), sea levels rose at an average of 1.7mm a year in the 20th century and about 3mm per year from 1993-2009, it said. Sea surface temperatures around Australia have increased by about 0.4 degrees Celsius in the past 50 years. The scientists said global carbon dioxide concentration in 2009 of 386 parts per million (ppm) was much higher than the natural range of 170 to 300 ppm that existed in the atmosphere for the past 800,000 years and possibly 20 million years. The scientists said that based on their monitoring of the nation’s climate for 100 years, Australian average temperatures are projected to rise by 0.6 to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030.
(Source: Thomson Reuters)
Climate Report Shows Australia Getting WarmerBy Michael Perry with David Fogarty
Australia’s top scientists recently released a “State of the Climate” report at a time of growing scepticism over climate change as a result of revelations of errors in some global scientifi c reports.
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 63
ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY
Spokesperson for Environment and Health
Councillor George Moore said that large
quantities of paper and cardboard were being
disposed at Tara Landfi ll by a number of local
businesses. Until now no paper or cardboard recycling
schemes serviced the Tara area.
“In response to this need council has launched a
program which involves Tara businesses separating
paper and cardboard which is then recycled.
Council saw an opportunity to minimise rubbish and
divert the recyclable waste stream from the landfi ll
while supporting a local charity by saving Waminda
volunteers the trip out to Tara,” Cr Moore said.
The concept of recycling commercial paper and
cardboard was fi rst suggested by Council’s Overseer
Engineering Services at Tara, Lenny Wright, who
recognised a way to better utilise vehicles travelling
across the region.
“Each week, empty Council trucks leave Tara for
Dalby to be loaded with screenings. To make use of
these otherwise empty trucks, they are now being
loaded with stockpiled recyclables from Tara. En route
to collecting screenings the trucks deliver recyclables
to Waminda Services in Dalby,” Mr Wright said.
Operations Manager Greg Murr said Waminda
Services is a non-profi t organisation that collects
materials, including paper and cardboard, for recycling
from around the district and helps improve the quality
of life and opportunities for advancement for people
and families wherever disability impacts.
“Waminda Services Limited is very appreciative of
the initiative of the Western Downs Regional Council in
supporting our Waste Paper and Cardboard recycling
operation,” Mr Murr said.
“Council collects cardboard from key businesses
in the Tara township and transports it to us in Dalby
for processing. This is a win-win arrangement in that it
not only alleviates strain on the landfi ll facility at Tara,
but also provides us with approximately one tonne of
cardboard per week.
“We hope to improve and expand on this
partnership in the future as we move forward with
the Council and regional communities, playing an
active part in continuing to develop environmentally
responsible practices.”
So far the response from local businesses has been
encouraging with Waminda receiving 18 cubic metres
per week.
Local businesses wishing to participate in Council’s initiative are encouraged to contact the Tara Customer Service Centre on (07) 4665 3133.
Council’s new recycling initiative proving a successWestern Downs Regional Council’s Waste Management team and Engineering Services have jointly launched an innovative recycling scheme that is removing commercial waste streams from Tara Landfi ll.
64 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
What is the issue?A childhood that is primarily sedentary and spent
indoors can lead to poorer physical and mental health
outcomes2. Conversely, there is growing recognition
of the importance to children’s and young people’s
health of physical activity, both structured and
unstructured, contact with nature and time outdoors.
Traditionally, interventions to address these issues
have been targeted through schools, recreational
settings, or families and individuals considered more at
risk. However recently it has been recognised that the
built environment is an alternative intervention point for
improving health and wellbeing. Parks and open space
represent an often present but underused setting in
this regard. For children and young people, parks and
open space are not just the stereotypical place to play,
but also provide a place to socialise, be physically
active, explore, have fun, ‘hang out’, be in contact with
nature, escape from indoors, or just be free from the
encumbrances of an increasingly adult world.
The fact that urban planning standards and bylaws
now require suburbs, towns and new developments to
include provision for parks and open space presents
an opportunity for enhancing the wellbeing of children
and young people. However, as noted by Jane Jacobs
in her iconic study of the death and life of great
American cities, people do not use open space ‘just
because it is there and because city planners or
designers wish they would’3. They use it for their own
unique and varied purposes. Hence it is important to
understand the reasons why children do or don’t use
such areas (including factors infl uencing their parents
and carers), how children perceive, use, experience
and value parks and open space, in what ways they
benefi t, how their needs vary with age, gender or
ethnicity and how they are affected when access is
diminished.
Aspects of health and wellbeing relevant to parks and open space
Sedentary lifestylesFor both adults and children, the way in which we
work, live and play is increasingly sedentary compared
with past generations. Children today are often driven
to school and other places due to safety concerns,
distances between home and multiple destinations
and parental work schedules4. Societal concerns about
‘stranger danger’ have also led many parents to curtail
the kind of free play at the park or vacant lot enjoyed
by previous generations2. At the same time, there has
been an increase in inactive leisure activities such as
playing video games or watching television5.
Physical activityThe rise in sedentariness and obesity is paralleled
by a decline in children’s physical activity levels6. Higher
levels of physical activity in childhood are associated
with reduced risk of many chronic diseases later in
life including heart disease, high blood pressure,
diabetes, some cancers and obesity8. While there
are many contributing factors (physical education in
schools, family infl uences), environmental factors such
as urban design, access to parks and playgrounds
and neighbourhood safety7 also infl uence children’s
opportunities to be active as well as their activity levels.
Childhood obesity and overweightChildhood obesity is increasingly described as a
global epidemic9. In 2006, 6% of Australian children
were obese and 17% were overweight10. It is projected
that 25% of young Australians will be obese by 2025
if current trends are not reversed11. As well as the
obvious link to nutrition, childhood obesity is strongly
associated with lower levels of daily physical activity and
increased hours of television viewing12. In addition to the
adverse consequences to physical health in later life,
overweight and obese children suffer from social and
mental health issues including bullying and teasing,
low self-esteem, disturbed body image, exclusion by
peers and depression13.
Mental health and wellbeingIn addition to the mental health benefi ts associated
with physical activity14, parks and open space provide
opportunities for social interaction and contact with
nature which are protective factors for mental health.
The presence of nature in children’s immediate vicinity
can improve mental health15 and be restorative16.
New research angles relating to the nexus between
nature and children’s wellbeing are also emerging. For
example, a signifi cant reduction in ADHD symptoms has
been observed for boys and girls exposed weekly to
green space17. As noted by Louv, access to green and
outdoor spaces can also foster social interaction and
friendships, both for children and their parents2.
Action for Young Australians Report
Parks and open space: for the health and wellbeing of children and young peopleThe quality of the experience of living in a community is strongly infl uencedby the ambience of its parks, gardens and open spaces, by the vibrancy, safety, aesthetics and sense of ownership and stewardship of its open spaces. 1, p23
PARKS & OPEN SPACE
PARKS & OPEN SPACE
What is the evidence base for what works?As shown in the diagram below, there are a number of
elements that can be created or modifi ed to infl uence
both the quantity and quality of children’s experiences
in parks and open space.
The ways in which parks and open space
characteristics infl uence, and can be modifi ed for,
health and wellbeing are detailed below.
Catering for varying needs The reasons for and nature of children’s park
use can vary considerably by age, gender, physical
capability, ethnicity and area. Parks need to cater to
both passive and active use. Passive uses of parks
reported by children include socialising and ‘hanging
out’1, while active uses typically include playing on
sporting equipment, skateboarding, walking and
playing sport1. In terms of age differences, younger
kids are more likely to visit the park with parents
or older family members and for purposes of play,
including playground use4. Popular uses reported for
primary school aged children include playing on play
equipment, ball games and walking1. Older children
and adolescents on the other hand are more likely to
use parks for socialising1, as well as for organised sport
or informal sporting activity such as ball games18.
There is very little in the published literature about
the experiences and perceptions of young people
from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) or
Indigenous backgrounds in relation to parks and open
space. However, a youth consultation undertaken
for the City of Darebin highlighted the need to
recognise that people from Indigenous and existing
and emerging CaLD communities use and view parks
differently1. Experiences of non-acceptance, fear of
racism and lack of intercultural understanding, can
deter some young people of CaLD backgrounds from
using parks. In addition, due to higher visibility when
congregated in public (e.g. due to skin colour or
dress), they can be erroneously accused of ‘anti-social’
behaviour or be classifi ed as ‘gangs’19. In relation to
young people with disabilities, while some parks have
specifi c equipment (e.g. a wheelchair swing) available,
broader issues emphasised in the literature relate to
actual access into the park and fear of stigmatisation20
21.
Accessibility Having parks, ovals or open space close to home
increases the likelihood that children and young
people will use them22 23 and has been associated
with signifi cantly higher levels of physical activity23-27.
While some studies of children and young people
have used 800 metres as a marker of park proximity,
it is recommended that parks be within 5 minutes
walk or 400 metres from the furthest house in the
neighbourhood to ensure easy access by walking or
cycling28.
As well as close proximity, active adolescents also
report the importance of walkability, including ease
of movement within an area and road connectivity
to get to parks29. Access to parks and open space is
increasingly important given the declining prominence
of the suburban backyard and increasing higher
density living in Australia. The presence or absence
of ovals, reserves and parks can also determine
convenience of access to sporting clubs and activities
that commonly take place at these, such as junior
sport (e.g. t-ball, football) or dog walking groups.
Informal opportunities to play sport are also affected by
access.
Sometimes a park or oval can be present in a
neighbourhood but not necessarily available to young
people. The fencing and padlocking of a school oval to
prevent vandalism, for example, has been bemoaned
as a loss of a place to play by young people30. Park
accessibility for children and/or parents and carers with
disabilities is also important. This applies both to physical
access into the park, movement within it (e.g. presence
and quality of paths), location of amenities such as
toilets, and provision of shaded resting areas20 21.
Proximity to traffi c In a study of physical activity and adolescent girls, the
higher the traffi c density, the less likely the girls were to
travel to the park. This was associated in turn with lower
physical activity levels39. Footpaths en route to parks
and safe crossings to a park by means of median strips,
zebra crossings and, where traffi c is moderately high,
traffi c lights, can reduce both actual safety risks and
parental concerns about safety. The location of parks
and open space away from busy main roads and high
density traffi c is also an important
planning consideration27 and the
recommendation for parks to
be within a fi ve minute walk of
houses reduces the likelihood
of needing to cross busy
intersections28.
PARKS & OPEN SPACE
66 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Size There are differing viewpoints in the literature and
in urban planning guidelines relating to the optimal
size of parks and open space. Larger surface areas
such as ovals and larger parks have been associated
with greater physical activity in young children28,
but increasing park proximity to homes may entail
a greater number of smaller parks and green areas.
On balance, a variety of sizes is optimal within a
community, thus catering to different needs of different
people at different times31.
SafetyBoth perceived and actual safety concerns, as well
as a broader societal trend towards an over-protective
style of parenting2 impact on children’s and young
people’s use and experience of parks and open space.
Parental concerns about safety in neighbourhoods is
signifi cantly associated with children engaging in lower
levels of physical activity outside of the school setting27.
A recent qualitative Australian study identifi ed “stranger
danger” as one of the main reasons for parents
restricting their children’s independent mobility within
neighbourhoods32. Children themselves have also
reported being afraid of strangers33, although not to the
same level of concern expressed by parents27.
Use of parks and open space is also affected
by parent and child concerns about the risks of
encountering dangers of a physical form, such as
syringes or broken glass, or social form, such as bullying
and antisocial behaviour from teenagers32 34. However,
as noted by Kelty et al35 little is known about the actual
risk posed by these concerns, nor is there evidence
of any increase in child abductions or assaults by
strangers in Australia over the past few decades.
Parent and carer safety concerns that consequently
disallow children to play alone or without supervision
at parks, or to travel independently to and from parks,
can signifi cantly impact on the time children spend in
outdoor play36. Factors shown to increase perceptions
of safety and hence park use include improving natural
surveillance by opening the park to view of surrounding
houses37, lighting at night 22 38 and the presence of
an authority fi gure such as a park ranger or security
guard27. Maintenance of playgrounds and parks and
the absence or removal of graffi ti are also factors that
shape parent and community perceptions of park
safety44.
AestheticsAlthough more researched in relation to adults,
aesthetic factors (e.g. attractiveness, presence of
interesting focal points) are relevant also to children’s
mental health and appear to infl uence both use of
parks and associated physical activity and, more
broadly, feelings towards the neighbourhood29.
Adolescent girls for example, were found to be more
physically active on weekends if they rated their overall
neighbourhood as attractive with enjoyable scenery40.
In another study, children expressed a desire for clean
and attractive environments as a preference relating to
outdoor play41. While not negating the attractiveness of
manicured park gardens and grassed areas, children
and young people also need and value access
to natural landscapes2. There is also sometimes a
tension between what is designed by developers and
landscape architects to be aesthetically pleasing and
what is functional and practical for park user groups, in
particular children.
Facilities and amenitiesAspects of park infrastructure shown to be
associated with park preference and increased
physical activity among young people include:
• large, grassed open areas for free play and room to
run42
• playgrounds that cater to different age-groups42
• physically challenging and interesting play
equipment 41
• playground equipment and other features that
enhance creative and unstructured play,
imagination and agility43
• safe walking and cycle paths22 26 27 38
• high quality and clearly designated areas for play
including sporting fi elds and pitches (for football
and cricket) 18 22 and half or full basketball courts1/
basketball rings41
• shelter, seating and tables for adults supervising
children on play equipment24
• better overall amenities such as fresh drinking
water22
• accessible toilets1
• improved lighting1
• aesthetic features and nature e.g. water features,
trees2
• skateboards ramps (mainly used by boys)22 41
• events and activities that draw families or young
people such as movies or music1.
It is pertinent to note that some facilities may cater
better to particular subsets of young people; a case in
point being Cohen’s fi nding that boys’ physical activity
was positively associated with parks with skateboard
ramps, while the relationship was inverse for girls22.
Similarly, facilities that attract older teenagers may deter
young children or vice versa. Further investigation is
needed regarding ways parks and open space can
optimally cater for multiple user groups35.
While the literature and guidelines often focus on
more structured features of parks and open space
(such as playground equipment and paths) from a
broader child development perspective, providing
opportunities for creative play, exploring, make-believe,
PARKS & OPEN SPACE
contact with different textures and exposure to nature
are all critical, and often missing in the more typical
‘plastic fantastic’ playgrounds of today. The willingness
of parents to travel across suburbs to more unique
parks that are often built from natural materials or have
a unique feature (e.g. resembling a ship, a volcano) is
testimony to this44.
Conditions As articulated by Bedimo-Rung et al, ‘people
choose to visit or not visit parks not only because of
what features are located there, but also because of
the condition of those features’. The condition of play
equipment is a key infl uence in a parent’s decision
to let children play in certain parks45. In a recent WA
study, negatives relating to the condition of playground
equipment and vandalism on playgrounds, tables or
benches emerged as a deterrent or reason for using
parks outside of the local area44. The condition of
parks has also been found to vary by area, with a US
playground audit reporting signifi cantly more safety
problems in disadvantaged neighbourhoods46. Both
actual and perceived conditions of parks by parents
and the wider community can be a barrier to park use
for children.
Rules Rules and regulations relating to parks and open
space can work both for and against children and
young people. Although not often mentioned in
the published literature, evidence ‘on the ground’
suggests that in some instances rules and restrictions
put in place to address one issue (e.g. no dogs, no
ballgames, no bikes or scooters on the grass) can
inadvertently deter children’s and young people’s use
of these areas.
On the other hand, parents of young children
sometimes report feeling that fenced playgrounds
are safer (e.g. less likelihood of animals entering, less
litter)44 and that rules relating to things such as shared
path use (e.g. for walking, bikes, rollerblades, scooters)
are also in the interest of safety. Trends towards a
more litigious society also have potential negative
implications, for instance liability concerns or insurance
costs that result in rationalisation of playgrounds31.
What is currently done to address the issue? Distilling what is current practice and approaches
in relation to parks and open space as it pertains to
children and young people is not a straightforward task
for a number of reasons:
1. What is currently done does not fall neatly into the mandate of a particular sector, profession or research fi eld.
As with many intersectoral issues, parks and open
space can run the risk of ‘falling through the cracks’
as an area for policy attention and intervention.
There are no guidelines or recommendations that
apply nationally, and at state and territory and local
government level, it is mainly broader issues that
are covered (e.g. the percentage of land allocated
to green space, regulations relating to types of
use). Although ‘quantity’ of access to parks and
open space per se is an issue in some areas, and
can be problematic particularly in small remote
communities, ‘quality’ is probably the more neglected
issue, particularly for children and young people. For
instance, while planning guidelines often stipulate
the minimum area to be allocated to parks and open
space in new developments (e.g. 10% in WA), little
if any consideration is given to the variability in size,
location, inclusion of interesting features and activities
for population groups.
2. What is currently done also gets framed and addressed differently depending on the group or sector concerned. Parks and open spaces are variously considered as:
• important for physical activity – referred to in
guidelines and reports on children’s physical
activity47
• infrastructure – usually the remit of local
government and concerned with facilities, co-
existence of different user groups, maintenance and
safety issues
• a venue for activity – used by sporting groups,
recreational clubs and other activities for children
and young people
• ‘a place for youth’ – recognised in the youth sector
as places where young people may like to hang
out, but also where anti-social behaviour may occur
• a planning or design issue – urban planners,
landscape architects and developers are among
groups that infl uence the placement, size, design
and content of parks and open space, but may not
overtly consider specifi c issues relating to children
and young people
• play areas for young children – both the general
community and parent groups recognise access
to parks, playgrounds and space to run and play as
important for children, as well as providing an ‘out of
the house’ option for parents.
3. What is currently being done is not always easy to fi nd. Within Australia as elsewhere, there is much unseen
activity that is relevant to parks and open space and
young people, ranging from PhD studies, local council
projects, youth development initiatives and more.
Examples include council youth consultations and
park planning in Victoria and a mobile ‘fun van’ visiting
parks in WA to draw parents and
young children. As information
about such initiatives is usually
not formally published or
disseminated, there is greater
likelihood of wheels being
re-invented elsewhere and
lessons learnt
being lost.
68 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
4. What is currently done is often on behalf of children and young people.
The direct and indirect value of input from children
and young people is less acknowledged in the
published literature but is a recurring theme in a
number of consultation documents and reports.
A Victorian inquiry into sustainable urban design for
example, noted that it is rare for young people to be
consulted about the design of public open space
and refers to ‘the skatepark’ as ‘frequently representing
the quintessence of planning for youth’48. By contrast,
involving young people can foster a sense of ownership
of public places in a way that merely providing
them with facilities cannot do1. Published qualitative
research undertaken with children aged 6 to 12 years
also highlights the rich insights afforded by children
into the mix of intrapersonal, social and environmental
factors that infl uence their perceptions and use of
open space41.
Who can make a difference?The ARACY webinar discussion around parks and
open space for children in late 2008 highlighted the
diversity and groundswell of interest around Australia
in enhancing children and young people’s access to
and experiences of parks and open space. Those
identifi ed as having an interest and role to play are
listed in the table below.
The issue of parks and open space for children and young people does not fall neatly into the mandate of a particular sector, profession or research fi eld. Those who can make a difference include: • Urban designers
• Urban planners
• Town planners
• Developers
• Landscape architects
• Local government (various sections, including crime
and safety, youth development, park maintenance)
• Playground designers and contractors
• Botanists
• Education Departments
• National parks
• Environmental groups (e.g. Men of the Trees, Earthcare)
• Park and open space user groups
• Local residents
• Youth organisations and events
• Parents and carers
• Groups working priority youth populations
(e.g. CaLD, Aboriginal)
• Service clubs (e.g. Rotary, Lions)
• Sporting clubs
• Sport and recreation departments/organisations
• Kidsafe Australia
• Community and kitchen garden projects
Experience from the fi eld also tells us While many of the factors that can contribute to
children’s and young people’s use and experience
of parks and open space can be drawn from the
literature, there is an incredible volume of anecdotal
and grassroots insight that needs to be tapped into for
some of the unanswered questions. For example:
• What are the key modifi able factors that make
some parks very popular while others are deserted
and avoided?
