Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011 by Executive Media

The Australian Local Government Yearbook

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ISBN 978-1-921345-18-0

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MINISTER’S FOREWORD

Minister’s Foreword As the Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government I am committed to empowering local governments, and I understand the vital role that they play in keeping our regions strong.

hat is why it is a pleasure to be part of a publication that is such a valuable resource for councils across our nation. I know the importance of keeping in touch and sharing ideas, and this publication makes that so much easier. This government wants to empower regions to meet their local challenges head-on, and the Australian Government is working across all levels of government to achieve the best results for regional Australia. This was demonstrated during the flood crisis, where governments at all levels worked together. My department responded to the natural disasters affecting local governments in Queensland and Victoria by approving early payments of $261 million in Financial Assistance Grants for the 2010-11 financial year. We have also opened the way for local governments affected by flooding to modify or amend projects under round three of the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program. This means that flood-affected local governments will be able to renegotiate projects under this $100 million payment round. Looking forward, the National Broadband Network is a huge opportunity for the Australian Government and local governments to work together to achieve cutting-edge technology for the nation. This $43 billion package represents the single largest infrastructure investment made by an Australian Government, and will lead to historic reforms to Australia’s telecommunications sector. The opportunity for local governments to engage directly with the Australian Government and have their voices heard on local matters of national significance is essential to our understanding of regional issues. I will be working closely with the Australian Local Government Association on locally driven solutions for our regional areas. The Australian Council of Local Government will also continue to be an important partnership between the Australian Government and the 565 councils in Australia. It allows for collaboration between federal and local government and will improve delivery of infrastructure and services for regional Australia. That is why we are committed to constitutional recognition of local government. We granted $250,000 to the Australian Local Government Association in 2010 to progress constitutional recognition at the local government and community level.

We will consult with state and territory governments and take into consideration the range of complexities on this issue. And my department, along with the Attorney General’s Department, is providing advice to the Australian Government on the best way to deliver on our commitment to constitutional reform of local government. By working together, we can meet the challenges that face regional Australia and make the most of the individual strengths of each community. I look forward to continuing to work across government and with the local community to improve the social, economic and environmental future of Australia’s regions by ensuring that local communities have a strong voice in government decision-making. G

The Hon. Simon Crean, MP Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government

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CONTENTS Published by: Other Titles include: The Australian Local Government Environment Yearbook® and The Australian Local Government Infrastructure Yearbook®. To discuss an advertising package to promote your company in one of Australia's leading Local Government publications, contact Executive Media on (03) 9724 4200 or media@executivemedia.com.au

Executive Media Pty Ltd ABN 30 007 224 204 430 William Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Phone: (03) 9274 4200 Fax: (03) 9329 5295 Email: media@executivemedia.com.au Web: www.executivemedia.com.au Edited by: Gemma Peckham Artwork: Warren Simpson

1 Minister’s foreword

BEST PRACTICE 4 6 8 12 18 21 22

New Holland – Dependability Comes As Standard SULO Australia Leading by example Moreland Energy Foundation Morawa Education and Industry Training Alliance Poly Marketing Pty Ltd An automated scanning solution can streamline your administrative workflow. 24 Bush roads built to last with PolyCom Stabilising Aid

© and ® Executive Media Pty Ltd All rights reserved. Except as stipulated under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the publisher. First Editon 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 2007, Fifteenth Edition 2008, Sixteenth Edition 2009, Seventeenth Editon 2010, Eighteenth Edition 2011. ISBN 978-1-921345-18-0 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 reflect the opinion of the publishers and editors.

52 Roads to smarter infrastructure 56 Speed cushions 58 Local government and the Safe System approach to road safety

ASSET MANAGEMENT 60 Fleetcare Focus on GPS Fleet Tracking 62 How is your journey to asset reliability excellence going? 64 Refining the practice of asset management

FLEET MANAGEMENT 66 Century Batteries – Power Solutions for Australia’s vehicle fleet!

LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT 26 Biodegradable Pots For Your Council 29 Biodegradable polymers and why compost need not be on the nose 32 7-Eleven: A little bit about us 34 A word from new ALGA President, Genia McCaffery 36 DAF VS500 sweeper delivers a greener clean 39 Taking the LEAD on race-based discrimination 42 Soft Landing 43 Kiama Council E-Cycle Event A Social Success!

INFRASTRUCTURE + ENGINEERING 44 Aluminium and FRP 46 The timing is right for AGIC’s National Sustainability Rating Scheme 48 Innovation By Design 50 Cities are everyone’s business, says GBCA

ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY 68 70 73 74 76 80 82 83 85 87 88 90 92 96 98

Conergy – Our world is full of energy Thinking global, acting local City of Unley City of Orange Less waste, more need Procuring Sustainable ARRT for Councils The art of marketing compost Transpacific Cleanaway Lusty EMS Moving Floor Trailers Create a cleaner future with Century Batteries City of Onkaparinga South Australia – Water for good Tea Tree Gully Water… Naturally Better Solar Inverters Pty Ltd The outlook for solar energy technologies

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CONTENTS RENEWABLE ENERGY 102 104 108 110 113

Committed to Energy Efficiency Local government must lead on clean energy solutions The power is yours… Zero emissions councils Sustainability solutions for your home

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 114 116 119 120 122 125 130 133 136

energyanswers Arts provide quality of life in regional Australia Regional areas sustaining Australia’s growing population The making of Hard Yakka Workers compensation – be alert not alarmed Community engagement in regional development Community Housing in NSW Rebuilding communities Verve Energy solar farm for mid-west

137 Lighting up Lake Macquarie 138 GE Lighting Australia

LIGHTING 140 The pros and cons of LEDs 142 Transforming your urban landscape

COMMUNITY + SOCIAL FABRIC 144 Strips: There’s life in them yet 148 Stockland Commercial Property

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 150 Local government is beginning to app-ly itself 151 Amcom Telecommunications Ltd

PRINT + DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT 152 South East Water reduce the environmental impact of print

MANAGEMENT 155 Business as unusual 158 Help protect the environment with Avery® Enviro friendly office products

MACHINERY + EQUIPMENT 160 Investment in government supply relationships – a success

INNOVATION 162 Innovation activity in Australia doubles in 2010 Index 164 PinForce Sentinel is changing the way Councils manage their parking 166 The Kawasaki Mule – Making Hard Work Easy

168 New thinking, new directions – building innovation capability in Australia 169 Australia’s first digital playground 170 Emerging technologies give solar lighting a bright future 171 Warning and Safety Systems – Risk Managed LED Airfield Lighting 172 The keys to innovation 174 King Gee 175 King Gee Dustee® Polo

EDUCATION + TRAINING 176 ANZSOG revolutionises leadership training 178 Online training a first for local government

TRANSPORT 180 Looking for a total fleet solution? – the “i’s” have it

NATIONAL AWARDS 182 National Awards for Local Government

34 A word from new ALGA President, Genia McCaffery 46 The timing is right for AGIC’s National Sustainability Rating Scheme – by Doug Harland, Australian Green Infrastructure Council 70 Thinking global, acting local – by Wayne Westcott, Green Building Council of Australia 104 Local government must lead on clean energy solutions – by the Clean Energy Council 140 The pros and cons of LEDs – by Bryan Douglas, Lighting Council Australia 155 Business as unusual – by John Ravlic, Local Government Managers Australia 176 ANZSOG revolutionises leadership training – by the Australia and New Zealand School of Government

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New Holland Dependability Comes As Standard

urpose made for contract, highway and municipal applications, the New Holland G6000 Series range of commercial mowers match tough build and low operating costs with the very best comfort and safety features. Fitted with a folding ROPS frame as standard, offering great visibility, brilliant traction and outstanding manoeuvrability, G6000 mowers are the first choice for any professional. The G6000 Series is also simple to use. The hydrostatic transmission provides a low range for precise control in tough conditions and a high range for light cutting and transport. The hydrostatic control pedals are positioned for comfort and ease of operation. For any operator needing to spend large amounts of time working through the warm summer months New Holland believes a comfortable operator is a productive operator. The G6000 Series deluxe seat and steering column can be easily adjusted to provide the ideal operating position, minimising down time during those busy months. Another standard inclusion is an auxiliary power socket for a mobile telephone, radio or flashing beacon as well as a conveniently placed cup holder. Located under a one-piece hood, the G6000 Series engine is positioned for balance. With all heat from the power unit discharged to the rear, the cooling air is drawn in from the front and across the operator platform. This improves operator comfort and optimises cooling efficiency. To allow the deck to ‘float’ and follow ground contours without scalping turf, the weight of the mowing deck is transferred so that it is

carried by the power unit drive wheels. This improves traction and stability, particularly on slopes. New Holland Sensitrak™ traction management monitors the speed differential between the front and rear wheels. If the system detects that the front wheels are slipping, power is automatically directed to the rear wheels. The system reduces wheel slip with no compromise in manoeuvrability. The operator can select permanent 4WD and a manually applied front axle differential lock further boosting traction. The PTO drive system is designed to cut drive as soon as the front deck is raised into its transport position. Attachments like brushes can also be powered by the G6000 Series mowers. The hydraulic multi-plate PTO clutch enables the operator to progressively feed power to the attachment. This ensures a smooth transfer of power, protecting the attachment and PTO driveline.

4 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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BEST PRACTICE

SULO Australia 360L Kompakt • • • •

Injection moulded in Australia by SULO Manufactured in accordance with AS4123 Ideal for increased domestic recycling needs Increased capacity aids in preventing leakage into the waste stream Design Innovations • Patented Australian design compatible with existing infrastructure and lifting systems* • Increased capacity in a footprint similar to the 240L MGB, utilises a standard 240L axle • Dual axle housing provides maximum strength Advantages • Textured finish on lifting columns for added grip during emptying • Compatible with identification and weighing systems • Rear foot step assists in tilting and manoeuvring the bin • Patented easy grip handles for comfort and easy manoeuvring • Large 250mm wheels for improved stability and handling • Rubber tyres for a quieter operation • Ergonomic new look lid with optional ventilation • Large area for customisation on both the body and lid • Compatible with standard SULO components Quality Manufactured in accordance with AS4123 and DIN EN 840 Material Polymer components: • Kompakt - Injection moulded from specially designed HDPE • Resistant to decay, frost, heat and chemicals • Special UV–stabilisation provides excellent aging characteristics Corrosion resistant steel axle Noise reduction: • Quiet - running solid rubber tyres • Tight fitting axle • Long service life: • Quality materials • All container parts are recyclable

SULO MGB Australia Pty Ltd 123 Wisemans Ferry Road Somersby NSW 2250 Australia Tel: +61 (0) 2 - 4348 8188 Fax: +61 (0) 2 - 4348 8128 Internet: www.sulo.com.au E-mail: info@sulo.com.au

Check the suitability of your lifter with SULO or your lift equipment supplier

6 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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SULO SUL LO LO Increase your capacity to recycle

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1300 364 388 t info@sulo.com.au t www.sulo.com.au

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BEST PRACTICE

Leading by example By Leon Gettler Councils across Australia continue to put their best foot forward, implementing new initiatives that assist with local government development and performance, as well as benefiting the community at large. The ChargePoint recharging station’s BlueGen ceramic fuel cell will be able to generate at least 12,500 kilowatt hours of clean electricity each year. Excess power not required for vehicle recharging will delaide City Council has combined green energy be fed back into the grid. The station is powered by with a radical program that it hopes will boost the low-emissions electricity from a solid oxide fuel cell electric car industry and reduce greenhouse gas system supplied by Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd. emissions. All up, this provides enough electricity to power the The council has installed an electric vehicle (EV) average South Australian home and two electric cars charging station at the Central Market car park, travelling 15,000 kilometres each per year. supplied by locally generated low-emission electricity. Adelaide Lord Mayor, Stephen Yarwood, a strong The installation – the first such unit installed in South advocate of walking, cycling and electric cars, says Australia – is believed to be the world’s first fuel cell the charging station is part of Adelaide’s innovative powered public EV charging station. It is also critical thinking. ‘This initiative reinforces the City of Adelaide’s because cars are a major source of air pollution in role as a leader in environmental sustainability and Adelaide, emitting 82 per cent of the carbon new technology,’ Yarwood says. ‘This project is a sign monoxide in the air. of things to come as we move towards a cleaner and South Australia has set out an aggressive greener future for our beautiful city.’ renewable electricity production target: 33 per cent Adelaide’s Lord up Mayor, Yarwood with one of the will initiative use the EV is charging part ofstation a trend now occurring in by 2020, well on Stephen the national target of 20 perelectric cent. cars thatThe

Adelaide City Council: Electric vehicle charging station

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BEST PRACTICE Adelaide, and reflects a way for the council to work closely with the car industry, which is moving in the same direction. The auto industry is a major player in South Australia, employing 6,000 people. Mitsubishi, for example, has just installed an EV fast-charging unit in front of the company's Adelaide head office, which is designed to offer the convenience of a fast-charge facility to drivers of Mitsibishi's i-MiEV (innovative electric vehicle). Mitsubishi introduced i-MiEV into the Australian market in August 2010, and the company has now sold more than 100 vehicles. According to state government figures, there are only about 800 electric vehicles registered in South Australia. When you exclude forklifts, golf buggies and the like, there are only about 20 electric vehicles. The council initiative, being a world first, is designed to build that market. The council is one of many entities that has a climate change sector agreement with the state government. Other entities include the technology industry association and the university sector. The council initiative helps to co-ordinate the green activities of the council, state government, technology sector and the automotive industry.

Sydney City Council: Trigeneration energy initiative Sydney City Council’s trigeneration energy initiative, an Australian first, is part of its sustainable Sydney program, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent from 2006 levels. That equates to a 50 per cent reduction compared to 1990 levels, which was the figure used for the Kyoto Protocol. The aim is to have trigeneration delivering 70 per cent of the city’s electricity requirements by 2030, with 25 to 30 per cent of the city’s electricity requirements to be met by renewable energy by 2030. Trigeneration plants produce three forms of energy simultaneously: electricity, heating and cooling. A trigeneration system can provide power, hot water, space heating and air conditioning from a single system. Generators lose heat as they create electricity. A tri-generation facility captures heat that would otherwise be lost, and uses it to generate both hot and cold water. As Sydney is Australia’s largest city, the trigeneration plan is critical. Cities produce 75 per cent of the world’s emissions. They are the primary cause of climate change and are most at risk from the effects of climate change. At the moment, 80 per cent of the City of Sydney's emissions come from the production of electricity by coal-fired power stations in the Hunter Valley. Two thirds of the energy being used by these stations is wasted as heat from the cooling towers, and on long-distance transmission over power lines to Sydney. Power plants are very wasteful, using 8,000 megalitres of water per year; the equivalent to 32 days’ supply of water from Sydney’s desalination plant. The trigeneration intiative seeks to change that.

Trigeneration plants are almost three times more energy efficient than coal-fired power plants. They accomplish this by using the waste heat from electricity production to both heat and cool buildings. Under this model, there is a network of green transformers, principally housing trigeneration, to supply the City of Sydney local government area with low-carbon electricity and zero-carbon heating and cooling. In 2009, the city engaged a consortium of Kinesis, Cogent and Origin Energy to develop the city’s Decentralised Energy Master Plan – Trigeneration (Trigeneration Master Plan). This was the first of the city’s green infrastructure master plans. As part of the initiative, there was extensive modelling of the electricity, heating and cooling demands of buildings in the local government area. The aim was to determine the optimal sizes and locations for trigeneration systems. An interim Trigeneration Master Plan has been completed covering the four energy dense zones of the city – CBD North/Barangaroo, CBD South, Pyrmont/Broadway and Green Square. Together, these four zones would deliver 360MWe of trigeneration, which would exceed the city’s target. The interim Trigeneration Master Plan seeks to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by between 1.1 million and 1.7 million tonnes a year. This represents a reduction in these emissions of between 39 per cent and 56 per cent for the building sector and between 18 per cent and 26 per cent of the overall Sustainable Sydney 2030 target. The council is now seeking tenders, but will manage the process. Tenders closed at the end of January and are now being evaluated.

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BEST PRACTICE Already, some companies in Sydney’s CBD are being connected through the initiative, where waste heat is being captured and used to produce hot water for buildings and also turned into cold water for air conditioning. If it is possible to hook up clusters of buildings in the same neighbourhood to one generator, the energy is used far more efficiently than if one generator per building were to be used. It is a system that also allows the electricity use to be planned around peaks and loads depending on their usage.

Darwin City Council: GRIND online Darwin City Council’s youth website GRIND (www. grindonline.com.au) has shown innovative new ways of drawing youth into the community and working with the council. As winner of the 2010 Australia and New Zealand Internet Best Practice Awards in the Best Youth Initiative category, the website is a vehicle for youth voice. It provides an outlet for youth culture and expression and it coordinates diverse activities such as large-scale music gigs, skills workshops and youth community consultations. The design of the site, as well as the editing, interviewing and administration is undertaken by the GRIND youth team with help from the council's Youth Services division. All decisions relating to the running and production of the website are made by the GRIND youth team. The fascinating and important part of GRIND is that it actually helps Darwin’s youth shape council policy. Not many councils in Australia can claim to have done this and work so closely with the youth of their community. Grind has actually been running for 10 years as a magazine, but made the switch to a website about four years ago.

There is a youth advisory committee and a GRIND committee that appoints an editor. Ages on the committees and of participants contributing to GRIND range from 10 to 24, most of them in their late teens and early 20s. There is also a broad selection of indigenous youth contributing. They write poems, and review films and music. They have the freedom to write about anything they choose – the only rules are that they are not allowed to write about suicide, and they cannot write about religion without offering a countervailing view. The project is supervised by a youth officer who then reports to John Banks, the council’s general manager of Community and Cultural Services. The magazine and website provide a forum that allows the youth to raise issues with the council and for the council to consult the youth. One of the most striking examples of this occurred with the council’s ampitheatre. Through GRIND, the youth had informed the council that they wanted smoking banned at the venue. The council brought in a policy that did precisely that. When music promoters complained, the council was in a strong position to uphold the ban, telling the promoters it had consulted widely with the principal users of the ampitheatre, the youth. Similarly, when the council was considering building a youth centre, it used GRIND to conduct a survey of 1,200 youths. Few councils could tell developers and business that they have taken in the view of so many. The relationship between the council and youth is now so strong that it is not uncommon to see young people in the council chambers and premises. Again, not many councils in Australia could claim to have achieved that. G

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PAVE YOUR WAY TO A LOWER CARBON FOOTPRINT Specification for Supply of Recycled Material for Pavements, Earthworks and Drainage This new specification reflects a growing awareness within the civil construction industry of the need to conserve natural resources and the economic value of using recycled materials. Concrete, brick and asphalt are valuable recyclable materials. The specification provides the technical and legal requirements for their recovery and reuse and details new design performance criteria for placement of pavement and recycled pavement materials. At the same time it highlights the social and environmental benefits that flow from recycling.

The Beneﬁts • • • • • • •

Cost effective recycling Preventing loss of natural resources Decrease in carbon emissions Preventing environmental degradation Provides clear technical and legal requirements Ensuring development is ecologically sustainable Promoting international best practice

For more information visit: environment.nsw.gov.au or email sustainability@environment.nsw.gov.au

The speciﬁcation will give the marketplace greater conﬁdence and encourage more widespread use of recycled materials.

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BEST PRACTICE

Moreland Energy Foundation Attempts at the global level to tackle climate change often appear to be a case of one step forward, two steps back. But locally, real change is happening – and an organisation in Melbourne’s inner north is showing how councils and their communities can work together to cut greenhouse gas emissions. From basic lighting upgrades – the low hanging fruit of energy efficiency – to new cogeneration systems powering major urban developments, Moreland Energy Foundation Limited (MEFL) is helping residents, business owners, developers, community groups and local governments to make a positive contribution to the environment.

ecember 2010 marked the 10-year anniversary of this not-for-profit foundation, established by Moreland City Council with funds from the sale of the Brunswick and Coburg electricity supply departments, with the aim of reducing carbon emissions within Moreland. It has since attracted significant federal and state funding for the benefit of the local community. Now, as public pressure for action on climate change mounts, MEFL has increasingly been called upon to apply its expertise in projects, research and training for a range of public and private organisations across Victoria. Knowledge, skills and technical solutions developed through fee-for-service activities complement and reinforce MEFL’s range of local programs, and vice versa.

Community action Zero Carbon Moreland (ZCM) is MEFL’s flagship community engagement program. Funded through the federal government’s Solar Cities program, ZCM aims to sign up 5,000 homes, 500 businesses and 50 community groups, with each aspiring to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent over 12 months. MEFL helps participants towards this goal by measuring their carbon footprint, creating action plans, and providing tailored advice on energy efficiency and retrofitting, together with back-up support and training. MEFL’s Sustainability Advice Service offers personalised, independent guidance and information about living comfortably while reducing carbon

Solar photovoltaic system is installed on the Coburg Civic Centre

12 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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BEST PRACTICE

Zero Carbon Moreland participants show their support

emissions. Sustainability experts available through MEFL’s Home Renovators Service help Moreland residents make environmentally sustainable choices on everything from appliances and material selection through to design, without blowing their budget. Both of these services are free for Moreland residents. In addition to its ZCM activities, MEFL has joined forces with the Brotherhood of St Laurence under the Warm Home Cool Home program to retrofit the homes of more than 200 of Moreland’s most vulnerable residents.

Education and research Sharing knowledge is a key focus for MEFL. Its staff has presented hundreds of events, workshops and conferences. The foundation’s Introduction to Energy Management is a popular one-day course designed to equip participants with a broad understanding of energy use, assessment and auditing techniques. In 2011, MEFL will launch Advanced Energy Management, a technical program for professionals looking to extend their energy management skills. MEFL also provides training for users of STEPS (Sustainable Tools for Environmental Performance Strategy). Developed as an initiative of Moreland City Council, STEPS is a user-friendly, web-based tool

that comprehensively assesses the environmental performance of planning applications. It has been credited with simplifying and streamlining the planning approval process. Alongside its established workshop program, MEFL tailors practical training to suit the needs of clients, covering topics like workplace green teams, energy efficiency for small business, passive design and energy efficiency for maintenance staff. MEFL has become a leader in assessing residential building energy efficiency and modelling building shell upgrades. As part of the Victorian Government’s goal to upgrade existing homes to an average 5 star equivalent energy rating by 2020, the foundation is undertaking thermal modelling on houses in Melbourne, Ballarat and Geelong to develop a cost-benefit comparison of a range of energy efficiency options. A pilot study of 15 older homes in Moreland revealed an average energy rating of just 1.3 stars. Though low, MEFL calculated that these homes could reasonably cheaply achieve an average rating of 4.3 stars, resulting in annual greenhouse gas reductions of about 3.2 tonnes, and energy cost savings of approximately $600 a year. Further, the pilot found the bulk of improvements could be attained

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BEST PRACTICE through wall, ceiling and floor insulation upgrades costing less than $7,000 on average per house. Results such as these inform MEFL’s advisory services, helping households make cost-effective decisions about how best to upgrade their home for energy efficiency.

Urban development Moreland’s relatively good public transport links, proximity to central Melbourne and vibrant dining scene has made it an attractive option for both homebuyers and developers. Moreland City Council’s latest landmark urban development project – the $1 billion Coburg Initiative – will see some 3,000 new dwellings and more than 65,000 square metres of retail and office space created in central Coburg over the next decade or so. MEFL is working with the council to ensure that the Coburg Initiative sets a benchmark for sustainability amongst major urban redevelopments in Australia and internationally. MEFL chief executive Paul Murfitt explains the thinking behind the decentralised energy systems earmarked for the Initiative: ‘We know the generation of electricity at or near the point of consumption, the real-time direct control of loads, access to information to make smarter energy choices, and the coordination of these systems via a truly ‘smart’ grid, can dramatically increase efficiency and reduce the emissions associated with our energy supply system. ‘Our relationship with Council provides an opportunity for both Council and MEFL to push the boundaries of local climate change action.’

MEFL’s work on the Coburg Initiative and several other developments in Moreland has helped with the creation of a sustainable urban development framework, a step-by-step guide for local governments, developers and consultants looking to create sustainable precincts and suburbs.

A more efficient council In 2008, Moreland City Council took decisive action against climate change, becoming one of the first local councils to set a target of zero net emissions for corporate activities. In collaboration with MEFL, the council prepared a detailed Carbon Management Plan to help achieve this goal by 2012. Major achievements to date include the installation of 7.2kW solar photovoltaic system at the Coburg Civic Centre – a model for medium-scale energy generation that the partners hope will become widespread in Moreland and across Melbourne. This year, MEFL and the council hope to unveil a cogeneration unit that will power the Fawkner Leisure Centre, including heat for the pool along with a number of other council facilities on the site. Former Moreland Mayor, Stella Kariofyllidis, acknowledges that the Carbon Management Plan is challenging, but adds, ‘We are well on the way – accelerating a whole range of actions to reduce emissions in our buildings, streetlights, fuel and waste. ‘Launching MEFL in the year 2000 was a visionary step and we’re proud to continue partnering with such an exciting, relevant and engaged organisation.’

Participants at the Zero Carbon Moreland Next Steps Community Forum

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BEST PRACTICE The Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action Reflecting its commitment to sharing knowledge and resources, MEFL joined the Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action (NAGA) as its only nongovernment member. A collaboration between nine northern Melbourne councils and MEFL, NAGA shares information, coordinates emission reduction activities and cooperates on a range of innovative research and development projects. All NAGA councils – Banyule, Darebin, Hume, Manningham, Melbourne, Moreland, Whittlesea, Yarra and Nillumbik – have pledged to help their communities cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent by 2020. MEFL takes a lead role in delivering a number of programs outlined in Towards Zero Net Emissions; the alliance’s blueprint for change. The foundation currently project manages the Manningham-led Delivering Clean Energy Solutions project, which will see a solar photovoltaic and hot water system bulk buy rolled out across the NAGA region. Mr Murfitt says MEFL continues to strengthen its partnership with Moreland City Council and local governments more broadly. ‘Our expertise and unique community-based perspective are much in demand,’ he says. ‘And working on a variety of innovative projects with such a range of partners builds our skills and our capacity to deliver more greenhouse pollution reduction in our own community. ‘From school yards and factory floors to backyards and shopfronts, we are putting together the pieces of the puzzle to foster solutions to climate change.’ G Moreland resident Stefin Weinmuller purchased a solar hot water system through one of MEFL’s community bulk-buys

For more information visit www.mefl.com.au or call the Moreland Energy Foundation on 03 9385 8585.

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Interested in preserving your local wartime heritage? The Saluting Their Service commemorations program offers modest grants to assist local communities to honour the service and sacrifice of Australia’s veterans. The program is designed to help preserve our heritage from wars and conflicts and encourage community participation in commemorative events. A wide range of community projects may be supported including: • establishing or refurbishing community war memorials; • restoring vandalised memorials; • restoring and publicly displaying wartime memorabilia; and • commemoration of significant anniversaries of battles and other military operations. Local councils, schools and community groups such as historical societies and ex-service organisations can apply for grants through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Application forms and funding guidelines available from the DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS on: 133 254 – metropolitan callers 1800 555 254 – non-metropolitan callers Website: www.dva.gov.au/grants

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BEST PRACTICE

Morawa Education and Industry Training Alliance By Trish Palmonari and Emily Sutherland How does a small rural shire like Morawa make a difference? How does a shire get involved in a non-traditional business area such as education? These are questions the Shire of Morawa asked as they grappled with the issue of improving on educational opportunities and standards in Morawa.

Morawa Education Alliance wins local government best practice award

he Shire of Morawa distributed a Community Survey as a means of gaining feedback on Shire priorities for the purposes of developing a strategic plan and approach going forward. The feedback gained from this survey process confirmed that the Morawa community rated education as of very high importance and mandated a clear direction for the Morawa Shire Council to become involved in developing a strategic approach to move forward. Once the local educational institutions became engaged in the concept of a joint partnership, a strategic planning process followed and the Morawa Education Alliance was born. Like most small towns, Morawa has limited service offerings when compared to the metropolitan area.

