The Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government blogs

Good practice in building social cohesion in diverse communities

SallyAnn.Hunting — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 05:16:13 +0000

Background

Moving into the drafting phase of ACELG's online resource to support local government build social cohesion in diverse communities, we've been struck by the size and constancy of efforts being undertaken at the local level across Australia. Regardless of whether local governments feel they have a 'problem', many are proactively taking steps to build social cohesion and address racism in number of ways.

It is particularly pertinent, as we come to the last few months of the National Anti-Racism Strategy, to reflect on the key characteristics of the important work which local governments are doing to build social cohesion in communities.

The challenge

The growth of international migration and changing settlement policies, combined with broader trends toward globalisation are creating increasingly diverse countries and cities. This means that multiculturalism is now much more prominent, and that inter-community relations are multi-faceted, no longer simply revolving around majority/minority visible distinctions.¹ Importantly:

Societies are becoming 'super diverse', but the more that people are exposed to diversity, the more they seem to retreat into their own identity or identities and embrace identity politics or even support separatist ideologies. In many places the 'right to be different' has overshadowed 'the right to be equal'.
Migrants and refugees with shared historical perspectives, beliefs and values are able to form and sustain themselves often counter to, or irrespective of, the freedoms, cultures and norms of the countries in which they live.
Social media and new communication networks have enabled people to develop frames of reference which transcend national boundaries and re-affirm heritage and diaspora linkages.
A modern sense of 'identity' is shaped in complex and diverse ways, for example in terms of nationality, country of birth, country of residence, city/town/village of residence, religion, ethnicity or neighbourhood/community affiliations. Individuals draw upon these various sources to create hybrid or multiple identities.
High levels of immigration and ethnic diversity may challenge social solidarity and inhibit social cohesion in the short- to medium-term. The central challenge is to create a new, broader sense of 'we'.

These changes mean that, in order to be effective, local governments need to design targeted programs for social cohesion in diverse communities. This means the need to:

target at-risk groups
create interfaith and intercultural dialogue
help new groups to integrate and access services
focus on emerging communities
consider different responses to Indigenous and/or migrant and/or refugee racism
differentiate between rural/remote/regional/metropolitan areas to respond to spatial differences in current and future communities
do not forget the majority, as they may need help in understanding change too.

Emerging good practice in local government

Our research shows that local governments who commit to building social cohesion in their community tend to have several of the following elements:

they understand and acknowledge the important role local government has to play in building social cohesion and preventing and responding to racism
they take a long-term, strategic view and build internal capacity for action
they engage both majority and minority communities
they build long-term partnerships with a range of stakeholders, including other levels of government, community and advisory groups, schools, businesses, the police, and a variety of non-government organisations
they take place-based, targeted action
they evaluate and share their experiences.

ACELG's online resource

ACELG's evidence-based resource to support local government build social cohesion in diverse communities includes discussions and tips about good practice, a range of illustrative case studies, and other useful resources. It will be launched in June 2015.

For further information, please contact ACELG at [email protected]">[email protected].

¹ Cantle, T. 2011, Cohesion, 'Integration and Openness: From 'multi' to 'inter' culturalism', Symposium International sur l’interculturalisme, Montreal, May.

SallyAnn Hunting is an Associate of the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government.

Blog Format:

Analysis

Democratisation in China: Professor Chen Kang visits ACELG

Bligh.Grant — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 02:14:01 +0000

On Thursday 5 February ACELG and our fellow UTS organisation, the Australia China Relations Institute (ACRI) headed by Professor Bob Carr, will host a visit by Professor Chen Kang from National University of Singapore (NUS).

The visit will culminate in an evening seminar titled 'Local Government in China: The experiments in Democracy at a City Level' to be held at Ariel Function Centre, UTS from 5.30 pm. The seminar is free of charge and you would be most welcome to attend. To RSVP follow the link here.

Professor Kang is currently Director of the Master in Public Administration and Management (MPAM) and Chinese Executive Education programmes at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Kang graduated from the University of Maryland specialising in macroeconomic modelling. As such, while his recent work has focussed on processes of democratisation and engagement in China, the breadth of his professional competencies reaches beyond this to the 'big picture' macro stage. So his work is of intense interest both to us in local government, and to those that play in the big picture space – like the Australia China Relations Institute. Not that the two spheres are necessarily mutually exclusive – indeed that they ought not to be is precisely the point.

Professor Kang's doctoral dissertation was published as the ground-breaking book The Chinese Economy in Transition: Micro Changes and Macro Implications (1995; Singapore University Press). The text details the political struggles between conservative, democratic and reformist blocs inside the Chinese state and party apparatus and – most importantly – the evolving role that sub-national government generally and local government in particular have played in the reform process.