• How can we resolve tensions between teenagers
needing places to hang out and community
apprehension about ‘loitering’?
• Who is ‘leading the way’ in relation to designing and
planning ‘best practice’ parks and open space?
• Are there ways to engage children and young
people more in the planning and design of such
spaces?
• Can modern parks and open space cater to
children’s developmental needs for adventure,
exploration and imagination?
• Is there scope to roll out ‘adopt a park’ programs to
local residents, schools and other community
groups to increase sense of ownership as well as
practical care of parks and open space?
• How can parks and open space better cater
simultaneously to a range of age groups, youth of
CaLD backgrounds and those with special needs?
Posing these and other questions, and identifying
the actionable gaps in research, policy and practice to
date, are part of the way forward to enhancing the role
that parks and open space can play in the health and
wellbeing of children and young people in Australia.
Where to from here? While there is a growing recognition and pockets of
research and activity around Australia in many of the
areas identifi ed above, there is much more that could
be done. Broad recommendations for moving forward
include:
1. Fostering mechanisms for contact and collaboration between diverse organisations and
sectors that have shared interest in enhancing the
role of parks and open space for children’s health
and wellbeing. The ARACY webinar brought just
some of these players ‘out of the woodwork’ and
together, and there was interest among participants
in further sharing of information, ideas and ‘what
works’. The national playground conference to
be held in 2010 is one example of an avenue for
progressing some of these links.
2. Addressing research and research into practice voids. For example, much of the literature and
planning for parks and open space is ‘through
adult eyes’, albeit on behalf of children, and
there is very little Australian research or
documented consultation relating to children’s and
young people’s perspectives on how and why they
use parks, their play equipment preferences
(e.g. ‘plastic fantastic’ versus nature based), barriers
and facilitators to use and different age, gender
and ethnicity groups and so on.
PARKS & OPEN SPACE
PARKS & OPEN SPACE
3. Building community ownership and valuing of parks and open space for children/young people. Low use of parks and open space, a mismatch between
park design and amenities and local demographics,
and incivilities such as graffi ti and vandalism create a
vicious circle that deters parents and children from using
them. Quality also emerges from parents and parent/
youth organisations as an important consideration
for decision-making relating to the location, design,
equipping and landscaping of parks and open space.
Greater consultation with local groups and residents
can help to inform planning and maintenance, and
also aids the process of engagement that helps to build
ownership of parks and open space as a community
asset. There are some promising examples around
Australia of local councils that have taken a more
holistic (i.e. across sectors) approach to parks and open
space and engaged in community consultation with
good outcomes, but there is a role for external groups
and residents to play in encouraging other councils to
follow suit.
Conclusion This brief report summarises both the evidence
and knowledge gaps relating to the contribution that
parks and open space can make to the health and
wellbeing of children and young people. Access to
and use of parks and open space is linked to physical,
social and mental health benefi ts, and is increasingly
important for current generations growing up in a
world with more structured ‘play’, smaller backyards,
higher density housing and rising levels of sedentary
behaviour, childhood obesity and depression. The mere
presence of a park or open space does not, however,
mean that it is enticing or appropriate for children, and
in general parks and open space are often underused
or undervalued. The evidence surrounding the nexus
between parks and open space and children has
been somewhat scattered to date. This report and the
conceptual model presented sought to consolidate
what is currently available. Similarly, there is a diverse
array of sectors, agencies, community groups,
researchers and policy makers to whom this issue is
pertinent; including many whose core business may not
be children and youth per se, but whose role impacts on
the built and natural environment. There is considerable
scope for further communication and collaboration
among these players, and untapped synergies between
parks and open space that make good design sense,
foster a sense of community and help to enhance the
health and wellbeing of children and young people in
Australia.
References1. City of Darebin 2005, City of Darebin: Young People in Darebin Parks, Research Project. Victoria: Success Works.2. Louv, R 2008, Last child in the woods. Saving Our Children from Nature-Defi cit Disorder Revised and updated ed. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books.3. Jacobs, J 1961,The death and life of the great American cities. New York: Random House.4. Morris, J, Wang, F & Lotta, L 2001, School Children’s Travel Patterns: A Look Back and a Way Forward, Transport Engineering in Australia, 7(1-2):15-25.
5. Biddle, SJ, Gorely, T, Marshall, SJ, Murdey, I & Cameron N 2004, Physical activity and sedentary behaviours in youth: issues and controversies. The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, 124(1):29-33.6. Dollman, J, Norton, K & Norton L 2005, Evidence for secular trends in children’s physical activitybehaviour, Br J Sports Med, 39(892-897).7. Crawford, D & Jeffery, RW (editors) 2005, Obesity Prevention and Public Health. New York: Oxford University Press.8. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention 2007, Physical activity and good nutrition: Essential elements to prevent chronic disease and obesity, At A Glance, Atlanta: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.9. Kumanyika, S, Jeffery, R, Morabia, A, Ritenbaugh C & Antipatis V 2002, Obesity prevention: the case for action, International Journal of Obesity, 26:425-436.10. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2008, Making progress: the health, development and wellbeing of Australia’s children and young people, Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.11. Australian Society for the Study of Obesity 2004, Obesity in Australian children. Sydney: Australian Society for the Study of Obesity.12. Janssen, I, Katzmarzyk, P & Boyce WF et al 2005, Comparison of overweight and obesity prevalence in school-aged youth from 34 countries and their relationships with physical activity and dietary patterns, Obesity Reviews, 6:123-132.13. Doyle, AC, le Grange, D, Goldschmidt, A & Wilfl ey DE 2006, Psychosocial and Physical Impairment in Overweight Adolescents at High Risk for Eating Disorders, Obesity, 15(1):145-154.14. Boutcher, SH 2007, Physical Activity and Psychological Well-Being, London & New York: Taylor & Francis Group.15. Küller, R & Lindsten, C 1992, Health and behavior of children in classrooms with and without windows, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 12(4):305-317.16. Korpela, K, Kyttä, M & Hartig, T 2002, Restorative Experience, Self-Regulation, and Children’s Place Preferences, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 22(4):387-398.17. Kuo, FE & Taylor, AF 2004, A Potential Natural Treatment for Attention-Defi cit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence From a National Study, American Journal of Public Health, 94(9):1580-1586.18. Zakarian, JM, Hovell, MF, Hofstetter, CR, Sallis, JF & Keating KJ 1994, Correlates of Vigorous Exercise in a Predominantly Low SES and Minority High School Population, Preventive Medicine, 23(1994):314-321.19. Cottone, C 2005, New Kids on the Block: Making space for Sudanese young people in Queensland, Brisbane: Youth Affairs Network Queensland.20. Rimmer, JH, Riley, B, Wang, E, Rauworth, A & Jurkowski J, 2004, Physical Activity Participation Among Persons with Disabilities Barriers and Facilitators, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 26(5):419-425.21. Seeland, K & Nicolè, S 2006, Public green space and disabled users, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 5(1):29-34.22. Cohen, DA, Ashwood, JS, Scott, MM, Overton, A, Evenson, KR & Staten, LK, et al 2006, Public parks and physical activity among adolescent girls, Pediatrics, 118(5):e1381-9.23. Epstein, LH, Raja, S, Gold, SS, Paluch, RA, Pak, Y & Roemmich, JN 2006, Reducing sedentary behavior: The relationship between park area and the physical activity of youth, Psychological science, 17(8):654-659.
70 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
24. Davison, KK & Lawson, CT 2006, Do attributes in the physical environment infl uence children’s physical activity? A review of the literature, International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, 3(19).25. Fein, AJ, Plotnikoff, RC, Wild, TC & Spence, JC 2004, Perceived Environment and Physical Activity in Youth. International Journal of Behavioural Medicine, 11(3):135-142.26. Mota, J, Almeida, M, Santos, P & Ribeiro JC 2005, Perceived Neighborhood Environments and physical activity in adolescents. Preventive Medicine, 41(2005):834-836.27. Timperio, A, Crawford, D, Telford, A & Salmon J 2004, Perceptions about the local neighborhood and walking and cycling among children. Preventive Medicine, 38(1):39-47.28. Roemmich, J, Epstein, L, Raja, S, Yind, H, Robinson, J & Winiewicz D 2006, Association of access to parks and recreational facilities with the physical activity of young children, Preventive Medicine, 43:437-41.29. Santos, MP, Page, AS, Cooper, AR, Ribeiro, JC & Mota J 2008, Perceptions of the built environment in relation to physical activity in Portuguese adolescents, Health & Place.30. Wood, L 2006, Social capital, mental health and the environments in which people live (PhD thesis), The University of Western Australia.31. Australian Local Government Association, National Heart Foundation, Planning Institute of Australia Healthy Spaces and Places; towards a national planning guide; draft discussion document (unpublished paper), 2008. For resulting planning guide, see http://www.healthyplaces.org.au.32. Veitch, J, Bagley, S, Ball, K & Salmon, J 2006 Where do children usually play? A qualitative study of parents’ perceptions of infl uences on children’s active free-play, Health & Place, 12(4):383-393.33. Joshi, MS, MacLean, M & Carter W 1999, Children’s journey to school: Spatial skills, knowledge and perceptions of the environment. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 17(1):125-139.34. Trayers, T 2006, Improving health through neighbourhood environmental change: are we speaking the same language? A qualitative study of views of different stakeholders, Journal of public health, 28(1):49-55.35. Kelty, SF, Giles-Corti, B & Zubrick SR 2009 Physical Activity and young people: The impact of the built environment in encouraging play, fun and being active, New York: Nova Science Publishers Inc. 36. Veitch, J, Salmon, J & Ball, K, 2008, Children’s active free play in local neighborhoods: a behavioral mapping study. Health Education Research, 23(5):870-879.
37. Western Australian Planning Commission 2004, Liveable Neighbourhoods: a Western Australian government sustainable cities initiative, 3rd edition, Perth: Western Australian Planning Commission.38. Jago, R, Baranowski, T, Zakeri, I & Harris M 2005, Observed environmental features and the physical activity of adolescent males, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 29(2):98-104.39. Norman, GJ, Nutter, SK, Ryan, S, Sallis, JF, Calfas, KJ & Patrick, K 2006, Community Design and Access to Recreational Facilities as Correlates of Adolescent Physical Activity and Body-Mass Index, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 3(Suppl 1):S118-S128.40. Whitehead, SH, Biddle, SJH, O’Donovan, TM, & Nevill ME 2006, Social–Psychological and Physical Environmental Factors in Groups Differing by Levels of Physical Activity: A Study of Scottish Adolescent Girls, Pediatric Exercise Science, 18(2):226-239.41. Veitch, J, Salmon, J & Ball, K 2007, Children’s Perceptions of the Use of Public Open Spaces for Active Free-play, Children’s Geographies, 5(4):409 - 422.42. Potwarka, LR, Kaczynski, AT & Flack, AL 2008, Places to Play: Association of Park Space and Facilities with Healthy Weight Status among Children, Journal of Community Health, 33(5):344-350.43. Burdette, HL & Whitaker, RC 2005, Resurrecting free play in young children - Looking beyond fi tness and fatness to attention, affi liation, and affect, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 159(1):46-50.44. Wood, L, Walker, N, I‘Anson, K, Ivery, P, French, S & Giles-Corti, B 2008, PARKS: Parks and Reserves Kwinana Study: The use and role of parks within the Town of Kwinana, Perth: Centre for the Built Environment and Health, The University of Western Australia.45. Bedimo-Rung, AL, Mowen, AJ & Cohen, DA 2005, The signifi cance of parks to physical activity and public health - A conceptual model, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28(2):159-168.46. Cradock, AL, Kawachi, I, Colditz, GA, Hannon, C, Melly, SJ & Wiecha JL et al 2005, Playground safety and access in Boston neighborhoods, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28(4):357-363.47. Children’s Physical Activity Coalition 2008, Charter for Active Kids: A Blueprint for active and healthy children in Western Australia, Perth: Children’s Physical Activity Coalition.48. Victorian Parliament 2004, Inquiry into Sustainable Urban Design for New Communities in Outer Suburban Areas, Melbourne: Victorian Government, Outer Suburban/Interface Services and Development Committee.
PARKS & OPEN SPACE
PARKS & OPEN SPACE
About Action for Young Australians The Action for Young Australians series of
publications focuses on complex issues impacting on
young people in Australia today. Drawing on Australian
and international research and expertise, the reports
identify what is known and what is actually being done
to address key problems affecting the wellbeing of
children and young people and suggest a way forward
for progressing identifi ed solutions to the problem – that
is, turning the evidence into action.
Parks and open space: for the health and wellbeing
of children and young people was developed in
partnership with the Centre for Built Environment
and Health, University of Western Australia. The report
examines the evidence and knowledge gaps relating
to the contribution that parks and open space can
make to the health and wellbeing of children and
young people. It fi nds that there are many untapped
opportunities for better utilising parks and open space
to foster a stronger sense of community and proactively
enhance wellbeing.
This report is an important resource for encouraging
a collaborative way forward to embrace those
opportunities.
The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) ARACY is a national non-profi t organisation
working to create better futures for all Australia’s
children and young people. Despite Australia being
a wealthy, developed country, many aspects of the
health and wellbeing of our young people have been
declining. ARACY was formed to reverse these trends,
by preventing and addressing the major problems
affecting our children and young people.
ARACY tackles these complex issues through
building collaborations with researchers,
policy makers and practitioners from a broad range of
disciplines. We share knowledge and
foster evidence-based solutions.
The Centre for the Built Environment and Health In 2008 ARACY commissioned the Centre for Built
Environment and Health to develop
an Action for Young Australians report on the
importance of parks and open space to the wellbeing
of children and young people.
The Centre for the Built Environment and Health is
based within the School of Population Health at The
University of Western Australia. The Centre focuses
on research that can infl uence planning and urban
design policy and practice to create healthy and
sustainable communities, with a strong emphasis
on research translation. An ‘across the life course’
perspective underpins the research, and there is a
growing program of work relating to the impact of the
built environment on the health and wellbeing and
development of children and young people. The
Centre involves a collaboration between a multi-
disciplinary team of investigators, encompassing
expertise in public health, behavioural science,
geographical information systems, biostatistics,
qualitative and quantitative methods, social
determinants of health, urban design, transportation
planning, ageing, child health, health economics and
social ecology.
The report author was Dr Lisa Wood, Research Assistant
Professor and Deputy Director, Centre for the Built
Environment and Health, School of Population Health,
the University of Western Australia.
72 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
FINANCIAL + BUSINESS STRATEGY
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Complementing our auction activities, Pickles has
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accurate and timely valuations for our customers.
Our growth and longevity is based on our successful
business relationships, including national agreements
with the Australian Government, State Governments,
Local Councils, fleet and lease companies, financial
institutions, banks, insurance and blue chip companies
and not-for-profits.
Pickles would like to use our experience to assist you
with your local governments buying, selling, and
valuations activities.
For more information on our services, simply go towww.pickles.com.au.
Business and Councils: Partnering for success
ASSET MANAGEMENT
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 73
Councils under pressure to prepare asset management plansLocal councils are under pressure to complete asset management plans for all of their infrastructure asset classes to meet a target set by the Commonwealth Government. Councils are required to have these plans in place by December 2010.
The asset management target has come about
as a result of the National Financial Sustainability
Study of Local Government survey, prepared by
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and commissioned
by the Australian Local Government Association
to investigate the fi nancial sustainability of local
government.
The survey found that local governments across
Australia are responding to heightened community
expectations by providing an increasing range of
essential services and infrastructure that support
local communities. In the last three decades, local
governments have expanded their undertakings
with regards to community infrastructure and service
provision, now providing human and social services
alongside maintenance of the physical aspect of
community infrastructure.
The survey shows that these additional roles
and service quality, combined with slow revenue
growth, have caused numerous councils to develop
signifi cant fi nancial operating defi cits. This in turn has
led to councils reducing expenditure on infrastructure
renewals, and without reforms to the way that councils
are funded and managed, the level of local community
services and infrastructure is likely to suffer.
After a fi nancial analysis of one hundred Australian
councils had been carried out, the conclusion reached
in the PwC study was that, ‘without reforms, up to 30% of
local governments might not be sustainable’. PwC also
reported that ‘much of the infrastructure of community
centres, aged care facilities, health clinics and sport
and recreation facilities was established in the 1950s (or
earlier) and is not being suffi ciently upgraded because
of a lack of funds’.
In addition, it was found that the national backlog in
local infrastructure renewal work totalled an estimated
$14.5 billion, resulting from a substantial difference
between the revenue earned and the funding received
by local governments.
Reforms have been called for in relation to local
government infrastructure and planning, including
increased federal government funding for community
infrastructure projects. But a major focus resulting
from the survey is the fi nancial planning and asset
management at a strategic level.
The report noted that ‘a sizable proportion of
councils, including the vast majority of the larger
councils, have made signifi cant progress in reforming
operations to improve effi ciency and many of these
councils now only need to focus on continued
improvement through productivity gains’. However,
‘some councils still have scope to further improve their
effi ciency and effectiveness mainly by improving their
scale, fi nancial management and asset management’.
The Local Government and Planning Ministers’
Council (LGPMC) has had nationally consistent asset
management and fi nancial planning systems on its
agenda for some time, however added importance has
now been given to the consideration of these issues in
light of the recent global fi nancial crisis, and climate
change considerations.
The LGPMC has subsequently agreed to accelerate
the application of augmented frameworks within which
asset management and fi nancial planning can be
better controlled, and State and Territory governments
have agreed to work with local government to
implement these new frameworks by December 31,
2010.
ASSET MANAGEMENT
74 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
There were seven elements identifi ed for a national
asset management framework. These are:
• development of an asset management policy
• strategy and planning
• governance and management arrangements
• defi ning levels of service
• data and systems
• skills and processes
• evaluation
State and Territory governments will establish policy
frameworks for local government, and local councils
will form their own asset management strategies
according to these frameworks.
These strategies will address the following:
• What assets do we currently have?
• What is the current situation with regard to council’s
assets and their management? This would include
current and forecast future needs, and adequacy
of funding.
• Where do we want to be? A council’s asset
management strategy should fi t in with the goals
and objectives of its council plan, and
• How will we get there? This would include a
comparison between the current situation and the
proposed future to highlight where strategies will
need to be developed to cater for any changes.
This target has placed local councils under the
increased pressure of establishing asset
management plans whilst trying to handle the
existing challenges of the strain on local government
resources.
An information paper posted on the Australian
Council of Local Government’s (ACLG) website
expresses concern that ‘while councils in some
jurisdictions are well advanced on asset management
and fi nancial planning systems, others will struggle to
meet the deadline set by LGPMC’.
ACLG outlines numerous challenges that will be
faced by local government when addressing the
task of implementing such a plan, not least the trials
highlighted by a lack of consistent and reliable data
about assets owned by local government, for example
the value, condition and maintenance of these assets.
Funding and skills shortages will also prove to be
obstacles in the compilation of asset management
plans across Australia, meaning that for some
communities, integrated efforts with neighbouring
councils might provide a greater opportunity to meet
the requirements of the asset management plan.
Despite these concerns, if councils establish their
asset management plans in accordance with the
Commonwealth Government’s target, they will be
provided with opportunities to improve effi ciency
through core organisational management, and to
ensure the sustainability of their communities through
a reduction in expenditure and a narrowed, prioritised
focus.
