INFORMATION BULLETIN ISSUE NO. 07/2009 22 April 2009 Information Bulletin Issue No. 07/2009 Inside this Issue WA Local Government Association (WALGA) News Issue No.14.09 – 14 April 2009 ....................................................................................COR-1  Correspondence & Papers Issue No.15.09 – 20 April 2009 ....................................................................................COR-3 Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) News Pink Divider 9 April 2009 ..................................................................................................................COR-5 7 April 2009 ................................................................................................................COR-18 Employee Movements..................................................................................................... HR-1  Information from Human Resources Blue Divider Information to Standing Committees Nil  City Strategy Lilac Divider Nil  Development Services Yellow Divider Outstanding Matters Technical Services Report on Outstanding Matters – Technical Services Committee.......................................T-1 Green Divider Monthly / Quarterly Departmental Reports Technical Services Works Programme ............................................................................. T-2 Miscellaneous The PLAcard – National Newsletter.................................................................................... T-7 Letter from MRWA – Bridge 4412A – Lady McNess Drive .............................................. T-8 Municipal Waste Advisory Council Information Bulletin................................................... T-9 Outstanding Matters Community Report on Outstanding Matters – Community Services Committee...................................... C-1 Monthly / Quarterly Departmental Reports Services Library & Heritage Services General Monthly Report – March 2009................................... C-2 Beige Divider Manager Ranger & Emergency Services Monthly Report – March 2009 ............................. C-7 Minutes of Occasional/Advisory Committees Armadale Highland Gathering Working Group – 24 March 2009 ................... C-17/“CA-3”-23 Disability Advisory Committee – 7 April 2009................................................ C-17/“CA-4”-26 Issue 07 – 22 April 2009 Information Bulletin Page Cor-1 Correspondence & Papers Information Bulletin Page Cor-2 Correspondence & Papers Information Bulletin Page Cor-3 Correspondence & Papers Information Bulletin Page Cor-4 Correspondence & Papers Information Bulletin Page Cor-5 Correspondence & Papers ALGA NEWSLETTER – 9 April 2009 Local government welcomes NBN expansion The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has welcomed the Rudd Government's announcement that it will build a significantly expanded National Broadband Network (NBN). ALGA President Cr Geoff Lake said, "Today's announcement is great news for local communities given the vital role broadband will play in the competitiveness of regions. "The Government's promise to provide access to affordable fast broadband to every house, school and business in Australia is to be applauded. The delivery of fibre direct to 90% of Australian homes and the planned investment in wireless and satellite technology for all other Australians will allow local communities to realise enormous economic and social opportunities. "Local communities have waited too long for adequate broadband services and we are delighted with today's decision to invest such significant sums in expanding Australia's productive capacity and educational frontiers. "We also welcome the Government's announcement that it will mandate fibre to the home in all new greenfield developments. Councils have been advocating for this initiative for some time and it's pleasing the Government will now give fast broadband a similar priority to other utility services in planning new housing estates." However Cr Lake has warned that the roll-out of the $43 billion infrastructure is of an unprecedented scale and has urged the Government to work with local government to ensure that the interests of the 21 million residents living throughout Australia are taken into account. "The roll-out of the NBN infrastructure will involve laying overhead cables and cutting up roads, footpaths and nature strips", Cr Lake said. "Local government recognises that a project of this scale requires an expedited delivery model. However, a fast broadband network completed by 2017 and sensitivity to local community interests are not mutually exclusive. Councils stand ready and willing to help deliver this ambitious nation building program." ALGA has been a long standing proponent of the NBN. In ALGA's State of the Regions report released last year, National Economics estimated that the opportunity cost in 2008-09 of Australia's inadequate broadband infrastructure was $3.2 billion and resulted in a loss of about 33,000 jobs. Information Bulletin Page Cor-6 Correspondence & Papers Councils concerned at waste elements of CPRS The Australian Local Government Association has released a briefing paper on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme legislation to assist councils that wish to make a submission to the Federal Government on the impact of the scheme on local government and communities. Submissions close on April 14. The Briefing paper, by Deacons consultancy, was commissioned by ALGA and State and Territory Local Government Associations. "Whilst we are pleased that ALGA's concerns on threshold issues and retrospectivity of council-owned dumps have been considered, we believe there are still some problems that need to be ironed out," ALGA President Cr Geoff Lake said. "For example, the CPRS legislation currently proposes that the threshold of 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions may be reduced to 10,000 tonnes in certain circumstances. This is going to force up the costs of waste disposal and will only have marginal if any impact on greenhouse gas emissions." Cr Lake said that councils would also experience increased costs for electricity and fuel, and any emissions-intensive goods and services. The brunt of these costs would be borne by atepayers. "Local government supports the Government's intention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but has expressed concerns about the inclusion of waste facilities in the initial phase of the CPRS. Professor Garnaut's report makes it clear that the early inclusion of emissions from waste dumps would be problematic due to the variability of these emissions and the timing of their release. The report recommends that before being covered by the scheme, other policies to encourage mitigation in the waste sector should be pursued." Cr Lake said that ALGA had written to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, outlining why inclusion of the waste sector in the initial phase of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) would be 'complex and costly' for local government. "ALGA's view is that the sector, including local government, should continue to work with the Australian Government on a number of outstanding technical issues which need to be resolved before waste is included in the CPRS," Cr Lake said. The issues could be summarised as: • the absence of accurate and affordable measurement of methane; • the absence of a grandfathering clause which means that ratepayers will have to pay for waste produced 20 years ago; and • unintended consequences resulting from the establishment of a low threshold such as providing an unfair advantage to larger landfill operators with little or no effect on emissions reduction. The Deacons' Briefing paper on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 and associated legislation is on the ALGA website. Information Bulletin Page Cor-7 Correspondence & Papers Tidy Towns finalists The national finalists in the Keep Australia Beautiful, Australian Tidy Towns Awards have been announced and will now compete to become Australia's Tidiest Town 2009. The iconic Tidy Towns program commenced in 1969 in WA with Bunbury the first ever winner. The awards identify, acknowledge and promote Australia's best examples of sustainable communities in regional and rural areas across Australia. In 2009 the national Tidy Towns finalists are: • NT: Atitjere (Harts Range), 250km north east of Alice Springs, pop 220 - pictured, winners of the 2008 Territory Tidy Towns award • WA: Kambalda, 620km east of Perth, birth of Nickel mining in Australia, pop 4,200 • SA: Stansbury, 210km from Adelaide on the Yorke Peninsula, pop 450 • TAS: Oatlands, 80km north of Hobart, features Georgian architecture, pop 800 • VIC: Horsham, Western Victoria, Wimmera Region, pop 13,500 • NSW: Tamworth, 400km north west of Sydney, Country Music Capital, pop 36,000 • QLD: Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, seaside escape, pop 41,000 The national awards presentation will take place on Friday 8 May, hosted by the Governor General at Government House, Yarralumla in Canberra. Registrations close 15 April. For further information or to attend the Australian Tidy Towns Award presentation visit www.kab.org.au/tidytowns From the President Local Government Minister Anthony Albanese has advised ALGA that funding agreements for the initial $250 million in community infrastructure payments to councils have now been provided by the Government to almost all councils. Once this documentation has been returned, money can flow quickly and directly to councils. I urge those councils which have received agreements