In addition, residents have traditionally relied heavily on agricultural employment opportunities, which are very limited during times of drought. Through its strategic planning initiative, the Shire of Morawa identified that these were factors in the Shireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s struggle to retain students and young adults within the community between the ages of 13 and 25 years. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirmed this position. Students were leaving Morawa to continue their education at other locations, noticeably Perth, and to seek training and employment opportunities further afield. Seeing a definite need to retain its youth population by offering quality and relevant training and education opportunities, a dedicated group

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BEST PRACTICE was formed to help Morawa upskill its residents whilst also avoiding the ‘brain drain’ often associated with small rural centres. In 2005 the Morawa Education Alliance (MEA) was formed as a partnership between the Shire of Morawa, Morawa District High School, the WA College of Agriculture – Morawa, and the Durack Institute of Technology. The MEA was formed with the aim of establishing and maintaining an education and training industry in Morawa, renowned for high-quality, customer-focused education and training. MEA’s goal is to ‘revitalise the Morawa community through education’, and works on the theory of ‘thinking outside the square’ in order to have Morawa recognised as an outstanding education and training service provider in regional Western Australia. The MEA has benefited strongly from the combined knowledge and passion of its driving forces – the MEA’s four stakeholders: Shire of Morawa CEO, Gavin Treasure; WA College of Agriculture Principal, Craig Chadwick; Morawa District High School Principal, Tonia Carslake; and Durack Institute of Technology director of organisational effectiveness, Joanne Payne. The partners come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and their collective leadership has created mutual synergies and has formed a close collegiate relationship that ensures the MEA is proactive and wholly dedicated to meeting its goals. To highlight this dedication, the MEA was awarded the gong for Best Practice in Local Government at the 2010 West Australian Regional and Community Achievement Awards. The win was attributed to a number of successes that the Morawa Education Alliance has enjoyed since its inception in 2006, including: • Negotiation of a Memorandum of Understanding with the director general of the Western Australian Department of Education to support any innovative program or activity proposed by the Alliance; • Alignment of the WA Agricultural College and Morawa District High School timetables to create improved sharing of teaching resources and provision of greater choice of courses and study for Morawa students; • Development of a state-of-the-art Morawa Youth Centre, including provision of resources to operate the same; • Expansion of community opportunities for youth leadership and leisure activities; • Piloting a Certificate I in Resources and Infrastructure, and Certificate II in Engineering, for Morawa students looking at gaining an entry point into a mining career; • Morawa Agriculture College securing a state first in gaining approval to broaden its training scope to offer additional educational opportunities for students; • Securing Karara Mining Ltd support to establish an annual $20,000 scholarship program for senior Morawa students; • Gaining commitment from Karara Mining Ltd to

conduct all mine site training activities through Morawa; • Construction of the $1.2 million Morawa Business Centre that has created new opportunities for new businesses to be established in Morawa, plus additional training via a trade apprenticeship; • Achievement of Royalties for Regions funding to establish additional housing in Morawa for new teaching accommodation; • Launching the Welcome to Morawa Pack for new residents and professional officers; • Being invited to attend numerous conferences and workshops to discuss the MEA concept and its journey; and • Achieving support and approval for the Morawa District High School to secure 12 accommodation units at the Morawa Agriculture College for access by senior high school students wishing to board in Morawa for their schooling needs. The Morawa Education Alliance has now further evolved into the Morawa Education and Industry Training Alliance (MEITA). This natural evolution has been brought about by the emerging mining sector in the region, and the need to have industry representation in the Alliance structure. MEITA is now also represented by the agriculture industry, small business sector and the Morawa Resource Centre. An independent chair has also been created in this new dynamic structure, with Mr Peter Browne, former director general of the Western Australian Department of Education, taking on this important role earlier this year. One of the fundamental steps towards achieving many of these successes was to complete an audit, review and update of the MEA’s Strategic Plan, which was originally developed in 2006. This review also complemented the Alliance’s evolution into MEITA. In 2009, a comprehensive process was undertaken to set ongoing targets and goals for 2010-2013. The process also developed an Operational Plan, actioning parts of the Strategic Plan for 2010-2011.

GROH Housing 2010

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BEST PRACTICE

Morawa Youth Centre 2010

During this review and planning process, it was identified that Morawa was in a perfect position to offer cross-industry training opportunities to those wishing to find employment in either, or both, of the mining and agricultural sectors. Morawa has traditionally been an agricultural area, with the majority of employment opportunities servicing this sector. However, recent resources activity in the area has led to Morawa benefiting from the economic growth that the mining sector has helped to create. More and more locals, as well as out-of-towners, are turning to the local mining sector for employment. MEITA has been instrumental in engaging with the emerging mining (iron ore) sector in the region. Through MEITA, Karara Mining Ltd has committed to Morawa for all of its educational and training needs. This commitment has been cemented with Karara Mining Ltd announcing four annual scholarships worth $20,000 to both local schools which commenced in 2010. In addition, MEITA has been chosen as one of only two regional locations Australia-wide to trial an Australian Government funded pilot program to deliver cross-industry training to both the mining and agriculture sectors. The Regional Agriculture and Mining Industry Training Project (RAMIT) is aimed at delivering training to provide entry level employee skills for both the agriculture and mining sectors. Fifteen participants will take part in the RAMIT training and it is expected that the skills delivered will be practical,

hands-on and designed to assist participants in gaining jobs in regional communities In delivering this project, MEITA acknowledges that there are specific industry-based skills required to work in both the mining and agricultural sectors, and that Morawa is well placed to offer training to those interested in working in these fields. The RAMIT program will work well in the area, as it is designed to offer skills that will equip people to work in either sector or to switch between the two as demand changes or regional opportunities become available. The real jewel in MIETAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crown is still to come. With Karara Mining Ltd committing to local training through Morawa, the opportunity now presents itself to establish an industry training centre for the region. Such an outcome would secure Morawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s educational future by sustaining an upper school curriculum and offering an attractive alternative for non-local families to seriously consider Morawa as an educational pathway towards a mining career for their children. The Morawa Education and Industry Training Alliance is now well known and has achieved much success in the few short years it has been operational. MEITA partners acknowledge that their challenge now is not to rest on these achievements, but to expand on their successes going forward and embrace the opportunities this exciting region offers. This is all about reputation and providing a quality product. MEITA is delivering on these outcomes. G

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314735

BEST PRACTICE

Poly Marketing Pty Ltd

n innovative approach to environmental responsibility has been announced by Poly Marketing Pty Ltd. (www.polymarketing.com. au) A Tasmanian manufacturer, nationally distributing 100% recyclable, to specification, very cost competitive PVC guide posts, guardrail delineators, barrier boards, unique orange bollards, car parking safety markers, temporary chevron directional indicators and low cost noise abatement D5 fencing. Supplying direct to Councils and Roadside Contractors Poly Marketing offers $0.50 per kilogram for any of their rigid products returned for recycling and re-manufacturing into additional problem solving products. Many of these guide posts are evident beside roads around Australia after thirty years of installation, with the retro-reflective tape renewed once or twice. The temporary orange bollards and chevron directional indicators are stackable for ease of storage and transport, used with recycled 6kg /8kg octagonal rubber base anchors, sand bags or temporarily fixed in place and like the guide posts, are impact modified to absorb multiple vehicular impacts. The noise abatement D5 fencing is certified to

ameliorate around 20 decibels (single panel fence) and 36 decibels (double panel fence) of noise pollution from roads, industrial plants, commercial sites and residential locations. Constructed up to six metres high, with a 40 year design life, D5 fencing offers a very cost effective yet small site footprint with the ability to have the bottom buried (no concrete plinth) coupled to a very fast installation speed it is ideal in hydrocarbon polluted or salt laden atmospheres. The D5 material is also available in 1.8 metre heights for residential dividing fences.

Poly Marketingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s factory has been manufacturing roadside products since 1980 and our Noise Abatement Fencing range since 2007. " " " " " " &

rigid $% &%!

Phone: 03 6382 1844 Fax: 03 6382 3011 Email: info@polymarketing.com.au Web: www.polymarketing.com.au

The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ 21

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BEST PRACTICE

An automated scanning solution can streamline your administrative workflow. How to get maximum output from your high-volume scanning solution. Think outside the scanner.

t’s best to begin discussions on scanning with your endpoint in mind. Namely, usable images produced in the most efficient method. Outputting the most images per hour at the least cost are the key drivers for any serious scanning operation. Customer service, timeto-money, and total cost of operation all depend on real productivity. When your scanner users are handling thousands of documents a day, subtle differences between how scanning solutions perform in the real world matter significantly. Seconds per scan and fractions of cents per page can add up quickly. With that in mind, it’s important to recognize that scanning is not just a scanner; it’s a process—with multiple, interdependent parts and every step needs to be as efficient as possible.

Understand your process. Generally, a scanning process will include the following: • Document preparation—paperclips and staples are removed; documents are rough/fine-sorted into batches as required, to name a few. • Scanner operation—an operator inserts and/or stacks batches of documents into the scanner and takes them out once finished. The operator makes adjustments to the scanning system, starts, and stops the machine. • Image capture—inside the scanner, illumination, optics, sensor technology, and electronic processing technology create a digital copy of each document. • Image processing—a variety of technologies are applied to optimise the quality of the raw electronic image with more advanced scanners doing this at scan time. • Output preparation—image editing and manipulation put images in the correct orientation and file format(s), and any necessary QC/QA and indexing are performed before images are uploaded to server for further processing or storage. A key point to remember, features and capabilities of the scanner and software can impact each of these steps.

in mind tend to drive higher and sustained productivity. Simple things such as quick access to commonly used functions, logical lay-out of the menus/screens, reduce errors and limit the time the scanning system is idle.

Productivity through intelligent scanning. The better job the scanner does, the less work (and time) required for image processing and output preparation. Better image quality will minimise error rates from post-process text recognition engines and PDF conversions. Scanners that apply intelligent image processing almost always guarantees excellent quality images that help the overall process downstream. This means there is significantly less resources (human and IT assets) needed to audit the images and apply image corrections. The bottom line is that by reducing the number of times an operator needs to “touch” documents or make an adjustment, advanced scanner capabilities can rev up your process.

Right balance. In the end, it’s up to you to decide what mix of scanner speed and features best supports your scanning process. Purchase price should not be a prime consideration, as it’s likely to be less of a factor overall than the ongoing expense of labor.

User efficiency. You’ll get more usable image output per hour the easier a scanning system is to operate. As volumes and number of hours in a day spent scanning increases, scanners and software designed with the scanner user

Contact Kodak today to discuss the right solution for your business. Email:

francis.yanga@kodak.com

Web:

www.kodak.com/go/docimaging.

22 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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BEST PRACTICE

Bush roads built to last with PolyCom Stabilising Aid

estern Queensland. Beautiful country after the rains. Beneath the glistening trees the dams are full, the cows are fat and the roads are knackered. Well, not all of them but you should see the ones that are. Many of the rural bush roads are constructed of natural ground or local bush gravels, sometimes a mixture of both, but most are often dry weather roads only. The councils that maintain these road networks do a phenomenal job with minimal resources and manpower and it’s a job that largely goes unappreciated. Just north of Injune is Arcadia Valley. It’s an exceptionally beautiful place, beef country, and surrounded by stunning ranges not far from the Carnarvon Gorge National Park. The valley’s main access road is dry weather only and the locals share this road with one of Australia’s best known gas producers: Santos. This access road is constructed of clays, sands, bush gravels and whatever has been available over the years. From their Springsure office, the Central Highlands Regional Council has been largely responsible for the road’s maintenance and the road has serviced the local community pretty well for many years. Recently the road has had a lot of extra traffic and some areas had deteriorated so badly, one 1 kilometre section in particular about 30km in from the south, that they had become a major asset maintenance and safety concern for the council. Santos has a strong environmental and community ethic and as such were keen to be involved in any community projects to assist where possible in improving assets for local areas. Santos offered to help the council secure this area in July 2009. The council works crew attended to the section during a routine maintenance grade and brought in the people from PolyCom Stabilising Aid to discuss ideas about upgrading the area. It was a simple fix really, 100mm rip and re-compact incorporating the

PolyCom Stabilising Aid product in the water cart during the standard works operation. This stabilisation with PolyCom didn’t need extra or specific equipment and it didn’t lengthen the time of the general works process. It was completed easily during the course of the day using standard machinery. Its additional cost of $6,500 to the general works was inclusive of transport and included expert supervision by an experienced PolyCom road works manager who made sure the project went smoothly and the best was got out of the product. Further heavy rains has justified and validated both the wisdom of selecting PolyCom Stabilising Aid to upgrade the area and the product’s usefulness. Areas in Arcadia Valley that weren’t treated with PolyCom have softened in the recent rain, have become difficult to drive on and they need maintenance and then more maintenance. Since the July 09 works the PolyCom stabilised section has maintained its integrity under increased traffic and several wet periods. Very little shape or material has been lost to the roadside and the road can be safely driven on in all conditions. No scheduled or emergency maintenance has been needed to repair what was once a major maintenance and safety issue. The trees are glistening, the dams are full, the cows are fat and nestled in one of the most beautiful valleys in the world is one of the most beautifully crafted bush roads you’ll ever see, built to last with PolyCom.

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314749

Stabilising Aid

18 months after treatment with PolyCom Stabilising Aid - Still sound & compacted.

The result of using routine, traditional methods.

Get out of the rut 1800 790 907 | www.roadmaker.com.au 314749A_Earthco Projects | 1675.indd 1 18019-EM-ALGY-2011-FINAL.indd 25

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Biodegradable Pots For Your Council

o doubt readers are familiar with those green bags supplied by supermarkets as an alternative to plastic bags, started some time ago to stop council rubbish tips being filled with plastic bags that won’t break down. Unfortunately those green, black or blue bags with fancy advertising on them don’t break down either. How many city, regional or country tip sites are littered with these bags full of rubbish and covered up with earth to sit there for 100s of years? Feeling guilty yet? I sure am! Then I started to think back over the years. What about those black plastic pots we got from the nursery with trees, shrubs and other plants in them. Guess what happens to those black, green, blue and purple pots: on a frequent basis they are thrown into the wheelie bin. Two or three won’t hurt will they? Feeling guilty yet? I sure am. Today we are talking about over population. That’s fine, but what about tip sites? Are we running out of disused quarry sites to fill with rubbish? We sure are. Hundreds and thousands of the garden plant pots we see lined up in nurseries will end up in landfill. There are billions of them churned out at plastic factories in all states. They come in all sizes and colours. Thousands of pots on a weekly basis start their journey at growers or contracted growers, and are filled with potting mix or sand and a seed or cuttings. When they grow to the correct size they are dispatched to wholesalers or distributors, who then forward them on to your plant nursery when required, until you purchase them and plant the contents in your garden. Councils Australia-wide buy from contracted growers or wholesalers. Though some councils have their own propagators and glasshouses. What happens to these thousands of plastic pots? Your guess is as good as mine! Over the Christmas holidays I encountered, in the plant section of a Bunnings Warehouse store, a lovely healthy geranium or pelargonium (vivid red with light

contrasting green leaves and no caterpillars or bug bites). But this wasn’ t what grabbed my attention. It was the pot, which was blue and printed with the words ‘I’m in a biodegradable pot. Please visit www.eco-time. com.au’. Thank you Bunnings, and thank you Eco-Time; you have answered my big question for 2011. Plastic pots are not needed any more. A visit to www.eco-time.com.au will convince you, as it did me, that their range of corn-starch plant pots means there is no need for plastic pots any more. Eco-Time is Australian-owned and was founded on a commitment to being a truly sustainable business that develops and distributes sustainable products. This commitment is supported by a robust internal sustainability program designed to comply with all relevant formal standards (for biodegradability and compostability, for example) and survive critical examination. The company believes that this is in advance of emerging government and community expectations. This business enterprise is aimed at: • Reducing the use of non-renewable resources • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, and • Making the most sustainable use of land for material production. To achieve these goals the company considers the supply chain, carbon requirements, life cycle impacts, community feeling, and opportunities for offsetting. Eco-Time has recently entered the market with a biodegradable pot – the Bio-Pot – manufactured from an advanced corn starch-based material. The Bio-Pot has point-of-sale advantages in that it can be manufactured in almost any colour to complement floral, product or corporate colour branding themes, and it can also be printed with branding, logos, or other information. The pot has been developed and tested to survive

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT expected retail shelf life – including (ultra-violet) light exposure and watering of the plant it contains. During manufacturing the new Eco-Time pot raw materials are also said to create more than 30 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions than polypropylene, and require about 42 per cent less electricity from nonrenewable resources. While sourcing of the Bio-Pot is the responsibility of Eco-Time, Australian marketing is in the hands of Macbird Floraprint. Macbird recently introduced the Australian nursery and garden industry to the Snapsil®based ‘Snap, Sprinkle-n-Grow’ combined label and initial fertilizer dose concept. This idea, combined with the Bio-Pot provides a great opportunity for other green life products to be marketed with a ‘green difference’. Upon purchase, the customer simply removes the plant, breaks up the pot and disposes of it in the soil, and the pot will start to break down completely over several years. There is therefore no need to clean, transport or recycle the used pot, which is already manufactured from a renewable resource. Even the base material used in manufacture represents a very small proportion of a corn plant grown for food, and further, is derived from the material left over following the maximum extraction of material for food production. There are international standards for biodegradability and compostability including ASTM D6400 (North America), EN 13432 (Europe) AS 47362006 (Australia), and GreenPla (Japan). The Eco-Time pot is made from materials certified to biodegradable

standards. With further research on biodegradability and the Australian standard, not all products that claim they are biodegradable actually are. These companies can’t claim they are totally made from materials certified to biodegradable standards. However, eco-time can and does. Now, if I was a councillor or council officer, I wouldn’t be banning smoking or umbrellas outside restaurants, or using parking meters to raise revenue. Yes you guessed correct; I would ban plastic pots. How? you might ask! Well, all councils, wherever they are, love flora and they order plants or trees by the hundreds for planting in parks and gardens within their city. They also order plants or trees by the hundreds for planting in parks and gardens within their city. So a progressive council that really cares about the environment must be specific when ordering stock; ‘No plastic pots accepted. Only certifiable biodegradable pots made from 100 per cent materials certified to biodegradable standards.’ This policy can be further extended to retail plant nurseries and growers and contract growers who operate within a council or shire boundary. We have to start somewhere on the path to eliminate plastic pots. Which council will take up this challenge? Please visit www.eco-time.com.au

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Biodegradable polymers and why compost need not be on the nose Where can local government get the most benefit and help agriculture at the same time?

By Rowan Williams, President, Australasian Bioplastics Association Image © Michael Mullan

Compost should not be on the nose as an industry. Composting of organics is a big step in reducing what is sent to landfill and it reduces the impact of greenhouse gases in a number of ways. It reduces methane (a potent greenhouse gas) emissions from landfill in the first instance, and when applied to farms, allows build-up of carbon in soils (sequestration) and also improves soil condition.

oil in good condition emits less nitrous oxide (another very potent greenhouse gas) into the atmosphere for two reasons. With compost use, the need for artificial fertiliser is reduced, and in turn, nutrient requirements are reduced because the soil utilises nutrients such as nitrogen more efficiently. Compostable and therefore biodegradable plastics used in the diversion of organic waste from landfill just make good sense. Does anyone think that dumping nutrient-rich organic waste into a hole in the ground is a sustainable practice? Every year Australians dump millions of tonnes of potentially compostable organic waste that will probably find its way to landfill and serve no further useful purpose, but rather generate greenhouse gases.

Whilst the term ‘compostable’ means that there needs to be a suitable end of life option for products that make this claim, there are limited options for the householder to achieve their part of the diversion. In a carbon economy or not, the return of nutrientrich compost to farmers, for example, is a great way of putting carbon back where it belongs and increasing organic soil-carbon content. Increasing by one per cent the organic soil-carbon content of our already carbon and nutrient deficient soils, in addition to returning valuable nutrients to the soil, has the effect of improving soil water holding capacity by an amount equivalent to 14 millimetres of rain. Add to that the increased crop yield from nutrientrich soils and the reduced use of fertiliser, and the

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT effect is considerable, and continued application of compost has long-term benefits. Understand that this discussion is not about recycling as we know it. Australians already are generally conditioned to source separation of glass, paper and the like. As evidenced by the number of bins in municipalities throughout Australia, we have generally embraced this at a household level. What we need to address is resource recovery of the organics at both household and at commercial and industrial levels. Waste management is a term that is likely to be superseded. Resource recovery is widely touted as the most representative term covering this industry in transition. The Australian Government (Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts) produced a National Waste Policy Fact Sheet and from this document we can see that approximately two thirds of all waste landfilled in Australia is organic waste. Organic waste originates from plant or animal sources and examples of organic waste generated by Australian households and industry are food scraps and garden waste. To contextualise the types of resources we are wasting, in 2006-07 approximately 20 million tonnes of organic waste was generated in Australia and an astonishing 62 per cent, or nearly 14 million tonnes, was sent to landfill. If we extrapolate this number out to 2020 at an average growth rate of three per cent per annum, we will be landfilling roughly 20 million tonnes of organics, if nothing is done.

Zero Waste Australia, a non-government organisation at the forefront of advocating the diversion of organics from landfill, and – aptly – involved in promoting a program called City to Soil, has been pushing the barrow of returning organics to the farmers as compost for a number of valuable reasons. Their vision is to safely return all organic waste streams to agricultural soils. The simple way of doing this is to return the organics to the soil as compost. Compost is not as we used to know it in the ’70s when Dad would turn over the heap in the backyard between two rows of besser blocks, in what was probably little more than an uncontrolled landfill. The science of industrial or commercial composting is an industry and can more usefully fulfil its value proposition as an employer and essential contributor to food security by getting the valuable organic feedstock that it earnestly needs. Science has moved on, and with it so should industry if we are serious about sustainable development. Smart ‘enviropreneurial’ companies and individuals are driving the change to a more efficient and less ‘on the nose’ solution. Inescapably, there are some big issues that confront this country, and whether or not we do or do not have a carbon economy, our climate is changing and so are our needs. Rarely mentioned but creeping significantly into the world arena is food security. Often debated but rarely confronted is the issue of greenhouse gas. A solution to the former can be derived from a solution to the latter. Methane is a greenhouse gas with a global

Image © Michael Mullan

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Compost can help reduce landfill

warming potential 25 times greater than carbon dioxide. This calculation of carbon dioxide equivalence allows a meaningful benchmark for the impact of greenhouse gases on our atmosphere. It is averaged over a period of a hundred years. However, in the first 20 years methane emissions are nearly 60 times more potent until it levels off in subsequent years. The emission of nitrous oxide, also a greenhouse gas, is 290 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Emissions from the waste sector, including solid waste in landfill, made up 2.5 per cent of Australia’s national emissions in 2008. So if they cannot be recovered we should avoid emitting them in the first place. This makes perfectly good business sense, because if farmers save carbon dioxide through energy efficiency, sequester carbon through improving soils, become more efficient in livestock production or become more efficient in the utilisation of nitrogen and other nutrients, they will have more productive and resilient farming systems that are more able to adapt to a changing climate. Governments need to make a concerted and consistent effort to create standards that encourage the uptake of these composted products back to agricultural soils, and also increase their uptake in consumer markets. This in turn will encourage the resource recovery industry to flourish, and if successful will also encourage employment and further investment in this industry, in cities and regional centres alike. So, how do we do this? If we collect our organics in our homes using compostable bags that prevent odours, pests and the like from getting into the contents, and then place these in ‘green waste’ bins, the bin is collected and delivered to a commercial composting facility, the cycle commences. The compost can then find its way back to the soil. The Australian Government Fact Sheet gives an example – one tonne of composted material applied in agriculture can sequester 25 kilograms of

carbon in soil, also improving soil fertility and assisting with water retention. Additional benefits are reduced fertiliser usage (reduced run-off to rivers), improved soil structure, reduced erosion, improved yield and increased crop quality. Compostable organic material that contains the nutrients necessary for the production of food is currently lost to landfill. Plants need between 60 to 90 nutrients, minerals and trace elements to be healthy, and chemical fertilisers contain relatively few of these. The Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA) represents member companies that are pioneering the development of biodegradable and compostable plastics for a wide range of applications. Biodegradable and compostable plastics offer reduced system costs for a series of single and/or short-term use applications. For example, organic waste collection, in agriculture and horticulture as mulch films, twine and silage films, as well as in food packaging. The ABA administers a certification system that allows the use of the readily identified seedling logo on certified companies’ materials and products, such as organic waste bags. This allows the end user to easily identify products that are certified compostable and biodegradable and can be safely sent to a commercial composting site. This certification is voluntary and lines up with Australian Standard AS 4736. More recently, the Australian Standard AS 5810 has been released for the home composting end-of-life option, and the ABA is also pioneering a way forward with a readily identifiable logo for products that are certified to meet this particular standard. The separation and collection of organic waste is not the most hygienic of activities, thus a solution to this is to collect organic waste in a compostable bag and deposit this in your organic waste bin. By replacing single use shopping bags, for example, with multi-use compostable bags, organics come home from the supermarkets and then the bag is used to place peelings, bones and other organic waste into the organic waste bin for collection. Community attitudes are changing quickly, and sustainable solutions are sought after. Diversion of organic waste from landfill and adopting a zero waste approach is a simple and efficient way of ameliorating the effects of climate change, in part assisting food security and the sequestration of carbon. Whilst diversion of organics is not a silver bullet that addresses all issues of climate change and sustainability, it is a small but important step towards building a sustainable future for the planet. G

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

A little bit about us About 7-Eleven 7-Eleven Stores Pty. Ltd. is an Australian owned private company. In 1977 the first 7-Eleven convenience store was introduced to Australians and is now Australia’s first choice in convenience with hundreds of stores across the eastern seaboard. Our doors are always open. We pride ourselves on providing the community with fast, friendly service in a clean, safe environment. We are home to the world famous Slurpee, munch fresh food and a whole host of other products and services. 7-Eleven has over 650* stores with over 450* 7-Eleven fuel sites including selected Mobil outlets across New South Wales, ACT, Victoria and Queensland. The 7-Eleven Fuel Card provides you with loads of great benefits! Every 7-Eleven Fuel Card customer receives a discount on their fuel purchase* every time they use the card. The more fuel you purchase, the more you save on every litre. These standard discount bands are allocated to all accounts based on the average litres purchased through your account per year. To find out more about how this is dtermined for your account, please call our customer service centre.

7-Eleven Fuel Card is cost effective and convenient •

•

There’s no joining fee and no annual or monthly account fees. With the 7-Eleven Fuel Card, your only expense will be a small transaction fee of only 35¢ each time you use your card.^ With the 7-Eleven Fuel Card you won’t be locked into any contracts, making joining our program a simple and convenient choice for businesses. With over 450** 7-Eleven fuel sites and selected Mobil outlets across New South Wales, ACT, Victoria and Queensland; there’s plenty of locations to choose from when you need to refuel. For a full list of store locations, please visit www.7elevenfuelcard.com.au

cardholders. • Driver Only card – Driver name is embossed on your card and a signature panel is used for security. • Vehicle Only card – Vehicle registration is embossed on your card and used for security • Driver and Vehicle card – Driver name and vehicle registration are embossed on your card. A signature is required for validation in conjunction with your vehicle registration

7-Eleven Fuel Card allows for simple administration •

•

7-Eleven Fuel Card is flexible to your needs A range of products is available for purchase using the 7-Eleven Fuel Card. These are in groups or you can pick and choose based on your needs. • Fuel Only* (discount applies to all fuel except LPG) – Unleaded, premium unleaded, diesel, LPG and more • Fuel & Vehicle Expenses – All above, oils & car wash • All – All above & 7-Eleven Shop A flexible range of different card types are available to help restrict or enable usage for your individual

With 7-Eleven Fuel Card you get up to 44 payment free days and the convenience of a number of payment methods. This includes direct debit, or you can choose to receive an invoice on your statement. On your statement you’ll find all the information you need. Look for odometer readings, litres purchased and fuel consumption. Managing your account is simple with online access available to you anytime. With a 24 hour web self service you can view, change or update your account and cardholder details and view your transactions, just log on at www.7elevenfuelcard. com.au Helping make administration and management of your account even simpler, you are also able to access optional ATO approved reports including: FBT statements,^ Quarterly BAS statements,^ Annual Tax summary^ and Email Exception Reporting.^

Notes * Does not include LPG. ^ Other fees for optional services apply. ** Projected total store numbers as at 04.10.2010 following completion of purchase of Mobil/Quix stores from Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd.