Queensland’s Department of Infrastructure and
Planning has implemented an asset management
advancement program for the state’s local councils,
designed to support councils in developing their plans
progressively over the 18-month timeframe given by the
Commonwealth government.
The program is part of the sustainability and
reporting process that the Department had already
developed to focus on sustainability in communities
and councils. It is a milestone-based approach aimed
at assisting local governments to integrate their asset
management plans into their existing schedule of
responsibilities, and to ensure that the complete range
of requirements for the asset management target is
met.
Stage one of the Commonwealth Government’s
requirements is to have a core plan completed as per
the International Infrastructure Management Manual
approach by December 31, 2010, with an advanced
plan to follow in June 2012.
Councils are encouraged to evaluate all assets owned,
and prioritise each asset according to provided
guidelines, as follows:
1. Water, wastewater, roads, bridges, bus/road tunnels,
buildings
2. Stormwater drainage, fl ood mitigation network,
waste landfi ll
3. Recreational facilities, off-road footpaths and
bikeways, wharves/piers
4. Beaches, natural reserves, urban parks and
streetscapes, retaining/sea/river walls
The Department of Infrastructure and Planning then
recommends a step-by-step approach to the core plan,
and has put forward a series of milestones for councils
to adhere to in order to distribute the work over the time
given for completion of the plan. These include drafting
the asset management policy and collecting asset
maintenance and condition assessments, identifying
backlog requirements for all asset classes, and linking
asset data to long-term fi nancial plans. These activities
are given completion targets that span the whole of
2010, giving Queensland councils a specifi c timeframe
within which to work.
The introduction of the Commonwealth
Government’s target will pose a challenge for many
smaller communities, but will give council members a
comprehensive understanding of which assets require
the most immediate attention, what needs to be spent,
and where the funding will come from.
With a nationally consistent framework, this
will hopefully lead to nationwide improvements in
infrastructure, and strengthened communities with a
sustainable future.
INFRASTRUCTURE
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 75
Spatial data infrastructures – driving government and societyBy the Hon. Gary Nairn
In addressing “Spatial Data Infrastructures – Driving Government and Society” I should admit that in all honesty there are two words missing from the title. Those two words are “should be”. So the title should read “Spatial Data Infrastructures – should be Driving Government and Society”. But although that is the honest situation it would be a negative title and also there are more positive things happening with the use of spatial information than there are negative. It is just that some Governments are still not quite getting it.
In June 2009, I was privileged to have been asked to
give a keynote presentation at the 11th Global Spatial
Data Infrastructure Conference in Rotterdam. Like the
WALIS Forum in Western Australia, the GSDI organisation
has a strong track record over many years in leading
the way internationally with respect to spatial data
infrastructures. And I would say that they have had quite
some success when you consider projects such as the
INSPIRE initiative in Europe and the subsequent action of
countries like the Netherlands with GIDEON and the UK
with “Place Matters: the Location Strategy for the United
Kingdom”.
In both those cases we have seen a new level of
success with ministers in their governments “getting
it” and in fact driving those projects. This has been a
signifi cant breakthrough for the profession and the
industry and this is one we want to see copied in
many other countries including here in Australia but I’ll
come back to that later. In launching the UK’s initiative,
Parliamentary Under-Secretary Baroness Andrews said:
“The government acknowledges that a better
understanding of location is an important factor in
moving forward the transformational government
agenda. Implementation of the Location Strategy
will maximise value to the people, government and
UK industry of the use of geographic information. It
will provide a consistent framework to assist national,
regional and local initiatives, and service delivery for the
benefi t of all our people.”
Also a great catch phrase in that UK document is
“Place Matters – Everything happens somewhere”.
This is a strong endorsement for national SDIs.
Now let me say a few things about SDIs but
concentrating on the third letter, that is, the “I” for
infrastructure. I just mentioned the European INSPIRE
initiative – let me remind you what that stands for –
INfrastructure for SPatial InfoRmation in Europe. And
I particularly put the emphasis on the fi rst word –
INfrastructure. In our profession and industry there would
appear to be no confusion or debate about what we
mean by infrastructure. The Collins Australian Dictionary
defi nes infrastructure as “the basic requirements of a
developed economy” and I don’t think I could get an
argument here against an SDI fi tting that defi nition for
Australia’s developed economy.
76 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
But let’s acknowledge that it is a relatively new
concept – with ‘new’ meaning the last couple of
decades. So for a very long time, in fact literally
centuries, the word infrastructure has traditionally been
applied to such things as roads, water supply, ports,
railways, airports, etc. So what are the common themes
between these projects? They act as linkages between
and within communities, they serve as facilitators for
further development and growth and they effectively
link users and providers.
In this day and age I would say that SDIs fi t
perfectly with those particular themes of the traditional
infrastructures. Abbas Rajabifard, Director Centre for
Spatial Data Infrastructures & Land Administration,
defi nes an SDI as “an infrastructure linking data users
and providers on the basis of the common goal of
data sharing”. So that fi ts the defi nition.
In fact he and the Senior Research Fellow,
Department of Geomatics at University of Melbourne,
Jude Wallace said, “Society can be regarded
as spatially enabled where location and spatial
information are regarded as common goods made
available to citizens and businesses to encourage
creativity and product development”. That would also
seem to fi t nicely within the Collins Dictionary defi nition
of infrastructure.
But there is another common theme amongst those
traditional infrastructures. That is, they are all hard – not
diffi cult hard, although they are often that as well, but
hard hard. You know, they are built of concrete and
steel and bitumen, those sorts of hard materials. An
SDI doesn’t have that same theme as it is soft. Not
soft soft but soft as in software. And maybe there lies
one of the problems. Because based on some recent
determinations it would seem that to get a guernsey as
infrastructure there needs to be plenty of that hard stuff
– “soft” doesn’t compute when it comes to infrastructure
funding. And here is the evidence.
In late 2009, the Australian Financial Review listed
the fi fteen national infrastructure projects funded by
the Federal Government under their Building Australia
Fund’s fi rst round. Total funding of the fi fteen projects
was $8.453 billion. Of the fi fteen projects nine were rail
or rail related, four were roads and two were ports. All
very “hard” pieces of infrastructure. Lots of concrete,
steel and bitumen in them.
In my view none of the fi fteen projects are truly
national projects as was requested by the Federal
Government when it sought expressions of interest. They
are all effectively state-based infrastructure projects
that are normally state responsibilities. I’ll concede
that with some they will ultimately improve interstate
links and projects like the Oakajee Port in WA which
will facilitate exports to benefi t the broader Australian
economy … I’m sure you get the picture.
There were, however, three truly national
infrastructure projects put before Infrastructure Australia
by ANZLIC, the Australian Spatial Consortium and by
SIBA which don’t appear in that list of funded projects.
The fi rst one is a project I will call National Positioning
Infrastructure or NPI and I will come back to that. The
second was to develop a truly national Digital Elevation
Model (DEM) and the third a national Spatial Data
Infrastructure (SDI).
Infrastructure Australia determined that the DEM
and the SDI “did not meet the (government’s) criteria of
infrastructure”! So with that short sentence SDIs and for
that matter DEMs, lost any chance of receiving Federal
Government funds.
This should be of serious concern to our profession
and our industry but also to the broader community.
Spatial data is a fundamental input to all of the big
decisions that governments will be making in the
coming years. It is fundamental to all of the major
“hard” projects that will soak up many billions of dollars
of taxpayers’ money over the next decade.
But a fundamental piece of “soft” infrastructure that
will help to provide certainty to those big decisions
and will ensure effi ciencies in the construction of those
major “hard” projects won’t be in place.
The ludicrous aspect is that there is substantial work
happening in both these areas but no national focus
and coordination to ensure large amounts of time,
effort and therefore limited funds are not wasted on
duplication and different standards - WA’s SLIP being a
standout example of some of that substantial work.
The rejection of these infrastructures is like saying in
the early 1900s that there was no need for a national
map to be prepared. Imagine if there had been no
Federal coordination in building a map of Australia – it
may have looked like this!
The Mesopotamians were well organised in 1500BC
and the French well and truly sorted out interoperability
a long time ago when Napoleon decreed that there
would be common standards as part of the design of
the Arc de Triomphe.
But the tragedy is we do actually know what
happens when projects are not recognised as being
national and then suffer as a result of no Federal
coordination. And the well-remembered example is
the great Australian embarrassment of different railway
gauges.
If projects like a national SDI, DEM and NPI are not
given national infrastructure status then we will very
quickly create the digital equivalent of the different
railway gauges. Not exactly smart for a nation that
is supposedly focused on developing a knowledge
economy.
(continued on page 78)
Government in 1500BC
Source: Prof. Ian Williamson Chair, UN PCGIAP Working Group, Asia-Pacifi c
INFRASTRUCTURE
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 77
phone 1800 632 973email position@terranean.com.au
www.terranean.com.au
Full Wave Form, Integrated Digital Camera;
High Definition Terrain, Vegetation & Infrastructure
high definition LiDAR
Ortho-photography, DEM’s, Contours and Features
aerial photography
Production Cartography, Scenic Amenity & Visual
Assessment, Modeling and Data Management
GIS services
Value Add including Topographic, Landcover and
Road Network Mapping
satellite remote sensing
Gold Coast Scenic Amenity Map
In order to manage and protect its scenic assets, the Gold
Coast City Council commissioned Terranean Mapping
Technologies to identify and map Scenic Amenity across the
Gold Coast landscape.
Scenic Amenity
refers to benefits
the community
obtains from the
aesthetic visual
character of the
landscape. The
high Scenic
Amenity value of
the Gold Coast’s
beaches, forests,
waterways, parks
and farmlands
represent valuable
assets through their
contribution to
tourism and quality
of life.
Scenic Amenity
is a function of the
community’s
preference for
different types of landscape and the visibility of landscapes from
public viewing locations. It is calculated from two factors:
1. Scenic Preference – a measure of the relative contribution of
community preference for different landscapes, and
2. Visual Exposure – a measure of the relative visibility of
different parts of the landscape.
The primary outputs of the project were new Scenic Preference
and Scenic Amenity maps. Both have a resolution of 10 metres,
suitable for planning at 1:25 000 scale. This project also produced
the most detailed and accurate landcover map of the Gold Coast
that will be useful for a wide range of projects. These maps were
provided as GIS layers compatible with the Council’s GIS system
and as a series of 1:25 000 scale maps in printed and digital
format.
These maps will be used by the GCCC to:
• Address the requirements of the Queensland State
Government’s “South East Queensland Regional Plan 2005-
2026 Scenic Amenity Policies”
• Assist in developing key strategies, including Council’s “Draft
Local Growth Management Strategy” and “Landscape
Character Strategy”.
• Provide a basis for assessing the visual impact of proposed
developments.
78 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
INFRASTRUCTURE
(continued from page 76)
Now I mentioned an NPI and that I would come back to it. Unlike the DEM and SDI, Infrastructure Australia accepted that project fi tted the criteria of infrastructure. If I was a cynic I would say it was its physical structures that got it the recognition. A project worth around $300 million was proposed that would see the development and coordination of a network of about 2400 base stations across the nation.
This network of base stations would establish a Global Navigation Satellite System of Continuously Operating Reference Stations (GNSS-CORS), interoperable and with common standards broadcasting real time information providing 2cm accuracy to industries such as construction, mining and agriculture. Economic studies have shown a $32 to $58 billion benefi t to these three industries over the next 20 years of an NPI, so investing $300 million is pretty much a no brainer.
But this project is barely at fi rst base. Despite the economic study and the broader industry furiously developing non-interoperable, different standard, local networks, the Minister for Infrastructure wants to “identify how, and for whom, the technologies would directly impact and then translate each of these direct impacts into economic measures”.
Having spent nearly twelve years in government, I understand what this really means.
It really means – “yes, good idea so I won’t say no at the moment, but the money we have we want to go to big visible projects like major roads and railways so go away and prepare some more reports that might take quite some time and then we’ll see what we‘ve got left.”
Which in effect is a tentative no, but we can’t let that deter us. Following some fruitful discussions with the Minister for Broadband Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, discussions are underway with the NBN Co with respect to their pilot broadband project in Tasmania with hopefully the establishment of base stations in collaboration with it.
Meanwhile, I read recently that the Federal Government “is likely to adopt an international standard that would wirelessly link motor vehicles with transport infrastructure, such as traffi c lights and level crossings, helping to minimise road accidents and traffi c jams” - in other words, a national Intelligent Transport System or ITS.
So someone please tell me how you can develop a national ITS without an NPI and a national SDI in place. Well maybe you can but it will probably make the
transport system look like this!
Crucial “soft” infrastructure in an SDI would not only support national systems such as an ITS but will be the enabling platform and link between data and the people needed to ensure governments get big
decisions right, or as right as can be. That then would be a case of SDIs really driving government and society.
Let me take you back to the INSPIRE initiative – which in spatial terms is truly inspiring. INSPIRE says that to spatially enable society fi ve things must be done:1. Data should be collected once and maintained at the level where this can be done most effi ciently.2. It should be possible to seamlessly combine spatial data from different sources and share it between many users and applications.3. Spatial data should be collected at one level of government and shared between all levels.4. Spatial data needed for good governance should be available on conditions that are not restricting its extensive use.5. It should be easy to discover which spatial data is available, to evaluate its fi tness for purpose and to know which conditions apply for its use.
Very sensible stuff – let’s gather the data only once, let’s share what we have, governments work together, make it available and make it easy to fi nd and know what you can do with it. How simple is that?
And remarkably, this was agreed to by politicians who could see and understand the benefi ts of such “soft” infrastructure for the future development and governing of the European community.
As I said earlier countries like the Netherlands and the UK are well on the way to implementing those initiatives. Not only will it be good for Europe, it will be good for the individual countries. You can be certain that they wouldn’t be embracing these initiatives unless it was also good for them at home and good politics. For a politician, why wouldn’t you embrace infrastructure that will help you make better and more timely decisions that then benefi t your constituents? Local Members of Parliament should be falling over themselves to put this infrastructure in place.
So why aren’t they?Two main reasons really. Firstly they don’t understand.
And secondly the current systems within government act as a disincentive for it to happen.
Why don’t they understand?In my experience new concepts, or particular
projects, happened in a substantial part as a result of an advocate – a political champion. Many great ideas have languished due to the lack of that champion. Add to that a political gene pool that seems to be becoming smaller and smaller with a desperate shortage of people with any sort of technical/practical science background. I refer here not only to Members of Parliament but also to political staffers. Advisers to Ministers are key people when it comes to getting support for particular projects. We lack a political champion in Canberra.
At this point I must stand up and be counted. I think it is fair to say that during my time in Government I was seen as an advocate, a political champion for the spatial cause. But in hindsight, I probably didn’t do enough. I struggled but persevered while I was on the back bench but did have some success with the Action Agenda for Spatial Information in 2001.
Lacking Infrastructure?
INFRASTRUCTURE
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 79
After being appointed Special Minister of State I saw a good opportunity to raise the awareness of the value of spatial information as part of my e-Government initiative. It made no sense to me for the Australian Government to embark on the major reform initiative of e-Government without the involvement of spatial information. But to make it work I fi rstly needed the States and Territories to come on board with respect to standards and interoperability. I got that agreement and joint projects were commenced. Unfortunately having been made redundant in 2007 I haven’t been there to drive those projects and they have been caught up in Gershon and other inevitable reviews that take place under a new government. We need that political champion to get these crucial projects back on track.
So you might also appreciate that I experienced some level of frustration during the recent Victorian bushfi res given that the following recommendation was made in my report of the 2003 bushfi res inquiry I chaired. It said:
“The committee recommends that Geoscience Australia take responsibility, in conjunction with Emergency Management Australia, for developing a national spatial data policy to coordinate the development of data systems, the collection of data and the sharing of that data between all the emergency response agencies across Australia, and that both agencies participate in the delivery of spatial information systems as part of a national approach to emergency planning and management data. The fi rst priority in policy development and of systems should be related to bushfi re hazards.”
I think that basically says develop a national SDI and it will be very useful for managing bushfi res!
Let me very quickly say that I have no criticism of Geoscience Australia. The spatial information people in GA have my great support and it was always a privilege to work with them as I did on a number of occasions during my time in Parliament. They did some great work in promoting and using spatial information across government. But they can only do what they are given the resources to do. And they must work within the systems of Government. I know for a fact they share my frustration.
Which brings me back to the second reason mentioned before, that systems within Government act as a disincentive for an effective whole of government approach. Because that is getting to the nitty gritty of why the development of a national SDI isn’t happening organically.
Why current systems act as a disincentiveAs much as you may often hear Governments talking
about a “whole of government approach” or “whole of government answer”, the reality is it rarely happens. I was doing it with e-Government but not without diffi culty.
And it rarely happens, purely and simply because Government Departments are funded to do a particular job and there is no incentive for them to share a bright idea or a particular system developed by it or paid by it with another Department. Very occasionally two or several Departments might contribute funding towards a joint project but in the overall scheme of things that is still pretty rare. The reality is that Departments become quite protective of whatever it is they have developed, as
Ministers generally don’t like sharing the limelight with a colleague. Sad but true.
At a Federal level, most Government Departments will tell you that Geoscience Australia is the Government agency responsible for spatial information. Which is true. But there is no incentive for GA to actively engage all the other Departments in a whole of government approach to spatial information because it would be done detrimentally to its own charter and goals. And if employees in GA did that to any extent their superiors would probably think they must be getting too much of the budget allocation to have time to go off and help other Departments.
I propose that the opposite has to happen. Departments should be rewarded for sharing smart initiatives with other Departments and penalised when they don’t. Such a system should soon see whole of government initiatives occurring. However, judging from past experience this will take strong leadership at the very highest levels. It has been tried in the past but was perceived to have perverse incentives, with regulatory offsets and fi nancial offsets that only left the whole of government proponent out of pocket, potentially not having anything shared and with no credit for the benefi ts that could be gained. As someone said to me, agencies don’t like to be left holding the baby when the music stops. But let’s not give up. Let’s push for that strong leadership. Perhaps Lindsay Tanner may fi ll that role coming out of the Web 2.0 Taskforce’s work.
From a spatial point of view, I would help facilitate this through the appointment of a CSIO – Chief Spatial Information Offi cer.
CIOs, Chief Information Offi cers, were appointed as a result of information technology becoming mainstream in all Departments of Government. Once upon a time that wasn’t the case when IT was a very specialised area. But that quickly changed, just like when typing pools became typists in individual offi ces and then word processing departments became redundant as individuals did their own word processing.
Similar processes are happening with spatial information. Yes, there is and there will be specialist aspects of the technology but spatial information is becoming mainstream as well. You don’t need to be a spatial specialist to drive an in-car GPS navigation system and you don’t have to be a GIS specialist to utilise spatial information when deciding where the next school or hospital should be located. The spatial information used in the types of decision-making in government can be ubiquitous, transparent, to the particular system being administered within that department.
It’s when we get to that point, where spatial information is a transparent aspect of all systems, when it is ubiquitous to the decision making process, we will be able to truly say that SDIs are driving government and society.
But we are certainly not there yet here in Australia and so to take the next step to achieve that, we must commit to investing in absolutey necessary “soft” infrastructures like a truly national Spatial Data Infrastructure. And we must do it now.
(Adapted from the Keynote address by the Hon. Gary Nairn to the WALIS Forum, Perth, 11th November 2009)
80 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
INFRASTRUCTURE + ENGINEERING
Acrowd of about thirty engineers, installation
crews, and media persons gathered on a
winding section of The Gorge Road near
the Kangaroo Creek Reservoir on Monday 14
December 2009 to witness and participate in the
first installation of the Basyc Motorcycle Barrier in
Australia. The “Basyc” is a Spanish solution for
using a soft impact barrier created to reduce the
high motorcycle death and injury rate in Spain. It
is now a barrier used in ten countries on three
continents.