The role of local governments in China has evolved – to use the court nomenclature from Kang's (1995: 88) book – from being vassals of the central state to being "dukes" or "princes" in their own right. The crucial role of local government in the reform process is difficult to overstate, as Kang identifies:

The political importance of local governments in the reform process is well understood by reformist central leaders such as Deng Xiaoping and Zhou Ziyang. When wholesale reform plans met strong resistance at the central level, they encouraged local governments to engage in partial, incremental, and experimental reforms, and granted coastal regions preferential treatments and special autonomy (Kang 1995: 87).

So despite its status as a single-party state, governments at the municipal, prefectural and town levels in China have exercised a significant degree of autonomy to be at the forefront of incremental, yet systemic change.

In his recent work Professor Kang has documented examples of citizens increasingly engaged in processes adjacent to traditional party structures at local levels. The examples he will draw from on Thursday evening include deliberative democracy in Hangzhou City, participatory budgeting in Jiamusi (Heilongjiang Province), 'community courts' in Henan Province and the Water Users Association in Guangxi Province. Some of these examples feel very similar to types of engagement in the Australian setting – indeed more generally – and it will be interesting to see to what extent this is the case.

Our Director, Associate Professor Roberta Ryan, will introduce the event. Professor Kang will engage with Professor Bob Carr in a Q&A-style presentation with plenty of time for questions.

Again, you would be most welcome.

Dr Bligh Grant is Senior Lecturer in Local Government Studies at the UTS Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government.

Blog Format:

Event

The Town Crier Turns 50!

Chris_ACELG — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 04:05:53 +0000

Today UTS:ACELG's official blog, 'the Town Crier', celebrates its 50th published article. The blog launched in January 2014 as a forum to promote the exchange of knowledge and ideas relating to local government in Australia and internationally. The blog publishes original commentary and analysis by and for an audience of local government practitioners, researchers, students and professionals.

In its year or so of operation, the Town Crier has published a wide variety of articles covering the full spectrum of local government activities and interests.

The blog has provided commentary on a number of challenges and opportunities facing local government, both in Australia and internationally, for example on local government elections, emerging technologies, research practice, localism, and environmental benchmarking.

The blog has showcased innovative examples of leading practice in Australian local government, for example on topics as diverse as water and waste management, youth engagement, service delivery, mobile apps, and economic development.

The blog has provided recaps of key local government events, both in Australia and overseas, for example: conferences of Rural Councils Victoria, Local Government NSW and Environmental Health Australia; the Palembang International Conference on Local Government; the Australian Multicultural Council forum; and the 2014 Greater China-Australia Dialogue on Public Administration.

The blog has also operated as a conduit for the exchange of knowledge between those active in the sector. For example, the blog has been used to source input for local government research, showcase the outputs of the Local Government Management Challenge, feature interviews with local government practitioners, and promote tools to improve local government practice.

Going Forward

The Town Crier is looking to strengthen its output and impact in the coming months and years. This means new articles identifying leading practice, fresh debates on policy, and a raft of other features and resources designed to facilitate a dialogue on local government in Australia and internationally.

To get involved with the Town Crier in 2015 and beyond, you could consider:

Following UTS:ACELG on Twitter, Facebook or RSS to stay abreast of all the latest updates and articles.
Commenting on articles that you find of interest (beneath the article). This might include asking follow up questions of the authors, or presenting your own supporting or dissenting opinions.
Sharing the blog with your network of associates, be they practitioners, academics, professionals, students, or local government dilettantes.
Writing for the blog. UTS:ACELG accepts unsolicited submissions to the Town Crier all year round, and on any subject related to local government in Australia or overseas. For details on submitting a draft article, and on the benefits of blogging, see the Submission Guidelines.

Thank you to all of our readers and contributors for the first year of the Town Crier. We look forward to building the blog into a vibrant hub of local government knowledge and idea sharing in the coming months and years!

Chris Watterson is a Project Officer at the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government.

Blog Format:

None

Town Crier High-Flier: Laurie Mundt

Melissa Gibbs — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 20:59:01 +0000

At a recent local government exchange and co-operation seminar in Japan, Melissa Gibbs, Deputy Director of ACELG, had a chance to talk with Laurie Mundt, Economic Developer Manager at Ipswich City Council, about his role and some of the economic issues facing the sector, including debt, financing infrastructure, and regional development.

Melissa Gibbs: I'm with Laurie Mundt, economic developer manager at Ipswich City Council in Queensland. Laurie, can you tell me a little bit about what you do in your role.

Laurie Mundt: Over the years our initial focus was on attracting people to come and live in our city and we've now been able to achieve that and we're getting the population growth that we wanted.