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Fill up on savings. Save 4Â˘ per litre on fuel* for your business for the first 3 months, with ongoing discounts.

Go to www.7elevenfuelcard.com.au or call 1300 711 711 The 7-Eleven Fuel Card is a credit facility provided by Wright Express Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 68 005 970 570), a specialist supplier to the payment industry and the largest multi branded fuel card operator in Australia. *Does not include LPG.

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

A word from new ALGA President, Genia McCaffery 2010 was a very exciting year for local government, particularly in the areas of constitutional recognition and infrastructure funding. In addition to these, planning and climate change are tipped to be the big-ticket items for 2011.

ocal government plays a vitally important role Recovery Program and community infrastructure in the day-to-day lives of the Australian people, funding under the Local Community Infrastructure but what many Australians do not realise is that Program. By any measure these two programs have local government is the only level of government not been extremely successful examples of the recognised in the Australian Constitution. partnership between the Australian Government Local government is the and local government. backbone of local communities The Australian Local and local economies, and Government Association has delivers infrastructure and been involved in extensive services that everybody needs. consultation with local Because we are right there government, the broader working in and amongst the community and state and federal community, we engage with our politicians. Prime Minister Gillard communities and respond to their has promised a dual referendum needs. Councillors are drawn during the life of this parliament from and live in their local – the people will be asked to vote community. During the global on two issues – the constitutional financial crisis, local government recognition of local government was called on to promote and recognition of Indigenous economic activity across the Australians as the nation’s nation by delivering $1 billion first people. of the Australian Government’s The Prime Minister’s stimulus package at the local announcement and indications level. We are called on to deliver of bipartisan support are Cr Genia McCaffery, ALGA President. services, on behalf of the enormous steps toward a Commonwealth and state governments, because referendum, but we do not underestimate the task we are innovative, responsive, flexible and efficient. ahead – a majority of voters in a majority of states, Ongoing concern regarding the Commonwealth and an overall majority of voters, need to vote yes Government’s power to directly fund community for a referendum to succeed. Our research shows initiatives through local government makes that many Australians, particularly young Australians, constitutional reform vital, so that we can continue have little understanding of the Constitution or the to provide the services that our communities need. process required to change it. There is a need to The High Court’s decision in July 2009 in the case educate the public about the Constitution – not only ‘Pape v Commissioner of Taxation’ has brought into about what it contains, but that it should be a living question the Commonwealth’s legal ability to fund document that needs amendment every now and local government directly, because it is not included then to remain appropriate to the Australia of the in the Constitution. Such a result would have a 21st century. devastating impact on our local communities, I am making constitutional reform a priority in particularly those in rural and regional areas. Ensuring my term as ALGA president. The clear objective of that the services and infrastructure needed by this reform will be a positive result in our referendum communities can be delivered by local government so that all of Australia’s local communities get the lies at the heart of our pursuit of constitutional reform. chance to achieve their full potential. In the area of infrastructure, ALGA is working with Including local government in the Australian the government to clarify details of the $800 million Constitution will protect the local services that we take Priority Regional Infrastructure Program, which will be for granted and ensure that councils have the used to fund projects identified by local communities. funding security to provide the level of services that As part of the government’s recent agreements with local communities need and deserve. Local road the Independents, $9.9 billion has been promised to funding is currently provided under the Roads to

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT regional areas over the next decade. Of that, the $6 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund would be underwritten by the government’s planned Minerals Resource Rent Tax and include $573 million for projects identified by Regional Development Australia Committees. A separate $800 million Priority Regional Infrastructure Program will be administered by the Department for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government and the other programs will be funded under the Department for Infrastructure and Transport. The success of the Regional Local Community Infrastructure Program, funded until 30 June 2011, provides a compelling case for its continuation in a similar form. 5,000 projects have been funded under the program, and local communities have felt the significant benefits of job creation, amenity and tourism flowing into their economies. The 2006 PricewaterhouseCoopers report into local government financial sustainability demonstrated the need for an ongoing fund, and estimated Australia’s total community infrastructure backlog at $14.5 billion. The government still needs to clarify the guidelines and program delivery arrangements. I will continue to raise this issue in meetings with the federal government to ensure that the program’s design enables it to deliver as much, if not more, community benefit as the current stimulus funding for local community infrastructure. With the government engaged in an enquiry into carbon pricing, local government is also waiting to hear the details of the $80 million Low Carbon Communities Initiative. Many councils are active in the area of climate change mitigation and adaptation. This initiative will build significantly upon the work of councils across Australia in addressing the climate change issue. We are pleased that the government recognises that local government is at the front line of tackling climate change and requires Commonwealth assistance to address the myriad of related issues at the local level. Councils consume a large amount of energy with the provision of street lighting on local roads and heating and cooling community facilities. This funding will help develop practical improvements to reduce the cost of providing these services and facilities to the whole community. The other issue I am passionate about is planning, and the principle of local communities having a strong voice in local planning decisions. It was pleasing to read the recent Grattan Institute’s second Cities program report titled ‘Cities: Who Decides?’ In summary, the report investigates decisionmaking in eight of the world’s most successful cities, and asks what governance arrangements accompanied their broad-based improvement. Not surprisingly, every city has a different story, but among these differences are a number of common themes. These included the importance of public engagement, consistent strategic direction, crosssectoral collaboration, and regional cooperation.

The report’s findings have a number of implications for Australian cities, and I agree with the Grattan Institute that two stand out. Firstly, residents must be involved in decisions, and secondly, changing structures does not guarantee success in itself and indeed may be just a distraction. Although no one particular type of governance structure was associated with cities’ improvement, an important finding was that any structural change must be coupled with early and deep public engagement. A long line of ALGA presidents, especially my predecessor, Cr Geoff Lake, has made these exact statements to a variety of Commonwealth and state ministers, and also in forums such as the Local Government and Planning Ministers’ Council and the Housing Ministers’ Council. Planning is not and was never intended to be a purely regulatory function. Planning is about ensuring that community outcomes are delivered for the benefit of citizens, both now and into the future, and within reasonable environmental and design parameters. Removing the rights of communities to be engaged in planning and development is anathema to the civilised and democratic societies we have in Australia. Likewise, the pressure to continuously reorganise or introduce new urban ‘governance’ structures to fix the problems of our cities and towns is largely a smokescreen. In saying that, I fully support the need to ensure our business models are operating efficiently, and this may sometimes involve a degree of organisational and governance change. However, to simply say that amalgamation of local government or introducing new development corporations or assessment panels will do the trick is simply not true. In the case of my home state, multiple interventions in the system of planning governance have just resulted in more confusion and distrust and the growing perception that good planning is little more than trying to reduce red tape. I look forward to continuing to champion the critical role local government and the communities we serve plays in planning and the management of Australia’s diverse communities. Finally, planning is well underway for this year’s NGA on 19-21 June 2011 with the theme ‘Growing with our Communities – Place, Position & Partnership’. The theme will enable local government to focus on the key priorities/core issues facing local government and their communities in the future. The sub-themes will encourage discussion on planning, governance, funding and finances, service models of delivery, and climate change and settlement policy, within the broader context of partnerships across levels of government and agencies. It will also be an opportunity to increase the community’s understanding of the role of local government and its place in government, and will be an important component in increasing awareness and understanding of local government in the lead-up to the referendum on constitutional recognition. I urge you keep the dates free in your new 2011 calendars and look forward to seeing you there! G

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

DAF VS500 SWEEPER DELIVERS A GREENER CLEAN

ince the recent introduction of MacDonald Johnston’s single engine VS500 street sweeper, private and public sector operators throughout Australia have been quick to take advantage of the DAF powered sweeper’s category leading performance, with 15 units already in service. The VS500 sweeper is the first single engine sweeper to be offered by MacDonald Johnston in Australia and has been designed to offer local operators with the first real green alternative to the popular twin-engine sweeper. With 18 years development in the United Kingdom behind it, the VS500 mounted on the DAF LF45 delivers Euro 5 compliance and car-like driving characteristics with operational savings of up to 30% on traditional dual engine sweepers. Dandenong City Council has been one of the industry leaders when it comes to being early adopters of new technology and according to Eric Vanderburgt, Team Leader Fleet and Operations Centre Services, the DAF LF45 VS500 sweeper provided the council with the opportunity to further reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. “When we became aware of the environmental impact a single engine sweeper could make on our carbon footprint we arranged to trial a Scarab as well as the MacDonald Johnston VS500 sweeper mounted on the DAF LF45 cab-chassis to ensure we chose the optimal machine for our needs. And after running both machines through their paces it became clear that the

DAF LF45 / MacDonald Johnston VS500 combination was a far superior machine. “In selecting the new sweeper it firstly had to do its job and do it well while delivering real green benefits to the community, and the DAF LF45 VS500 sweeper delivered for us on every level. “The DAF LF45 features state-of-the-art Euro 5 fuel efficiency with lower noise and exhaust emissions, while the quality, comfort and standard of finish was best in class and offered a dual-steer drive conversion that was so well done the drivers didn’t feel like they’ve changed sides. “The DAF LF45 VS500 package is not only well built but it also presents really well, so if you’re into engineering and truck design you can’t help but be impressed with it. “By having a single engine sweeper we’ve not only halved the number of power sources but we’ve gained more up-time as there is less maintenance enabling the sweeper to be on the road longer which has improved service delivery to our customers. “The DAF LF45 VS500 sweeper is definitely the way of the future as it’s delivering technology that makes a real difference to the environment so we believe that it’s up to public and private sectors to support companies developing these types of vehicles for the sake of future generations. “At Dandenong City Council we are very conscious of getting the best value for money we can and while we felt very comfortable with the DAF and MacDonald

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DAF LF45 VS500 SUCTION SWEEPER

AT A GLANCE Chassis GVM Wheelbase Engine Model Type Power Torque Emission Level

12000 kg 3550mm GR165 6 cyl. 6.7 litres 165kW (224hp) @ 1900rpm 850Nm @ 1200 ~ 1700rpm Euro 5 with SCR

Dump angle Door opening angle Filter mesh area Sweeping speeds Hydrostatic transmission – ‘work mode’ Gradeability – ‘work mode’

55º 125º 1.05m2 0 ~ 15kph 0 ~ 45kph (nom) forward 0 ~ 10kph (nom) reverse >20% forward >15% reverse

SINGLE ENGINE EFFICIENCY DELIVERING THE SUCTION POWER OF A DUAL-ENGINE Perfectly suited for the Street Sweeper application, the DAF LF45 4x2 offers a supremely comfortable cab with dual control, providing exceptional visibility and excellent manoeuvrability. Safety, comfort and efficiency are terms that are synonymous with the DAF name. With its low operating costs and body builder-friendly chassis, the DAF LF45 4x2 is an ideal match for the VS500 Sweeper from MacDonald Johnston. DAF Trucks, in partnership with MacDonald Johnston, also offer solutions to your local government trucking needs in rear, front and side loading waste disposal; as well as hook lift applications.

For more information, please visit www.daf.com.au or contact your local DAF Dealer.

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT Johnston names we did ring around and talk to a few operators who had the DAF VS500 sweeper in service, as the last thing we wanted to be was guinea pigs – and the feed back we got made the decision dead easy. “I know that such a break from the traditional dual engine approach to sweepers will be a big step for most, but from our perspective it has proved to be one of the best decisions we’ve made and I am more than happy to share our experiences of the DAF VS500 sweeper with anyone who would care to call me,” Eric said. When MacDonald Johnston selected the DAF LF45 for the VS500 model PACCAR Australia commissioned the company to develop a dual steer conversion to meet Australian regulations and the end result has been rated as good as factory built. MacDonald Johnston’s Victoria East and Tasmanian Account Manager, Warrick Grime, was involved with the VS500’s development from its inception and according to Warrick it’s a package that all involved are truly proud of. “The VS500 is the first single engine sweeper to be sold by us in Australia, but its technology is based on tried and tested models that have been built and operated in the UK for over 18 years. “The main aim of the VS500 was to give sweeping companies and councils a cost effective and fuelefficient street sweeping alternative to choose from. “Using DAF’s LF45 truck with its 220hp Euro 5 compliant engine, we’ve developed a sweeper package that enables operators to demonstrate that they are adopting green technology to lower exhaust emissions and fuel consumption, which is becoming more and more important to both government and industry operators. “The LF offers a modern and spacious cab design, low chassis weight for higher payloads, a class leading turning circle for maximum manoeuvrability, easy cab access and car-like driving characteristics making DAF’s LF series chassis the ideal partner for our VS500 sweeper package. “It’s quite apparent that the DAF LF45 is a better specified truck than the competition, delivering more torque and driver comfort, as the cab features its own suspension, plus it’s a factory built left hand drive vehicle so it comes with all the controls correctly positioned on the left hand side – enabling us to easily replicate a right hand drive station

here in Australia. “In developing the right hand drive conversion for the LF45 we worked closely with PACCAR Australia to develop a factory built standard and in doing so, we came up with a conversion that offered twin gear levers – one on the left and one on the right making it easier and safer to use and the only sweeper on the market offering this configuration. “Working closely with PACCAR Australia on the development of the product has enabled us to work together to jointly market it, so when we do a customer presentation both companies are represented which our customers really appreciate as every aspect of the package is covered in the one presentation. “The VS500 represents the first single engine sweeper to deliver the suction of a dual engine sweeper while reducing operating costs by between 20 and 30%, so in essence we are offering more technology, performance and comfort with reduced operating costs for the same money,” Warrick said. DAF Trucks Australia, a division of PACCAR Australia Pty Ltd, distributes a range of medium and heavy-duty trucks throughout Australia. PACCAR Inc, a Six Sigma company, is a global technology leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high-quality light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF nameplates. PACCAR also designs and manufactures advanced diesel engines, provides financial services and information technology, and distributes truck parts related to its principal business. For further information: Andrew Mills DAF Brand Specialist DAF Trucks Australia Tel: (03) 9721 1600 Email: andrew.mills@paccar.com

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Taking the LEAD on race-based discrimination One of the most culturally diverse municipalities in Victoria is taking an evidence-based approach and saying no to discrimination.

Staff at MushroomExchange

he City of Whittlesea is one of two local governments that have embarked on a threeyear pilot project to promote cultural diversity and reduce race-based discrimination against residents from Aboriginal, migrant and refugee backgrounds. With a focus on building positive attitudes and behaviours towards diversity in the wider community, the Localities Embracing and Accepting Diversity (LEAD) Project, funded by VicHealth, aims to promote understanding and acceptance. According to Project Coordinator Yasmin Standfield, Victoria has a strong track record in supporting diversity, and most Victorians support communities being made up of people from different cultures. ‘However, statewide surveys show that many people continue to hold attitudes that suggest an intolerance of difference,’ Ms Standfield said. ‘People from Aboriginal, migrant and refugee backgrounds continue to experience high rates of discrimination in everyday life, such as while shopping, at school, in the workplace and in sporting clubs. ‘This has serious health, social and economic consequences for our communities. We know that even when discrimination is expressed in less obvious ways and unintentionally, it can have devastating effects on people’s sense of belonging, self esteem, life opportunities and mental health and wellbeing. ‘Race-based discrimination is clearly linked with mental health problems, particularly depression,’ she said.

Guided by the VicHealth report, ‘Building on our strengths: A framework to reduce race-based discrimination and support diversity in Victoria’, Whittlesea is focusing on addressing interpersonal and institutional or systemic discrimination. Encouraging the implementation of policies and practices that promote diversity and prevent discrimination within local organisations is an important component of the project to address systemic discrimination. Council is working with four local schools, one of the largest employers in the municipality and two large retailers to support them to be fair, welcoming and inclusive for all. ‘Importantly, research indicates that high rates of discrimination occur in workplace, retail and education settings, hence the focus,’ Ms Standfield said. ‘Examples of strategies with local partners include pro-diversity and anti-discrimination training for staff, auditing of organisational functions and providing opportunities for positive inter-group contact,’ she said. Assessing and enhancing Council’s own approach to embracing and supporting diversity, as an employer and service provider, is also a priority for the project. An overarching communications and social marketing strategy, incorporating mainstream advertising and media relations, is also in development to support attitude and behaviour change in the wider community.

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT City of Whittlesea Mayor, Cr Rex Griffin, who chairs the project’s External Advisory Group, is a strong supporter of the project. ‘The project is an important one for the city. Communities that embrace and support cultural diversity enjoy many benefits. We know that communities that support cultural diversity have better health outcomes. People are also more likely to have better mental health when they live and work in environments where diversity is valued,’ Cr Griffin said. ‘Local government has been identified as having considerable potential to address discrimination and promote diversity at the local level. Like many councils, we already had a strong program of work to support local minority communities affected by discrimination. However, the focus on shifting attitudes and behaviours in the wider community was something quite new and initially quite challenging for us,’ Cr Griffin explains. But, according to Cr Griffin, Whittlesea has risen to the challenge. ‘Already, the project has gained a strong, positive reputation; aided by the collaborative and consultative approach we’ve taken. I feel we’ve built the foundations for an influential project that will take our community from strength to strength,’ Cr Griffin said. Indeed, the project’s influence is likely to reach far beyond the municipality’s borders. The rigorous evaluation of the project is being led

by a team from the School of Population Health at the University of Melbourne. Learnings from the pilot sites will help shape future policies, programs and practice in this area, particularly within local government. The City of Whittlesea was recently recognised as a leader in inclusion and diversity, receiving the highest award at the 2010 Diversity@work national awards. The city won the Organisational Diversity Laureate Award for a small to medium business. This recognised their work across a range of diversity categories – including ‘women’, ‘Indigenous’, ‘disability’ and ‘culturally and linguistically diverse’. The LEAD Project has also won a 2010 VicHealth Award recognising outstanding achievements and innovative contributions to health promotion. The assessment panel was particularly impressed by Council’s internal commitment and approaches to promoting diversity and reducing discrimination.

For more information Building on our strengths Framework (www.vichealth.vic.gov.au) LEAD eNews (send your email address to leadproject@whittlesea.vic.gov.au to subscribe and receive project updates). G LEAD is a proud partnership between VicHealth, the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship, beyondblue: the national depression initiative, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, the Cities of Whittlesea and Greater Shepparton and the Municipal Association of Victoria.

Mayor, Councillors and Staff at the Diversity at Work Awards 2010

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Partner Profile

ushroomExchange, the largest food manufacturer in the municipality and second largest employer, is one of a handful of local organisations participating in the LEAD Project. According to National Human Resources Manager, Susan Marshall, MushroomExchange was very interested in participating in the LEAD Project to develop strategies that both supported their staff and made good business sense. ‘We have a highly diverse workforce and had a number of strategies in place to support this diversity. However, being able to participate in the LEAD Project gave us an opportunity to expand on this, draw on best practice and also measure the impact of our new initiatives,’ Susan Marshall said. With the support of the LEAD team at Council, the business is looking at strategies to address three key themes: making anti-discrimination an integral part of standard policy and practice; building the capacity of staff to address discrimination and support diversity in the course of their roles; and, engaging all levels of the organisation in embracing diversity, from senior managers to mushroom pickers. ‘Through LEAD, we’ve already had seven staff

MushroomExchange undertake staff language aides training at council, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) has delivered equal opportunity training to our managers and supervisors, and we’re also planning to hold monthly ‘celebrating diversity’ events for each of our mushroom picking teams,’ Ms Marshall said. The business is also looking forward to trialling new pro-diversity and anti-discrimination training amongst their staff. The training is being developed by the VEOHRC, the LEAD education and training partner. ‘Daily, I see the problems and challenges my staff face – at work and at home. The project is helping us to proactively support our workers through building harmonious and respectful teams, and ensuring that our policies and practices do not unfairly disadvantage workers on the basis of race,’ she said. The Costa Group has a proud history of embracing diversity and putting people first. ‘Our involvement in the LEAD Project builds upon this. It is a strong statement to our workforce, clients and community that our organisation values diversity and is committed to creating a workplace environment that is free from discrimination,’ Ms Marshall said. G

Case Study

he City of Whittlesea is the first organisation to pilot a new Racial Diversity Workplace Audit Tool1, developed by the University of Melbourne for VicHealth and the LEAD Project. The Racial Diversity Workplace Audit Tool has been developed following a best practice review of national and international tools. A small working group of staff at Whittlesea recently helped refine the tool, which is now ready to implement. According to Dr Yin Paradies, co-author of the audit tool and member of the LEAD evaluation team at the University of Melbourne, many organisations want to review their policy and practice and improve their approach to pro-diversity, but don’t know where to start or what is best practice. ‘The tool has been designed to guide organisations through a series of questions to assess and reflect on opportunities to create workplace environments that value diversity and are free from race-based discrimination,’ Yin Paradies said. ‘Workplaces and organisations have been identified both as places where race-based discrimination occurs, as well as a priority setting where antidiscrimination and diversity can be supported and enhanced. ‘That’s why a major component of the LEAD Project is focused on working with local organisations such as schools, workplaces and retailers,’ he said. ‘Organisations provide a natural environment for contact between people from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds.

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Conducting a workplace audit Therefore, workplaces and organisations can play an important role in modelling and enforcing antidiscrimination standards,’ said Yin. A group of 11 staff at the City of Whittlesea, representing each directorate across the organisation, have been coming together for a series of meetings. The group initially reviewed relevant policies, strategies and other documents and processes in order to work through the tool and answer the questions. Whittlesea’s Human Resources Manager, Peter Heading, said, ‘The tool is assisting us to identify what we already do well and where we can improve. It is helping us take a more systematic approach to supporting and embracing diversity. The audit process also gathers baseline information against which progress can be measured.’ Once the draft Racial Diversity Audit Tool has been piloted by the City of Whittlesea and Greater Shepparton City Council, the tool will be refined and made available to other organisations and local governments. To request a copy of the draft tool, email leadproject@whittlesea.vic.gov.au. The ‘Review of audit and assessment tools, programs and resources in workplace settings to prevent race-based discrimination and support diversity’ can be accessed on the VicHealth website http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/ 1

Trenerry, B and Paradies, Y. 2010. Racial Diversity Workplace Audit Tool.

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Soft Landing

oft Landing is a social business run by Mission Australia. It is a Mattress Recycling and Refurbishment program. The project has received support funding from the Australian Government via the Jobs Fund round 2 tender. It is an innovative, integrated industry-government-community collaboration located in the Bellambi area of Wollongong. The business employs indigenous and long term unemployed locals who are experiencing barriers to the mainstream labour market such as disabilities, substance misuse and low levels of literacy and numeracy. Soft Landing provides a cost effective conscious recycling option for discarded mattresses. Mattress constituent parts

are recycled including steel, timber, foam, wadding, latex and coconut husk. Customers currently include kerbside collection for large local government areas, transfer stations, hotels, waste service operators, aged care facilities, government departments and the general public. Soft Landing is currently being evaluated by the Centre of Social Impact at the University of NSW to determine the Social Return on Investment that is delivered to the community via engagement with this business. Soft Landing is currently working with a number of LGA’s to develop social procurement guidelines to be able to replicate this model across Australia. For further information please call 1800SoftLanding.

soft landing mattress recycling

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42 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Kiama Council E-cycle Event A Social Success!

hen Kiama Municipal Council decided to hold their first ever e-waste collection event (E-cycle) they wanted to gain more than a mountain of e-waste. In a conscious effort to increase environmental and social benefits, Kiama Council approached two charitable organisations (Renewable Recyclers and Greenacres Disability Services) to manage their E-cycle event and recycle the collected e-waste. Instead of engaging a commercial recycler Kiama Council wanted to support charitable organisations that provide meaningful employment opportunities for the long term unemployed and people with a disability so they could also achieve positive social outcomes. The E-cycle event ran over 6 days for National Recycling Week from 8th - 13th November 2010. A small fee was charged to the residents ($10 per

Over 500 residents dropped off e-waste with 2800 items collected equating to 37 tonnes of e-waste diverted from landfill.

car and $20 per trailer), this fee helped cover part of the recycling costs for the e-waste which is being processed by the employees of Renewable Recyclers. The community was very supportive and happy to contribute towards the cost of recycling as they knew the fees were being directed to charitable organisations to cover operational costs. It was important to Kiama Council to achieve the highest resource recovery rate through the recycling process to maximise environmental outcomes and one of the reasons why Renewable Recyclers was selected due to their manual disassembly process which provides a higher resource recovery rate versus mechanised recycling.

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Aluminium and FRP

eldlok®, a division of Graham Group, is a leading supplier of fabricated grating & handrails across Australia. Product supply is supported by two manufacturing sites in Sydney and Perth, with a range of materials to suit all applications from galvanised steel, aluminium and FRP. The unique combination of properties make Aluminium and FRP versatile and durable construction materials. Their lightweight mass, high strength-toweight ratio and excellent corrosion resistance under various service conditions make both Aluminium and FRP excellent materials to suit a large range of applications. Aluminium grating can be used in many architectural applications including, building facades, entranceways, material screens, fencing, fountains, stair treads, nature and wildlife walkways, security screens, mezzanine floors, platforms, ornamental grilles, parking deck perimeter wall facade, outdoor air access covers, trench grating and aluminium treads. FRP applications include, industrial anti-slip work areas, platforms, walkways and stairs through to marine jetties, walking paths, and high heel proof pedestrian access. FRP also complies with pedestrian

codes:- AS1657, AS3996-2006 and AS1428. The benefits of Aluminium and FRP compared to similar products are that both Aluminium and FRP are strong, lightweight and low maintenance and slip resistant. Both products are naturally resistant to corrosion and will not rust. They are non-sparking, easy to install and require little or no long term maintenance. The products have a naturally attractive appearance than similar products. Aluminium can also be recycled making the product environmentally friendly. For versatility and durability Weldlok® Aluminium and FRP are the ideal choice, providing a durable and cost effective solution for your next project. For more information please contact: Adela Petanceska Graham Group Email: adela.petanceska@grahamgroup.com.au Mark Jackson Graham Group Email: markj@grahamgroup.com.au Or visit our website at www.grahamgroup.com.au

44 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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28:21 PM

No compromise Your projects are too important to compromise, that’s why Australia’s leading engineers build with Weldlok® products. For over 55 years Weldlok® has remained the trusted name in the design and supply of high quality, long lasting, grating and handrails. FRP or aluminium, versatile Weldlok® products are designed for the toughest land or water applications, including: walkways, platforms, ramps, marinas, pontoons, plants, pedestrian bridges, and many other applications. Advantages of Weldlok® FRP products Chemical and Fire resistance

High strength to weight ratio

Anti-Slip surface

Non-toxic, easily recycled

High impact resistance

Duct tile resilient

High stiffness to weight ratio

Cost effective

Non electrically conductive and non sparking

For more information visit www.grahamgroup.com.au

18019-EM-ALGY-2011-FINAL.indd 45

FRP

ALUMINIUM

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5/03/11 9:30 AM

INFRASTRUCTURE + ENGINEERING

The timing is right for AGIC’s National Sustainability Rating Scheme By Doug Harland, CEO, Australian Green Infrastructure Council The recent disastrous floods and cyclonic weather in Queensland, and the unprecedented number of declared emergency areas in New South Wales resulting from extreme events, have severely damaged major civil infrastructure. Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia have also recently experienced similar damage to important infrastructure.