The Basyc installation foreman, Mr Aitor
Elorrieta, plus the Cegasa Marketing Manager
for the Basyc product, Mr Eduardo Adan, and
the Cegasa Pacific Basyc Product Manager, Mr
Gavin Li, were the team leaders for the initial
installation. Work started late by the time those
engineers gathering were all present and
accounted for. There was no pressure, but we
were informed that the media and the
politicians were expected at 3pm. Apart from the
media pressures, it was a challenging format for
the Spanish instructors having to train crews of
men, build a finished product and communicate
with Engineers whose interests covered a range
of associated topics. It is easier to train one work
crew than several work crews. It is easier to talk to
one engineer rather than multiple engineers
either individually or in small groups essentially
asking similar questions.
So what caused the interest in Basyc? Basyc
is a soft impact solution to protect motorcyclists
from sliding into guardrail posts. It is a fabric
barrier that attaches to the guardrail beam and
then is attached at the base of the posts. The
system has been tested to Spanish standards
with motorcycle rider dummies and tested to
European standards EN1317 for sedan vehicles.
Basyc passes all tests. At the present time there is
great interest in several states to make roads
safer for the motorcyclists. Some road authorities
are using post attenuators to protect each post
but none of these have been tested for both
motorcycle rider impacts and car impacts. Some
road authorities are using steel beam protection
bolted to the posts, but in crash tests there is
evidence that these beams scrub out the
vehicle tyres. Basyc is a new user friendly system
whether impacted by car or motorcycle rider.
For further information on the Basyc systemcontact Swami Nathan or Dane Hansen on+61 (0) 2-9631-8833.
The Gorge Road has the firstBasyc motorcycle barrierinstallation in Australia
82 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
INFRASTRUCTURE
Road crashes on Local Government Roads: Causes and Solutions Blair Turner & Victoria Pyta (presenter), ARRB Group Ltd
Abstract Local government roads form a signifi cant part
of the public road network, but little is known about
crashes on these types of roads. This Austroads study
involved a review of literature, crash data analysis, site
investigations, in-depth crash analysis and stakeholder
workshop to address this issue. It was identifi ed that a
signifi cant proportion of road deaths and casualties
occur on roads managed by local government.
Information is provided on the types of crashes, and
likely contributors to these. Information is also provided
on likely barriers that may prevent improvements in
safety on local government roads. A range of strategies
are provided to address these barriers and improve the
level of safety on local government roads.
Introduction Every year, crashes on roads result in an estimated
1.2 million fatalities, and up to 50 million are injured
or permanently disabled on the world’s roads (World
Health Organisation 2009). In Australia, road safety
is also a signifi cant issue, with around 1600 fatalities
per year (Australian Transport Council 2008), and
up to 30,000 serious injuries (Bureau of Infrastructure
Transport & Regional Economics 2009). This equates to
an average of over 4 deaths per day, and 80 serious
injuries.
Local government managed roads make up a
large proportion of the public road network, but little
information exists as to the number of deaths and
injuries that occur on these roads, nor on the types
of crashes. Similarly, there is little information on the
barriers to improving safety on these roads, or solutions
targeted specifi cally at these roads.
(continued on page 84)
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84 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
INFRASTRUCTURE
(continued from page 82)
Austroads (the association of Australian and New Zealand road controlling authorities) recognised this issue, and commissioned the Australian Road Research Board to investigate. A project was undertaken to examine:• the scale of the road safety problem on local government managed roads• types of crashes, and difference to crashes on state roads• barriers to improving safety on local government roads• examples of how safety on local government roads can be better managed.
Method In order to address these issues, the following tasks were undertaken:• a review of published literature on this topic• an analysis of crash data from each Australian state, and from New Zealand for the period 2003 to 2007. This compared crash numbers and types on local government and state managed roads• an analysis of the South Australian in-depth crash database (conducted by the Centre for Automotive Safety Research). This includes detailed information on the road environment, vehicles involved in each crash and road users (from interviews)• around 60 site investigations on local government managed roads in New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria. These occurred at locations with a history of crashes• a stakeholder workshop.
Results The review identifi ed that 84% of the Australian network (in terms of length), and 88% of the New Zealand road network is managed by local government. A large proportion of this is in rural areas. There is no clear information on the amount of traffi c on local government managed roads, but it is likely that just over a third (37%) of all vehicle kilometres travelled is on local government roads – mostly on the urban parts of the network. The crash analysis identifi ed that around half (51%, a total of 33,500 per year) of all casualty crashes in Australia, and two-thirds (65%, or 7,100) of those in New Zealand occur on local government roads. The proportion of fatal crashes is slightly less than this with 40% (or around 560 per year) of all fatals in Australia, and 46% in New Zealand (170 per year). Given a lack of accurate information for traffi c volumes on local roads, it is not possible to calculate accurate crash rates (in terms of crashes per 100m vehicle kilometres travelled). It is therefore not possible to determine the additional risk experienced by road users on local roads compared with state roads. However, it is likely that the risk is higher (between 1.5 to 2 times the level of risk), and in some road environments may be much higher. Long term trend data (over 10 years) indicated that despite a general downward trend in casualty and fatal crash numbers, the fi gures for local government managed roads had been relatively stagnant. As an
example, in New Zealand there were around 180 deaths on local government roads in 1999, with a similar total in 2008. However, crashes on state roads had decreased from around 340 to 180 over this same period. The crash analysis of local government roads indicated that:• casualty crashes tended to occur on urban roads (around 75% of crashes) although fatal crashes were evenly split across rural and urban roads (50%)• where a death occurred, this mostly involved motorists losing control of their vehicles either on a curve (22%) or straight (21%); or striking a pedestrian (16%). All of these were over-represented when compared to fatal crashes on state highways• in New Zealand (where crash causation is recorded), the most common crash causes recorded were poor observation, failing to give way or stop, speed, and alcohol, and each of these factors were over- represented when compared to the state network• of the fatal crashes, speed and alcohol were the most common cause factor• there was a higher proportion of non-seatbelt wearing on local government roads• 17-24 year-olds were the age group most involved in crashes, with a higher proportion in this age involved in crashes on local government roads. This was even more pronounced for fatal crashes (28% of fatal crashes in Australia, and 33% in New Zealand involved this age group). Many of these issues were linked to issues identifi ed during the site investigations and in-depth crash database analysis. This work highlighted the following issues from crashes on metropolitan local government roads:• presence of roadside hazards• visual obstruction of signs and traffi c controls• poor delineation• high number of crashes at controlled intersections• young drivers and risk taking• impaired drivers, including pre-existing medical conditions• driver distraction. In rural areas, the following issues were identifi ed as being signifi cant in local government crashes:• severe outcomes at intersections• lower standard of traffi c control, street lighting and delineation at rural junctions• roadside hazards – especially trees• poor junction geometry• poor road alignment and delineation• unsealed shoulders• driver inexperience• loss of control• excessive speed• impairment. It can be concluded that crashes on local government roads are a signifi cant public health issue. There is also some evidence to suggest that despite a general reduction in crashes on all roads over the last decade, the number of crashes on local government roads has not reduced dramatically in recent years.(continued on page 86)
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86 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
INFRASTRUCTURE
(continued from page 84)
Measures to address specifi c crash types on local roads Low cost measures are available to address many of these issues. Most obvious are improvements to delineation (at curves and junctions) and review of speed limits. Many of the issues should be addressed through maintenance (e.g. signs, road markings and vegetation clearance). Higher cost options include removal of roadside hazards (or protection of vehicles through installation of barriers), installation of adequate pedestrian facilities, provision of road shoulders, and improvements to road alignment. A number of enforcement options are available (including for speed, impairment and seat belts), as well as education programs (particularly to address driver speed, distraction and inattention, medical conditions and driver expectation). Although the types of solutions to use are relatively clear, there are often barriers to making improvements to safety on local government roads.
Barriers to improving safety on local government managed roads A workshop of key stakeholders was held to determine current barriers to delivering road safety on local government roads. Attendees from across Australia and New Zealand were invited to the event, or to contribute to the discussion through comments on the document that was produced following this. Attendees included safety experts working within local government, in liaison roles for state government, or for local government associations. A variety of barriers were identifi ed during discussions. These can be summarised as follows:• Crash distribution – the local government road network is extensive, and crashes tend not to cluster making treatment (e.g. engineering measures or enforcement) diffi cult.• Access to knowledge about how to address safety – there is a perceived need for guidance specifi cally for local roads, possibly with advice on how incremental steps towards road safety can best be achieved with the money that a council has available to them. Diffi culties were identifi ed in accessing information on good practice given other competing demands.• Data issues – there is diffi culty in accessing data relating to road safety (e.g. crash data), and then in interpreting this.• Funding/costs – funding specifi cally for local government road safety is limited. Given that there are often very few ‘black spots’ on local government roads, treating existing problems is diffi cult under the current benefi t/cost approach. There are also diffi culties in applying for additional funding, as this takes time and resources. It was also widely considered that in many cases local government cannot afford best practice.• Community and political buy-in and expectation – getting people to talk about road safety is not a diffi cult task, but eliciting productive discussion and convincing councils to give road safety suffi cient priority to promote informed, concerted and coordinated effort is a more diffi cult
matter. There is a need to raise the awareness of the real risks on the road.• Staff issues – local government often lacks the staff resources to deliver safety outcomes. This includes availability of staff, and staff with appropriate skills to perform their roles.• Network planning issues – it is important to build safety into design at the planning stage to maximise safety benefi ts, and minimise the need for remedial safety treatments in future. This is not always done.• Responsibility/liability – it was suggested that there is too much emphasis on blame-shifting between the different levels of government and not enough emphasis on problem-solving.• Changing population structure, traffi c volumes and composition – an ageing population, and growth in traffi c (including heavy vehicles) presents a problem to local government.
Some solutions for improving local government road safety The fi nal Austroads report provides guidance on each of the barriers presented above. Key suggestions are as follows: The development and implementation of an effective road safety strategy is crucial. A safety management systems approach for asset planning, building and management is a promising method for incorporating a safety philosophy (and more specifi cally, the Safe System philosophy) throughout local government processes. Multiple local stakeholder coordinating arrangements are important for creating a sense of responsibility and ownership of road safety within the community and for raising the profi le of road safety on the local government agenda. Creation of ‘partnerships’ between various local governments (particularly smaller ones) is crucial to improving safety outcomes. This can take the form of ‘sister council’ arrangements or clusters of councils. This will assist in the pooling of resources and staff expertise. For every council there should be available at least one full-time employee who is responsible for road safety (or more specially, a ‘Safe System’ position). For smaller councils, this might entail sharing of this resource across a number of councils. This Safe System expert should have a clearly defi ned role, and access to relevant information on addressing road safety specifi cally on local government roads. There appears to be a need for specifi c road safety guidance for local government. In many cases, local government is not able to deliver ‘best practice’ solutions, but rather would perhaps best deliver safety in an incremental fashion. Guidance is needed on how to achieve this delivery. The way in which information is provided to local government practitioners needs to be examined. It is unlikely that they will have time to access many of the research reports that exist on new and improved approaches to treatment of risk. There are some successful examples of online tools that are available to practitioners (e.g. the Austroads Road Safety (continued on page 88)
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 87
For More Information Contact Saferoads on:
1800 060 672
www.saferoads.com.ausales@saferoads.com.au
Saferoads – Total Road Safety SolutionsSpeed Cushions have proven to
be one of the most effective
traffic calming devices available
on the market today. Speed
Cushions are designed to
effectively manage traffic flows at
a lower speed without
compromising safety. Whether it
is inner or outer suburban streets
where higher speed vehicles
have caused safety concerns for
local residents the Speed
Cushion treatment is an effective
method to reduce speeds by up
to 25 km/h.
Speed Cushions have been
used in Australia for over 10
years, with Saferoads P/L
introducing the first cushions
made from recycled tyres. The
newest Speed cushions have an
inlayed white EPDM rubber key
that ensures it is always highly
visible. The high visibility key
warns the driver of the Speed
Cushions presence on the road.
The presence of the Speed
Cushion changes the drivers
behaviour, resulting in a
reduction in average speeds.
The Speed Cushions are
constructed in modular
segments that allow installation
in a wide variety of widths or
across the entire road. Using an
anchor bracket underneath the
segments for stability also has
the effect of combining the mass
of the segments to create a
strong and durable Speed
Cushion that will reduce speeds
and saves lives for many years.
The Sydney City Council has
incorporated Speed Cushions
into the design of the new
Sydney Cycleway Project. The
Council decided on the use of
Speed Cushions as the most
cost effective way to reduce
speeds while effectively
managing the interaction of
Cycles and Motor vehicles while
reducing speeds and increasing
safety.
Artists impression
(continued from page 86)
Engineering Toolkit, available at www.engtoolkit.com.au) but wider promotion of such tools is required. It was also suggested that a database of behavioural interventions (and their effectiveness) be produced, and this idea appears to have merit. The benefi t-cost approach to funding safety projects does not fi t well with the types of problems found on local government networks, and the ‘bidding war’ that ensues takes valuable resources in terms of time with no guarantee of success. Guidance and/or a revision of this approach is needed to help fund local government road safety improvements, including longer term projects that will increase the safety of the local government road network. The risk assessment based approach (one that examines the level of risk not just from crash data, but also from road and roadside attributes), as well as those involving mass action or route treatments seem to be of high relevance to those managing local roads (particularly the low volume network). Greater use could be made of such tools, although funding mechanisms might need to be altered to maximise their use. Funding for safety is only a small proportion of total expenditure on roads in local governments. It is important to ensure that budgets and processes in other areas of road management (including planning and asset management) take account of up to date information on road safety to ensure that funds directed at these tasks maximise the safety benefi t. Improved information is required to help identify current crash problems within local government areas. Benchmarking between similar local governments (either within one state, or even potentially between states) would be a valuable tool to help authorities identify problem issues. State government has an opportunity and a responsibility to assist in this task. Better knowledge about the safety situation will help raise awareness of road safety risks, providing useful information for politicians and the public. There are good models of how such information could be presented, and these should be used as a basis for such dissemination.
Recommendations Based on the discussion above, the following recommendations are made:
1. Development and delivery of effective local government road safety strategies is of utmost importance in delivering road safety outcomes. Local governments that do not yet have a road safety strategy should be encouraged and assisted to develop one. 2. Partnerships between local governments, and between state government and local government should be actively promoted. Various successful models exist and should be assessed by state authorities.3. The introduction of a ‘safety management system’ approach for local government should be investigated.4. Each council should have access to a full-time Safe System practitioner.5. Guidance on the delivery of safety on local government roads should be assessed, and revised to take account of barriers (and opportunities) on local government roads. This guidance should include information on mass action programs, route assessments and risk assessment.6. Better dissemination of road safety information is required, and a tool (perhaps online) to assist in provision of information to local government safety practitioners (including those on behavioural measures) should be developed.7. Funding arrangements for local government road safety should be reviewed at both state and federal level, and a model for road funding tied in to the Safe Systems approach should be developed.8. The quality, consistency and completeness of data held at a national level on expenditure, road condition, exposure and crashes on local roads is in need of improvement. Without good quality, reliable and complete data the question of whether funding for local roads is appropriate cannot be adequately addressed.9. There is a need for greater dissemination of Safe System principles throughout local government to ensure opportunities to improve safety benefi ts are maximised. This dissemination should be conducted in a systematic way.10. Information on crashes on local government roads should be provided by state government to each local government on a regular basis. This should include information to enable benchmarking.(continued on page 90)
88 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
INFRASTRUCTURE
AECOM, a global provider of professional technical
and management support services, has
integrated its four businesses in Australia –
Maunsell, EDAW, ENSR, and Bassett – under a unified
AECOM brand, with more benefits for its local
government clients.
As AECOM, the business can more easily harness its
full range of capabilities – which includes Building
Engineering, Environment, Mining, Architecture, Design +
Planning, Economics, Transportation, Water,
Infrastructure Services, Program Management, and
Energy – both in Australia and globally, and make this
experience available to local government clients.
The integration provides AECOM with easier access
to more specialists, both within Australia and beyond,
bringing together its collective teams and their latest
ideas, insights, and talents for partnering more
powerfully and thinking more innovatively with its local
government clients.
In increasingly complex projects, local government is
seeking a much stronger alignment and integration of
services, which a single AECOM provides. Although the
name may have changed, AECOM remains committed
to providing tailored solutions and a high level of
service. It continues with its strong commitment to local
presence and decision-making, ensuring its local
government clients receive the best mix of local
knowledge and global reach.
PARTNERINGTHINKING
DESIGNINGDELIVERING
www.aecom.com
Maunsell, EDAW, ENSR & Bassett are now AECOM.
AECOM transition delivers morefor local government
Delivering for local government — the Maroochy Boulevard Interchange, animportant strategic link to central Maroochydore, designed by AECOM
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 89
INFRASTRUCTURE
90 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
INFRASTRUCTURE
(continued from page 88)
Conclusion In both Australia and New Zealand, a signifi cant
proportion of fatal and injury crashes occur on local
government roads. Given the volumes of traffi c using
these roads, the risk to an individual driver of being
involved in a casualty crash are likely to be higher
on local government roads than on state roads. In
addition, it appears that improvements in safety on
local roads have been slower in coming (over the last
10 year period) than for state roads.
This project identifi ed a number of key crash types
that occur on local government managed roads, as
well as methods to address these. However, various
barriers also exist in addressing this risk. These need
to be addressed before improvements can be made.
Responsibility for improving local government road
safety lies at all levels of government (federal, state and
local), and a concerted effort by each will be required
to improve safety on the road.
References Australian Transport Council (2008). National road
safety action plan: 2009 and 2010, ATSB, Canberra, ACT.
BITRE (2009). Australian Transport Statistics: Yearbook
2009. Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport, and Regional
Economics. Canberra, Australia.
WHO (2009). Global status report on road safety:
time for action. World Health Organization. Geneva,
Switzerland.
AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank Austroads for funding
this research, and the workshop attendees for their
valuable input. We also acknowledge Jeremy Woolley
from the Centre for Automotive Safety Research in
Adelaide for the in-depth crash analysis; Sarah Zhang
for help with the crash data analysis; the ARRB staff
in various offi ces for conducting site inspections, and
David Green for analysis of that data.
Author biographies Blair Turner joined ARRB Group Ltd at the end of
2004, and has a number of years experience in road
safety, both in Australasia and Europe. He initially
worked for the New Zealand Government (LTSA)
before moving to the UK to continue his career. He
has been involved in a wide range of road safety
research projects, road safety audits and investigation
of crash locations, and production of road safety
reviews (including a review of the UK Road Safety
Strategy). Much of his work has involved liaison with
local government regarding road safety issues. Blair
is now based in ARRB’s Melbourne offi ce where he
is currently responsible for research on road safety
engineering.
Victoria Pyta joined the road safety team at
ARRB Group Ltd in April 2005. In 2003, she attained
a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Psychology from
The University of Melbourne. Victoria’s skills include
qualitative and quantitative data analysis, survey
design, literature reviews and consultation. She has
worked on a wide range of research projects at ARRB.
These have spanned diverse areas such as bicycle
commuting, engineering-based crash reduction
treatments, young pedestrians, younger and older
drivers and the effects of red light cameras on crashes.
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 91
Komatsu Australia has released its new Dash 5
Vantage series of graders – consisting of two
models, the GD555A-5 and the GD655A-5 –
featuring the best cab visibility of any grader on the
market, increased engine power, and an upgraded
version of its unique dual-mode transmission system.
Operating weight of the GD555A-5 is 17.1 tonnes,
with variable power up to 144 kW (depending on which
gear is in use), while the GD655A-5 has an operating
weight of 17.6 tonnes, and variable power ratings of up
to 163 kW.