So the challenge for us now is to create jobs for those people that are coming so that they don't have to travel for work. It's all about lifestyle as far as we're concerned. So we've got the people coming; now we're trying to create some jobs for those people that are coming.

MG: What's your role in facilitating that?

LM: My role in that is basically to attract businesses and industries. So we have a promotional role where we actively promote Ipswich as a great place to do business, and we do that through a number of mediums. We have a number of expos that we attend, and a number of seminars and workshops that we hold around the country.

We're very lucky; we've got a mayor who's a very effective promoter and he's put us on the map nationally. So the job has changed a bit over the years to one now where we're reacting to opportunities. We have a mayor who's let everyone know where Ipswich is and it's our role to facilitate those inquiries.

MG: So what are some of the challenges you face in your role?

LM: Our primary challenge is that we're just outside a capital city, so for a lot of the businesses that come to the region their first instinct is to have a look at the capital city, and we have to get them to also consider Ipswich. We are well position though; we've got a product that they can use. We've got plenty of cheap land that's fully serviced.

MG: So what are the top challenges facing your council more generally?

LM: When you have such massive growth as we have had over the last couple of years, the main challenge for council is financing the infrastructure required to service that growth. In other words, there's a big gap between council financing the delivery of the infrastructure to when the land is finally subdivided and we can start collecting rates. So the challenge for us is to find the finances to fill that gap.

MG: How do you typically do that, through borrowings?

LM: Through borrowings, yes.

MG: Do you think you're making the most effective use of borrowings?

LM: I think we are. We have to make it work. I mean we make the most effective use of the borrowings and we also try to minimise the time between actually paying for the infrastructure and it being subdivided and receiving rates.

We're also very fortunate that we've got a lot of partnership deals with developers who will fund infrastructure agreements thereby helping us finance some of the infrastructure in exchange for development credits.

MG: Where do you go to get information to help you in your role?

LM: That's been a challenge over the years. There is no truly effective source – there are no university courses or lectures or seminars that deal directly with economic development issues. There are a couple of people that write books, but they tend to be at a very high level.

The most effective source for me over the 20 years that I've been in local government has been my network of colleagues around the country. I've met them at various functions or I just phone them up out of the blue; I find they're a very valuable source. By talking to other people about issues they're facing and how they've addressed them it stops me having to re-invent the wheel with every new challenge.

And it works both ways. I have those people phoning me too to find out what does and doesn’t work for us, and I find that a very valuable network.

MG: I think local governments are very good at learning from each other. They're usually not afraid to ask for help or to ask someone how they dealt with a particular challenge, and are also willing to offer help in return.

LM: Yeah, that's right – we’re very fortunate. People are always willing to share and discuss ideas, and these days it's easy to pick up the phone or send someone an email if you've got a particular inquiry.

I'm also a member of the Economic Development Association and they have a blog on their website where you are able to register an issue that you are facing and you'll often get colleagues come back with responses.

MG: That's very helpful.

LM: Yes.

MG: During this study visit to Sakaide and Japan, what do you think was the most memorable thing that you'll take away from the experience?

LM: I'm going to go back with a lot of different experiences, some of them professional, some of them social. Professionally what I'll take back from this is how organised and how welcoming the city is. I think that's very important; I think that's something we can all learn from.

We've got a mandate to develop tourism in our city and we do focus on customer service, but this country takes that to a whole new level and I think that we can learn from that.

MG: What about the local government sector generally? Obviously your role is focussed on your activities at Ipswich, but you're connected to the sector through your personal networks and professional associations. What do you think the sector needs to make it more sustainable?

LM: I think the challenge we face, and it's often quoted, is that local government receives four per cent of the taxes in this country, and by comparison the state governments collect 16% and the Federal Government collects 80%. The percentages to me are way out of proportion when you look at the services we're required to deliver. We're very close to the people who use those services. There's often a lot expected of local government, but we're given a very small amount to deliver on these expectations.

We are fortunate to receive Federal and state government assistance for a number of programs, but I think it'd be far better if we had more direct input into how that money is directed and how it's spent .

MG: Thanks Laurie.

Laurie Mundt is the economic developer manager at Ipswich City Council, Queensland.

Melissa Gibbs is the Deputy Director of the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government.

Blog Format:

None

Spreading the 'Shop Local' message through youth engagement

David.Power — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 00:50:02 +0000

The economic context

Mitchell Shire is a rapidly growing 'interface' local government area that sits in the central north of Melbourne along the Hume Freeway. As a result of continuing growth and a current population of 35,000 residents, Mitchell Shire has recently been added to Melbourne's Urban Growth Boundary. This growth has brought about both positive changes in the business community, as well as its share of challenges.