Doug Harland

hile it is unlikely that infrastructure designers will ever produce designs that remain totally unaffected when nature’s full fury is unleashed, there is a growing awareness at all stakeholder levels that consideration has to be given for the provision of new projects and asset upgrades against a new paradigm, and make them more sustainable. The repair costs of the recent climatic events are putting all levels of Australian government under severe financial stress, and this financial burden, combined with the huge backlog of investment needed in the sector that was identified recently in the Engineers Australia Infrastructure Report Card, presents a huge challenge to government. It is therefore timely that the Australian Green Infrastructure Council (AGIC) is developing Australia’s National Sustainability Rating Scheme for infrastructure. The scheme is focussed on the three well-known pillars of sustainability – economic, environment and social. The scheme aims to

encourage innovation in the delivery of new projects and the upgrades of existing infrastructure. Five assessment themes incorporating 20 assessment categories are currently under development following a launch workshop held in Sydney in September 2010. The authors of each category are contracted to provide a technical manual and scoring spreadsheet for their category that can be used by a stakeholder to self-assess the sustainability performance of a project. Authors have now completed the 30 per cent review milestone. At each milestone, the material developed for each category is reviewed by an experienced peer reviewer, and a Global Review Panel (GRP) has been established to overview the entire authorship process. The scheme will bring a number of benefits to stakeholders, namely: • Assessment and scoring designed to encourage innovation; • Reduced tendering costs through the use of a standard consistent national framework for structuring tenders, rather than dealing with compliance on the onerous and varied government sustainability specifications currently emerging; • Governments will avoid the considerable investment in developing their own assessment criteria, and the precedent set by the Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment and Awards UK (CEEQUAL) scheme applying to environmental certification has the potential to be replicated. It is a requirement in many government departments in the United Kingdom that a CEEQUAL rating be placed on an infrastructure project. CEEQUAL has rated projects valued at over A$25 billion in the last five years; • Tenders will be able to be assessed more equitably if all are presented aligned to a standard national sustainability framework; • Stakeholders are searching for a common national language and understanding of sustainability as it applies to infrastructure projects, and the AGIC scheme will facilitate this;

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INFRASTRUCTURE + ENGINEERING

AGIC water testing

•

Reduced consultancy costs through training to facilitate self-assessment; and • Recognised industry leadership for companies achieving a high rating. The last quarter of 2010 was a significant milestone period for AGIC, where a great platform for its future was established. Since incorporation in May 2008, AGIC now has 91 members employing 70,000 people. The rapid membership growth continued through the global financial crisis and is testimony to the importance that industry places on the development of AGIC’s National Rating Scheme for Sustainability in Infrastructure.

New initiatives Three new AGIC initiatives were released to industry and stakeholders in October 2010, and are available through the AGIC website at www.agic.net.au. The first initiative released was the AGIC Knowledge Hub. The purpose of the web-based Knowledge Hub is to act as a directory of information relating to innovation in sustainability in infrastructure. The Knowledge Hub is structured to capture industry case studies that demonstrate innovative sustainability practices occurring in infrastructure design, construction and operation. Organisation case studies are peer reviewed by a Technical Support Working Group (TWSG) and the contributing organisation is recognised against the case study. The TWSG vets submissions to ensure authenticity before approving the submissions for loading on to the AGIC Knowledge Hub. Stakeholders can submit their projects by visiting www.agic-khub.net.au.

The second release was the ‘Quick Check’ sustainability reference guide. This questionnairebased spreadsheet with 136 questions allows the sustainability credentials of a new project or existing asset upgrade to be tested within two hours for areas of strength and weakness in relation to sustainability. Quick Check is freely available on the AGIC website (www.agic.net.au) and provides the user with an understanding of the issues to be covered by the National Sustainability Rating Scheme when fully developed. A Climate Change Adaptation Guideline was the third new product released, and the guideline is also available on the AGIC website. To gain experience in category development, the Climate Change Adaptation category was completed as a standalone project. The Shannon Dam and Lithgow Sewerage Treatment Plant in New South Wales were the two pilot projects selected to test the authorship of the Climate Change Adaptation category. Feedback from all participants was very pleasing. A further exciting development within AGIC is the appointment of Rick Walters as Technical Manager. The appointment of a Technical Manager will greatly assist the development of the National Rating Scheme. AGIC’s National Sustainability Rating Scheme will be released later in 2011. The launch of the Rating Scheme is something the AGIC Board, members and volunteers have been working very hard to achieve. There appear to be dark clouds on the world’s climate horizon as we globally experience an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme events. The clock is ticking for real change in all areas of human activity, and infrastructure development and rebuilding is but one important area to address as it provides the connectivity and essential services needed for our communities. Population growth adds yet another dimension. The AGIC National Sustainability Rating Scheme currently being developed will contribute to slowing the clock and assist in meeting the many new challenges arising as we transition to more sustainable practices. G

Aerial view of bridge

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INFRASTRUCTURE + ENGINEERING

Innovation By Design

ase devotes tens of millions of dollars to new product development, so it’s no surprise that they enlist the help of customers from all over the world – some of whom use competitor products – to provide feedback and advice in all product development phases. “New products are developed by design teams that are spread out around the world, but thanks to modern technology, the process can actually carry on 24 hours a day, resulting in great machines that are designed and tested more quickly than ever,” said Case Brand Leader, Mick Smith. “Global collaboration can take months off the design process, getting new products into customers’ hands faster.” But designing great products is not just about speed. Case’s global product line is driven by four key design imperatives that ensure Case machines are the most rugged, comfortable and efficient machines possible.

Operator environment Reliability “Reliability is a given,” said Mick. “Our equipment goes beyond customers’ expectations to ensure reliability over a whole lifetime of operation.” To meet this goal, Case’s R&D team assess existing products to develop benchmarks to be bettered. The benchmarks are set deliberately high and, with each product upgrade, Case has doubled the reliability and durability of its products.

Fuel efficiency “Better fuel efficiency doesn’t just mean lower costs, it means lower emissions,” said Mick. “The aim is to increase power and performance without increasing fuel consumption.” Case aims to increase fuel efficiency by 5-20 per cent with each new model. For example, when the current series excavator line was introduced, it offered a 20 per cent fuel saving, which means even more value for the investment.

“As machinery works increasingly close to communities, and operators are working longer hours, managing sound and vibration becomes more important to everybody,” said Mick. “A quieter, smoother machine improves operator comfort, reducing fatigue and improving safety.” Case machines have some of the lowest decibel ratings in the industry and Case is continually working to get these even lower. Upgraded cabs with trim packages that improve sound and sealing, along with full suspension seats, contribute to operator comfort. Australian product managers recently got a glimpse into the future when they travelled to the US recently to see some new Case products in development. “Our focus on innovation means we use state-of-theart design techniques and technology to create new products that are as user friendly as they are powerful and safe,” said Mick.

Serviceability “If servicing is easy, it gets done,” said Mick. “That’s why we’re always looking for ways to make servicing more straightforward.” In Case’s wheel loader range, for example, groundline servicing makes it simpler and safer to access service points. This dedication to improved maintainability is seen across the range.

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SUPERIOR | RELIABILITY FUEL EFFICIENCY OPERATOR ENVIRONMENT SERVICEABILITY

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1300 99 CASE | www.casece.com

5/03/11 9:30 AM

INFRASTRUCTURE + ENGINEERING

Cities are everyone’s business, says GBCA The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), together with a list of influential industry groups, corporations and academic institutions, published an open letter in The Australian in late 2010, calling for a bi-partisan approach to urban policy across all tiers of government.

he signatories to the letter, which include the Australian Institute of Architects, Consult Australia, the Planning Institute of Australia, and the Property Council of Australia – all partners in Built Environment Meets Parliament (BEMP) – have called for a new discussion around how we achieve liveable, sustainable cities. According to the GBCA’s Chief Executive, Romilly Madew, Australia’s cities are confronted by significant long-term challenges. ‘Population growth, transport congestion and housing affordability – three issues affecting everyday Australians – will be felt most severely in our major cities, which will accommodate around 85 per cent of our 36 million plus population by 2050. These challenges will only be addressed successfully through a nationally consistent approach. ‘We have made this statement to stimulate further public conversation around the future of Australia’s cities. It’s important that we avoid polarising discussion about the future of our cities into a debate about whether we go ‘up’ or ‘out’ – in other words arguing about the merits of urban infill versus greenfield development,’ says Ms Madew, who is also chair of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council’s Cities Taskgroup. ‘The Australian Government released the “Our Cities – building a productive, sustainable and liveable future” discussion paper to frame the policy approach to cities as the basis for a national urban policy. This is an important step towards an integrated, coordinated and nationally consistent approach to urban policy.’ The Green Building Council of Australia is currently

leading the Green Star Communities project, which aims to drive sustainable development at the community scale. The Green Star Communities Rating tool is being shaped around five national best practice principles of liveability, economic prosperity, environmental responsibility, design leadership and governance. ‘We want to ensure that the long-term strategic vision for Australia’s cities does not become politicised. It is critical that federal, state and local governments work together to deliver a national approach to planning and developing our cities. Australians deserve no less,’ Ms Madew concludes. Together with the Green Building Council of Australia, the signatories include: the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects; Council of Capital City Lord Mayors; the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC); Woodhead; Woods Bagot; The University of South Australia; University of Melbourne; QUT; RMIT; University of Tasmania; Timothy Horton, South Australian Commissioner for Integrated Design; Professor Richard Weller from the University of Western Australia; Emeritus Professor Catherin Bull AM; Adjunct Professor John Stanley from the University of Sydney’s Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies; Professor Mike Young, executive director, The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide; Dr Sam Ridgway, acting head, School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture & Urban Design, The University of Adelaide; Urban Design Forum; University of Technology Sydney; Landscape Architects Australia; and Architecture Australia. G

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Lamp Recycling Program

Turning old lamps into new products We continue to look at ways in which we can help to reduce our impact on the environment, ensuring our planet for future generations. Due to the small amounts of mercury used in fluorescent lamps, it is important to ensure that these lamps are disposed of responsibly, and don’t turn into landfill. The mercury contained in one fluorescent tube can pollute 30,000 litres of water beyond a safe level of drinking. A potent neurotoxin, mercury is listed as the most hazardous metal on the EPA’s list of industrial pollutants. Recovery and recycling is the only safe and effective way to prevent it damaging our environment.

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Providing a start to finish service, SYLVANIA’s SYLrecycle program ensures that all lamps are converted into safe, reusable materials. Each lamp is initially crushed before the endcaps, glass and phosphor are isolated. The phosphor then undergoes a mercury recovery procedure, safely capturing the hazardous metal. Components are then cleaned and distilled for reuse.

The SYLrecycle program is available for all types of lamps up to 1500mm in length, including all High Pressure Sodium, Metal Halide, Mercury Vapour and Compact Fluorescent lamps. To take part in SYLrecycle contact your SLA representative or email sylrecycle@sla.net.au

5/03/11 9:30 AM

INFRASTRUCTURE + ENGINEERING

Roads to smarter infrastructure By Dan Stojanovich Smarter infrastructure is developing at a rapid pace. Diverse technologies are being networked to provide interactive communications with the potential to transform all of our infrastructure. At the same time, drops in cost levels make implementation more and more feasible. And that’s just the beginning.

n an address at the 2010 Computer Congress, managing director of IBM Australia, Glen Boreham, listed just some of the infrastructure challenges that are in need of attention, particularly on our roads. Regarding traffic congestion, Boreham noted that ‘estimates suggest that in both developed and developing cities, traffic congestion wastes between one per cent and three per cent of GDP.’ A challenge such as this requires a smarter approach to infrastructure management – namely information technology. As Boreham put it, ‘The IT industry is infusing intelligence into the way the world literally works.’ The opportunities for not only a better quality of life

for billions of people, but for a tremendous new world of business prospects, are on our doorstep. It is not just the prospect of new technologies, but new markets and service models, new finance methods and delivery of advice, and maintenance – these changes will have extensive implications for everything we do. And it is not only the biggest cities that will benefit – regional and remote centres will have the same opportunity to embrace smart technology. Overall it will be the nation as a whole that is advantaged on an international scale. Some recent figures by the Spanish infrastructure investment giant Ferrovial provide a global perspective. According to figures in one of their

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INFRASTRUCTURE + ENGINEERING recent presentations, approximately 50 per cent of the world’s population lives in a city (for the first time in human history), and by 2050 this will increase to around 70 per cent (6.4 billion people). It is perhaps no surprise that this surge of urbanisation creates a complex new suite of problems. According to Ferrovial’s figures, there will be 1.2 billion cars on the road by 2015. In the top 100 metropolises that account for 25 per cent of worldwide GDP, traffic jams cost US$78 billion in fuel and wasted time. Smart infrastructure has the potential to address such issues, and it derives from a few key developments: • The advancing capabilities of smaller and smarter sensors that gather various types of information; • Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to communicate and manage the information; • Systems thinking – the latest technologies enable us to also look at infrastructure facilities as ‘living systems’ that can be monitored and measured and thus managed. Capturing accurate information provides data to manage, and the right systems then enable you to manage it. Imagine a huge open-cut mine in the far north of Western Australia that is run by machines managed from a control room in Perth. Very few, if any, people are on the ground at the mine site during regular operation. The ore is removed by huge driverless trucks. Even the transport of material from the mine site, the train haulage, and ship loading for export, are

attended to by robots. This is no longer the stuff of imagination – the Rio Tinto Centre for Mine Automation already has many of these capabilities in operation. We can now begin to apply that sort of thinking to cities and towns and the many links within and between them: from major infrastructure like roads, rail and electricity, to social infrastructure such as retail, health care, education and cultural institutions – all linked and communicating with each other. Very little of life as we know it will be untouched by the changes enabled by the systemic application of these networked technologies. Digital networks with features like GPS, augmented reality and social networking have astonished most of us with their capabilities. Combine these capabilities with even more capable (and smaller and more portable) sensors, more powerful analytics and greater database interconnectivity, and we have the ability to change how we live. The trick is to measure and collect data, understand and integrate information, and then manage the system as a whole. In Australia, smart infrastructure is now well and truly on the march, and is already making a difference in many diverse applications. Transport systems are a prime focus, with roads being one place where changes are apparent. Two significant examples are operational in Queensland and Melbourne. Queensland Motorways has now transitioned to free-flow tolling on the Gateway and Logan motorways, so motorists no longer need to stop

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INFRASTRUCTURE + ENGINEERING to pay their tolls. Tolls are calculated automatically when vehicles pass a toll point, either via an electronic tag or video, where an image of the vehicle is captured and matched against a database. Phil Mumford, chief executive officer of Queensland Motorways Limited, sees this as just the start. ‘Previously we were a toll operator,’ he says. ‘We’re now an information business. In the future, this will give us the capacity to actually communicate with people on the roadway and provide them with enhanced travel information.’ In Melbourne, Transurban’s CityLink has received a major makeover. Opened to traffic in August 1999, this 22-kilometre motorway connects three major urban freeways – the West Gate, Tullamarine and Monash – and is one of the world’s first fully electronic toll roads. More than 1.8 million vehicles are registered to use the road. The recent $1.39 billion Monash–CityLink– West Gate (M1) upgrade included the construction of extra lanes to help ease congestion and improve the flow of traffic, as well as an intelligent freeway management system to make the most of these improvements by managing the flow and entry of vehicles. Overhead electronic signs are now operational and can provide motorists with information as they drive, including delays, accidents, detours and speed restrictions. System managers observe the roadway via cameras, and respond accordingly to situations. According to Danny Elia, general manager, CityLink, ‘The M1 upgrade project has influenced the way we look at road infrastructure in Australia. State and federal transport ministers and infrastructure partnerships are now lauding it as a national leader and model for future freeway development.’ Level crossings are another example of how smart technology can not only smooth traffic flows, but also improve safety. There are some 9,500 level crossings in Australia, and the networked warning technology being developed by Professor Jack Singh and his team at the Centre for Technology Infusion at Latrobe University in Melbourne could, says Singh, save an average of 37 lives and $100 million a year by eliminating level crossing accidents. The latest in wireless technology installed in cars and trains is able to provide 360-degree driver awareness – warning drivers when a train is approaching and providing them with information such as the direction from which the train is approaching, and at what speed. The auto manufacturers are also designing more intelligent cars to interact with more intelligent infrastructure. Roadways will be able to measure and transmit information about road conditions to vehicles, and vice versa. Traffic message channels (TMCs) will soon be available in a variety of Australian cars, and will provide drivers with real-time information about traffic holdups, and offer directions to avoid them. It is evident that things are changing, and there may be changes that push the limits of fairness, privacy and confidentiality beyond what some perceive to be acceptable. Some changes may be intrusive, and there is the potential for human misuse.

But these are perennial problems with the implementation of any new technologies with significant social impact. It is not just the technologies – the ‘people systems’ around them will also need ongoing attention. Boreham indicated this when he said, ‘building smarter infrastructure will require us to work together – to collaborate – in a way that has not been the normal process when building infrastructure anywhere in the world.’ While some may decry the advent of what could be seen as a Big Brother-style monitoring system, it may be possible to manage technologies so that they genuinely enhance the quality of life in our communities. It is not just the cities that can benefit; the ramifications for regional, rural and remote dwellers and workers can also be life changing. For all its faults, by comparison to so many other countries in the world our infrastructure is very good. But the challenges of an astonishingly different world are just ahead of us, with technology intimately interacting with all aspects of human behaviour. Though it may seem like a challenge now, these changes will inevitably be accepted as so many technologies before them have been. All we need to do is ensure that we make them work for us as best we can. G

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Speed Cushions

peed Cushions have proven to be one of the

visibility. The high visibility key warns the driver of the

most effective traffic calming devices available

Speed Cushions presence on the road. The presence

on the market today. Speed Cushions are

of the Speed Cushion results in a change to driver’s

designed to effectively manage traffic flows at a lower speed without compromising safety. Whether it is inner

behaviour and reduction in average speeds. Rubber Speed Cushions are constructed in modular

or outer suburban streets where higher speed vehicles

segments to allow installation in various widths or

cause safety concerns for local residents, the Speed

across the entire road. Using an anchor bracket

Cushion treatment is an effective method to reduce

underneath the segments ensure stability, combining

speeds by up to 25 km/h.

the mass of segments to create a strong and durable

Speed Cushions have been used in Australia for over 10 years, with Saferoads P/L introducing the first cushions made from recycled tyres. Saferoads has

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continued to develop speed cushions and in 2011

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version will provide a more permanent installation,

and minor connecting roads used as “rat runs”

whilst the upgraded and relaunched rubber cushions

between arterial roads, Speed cushions have proven to

will ensure longevity. The new specifications include

be one of the most effective tools in reducing speed.

an inlayed white EPDM rubber key to guarantee high

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INFRASTRUCTURE + ENGINEERING

Local government and the Safe System approach to road safety By David McTiernan, ARRB Group The theme for the recent Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference held in Canberra was ‘Safe System From Knowledge to Action’. With this in mind, ARRB Group, together with the Western Australia Local Government Association (WALGA), facilitated a workshop titled ‘Local Government and a Safe System Approach’.

Image © David McTiernan, ARRB Group

t is evident that many in local government are not aware what a Safe System approach means to local road users and their councils, as road authorities. The aim of the workshop was to engage local government practitioners in discussion about the Safe System approach – outlining what it is, how it can contribute to road safety on local roads, and, importantly, where it has been applied by councils. Representing the National Road Safety Council was Ms Ann Bunnell, former Deputy Mayor of Townsville City Council. Ann introduced the topic and speakers, and at the conclusion of the workshop provided a summary about the importance of councils in achieving national and state objectives. Delegates listened to four presentations, after which they were provided an opportunity to discuss their views and issues concerning local government road safety and the Safe System approach. The presentations were given by ARRB’s David McTiernan and Blair Turner who provided a background on the Safe System approach framework and a snapshot of road safety issues across Australia on local government managed roads. WALGA’s Ruth Wernham outlined the approach that has been adopted in Western Australia and is being implemented across councils in that state under the auspices of WALGA.

Ross Gregory, from Mornington Peninsula Shire Council in Victoria, provided an interesting overview of how that council has taken the Safe System concept and applied it to the strategic planning and operational levels. Both Ruth and Ross provided an important perspective to delegates, showing how the theory and knowledge can be turned into positive road safety action by local councils. Present at the workshop were representatives from a range of Australian government and nongovernment agencies. Overseas road agencies, including New Zealand’s Transport Agency and Indonesia’s Department of Public Works, were also in attendance. The open forum discussion session proved to be interesting and useful with issues raised including the role of local government in contributing to national and state road safety objectives, the yet-to-be-released National Road Safety Strategy, and funding models for ensuring adequate action on local roads to improve safety. The outcome of the workshop is a report, ARR375 ‘Local Government and the Safe System Approach to Road Safety’. The report summarises the presentations and the open forum discussion and is freely available via the ARRB website at http://www.arrb.com.au/ G

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314349

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ASSET MANAGEMENT

Fleetcare Focus on GPS Fleet Tracking

ast year we covered Fleetcare under the Technology and Innovation category and discussed how their CEO Nigel Malcolm’s passion for technology drove the business through its now 21 year history. This year Fleetcare acquired the WA Government Fleet and in turn is even further refining and improving its services. First up is their GPS Fleet Tracking product. Launched over 12 months ago Fleetcare has seen some key clients take up this product and as always customer feedback is driving further development, with projects in place to cater for specific client needs. The first of its kind in Australia in that the GPS device is integrated with Fleetmanager, Fleetcare’s client portal, delivering unprecedented transparency across a fleet. So how does all this work? Well, tracking devices are fitted to vehicles and every 20 seconds it records the vehicle’s date and time, the location, heading direction, altitude and speed. This data is then transmitted through the GSM network and into Fleetcare’s Data Centre. Subsequently, clients can log on to Fleetmanager and view all this data graphically within Google Maps. The product also allows the definition of operational parameters within your fleet and the capability to set up fleet alerts when these parameters are broken. These alerts may be for example, when a vehicle is out of zone, when a vehicle is operating out of defined timeframe, when vehicles exceed speed limits or enter restricted zones. These exceptions can be reported on at any time and all reports are fully downloadable and ready for integration with any system. When Fleetcare presented this service to their clients there was of course much interest and many clients have upgraded their fleet services to include this GPS solution. They have found that risk management in terms of OH&S is greatly reduced, route efficiencies have improved leading to greater efficiency and transparency across their whole fleet, inevitably resulting in a more pleasing bottom line. One of the first key clients to take advantage of this service was WA’s City of Swan fleet. City of Swan undertook a large scale role out of GPS units within their operational fleet in the divisions of Waste Management,

Graffiti Control and Parks and Gardens. City of Swan commented that, “Fleetcare’s GPS units have assisted in keeping track of valuable assets such as mobile CCTV units, and the system in general has been critical in capturing data such as vehicle speed, location and direction of travel. We’ve used this information initially to support OH&S requirements as well as provide data that can be analysed for improved vehicle routing. However, with Fleetcare’s commitment to developing the solution specifically to our needs we see the purpose of the product widening further and bringing greater benefits as time goes on.” Fleetcare’s CEO Nigel Malcolm is as always committed to further developing this product as time goes on, “There are always improvements to be made and it is our ethos to provide the utmost to our clients. Therefore we are continually looking at ways to further improve our GPS solution and make it as accessible and as functional as possible to all clients.” Fleetcare going the extra mile for clients is nothing new, its what their business is built on. Its no surprise then that they added over 10,000 vehicles to their total fleet in 2010 alone. And with this number ever growing across their corporate, SME and novated lease fleets, clients can be sure that the demand for outstanding service and innovative solutions will be taken very seriously and met at all times.

60 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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ASSET MANAGEMENT

How is your journey to asset reliability excellence going? Most asset managers and owners have been exposed to the DuPont ‘Journey to Operational Excellence’ diagram by now, given that it has been around our industry since the mid 1980s.

ave you ever stopped to think how many people have set out on this journey in the past, and how many were actually able to achieve and sustain ‘world-class’ asset management? In our experience, most organisations have been able to formulate a plan to move from the primarily reactive domain into the planned and proactive domains. Unfortunately, the development of a plan and being successful in moving into the truly proactive domain are quite different things. We are continually bombarded with the talk of continuous improvement, but is this the way we should manage our assets to deliver the highest level of outcomes for the business? Have you ever clearly calculated what percentage of your workload is still reactive, even after using the DuPont Journey to Operational Excellence Model? If you have used this and still find yourself being unsuccessful in transitioning from reactive to proactive, have you questioned why, and even if, you have budgeted for this? These are important questions, and questions we must be asking ourselves every day – particularly

if we are asset managers and maintainers – as the answers are critical to fulfilling our responsibilities and delivering success for our businesses. Here are some observations about this important topic for you to consider. We appear to be spending more and more time trying to organise ourselves and our work teams through planning and scheduling, and we seem to have been able to deliver our schedules and plans and be measured on these by the industry standard of ‘percentage planned work’ and ‘schedule compliance’.

But … Have we considered that our focus on measuring and delivering these KPIs and achieving the highest level of compliance is taking our attention from looking at what we are really doing – in real time, right now? Most of these KPIs are measured year in, year out, and they do not improve significantly, so the question is: are we taking the time to stop, take off our glasses, re-focus our lenses and really consider what it is that we are doing?

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ASSET MANAGEMENT We all strive to walk the path of predictive maintenance, but on our walk we are continually being stopped by break-in work. We know we need to make our assets more reliable, but getting there is not so easy if we are continually interrupted by equipment failure. We have all been exposed to PM improvement programs that set out to find a more proactive method to maintain our assets, but is this the correct approach? In the Journey to Operational Excellence model we are led to believe that we need to move through the respective domains once we have established stability in the domain prior. Have you considered that we could be working within different domains at the same time, and continually capturing and developing our PM optimisation plans whilst ensuring that the givens of planning and scheduling are being delivered effectively to our businesses? Could it be this fresh idea might just deliver what we need to achieve our set outcomes? Consider another fresh approach – we could develop internal KPIs that can be used within our maintenance teams to support the higher level corporate KPIs, so we buy into the wider goals and achievements of the business as a whole.

Things to consider when developing internal KPIs could be: • percentage of planned jobs with correct hours allocated • percentage of planned jobs with correct materials available • percentage of jobs completed where plant was available. The measures above allow us to monitor our internal efficiencies, but all too often we focus solely on the industry standard measures. Whilst these are great for measuring our overall performance, we also need to measure our internal effectiveness. This has, until now, been a low priority as we are normally too focused on moving forward once jobs have been completed, and we don’t take the time to stop, assess how well we planned their execution, and then make changes again so we can achieve a continuous process improvement cycle. G

This article originally appeared in the Advantage newsletter, and is reproduced with the kind permission of Assetivity.

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The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011 • 63

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ASSET MANAGEMENT

Refining the practice of asset management The management of physical assets – their acquisition, maintenance, renewal and disposal – is an expanding discipline that plays an integral role in determining the operational performance and accountability of any business, government agency or local council.

he most common objective when managing assets is to minimise their whole-of-life cost, but there are other major considerations that factor in. These include risk management, the continuity of business performance, and, as is now commonplace in most disciplines, environmental impact – the standards for which are becoming ever more stringent. Much like evaluating any process to assess performance, ongoing appraisals of asset management practices are crucial in order to keep up with industry standards – if neglected, the task of getting up to scratch can be insurmountable. From 16 to 20 May 2011, an anticipated 250 delegates from over 20 countries will descend upon the Gold Coast for the 15th Annual International ICOMS Asset Management Conference to discuss the effective management of assets, and the resultant impact on performance in small- to large-scale organisations. John Hardwick, chairman for the Asset Management Council (which is co-hosting the conference), states, ‘Ever increasingly, asset management is becoming recognised as a crucial element for businesses to ensure and maintain sustainable revenue generation and profitability’. It’s no secret that government often struggles to recruit and maintain talented staff due to the lucrative pull of the business world. In turn, business can sometimes be the best place to find efficient models of business practice. John Hardwick goes on to explain the benefits of adopting universal practices in the discipline. ‘That’s why a common global view towards asset management is essential to ensuring transportability of skills, knowledge and professionals, particularly in the rapidly growing international business sector we find ourselves within.’ The Asset Management Council directs the

conference’s program at all business activity types including mining, defence, oil and gas, power generation and transmission, and state and local government. The green movement obviously heavily impacts upon asset management. One major area of asset management for all levels of government is fleet management, which is bound to encounter extensive policy changes in coming years. Local government can take its cues in this area from state and federal government initiatives. For example, leading the fleet management charge, last year the New South Wales State Government revised the Cleaner NSW Government Fleet Initiative. Originally set out in 2005, the revisited targets now require the government fleet to progressively reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions to achieve a 30 per cent reduction by the end of the 2010/2011 financial year, based on the 2004/2005 performance. Government agencies with fleets of 25 to 99 cars are also required to have at least one petrol/electric hybrid vehicle, or, for those agencies with 100 or more vehicles, at least one per cent of the fleet must be hybrid vehicles. The new policy also supports alternative fuels by incorporating LPG, ethanol-petrol and biodiesel providers into its list of approved suppliers. Not only do these changes reduce environmental impact, but in the long run will reflect themselves in the budget by saving on running costs. This will also result in a positive flow-on effect for New South Wales’ total emissions when the vehicles are sold at public auction at the end of their lease. Asset management is an area that is rapidly gaining acknowledgement within local government spheres, and for good reason – with a carefully considered asset management plan at the core of council operations, the benefits to the council and to the community are innumerable. G

64 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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FLEET MANAGEMENT

Century Batteries – Power Solutions for Australia’s vehicle fleet!

ustralia’s climate and extreme working conditions create havoc for batteries, attacking critical internal components which can lead to early battery failure. Unfortunately, some imported batteries, made for softer climates focus on higher starting power at the expense of more critical design features.