According to Kevin Edwards, Komatsu Australia’s
National Business Manager, the key advance in the
new grader range is the visibility from the cab, which he
said is class leading against any other grader on the
market.
“The visibility on these graders – whether to the
blade, out the front or to the rear, is absolutely unrivalled
– which is why we’ve tagged them our ‘Vantage’ series
grader,” he said.
“The graders’ new hexangular ROPS cab features a
patented front Y-shape pillar and rear side pillar to give
better visibility – and hence greater operator
confidence and productivity – in all grader
applications,” he said.
The Vantage graders are also equipped with power
and economy modes to better match them to
customer applications and requirements.
This gives the operator the choice of direct drive
(manual) transmission, as used on conventional
graders, or torque converter transmission for improved
control at low speeds and in final finishing – all at the
flick of a switch.
Further information: Komatsu Australia, ph 1300 KOMATSU(1300 566 287), website www.komatsu.com.au, e-mailinfo@komatsu.com.au.
New Komatsu Vantage-seriesgraders offer class-leadingvisibility, more power and non-stall transmission
INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING
INFRASTRUCTURE - LIGHTING
92 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
LED to light the way for councilsWith constant pressure on local government to address energy ineffi ciency, the search is on for an alternative light source to fl uorescents. Light emitting diode (LED) lighting is already commonly found in such applications as garden lights, torches and bicycle lamps, and is lauded to be the future of commercial lighting. In fact, Melbourne’s iconic Westgate Bridge is set to receive an LED facelift, with more than seven kilometres of multicoloured LED lights planned for installation on the bridge by the end of 2010.
LED lights are a promising alternative to the lighting
currently used for large areas, because they have
a longer lamp life, highly directional light which
reduces loss of light through distribution in all directions,
they are more energy effi cient, and reach full brightness
immediately without a warm-up period.
A reasonable question to ask would be why LED has
been so slow to take off, given its obvious advantages
over other light sources. LED was originally only available
in colours such as green, but a white LED has recently
become available. Despite this progress, frustrations
regarding the high prices, low light output and relative
ignorance regarding life span have all hampered LED’s
advancement in the market.
The light at the end of the tunnel for LED is that
constantly improving technology is helping LED to
be taken more seriously. As a means of discovering
the benefi ts of LED replacements for fl uorescents,
energy effi ciency fi rm CarbonetiX in October 2008
embarked upon an independent evaluation of LED
versus fl uorescent lighting. The Solid State Lighting
Trial was undertaken in partnership with the Victorian
Government Sustainability Fund, managed by
Sustainability Victoria, and with the support of the City
of Frankston.
The report addresses the existing obstacles that
LED lighting faces, as well as predicting trends that
will increase the likelihood of LED becoming a viable
alternative to fl uorescent lighting by 2015. The report also
presents recommendations aimed at aiding building
owners to achieve immediate energy savings with
fl uorescent lighting.
INFRASTRUCTURE - LIGHTING
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 93
Fluorescent lighting and LEDs As fl uorescent lighting is the most commonly used
lighting source in commercial applications, the task
of replacing fl uorescents with LEDs will be a large one.
Fluorescent lighting is the primary source of lighting
in offi ces, supermarkets, schools, hospitals, and many
other buildings, and has such widespread use due to
its effi ciency, reliability and affordability.
Now, LED lights provide an alternative to the
fl uorescent linear tubes that are commonly used,
and claim to be more energy effi cient than their
predecessors.
The trial In addition to addressing the barriers to uptake of
LEDs as a fl uorescent substitute, the evaluation carried
out by CarbonetiX discusses a trial of the LED lights
in a community centre in Frankston, highlighting the
observed benefi ts and drawbacks of switching to an
LED system.
The Solid State Lighting Trial was carried out over a
year, from October 2008 to October 2009. First, an initial
desktop evaluation of 1200mm long LED tubes was
carried out for brightness and luminous effi cacy. As part
of this process, nineteen different manufacturers were
evaluated according to their LED specifi cations.
The six tubes that appeared to be the best on
paper were then tested for light output and power
consumption in a typical offi ce light fi tting. The cost of
tubes varied from $50 to $120.
An obstacle that was encountered when changing
the tubes was the necessity to remove the starter in
the light fi tting, and in some cases the power factor
correction capacitor and the iron-core ballast required
disconnection, or to be bypassed. The fi ndings showed
that performance levels of the LED lights differed greatly,
and some of the tubes had an unappealing blue light.
The best performing LED tube then underwent
photometric testing in a NATA certifi ed laboratory, and
proved to have an effi cacy of approximately 80 lumens
per watt. The report noted that this superior lamp also
emitted a good colour of light, between cool-white and
daylight.
Bruce Rowse, director of CarbonetiX, was surprised
by the result. “The useful light provided by the best
lamp in a standard offi ce troffer (fl uorescent fi tting) was
similar to that of a used halo-phosphor fl uoro tube – a
surprising result as earlier testing we had undertaken
had indicated LEDs were just not bright enough to be
used as a fl uorescent substitute.”
The best performing lamps were then installed in
the Mahogany Neighbourhood Centre in the City of
Frankston, and the change from fl uorescent to LED was
performance-monitored.
The community centre comprises an offi ce, and
meeting and training rooms, and is in constant use by
community groups, operating 7 days a week. Prior to
the changeover to LED, the centre was illuminated by
halo-phosphor tubes, estimated by CarbonetiX to have
overall effi cacy of between 30 to 50 lumens per watt.
According to Rowse, “the LED tubes produce light
that is strongly directional. This can offer a signifi cant
advantage by ensuring that all the light is directed to
where it is needed and not be lost in the back of a
fi tting.” As such, the consensus was that the LED lamp
could effectively replace the fl uorescent tubes with
little or no light lost. All 176 fl uorescent tubes were then
replaced with the LED tubes.
Pre- and post-surveys regarding the light quality in
the centre revealed that occupants and users noted
either no change or an improvement in the quality
of light in the community centre. According to an
assessment, levels of illumination were around the
same as before but power consumption had dropped
by more than 50%, from 40 watts to 18 watts per light.
Nine months after the installation, the lamps were
still performing at the same level as they had after
installation, without any failures. Despite the optimism
that this lends to LED technology, nine months is
not suffi cient time to deduce whether the lamps
will operate for 50,000 hours, as claimed by the
manufacturer.
As a result of the trial, it was established that LED
lamps might be a viable alternative to fl uorescent
tubes, provided that the LED emits suffi cient light.
However, there are still some factors that will hinder the
progress of LED into the commercial market, namely
cost, a lack of information about depreciation and
lamp life, and exaggerated performance claims from
LED manufacturers.
Cost The highest performing tube chosen from the
range of LED lights submitted for testing was also
one of the most expensive, nearing the upper limit
of $120 per tube. As a contrast, a good fl uorescent
tube costs approximately $5. This creates a large
barrier to widespread uptake of the technology due to
excessively high outlays for a changeover.
At current prices, it is estimated that it would take
ten years for an organisation to recoup the monetary
benefi ts of investing in LED lighting. It is likely, however,
that demand for the new method of lighting will drive
prices down over the next fi ve years. In the US, the
Department of Energy held a series of workshops
looking at potential advancements in solid-state
lighting manufacturing, and attendees at the workshop
predicted about a 70% decrease in the costs by 2015.
This reduction should come about as the result of an
85% decline in the cost of the packaged LED, which
accounts for around 40% of the cost of the luminaire.
INFRASTRUCTURE - LIGHTING
94 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
With costs of LED tubes potentially dropping to
$20 or $30, and a halved energy output for lighting,
the report estimated that businesses should be
able to receive a payback in energy saving within
approximately three years.
The cost of retrofi tting a building with LED lighting
to replace the fl uorescents will vary, depending on the
procedures required. Some LED models merely require
the starter in the fi tting to be removed, adding no extra
cost to the changeover, whereas others require the
fi tting ballast to be bypassed, signifi cantly increasing
the cost of installation. As a result, the payback period
may be extended for some installations.
Lumen depreciation and lamp life As lamps age, light loss, known as lumen
depreciation, occurs. A typical fl uorescent tube, for
example, will be emitting 15% to 20% less light at the
end of its life than it did at the time of installation.
LED lighting is a relatively new technology, and is rapidly
changing and developing. LED lamp manufacturers
are claiming life spans of 50,000 to 100,000 hours for
their new products, but such claims are unable to
be substantiated, as a new lamp would need to be
tested for approximately 6 years before the claim can
be proven valid. By this time, the lamp would almost
certainly be obsolescent.
In the US, the Illumination Engineering Society (IES)
has developed two standards by which the life span
and light output of an LED light may be determined.
One of these, the LM80 Approved Method: Measuring
Lumen Maintenance of LED Light Sources, involves
a controlled 60,000 hour test, from which data can
be extrapolated that will predict the life span of an
LED lamp up to 36,000 hours. This can then help to
estimate the number of hours by which time light
output will drop to 70% of its original. This estimate
is called the ‘L70’ life of the lamp. According to the
report, however, few manufacturers are providing data
on lamp life in accordance with this standard.
Exaggerated performance claims What manufacturers do provide, however, are
claims of luminosity above that found in the initial
trials. Even the best LED tube trialled for the report
produced only 80% of the light claimed by the
manufacturer. The trial found only one tube that was a
viable alternative for halo-phosphor tubes.
Exaggerated claims are a barrier to uptake of
LED due to a decline in credibility and insuffi cient
light performance. With manufacturers making
unsubstantiated claims, the industry will not progress
as quickly as it could. Fortunately, standards are being
put in place that, if followed and regulated, will build
consumer confi dence, and eventually expand the LED
market.
LED light output on the upOver the two years of the trial and report, a
great improvement in LED effi cacy was observed.
Manufacturers have begun to claim effi cacy of up
to 110 lumens per watt, and in the US a prize is being
offered for the fi rst manufacturer to produce a solid-
state light that produces 150 lumens per watt or
above.
The report claims that if the current rate of
improvement continues, it is possible that by 2015
commonly available lamps will show effi cacy of at
least 120 lumens per watt.
As fl uorescent lamps lose light in the fi ttings, the
range of effi cacy is currently somewhere between
56 lumens per watt for a poor fi tting, and 100 lumens
per watt for a superior fi tting. The CarbonetiX report
claims that by 2015, LED tubes should be available
that produce 50% to 100% more lumens per watt than
existing fl uorescent tubes.
All of the above factors indicate that LEDs may
sometime in the near future become a superior choice
to fl uorescent lighting, which is relatively static in terms
of its progress compared to LED advancements. The
report predicts that we should see LED tubes readily
available from electric wholesalers and retailers, as well
as LED fi xtures available with the same dimensions as
fl uorescent fi xtures.
What about the meantime?While we wait for LEDs to become as convenient and
cost effective as they are energy effi cient, what should
be done with existing fl uorescent light fi ttings?
Any building owner or facility manager should predict a
switch from fl uorescent to LED lighting by 2015. The report
suggests that in the meantime, building owners and
facility managers should explore other options to reduce
their current fl uorescent lighting use to increase both
fi nancial and energy savings.
Three common factors that can be addressed are
over-illumination, lower performance fl uorescent tubes,
and low performance light fi xtures.
To address these problems, there are plenty of
solutions. Removing excess tubes to minimise over-
illumination, replacing lower-performing tubes with
new high-performance tubes, fi tting mirror-like refl ectors
into existing fi ttings to refl ect light downwards, and
undertaking an illumination assessment using a lux
meter, will ensure that the building’s lighting is operating
as effi ciently as possible.
According to Rowse, “these alternate options should
be considered as bridging technologies whilst LED
performance, price and reliability continue to improve
over the next few years”.
INFRASTRUCTURE - LIGHTING
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 95
Councils struggling with street lighting costsSydney councils are threatening to switch off their street lights to cope with soaring electricity costs. The NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal has recommended electricity price rises of up to 62 per cent between July this year and 2013, adding millions of dollars to council lighting bills.
Councils are demanding that the State Government
share the cost of street lighting. Lights, maintained
by electricity companies, are paid for by councils,
writes Carmel Melouney in the Sunday Telegraph.
Camden council has discussed reducing street lighting
in new suburbs, having fewer lights on straight roads and
even turning off street lights at night. A council report last
year said new subdivisions at Oran Park and Turner Road
would add an extra $500,000 to the council’s annual
lighting bill.
Cr Fred Anderson questioned whether lights needed
to be on all night: “It’s now possible to drive down a
suburban street with high beams on.” Camden Mayor
Chris Patterson said the price hikes were “a huge
concern. Not only is the cost of energy going up, but the
cost of new poles and infrastructure is also going up,” he
said. “Obviously, we would have to meet the minimum
standards with street lighting, but we’re looking at every
new development and whether there are extra lights
that we could cut.”
Penrith Mayor, Kevin Crameri, said his council may
also consider cutting down on street lights. Penrith
council spent $3,722,304 on electricity last fi nancial year,
two-thirds for street lighting, and has banded together
with 27 other councils as part of a competitive group
tender for lighting.
Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils
president, Alison McLaren, said they were looking at joint
purchasing of street lighting because the rising cost of
electricity “is going to be a major problem.”
Local Government Association president and North
Sydney Mayor, Genia McCaffery, said councils may be
forced to sack staff to pay rising power bills. Cr McCaffery
said 22 Sydney councils have lobbied Energy Australia
for fi ve years to adopt lower-cost, more energy-effi cient
lighting.
Councils were angry that their electricity costs had
soared when they had no control over Energy Australia’s
infrastructure, she said. Waverley, Woollahra, Willoughby,
Kogarah and North Sydney are part of the Street Lighting
Improvement Program, lobbying Energy Australia.
Waverley council has entered into an agreement with
other councils to buy electricity from Tasmania.
LIGHTING
96 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Lighting consumes about 20% of all electricity in the
world. Global lighting consumption has its
implications on rising energy prices, climate
change, security of energy supply and economic
growth. New lighting technologies, which are much
more efficient than previous technologies, now create
the opportunity for us to convert existing lighting
installations to newer technology bringing huge savings
in energy costs and CO2 emissions.
The new Philips range of TL5 recessed luminaires are
more energy efficient than ever before. The latest optical
technology was used to create a highly effective optic,
giving rise to new opportunities for saving energy.
This family of advanced TL5 recessed luminaire with
micro optic technology use less energy than standard
TL5 solutions. Even greater savings can be made by
retrofitting TLD lighting installations with our new TL5
recessed luminaires. The quality of the lighting is
maintained, however, thanks to the Omni directional
Lighting Control optic which increases luminous
efficacy while reducing glare in all directions and
complying
with relevant
brightness
limits.
The new
Philips TL5
luminaires
fitted with the
optional ActiLume lighting control can deliver
automatic energy savings, and regulate and switch to
adapt the lighting to the conditions in the indoor
environment. Built into the luminaire it’s operated with
the new Philips DALI ballast being the first true plug-and-
play lighting control system on the market. With
optional daylight-linking and presence-detecting
lighting control systems in your recessed luminaire, your
energy consumption can easily be halved in
comparison to conventional office lighting solutions.
For more information contact PhilipsPh 1300 304 404 or lightingsalesdesk@philips.com
Generate more, with less
PAUS-002-10 ALGM@ft.ai 3/4/10 11:02:31 AM
URBAN PLANNING
98 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
New report fi nds traffi c congestion set to increaseBy 2041, Australia’s cities will experience signifi cant increases in traffi c congestion, people will spend more time travelling and cars will generate more greenhouse gas emissions, a new study has found.
Cities for the future: Baseline report and key issues,
commissioned by the Australian Sustainable Built
Environment Council (ASBEC), was released at the
Green Cities 2010 conference in Melbourne.
The report points to a bleak future where transport-
related greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) increase by
almost 50 per cent and travel times increase by a
quarter.
“Under a business as usual approach, our urban
centres will become more transport intensive and less
transport effi cient. Congestion will worsen, travel times
become longer and transport-related GHG increase,”
says ASBEC President, Tom Roper. “The report is a clarion
call to our federal, state and local governments that
swift, decisive action is required to deliver better transport
systems in Australia’s cities,” Mr Roper says. According to
Romilly Madew, Chief Executive of the Green Building
Council Australia and task group chair, the analysis
“clearly shows that, without action to change the way
people live, work and play in our cities, our transport
challenges will only get worse.”
Cities for the future is the fi rst part of a four stage
project which aims to explore and measure the links
between greenhouse gas emissions from urban
transport and land use within our cities. “This report
has found that the shape of our cities and the
distribution of land uses can infl uence transport and
therefore emissions. However, in raising sustainability
and reducing emissions, we are likely to realise other
tangible benefi ts, such as healthier communities,
more accessible services, appropriate responses to
demographic change, and more effi cient use of land
and infrastructure,” Ms Madew explains. The study
examined two cities, Greater Melbourne and South East
Queensland, with key fi ndings including:
• Urban centres will become more transport intensive and less transport effi cient: The total
amount of passenger travel and time spent travelling
in cities is forecast to grow more than proportionally
to population and employment.
• Transport is forecast to be slower: Average trip
speed (kilometres per hour) is projected to decrease
in both regions studied in the report by around 10 to
13 per cent by 2041.
• Transport outcomes are likely to deteriorate: people in both cities are projected to spend
more time travelling per day and to travel
longer distances. People in South East
Queensland and Greater Melbourne will
see their travel time increase by approximately
26 and 23 per cent, respectively, by 2041.
URBAN PLANNING
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 99
• Transport GHG emissions are projected to rise in the studied urban centres: Emissions in
South East Queensland are projected to have
the largest increase, rising by 75 per cent
between 2006 and 2041.
• Land transport GHG emissions from within urban Australia are projected to rise substantially under the baseline scenario: Without additional
policy interventions these emissions are projected to
rise from an estimated 41 megatonnes per annum in
2006 to 60 megatonnes in 2041– an increase of 46
per cent.
• The need for mobility and its costs will increase: Overall, the analysis shows that the
need for mobility and its costs in terms of time
and harmful impacts upon the environment
will increase. These adverse changes are
expected to outpace the growth in underlying
population and represent a challenge for
future transport networks.
Stage two of ASBEC’s study will bring together key
experts and stakeholders in Australia to discuss the initial
fi ndings and develop alternative frameworks for land
use, transport, environmental outcomes and community
planning.
“From this, we will determine which alternative
scenarios provide the best outcomes for Australia’s cities
and the people who live in them,” Ms Madew explains.
“The challenge is to recast our vision for Australia’s cities
and deliver sustainable, liveable places that
service a diverse and growing population,” says Tom
Roper. “While the model is still being debated, the
principles of the sustainable city of the future are clear:
well planned, built and operated places that are
sensitive to their environment, meet the diverse needs of
existing and future residents, and contribute to a high
quality of life.”
About ASBEC The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council
(ASBEC) is the peak body of key organisations
committed to a sustainable built environment in
Australia. ASBEC members are industry and professional
associations, non-government organisations and
government observers who are involved in the planning,
design, delivery and operation of our built environment,
and are concerned with the sector’s social and
environmental impacts.
ASBEC’s Cities for the Future task group comprises
representatives from the Green Building Council of
Australia, Australian Institute of Architects, Australian
Conservation Foundation, Property Council of
Australia, the Planning Institute of Australia and the
Association of Consulting Engineers Australia. Cities
for the future: Baseline report and key issues was funded
by task group members, the Built Environment
Industry Innovation Council (co-funded by the Australian
Government Department of Innovation,
Industry, Science and Research), the ACT Planning and
Land Authority and the Victorian Employers’
Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
100 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
URBAN REVITALISATION
The City of Greater Dandenong is a vibrant and
welcoming city. It is home to a thriving manufacturing
and business sector and the largest provider of
employment in the region.