Economically, one of the biggest challenges that retailers face is escaped expenditure as a result of the close proximity to Melbourne and shopping developments in adjacent municipalities. For example, in the south of the Shire around the township of Kilmore, the average household spends $2,073 per month on retail items and services, with only 50% of this amount actually being spent in Kilmore. Compounding this problem, 90% of the retail businesses are independently owned and operated and local retail spending has declined over the last three years. The support of local traders is considered a priority for Council as retail is the community's third largest employer, employing over 1,100 people with a combined spending power of upwards of $42 million – a major boon to the local economy.

Mitchell Shire Council needed to find a way to retain as much of the spending power of the residents as possible and also tap in to the $64 million value-added revenue that the retail sector contributes to the local economy on an annual basis.

Considering that 8,287 residents leave Mitchell Shire each day for work, one of the challenges identified was to encourage this sizable proportion of the working population to travel home first to do their shopping and support their local traders, rather than doing it on the way home in other municipalities. There was also an imperative to tap into the youth population and the family market, as young people make up over a third of the local population and are crucial to shaping spending patterns and 'Shop Local' awareness from an early age. Council therefore identified the need to understand and utilise the role that children play in helping to shape and drive family spending habits.

The program

In 2014 Mitchell Shire Council developed a Shop Local campaign titled 'The Mitchell Crowd', which was designed to encourage community members to support local traders. This campaign is a new approach to the Shop Local message aimed at educating primary school children on the importance of shopping locally and supporting local jobs. The program was developed to support and enhance the existing grade five curriculum, and is oriented around persuasive and narrative learning.

Mitchell Shire's Youth Councillors teach the 60 minute lesson to the students with support from the primary school teacher. The aim is to teach young children about the value of shopping locally, the positive spin-off effects of doing so, and why it is important for the local economy. Delivery of the program is also supported by community traders, community groups and schools working in partnership.

The program was designed to be fun and engaging for the target audience of grade 5 school students. The lesson featured 5 cartoon characters: Handy, Foodie, Fashonista, Sporty and Hipster. These characters are the 'Mitchell Crowd', and each supports their local traders by getting their feet on the street and spending their pocket money in the local shops. They all believe that if they live locally, then they should shop locally and they want to spread the word.

Through a five minute video the students get an insight to what the Mitchell Crowd's typical shopping day is like and, as a result, how many in the local economy benefit from their shopping habits – for example in job creation.

During the lesson the grade five students pair up with a classmate and create their very own Shop Local poster and slogan, and explain what they have learned in an attempt to nurture their persuasive and narrative learning as part of the grade five curriculum.

A prize sponsored by our local traders is offered for the top three posters, and all of the posters across all 12 schools in the Shire will be displayed in the shop windows on the local streets.

At the end of the 60 minute lesson the grade five students are given a Mitchell Crowd 'goodie bag' that contains branded bumper stickers, bookmarks with the Mitchell Crowd characters, and a fridge magnet shopping list so each student can relate to a different character or personality that matches their spending tastes.



Local school children with their 'goodie bags'		Shop posters designed by the local school children (click to expand)

Since the program was launched in July, there has been an unprecedented level of interest from local traders and media. The program has successfully encouraged a broad range of retailers to think of innovative ways to build interest in their businesses, and new ways of targeting their local markets. It has also encouraged traders to work in partnership with Council to enhance the quality of public spaces in and around shop fronts.

When the campaign concludes at the end of the year, it is expected that there will be a shift in attitude both from a local consumer and trader perspective. It is aiming to instil community pride, see a reduced amount of escaped expenditure from Mitchell Shire, and to sustain participation in the program from traders.

The challenges

As this was a very new approach to a Shop Local campaign our first challenge was getting the schools involved. Many of the schools were happy to be involved once it was established that the campaign could be adapted to fit within the existing school curriculum. We discovered that this campaign was particularly compatible with the grade five curriculum, which focuses on persuasive and narrative learning, and we had the program approved by AusVELS which gave us access to the schools and allowed the program to become part of the curriculum.

The program had to be age appropriate and appeal to young children and relate to their personalities, but also strive to deliver a long-term outcome. As a small Council, one of the biggest challenges we faced was the limited budget and getting buy-in from local businesses and the community at the development stages of the project. Getting sponsorship initially was quite challenging, as some businesses were unsure about the program given that it had never been done before and were therefore tentative about investing from the outset. However, after the campaign was launched we were inundated with calls from local businesses wanting to get involved. We accepted their requests for sponsorship even though the campaign was fully developed, utilising this support to add to the campaign as it progressed.