Australian Made for Australian Conditions Century Batteries, Australia’s oldest and most recognised battery manufacturer has been designing, manufacturing and supplying batteries in Australia since 1928. In this time they have developed the engineering expertise and state of the art manufacturing processes to produce a range of superior quality batteries better suited to Australia’s hotter climate and harsh working conditions. Century Batteries are designed and built in Australia. They feature substantial design improvements and specialist hardwearing components to deliver what fleet managers and plant operators really want – longer life and ultra reliability with less down time. Century’s product portfolio includes one of the

Commercial, Heavy Equipment, Motorcycle, Marine and UPS systems.

Battery Testing and Management Solutions Century’s extensive range of battery testing and engine diagnostic equipment is perfect for use out in the field or workshop. Quick and easy to use, they provide fast accurate results to help identify suspect batteries before they fail and when used as part of a total battery management program, they can help keep vehicles on the road for longer and avoid the true cost of battery failure.

Largest Battery Distribution Network Wherever you are located in Australia, Century has the distribution coverage and capability to promptly service your battery needs. A network of regional agents and distribution centres ensure you have access to locally held products, services and battery specialists, on hand to service your complete battery requirements. widest selections of batteries available in the market place and features some of the most technically advanced products available in the battery industry. From their state of the art manufacturing facility located in Queensland, Century produces and supplies a diverse range of batteries suitable for use in an extensive range of applications including: Automotive, 4WD, Deep Cycle, Truck & Light

To find out more about Century’s range of products and services contact a Century Batteries representative on 1300 362 287 visit www.centurybatteries.com.au or email info@cyb.com.au.

66 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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Fleet management solutions designed for the future At Custom Fleet, we’ve tailored a number of flexible solutions specifically to meet the needs of Local Government. They’re designed to remove the administrative demands usually associated with running your own fleet, while still providing you with control over your essential fleet assets. Keeping your fleet on TRAC Custom Fleet TRAC Lease offers flexible lease terms starting at just 12 months. It provides Councils with essential transparency regarding interest rates, residual values and other lease elements. With TRAC Lease, there are no excess usage charges. It frees up your working capital so you can invest in appreciating assets and essential council services. Sale & Leaseback Sale & Leaseback is designed to enhance your liquidity and help you manage your cash flow. We purchase your existing fleet vehicles and then we lease them back to you (some conditions do apply). This immediately frees up your valuable working capital so you can invest in Council programs. Drive Lightly® for the environment Custom Fleet can also include Drive Lightly® in your tailored fleet management solution. Drive Lightly® is a fleet carbon management program designed to help you understand your fleet carbon emissions arising from your vehicle usage. Reducing your fleet’s carbon footprint not only supports your commitment to corporate environmental responsibility, but may also lead to significant cost savings. If you’d like to tailor your fleet management to your future needs, contact us today on 1800 812 681 or go to www.customfleet.com.au for more information.

® Drive Lightly is a registered trademark of Custom Fleet. For more information on this product and it’s suitability for your organisation, please contact Custom Fleet.

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

Conergy – Our world is full of energy

onergy 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, Adelaide and Darwin. 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

excess of 20 MW projects around the world. Conergy are not only one of the worlds largest truly

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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 excels. You can be assured of top quality technical advice and guidance at all stages of your project. Call us on 1300 724 531 and ask about our special Local Authority discounts on our Proven Wind turbines. www. conergy.com.au

68 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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Resources are our business, too.

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 proof BWEA certiﬁed small wind turbines for the oil & gas industry. So whether your business is considering solar or small wind power - make Conergy your strong, reliable partner in renewable energy technology and system integration from small to large scale projects.

Call Conergy Australia on 1300 724 531 for more information, or visit us online: www.conergy.com.au

O U R

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

City of Gosnells Green Star building

Thinking global, acting local By Wayne Wescott, Local Government Program Manager, Green Building Council of Australia

icture this. You’ve just arrived at work after enjoying an invigorating bike ride. You shower and change, hang your helmet and clothes in the locker provided, secure your bike in the purposebuilt bike racks, and head to your desk. As you make your way through the open-plan office space, you notice the natural light flooding through large windows. The air is fresh, and the variety of plants adds to a feeling of restful calm. Colleagues are meeting in collaborative, open-plan meeting spots, and the office is a productive and harmonious place in which to be. You don’t pay attention to the water tanks harvesting rainwater for the landscaped gardens and toilets. Nor do you notice the recycling stations, water-efficient fixtures and fittings or design that minimises energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Instead, you sit down at your desk and adjust the ventilation to suit your personal preference. You glance at the pleasing view from the window near your workstation before turning on your PC and getting down to business. Does this sound like a fantasy? The building I’ve just described is the City of Gosnells Civic Centre, which underwent a major refurbishment in 2010. The building has achieved a 5 Star Green Star – Office Design v2 rating, which represents ‘Australian Excellence’ in environmentally sustainable design. When the City of Gosnells decided to revamp its office accommodation, it asked its staff to outline the defining physical features that would assist the council to become an ‘employer of choice’ with a culture of sustainability. The staff vision was for an equitable workplace with ease of movement across all departments promoting

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY positive, stimulating and collaborative relationships. They wanted a flexible office that could allow for changes in project work teams and evolve with time. They wanted fresh air, natural light, views of the outdoors and a high degree of indoor comfort. They wanted recreational facilities that promoted healthy transport alternatives. The vision outlined by the City of Gosnells staff has been translated into a Green Star-rated office built on basic, common sense, green design principles. And the City of Gosnells is able to ‘walk its talk’ with a daily demonstration of its commitment to its staff and the local environment. The City of Gosnells is just one of a number of councils around Australia that is stepping up to the green building challenge. It is, in fact, the first council in Western Australia to achieve a 5 Star Green Star rating for one of its buildings. Local governments have recognised their responsibility to ensure that the next wave of urban development is as sustainable as possible, to minimise carbon emissions, reduce the money and embodied energy invested in infrastructure and transport systems, and prepare for a world where carbon has a price. At the same time, there is considerable local pressure to deliver affordable housing and minimise investment costs. With a more uncertain political environment ahead in 2011, this is a challenge. The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), and its Green Star environmental rating system for buildings, can support councils to demonstrate

leadership, build capacity and support the shift to greener buildings and communities. The discussion is no longer simply concerned with ‘being good to the environment’, but about sound business sense, with developments that last longer, cost less to run, and achieve more productive outcomes. The reduced environmental impact is almost seen as ‘the cherry on the cake’. Some councils have been demonstrating leadership in this field for some time – from developing iconic buildings such as the City of Melbourne’s Council House 2 (CH2) through to mandatory local laws to ensure minimum energy efficiency standards. The GBCA has an online portal, the Green Guide to Government Policy, free to all members, which outlines green building programs and incentives at all levels of government around Australia. This is a useful resource for local governments wanting to compare and contrast their policies with best practice examples around Australia. Many councils are beginning to use standards such as Green Star to set the benchmark for their wider municipalities’ buildings. They are also contributing to the development of new rating tools, such as the Green Star Communities tool, which extends best practice benchmarks beyond individual buildings to a neighbourhood and precinct level. This project has vast implications for councils, as it will improve the way they partner with developers in both urban renewal and greenfield projects. In order for local governments to both meet these

City of Gosnells Green Star building interior

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY standards themselves and to work with their communities to do so, the GBCA is collaborating closely with member councils to deploy its large-scale education process that builds skills, technical capacity and aggregated knowledge in all relevant sectors. The GBCA has rolled out a focused capacitybuilding Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program, which provides skills development and a pathway for further deepening of expertise, experience and connections within the green building industry. The CPD program encompasses everything from introductory courses through to highly specialised technical training, to ensure that those people making or influencing decisions across local governments can understand the latest implications of the rapid development of sustainable buildings. Like many people from local government organisations, Bronwyn Englaro, Senior Sustainability Officer at Randwick City Council, is enhancing her green skills. Bronwyn says that ‘by participating alongside building industry practitioners these courses provide me with insight into industry preferences’, and says that they enable her to ‘stay up-to-date on industry best practice in sustainable development, which is taken into consideration when reviewing Council’s development controls.’ The GBCA has also developed a local government taskforce to bring together the concerns of local governments and create solutions, such as bridging the planning and building gap, increasing local skills and accelerating more sustainable buildings and communities. Members include the city councils of Brisbane, Gosnells, Manningham, Onkaparinga, Parramatta, Randwick and Sydney.

While many local governments have been promoting and implementing green building programs for a number of years, the GBCA’s Local Government Task Group (LGTG) is helping to further this trend by encouraging the uptake of voluntary rating tools, offering practical advice and assistance and educating councils on best practice measures implemented by similar organisations around the world. The LGTG is integrating local governments’ efforts with other sectors – from developers to householders – to demonstrate that significant small-scale action across our nation can be aggregated towards major change. The GBCA continues to work with other green building councils around the world, and with the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) in particular, to keep track of the incentives, systems and processes used to accelerate the green building movement in other countries. The recent WorldGBC special report, ‘Tackling Global Climate Change, Meeting Local Priorities’, sets out the need to think global but act local, and provides an overview of what proactive government and private sector initiatives can do to harness the potential of green buildings to deliver important social, economic and environmental benefits. We aim to see more local governments take on the role of ‘green change agents’ and lead the way in the adoption of sustainable building and eco-friendly business practices. By thinking global, but acting local, we hope that councils will continue to influence the future direction of green building in Australia. G

City of Gosnells Green Star building

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312841

ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

City of Unley

ustainability is more than just a word in the City of Unley; it’s the heart of everything we do. We work closely with our community to conserve green spaces, as well as create new ones, through Adopt a Tree and Pocket Parks programs which establish mini parks throughout the city. Sustainability is the core of our business mindset too, with some 21 local businesses large and small working together with the Council to minimise their impact on the environment. We are also without doubt the leader in Waterproofing the East. We harvest storm water wherever possible for use on street plantings and to allow for aquifer recharge, while more broadly, Unley has secured 35 years of recycled water through the Glenelg to Adelaide Pipeline which will be used for the city’s ovals, parks and reserves. Unley is a city of people that embrace green incentives. Over the past financial year 350 rainwater tanks, heavily subsidised by the Council, were installed in local homes. We also encourage eco-friendly home renovations through a series of grants that not only see our heritage preserved, but our carbon footprint lessened. And last year, we recovered more than 38 tonnes of computers, monitors and other E-waste bound for landfill while simultaneously lowering our corporate greenhouse gas emissions by 5.7 per cent.

Sustainability. Take a leaf from our book. > Recycled water from the Glenelg Adelaide Pipeline. > Aquifer storage and recovery. > Stormwater harvesting and reuse. > Rainwater tank subsidies. > Environmentally sensitive urban design. > Stormwater diversion to street trees. > Helping connect permaculture communities.

> “Green” home renovation grants. > Community gardens. > More than 300 street trees adopted by local residents. > Pocket Parks increasing green space > Cycle-friendly city with Adelaide’s largest network of dedicated cycleways. > Reduction of corporate CO2 levels by nearly six

181 Unley Rd Unley SA 5061 T: 08 8372 5111 F: 08 8271 4886 unley.sa.gov.au

The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011 • 73

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

The first release of harvested stormwater flows into Suma Park Dam on 21 April 2009

City of Orange

he last two years has seen the implementation of a major water security program for the City of Orange; focusing on sustainable water practices and diversifying water sources. Orange, like many inland Australian communities, has traditionally relied on surface runoff into water supply dams to meet the city’s water supply needs. However, lack of reliable runoff from these catchments forced Council to re-assess the overall security of this water supply system. In addition, with a greater level of awareness of potential future water scarcity, Council undertook a broad ranging strategic re-evaluation of water management within the city. This comprehensive review not only focuses on alternative water supply options, but also addresses the demand side of the equation in what is a very detailed and forward looking review. The water conservation and demand management phase of Council’s strategy involves the following ongoing initiatives: • Implementation of stringent water restrictions, and the development of ongoing low level restrictions • Undertaking free residential audits using Council staff, involving detecting leaks, replacing inefficient showerheads, installing tap aerators and toilet cistern weights. To date over 600 residences have been audited under this ongoing program • Collaboration with high water users in the

commercial, industrial and educational sectors, involving on-site audits and retrofit program which has resulted in significant sustainable water savings. One high water user reduced consumption by 25%, saving around 26,000,000L of water per year • A detailed audit and retrofit program in all Council owned facilities, delivering annual savings of 37,000,000L • Provision of a Council rainwater tank rebate in addition to those provided by both State and Federal Governments • Provision of free water efficient showerhead exchange program, with around 450 units exchanged to date • Ongoing media campaign to focus community attention on reducing household water consumption. One of the new water supply sources included harvesting the City’s stormwater. While numerous urban stormwater harvesting projects have been implemented across the state, virtually all are designed to harvest water for non-drinking use, such as the irrigation of parks and ovals. Orange City Council’s Blackmans Swamp Creek Stormwater Harvesting Scheme is one of the first largescale projects to intentionally collect urban stormwater for drinking purposes.

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

Construction of the 200 megalitre holding dam

The scheme involves using a portion of the stormwater that is generated from approximately 70% of the developed section of the city to supplement the city’s drinking water supply. After rain, excess water is taken from Blackmans Swamp Creek and pumped into a holding dam to be treated and tested. It is then transferred into Suma Park Dam to supplement the city’s water supply. In a year of average rainfall, approximately 800 megalitres (ML) could be harvested. The stormwater harvesting scheme offers an additional large volume of water into the city’s water supply system. As the city grows, capturing runoff from additional buildings, roads and other hard surfaces will help meet future water demands as well as reduce the risk of flooding and erosion along the downstream creek system. The Blackmans Swamp Creek Stormwater Harvesting Scheme is a $4.9 million project, half-funded by the NSW State Government. Construction work was completed in March 2009, on-schedule and onbudget, to date the scheme has harvested over 900ML. The Ploughmans Creek catchment covering the remaining third of the city, offers a further opportunity for stormwater harvesting within the city. Existing pipework in the north-west of the city is being used for transporting stormwater up to 5km from the Ploughmans Creek area to the same holding dam used for the Blackmans Swamp Creek scheme. Modelling indicates that an average of up to 650 ML per year could be extracted from this catchment through the construction of a series of combined wetlands and detention basins on Ploughmans Creek

and other tributaries. The scheme also has significant potential for expansion as residential development proceeds within the Ploughmans Valley area. The stormwater harvesting project meets the standards of the Australian Government’s National Health and Medical Research Council, as detailed in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. One of the key reasons stormwater harvesting is possible in Orange is the high level of treatment provided by Council’s advanced Ozone and Biological Activated Carbon Water Treatment Plant on Icely Road. Contact Chris Devitt Director Technical Services Orange City Council Ph: 02 6393 8000 Email: council@orange.nsw.gov.au

The stormwater release point into Suma Park Dam - 21 April 2009

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

Campaigns like ‘Do the Right Bin’ in Tweed Shire are helping the community to get behind recycling

Less waste, more need The pressure is on to turn rubbish into resources, putting local government on the front line to find greener and more innovative ways to make it happen. Steve Freeth reports.

ast year the Australian Government released a ‘National Waste Report’ as part of its $23 million, 10-year strategy aimed at improving how government, business and households deal with the waste we produce – and it made sobering reading. Not only did we collectively create 44 million tonnes of waste in 2007 – roughly two tonnes per person – but the amount had jumped by nearly a third since 2003. If we were to continue on that same path, the report’s authors pointed out, we’d be dealing with something like 88 million tonnes by 2020. Only 29 per cent of the refuse was ‘municipal waste’ – the kind mostly generated by all those wheelie bins on the side of roads – but this still meant that individual Australians were responsible for 556 kilograms of rubbish a year. But indications show that we are geared to make some substantial inroads on that mountain of rubbish, and local government is in prime position to help make it happen.

Recycle and re-use Of course, some of the biggest changes impacting

how local government will deal with waste now and in the future are being driven by federal and state governments. A new National Waste Policy, in tandem with beefed-up policies at most state and territory levels in recent years, is not only producing much tougher standards – see www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au for example – but also new money to help ensure that positive changes are maintained. Landfill diversion of rubbish is certainly a prime target. While the debate over the role of tips remains heated, it’s clear that dwindling options for new sites in some states and cities, community concern over leaching of pollutants, and national action on greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide and methane, will ultimately push more and more of the 600-plus licenced tips around the country to close. Getting the landfill diversion rate down – 48 per cent of all waste and 38 per cent of municipal waste was sent to landfill in 2007 – is now a priority, particularly as both New South Wales and Victoria have stated that they want to see 66 per cent and 65 per cent respectively diverted from land sites by 2014. Despite the negative view of landfill sites, measures

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY are being put in place to aid with waste reduction, and landfill sites are not sidestepping technological innovation. One trend, ‘bioreaction’, which uses enhanced microbiological processes to transform and stabilise decomposable organic waste more quickly than a conventional landfill, has been getting more attention in Australia. There are now three bioreactors in the country that count a number of councils as clients, including one run by waste management company Veolia in New South Wales. Emission capture is also fairly common – if still uneven – but some places like Moreton Bay Regional Council in Queensland have struck an innovative commercial partnership to significantly reduce the methane and carbon dioxide impact of their landfill sites. But it’s local government’s push to minimise, recycle and re-use waste that’s getting a lot of the attention lately. While we’re currently recycling about a quarter of our domestic waste, and surveys indicate that the general public supports recycling – the need to get serious about waste reduction is about to become even more urgent. For a start, many local governments and shires around the country have now introduced kerbside recycling and standardised bins. Efforts to educate us about what and how to recycle, as well as how to reduce what we throw away, are also on the rise as councils tap into state and federal funds. Campaigns such as ‘Too Lovely To Litter’ by the Barwon Regional Waste Management Group in Victoria, the Tweed Shire Council’s similar ‘Do The Right Bin’ project, Goulburn Valley’s award-winning ‘Recycling Annie’ and ‘Rubbish Ronnie’, and a $1.5 million state-funded project run by Parramatta and Auburn Councils in Sydney called ‘WasteNot’, all point to a growing level of professionalism when it comes to public education. To emphasise the importance of such schemes, a number of ‘waste awards’ are also popping up to acknowledge the efforts of councils. It’s also becoming evident that you don’t have to be the biggest to stand out. Wingecarribee Shire in regional New South Wales has not only installed some of the smallest domestic rubbish bins in Australia – only 80 litres compared to the more common 120- or 240-litre versions, and with a quarter of the community already on board for just fortnightly collections – but created a ‘Resource Recovery Centre’ that’s been able to achieve some of the best recovery and landfill diversion rates in New South Wales. Faced with the closure of its only remaining landfill in 1997, the council had to think quickly and laterally, and responded by not only encouraging less waste from households, but far higher rates of separation and recovery. The council added a ‘Reviva Centre’ that now sells or recycles a huge range of products.

Waste as a resource Even the best recycling or re-use practices can’t prevent a significant residual mixed waste stream, heavily based on food, but new options are now appearing to address this problem more effectively

than just straight landfill. What many now call alternative waste treatment facilities, or AWTs, are the big new trend. Treatment facilities such as these use different sorts of technologies on our waste to produce useful side products like compost – very popular so far in Australia – or power in a process being called ‘waste-to-energy’ (WtE) that’s very popular in Europe and likely to become more so here. While aerobic (adding oxygen in its simplest form to produce compost) or anaerobic (adding helpful microbes to most often produce some form of fertiliser and biogas) approaches have had the most uptake in Australia, there are emerging technologies here and overseas showing promise. These include pyrolysis, plasma arc, hydrolysis, microwave, irradiation or gasification. AWTs are expensive to build and run – $50 million to $100 million initial capital costs are regularly mentioned – and there are currently only about 12 around the country owned by private companies like Global Renewables, Veolia or SITA (which recently bought WSN). One of the largest and most sophisticated is the UR-3R facility built by Global Renewables at Eastern Creek in Sydney. Used by Blacktown, Artarmon and Fairfield Councils for municipal waste, the plant is based on anaerobic technology to produce a mixed waste compost and green energy, though the company says the waste to power equation is still not commercialised at this stage. One of the newest is SITA’s Ecolibrium facility, at the Macarthur Resource Recovery Park in western Sydney, which is using a patented anaerobic technology from Israel called ‘Arrow Bio’ for organics. In the past, local government has often faced cost, contract or stream-volume issues in taking up these newer, but comparatively expensive, waste options, but a growing trend is seeing groups of councils band together to share the complexities and benefits involved. One of these is the MACROC group of Councils in Sydney – Campbelltown, Camden, Wollondilly and Wingecarribee – who jointly tended for a company to take responsibility for the whole domestic waste stream for 20 years, beginning in 2009. Originally this was WSN, who used anaerobic technologies to create organic material and methane that it then used to generate electricity to run the plant, and to sell back to the grid as part of an income stream. According to Paul McDonald, Campbelltown City’s manager of waste and recycling services, while the collaboration was initially unusual, it’s already paying off for all involved. ‘We’re seeing much better landfill diversion rates and are well on the way to meeting the New South Wales Government’s 66 per cent rate on time,’ Paul said. Expect that sort of partnership to quicken. The Coffs Harbour group of councils also formed the Coffs Coast Waste Services to collaborate on an AWT, while the Metropolitan Waste Management Group (MWMG) in Melbourne began a $10 million project with the state

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY government in 2008 to review advanced waste technologies and fast-track the most appropriate facilities – a process that’s been delayed with the change of Government in Victoria, with no word to date on when the final report will appear. It hasn’t held the MWMG back though, who have just announced that they’ve engaged Veolia on behalf of 11 councils for processing services for green and food waste.

Cutting edge While not all new waste technologies may be suitable for Australian conditions, there are some that are looking a little more likely. One of these is pyrolysis, a thermochemical decomposition process most useful with organic material, but which can also handle some plastics, to produce both ‘bio-char’ for sale to agriculture or industry, and a ‘natural’ gas for renewable energy. One company, Pacific Pyrolysis on the New South Wales central coast, is currently in a commercialisation phase and is looking at a number of market opportunities, including two test projects with councils in New South Wales and Western Australia. One of those projects is being undertaken with Ballina Shire in northern New South Wales, and the company is now treating a mixed stream of green and bio-solids that would otherwise have been sent to landfill. ‘I think pyrolysis is a good fit with local government, and can deliver big cost savings and landfill diversion rates, including carbon credits,’ said Pacific Pyrolysis’ David Lau. ‘So far the Ballina pilot is looking like paying for itself, and of course … the costs will continue to fall over time.’ Another company, South Australia-based SITAResourceCo, has been successfully producing what it calls process engineered fuels from commercial waste since the mid 1990s, and has continued to expand. While it doesn’t take domestic waste (local government is part of its client base for its construction and demolition material) it is creating usable products like road base, mulch and construction material, while also delivering renewable energy and leaving only five per cent, the company says, as landfill. According to David Gamble from GHD Consulting – whose firm has provided expert advice to the Australian Government on waste technology – the search for better waste treatment technologies won’t stop. ‘I think we’ll see continuing improvements, if not rapid change or take-up in some of the accepted and emerging technologies,’ David said. ‘The challenge will remain how economic some of the solutions are, how they impact social or environmental issues, and making sure all councils can get access to these opportunities.’

High-tech waste One sign of the challenge facing local government in reducing the amount of waste they have to deal with is the growing army of electrical gadgets in our

homes. Barely an issue 20 years ago, the digital revolution has not only made over appliances like televisions and fridges, but unleashed a whole suite of new devices such as mobile phones, laptops and iPods that never existed before – all of which are regularly superseded. E-waste – as it’s now known – is already a huge problem, and is expected to get even bigger. The Waste Report pointed out that electronic garbage is growing three times faster than the normal domestic sort, and that 16 million televisions and computers alone were discarded into tips in 2008. Only 10 per cent were recycled in 2008, despite the presence of valuable metals like copper, zinc and gold. The Australian Government has said it will introduce ‘product stewardship legislation’ this year to pave the way for a television and computer collection and recycling scheme aimed at removing around 110,000 tonnes of television and computer waste from landfill by 2021 – and possibly extended to other appliances over time. While some critics have questioned how fast this will occur, it’s clear that more money is being made available to local government to tackle the issue, and most notably with so-called ‘takeback’ events and education campaigns. Local government is likely to remain the face of most of these efforts for the foreseeable future, and there have been a broad range of successful e-waste campaigns around the country over the past twelve months, including at Broken Hill, new depots at six metropolitan sites in Perth and a highly successful project by Liverpool Council in Sydney called ‘Get Rid Of Your E-Waste The Safe Way’.

Managing Our Future Resources It’s clear that waste management here and overseas is starting to change. Not only are communities increasingly taking an interest in the area; they actively support many of the activities being led by their local councils, such as recycling, waste minimisation, landfill diversion and e-waste collection. It’s also an exciting time when it comes to the mechanics of waste disposal, as new technologies increasingly help local government to turn rubbish into usable, profitable and green resources – a process that’s about to get even more innovative. G

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ARRTaistivtice,

innov company seeks future-thinking councils for sustainable partnerships

SITA believes the future of waste management in a carbon constrained world will be based on much greater levels of resource recovery, recycling materials, production of processed engineered fuel and energy, and reuse of organic material for compost. One of the most important decisions a council can make to reduce its greenhouse gas footprint is what it does with its waste. SITA has a wide range of Advanced Resource Recovery Technologies (ARRT) which will assist councils to minimise environmental impact, reduce costs and improve social responsibility.

131335 the leader in resource recovery

sita.com.au

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

Procuring Sustainable ARRT for Councils Currently, only about 5 percent of mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) is processed through dedicated recovery facilities in Australia, with the remaining 95% being landfilled. Technologies exist today that enable councils to deliver on their sustainability goals and actively reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. SITA Environmental Solutions (SITA) can now offer Advanced Resource Recovery Technologies (ARRTs) that offer a high diversion alternative through re-using this currently ‘wasted’ landfilled feedstock.

dvanced resource recovery facilities are operated by SITA in almost every state. These facilities are purpose built to: • capture valuable commodities and products; • maximise landfill diversion; • safely dispose of the residual waste; and • accept, process and transform raw materials into valuable, beneficial products for land application and for energy generation. By all councils adopting best-of-class resource recovery practices, approximately 7 million tonnes of the organics currently being landfilled could be diverted through processes successfully operating in Australia today. However, what can councils do with the non-organic residual fraction? These residuals can now be transformed into process engineered fuel (PEF) and re-used in furnaces and power stations. SITA’s ARRT facilities that produce PEF also have the added benefit of producing renewable energy, and when combined with SITA’s organics ARRT facilities, can achieve a total diversion from landfill of up to 80 percent. The PEF option has a critical place in diverting an ever increasing amount of mixed solid waste streams from landfill in Australia. SITA owns and operates the Adelaide SITAResourceCo Recovery Facility, which produces 80,000 tonnes per annum of PEF from 150,000 tonnes of mixed commercial and industrial (C&I) as well as construction and demolition (C&D) waste streams. This PEF is used as an alternative fuel at the Adelaide Brighton Cement kiln in Birkenhead, SA. The landfill diversion of the facility is over 90 percent of the combined C&I and C&D feedstocks. The facility has been supported by the South Australian State Government and is monitored by the SA EPA. SITA-ResourceCo Alternative Fuels is the first Australian waste-to-energy company to be certified Greenhouse Friendly by the Federal Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

ARRT Drivers Figure 1 (below) illustrates the shift away from traditional landfilling of waste toward the recovery of resources through production of renewable energy and composts.