Significant investment has been made in new
commercial and industrial building construction in Greater
Dandenong in recent years, highlighting continuing
confidence in our local economy and our future. Attention
is now being directed at the city’s three main activity
centres in Dandenong, Springvale and Noble Park.
Our city’s vibrancy, diversity and vitality is already
celebrated by the 130,000 residents who call Greater
Dandenong home. Greater Dandenong is quintessentially
multicultural Melbourne with people from over 150 nations
living within the municipality.
The City of Greater Dandenong is leading a progressive
program which it believes will result in the municipality
being at the forefront of urban renewal in Australia. The
City has developed comprehensive structure plans for its
Noble Park and Springvale Activity Centres which have
already seen significant new development investment
injected into these areas, whilst central Dandenong
remains its flagship urban renewal project.
The State Government’s recognition of Dandenong as
a vital region is reflected in their investment of $290 million
in the Revitalising Central Dandenong Project. Not only will
this attract an estimated $1 billion in private sector
investment and development and entice new residents
into 4,000 new homes, but it will also lead to enhanced
business growth and the creation of 5,000 new jobs over
the next 20 years.
What makes this project even more exciting is how
Local Government, the State Government and the Greater
Dandenong community have worked in partnership to see
it eventuate. The Urban Master Plan builds on a shared
vision, one which continues to capitalise on our city’s
social and economic strengths.
The State Government contribution will see Lonsdale
Street transformed into one of Melbourne’s great
boulevards, the construction of a vibrant City Street to
connect Dandenong Station to the city centre and a new
gateway in the George Street Bridge. It also involves the
acquisition of 7 hectares of land by VicUrban which is
being redeveloped to create housing, education, retail
and business opportunities in the heart of the city centre.
All this is part of the vision to establish central Dandenong
Urban RenewalRevitalising CentralDandenong
URBAN PLANNING
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 101
URBAN PLANNING
102 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Sustainable cities, sustainable councilsRomilly Madew, Chief Executive Green Building Council of Australia
By 2050, Australia’s population is expected to rise by 60 per cent, reaching 35 million people. Most of us – nearly 85 per cent - will choose to live in cities.
Current urban development patterns will not sustain
this growth – and so they must be reinvented.
In Australia, we are in the enviable position of
being able to plan and design our living spaces of the
future. But just what will these places look like? How will
we interact with them? How do we ensure that they
are liveable and enjoyable places? How do we ensure
they meet the diverse needs of both existing and future
residents and workers?
These are just some of the many questions facing
all levels of government, owners, developers, planners,
builders, communities – and the Green Building Council
of Australia (GBCA) – as we begin to plan our future
communities.
Australia’s industry leadership is already recognised
internationally. Since the GBCA was established in 2002,
it has grown to become an organisation comprising
more than 785 member organisations. This makes GBCA
one of the world’s largest green building councils, after
the USA (there are over 63 councils globally).
The GBCA launched the Green Star voluntary
environmental rating system in 2003, and since then it
has certifi ed more than 220 buildings – with over 460
more buildings registered for Green Star certifi cation.
Together, certifi ed and registered projects amount to
nearly 10 million square metres of green building – that’s
181 times the size of Sydney Harbour.
Today, few new buildings in CBD areas are built
without attaining Green Star certifi cation.
Clearly, we’re heading in the right direction with our
buildings. We have the tools and the industry leadership
to drive the green agenda brick-by-brick, building-by-
building. However, our vision for our communities must
now be re-engineered to ensure we can rapidly take on
the challenge of greening our cities.
In late 2009, the Federal Department of Infrastructure
announced the adoption of new reforms which will
require states and territories to develop capital city
strategic plans by 2012 that meet national criteria
for transport, housing, urban development and
sustainability.
The Australian Government says that national criteria
will deliver better integrated and longer term - 30 year
- infrastructure and land use plans. The criteria require
planned, evidence-based land release to improve
housing affordability, better transport planning to tackle
urban congestion, and new urban development to be
better linked to transport, jobs and services.
From 1 January 2012, the Australian Government will
link future infrastructure funding to states and territories
meeting these criteria.
The GBCA has welcomed this move, as a longer-
term strategic approach to urban planning is required
if Australia is to successfully meet the challenges of
climate change, productivity, population growth and
housing affordability, and create sustainable, liveable
places.
Sustainable communities and precincts are places
where people want to live and work – both now and in
the future. They are well planned, built and operated.
They meet the diverse needs of existing and future
residents, are sensitive to their environment, and
contribute to a high quality of life for all the people who
live there.
Architect Buckminster Fuller said “the best way to
predict the future is to design it”. In February 2010, the
GBCA released the Green Star - Communities national
framework for sustainable communities and precincts.
The framework outlines fi ve national best practice
principles to guide sustainable communities in Australia:
liveability, economic prosperity, environmental quality,
place-making and urban governance.
The next stage of our project is to develop a tool that
assesses sustainable communities against best practice
benchmarks. There is a real need for frameworks,
models, tools and case studies that promote the delivery
of new sustainable communities and the revitalisation
and retrofi tting of existing ones, and we expect everyone
from planners and designers, through to builders and
community neighbourhood groups will fi nd the tool
useful.
Green Star - Communities will provide valuable
support for and complement the Federal Government’s
sustainable cities agenda, but it will also provide state
and local governments with a framework for planning
guidelines and development incentives for the property
industry, and help drive a nationally consistent planning
base for policy and regulation.
Left unabated, climate change will have a serious
and direct impact on local governments’ ability to
provide services over the long term and to effectively
govern. Making sustainable changes now is the best
insurance against more drastic and far-reaching
changes in the future. The challenge for local
government is to be green agents of change.
URBAN PLANNING
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 103
Sustainability Victoria’s green fi tout at 50 Lonsdale Street in Melbourne achieved a 5 Star Green Star – Interiors v1.1 rating.
Melbourne’s CH2 was the fi rst building in Australia to achieve a 6 Star Green Star certifi ed rating (Offi ce Design), and achieved a 6 Star Green Star As Built rating in 2010, confi rming that the green design features actually delivered the desired environmental outcomes.
URBAN PLANNING
104 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
The GBCA suggests four local government solutions
to Australia’s climate change challenges, including:
• Strong leadership at the local level, and a fi rm
commitment to championing green initiatives.
• Collaboration and strategic partnerships between
local governments and local business communities.
• Education, capacity building and skills development, as a signifi cant transformation of
the nation’s skill base must be achieved if
Australia is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
improve environmental outcomes without
endangering overall employment growth.
• Commonwealth support and funding for effective
green education and skills programs, and to
help local councils deliver national sustainability
programs.
So, what can your council do to go green?
Firstly, introduce incentives that encourage
developers to commit to green buildings or ‘green up’
existing structures. Fast-track permit processing for green
buildings; this practice has already been initiated in
some capital cities, including Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane
and Adelaide. The GBCA has an online portal, the
Green Guide to Government Policy (available at www.
gbca.org.au), which outlines green building programs
and incentives at all levels of government around
Australia. It’s a valuable at-a-glance resource to help
you understand what other councils are doing, and to
promote your own green initiatives.
Perhaps the most important role for local
governments is as green leaders – by leading the
way in the adoption of sustainable building and eco-
friendly business practices. So, commit your council to
Green Star certifi cation for all future building projects
and major renovations. Melbourne and Brisbane city
councils have both committed to a minimum 5 Star
Green Star standard for all new offi ce accommodation,
and we expect other councils to soon follow suit.
Finally, join the Green Building Council of Australia.
Many federal, state and local governments – including
the Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth
city councils - are already fully engaged members of the
GBCA and are collaborating with industry to ensure we
fi nd sustainable building solutions to our global climate
change challenges.
The GBCA is currently in the process of establishing
a local government task group to encourage further
partnerships between government and industry. By
working with the GBCA, your council can infl uence
the future direction of green building in Australia and
connect with other green building leaders. You’ll also
be providing a clear signal to your constituents that your
council is committed to sustainability.
It’s time to get serious about sustainability. We
must look at how we manage our precious resources,
minimise our environmental footprint and create cities
that are healthy, liveable places that address the needs
of a diverse range of people.
After all, we are not just building a community for
tomorrow. We are building a community for generations.
Our buildings must be viable and sustainable in fi fty or
even one hundred years, and must address long-term
implications of climate change so that we can secure
our nation’s and our planet’s future.
Power and Water Corporation was awarded a 4 Star Green Star – Offi ce Design v2 rating from the Green Building Council of Australia for its Ben Hammond Complex in Darwin.
The Northern Territory’s fi rst 4 Star Green Star building has set a new benchmark for sustainable tropical design.
Melbourne
As the capital city of the State of Victoria in Australia, the City
of Melbourne is committed to achieving its Zero-Net Emissions
2020 strategy and is working with Honeywell to retrofit 13 council
buildings in the short term to reduce carbon emissions and
deliver significant water and energy savings for the city.
The City of Melbourne was one of the first cities to form a
partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative, under the C40
programme, to help tackle climate change.
Challenges The project outlines an ambitious timeline of 18 months that will
showcase results to the public and to the business community.
This is the first step to inspire a wider adoption of the 1200 Buildings
program that will cumulatively help the City achieve its sustainability
goals.
Investments made by the City into this program also needed to have
tangible benefits so that the water and energy reductions translate to
financial savings as well.
Solution - Honeywell Energy Performance ContractThe City of Melbourne has signed an agreement with Honeywell
to retrofit 13 Council buildings starting in December 2009 which
will include a wide range of works including improvements to
HVAC systems and building controls, lighting retrofits, solar pool
heating system, low flow plumbing fixtures, rainwater harvesting
technologies and gas, water & electricity metering using
specialised computer systems.
The buildings selected for the program are:
Commonwealth Bank Building
City Library
City Square Car Park
Elgin Street Car Park
Melbourne City Baths
Kensington Community Recreation Centre
Carlton Baths Community Centre
North Melbourne Baths
North Melbourne Town Hall
Queen Victoria Market
Campbell Arcade
North Melbourne Library
BenefitsUnder the agreement, the program is expected to generate:
$190,000 of annual energy savings
1560 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions
- equivalent to taking 348 cars off the road
11,791 kilolitres in water consumption savings - equivalent to
reducing enough water needed to fill 52 Olympic swimming
pools.
In addition, the savings made under the program will repay the
investment made by the Council within 15 years. Retrofitting
existing buildings makes sound financial sense as it reduces
energy and water bills for building owners and tenants.
As a longer term goal, the City of Melbourne will work with
businesses under the 1200 Buildings program to work through
similar retrofit programs to achieve substantial energy and water
savings across the city.
The combination of financial impact and environmental benefits
will have significant impact on the people and businesses that
operate in Melbourne and by being proactive, the community can
support the achievement of the Zero-Net Emissions goal by 2020.
106 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 107
WATER
Water reform vital for future supply The urban water industry is facing pressure to reform amid new and increased estimates of Australia’s population growth. There is now serious debate as to what changes urban water providers must make to continue servicing a growing population. Eden Cox investigates the options.
When Treasury revised its population forecast from
28 million to 35 million people by 2050, urban
water providers were left to rethink whether
existing plans to augment supplies would be adequate
for the projected extra 7 million people.
Whilst other large industries like gas,
telecommunications and electricity have undergone
transformations to keep pace with growing demand, the
water industry has largely escaped such reforms.
The National Water Commission (NWC) has said that
signifi cant investment in infrastructure are needed over
the next 25 years to meet this growth in demand.
Water plans need to respond to current
circumstances, but should also outline fl exible strategies
that can be applied under future conditions expected
as a result of climate change.
Advocates for market-based reforms claim that water
restrictions are proof of an ineffective system, and that
Australia needs competition between government-
controlled water monopolies for an innovative and
effi cient system.
Major arguments on the other side of the debate
draw attention to the fact that water is vital for human
survival, stating that such commodities should not be left
to the mercy of the market.
Ross Young, CEO of the Water Services Association of
Australia, said that whilst market-based approaches are
worth investigating, competitive urban water markets do
not exist anywhere in the world.
“Competition may be possible at the wholesale
level but it is highly unlikely to be achievable at the retail
level due to the transaction costs and the relatively low
value of water compared to other utility services such as
electricity,” he said.
Mr Young also highlighted the importance of
undertaking thorough studies to determine which
parts of the water supply system constitute a natural
monopoly, and which parts of the system could be
opened up to competition.
While this debate continues, urban water providers
have responded to the drought and threat of climate
change by investing heavily in new water sources, with
$30 billion to be spent on urban water projects between
2007/08 and 2012/13.
Investment in urban water supply infrastructure
has traditionally been sporadic, with large, infrequent
additions to capacity rather than incremental growth.
Signifi cant efforts and major investments continue to be
made to diversify urban water supplies, pushing for less
rainfall-dependent sources. These developments include
desalination, large-scale non-potable recycling, sewer
mining, grey water collection and reuse, storm water
harvesting systems, and new dams.
Water recycling remains a politically contentious
issue, unpopular with many politicians and communities
alike. But the NWC said no plan should be ruled
out before a robust, open-minded and transparent
comparison of all options to weigh up benefi ts, costs
and risks.
Desalination remains the infrastructure of choice to
bolster long-term water supply, and, with the exceptions
of Darwin and Hobart, all capital cities will have
desalination plants within the next four years.
Whilst desalination provides a reliable source of
water in a relatively short time, it is not a faultless solution.
“Desalination and recycling schemes will be an
increasingly important source of water for our cities but
they will not be the panacea,” said Mr Young.
108 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Critics say that the process is expensive and energy intensive, and the water industry warns that to fund all of these new water sources the cost of water in capital cities could double in the next four to fi ve years. Mr Young emphasised that even though water prices are increasing, “water is still a relatively small component of household outgoings, particularly when compared with electricity bills.” Water restriction measures aren’t the perfect answer either. The NWC said that water restrictions impose signifi cant costs on water users, government authorities and the broader community. The Productivity Commission estimated in 2008 that the hidden costs of water restrictions could be up to $1 billion a year. “Domestic gardening supports a large industry and gardening is one of the most popular recreational activities,” said Mr Young. “Domestic and public gardens add to the attractiveness of our urban environments and assist in reducing the impact of the urban heat island effect.” Mr Young and the NWC agree that water restrictions should only be applied in the event of sudden water shortages and drought, not relied upon for long periods of time, as has been the case in all capitals except Darwin and Hobart. Treasury secretary Ken Henry has been a long-standing supporter of urban reforms, citing that a market-based system would improve supply and demand of urban water. Henry believes that the current system, where water is effectively being given away to consumers, is creating unnecessary domestic demand and is therefore restricting access to more important users. Furthermore, the NWC noted that currently a water usage charge is not levied directly on all users, meaning these consumers do not receive a price signal providing an incentive to use water wisely. Mr Young pointed out that many disadvantaged Australians receive concessions on their water bill, which also dilutes the price signal. The NWC highlighted that signifi cant scope exists in several Australian states to bring building tenants into a transparent water charging environment, including more frequent billing cycles that provide more effective price signals to customers. Some groups are touting the implementation of scarcity pricing as a measure for reducing urban consumption. In 2009, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) biennial report, “Urban water management: optimal price and investment policy under uncertainty”, said that scarcity pricing presents an effi cient way of allocating urban water resources, and is preferable to water restrictions. Scarcity pricing involves consumer charges for water that vary with storage levels, meaning prices are generally higher during summer, and lower in high-rainfall seasons. But this kind of solution remains controversial, with critics arguing that the inelasticity of household water demand will present little benefi t in terms of reduction. “Previous studies have indicated that water used internal to the home is largely unchanged by the price of water as the essentials of life uses such as washing clothes, showering and toilet fl ushing need to continue regardless of price,” said Mr Young.
“Studies have also indicated that water used external to the home such as watering gardens is more sensitive to price but still largely insensitive compared to other goods and services purchased by consumers.” Then there are also those who focus on equity concerns, with fears that low-income consumers could be forced to cut back on essential water for drinking, washing, cooking and cleaning. ABARE recommended that scarcity pricing could work using a two-block price scheme in which a low constant price would apply to the fi rst block of consumption, and a variable scarcity price would apply to consumption above this level, which should include only non-essential water use. In some jurisdictions block-pricing is already in place. Mr Young said that such a system is economically ineffi cient and cannot recover all the costs associated with a water supply system. “Having said this, inclining block tariffs have assisted in signalling to customers the scarcity value of water,” he said. Scarcity pricing schemes would require household water consumption to be measured accurately within each billing period. But it is not currently possible to read all household meters on the last day of the billing cycle. One way to overcome this problem would be to invest in smart metering technology. Several smart meter trials have already been implemented across the country, including an extensive trial on 468 homes in Sydney’s north. The NWC is supportive of such systems and encourages the government to consider urban smart metering more seriously. But whilst the Rudd government has been focusing attention on rural water use in the Murray-Darling Basin, its urban water response has been slow, aside from the provision of subsidies for urban desalination plants and water recycling facilities. The NWC biennial report says existing water provision structures allow only some competition in water supply and service, including third-party access regimes in some states. In NSW, this has enabled private providers AquaNet Sydney and Veolia Water Australia to plan a $100 million recycled water plant and pipeline system for industrial water users in Sydney. But the water industry has said that increasing competition between urban water providers will mean the scrapping of uniform ‘stamp pricing’ for suburbs. They argue that wealthy suburbs on the coast will receive bill cuts, whilst suburbs further west will receive higher charges for wastewater treatment. While the debate continues on all sides, it’s heartening to know that the urban water industry has recognised the need for some big reforms. “Water systems of the future will be much more integrated than what they are now and will involve an integrated approach which embraces all aspects of the urban water cycle, including stormwater, groundwater, dams, desalination, recycled water and water grids,” said Mr Young. The pressure on Australian water supplies, predicted to increase in the grip of accelerating population growth and the threat of climate change, is an enormous challenge facing utility providers, planners and local government.
WATER
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 109
WATER
110 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
The City of Unley’s signing of an agreement to
access recycled water from the Glenelg to
Adelaide Pipeline (GAP) is just one of the more
visible aspects of the city’s water sustainability and
conservation program that has made it a leader in
“Waterproofing the East” of Adelaide.
The long-term agreement to provide up to 50
megalitres of high quality recycled water will assist in
returning Unley’s parks and public open spaces to their
pre-2007 condition prior to the introduction of water
restrictions. Construction of a new access pipeline will
take place this year with the aim of having the water
available for use next summer. However, the GAP
agreement is only one element of Unley Council’s
overall water sustainability strategy.
Other projects on the go include stormwater
harvesting and aquifer storage and recovery, water
sensitive urban design and greater use of rainwater
tanks.
Environmentally sensitive urban design initiatives
being undertaken across the city include changes to
the way it lays footpaths and captures available
stormwater. Permeable/gap paving will now be used for
all footpath replacement works, while under an
innovative program a portion of the stormwater from
residential properties will progressively be captured and
diverted to water street trees through a series of “tree
wells”.
As part of the process of footpath replacement,
Council gives residents the opportunity to choose the
surface for the nature strip outside their property.
Residents are now being encouraged to choose
permeable loam as a preferred nature strip instead of
the more conventional dolomite, which easily
compacts and becomes impenetrable by stormwater.
Unley Council is also continuing to investigate the
feasibility of several stormwater harvesting/reuse
schemes to further reduce its dependence on mains
water. Tied in with all of this is a program of community
education on sustainable water use, including seminars
on drought resistant gardening.
This focus on water is important for a garden city
such as Unley, but it is only one of the environmental
initiatives that Council is undertaking as part of its
2009/10 Environmental Sustainability Program, which
extend across a wide range of Council activities.