Lessons for other councils

It's always good for councils to engage with the people of the future through community groups and youth services. Coming at a Shop Local campaign from a new angle allowed us to arouse interest in the campaign in new and innovative ways. By positioning it as an educational campaign it took the message of 'shopping local' away from the main street and into the classroom. This was important because before people make the decision to shop local, an adjustment in attitude needs to take place. By going through the schools it allowed the community to own the project and recognise the benefit to themselves and the local area.

David Power is the Coordinator of Economic Development, Marketing and Communications at Mitchell Shire Council. The Mitchell Crowd program was a finalist in the 2014 Economic Development Australia Awards and received a Silver award at the 2014 Melbourne Design Awards.

Blog Format:

Innovation

Developing and Implementing a Disability Action Plan

Warren.Penna — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 23:28:22 +0000

Project Overview

Melton City Council launched in grand style its easy-to-read Disability Action Plan 2013-2017 last year. We were thrilled that our Plan was recognised in the Disability Access and Inclusion category of the 2014 National Awards for Local Government.

The Plan strengthens the voices of people with a disability and supports the significant role that families and carers play, underpinning Melton's commitment to the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. The high profile launch celebrated the Plans development and used local talent, skills and stories of people with a disability to deliver a powerful message.

The Plan recognises all people with a disability, including children, young people and adults with a sensory, physical, or neurological impairment, acquired brain injury, or mental illness. It understands the important role that families and carers play and the need for them to be supported, valued and respected.

Input from people with a disability, their families, and carers has shaped the Plan, determined its priorities, and put into actions the things that are important. It supports what people with a disability have told us; that they just want to be able to live, work and socialise in the same way as everyone else.

The Plan now guides Council decision making on issues pertaining to people living with a disability. It enhances the participation and wellbeing of people with a disability by helping to remove barriers and increase control and self-determination in everyday life.

The Plan sets out actions over the next four years that continue to build on the success and learning's from Council's two previous disability action plans, and supports and aligns to the:

Melton City Council Plan 2013-2017, and
Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2013-2017.

Approach

From the very beginning of the process we knew that the final Plan needed to be written in a way that was easy-to-read and would be accessible to, and understood by our target audience. After researching other Disability Action Plans we discovered many were written at levels of complexity and comprehension that most people would struggle to understand. We did not want our Plan to read that way.

Our consultation began by asking people with a disability, their families and carers what was important to them, the challenges they face, and their views on elements of access and inclusion across the City that could be improved. One of our key learning's from the consultation process was to involve as many of the Council's officers who were associated with delivering services to people with a disability as possible. It was very important that they heard what the community was saying first hand, rather than reading an interpreted account in a document somewhere down the track. The community's view of disability service providers and health care agencies was also sought and considered.

When consulting with the community, Council used three plain English, open ended questions to offer people living with a disability and their Associates the opportunity to respond in their own words without leading them on any particular themes or issues. The three questions asked were:

Q1. In terms of how people with a disability are welcomed and included in the life of our community, what works well?

Q2.What are the challenges/barriers in the Melton community preventing people with a disability to live, learn, work and recreate?

Q3. What improvements could be implement by the Melton City Council or the Melton community to make Melton a better place for all people with a disability to live, learn, work and recreate in?

Simplified English and pictorial questions were also drafted for those who were non-verbal or had low literacy levels. Online surveys were also made available via 'Survey Monkey' for those who could not attend a public consultation.

An example of a question in pictorial and simplied English format

In developing the Plan, Council consulted with 350 people through a series of discussions, forums and surveys. Participants included people from across the municipality representing people with a disability, their families, friends, carers, residents, local health and disability service providers, and the Melton Disability Advisory Committee. People participated with enthusiasm, reinforcing the view that the City of Melton is a great place to live, but still having more work to do in ensuring that people with a disability can do and achieve the same things in life that others take for granted.

Collectively, a number of research methods were used to gather primary data for the Plan, including:

Data from the 2011 census
Four community discussion groups
Community feedback from the CARE Melton Expo (over 550 people in attendance)
A forum with representation from 12 disability service providers, Government and non-Government organisations, and health care agencies
Public forums with interested members of the community
Surveys (125) identifying key issues for people with a disability, carers and disability service providers
Feedback from the Disability Advisory Committee.

The information gathered identified six key priority areas:

Quality services
Getting information
Getting involved and active
Valued work, employment and further education
Built environment
Transport.

Delivery

With feedback from the community collected and the priority areas identified, focus shifted to the delivery of the Plan. Council felt that it was important to have in place a rigorous process in place to monitor and measure our success. In particular we wanted to:

know whether we were succeeding
determine if/where we needed to invest more time and energy
make informed decisions and better respond to change
be transparent and accountable.