Technology Options Despite the large number of resource recovery technologies (sometimes referred to as AWT) available to councils, many are commercially unproven. Table 1 (opposite) provides a global comparison of treatment technologies, the approximate processing fees and the number of facilities operating commercially. SITA only proposes low risk, commercially proven, robust and project appropriate ARRT solutions to councils. Figure 1 – The changing role of landfill

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:07:10 AM

ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY Table 1 – Global advanced resource recovery technology options Processing fee ($AUD)

No. facilities globally

MBT

180+

200+

Anaerobic Digestion

200+

100+

Organic Compost

70+

1000+

Technology

Dry Recycling

50+

5,000+

Energy-from-Waste

250+

1000+

PEF / SRF

150+

500+

Gasification 1

500+

<10

Pyrolysis

Biochar

$1 billion investment written off 1995 – 2005. In Japan the gate fee is

$500 million investment written off.

Commercially unproven.

~$500 per tonne.

ARRT Procurement Roadmap SITA has developed a roadmap for council procurement of ARRT. Figure 2 (below) summarises the key components for consideration when undertaking this process. The availability of a suitable site on which to construct and operate an ARRT facility is a critical procurement success factor. The associated environmental and planning approvals process can be both expensive and lengthy. When evaluating a tender opportunity, ARRT proponents seek commitment to procure from participating councils. Shareholders and investors require certainty that participating councils have a

genuine desire to select a preferred tenderer in order to approve the $400,000 to $500,000 investment needed to submit a tender. Unfortunately there have been a number of ARRT tenders during 2010 that have been withdrawn, delayed or failed to procure. Councils may consider the following sequential ARRT decision pathway: 1. What is council’s waste diversion target/ objective? 2. What outputs does council expect the ARRT to produce? (e.g. compost, energy, recyclables) 3. Do markets exist for the proposed product outputs for the operational life of the facility? 4. How does council need to collect the waste feedstock in order to achieve the proposed product outputs? (e.g. a 2 bin or 3 bin system and various configurations plus collection frequencies) 5. What is the lowest risk technology option available to achieve council’s target waste diversion, and the production of the proposed outputs? Procurement and delivery of an ARRT for council can take from three to six years to complete. This represents a significant investment by council and industry. Focus on risk allocation prior to procurement will ensure councils procure affordable ARRT that recovers resources and produces quality products and sustainable outcomes. A focus on unproven technologies will only increase risk and the length of time taken to negotiate on risk allocation. For more information on SITA’s ARRT facilities please contact Ben Connell on 02 8754 0000, mobile 0434 145 821 or email ben_connell@sita.com.au.

Figure 2 – ARRT procurement roadmap

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

The art of marketing compost By Eric Love, Centre for Organic & Research Enterprises (CORE) Australia generates around 20 million tonnes of recyclable organic materials every year. Recovering and processing recyclable organic materials into compost products makes a significant contribution to ecological, social and economic development. Every tonne of organic material diverted from landfill saves in the order of 0.9 to 2.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, and every tonne of composted mulch applied to land can sequester approximately 0.25 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

he benefits include reducing the waste of recyclable organics going to landfill, preserving natural resources, improving agricultural productivity, increasing water efficiency, improving soil and water quality, garden vitality, sequestering carbon in the soil, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, recycling valuable nutrients and decreasing the use of damaging chemical products. The recycling sector is also a major contributor to job creation. Many local government authorities (LGAs) are now successfully collecting recyclable organic material at the kerbside in addition to providing drop-off services. There is a diverse range of available processing technologies and systems producing various grades and quality of compost products; however, the greatest challenge for decision-making for local government remains the uncertainty about available markets for the compost products resulting from the various processing facility options. While collection and processing can be tendered out, market adoption of compost products is subject to the commercial realities of the demand creation process. The benefits of recycling organic materials are not realised until they are converted into products and used. Consequently, the responsibility for recycling can only end when it is beneficially used. Education programs can assist, but a strong marketing program is the key to success. This includes localised market potential analysis and subsequent product design that meets the market needs of the specific locality, and then the design and implementation of marketing campaigns that target local market opportunities. One of these markets is the council itself. There are departments that have considerable demand. For example, parks and gardens departments can use composts, mulches and garden soils made from recycled materials in their daily activities. Local government stormwater practitioners can use specially formulated media containing recycled composted materials for treating and reusing stormwater runoff. These media are also used in erosion and sediment control products. But identifying this demand potential in a council department does not automatically ensure that these departments will use the products.

Rain Garden

The Centre for Organic & Resource Enterprises (CORE) is one organisation that is working with councils on programs that can demonstrate the benefits of using compost products. These programs include demonstrations within council departments and programs to encourage residents and local communities to use recycled organic products, and integrate composting into the daily waste management processes. One of these programs is the multi-stakeholder Healthy Parks, Ovals and Waterways (HPO&W) Program. In 2009, five councils, supported by the Metropolitan Waste Management Group, Sustainability Victoria and EcoBuy, participated in eight projects that successfully demonstrated the cost benefits to various council departments. The demonstration projects included compost products such as top dressing, mulches, soil conditioners and enviromedia applied on parks and gardens, sporting ovals, reserves and in sediment and erosion control and stormwater treatment and harvesting applications. This program demonstrates to the respective council departments that professionally manufactured compost products derived from their own kerbside collections can reduce costs, while maintaining quality and performance requirements. (continued on page 84)

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314233

ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

Transpacific Cleanaway

ranspacific, with subsidiary company, Transpacific Cleanaway, is a one stop shop solution for waste collections, resource recovery and processing facilities, alternative waste technologies, landfills and more. As a total waste provider for local government, Transpacific offers kerbside collections and recycling; hazardous and liquid waste collections (such as holding tanks, grease trap, waste oils, septic tanks, solvents and paints); and asset maintenance including drain and sewer cleaning. In addition to delivering waste services, Transpacific Cleanaway also works with local councils to run education programs for preschools, primary and secondary schools. Transpacific Cleanawayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Regional Manager, Sydney Municipal Ken Donley, said the education programs helped local communities reap a number of social and environmental benefits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By learning about Council-provided waste services from an early age, children have greater environmental awareness which can lead to long term behavioural changes when considering their waste,â&#x20AC;? he said. Transpacific also provides a rapid emergency spills response service across Australia, as called upon during the recent Shen Neng 1 oil disaster off the Great

Barrier Reef. Transpacific were able to call on all facets of the business to provide a single contact for recovery, storage and subsequent treatment of the spilled product. Transpacificâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Emergency Response capabilities are supported by a dedicated 24 hours a day, seven days per week, 1800 SPILLS (1800 774 557) hotline.

Your local government waste management specialists

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY (continued from page 82)

The products used in this program carried the of organic systems. Local governments are using this Compost Australia Leaf Brand Certification and platform program to promote to their communities complied with the Australian Standard AS 4454. how organic systems contribute to environmental Local government involvement in other integrated sustainability, particularly climate change abatement, multi stakeholder programs such as the Healthy and carbon sequestration, organic farming practices, Sustainable Gardens Program conducted in Victoria food waste avoidance, composting and water over the last four years have significantly increased use efficiency. demand for recycled mulches and compost products. Finding alternatives to potable water and water The Healthy and Sustainable Gardens Program is quality improvement are high on the agenda for local supported by 20 councils, their local compost governments. Consequently, technology for water processors and product manufacturers, 30 retail treatment, re-use, sediment and erosion control outlets, the Metropolitan Waste Management Group, using tailored organic products is gaining significant and Sustainability Victoria. momentum in local government authorities. This program uses participatory techniques, The technology described as Reactive Filter Media and combines stakeholder resources, to provide (RFM) consists of media designs that incorporate incentives to garden and landscape retail outlets natural and recycled materials with no chemical and consumers to try the recycled compost product inputs that are used successfully in bio-filtration alternative. Not only has this stimulated high applications. Scientific studies (McLaughlin, UTS, demand during the e program, 2007) and an installation monitoring have identified NYHT but surveys and substantial removal of stormwater pollutants substa YV 7 7 Z U .HYKL . 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One of filter socks and filter bales to improve water quality, the programs designed to assist councils in educating particularly in water supply catchments. their communities on ways to use compost products The combination of RFM technologies is used to is the autumn program â&#x20AC;&#x201C; International Composting control velocities, divert flows, treat contaminants, Awareness Week (ICAW). Now in its sixth year and and harvest and store recovered stormwater that can conducted in May each year, ICAW offers Waste be made available for use. The captured water is of Education Officers an excellent platform on which adequate quality to be used for the water to provide information and conduct demonstrations requirements during the grading of the roads and to their communities. The media coverage resulting may be an available source of water for strikers to from this type of platform program makes a significant use in the event of bushfires. contribution to raising public awareness and hence The RFM core technology is used in devices such creates market demand. as filtersocks and filterbales that are used for erosion Another similar program is the spring program and sediment control. These specialised compost â&#x20AC;&#x201C; National Organic Week. This program focuses on products are directly assisting councils to manage creating community awareness about the benefits runoff in their own construction and building activities nce ha rC You rth Wo

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84 â&#x20AC;˘ The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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316615

ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

Lusty EMS Moving Floor Trailers

o remain at the forefront of aluminium trailer technology for the waste industry, Lusty EMS has invested heavily in the things that mater most: its manufacturing techniques, design and engineering skills, its people and the very latest materials. But all along, its greatest investment has been in listening to its customers. Lusty EMS Moving Floor trailers are available in both Heavy and Medium Duty construction. The Heavy Duty is a full aluminium construction utilising full aluminium sheets and a full chassis for the Waste and Construction Industry whereas the Medium Duty is a plank construction utilizing extruded planks, rear barn doors and a monocoque chassis construction designed for cartage of landscaping and lighter bulk materials. Whatever your need, Lusty EMS can assist, by bringing together a wealth of knowledge and vast understanding of trailer technology to work with you to create the transport solution you are looking for. Ever conscious of the need to deliver payload advantage to its transport customers, Lusty EMS reduces every gram of excess weight to deliver lower tare that gives its customers a clear competitive advantage.

Further information on the Lusty EMS Moving Floor trailer and other aluminium and steel road transport equipment can be viewed at www.lustyems.com.au

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The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011 • 85

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY (continued from page 84)

and also with achieving regulatory compliance with private sector builders and developers. The rehabilitation of quarries, mine sites, power facilities, forestry and degraded agricultural land is becoming increasingly more regulated. The Rehabilitation Action Agenda (RAA) Program demonstrates the benefits of using recycled organic materials for rehabilitation including reduced water usage, dust and weed suppression, erosion control/ bank stabilisation, reduced plant mortalities, reduced fertiliser cost and the accumulation of valuable soil/ humus bank for future use. With rising input costs, scarcity of available phosphorous, drought fears and declining yields, the agricultural sector is increasingly incorporating compost products into their farming systems. The Sustainable Amendments for Agriculture (SAFA) research and demonstration program provides farmers with an opportunity to trial the use of recycled organic materials on a large scale at little or no cost. The SAFA program is demonstrating improvements in yield, quality, soil structure, water and nutrient holding capacity and provision of supplementary nutrients. With waste diversion targets being imposed by state governments, and uncertainty over technology alternatives, many councils are finding that the decision-making process of evaluating and implementing integrated waste management solutions, particularly management of the organic fractions, has become extremely complex.

The Strategic Organic Sessions (SOS) program is designed to take the burden off local governments when evaluating and making difficult decisions regarding the identification of successful methods for implementing waste and resource recovery systems, with an emphasis on managing the organic waste streams. Focusing on all aspects of organic recycling in the context of the local governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total waste system, the SOS program is designed to work with local government to cover topics that include: collection, technology options, cost impacts, processing, markets and beneficial re-use. The recycled organic sector has achieved higher levels of product quality, developed new products and demonstrated the remarkable cost benefits of using compost products in a wide variety of new and traditional public and private sector applications. Research has shown that there is higher demand potential than there is supply but it needs to be captured. Implementing effective marketing campaigns and programs is essential to stimulating the demand creation process in all sectors and jurisdictions and is the key to removing the uncertainty in the local government landscape about markets for compost products. G

For more information contact: Centre for Organic & Resource Enterprises (CORE) 1300 885 566 www.corebusinessnet.com

The Premium Absorbent The 100% organic, non-leaching, oil absorbent. Used on both land and water spills. Specifically designed to meet highest EPA requirements. www.sokerol.com Ph 1300 889 262 Fax 1300 889 253 86 â&#x20AC;˘ The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

Create a cleaner future with Century Batteries.

enturyYuasa Batteries, Australia’s oldest and most recognised battery manufacturer has launched a National Battery Recycling Program designed to inform motorists on the importance of battery recycling and 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 responsibly. Used lead acid batteries contain hazardous materials which if not handled correctly may prove harmful to humans, wildlife and the local environment. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Australian households have a used automotive battery on their property, which poses a serious environmental and health risk, particularly when 98% of a used lead acid battery is recyclable. According to Allan Woodford, Marketing Manager for Century Yuasa’s Automotive division “As a responsible business it is important that we manage the ‘cradle to grave’ process of manufacture, distribution and responsible disposal of used batteries. In many cases we have found that people are simply unaware of how or where to dispose of their used batteries correctly and as a result we often see batteries discarded with household waste, at local refuse sites or dumped on road sides. The Battery Recycling Program provides motorists, homeowners and business with the outlets and resources to dispose of the batteries correctly and is also focused on educating people on the importance of recycling used lead acid batteries to reduce their

environmental impact.” Century’s recycling program provides a total scrap battery management solution, which includes a regular scrap battery collection service, marketing support and assistance with the environmental issues and legislation associated with the handling and storage of used lead acid batteries. 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, homeowners and businesses 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. Century’s scheme has become extremely popular and attracted the support of leading environmental groups including Planet Ark, Inside Waste and Greenpages. 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

The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011 • 87

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

City of Onkaparinga Accolades for the City of Onkaparinga’s approach to sustainable water management.

he City of Onkaparinga is being recognised for its innovative water management approach in response to the challenges of drought, population growth, industrial demand and climate change. This approach is being recognised at all levels including: • the Water Conservation Award at the 2010 National Keep Australia Beautiful (KAB) Sustainable Cities Awards • the Stormwater Industry Association’s 2010 national award for excellence in strategic or master planning • Water Industry Alliance’s 2010 alliance award • Local Government Manager’s Association 2010 South Australia excellence in sustainability award • our program leader winning the title of South Australia’s Young Water Professional of the Year by the Australian Water Association. Highlights of the strategic and innovative approach include our: • Water Proofing the South initiative including the Christie Creek upgrade • Aldinga Hart Road wetland • major irrigation water savings resulting through diligent management and control.

Foundations of our water management solutions Several wastewater and stormwater management schemes exist within the city to support the region. While each is important in its own right, these schemes evolved somewhat independently and without a single, clear vision or target to maximise re-use. 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. The result was Water Proofing the South.

Water Proofing the South Delivering a city’s vision to harness and integrate alternative sources of water Water Proofing the South was devised to deliver a localised integrated water resource management strategy entirely within the City of Onkaparinga. It aims to provide ‘fit-for-purpose’ alternative water sources to traditional sources so that overall water use in the region is sustainable.

Stage 1 – capitalising on reclaimed water infrastructure and laying the foundations for stormwater reuse The $185M 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. The project has also received $34.5M in funding support from the Commonwealth Government together with contributions from Flinders University and the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board. With existing schemes in place, more extensive infrastructure has been required to deliver the desired increase in the use of recycled water. Through the unique collaboration between the City of Onkaparinga, SA Water and the privately owned Willunga Basin Water, we have collectively implemented: • 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 by 1.1GL of above ground storage with complementary aquifer storage schemes • the reuse of surplus stormwater in the Christie Creek catchment including environmental and recreational benefits. These projects have delivered the critical architecture necessary to further integrate the vast network of alternative water supplies in the southern areas of metropolitan Adelaide.

Stage 2 – furthering stormwater reuse in the City of Onkaparinga 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. We 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 stage 2 concept includes the creation of four new wetlands and Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) schemes and an extensive network of pipe transfer infrastructure. The planning has taken an annual coastal outfall of approximately 24GL of stormwater and the need to preserve environmental flows into consideration. As a result, we will harvest approximately 2.8GL. 2.2GL will be made available for reuse with 20% preserved in the aquifer for environmental purposes. For more information please contact Benjamin Hall at the City of Onkaparinga on 08 8384 0595 or benhal@onkaparinga.sa.gov.au or visit www.onkaparingacity.com/wps

88 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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Water Proofing the South - delivering a localised, integrated water management strategy for Adelaide’s southern suburbs. The City of Onkaparinga’s sustainable approach to water management is being recognised at all levels. This innovative approach responds to the challenges of drought, population growth, industrial demand and climate change. The $215M Water Proofing the South program* will deliver approximately 6GL of treated effluent and stormwater for reuse in new housing developments, the irrigation of public open space and the local viticulture industry. As stage 1 of the project nears completion the City of Onkaparinga has been acknowledged for its collaborative alliance across all tiers of government and the private sector. It has also been applauded for its excellence in sustainability and an integrated, community oriented approach to strategic planning for water related infrastructure. * Stage 1 has been made possible through the collective effort of the City of Onkaparinga, SA Water and the privately owned Willunga Basin Water with funding support from the federal and state governments. Stage 2 is to be delivered by the City of Onkaparinga with funding support from the federal and state governments.

WPS486

12:33 AM

DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

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South Australia – Water for good As the driest state in the driest inhabited continent, it comes as little surprise that South Australia has had to find innovative ways of securing its water supply.

Adelaide Desalination Plant under construction

n doing so, the state has also become a national leader in scientific research, water sustainability and clever recycling. With prolonged drought threatening the South Australian stretches of the Murray River over the past few years, and population growth, declining rainfall and climate change all taking their toll on other water supplies, the state introduced the ‘Water for Good’ plan as its blueprint for the future. The first ‘Water for Good Annual Statement 2010’ – a report card on the actions in the plan – was released in November 2010, and shows that the work undertaken to better secure and manage the state’s water supplies has already achieved significant results. The state is proudly leading the nation in stormwater capture and reuse, and wastewater recycling and efficient irrigation practices, has significantly reduced mains water use, and is working on a range of other initiatives to secure future supplies. The ‘Water for Good’ plan identified 94 key actions to help diversify water sources, improve the way the state uses water, and modernise the water industry. It was released in June 2009 and was prepared at a time when unprecedented dry weather patterns were affecting the state; thus it provides for both ‘moderate dry year’ and ‘extreme dry year’ scenarios.

At the time of the plan’s release, South Australia already led the nation in stormwater recycling, but was committed to further action. Since then, expenditure on stormwater recycling has rapidly increased, and the state government is working closely with local government to ensure that these projects are delivered. In 2009-10 these collaborative efforts were successful in securing Commonwealth funding for nine stormwater projects in a $150 million investment. They will help to ensure that the Greater Adelaide region will exceed its stormwater harvesting target of 20 gigalitres per annum by 2013. South Australia’s Department for Water is also developing a strategy to achieve the long-term goal of harvesting 60 gigalitres of stormwater per year in Greater Adelaide by 2050. It is being assisted by a Stormwater Taskforce whose membership includes the Local Government Association of South Australia. Wastewater recycling is another area in which South Australia is leading the way. About one third of the wastewater from SA Water’s treatment plants is reused each year for irrigation, toilet flushing and the watering of public parks and gardens. This compares with the national capital city average of 13 per cent. However, a ‘Water for Good’ target is to recycle 45 per cent by 2013.

90 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY One of the state’s major wastewater recycling projects was completed in early 2010. The $76 million Glenelg to Adelaide Park Lands Recycled Water Project is a 32-kilometre network taking recycled water from a treatment plant at Glenelg to the parks and gardens managed by the City of Adelaide. The project was completed ahead of schedule and meant that a significant amount of wastewater was able to be diverted from being discharged into Gulf St

This recycled water will be able to be used on public reserves, school ovals and other appropriate sites. As part of becoming internationally recognised as a water-sensitive state, South Australia has also introduced the WaterWise Communities program, which by late 2010 had recruited 47 councils, 2,730 householders, more than 100 businesses and 72 community groups. The program teaches those who register how to

Vincent. The project has the capacity to provide up to 5.5 gigalitres of high-quality recycled water each year, 1.3 gigalitres of which is earmarked for the parklands. The remainder is available to existing customers, including councils, businesses, schools and government departments. Meanwhile, the $62.6 million Southern Urban Reuse Project is being jointly funded by the South Australian and Commonwealth Governments. As an element of the state’s ‘Waterproofing the South’ strategy, it is led by the City of Onkaparinga in partnership with SA Water. Under this project, 1.6 gigalitres of treated wastewater will be stored and provided to up to 8,000 new homes in Adelaide’s south for use in dual reticulation systems. Regional communities will also benefit from wastewater reuse. It is expected that more than eight gigalitres of recycled water will be made available for regional areas under the $200 million Statewide Wastewater Recycling Project. Local governments are providing $180 million of this funding, with the Commonwealth contributing the remainder. Across South Australia, more than 60 existing community wastewater management systems are being upgraded to enable treated wastewater to be used instead of mains and groundwater resources.

use water more wisely and learn about water-saving activities in their local area. The state government, Local Government Association of SA, and SA Water are behind the initiative, which distributes kits containing water saving tips for the home, garden or business, a four-minute shower timer, personal water saving plan, gardening calendar and booklet on rebates for water-saving devices. Another key element in the move towards greater water security is the construction of the Adelaide Desalination Plant, which will provide a secure, non-rainfall-dependent source of drinking water for Adelaide. As one of the most significant construction and engineering projects ever undertaken in the metropolitan area, it will ultimately deliver up to 300 megalitres of drinking water a day. The first water is due to be delivered in July 2011 and less than six months after that, the plant is expected to be producing the equivalent of 50 gigalitres a year. It is due to reach capacity of 100 gigalitres a year by the end of 2012. The desalination plant is powered by renewable energy and uses reverse osmosis technology. A pipeline to deliver desalinated water to the existing supply network was commissioned in late 2010. G

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Mahogany Wetlands

Tea Tree Gully Water… Naturally Better

he City of Tea Tree Gully is one of Australia’s first councils taking action to arrest the widespread degradation of its natural resources and minimise unsustainable use of its precious water resources, by implementing an integrated water management system. Addressing the challenges of the recent drought, population growth, business development and climate change; the strategy aligns itself well with the South Australian Government’s Water Proofing Adelaide project that seeks to establish a blueprint for the management, conservation and development of Adelaide’s future water resources. Since 2006 Tea Tree Gully has worked in partnership with Playford and Salisbury Councils and state government agencies, to become self-sustaining in water requirements. During this time, Tea Tree Gully has successfully developed 7 wetlands, 10 managed aquifer recharge schemes, 35Km of recycled water delivery pipe, a Class A wastewater treatment plant at Yatala Vale and an innovative media filtration stormwater treatment plant with UV disinfection at Wynn Vale Dam. In an Australian first, the Wynn Vale Treatment Plant takes stormwater treatment to the next level. It has pioneered the use of mechanical technology, to treat stormwater to a level where it is fit to irrigate open spaces efficiently and economically. Given that Tea Tree Gully has one of the highest levels of open space for a metropolitan South

Australian council, previously using approximately 900 Ml per year, this project significantly reduces Tea Tree Gully’s annual mains water consumption and reduces its reliance on the River Murray, which is under considerable duress. The injection of stormwater into the aquifer and subsequent recovery also helps to achieve urban renewal within the City by rejuvenating and revitalising open space affected by severe hot weather and drought conditions, whilst also improving the quality and condition of groundwater. Another sustainable water strategy is the construction of a Wastewater Treatment Plant at Yatala Vale. The plant will recycle wastewater mined from the existing sewer network into water suitable for irrigation and non-potable use (toilet flushing, washing cars, garden irrigation) and is due to be operational by December 2010. Initially the plant will have a capacity of 1.1 Ml per day, with the ultimate aim of boosting this amount to 1.6 Ml a day or 600 Ml a year. By implementing an integrative approach to stormwater, groundwater and wastewater recycling and utilising a mixture of catchment management techniques, storage treatment trains and distribution/ operation, the City of Tea Tree Gully is ensuring it will have an excellent source of recycled water even in the most severe drought years – considerably reducing its reliance on mains water and the River Murray by approximately 1.5 gigalitres (Gl) per year, making it one of the most water-sustainable cities in Australia.

92 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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:46:04 AM

Innovative water solutions

Our integrated water management and sustainability program includes: Wetlands Managed Aquifer Recharge Schemes Recycled water delivery pipe Class A wastewater treatment plant Media Àltration stormwater treatment plant with UV disinfectant Environmentally-sensitive urban design

For more information, please contact us on 08 8397 7444 or visit www.teatreegully.sa.gov.au

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The National Water Commission – working to drive water reform The National Water Commission is an independent statutory body set up in 2004 to drive the national reform agenda agreed to by Australian governments under the National Water Initiative (NWI). One of its roles is to provide advice to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) on water policy and management issues. Its other roles are to assess governments’ progress against the commitments in the NWI and to audit the Murray Darling Basin Plan. Through the $250 million Raising National Water Standards Program, the Commission has invested in a suite of projects to improve water management and build better understanding of our water resources. In performing its advocacy role, the Commission issues position statements to provide thought leadership and advance recommendations on pressing water reform issues. Recent Commission position statements of interest to local government cover water interception,

mining, planning, pricing, market performance, the impacts of water trade, and water availability and use. The Commission works across a wide range of water reform issues including: water accounting, emerging water markets, water planning and management, irrigation and other rural

water, water-dependent ecosystems, integrated urban water management, groundwater, northern rivers, national assessment of water resources, northern futures and knowledge and capacity building. More information can be found at www.nwc.gov.au

National Water Commission Driving water reform in Australia Managing our water more effectively is one of the greatest challenges facing Australia. The National Water Commission is responsible for driving national water reform under the National Water Initiative - Australia’s blueprint for how water will be managed into the future. National imperatives for water management include more effective water planning to determine how we share valuable water resources between competing uses, protection of significant environmental assets, expansion of water markets, and improved security of water supplies and entitlements. The Commission provides advice to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and the Australian Government on national water issues. To advance its reform objectives, the Commission also reports regularly on

specific aspects of water management such as the performance of urban water utilities and rural water service providers, the operation of Australian water markets, and the impacts of water trading. Through its $250 million Raising National Water Standards Program, the Commission invests in projects to advance water reform and improve water management. The Commission also provides leadership by being a catalyst for water reform. Waterlines reports are regularly published to boost understanding of water management issues.

Through its bienniel assessments, the Commission reports to COAG on progress towards implementing the commitments agreed by the Australian, state and territory governments under the National Water Initiative. The second biennial assessment Australian Water Resources 2009 found that despite some progress, the pace of water reform has slowed on almost every front. In its recommendations to COAG, the Commission has called on governments to commit to a renewed round of national water reform.

Position statements are released to improve the quality of debate about water challenges and recommend actions to advance reform.

For more information, visit the Commission’s website - www.nwc.gov.au.