As a step towards addressing CO2 emissions from
Council buildings and saving energy costs, energy
efficient lighting upgrades took place in 2009 with
similar upgrades to air conditioning units this year.
Following a survey that showed that most lighting in
parks was inefficient and needed replacing, a program
of bulb replacement is underway with energy efficiency
being the prime consideration.
And as part of the Solar Rooftops East project, Unley
Council is working with the Eastern Regional Alliance of
local councils on the possibility of facilitating the bulk
purchase of photo voltaic (PV) solar panels to make
them more cost effective for householders.
Community support for environmental projects in the
city has enabled Council to increase its rates by 1 per
cent, with the resulting income specifically earmarked
to fund environmental projects.
Taking the lead inWaterproofing the East
EQUIPMENT + MACHINERY
112 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
For the first time in Australia’s history there is now a single bodyresponsible for managing water resource planning across the vastMurray–Darling Basin. This came about through the growing realisation by governments
at all levels that the health of the Murray–Darling Basin is in seriousdecline.
In 2008 the Basin States – Queensland, New South Wales, Victoriaand South Australia - passed legislation transferring certain powersto the Australian Government to allow it to amend its Water Act and tocreate a comprehensive Basin Plan which will bind all Basin States andthe Australian Capital Territory.
The Authority’s central task is to develop a Basin Plan which willinclude sustainable diversion limits (based on the best availablescience), an environmental watering plan, a water quality and salinitymanagement plan and water trade rules.
A proposed plan will be released for discussion and consultationthis year with the final Plan going to the Commonwealth Government in2011.
Why was water reform needed? In less than a century, waterextracted from the Murray –Darling Basin has increased five-fold, from2,000 GL a year in the 1920s to more than 10,000 GL a year in morerecent years.
A century of regulating the rivers for transport and irrigation hasgenerally confined river flow to within the banks and reduced thefrequency and pattern of flooding. The average inflows into the Murrayhave shrunk from 24,000 GL a year to 1,300 GL and the systemcontinues to suffer from the lowest three years of inflows in 108 years ofrecords.
The impacts of climate change and variability and populationgrowth have added to the pressures on the river systems and in 2002the Murray stopped flowing to the sea.
The first environmental report card on the ecological health of theMurray–Darling Basin, the Sustainable Rivers Audit (2004-2007) whichcovered 96,000 km of rivers and streams, found long-term degradation
in most of the Basin’s valleys and that 20 of the Basin’s 23 river valleyswere in poor or very poor health.
The Basin Plan will tackle these issues and will aim to secure thefuture of the Basin.
The states and the ACT will continue to determine how water isallocated and used in their own jurisdictions through the developmentof water resource plans, but these must be consistent with the BasinPlan.
Development of the plan has included extensive consultation withthe many communities which rely on Basin water for economic, socialand cultural needs. Local government has been a crucial conduit fortwo-way communication in the development of the Plan and theAuthority will continue to work closely with all levels of government.
The Authority values feedback from communities and individualsthroughout the Basin and has established a community engagementprogram to facilitate two-way communication.
For more information visit the Authority site at www.mdba.gov.aucontact us at engagement@mdba.gov.au or via phone our freenumber 1800 230 067.
Managing Basin water resources – a partnership atall levels of government
A new era for water planning in Australia’s
food bowlThe Murray–Darling Basin is under enormous stress because
of past water allocation decisions, a prolonged record drought, natural climate variability and climate change.
To tackle these challenges the Murray–Darling Basin Authority is on track to delivering an historic Basin Plan — a strategy for the
integrated and sustainable management of water resources across the whole Basin.
In preparing the plan, the Authority has been consulting extensively with Basin state and territory governments, key stakeholders and
rural and regional communities across the basin.
The plan is based on the best and latest scientific, social, cultural and economic knowledge, evidence and analysis. A lot of this research
information is now available for public comment from our website at www.mdba.gov.au
You can freely download the full text of major reports such as: a Basin socio–economic context report; a discussion paper on sustainable
diversion limits for the Basin; a “concept statement” detailing how we are developing the Basin Plan, and more.
The Authority is due to release a draft Basin Plan for public discussion in Mid 2010 and a final Plan in 2011.
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 113
Harnessing recycled waterBy Pat Nixon, Process Engineer, Sinclair Knight Merz
Surprising as it may sound, recycled water is often viewed as a waste product to be managed as economically as possible. However as Pat Nixon explains, with a bit more planning and careful thought, recycled water can be considered an abundant and valuable resource with many uses and benefi ts.
Arecycled water strategy can provide an opportunity
to maximise the use of a valuable resource and
minimise the release of excess recycled water to
the environment as “waste”.
Communities that value the contribution of
recycled water can often fi nd it helpful to implement a
management hierarchy to use water sustainably, create
fi t-for-purpose solutions, and ultimately reduce nutrient
loads on local waterways.
The hierarchy covers fi ve main areas:
1. Reduce the generation of wastewater through water
conservation and prevent of stormwater infi ltration
into the wastewater network.
2. Recycle water where possible, including Class A+1
water to replace fi t-for-purpose household potable
water uses and Class B/C water for benefi cial non-
contact uses such as irrigation and industry process
water.
3. Recover recycled water from storage, to balance
excess recycled water production to avoid
unnecessary release of recycled water to waterways
and thus prevent the use of potable water for non-
potable water needs.
4. Release unavoidable excess recycled water using
optimal timing and positioning of release, which
takes advantage of ebb tide fl ows to maximise
mixing with receiving waters.
5. Consider other initiatives to meet the objectives of
maximising potable water sources and minimising
the release of excess recycled water to the
environment, by using recycled water for irrigation of
golf courses, wholesale nurseries, parks and gardens.
Transition from policy to strategy In moving from policy to strategy it is essential to
change the way recycled water is viewed and used by
the community. This management allows lower quality
water to be used where potable water quality is not
necessary, not only reducing release, but conserving
the use of higher value potable water resources.
An integrated and holistic approach is required,
considering all forms of recycled water quality and
respective appropriateness of use to proactively identify
applications for recycled water.
Also helpful is devising a strategy that is built upon
existing recycled water policy and infrastructure to
maximise its effi ciency and avoid redundancy.
WATER
WATER
114 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Additional considerations to develop a recycled
water strategy include:
• engaging with customers and the community
• improving environmental performance and
minimising impacts on the environment
• managing service delivery sustainably
• building on existing infrastructure and existing water
strategies and policies
• providing future planning of all available and
required infrastructure
• engaging the community to generate greater
awareness of the value of water and understand
community preferences for a range of water
product and service options
• raising environmental performance by improving
the quality of treated wastewater released to
waterways, increasing the volume of recycled water
used and reducing the volume of recycled water
released to the environment
• sustainably managing service delivery by providing
a reliable and long-term water supply that meets
high quality standards on a fi t-for-purpose basis,
while being cost-effective and therefore value for
money
• addressing public health and safety concerns
and incorporating an acceptable level of risk to the
community, and
• incorporating environmental, social and economic
goals to develop a triple-bottom-line basis to the
strategic planning framework.
1 Explaining water quality criteria for class A+ to
D recycled water, p8 Water Quality Guidelines for
Recycled Water Schemes, Queensland Department of
Natural Resources and Water (2008).
Author: Pat NixonPat Nixon is a water engineer with SKM based in
Brisbane. He has over twenty years’ experience in
planning, design, documentation, and contract
management and construction supervision of water,
wastewater and recycled water infrastructure projects.
Article reproduced courtesy of Sinclair Knight Merz
To adapt to a changing and variable climate and population growth in the Gold Coast region of Queensland, Australia, it was critical to develop a city-wide blueprint to make use of recycled water resources and develop long-term sustainable water management plans. In response to this requirement, Gold Coast Water (GCW) and other key stakeholders working with Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) developed the Recycled Water Strategy (RWS). The comprehensive strategy, which considers recycled water management over a 50-year period, was developed through the review and consideration of diverse and complex technical, economic and scientifi c information.
Gold Coast Case
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 115
StudyAddressing the region’s needs
Ecological sustainability is increasingly crucial
to good engineering practice and, as such, this
project aimed to improve the quality of life in the
region through social and economic contributions
and to protect the natural environment through the
assessment and mitigation of environmental impacts.
Sustainable water resources The strategy involved the sustainable use of water
resources by providing fi t-for-purpose solutions across
the residential, industrial and commercial sectors.
Through its development, the strategy helped
change the relationship the community has with water,
in particular highlighting the value of recycled water
and minimising the release of excess recycled water to
the environment.
Using water sustainably for the future Sustainability was integrated into all aspects of the
strategy development, including options assessment
and, in particular, the multi-criteria assessment of
alternative strategies. Driven by a comprehensive
methodology, the strategy considered an enduring
and long-term management strategy for recycled
water. It was designed to not only maximise its
environmental and ecological sustainability, but also
social and economic sustainability, using key criteria,
such as:
• surface water and ground water quality
• whole-of-life, whole-of-system costs
• greenhouse gas emissions
• risk
• security of water supply
• potable water substitution, and
• social equity.
Community ownership and pride The strategy helped frame the use of recycled
water in the region by employing extensive
consultation, including an advisory committee with
representatives from community groups, environmental
groups, government, residents and industry.
It benefi ted the community by generating a
sense of empowerment and ownership of public
assets, fostering partnership with the government
and strengthening relationships and understanding
between different sectors of the community.
It also helped develop community pride in being a
part of one of Australia’s largest integrated urban water
communities, and at the vanguard of international
sustainable water management and lifestyle.
An innovative solution The strategy not only outlines an integrated
industrial, residential and commercial solution for an
entire city, but is part of a comprehensive, consistent
and integrated set of internationally recognised water
management frameworks. The methodology presents
a structured, advanced approach for engaging
community and stakeholders in large-scale strategy
and policy development and includes innovative
and holistic methods to assess alternative options. For
example, time weighting solutions were used to refl ect
the importance of delivering initiatives in the short-term
as opposed to a long-term plan.
Outcome Through its development, the strategy has helped
change the relationship the community has with water,
highlighting the value of recycled water.
It also has signifi cant environmental benefi ts. It
targets both the reduction of potable water use to
increase the long-term security of fresh water supplies
in the region and the release of excess recycled water
to the environment, which minimises nutrient loads on
local waterways and estuaries.
The project won the 2009 Engineering Excellence
Award for Environment from the Queensland Division of
Engineers Australia.
WATER
Also helpful is devising a strategy that is built upon existing recycled water policy and infrastructure to maximise its effi ciency and avoid redundancy.
WATER
116 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Addressing population, industry and climatechange
Sustainable OnkaparingaThe City of Onkaparinga in Adelaide’s south is South
Australia’s largest Council by population. In 2007 there
were around 157,000 residents and this is expected to
increase by 40,000 in the next 20 years.
The recent effects of drought and the looming
impacts of climate change necessitated an innovative
approach to sustainable water management within the
region – herein lies the challenge.
The foundations of a solutionSeveral wastewater management schemes exist within
the City to support the region. However, these schemes
evolved somewhat independently and without a clear
single vision or target to maximise re-use.
It was recognised that the scale of resources and
the networks of systems meant that a region-wide
sustainable water management project was entirely
feasible with collaboration from State Government
agencies and the private sector.
Bringing together these existing schemes to achieve
a sustainable water management solution required a
vision that was bold and realistic enough to engage
the existing project owners and commit resources.
Water Proofing the South
A City’s vision to harness all sources of water Water Proofing the South was devised to deliver a
localised integrated water resource management
strategy entirely within the City of Onkaparinga to
provide ‘fit-for-purpose’ alternative water sources to
traditional sources such so that overall water use in the
region is sustainable.
The Action:
Water Proofing the South Stage 1 – reclaimedwater The first stage has resulted in 3.8GL of reuse, which
would cover the playing surface of Adelaide’s AAMI
Stadium to the top of the goal posts approximately 30
times. This has predominantly been achieved through
the enhancement of the reuse potential of reclaimed
water.
With existing schemes in place, far more extensive
infrastructure has been required to deliver the desired
increase in the use of recycled water. Therefore, the
following works have been necessary:
• upgrades to the Christies Beach and the Aldinga
Waste Water Treatment Plants to improve water
quality to the standard required for urban use.
• up to 70km of network enhancements and
expansions
• an increase in the amount of winter storage
• the reuse of surplus stormwater in the Christie
Creek catchment, including environmental and
recreational benefits.
The City of Onkaparinga, SA Water and the privately
owned Willunga Basin Water Company are each
investing directly in the project. In recognition of its
regional benefits and unique collaborative nature, the
project has also received $34.5M in funding support
from the Commonwealth Government. This is coupled
with contributions from Flinders University and the
Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources
Management Board. The latter are contributing to the
$185M scheme, which is rapidly progressing towards its
scheduled end of December 2010 completion date.
Water Proofing the South Stage 2 – stormwaterreuse in the City of OnkaparingaInvestigations have identified that the City has
approximately 24GL of stormwater entering St Vincent’s
Gulf from its nine catchments. With consideration for the
preservation of environmental flows, approximately 12-
13GL is available for harvesting and reuse across 12
potential Managed Aquifer Recovery (MAR) schemes
within the City. Maximising the reuse from these sites is
made possible through their interconnection and
existing infrastructure.
The focus for Water Proofing the South Stage 2 is the
capture, storage, treatment and reuse of stormwater.
The objective is to offset as much as possible of the
city’s mainswater demand with fit-for-purpose water.
The total cost of Water Proofing the South Stage 2 is
estimated at $30M. Council will receive approximately
$15M funding from the Commonwealth and $7.5M from
the State Government to support the delivery of the
project.
The Water Proofing the South 2 concept includes the
creation of four new wetlands and MAR schemes and
an extensive network of pipe transfer infrastructure. The
project will harvest approximately 2.8GL with 2.2GL
being made available for reuse, preserving 20% in the
aquifer for environmental purposes.
For more information please contact Benjamin Hall at theCity of Onkaparinga on 08 8384 0595 orbenhal@onkaparinga.sa.gov.au or visitwww.onkaparingacity.com/wps
Water – the change challenge
THE CHANGE CHALLENGEWater Proofi ng the South. A localised, integrated water management strategy for Adelaide’s southern suburbs.
With population growth, industrial demand and the predictions for climate change, the provision of ‘fi t-for-purpose’ alternative water sources such as reclaimed water and stormwater is critical. Water Proofi ng the South will ensure water use in the City of Onkaparinga is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.
The $185 million Stage 1 of Water Proofi ng the South will deliver 3.8 gigalitres of treated effl uent and stormwater for reuse in new housing developments, the irrigation of public open space and the local viticulture industry.*
The $30 million Stage 2 of Water Proofi ng the South will harvest 2.8 gigalitres of stormwater, making 2.2 gigalitres available for reuse through distribution systems. These systems connect wetlands and managed aquifer recharge schemes with local reserves, open space, schools and sports fi elds.**
* Stage 1 is made possible by the collective effort of the City of Onkaparinga, SA Water and the privately owned Willunga Basin Water Company with signifi cant funding support from the federal and state governments.
** Stage 2 is to be delivered by the City of Onkaparinga, but is made possible with funding support from the federal and state governments.
118 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
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The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 119
WATER
Irrigation management case study
Whittlesea sports fi elds makeoverPeter Ali, Manager Infrastructure, and Stephen Comben, Strategic Projects & Operations Offi cer, Parks & Gardens, City of Whittlesea, Victoria.
The City of Whittlesea is located on the metropolitan fringe, about 20 kilometres to the north of Melbourne. Its population is growing rapidly, and there are estimates that its present population of 148,000 people will balloon out to 300,000. A reliable water supply is vital to both the economic and environmental health of this community. With demand for Mebourne’s domestic water supply expected to outstrip current supplies within the next two decades, options are being explored and plans put in place to ensure reliable supplies, including effi ciency programs for residential, commercial, and industrial customers and the reuse of treated effl uent and other waste water.
Irrigation in the municipality In 2003, the City of Whittlesea appointed an
independent irrigation consultant to review its irrigation
systems. The review assessed the likely annual water
consumption for the existing automatic systems for
passive and active reserves and streetscapes and
identifi ed those systems having the greatest potential
for water savings.
The review found that 81 per cent of the water
applied to the City’s open space areas was on
sports fi elds. It was in this context that the option of
implementing a computer-based system to provide
centrally controlled and remote operation of irrigation
controllers to sports fi elds (and larger passive sites) was
investigated.
Released in May 2003, the report concluded that
implementing a centralised irrigation management
system (CIMS) had the potential for greater water
conservation compared to current practices. These
savings demonstrated that water savings of up to 25
per cent could be expected when compared to a ‘set
and forget’ approach, saving The City of Whittlesea
$69,835 a year, based on the current cost of water.
A cost benefi t analysis that compared installation
and modifi cation costs with potential water savings
showed that, on water cost savings alone, the system
would pay for itself within three years.
Based on this information, the City of Whittlesea
entered into a strategic partnership with Toro Australia
to develop an integrated irrigation control solution
based on the requirements detailed within the report.
The system, which was installed in January 2005,
has already resulted in dramatic environmental
improvements. It automatically provides information
back to the central computer about its operation.
Meters on irrigation lines monitor the amount of
water fl owing through the lines. If the fl ow exceeds
the preset amount, the computer shuts off the whole
line and signals an alarm. Broken sprinklers and other
malfunctions can be quickly identifi ed to prevent water
wastage.
Although the amount of landscaped area in the
municipality has doubled in the past six years, using
the automated control system has enabled the city to
stay within drought-imposed water use levels. Under
the provisions of the Drought Response Plan (DRP),
Melbourne’s retail water companies allowed councils
and schools to water sports fi elds, subject to submitting
a Water Conservation Plan (WCP) (2003).
Total Strategy Whittlesea’s WCP identifi ed actions aimed at reducing water use by sports fi elds and ovals by at least ten per cent over twelve months, including the use of drought-tolerant grass species such as couch grass (Cynodon dactylon) in all new and reconstructed sporting grounds. Field trials by Melbourne’s leading sports turf research institutions have demonstrated a 75 per cent water reduction on fi elds using this grass species compared with the conventional rye grass varieties. These savings in water were exceeded despite the city’s tremendous growth.
WATER
120 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
A number of initiatives were implemented at the
same time as the Irrinet computerised irrigation control
system was installed to exceed this water reduction
target. Whittlesea’s Sports Field Management Strategy
(2002) introduced a complete change in previous
cultural maintenance practices, including:
• Using wetting agents and fertiliser/aerating
programs
• Existing irrigation system designs/upgrades
• Using wetting agents when rainfall was predicted
• Using slow-release fertilisers
• Using moisture-retaining synthetic materials in soil
composition
• Changing watering frequencies and timing
• Changing mowing height to optimise moisture
retention
• Verti-drainage and de-thatching programs to
maximise water penetration within the soil profi le.
One of the added benefi ts that set the Toro solution
apart from its competitors was its high end reporting
functionality. The system stores operational information
within a fully relational SQL database, and provides
fully customisable reports on any operational function,
including site-specifi c water use, irrigation application
times and sequencing. This reporting has been used
to demonstrate to the water supply organisation
compliance with Whittlesea’s WCP.
Irrigation system testing is done using handheld
remote units of GPRS-enabled laptop computers,
forgoing the need to access site controllers. Changes
can be made to irrigation program settings with these
units. Site controllers need only to be accessed for
controller maintenance. All other functions are controlled
remotely through either the central control computer or
handheld devices.
Community Sustainability Whittlesea’s not-for-profi t sporting clubs refl ect
the needs and aspirations of the local community.
Innovative planning and development have enhanced
opportunities for community inclusiveness and wellbeing
through assisting access to recreation pursuits offered by
these clubs.
Implementing the central control system project has
increased the viability of these not-for-profi t organisations
by reducing the costs associated with maintaining their
sporting fi elds, e.g. the 30 per cent reduction in water
required to maintain sporting grounds in the 2004-05
season reduced maintenance costs by an average of
$2,400 per ground per season.