On this basis Council resolved to:

provide bi-monthly reporting to the Melton Disability Advisory Committee
report quarterly through Council's quarterly reporting process
provide an annual outcomes report in Council's Annual Report
report to the community through Council's newsletters.

The Action Plan launch was a significant and high level event targeting those that could bring about change. This included state and federal politicians, managers, and senior council officers and stake holders.


Accessible community facilities	The launch of the Disability Action Plan

Impact

Through its Disability Action Plan, Council is working in partnership with the local community toward ensuring that people with a disability:

stay informed regarding the implementation and outcomes of the Plan
feel supported and have access to the things they need to reach their goals and aspirations
are valued members of the community who can easily move around and enjoy the company of their friends and family
actively contribute to their community, have a voice that is heard, and positively influence the future of the City
have the same opportunities as everyone else.

Much has been achieved in recent years:

Inclusive playspaces have been developed across the municipality.
The CARE Melton Expo has been launched, which brings together local carers and disability service providers.
Resources and publications that support carers and people with a disability have been developed.
A range of recreational and arts opportunities involving people of all abilities have been established.
Council has established strong networks and partnerships with providers who support people with a disability.
New buildings have been designed with state-of-the-art accessibility features.
Council delivers information forums and workshops to educate the community on access and inclusion for all.

We are now:

Working together to deliver accessible, flexible services that inform and meet the changing needs of people with a disability, their families and carers
Improving access to information that supports informed decision making and increases awareness of services, opportunities and entitlements
Providing people with a disability opportunities to actively participate, socialise and have fun in the community, improving their health and wellbeing
Increasing opportunities and participation in further education and employment for people with a disability
Increasing general participation and access to the local community
Supporting people with a disability to move freely in and around the municipality.

This article prepared by the Community Participation and Engagement Team at Melton City Council. For enquires, contact [email protected]">Warren Penna, Project Officer at Melton. The Melton Disability Action Plan was a category finalist in the 2014 National Awards for Local Government.

Images courtesy of Melton City Council.

Blog Format:

Innovation

Innovation roundup: Energy efficient infrastructure upgrades

Chris_Lewis — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 05:13:54 +0000

In Western Australia, the local authorities of Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove and Mosman Park jointly own and manage the Grove Library and Community Learning Centre (opened in 2010). The building generates its own power, collects its own rainwater, and recycles all wastewater, and was the result of the three Councils collaboratively seeking community comment and support. The building incorporated an impressive list of environmentally sustainable design (ESD) innovations, and won the 2011 Australian Institute of Architects (WA Chapter) Walter Greenham Sustainable Architecture Award. While the total cost of the building was $17 million, the ESD components were costed at $2.7 million and contributed to significant whole of life savings in the operation of the building compared to conventional construction. This joint project also won the 'Energy Smart' category of the 2012 National Awards for Local Government. Read more »

The Energising the Flinders Project was funded through the Regional Development Australia Fund, and involved a consortium of councils including the Flinders Ranges Council and the District Councils of Mount Remarkable, Orroroo Carrieton and Peterborough. The project, costing over $1.16 million, involved the installation of solar power (photovoltaic) generating systems at 15 sites throughout the region, including council administration centres and depots, public toilets/picnic areas, and swimming pools. A further 104 solar lights were installed at previously unlit or inadequately lit council-owned community recreation and sporting facilities, street locations, tourist facilities/attractions and other public precincts in Carrieton, Hawker, Orroroo and Quorn. Read more »

The City of Victor Harbour (SA) demonstrated leadership in renewable energy by installing hybrid solar/wind street lamps at the Victor Harbour Recreation Centre car park (costing $18,000). The project's results will inform other hybrid sustainable energy projects. Read more »

The City of Melbourne's '1,200 Buildings' program planned to upgrade 1,200 existing buildings across the City to become more energy and carbon efficient. The program was praised in a global report by independent greenhouse gas reduction champion the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). The project was described as a potential catalyst for the retrofit of private commercial buildings with the hope of inspiring investment opportunities through efficiency savings. The CDP's Cities 2012 Global Report, which featured carbon reporting from over 70 of the world's most iconic cities, included Melbourne, along with Sydney, in the C40 Climate Leadership group. The latter is widely acknowledged for being at the forefront of carbon reduction practices. Read more »

Greater Shepparton City Council has also been active in infrastructure upgrades to increase energy efficiency. A proposed upgrade for swimming and gym facilities includes a gas turbine to generate electricity, which was estimated to be capable of saving 800 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per annum and reducing the recreation centre's yearly power bill by $70,000. With an overall outlay of $555,000 ($355,000 in the first year), the upgrade was expected to pay for itself in six years. In addition, a landfill gas recovery project at the Cosgrove Landfill site was expected to run an engine that will put enough enough electricity power back into the power grid to supply around 800 households. Organic material was also redirected away from landfill to be processed in a purpose built low emission composting plant that provides 6,000 tonnes of quality compost per year. Read more »

Chris Lewis is Visiting Fellow at ANZSOG Institute for Governance.