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314223

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

Solar Inverters Pty Ltd

he market for renewable energy is displaying tremendous growth, this is particularly so with the cost of conventional energy rising dramatically in addition to continuing concern over the pollution associated with these old forms of energy production. Recognising the financial and environmental positives, forward thinking councils are ramping up their renewable energy activities and enquiries. Those in the market for renewable power can benefit from a broad range of technologies, manufacturers and installers. With many new Solar and Wind power businesses, as well as some long established ones, the renewable energy industry, clearly has significant capacity. But who do you choose and how do you know they have the experience to deliver? Peter Bulanyi, Managing Director of Solar Inverters Pty Ltd says, “renewable energy is strictly a science and engineering business. Companies that are serious about renewable energy primarily employ electronics engineers, technicians and electricians.” 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. Solar Inverters also 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. 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 roof top solar projects, the design supply, installation and long term maintenance of a 136.5kW rooftop solar system for Coffs Harbour City Council.” At Solar Inverters, our aim is to continue to design, supply and install the highest quality commercial scale systems possible, with performance that delivers in terms of Return on Investment and CO2 abatement. Feel free to call us with your technical questions and we will happily assist so that you can make the best purchasing decision.

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Quality

Brands ~ Engineering ~ Service 136.5kW 136 13 6 5k 5kW W Solar Power System Council Building Coffs Harbour

650 x 210W Kyocera Panels 22 x 6kW Aurora Inverters Scientific grade environmental sensors and data logger Custom engineered solar panel mounting system Not all systems fit one standard design. This installation had various shading issues which required the use of multiple string inverters instead of one large central inverter.

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY

The outlook for solar energy technologies By Alastair Brooks, Sinclair Knight Merz The use of the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy to provide heat and electricity for our needs has enticed markets and governments to invest in R&D, set targets, offer incentives and assist a wide range of solar technologies.

Figure 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Worldwide direct normal solar irradiation (DLR 2008).

he number of applications is broad and increasing, and development of technologies continues to improve the effectiveness of solar capture, conversion and dispatch. Markets will continue to grow in all sectors, with some consolidation expected following the worldwide financial crisis. However, this growth will remain reliant on subsidies, availability of resources and continued research as capital cost remains the greatest barrier to mass deployment.

Background Harnessing the power of the sun directly or indirectly remains at the core of future energy scenarios. Direct solar electricity production is predicted to provide over 400TWh in 20301, with estimated cumulative investment of over $500 billion. The variability of the resource by time and place

presents its own set of unique challenges. However, the technical, political, economic, environmental and social challenges of harnessing solar energy are increasingly being overcome by investors, developers, scientists, governments and communities around the world. The range of solar technologies, applications and size of installations has increased markedly over the last decade. Broadly, these can be split into three categories: photovoltaics that produce electricity directly from solar radiation (PV); concentrating solar power (CSP) thermal devices, which use heat for electricity production in a steam turbine; and solar thermal devices for direct heat applications. Each technology has unique properties, benefits, disadvantages and costs. Cost remains the largest challenge for solar technologies, with high capital costs driving levellised

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY costs several times higher than conventional supply technologies. All require subsidies and supportive policy frameworks to be competitive, and these are increasingly forthcoming as governments set carbon emission reduction targets amid climate change and energy security concerns.

produced per kilowatt peak installed capacity (kWh/kWp). The rise of building integrated PV helps to improve the economics as they can be incorporated into the building envelope or used as an alternative to high cost cladding.

Concentrated solar power

Photovoltaics

The oil price shock of the 1970s resulted in R&D programs in concentrating solar power and some The PV market has grown rapidly over the last power plant development in the US in the ’80s and 10 years with installed capacity increasing by 1,500 ’90s. Eventually interest waned as low oil prices per cent to some 15GW by end 2008, primarily from reduced competitiveness of the technology. Recently, crystalline silicon modules. Recent developments in CSP has undergone a renaissance, and the overall photovoltaic efficiency and cost, driven by increased market potential is significant with estimated realisable volumes and larger scale production facilities and potential of 20-42GW by 20253. With the assistance of applications, give some promise that the costs of solar power are coming down, but still have a way to go government incentives, a variety of demonstration/ before they will be able to compete on cost. utility scale plants have come online in the past few Despite PV years, primarily being a in the US and $USD relatively Spain. $250 expensive way Opporto generate tunities for CSP $200 electricity, development governments exist where around the direct solar $150 globe continue radiation is at to provide least 2000kWh/ $100 subsidies to m2/yr4. support its The centralised $50 development nature and due to some of multi-megawatt the inherent scale of CSP fit $0 advantages well with Photovoltaic Concentrated Solar Hot Building and overall utilities. Solar Power Water Integrated promise of the Additionally, the Photovoltaic technology ability to store – being that thermal energy Figure 2: Estimated cumulative investment (USD billions) in solar technologies 2008–2030. Based on figures presented in the IEA World Energy Outlook 2009. it is silent, low and generate maintenance, electricity can be deployed in a distributed nature in the urban outside of sunlight hours can improve capacity factors environment and coupled with strong popular support to over 60 per cent and provides a critical advantage for solar technologies. This investment has led to new over PV. Economies of scale and increased R&D are technology developments, increased efficiency of predicted to enable CSP to become competitive with existing technologies and expanding manufacturing traditional technologies. bases. An interesting development has been the use Solar thermal of PV in utility-scale power plants. The Topaz Solar There is a wide range of thermal applications for power plant in California will have a capacity of direct use of solar energy. Perhaps the most well 550MW when completed. Recently, First Solar known is for domestic hot water use and total global announced their intention to build a 2GW PV power capacity is estimated at 145GWth5 – or over 200km2 plant in China. Currently, the largest thin film plant of collector area. China leads the way and installed is in Germany and utilises 53MW of cadmium telluride more than two thirds of the total market in 2008, due to technology. In Spain a 60MW2 plant has been low manufacturing costs and government incentives. completed that uses crystalline silicon modules. A range of other technologies or techniques exist for Flexible triple junction amorphous silicon laminate harnessing the heat from the sun, including: solar modules have been used in an 11.8MW roof mounted ponds utilising salinity gradients for water desalination building integrated installation for General Motors in able to generate heat or electricity; solar panels for Zaragoza, Spain. low to medium temperature industrial applications; Whilst efficiency is important, it only makes up concentrated solar for direct steam production in part of the equation when considering investment in industry or food production; solar thermal cooling PV. Commonly a system is assessed on the dollars per using absorption chilling for refrigeration or air watt peak installed capacity ($/Wp) or kilowatt-hours

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY conditioning; passive solar design in buildings to maintain internal temperatures; and simple solar cookers and dryers.

Policy issues to assess Solar technologies have been, and still are, heavily reliant on subsidies and supportive policy frameworks. Governments have implemented a number of approaches including capital subsidies, feed-in tariffs, and tax credits. Generous feed-in tariffs in Germany paved the way to rapid acceleration of solar PV by providing investors with confidence through removal of the uncertainty of future electricity prices and providing guaranteed income. There are now over 506 schemes in existence worldwide at a regional and national level covering most renewable energy technologies. As the markets grow and costs of solar technologies become closer to grid price parity, degression of these subsidies presents new challenges to governments and investors alike. Germany has set a degression rate for PV installations of eight per cent per annum. This has created a rush of applications to the scheme resulting in a shortage of balance of systems components â&#x20AC;&#x201C; namely inverters. Many subsidies do not yet have degression rates or firm end dates, but it is very likely that with time these will be introduced. Investment decisions will have another layer of complexity as the fluid nature of the component markets impacts system costs, which is set against a time limit of depleting returns. As grid penetration of renewable energy technologies increases, preferential access to one technology over another will require revision of regulations that currently benefit from preferential access to the grid. This will increase risk for investors as the returns from solar are left to compete against the market, the weather and other technologies. Perversely, it could end up with government intervention to subsidise losses or, more likely, require greater control of the market. A staggered reduction in subsidies around the globe may drive investments between countries as investors seek safer investments.

Photovoltaic market PV cells rely on precise engineering of elements to achieve maximum efficiency or product competitive edge. Bottlenecks in the supply chain of key elements have increased the cost of certain technologies, most notably the supply of high-grade silicon required for common crystalline silicon cells in 2008, which adversely impacted the costs and availability of crystalline silicon modules. This was resolved by the global financial crisis, which resulted in a drop of module price of about 25 per cent as capital dried up and semi-conductor grade silicon became available. However, as the market picks up again and more and more countries announce feed-in tariffs and other incentives, it is possible that competition for silicon will push prices up again. Thin film PV technologies are predicted to continue

their increase of market share against crystalline silicon as new manufacturing facilities come online, efficiencies improve and prices reduce. Estimates are that thin film PV could have up to 30 per cent of the PV market by 2012, up from six per cent in 20037. However, with the increased manufacturing capacity, there are some concerns over the availability of key elements that are used in modules, in particular indium (which is also used in LCD) and tellurium. Furthermore, there are environmental concerns about some of the constituent parts, such as silver, which will require careful management and disposal processes. Concentrating the sun onto PV cells has the potential to increase the efficiency of photon conversion, and recent advances have produced cells of 43 per cent8 under laboratory conditions. Concentrating radiation also offers the promise of replacing the solar cell area with lower-cost materials. However, at present the cells are in the early stages of development, are relatively expensive and suited to specialised applications, such as in space. Overall, concentrating PV systems are more complex than simple fixed flat panels, as they must track the sun, require cooling and have more failure points. There are numerous design approaches that seek to trade off efficiency with cost and complexity. Some are of similar design to CSP systems and others offer dual outputs of heat and electricity as PV and thermal systems as hybridised. Organic PV cells use different physics to traditional PV with nano-engineered conductive and semiconductive inks. This enables them to operate indoors and under low light levels. They are flexible and ink can be applied to plastic substrates offering the potential to be low cost. Barriers to commercialisation include manufacturing advancements and increasing cell efficiency and durability. NREL recently certified a cell with 7.9 per cent efficiency 9. Applications are widespread and include coating fabrics or glass, integrating into buildings or with portable electronics.

Concentrating solar power market Electricity production from CSP is projected to increase from less than 1 TWh in 2007 to almost 124 TWh by 203010. To achieve this, incentives are required to acquire a critical mass of manufacturers. However, as technologies develop and new designs come to the fore, the potential exists for local manufacturing of CSP, which has fewer exotic materials than PV. This may influence the type of technology selected for a particular market; for example, Linear Fresnel CSP has relatively simple flat mirrors, which presents a number of advantages over parabolic trough, such as simplified engineering as well as easier maintenance. With the best resources being in sunny dry places, access to sufficient water for power generation requires attention from project inception as traditional steam turbines require 3000â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4000 litres/MWh11. Dry (air) cooling or hybrid wet/dry cooling options exist, but reduce the efficiency of the plant and increase costs. Additionally, other working fluids and organic

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY + SUSTAINABILITY rankine cycles offer promise, but are not yet commercialised or cost-competitive. Water requirements for weekly mirror washing are only two per cent, or around 80 litres per MWh12 and are relatively small in comparison. Options exist for recycling water, using stormwater, using CSP with desalination plants and so on, but these will add cost to the operation and as competition for water increases, power plants may take second place behind agriculture and municipal water supplies. Dry cooling options will increase levellised costs of electricity and extend use of subsidies. Solar dishes directly generate electricity without water, using heat to power a Stirling engine, but they do not have thermal storage options. There are no clear winners as yet with CSP design, and much research is still required, in particular in terms of storage solutions, as well as in terms of performance improvement and construction, operating and maintenance improvements. Thermal storage mechanisms vary and include molten potassium and sodium nitrate salt, high temperature concrete or castable ceramic, saturated water thermal storage systems, graphite blocks, or use of phase change materials. Other system improvements include using lower-cost high-performance receiver coating and developing lightweight mirrors with coating to reduce soiling. Further improvements can be made to onsite construction and heat transfer. The potential to offset base load fossil fuel power provides real impetus to achieve this. However, the large increase in electricity demand expected over the next 20 years (IEA estimates 4800GW of new capacity will be required by 2030), leaves CSP as a relatively minor player in the global scene in the medium term. The sites with the best resource may not necessarily be the first sites to be commercialised due to financial, regulatory, environmental or political constraints. The development of all solar technologies and the continued push for low carbon energy sources will see an increasing number of developments in niche markets and hybrid systems, such as pre-heating water for geothermal power generation, utilising CSP in conjunction with natural gas and/or biogas, reducing carbon footprints of coal/gas power stations by preheating water, and direct steam production for industrial uses.

Solar thermal market Use of solar thermal in the domestic sector offers huge potential to offset electricity generation with systems being less reliant on solar radiation and hence having wide geographic spread. Yet barriers still remain with the capital cost of systems, lack of perceived added value to properties, appropriate regulations, qualified installers and poor system controllers. New building codes, planning rules, increased adoption of standards and government subsidies will support the development of domestic applications. Commercial and industrial applications such as solar cooling and generating process heat

will lead to refined technologies and represent an area for future growth. However, the requirement for backup or storage to avoid loss of productivity will, at least in the medium term, require incentives for this to materialise and they are likely to be suitable for niche applications.

Conclusion The future for solar remains bright, with targets for reducing carbon emissions intensifying; however, solar technologies will be reliant on subsidies for several years to come. Moving from a subsidised market regime presents risk to investors and can have unforeseen or adverse impacts on the industry. For incentives to achieve their goals, they need careful design and a comprehensive policy framework. This framework will guide the technology choice and application, with feed-in tariffs, tax incentives and renewable energy portfolio targets resulting in utility scale power plants. Availability of resources and competition with high technology industries will limit the growth of some PV markets. The market for CSP will grow rapidly as utilities take advantage of the high capacity factors achievable and learning effects bring down cost. The solar thermal market looks set to continue its growth, and direct applications in the residential sector provide a great incentive for governments to provide funding to reduce national electricity demand. Hybrid systems and new technological advances will continue to broaden applications and refine approaches to producing heat and electricity from the sun. G

FOOTNOTES: 1

IEA –World Energy Outlook 2009 p. 623

http://www.pvresources.com/en/top50pv.php

DLR 2004

F. Trieb et al, Concentrating Solar Power for the Mediterranean Region, German Aerospace Centre Berlin, 2005, www.dlr.de/tt/ med-csp

REN21 – World Renewable Energy Global Status Report 2009

REN21 –World Renewable Energy Global Status Report 2009

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/08/25/australian-scientistsdevelop-worlds-most-efficient-solar-cell/

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/_a/solarmer_breaks_organic_solar_ pv_cell_conversion_efficiency_record_hits_nre/

IEA –world energy outlook p.102

http://www.nrel.gov/csp/troughnet/power_plant_systems.html

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Committed to Energy Efficiency

GL’s commitment to energy efficiency is carried out across many aspects of the company’s operations; from various products and services provided to its customers, both business and residential, to new energy efficiency initiatives and community involvement. And it’s because of this overarching commitment that AGL is Australia’s leading renewable energy company. In 2010 AGL sponsored the Giant Pandas, Wang Wang and Funi at the Adelaide Zoo. The sponsorship involves providing and installing a solar PV energy system, which will provide clean, renewable solar energy for the panda’s exhibit. The system aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and has the capacity to chill rocks, power water misters and an industrial sized refrigerator to chill their all-important bamboo. AGL hopes the panda’s solar set up will inspire the zoo’s visitors to introduce renewable energy back at their homes. Another initiative by AGL is the zero emissions Bogong Hydroelectric Power Station in Victoria’s high country. The 140MW power station has the capacity to provide renewable electricity to more than 120,000 homes during the growing peak summer demand period and has the ability to reduce up to 88,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year. It was the biggest hydroelectricity project on mainland Australia in the past 25 years and one which created 200 jobs. The solar energy upgrade of Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse is another example of AGL’s energy efficiency endeavours, with last year’s Melbourne Cup carnival being powered by 384 new solar PV modules (30kW capacity). The solar project was a joint initiative between AGL and the Victorian Racing Club, under the Flemington Green Fields sustainability initiative, with additional support from the Victorian Government, which contributed $100,000 to the project. Additionally, AGL’s commitment to energy efficiency was the feature of its television commercial, where the energy efficiency of its production was as important as the message itself. The production crew left no stone unturned in the process, with initiatives including solar energy, LED lighting, the use of energy efficient light

globes, solar hot water, a bio-diesel generator and recycling and composting of crew waste among many others. These are just a small handful of examples of AGL’s growing portfolio of energy efficiency initiatives. Not mentioned above of course is the offering of energy efficiency products and services to Australian residences and businesses, including a wide variety of energy saving tips, as well as more comprehensive and tailored energy assessments. AGL is proud to be at the forefront of the growing area of renewable energy and energy efficiency practices in Australia and to be contributing to the sustainability of our country’s future.

Make your office more energy efficient by: • • • •

Replacing normal globes with energy saving light bulbs Using energy efficient equipment Keeping appliances, equipment and fittings in good working order Educating your staff to use energy more efficiently

For more energy efficiency tips visit agl.com.au/BusinessEfficiency AGLMM11840 (1210)

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Image © Lynton Crabb

Local government must lead on clean energy solutions By the Clean Energy Council The debate over policy measures to address climate change rose to prominence at the end of four years of drought in the spring of 2006.

ince then, we’ve seen both major parties promise an emissions trading scheme, but their inability to agree on the design and other political factors has seen the introduction of any scheme deferred at least until 2013. We have seen the successful passage and implementation of the national Renewable Energy Target, which will deliver 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, by 2020 – providing the right policy settings for Australia’s clean energy industry to continue to grow. And in December last year, we saw international negotiations on emissions targets edge closer to international agreement at the United Nations Framework Convention meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Although this high-level policy negotiation and development continues across the world, much of the action on dangerous climate change is taking place

at street level. Everyone can make a contribution by reducing their personal carbon emissions and saving on their power bills in the process. Councils are also working to shrink their own carbon footprints by installing low-emission streetlights and retrofitting council buildings with solar panels, insulation and more efficient lighting and heating systems. ‘Leaders of cities and towns around the world who support and promote local renewable energy projects can blaze the trail towards greenhouse gas mitigation, energy security, sustainable development and social benefits for their citizens,’ said Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2009. Australians are looking to local government to provide low-cost energy security in a world of soaring electricity and fuel prices. Local government leaders will play a major role in working with industry to raise awareness for clean and sustainable energy solutions

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RENEWABLE ENERGY that lower the cost of living. They also have a duty of care to help reduce the impact of a changing climate on their residents – putting in place strategies to help during extreme weather such as floods or cyclones, or to give those less fortunate some respite during sweltering heatwaves. The Clean Energy Council is the peak representative body for Australia’s renewable energy sector. It is a not-for-profit, apolitical, industry association made up of more than 450 member companies operating in the fields of clean energy and energy efficiency. Our primary role is to develop and advocate effective policy to accelerate the development and deployment of all clean energy technologies. Our member companies represent clean energy technologies such as wind, hydro, wave and tidal, solar, solar hot water, bioenergy, geothermal and cogeneration. And as Australia is rich in renewable sources, there is a wide range of clean energy technologies available to both metropolitan and regional communities. Local government has the power to drive the implementation of these technologies, building a more sustainable future purely through their responsibilities for regulating land and buildings and maintaining infrastructure. The appetite among the population to get involved in clean energy is already intense, and it’s getting stronger. Between January and October 2010, more than 100,000 Australians installed a solar power system on their roof – more than the rest of the decade put together. In 2009, just under 200,000 people installed a solar hot water system or heat pump – offsetting the 23 per cent of all household emissions in Australia that go towards heating water. And opinion polls consistently show that approximately 90 per cent of Australians support renewable energy. A recent survey by the Local Government and Shires Association in NSW found that competing funding priorities, a lack of trained staff, and a lack of support for senior management were the biggest barriers to addressing climate change. But whether your budget is large or small, clean energy is a place to start. Leaders should begin by assessing the renewable energy sources available to or near municipalities before developing their renewable energy policy. Variations in weather and climate mean that every region is different. Given Australia’s plethora of renewable resources, all communities should explore opportunities to install solar PV panels, micro wind turbines, heat pumps, solar hot water systems, small hydro and geothermal into new buildings and old. For new buildings, the thinking and planning should ideally be done at the design and build stage so as to maximise the potential of technologies. Older buildings can be retrofitted with solar power, micro wind, heat pumps and other energy efficiency measures including energy efficiency lighting,

Image © Capital Wind Farm

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RENEWABLE ENERGY appliances, and insulation. Other structural changes like glazed windows and shutters are also possible, along with ‘light shelves’, which reflect daylight deep inside the building. All of these technologies are widely available, and we encourage local government leaders to work closely with the clean energy industry to learn more about incorporating clean energy and energy efficiency measures into their local communities. In the short term, we will continue to see wide-scale private investment in large-scale technologies such as wind farms and solar. Such changes highlight the need for thorough community consultation strategies and collaboration with local councils. Local government leaders, as trusted primary sources of information, are integral to the community engagement process. Being close to the heart of the community, key leaders are aware of the issues on the ground and are highly effective in ensuring all community members and stakeholders are kept informed and have their issues addressed.

There is much work to be done in education and awareness-building around clean energy. As Australia’s peak renewable energy body, the Clean Energy Council will play a leading role as an agent for communication and change. And as local government leaders, every council has a key role to play in guiding this process through. The significant upside to hosting climate change solutions in your communities, if planned and implemented in consultation with communities, are the social and economical benefits. It is well documented globally that clean energy is one of the world’s fastest growing industries. In 2010, over US$243 billion was invested in clean energy. The national Renewable Energy Target in Australia will unlock over $20 billion of investment and create over 55,000 jobs. And much of this growth is expected in regional Australia. Take the lead on making clean energy part of your community. Visit cleanenergycouncil.org.au today. G

Image © Clean Energy Council 2010

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The power is yours… Add more to your bottom line and reduce your carbon footprint with solar energy.

ntroducing JT Solar. A company with visions and dedications to the environment and renewable energy. The founders of the company have lived their ambition to customise renewable energy products. An engineering based company; JT Solar is a manufacturer, importer and wholesaler of solar products. JT Solar have successfully built from the ground up, a unique business in the renewable energy market. With more than 10 years experience in the solar industry, JT Solar is a company whose technical expertise is backed by significant experience in the structural and electrical engineering fields. With manufacturing facilities in Australia and Asia, each project is designed and systematically managed from planning to implementation, turning products into services and solutions. In addition, JT Solar is also a supplier of cutting edge monocrystalline solar modules, solar inverters, customised aluminium racking as well as LED lighting. All products are completely compliant with Australian Standards and are backed with extensive warranties. As a business community at large, we emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases accelerating the effects of global warming and climate change. Solar power is an efficient and commercially viable clean energy source that is not only a cost effective investment, but also reduces a business’ carbon footprint and highlights the awareness of responsible and sustainable energy use.

The manufacturing of customised aluminium racking are overseen by two teams of JT Solar engineers, based overseas and locally, this enables JT Solar to maintain absolute quality control over their products and ensure they are manufactured to the most stringent conditions.

Solar Powered Lights not only make BIG savings Extensive trench excavations and power line interference will soon be a thing of the past. With the

Key people make the difference DIRECTLY Cofounder Jason Xiao is one of the leading partners from KamKiu Aluminium, located in China this state of the art aluminium global manufacturing centre is highly renowned for its capacity and quality of aluminium products. Brothers and also cofounders Tony and Chris Bazouni bring extensive industry experience knowledge from their professional fields of electrical and structural engineering respectively to the table, whose family have also been in the forefront of an established Master Licenced construction business for over 30 years.

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latest innovations in solar LED street lighting and high capacity batteries, the power system is independent and therefore readily installed in remote locations and programmed to switch on and off automatically. In addition each power system is equipped with a back to base fallback, providing technicians with instant fault notifications. With governing bodies now thinking long term with renewable energy targets, the demand for reliability and capacity has become mainstream. With the emphasis focused on a cleaner and greener future with reduced carbon footprints, solar panels and solar street lighting are an emerging solution. Whilst comparative initial capital costs are still relatively high, longevity, performance, and efficiency factors continue to drive demand. JT Solar is a specialist in LED lighting and energy efficient solutions. LED technology has become more widespread over the past couple of years as the technology matures and becomes more readily available. As a comparison, a standard halogen globe consumes about 60 - 100 watts for an average sized room. LED lighting can achieve the same light, with only 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 20 watts. This is an energy saving of around 80%. LED lights are also safe, low maintenance and possess a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours.

Building Integrated Solar Power (BIPV) is the Future In 2011 JT Solar will bring solar power products to a new level in Australia. Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) will offer clients a new method of integrating solar products into the physical structure during construction. BIPV is increasingly being incorporated into the construction of new buildings as a principal or ancillary source of electrical power. Peak power consumption is offset simultaneously by peak energy production thus reducing reliance on the grid. The driving force behind this product is to entice businesses to integrate solar energy into their power usage. This can be accomplished by supplementing roof materials, skylights and other facades with solar systems. This concept can also be applied to existing buildings with the aim of offsetting the initial cost by reducing the amount spent on building materials and labour that would normally be used to construct the part of the building that the BIPV modules replaced. These advantages make BIPV one of the fastest growing segments of the photovoltaic industry. To view the JT Solar portfolio or to arrange a time to discuss your long term solar plan simply call us on 1300 544 131 or visit our website, www.jtsolar.com.au

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Zero emissions councils By Sarah Dailey It’s quite an achievement, but at last some municipalities are going carbon neutral.

Fremantle Mayor, Brad Pettit, next to the wind pods on the Fremantle Town Hall roof. Image courtesy of City of Fremantle

he town of Woking in the UK is probably not one you have heard of, or even visited. It is located 37 kilometres out of London, and until the last decade was only known as the town the Martians landed in the HG Wells’ novel, War of The Worlds. But as of a few years ago, Woking has been put on the map for a much more reassuring reason: it has become one of the benchmarks for carbon-neutral living by adopting greener energy technologies. The town shifted to cogeneration and trigeneration decentralised energy systems, renewable energy and fuel cells, along with smaller changes such as solar-powered parking ticket machines, wind-powered street lamps and even waterless public toilets. Woking soon became known as the most energy efficient local authority in the UK. The shift in Woking began in the early 1990s, and by 2004 the town’s CO2 emissions were reduced by 77.5 per cent, with water consumption also cut by a

stunning 43.8 per cent. The town has become somewhat of a blueprint for other cities across the world, most recently London, and now Sydney. Sydney City Council recently declared itself ‘Australia’s first carbon neutral council’, referring to the council’s operations, not households. Even though Sydney City is probably the best-known Australian carbon neutral municipality, a handful of other councils across the country are also making a notable effort, including the port city of Fremantle in WA, and Darebin, a council in Melbourne’s north.

Carbon neutral The term ‘carbon neutral’ is often bandied about and attached to everything from rock festivals to toilet paper, but what does it actually mean and how can this illustrious status be achieved? There is no single global standard for what it actually means to be carbon neutral, making it pretty

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RENEWABLE ENERGY easy for anyone to claim the tag as their own. However, there are some common guidelines that are usually agreed upon to support the attachment of the label, and to avoid such grand claims without any evidence. According to the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, in pretty loose terms, carbon neutrality can be defined as a state where no net greenhouse gas emissions are produced by an entity or activity during a particular time period. Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, can therefore be as complex as doing everything possible to reduce your emissions to zero and using only renewable energies that don’t produce any greenhouse gases, or simply paying to carbon offset everything you do, meaning paying a premium to compensate all of your emission creating behaviours. For an individual to be carbon neutral is quite difficult and takes a lot of perseverance. So if it’s that hard for us to do it, just how on earth does an entire council go carbon neutral?