Trials are underway to expand the irrigation control
system to control sporting ground lighting during training
sessions and for after hours events. As the Irrinet system
is fully automated, clubs no longer need to be involved
in the scheduling or adjusting of irrigation applications.
This is now done through the central computer (either
directly through the GPRS-enabled laptop computers or
through the use of handheld radios).
By removing club personnel from the loop, Whittlesea
park maintenance staff can maintain total control over
irrigation systems, ensuring strict compliance with water
use targets.
Planning for the Future Whittlesea’s new Aurora subdivision will set a new
benchmark in the fi eld of urban design. It will be
Australia’s fi rst totally green residential development,
incorporating features such as:
• Five-star rated appliances and solar hot water
heating, resulting in a 33 per cent reduction in
greenhouse gases when compared to traditional
methods,
• Harvesting rainwater for garden irrigation and using
AAA+ rated fi xtures resulting in a 61 per cent
reduction in water consumption,
• The use of grey water (treated wastewater) for
reuse in both public open space and private
gardens, resulting in zero discharge of wastewater.
Whittlesea’s central control system will be used to
manage statutory compliance issues associated
with the reuse of wastewater both within private
gardens and public open space. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines require: four-
hour time window between the fi nish of irrigation
cycles and open space use, strict controls on
managing spray drift as a result of prevailing winds,
reporting and documentation of watering times, and
the amount of water applied at any given area.
Daily water output and watering time reports will be
automatically emailed to both council staff and, where
required, statutory bodies such as the EPA to ensure
compliance with the site’s Environmental Management
Plan. Watering fi nishing times can be strictly controlled.
The integrated weather station will automatically shut
down irrigation systems in the event of predetermined
wind speed and direction events.
The spectacular rate of new development, typifi ed
by the Aurora development, will see the creation of
a multitude of new landscaped areas throughout
the municipality. Capital improvement in the way of
developed open space areas, sporting ovals and
associated irrigation infrastructure will be funded by
each developer.
Whittlesea will assume eventual maintenance
responsibility for these areas after a two-year developer
maintenance period. Whittlesea’s Landscape Guidelines
for New Developments (2004) required developers to
provide Irrinet-compatible irrigation infrastructure in all
new subdivisions, thus ensuring that the environmental
benefi ts being achieved on council’s existing irrigated
sporting ovals and open space continues to be
achieved in all new areas. Developers have been
very happy to comply with this direction, given the
demonstrated environmental and cost benefi ts that the
system provides.
Whittlesea’s irrigation systems distribution based on landscape area type Water Distribution Roundabouts 0.7%
Streetscapes 0.9%
Parks 1.3%
Community Facilities 15.3%
Sports fi elds 81.8%
WATER
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 121
Table: Comparison of likely water costs for managed and un-managed irrigation systems (Sports fi elds + Municipal Offi ces and Convention Centre)
Managed to match climatic conditions Un-Managed ‘set and forget’ approach
$206,942/year $276,777/year
Cost difference of $69,835 associated with water conservation - (25% saving)
Source: Irrigation Australia, Volume 24 Issue 3 (Spring 2009)
After researching the various types of controllers
available, city staff selected the Toro Irrinet system,
which used radio signals to transmit information
about how much water to apply and whether the
system is working properly. Radio signals are received
by fi eld units installed at 35 sites throughout the city.
The fi eld units then activate sprinklers that deliver an
appropriate amount of water to each planting area,
depending on whether it is turf, trees, annuals, shrubs,
or other greenery.
Using data from a weather station and site rain
buckets, the amount of water applied can also be
automatically adjusted. When it is hot, for example,
the evapotranspiration (ET) rate of plants rises, and
the computer is programmed to vary the amount of
water with changes in the ET rate. ET rates are radioed
to the computer each evening, and a ‘set call’ is then
relayed to each of the fi eld units with instructions
for the following day. Flow meters installed at each
site immediately report on any irrigation hardware
faults, reducing water loss due to damaged or faulty
irrigation control valves or sprinklers.
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WATER
122 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 123
WATER
TENDERING & CONTRACTING
124 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
Law Surrounding The Tender ProcessApplications for Local Government
By Brian Ambler, Partner and Tetyana Wotton, Solicitor TressCox Lawyers*
Private enterprise and government agencies will often procure goods and services through the tender process. It is therefore important for “professionals involved in the strategic and operational management of facilities for public and private sector organisations throughout Australia, as well as those professionals who support the industry through the provision of products and services”1 to understand the law regulating the tender process.
Goods and services are exchanged through
the medium of a contract. According to the
fundamental principles of contract law, a contract
is formed at the point where an ascertainable offer
made by a capable party is accepted by another
capable party. Additionally, there must be a common
intention to be legally bound by the agreement, and
both parties must provide consideration. In the case
of contracts within the Facility Management sector,
a valid contract would exist where two parties have
agreed to enter into a contract for the supply of Facility
Management services. Consideration would then be
provided by payment of a sum of money by one party
in exchange for the provision of management services
by the other party. Importantly, once a legally binding
contract is in place, a number of remedies are available
for breach of contract.
Before entering into a contract, a government
agency and potentially the private sector that requires
the provision of goods or services will often issue a
request for tender. A request for tender is “a published
notice inviting suppliers who satisfy the conditions for
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 125
TENDERING & CONTRACTING
participation to submit a tender in accordance with
requirements of the request for tender and other request
documentation”2 . Suppliers interested in providing those
goods or services will then submit a tender, otherwise
known as a “price, bid, offer, quotation, consultant
proposal or expression of interest”3. The purpose of
the tendering process is for the requestor to locate a
preferred supplier in order to enter into a contractual
relationship for the provision of the goods or services.
It is apparent, therefore, that the tendering process
precedes the contractual relationship. A request for
tender, for the purposes of contract formation, is not an
offer. Instead, it is an ‘invitation to treat’, or, in other words,
a “request to negotiate or make an offer with a contract
in mind” 4. As such, in Pratt Contractors Ltd v Palmerston
North City Council 5, it was found that “the starting point
is that a simple uncomplicated request for bids will
generally be no more than an invitation to treat, not
giving rise to contractual obligations”.
This reality poses a number of problems for suppliers,
who, unless their tender is accepted, have no apparent
contractual rights. In an economy where the cost
of preparing a tender is constantly increasing, this is
particularly unnerving. The Courts have accordingly
realised that “this approach to the tendering process
simply does not accord with the parties’ legitimate
expectations” 6, and as such, have formed the institution
of the “process contract”.
The Process ContractThe process contract is separate from the tender
contract. The tender contract is formed when a
requestor decides upon a particular offer from one
supplier. The process contract essentially exists solely to
protect the “integrity of the bidding system” 7. The process
contract applies to both public and private tendering,
and creates “binding obligations on the party calling
for tenders to evaluate each tender in a certain way”8.
However, process contracts are not automatic, with
their existence dependent “upon a consideration of the
circumstances and the obligations expressly or impliedly
accepted”9 .
In Hughes Aircraft Systems International Inc v
Airservices Australia 10, two corporations tendered for
a government contract. In negotiations prior to the
submission of tenders, the parties agreed to a set of
guidelines for the assessment of tenders, in particular
that there would be “fairness between the tenderers”.
The Court found that Hughes Aircraft relied on these
representations in deciding to participate in the tender
process, and therefore selection of a tender “was
required to follow the procedures and be in accordance
with the criteria specifi ed” 11. A breach of the process
contract was found when Airservices Australia failed
to abide by the agreed guidelines for assessment and
awarded the contract to another tenderer. Hughes
Aircraft was subsequently awarded damages.
Therefore, where a request for tender sets out specifi c
guidelines for the assessment or treatment of tenders,
it could be said that a process contract is formed. If
the requestor departs from these specifi ed “terms”,
they could be found to be in breach of the process
contract. In this case, any “wronged” supplier would be
entitled to seek damages for any losses sustained in
preparing the tender and, in some circumstances, for
loss of profi t.12
It is increasingly common for requestors to attempt
to exclude a process contract from the tender process.
The legality of such an exclusion clause in the request
for tender is uncertain. In Cubic Transportation Systems
Inc v New South Wales13 an attempt to exclude a
process contract was read down by the judge who
held that there was in fact a process contract in place.
However, in State Transit Authority (NSW) v Australian
Jockey Club14 the judge found an exclusion contract to
be valid, stating that it was “abundantly clear that the
plaintiff… was entitled to deal with individual tenderers
differently and was under no obligation to follow any
particular process”. Despite inconsistencies in the law,
it is likely that such a provision would be invalid where
parties have agreed to a defi nable assessment process
and that process has been departed from.
It is apparent therefore that the process contract is
a common law concept existing to protect the “integrity
of the bidding system” . However, statute appears to
also provide for the creation of legal obligations in
the tender process. In particular, Section 52 of the
Trade Practices Act 1974 provides that “a corporation
shall not, in trade or commerce, engage in conduct
that is misleading or deceptive or is likely to mislead
or deceive”. Therefore, if a request for tender outlines
criteria for assessment that are markedly different to
those actually intended to be used, the requestor may
be found to have breached this section of the Act.
Tendering for Government In addition to the process contract, government
procurement is further regulated through the
existence of a number of procurement guidelines.
This is because “it is a matter of public concern
that the government’s buying and selling should be
properly conducted and that legal measures which
encourage the responsible conduct of government
business are to be encouraged”16. Whilst procurement
guidelines are not legally binding, it is important to
consider and understand the relevant guidelines when
submitting tenders for government as they are “the
policy framework under which agencies govern and
undertake their own procurement” 17.
At a national level, government agencies
must abide by the Commonwealth Procurement
Guidelines. A copy of the guide is available at http://
www.fi nance.gov.au/publications/fmg-series/
procurement-guidelines/index.html. This guide applies
to procurement carried out by offi cials in agencies and
in bodies subject to the Commonwealth Authorities
and Companies Act 1997 and states that “value for
money is the core principle underpinning Australian
Government procurement”18 . According to the guide,
value for money can be enhanced by: “encouraging
competition by ensuring non-discrimination…
promoting the use of resources in an effi cient, effective
and ethical manner; and making decisions in an
accountable and transparent manner”19.
TENDERING & CONTRACTING
126 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
The States also provide procurement guidelines by
which government agencies must abide. Whilst they all
follow similar principles, there are different provisions in
place which may affect the procurement process. A list
of the core applicable guides is provided:
State/Territory Document name Available at
NSW Code of Practice for Procurement http://www.nswprocurement.com.au/
VIC Procurement Policies (Master Manual) http://www.vgpb.vic.gov.au/
QLD Queensland Government Procurement Plan 2009–2012 http://www.qgm.qld.gov.au/
SA State Procurement Act 2004 http://www.spb.sa.gov.au/
WA Guide to Tendering with Western Australian
Public Authorities http://www.dtf.wa.gov.au/
NT Procurement Directions http://www.nt.gov.au/
ACT Government Procurement ACT 2001;
and Procurement Policy Unit http://www.procurement.act.gov.au/
TAS Purchasing Principles; and
Purchasing Policies http://www.purchasing.tas.gov.au/
Conclusions The tender process is essentially made up of two
different contracts that exist side by side: the tender
contract and the process contract. In the case of
government tenders, procurement guidelines may
also infl uence the tender process. The scope of these
contracts and guidelines should always be understood
by a supplier before they submit a tender to either a
corporation or government agency.
For any further information on the tender process, please contact Brian Ambler, Partner, on (02) 9228 9215 or Tetyana Wotton, Solicitor, on (02) 9228 9306 at TressCox Lawyers.
*(With acknowledgement to Melissa Smith, Summer Clerk, who greatly contributed to this article)
1 Facility Management Association of Australia Website -
http://www.fma.com.au/cms/index.php?option=com_
content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=32 2 Commonwealth of Australia, Commonwealth
Procurement Guidelines (December 2008) 46 3 NSW Government, Code of Practice for Procurement
(January 2005) 114 P. J. Butt, Butterworths Concise Australian Legal
Dictionary, (3rd Ed, 2004) 2355 [1995] 1 NZLR 469 per Gallen J at 478-479
6 Macquarie Generation v CNA Resources Ltd [2001]
NSWSC 1040 at [52]-[53] as summarised in Nicolas
Seddon, Government Contracts: Federal, State And
Local, (4th Ed, 2009) 3257 R v. Ron Engineering & Construction (Eastern) Ltd
[1981] 1 S.C.R. 111 at 2738 NSW Department of Commerce, Tendering Manual,
(December 2006) Chapter 2, 6 9 Pratt Contractors Ltd v Palmerston North City Council
[1995] 1 NZLR 469 per Gallen J at 478-47910 (1997) 76 FCR 15111 Hughes Aircraft Systems International Inc v Airservices
Australia (1997) 76 FCR 15112 Nicolas Seddon, Government Contracts: Federal, State
And Local, (4th Ed, 2009) 35313 [2002] NSW SC 65614 [2003] NSW SC 726 at [25]15 R v. Ron Engineering & Construction (Eastern) Ltd
[1981] 1 S.C.R. 111 at 27316 Nicolas Seddon, Government Contracts: Federal, State
And Local, (4th Ed, 2009) 31417 Commonwealth of Australia, Commonwealth
Procurement Guidelines (December 2008) v18 Commonwealth of Australia, Commonwealth
Procurement Guidelines (December 2008) 1019 Commonwealth of Australia, Commonwealth
Procurement Guidelines (December 2008) 10
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 127
FLEET MANAGEMENT
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128 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010
The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 129
Sort and Save is a community based recycling
project that has changed the way Wodonga
Council delivers its waste management service.
Sort and Save demonstrates how innovative
management practices not only improve service
delivery but also empower the whole community
to adopt more efficient waste management habits.
Originally, the project was tabled as an answer to the city’s
costly hard waste problems.
However, through problem solving and community
discussion, it was modified to offer creative, sustainable
solutions to equally pressing social and economic issues
within Wodonga
It is a project anchored in ongoing community partnerships,
empowering those involved, particularly marginalised
people, and is already showing many positive social,
economic and environmental benefits.
Sort and Save, while managed by Wodonga Council,
involves partnerships with four local community
organisations. The strength of Sort and Save lies in the
commitment of these partners to finding innovative ways of
doing things better, smarter and more productively, while
reducing everyday environmental impacts.
Corrections Victoria, Recovery GAME, Kalianna Enterprises
and Beechworth Correctional Centre work alongside
Wodonga Council to reduce, reuse and recycle goods
received at the Wodonga Council Waste Transfer Station.
The project provides a workplace for the long-term
unemployed, skills development for marginalised members
of the community and a practical exercise in educating the
general public in sustainable, environmentally sound waste
management.
Since this national award the project also won two other
major awards:
• Waste Management Association of Australia –
National Transfer Station Excellence Award – Best
Small Transfer Station 2009.
• United Nations Association of Australia – World
Environment Day Awards – Local Government
Award – Best Specific Environmental Initiative 2009
For further information contact:
David Pinder – Waste Management Coordinator
City of Wodonga
Tel: (02) 6022 9365
Email: dpinder@wodonga.vic.gov.au
City of WodongaSort and Save: A Community Recycling Project
Inside recovery shop - sales of second hand recovered good
Opening the detox centre at the waste transfer station (left to right): Jan Van derGraff (Sustainability Victoria), Mark Verbaken - Manager Environment and Com-munity Protection, and Rodney Wangman - Mayor in 2008.
Award ceremony (from left to right): Mark Verbaken - Manager, ´Environmentand Community Protection, Ian Kiernan - Chairman Clean-up Australia DayCommittee , Greg Harrison - Diversion Officer
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Mentoring, the rightpath to employment
Passport to Work (PTW) is
specifically designed for long-
term unemployed individuals
and highly disadvantaged members of
the community. The program seeks to
provide a unique opportunity to bring
the participant (protégé residing within
Hume City) and a mentor (a local
corporate professional) together to
accelerate sustainable employment to
further training outcomes for the
protégé involved, identifying,
addressing and overcoming together
their core barriers to employment.
PTW protégés participate in a life-
changing job readiness mentoring
program. Protégés undertake training,
which includes resume writing, job
search techniques, and mock
interviews with HR Professionals from
the corporate sector and is followed
up with 13 weeks of guidance and
advice from a mentor – a key attribute
of the program.
The typical barriers to employment
include: mature aged workers recently
retrenched, no recent work history (a
resume with employment gaps and an
unstable work history), personal issues
(drugs, alcohol, depression etc),
discrimination (occurring to migrants
and refugees looking for work) and
disability, with PTW being introduced
to break the old habits and materialise
new positive and productive attitudes
attempting to break the cycle of
unemployment.
The program was developed
through the Broadmeadows
Community Neighbourhood Renewal
project in 2005.
Juno Consulting, a Melbourne
based consultancy, source participants
through community partners i.e. Job
Service Australia providers with these
partnerships making it easy to recruit
the unemployed jobseekers that
benefit the most from the mentoring
process.
The PTW model has evolved from
a traditional mentoring model to a
collaborative partnership between local
Government, community partners and
local corporate organisations.
Hume City Council (HCC)
continues to engage with local
corporate partnerships for the
program. Previous programs have
seen partnerships forged with Note
Printing Australia, Western Water,
Hume Whittlesea Local and Learning
Network (HWLLEN), Kangan Batman
TAFE, Victoria Police, ANZ, MAB
Corporation and HCC.
PTW connects residents with each
other and their neighbourhoods,
encouraging active participation in the
community on average 65 -75% of the
protégés find employment within the
duration of the mentoring program,
which has an immense impact in the
lives of both the individual and their
families.
PTW encourages social
participation through servicing the
needs of our diverse community; it
engages with all Hume residents and
supports their employment and/or
education journey, providing support
and pathways for the community. The
program is a social connection for
some of the protégés at times
engaging them to learn and seek
employment.
A protégé is empowered as an
outcome of the journey taken and
inturn their achievement with either
employment or educational
achievement helps their family and
individuals retain the cultural heritage
which empowers the wider community,
both for residents, the corporate
organisations and local Government-
promoting Hume City as a multicultural
society, which bonds and strengthens
the wider community.
Origin’s Project Manager Kathy McNeill mentored Mona Daouk in a Hume Councils Passport to Workprogram. This helps unemployed people gain job skills and find work. Mona was employed with Origin as aresult and is still employed with Origin. PHOTO: Tony Gough. © Newspix
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Category Winner – Strengthening Indigenous Communities
City of Geraldton-GreenoughMentoring, the right path to employment
Youth’n’Motion Midnight Basketball
Midnight Basketball was officially launched on 4th
January 2008 in a response to the antisocial and
criminal behaviour often witnessed in and around the
West End area of the City's Central Business District
(CBD). The impact of the program was noticeable with
Police reporting a 30% reduction in antisocial and
criminal behaviour in the CBD.
Since Midnight Basketball first opened its doors in
2008 over 1000 young people have been through the
program (as at 2010) and the program is still in
operation. Although Midnight Basketball is not
exclusively targeting Indigenous youth they make up
approximately 85% of the total number of participants.
The aim of Midnight Basketball is to engage young
people by providing a program that is safe, fun and
educational. Keeping youth out of trouble and away
from harmful situations is on the top of the priority list.
However it is equally important to equip the young
people with tools and strategies that will help them
reach their full potential in life. This is achieved through
life skills workshops conducted on the night. Topics
addressed in the workshops range from sexual health
to financial literacy and problem solving. The Midnight
Basketball program is constructed around the
philosophy, No workshop No jumpshot.
Contact: Filip Hansen, Youth Development Officer
Phone: 08 9921 0502
Fax: 08 9956 6674
Email: council@cgg.wa.gov.au
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