Blog Format:

Innovation

EHA Conference: 'Preparation beats Panic'

Geraldine.OConnor — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 23:27:22 +0000

Fabulous Mudgee was the destination for the 2014 NSW Environment Health Australia (EHA) conference, 'Preparation beats Panic'. This conference is the annual gathering of members of the NSW division of EHA, a small but active membership committed to ongoing education and training in environmental health.

Representatives from many councils across NSW attended as well as representatives of state agencies such as NSW Health, the EPA, the NSW Food Authority, and the NSW Fire Service. NSW Health plays a major role in the delivery of environmental health services and education across the state. The Food Authority and EPA also work closely with EHOs to provide support for inspections and education programs. EHOs in particular have to find balance in their dual role as regulators and educators.

The keynote speaker was David Clapham from Bradford in the UK. David provided two food safety case studies which had involved a number of deaths from food poisoning. He also highlighted how 'Scores on the Doors' has turned food safety regulation on its head in the UK, with shop owners now scrambling for inspections rather than being chased.

Bush fire recovery, food safety, water quality, hoarding and clandestine drug laboratories were just some of the issues covered. The role of EHOs during and following bushfires was covered from a number of angles and in a manner that clearly highlighted the aphorism that 'Preparation beats Panic'. Indeed, current disaster research shows that every $1 spent on preparation saves $7 in a disaster.

The need to invest in tools and systems to support disaster management was also highlighted. Social media in particular was identified as an apt tool for tracking fires and rapidly communicating updates to those at risk. Indeed the utility of social media in disaster management was vividly demonstrated during the 2011 Brisbane floods.

The conference also demonstrated that local government is becoming increasingly invested in a 'Preparation beats Panic' mindset: Walgett Council is preparing a heat wave management plan, several councils are developing asbestos management plans, and regulatory and non-regulatory mechanisms to deal with issues such as hoarding and clandestine drug laboratories were broadly canvassed with a focus on building relationships with agencies where the issue falls to local government.

In addition to the more technical facets of environmental health, a light hearted presentation on time management also entertained the audience with photos, yarns and bush poetry to illustrate points for a healthy life. 'Some are fowls, some are owls' reminds us to be aware of our most productive time of day and devote that time to tough tasks. The presentation concluded with 'Love your town and your country and wherever you are will be just right'.

Throughout the conference the EHOs in attendance were encouraged to:

think about the 'what ifs' (already an innate skill of EHOs)
plan inspections and be prepared for the plan to change
know legal obligations and where to draw the lin
keep up-to-date with the rapidly changing social media landscape.

In summing up the conference the newly re-elected and enthusiastic NSW President Jody Houston encouraged EHOs to 'be bold, lobby and advocate'. Good advice given all they have to deal with.

ACELG has published a food safety research report and customisable template for use by Australian local governments. The resource can be downloaded here.

Geraldine O'Connor is a Senior Programs Officer at the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government.

Blog Format:

Event

Declining voter turnout in local elections: what can be done?

Andy.Asquith — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 04:39:44 +0000

There is a flippant statement in 'Yes Prime Minister' where Jim Hacker – the fictional British PM – is commenting on the inadequacies of local government. He says:

"Only about 25% of the electorate vote in local elections. And all they do is treat it as a popularity poll on the political leaders in Westminster … Nobody knows who their local councillor is. And the councillors know nobody knows who they are. Or what they do. So they spend three totally unaccountable years on a publicly subsidised ego trip, handing out ratepayers' hard earned money to subsidise lesbian awareness courses and borough pet watch schemes to combat cat theft. They ruin the schools, they let the inner cities fall to bits, they demoralise the police, and undermine law and order."

I would argue that, irrespective of the geographic setting – be it the UK, New Zealand or Australia, these issues are both entrenched and deeply concerning to those of us with an interest and concern for local democracy. Constantly decreasing rates of electoral turn out in local elections intensifies the heightened levels of disconnect between the institutions of local government and the citizenry. In New Zealand for example, the last three local electoral rounds have resulted in turnouts of 47%, 45% and 43% respectively – a downward spiral. Local government has proven slow to address the reasons why this is the case. The core issues which need to be addressed relate to:

The generally low calibre of councillors (and more widely, of those seeking election to council). The Samson Review of local government in NSW sought to focus attention on this key issue. The quality of candidates might be improved, for example, through a competency test.
The levels of engagement between councillors and those they claim to represent. All too often councillors are elected then seem to vanish into the council offices until they emerge to seek re-election.
Far too many of us fail to see the relevance of local government to our own lives. Local authorities can do far more to engage citizens – at all ages – by emphasising the everyday relevance of local government.
The possibility of the formalisation of political party roles in local government. Many candidates for local elected office run as 'independents', yet elsewhere in formalised political arenas, have sought office wearing a clearly definable party political 'hat'. In theory, such formal politicisation can both increase the calibre of those seeking elected office, and can also increase the level of debate. The latter it is hoped would result in increased connection between the citizenry and the local authority.

Voter turnout in New Zealand councillor elections by council type
(Source: NZ Department of Internal Affairs; see also LGNZ.co.nz)

On a concluding, very sobering note. The New Zealand Local Government Commission published research findings which showed that if young people – age 18-21 – do not vote in either of the first two elections (either local or general) for which they are eligible – they will NEVER vote. It is time to stop maintaining the status quo – and to really act outside of our comfort zones. Neglecting the causes and consequences of declining engagement in local elections will not only undermine the value and legitimacy of local democracy, but also higher levels of government, be it at either State or Federal/National level, who may well take it upon themselves to intervene – in no one's best interests.

Andy recently presented at ACELG's Seminar Series 'From Government to Governance' where he discussed reorganisation and leadership models in Auckland, New Zealand. His presentation can be viewed below:

Dr Andy Asquith is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Management, University of New Zealand. His research has recently focussed on New Zealand local governance and politics, specifically in the changing leadership roles of both local government mayors and chief executives in New Zealand and the debate surrounding the future role of local government.

Back to the Town Crier

Leading image courtesy of ABC

Blog Format:

Analysis

More Innovative Waste Management Practice

Chris_Lewis — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 04:37:42 +0000

Nappies

With 800 million to one billion disposable nappies per year ending up in Australian landfills and given that one baby’s average ‘nappy lifetime’ contributes around 5,000 nappies, the City of Banyule (Melbourne) pioneered the use of biodegradable nappies in the three childcare centres that are managed by Council. Since the program commenced in 2009 with a trial of 65 children aged three months to three years, the City has since successfully turned 1,000 cubic metres of landfill into 495 cubic metres of organic compost. This has then been used to fertilise both private and public garden beds. The compostable nappies were developed and manufactured by Tasmania-based company Eenee Designs and are endorsed by Compost Australia as the only disposable acceptable for commercial composting. Read more »

Lismore City Council (NSW) also began selling the Eenee nappies at their new Save n Waste Recycle Store. They are accepted for disposal via the City’s organic waste collection service with participants needing to register. In partnership with KESAB environmental solutions, Port Adelaide-Enfield Council informed its residents about the effects of disposable nappies on the environment while offering its ratepayers the opportunity to try cloth nappies before making the switch.¹ Read more »

Litter and dumping

A Greater Dandenong Council-funded initiative involved an appointed Council’s Litter Prevention Officer conducting a test operation in a marked Council car at known dumping sites, successfully identifying a number of rubbish dumpers and out-of-hours donors, and resulting in infringements being issued. The Council then made the continuing ‘sit-off’ operation public, in an attempt to deter further offenders. Read more »

Banyule City Council, working closely with Salvos Stores and Victoria Police, experienced a significant degree of success following its trial of a high tech motion detection camera outside the Salvos store in Watsonia. Hundreds of people were caught on camera dumping rubbish and stealing donated goods, so helping to reduce the volume of rubbish being dumped in the area by 75 per cent. The strategy included posting clips of rubbish dumpers on YouTube and coverage of the story on television’s A Current Affair and Today Tonight, ABC radio, and in the local newspaper. Read more »

Recycling incentives

Randwick City Council (NSW) achieved an Australian first with the launch of its 'GreenMoney' program that invites local residents to participate and be rewarded for recycling. With over 900 residents having already participated at time of writing (March 2013), registered participants receive rewards and discounts from local businesses for recycling as much as possible with recycling bins are automatically weighed at each pickup. With points accumulated, residents get their points redeemable online for discounts at local shops, an aspect which also promoted and supports local businesses. Read more »

For more examples of innovative waste management relating to sustainable infrastructure, polystyrene recycling and organic waste, click here.

¹ 'Time for nappy change', The Advertiser, 8 March 2012, 26.

Chris Lewis is Visiting Fellow at ANZSOG Institute for Governance.

Back to the Town Crier

Blog Format:

Innovation