Sydney – Australia’s first Sydney’s shift to carbon neutral is just one part of their quest for a more ambitious target – a plan for a Sustainable Sydney by 2030. The city is aiming to source at least a quarter of power used in the local government area from renewable energy, as part of its larger target of reducing carbon emissions by 70 per cent by 2030, based on 2006 levels. Sydney City Council has appointed the man in charge of Woking’s success, Allan Jones, to help with their enterprising goal. A specialist in renewable energy production and alternatives to coal-based energy, Allan was awarded an MBE for his services to energy and water efficiency and was responsible for Woking being awarded the 2001 Queen’s Award for Enterprise for the development of local sustainable energy systems. Allan has been employed by Sydney City as Chief Development Officer of Energy and Climate Change to help achieve similar environmental kudos. Currently, about 80 per cent of Sydney’s emissions come from the production of electricity by coal-fired power stations in the Hunter Valley. A majority of the fuel being used by these stations is wasted, as heat from the cooling towers and in the electricity transmission through power lines. The goal is to eventually produce 70 per cent of the city’s energy needs from trigeneration plants – local generators that use waste heat from electricity production to both heat and cool buildings, which is three times more energy efficient than coal-fired power plants. It was with the implementation of localised energy systems such as this trigeneration and cogeneration, renewable energy, fuel cell technology, microgeneration and low carbon transport systems that Allan achieved such spectacular emissions cuts in the UK. According to Nik Midlam, Manager of Environmental Strategy, Sydney made the swing to carbon neutral in less than a year, proudly declaring themselves Australia’s first council to do so in August 2008.

Nik says Sydney Council could easily have delayed the process and spent less money and more time, but felt the urgency of climate change was reason enough to speed ahead. ‘The council took the view that the urgency of climate change warranted immediate action, and that it was essentially like applying a self-imposed carbon tax – making the business case for energy efficiency programs more viable.’ For them, it meant all activities in Sydney from collecting garbage, to running libraries and streetlights, would have no net carbon emissions. Where emissions could not be eliminated, the City of Sydney purchased carbon offsets and GreenPower, with plans to move beyond this. ‘Previously the City purchased 100 per cent GreenPower equal to its mains electricity use and other accredited offsets for the remaining emissions. Recently, the council endorsed a plan to divert funding previously used to purchase GreenPower into local renewable energy installations at council-owned sites. ‘The city still supports the use of GreenPower but our rationale is that we have a corporate and community goal to have 25 per cent renewable energy by 2020, five per cent above the federal target, and therefore need to start investing into local projects,’ said Nik. In addition, the city has set aside a $2 million per year budget and is taking tenders for a five-year rolling plan to install photovoltaics.

Darebin Although not quite there yet, the council of Darebin, in Melbourne’s north, is making progress. Darebin won the Achievement in Sustainability award in the Environs Australia Awards for climate change action for the programs and actions undertaken by council. Darebin is a community known for being culturally diverse and crammed with artists, students and families as well as musicians and writers. Being environmentally aware is perhaps something else that typifies this community and was part of the reason this council made plans to go carbon neutral. Darebin wanted to demonstrate leadership in climate change action and to end their contribution to global warming, so consulted extensively with residents to develop an action plan. Public meetings were held and surveys distributed. Reference and focus groups were also assembled to cover a broad cross-section of the community, to ensure council plans fitted in with the ethos of the community. After that much consultation it’s not surprising that Darebin has already met its 2010 target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent on 1995 levels, and is well on the way to ensuring its 2020 target of zero net emissions. According to Libby Hynes, executive manager of Environmental Sustainability with Darebin, council has implemented a highly successful energy efficiency program and purchased 100 per cent GreenPower to meet the target. ‘The energy efficiency program targets council’s eleven top energy-using buildings. To date it has reduced emissions by over 1,000 tonnes, and is saving

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RENEWABLE ENERGY council more than $180,000 a year in energy bills compared to 2006/2007 before the new program was implemented,’ said Libby. Beyond these changes made within the council, Darebin is supporting local residents to make their own changes. The council commenced a climatewise business program to support local industry to improve energy efficiency, and employed a sustainable business officer. They have also undertaken a competitive process to select the most energy efficient hot water systems for residents, resulting so far in more than 170 households installing the systems, and many more considering the same. Through this same program Darebin has also installed five solar hot water systems at five local day care centres. On top of all this hard work, Darebin is supporting low income and vulnerable members of the community to improve energy efficiency and weather proofing in their homes via the Victorian Government’s ‘Energy and Water Taskforce’ program. ‘To date, more than 400 households have had free assessments and installations. Darebin has also contributed funding so that around 150 Darebin Home Support clients will benefit from fitted blinds in living areas and bedrooms where required,’ said Libby. She predicts households participating in this scheme can save about $200 a year on energy bills. Beyond this, the council has exciting plans in the pipeline, planning to implement cogeneration at the Northcote aquatic and recreation centre, as well as upgrading the street lighting to energy efficient T5 fluoros and planning for all new council buildings to be designed for carbon neutrality. It looks like Darebin is well on its way.

Fremantle The port city of Fremantle, in Western Australia, was the first in that state to grasp the carbon neutral tag in July last year. It’s not surprising really, considering Fremantle’s diverse population of Greens voters, hippies, cyclists and artists. This leftie reputation has a lot to do with Fremantle’s long history of environmental campaigns, and going carbon neutral was part of their overall approach to reducing the impact on the environment. Fremantle Council uses the four steps: measure, reduce, switch and offset to ensure zero net carbon emissions. Brad Pettit, Mayor of Fremantle, says: ‘Our community has a reputation for being environmentally aware and, like many local governments, we’ve been putting progressively more and more effort into monitoring and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. It was a natural next step to work towards achieving carbon neutrality. There’s a definite financial cost to the city, but we feel that this is well worth it. All the feedback we’ve received since becoming carbon neutral last year has been positive, so we clearly have the support of our residents.’ Each year the council uses federal carbon accounting calculation methods, and supplies all details of direct emissions, from electricity used by streetlights to business travel and even waste produced, to ensure carbon neutrality is met.

The city has its own wind turbine, a 1kW windpod, as well as a large photovoltaic solar farm, which was the first of its kind to be installed in the state. ‘Recent projects have included the selection of efficient IT equipment and reducing the size of our small vehicle fleet,’ said Brad. ‘On the renewable energy front we installed a 30kW solar photovoltaic farm, made the first commercial windpod installation, and have another 2kW solar PV installation at one of our community facilities as part of a demonstration sustainable house.’ This house is known as The Meeting Place. It has been retrofitted to display how homeowners can make their homes more sustainable, which can be quite a challenge considering the number of historical and even heritage listed homes in the area. The city also purchases offsets, investing the money back locally. ‘Most of the offsets that we’ve bought have been from a local waste organisation, South Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC), which diverts organic matter from landfill for compost,’ said Brad. ‘We’re also trialling the use of a fuel additive that has the potential to increase our large fleet fuel efficiency by up to six per cent, we will retrofit some of our office lights with electronic ballasts for automatic daylight dimming and we will install a new type of evacuated panel solar water heater on one of our community swimming pools.’ Fremantle has budgeted to continue its green efforts well into the future. ‘This year’s budget has provision to install a voltage reduction device in our administration building, which should reduce power consumption by nine per cent. The other major project is pool heating. While evacuated solar panels look like a great technology able to provide more than 75 per cent of the annual heat load, they will probably be cost prohibitive. But we’ve allocated $100,000 to install a test system on one of our smaller, but hotter pools. If this performs worse than expected, then we’ll probably go with geothermal energy to run the Fremantle Leisure Centre. If it does a lot better, then we could potentially install a much larger solar system. Either way, renewable heating for the pools is one of the key actions for the next three years and we’ll be actively working to achieve it.’ Brad claims the conversion to carbon neutral was relatively easy and enthusiastically encourages other councils across Australia to do the same, and even to call upon him for advice. ‘If we could give one piece of advice to another council in Australia, it is that it’s all possible. We managed to go through the mechanics of becoming carbon neutral in just four months and we’ve had great community support for it,’ he says. ‘We’re also really keen to help anyone else who wants to learn from what we’ve done. We’ve had to learn a lot while becoming carbon neutral and have developed all of the necessary expertise in-house.’ ‘One of the great aspects of local government is that it’s so cooperative – we get lots of help from other councils and are always willing to help others where we can.’ Judging by these three councils, maybe carbon neutral municipalities aren’t such a far-fetched idea after all. G

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Arts provide quality of life in regional Australia By Ruth Smiles, Executive Director, Regional Arts Australia. From the hot red centre of this country, to the green tropics of the far north and the vibrant blues of the southern coastlines, there is a multitude of creative activity taking place right across the country, making a real impact on the quality of life right throughout regional Australia.

joined Regional Arts Australia in 2002 as the executive director of this national advocacy and industry development body for the arts in regional Australia. Made up of member agencies in each state and the Northern Territory, Regional Arts Australia promotes the development of the arts for the one in three Australians who live in regional, rural and remote Australia. In this time I have been privileged to travel across the nation to witness how the arts and cultural activity contribute to vibrant communities while reflecting the many facets of this nation. From sitting in the dust in Alice Springs watching the Waramungu Dancers from Tennant Creek, to walking the streets of Launceston while the vibrant Junction Arts Festival took over every nook and cranny of the city, and snuggling under a blanket in Natimuk in Victoria to watch artists rappel down the side of a silo, literally ‘dancing’ from cables as a spectacular light and sound show telling the stories of that place was projected onto these rural icons, I have seen first-hand how important the arts are to communities across the country. For regional communities, issues of funding, infrastructure, education, remoteness and isolation all impact on their ability to access and participate in the arts and to develop and promote their own artistic endeavours. One of the ways that Regional Arts Australia has been able to greatly assist these communities is through playing a vital role in establishing the Regional Arts Fund in 1997 in cooperation with the Commonwealth Government of the time. Since then, Street performers at the Junction Arts Festival, Civic Square, Launceston. Image courtesy of Patrick Sutczak

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Launceston Town Hall transformed by the Knit Militia for the Junction Arts Festival. Image courtesy of Kylie Kerrigan

the Regional Arts Fund has seen over $100 million, both in Regional Arts Fund grants and locally generated funding, directed into regional communities to support locally inspired arts projects and events. The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government initiative supporting the arts in regional and remote Australia, which is managed by Regional Arts Australia and its member agencies in recognition that a one-size-fits-all approach may not generate the best outcomes in a regional context. One of the key components of the fund is that any project submitted must have financial and in-kind contributions from a number of sources. Local government bodies across the nation have played a vital role in supporting their local community organisations and individuals by being key contributors. In 2009-2010 the Regional Arts Fund contributed over $3 million to projects across regional Australia. It is estimated that with the cash and in-kind support, these projects brought in over $12 million to their communities. For every dollar contributed by the Regional Arts Fund, over three dollars in cash support alone is being leveraged. A further look into the available data shows that of the extra support leveraged, local government across Australia contributes seven per cent (cash and in-kind). Or to look at the figures in reverse, currently for every dollar contributed by local government to a project, almost six dollars is contributed by the Regional Arts Fund to that project/community and

over $18 is returned, taking into account all partners who contributed. This shows that through this one fund alone, a significant amount of activity is being generated that not only supports the creative aspirations of communities and individuals, but that creative projects are attracting real dollars into sometimes struggling rural and remote communities. Various local government bodies are taking lead roles in recognising that creative diversity has a vital role to play in the wellbeing of their community. In 2008, the City of Port Augusta (SA) partnered with Country Arts SA (a Regional Arts Australia member agency) to deliver the Regional Centre of Culture Program, Port Augusta Re-Imagines! This year-long program of activities and events saw not only the development of a new and vibrant cultural precinct for the local community, but the engagement of 47,000 people in the performances and activities that were staged throughout the year. In 2010, the Launceston City Council (TAS) partnered with Tasmania Regional Arts to host Regional Arts Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national conference Junction 2010, which saw over 700 delegates come together to meet and exchange key projects and ideas. Alongside the conference, the city hosted the Junction Arts Festival, which, in the week it took over the streets, saw some 62,000 people engage with the 47 events that were staged. In 2009, Regional Arts Australia carried out a national consultation to seek the views of its constituency about the future of the arts in regional

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Australia. It is estimated that over 85,000 people were represented in this consultation, with over 85 per cent believing that arts plays a vital role in community wellbeing and entertainment, and 50 per cent believing that arts play a role in economic development. Regional Arts Australia is keen to ensure that the contribution of the arts and culture is a key component of any national discussion of the future of regional Australia. In particular, the broad nature of the impact that the arts and cultural activities have on regional communities should be seen as an extremely important component of all national discussions. There is a considerable number of programs that help support the development, production and touring of arts product across regional Australia at the federal, state and local government level. Additionally, there is an enormous amount of arts activity that is self-funded by individuals and communities, such as the proliferation of art galleries across regional Australia, which play a vital role in not only supporting local artists, but providing meeting places for their communities to share ideas as well as being valuable tourism assets for their towns and regions. Local governments themselves have invested in large infrastructure projects to provide appropriate facilities for the presentation and creation of artistic work. In 2008, Mackay Regional Council opened the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre. This flexible performing arts and convention space complemented the nearby Artspace Mackay, a community gallery that has an exhibition calendar full of high-quality contemporary art for the enjoyment of the community and visitors to the region. In 2006, the cultural facilities available at the time meant that the town of Mackay was able to host the 2006 Regional Arts Australia national conference, which again saw some 780 delegates from across Australia converge there. Alongside a town’s ability to host large numbers of delegates, one of the crucial elements to gain selection as a host of Regional Arts Australia National Arts Conference is the contribution of the local council. While this can be read in pure economic terms, it is far more than the dollars and cents they can provide; importantly, it is about a willingness to explore new and creative ways of doing things and being open to looking at the world in expanded ways. When the most recent host, Launceston, agreed to the conference, it is unlikely that they envisioned that when the time actually came, their town hall in all its imposing Corinthian glory would be transformed into a public artwork, thanks to the dedication of a group of knitters and a very large crane. Nor perhaps did they expect to see the city come alive in the depths of winter with hundreds of schoolkids with umbrella hats on their heads exploring the city, lounge room settings appearing on street corners for people to relax or transform into a spontaneous performance space, or a café made

The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra performing as part of Port Augusta Re-Imagines! Image courtesy of Italo Vardaro

of twisted willow appearing in Civic Square, but they and the people of Launceston certainly embraced it. The famous misquote from the movie Field of Dreams certainly rings true: ‘If you build it, they will come’. However, it is not just the large-scale projects that have an impact in regional communities. Time and again I hear stories from around Australia where very small projects have made incredible impacts on the people involved, such as a young person who reconnects with their community after taking a short course in digital film-making, or a farmer that finds hope through times of drought by taking part in a sculpture project. Stories such as these are happening every day in towns right across regional Australia. In times when local government bodies are looking at ways to retain and attract people to live in their districts it is certainly worth considering how arts and culture can make a real impact on their community’s social and economic wellbeing. A number of local government areas are well on their way, with cultural policies and the integration of cultural facilities into the fabric of their community; however, right across Australia there are certainly many strides that can still be taken. The state agencies that Regional Arts Australia represents are willing and able at any time to discuss how the arts can help achieve the goals of any local government body. Sometimes it is just a matter of dipping that first toe in the water, and before you know it a creative wave will transform your community in ways that can only be imagined! G

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Regional areas sustaining Australia’s growing population

ustralia’s population is forecast to boom from 22 to 35 million by 2050. The implications for the development of our cities are profound as our transport, energy, health, education and water infrastructure is adapted to cope. In recognition that our cities potentially cannot sustain this rapid population growth, regional development is a growing focus for Australian governments. Improved infrastructure, sustainability and planning within major regional areas may support the needs of existing and future residents. As a leading infrastructure consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) is applying its global expertise to local and regional projects that contribute towards making these improvements a reality. Throughout the country, PB is working in collaboration with Regional Development Australia (RDA) to improve access to infrastructure, services and facilities for those living in regional Australia. RDA is a national partnership between the Australian, state, local and territory governments to support the growth of regional Australia. The work of RDA is delivered through 55 regional committees; each run by a Commonwealth funded Executive Officer. Through their work, RDA and PB are placing a focus on improving regional areas as they continue to be an important part of Australia’s overall productivity as the nation faces increased population and international competition. Australia’s future productivity also relies heavily on the education of our future workforce. In regional Queensland, PB is providing project and construction management services to support new school facilities as part of the Australian Government’s Building the Education Revolution program. The program is a $16.4 billion investment that provides educational facilities, through new infrastructure and refurbishments, to all eligible Australian schools. PB is currently project managing eight schools in Round 1 and eight schools in Round 3, incorporating 48 separate project budgets totalling $34.5 million in works value. At the end of December 2010 nine schools had been completed and handed over to PB’s client, the Queensland Department of Education. PB is also delivering infrastructure services to some of the most isolated people in the driest parts of the country. In Western Australia, PB has been managing the Regional Areas Essential Services Program (RAESP) on behalf of the Department of Housing since 2005. RAESP delivers power, water and wastewater services to 88 remote Indigenous communities across the State. It provides monthly sampling of water

Parsons Brinckerhoff is providing project and construction management services to new school facilities in regional Queensland as part of the Australian Government’s Building the Education Revolution program.

supplies in all the communities, and is achieving targets for microbiological and chemical water quality (95% compliance with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines). Water source protection plans are under way in 25 communities. Any savings made through improved design and management on essential service infrastructure may free up funds for capital expenditure in other areas to the benefit of the community. All of these projects are helping to establish sustainable, viable and liveable regional communities. Well-designed infrastructure is one part of an efficient economy. As our population continues to grow the need to maximise the use of this infrastructure becomes all the more important. PB recognises that improving regional areas is vital to the productivity, social wellbeing, economy and overall future of all Australians.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Making of Hard Yakka

he word Yakka is actually derived from the aboriginal word for work and this is precisely why David K Laidlaw - the founder of Hard Yakka chose this word to feature within the name of his brand. The simple ideas behind ‘Hard Yakka’ or ‘Yakka’ as it was back then remain the same today; comfortable, tough and durable workwear. It’s these values that have created an Australian icon with a lifespan of over 80 years. It was David K Laidlaw that started the company back in the 1920s working out of a back room of his parent’s house in Brunswick, Victoria. In the early 1930s the Laidlaw clothing business moved to its first industrial premises in Weston Street, Brunswick. After steady growth through the 1930s David Laidlaw decided the way to move his business forward was to invest in advertising. After consulting with an advertising agency, he decided to rename the business to Yakka, this signified the birth of Hard Yakka.

The combination of both quality products and intelligent advertising led to a major growth period as Hard Yakka entered into the 1940s. Throughout the 1950s, just like Australia Hard Yakka and the business were growing and this saw the opening of manufacturing plants in Sunbury and Brunswick. By the 1960s Yakka had opened up a new headquarters on six acres of land in Broadmeadows, Victoria. During the late 60’s it led to Yakka becoming the largest supplier of clothing to the Australian government’s department of supply in 1968. The 1970s was the decade that two of Hard Yakka’s most memorable associations were formed; the sponsorship of Collingwood in the Victorian Football League and the famous ‘Railway’ commercial. The railway commercial was the start of Hard Yakka’s well recognised venture into television advertising; it was then backed up by the Haulpac commercial in the 1980s.

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The working nation warmed to the advertisements and the brand because it could relate to the very messages Hard Yakka portrayed. There was a need for a type of clothing to be worn on a worksite and Hard Yakka was more than happy to supply it. As with all good clothing businesses, Hard Yakka kept a watchful eye on fashions and technologies and this was proved with the investment in its warehousing and distribution facility at Somerton which opened at the start of the millennium. The same size as the MCG in Melbourne, the state-of-the-art, fully computerised facility was one of the most efficient and modern facilities in Australia and enabled Hard Yakka to store and deliver its clothing and footwear more effectively than its competitors. During the past 10 years Hard Yakka has led the way with innovative and technologically advanced products like Legends, Koolgear, Xtreme, Hi-Visibility and Industrial Women’s wear. When you’ve got a tough job to do, you can bet Hard Yakka has a product to help get the job done. In 2007 Hard Yakka was purchased by Pacific Brands, home to household names such as Bonds, Hush Puppies, Dunlop, Berlei and Sheridan. Hard Yakka today continues to be the largest workwear brand in the country and has a product to suit to the needs of Australian workers.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Workers compensation – be alert not alarmed. Avoid the pitfalls in OH&S & Workers Comp claims by planning for a positive outcome.

ost senior executives and line managers tend to focus on managing and minimising the fall-out from a workers compensation case, rather than instead focussing on streamlining and communicating processes designed to reduce the incidence and lower the level of litigation and pay-out exposure. And it’s this prevailing lack of preparedness and alertness that so often results in organisations forking out far more in claims than they really should. By putting in place tightened and well-communicated OH&S processes and workplace behaviour, you can usually reduce the incidence of claims and the $ value of those claims as well. That’s why being alert and not alarmed… being on the front foot whenever you can…. and not always a step behind… can be so beneficial for an organisation in terms of optimising cost efficiencies and reducing the overall level of exposure to risk. But of course you can’t plan for everything, and that is why it is important to influence the actual management of a workers comp claim. This is achieved through a combination of proactive and reactive strategies. So what measures can be implemented proactively? • Strategic management of Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) • Clear processes and guidelines covering Human Resources And what reactive initiatives should be conducted? • Negotiate your outstanding claims costs • Strategic management, such as a consistent policy • Prepare for alternative Return To Work (RTW) options • Consider redeployment for those with existing

conditions An organisation’s claims cost will invariably be subject to the nature of their industry, and it’s fair to assume that outstanding claims costs will always exist. However, it should never be assumed that the amount is reasonable until it is justified. Most states and territories have guidelines in this regard, yet they are just that – guidelines, and can be negotiated as long as there is well thought-out evidence supporting an alternate stance. Some states do not have outstanding estimates, and Victoria doesn’t allow for the negotiation of outstanding costs, so executives need to place an emphasis on data integrity and analyse it meticulously. Victoria’s Statistical Case Estimate Model is based on a number of factors and if there is either a human error or miscommunication regarding the claim, then this could have a dramatic impact on the cost and hence the expense of insuring. For example, an employee, with a lower back strain, who is recorded as having a disc protrusion, can result in a dramatic rise of an organisation’s insurance premium. Culture in a workplace also influences an employee’s attitude and approach when they are injured and returning to work. A consistent approach in terms of organisation-wide management of injuries in the workplace is vital, along with the way this is communicated internally and externally. Although many businesses have a positive approach to assisting an injured worker from the insurers/agents perspective, the perception by the workers is not measured and focused on enough, resulting in negative misconceptions which will endeavour to create barriers before the first compensation dollar is actually paid.

122 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The communication strategy when executed properly can also have a further advantage as it can send a message that is “loud and clear” not allowing excuses for workers not to return to work and therefore remove any barriers. This includes, but is not limited to, effective return to work programmes, preferred occupational health doctors and rehabilitation providers that understand your business. Strategy for Return To Work (RTW) options should also be highlighted with the insurer/agent in the early stages of the claim. Too many times, a significant claim only tends to have one strategy without alternative options, until the claim hits a roadblock after medical evidence is tendered. There needs to be emphasis on the “what if” scenario, in regards to alternative plans should the result not turn out favourably. This process does not need to be on every claim, hence executives need to develop and maintain a triage protocol - a process of ranking the priority of items according to clearly outlined levels of risk. An injured worker for example who is upgrading their return to work duties but has highlighted a pre-existing condition, due to medical evidence undertaken, would provoke the question and thought process as to whether they return to their pre-injury work role? Can the job be altered to prevent an aggravation? Should the person be redeployed elsewhere? What’s more, by being aware of an employee’s ailments, the risk of further injury is now foreseeable, and should an injury exist and be severe enough, it pays to be prepared for a common law claim as negligence will not be difficult to demonstrate. Human Resources (HR) departments can also influence the impact and or negate a claim by implementing and/or reviewing prudent policies and procedures. This forms part of a proactive measure, not only for HR but also OHS purposes, as it mitigates your liability in a number of “stress” or “bullying and harassment” claims that should never get past first base. Although it appears that this is the new “RSI” in the workplace, there are a high volume of claims that could have been declined as the lodgement was actually a response to disciplinary processes. By dotting the “i’s” and crossing the “t’s” executives could make their lives a whole lot easier. Instead, it is a common occurrence that policies or procedures have holes in them, or the execution was poor in following due process. When this takes place, claims are accepted due to the process itself not being satisfactory, and to rub salt into the wound, executives then have the challenge of managing the injured worker and providing the appropriate RTW solutions as well. Many businesses have a very good informal OHS system and aim at providing a safe system of work

to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees, visitors and contractors in the workplace. The positive side to this is that the organisation or business unit already has a good safety culture… but the downside is the lack of documentation, that can be argued implies it is not actually official policy. This leads to the following problems: t Nil or minimal defence against any workers compensation claims t Nil or minimal defence against any common law action t Nil or minimal defence to mitigate prosecutions and/or fines t Will increase price or an insurer may decline to quote on general insurance products such as Liability, Management Liability, in particular Statutory Liability and Employment Practices Liability to name just a few. Developing OHS policies and procedures is just the beginning of the process. Identifying, assessing, controlling, monitoring, reviewing, communicating and consulting should be dynamic in nature… and if they are not followed or kept up to date, the likelihood of failure is high. A common theme in OHS is that if it isn’t documented it didn’t happen, so absolutely EVERYTHING should be documented. Pitfalls for workers compensation do exist and can be better managed from both a proactive and reactive perspective. OHS management does not solely rest with just the affected division or department, but should encompass proactive Human Resource practices and ongoing risk analysis, to continuously improve all policies and procedure, across the entire organisation. So in regards to trying to reduce your number of workers comp claims, be alert and not alarmed. Why? Because ultimately it’s cheaper, easier, and better for workplace culture too. Jason Thompson General Manager Broking & Workers Compensation IC Frith & Associates

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Community engagement in regional development By Susan Benedyka, Regional Development Company â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Regional development is a priority across all three spheres of government. Community expectations of governments are high in this regard.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; So begins the preamble to the Framework for Cooperation on Regional Development, the Ministerial Council responsible for regional development issues in Australia. It comprises federal, state and territory ministers responsible for regional development, and a representative from the Australian Local Government Association.

he Framework clearly spells out that local government is vital to the success of regional development initiatives, particularly because they have direct links with, and understanding of, their communities. This article focuses on the importance of local government improving their understanding of communities, and working directly with communities to encourage and facilitate regional development. Good community engagement is critical to the success of regional development initiatives. Best practice trends in local and regional

economic development have been studied, and themes developed in the literature. Invariably, at the centre of the best practice findings are that communities are willing and able to help themselves in economic and regional development, and that they are taking responsibility for determining their own economic and community destinies, as well as mobilising the resources and support to achieve their goals. However, as McKinsey found (way back in 1994!), higher growth and better quality of life tend to follow when local government, business and community groups work together to achieve common

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Local communities are encouraged to get involved

goals. The vision – the common, overaching and compelling goal – needs to be widely held, articulated and supported by a sound strategic framework. None of this is new, nor out of keeping with principles of good community development or experience in getting initiatives off the ground, like major infrastructure. But in understanding what the community dream is, the common vision of those who live and work locally, and those who invest in your local area – the best way to improve the energy, drive and commitment is to undertake sound community and stakeholder engagement. Community engagement is about providing opportunities for people who are affected by or interested in council decisions to participate in the decision-making process in order to enhance the decision, plan or project. Community engagement enables councils to best manage the needs of their community by ensuring that planning and decision-making is based on an understanding of the needs and aspirations of the community. Meaningful community engagement is a key to developing a vision for the future, and to find out who can do what, where the hidden gems in the community are, and how best to develop and

mobilise the leadership of the broader community and business sectors. Community engagement does not replace appropriate decision-making by the elected, accountable public representatives, but adds value by enhancing the decisions of local government through a more sound understanding of the needs of residents and the impacts of the decisions made. This is so true for regional development when local government needs to be aligned with the views of the community, or leading the debate to develop the community views. Some community engagement fundamentals are: • People in our communities should be involved in the decisions that affect them; • Community engagement is a planned process for consultation; and • There are different levels of engagement appropriate for different stakeholders. The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) spectrum of public participation is now widely used. It shows that there are various levels of engagement, with corresponding increasing levels of public participation, ownership and responsibility.

I N C R E A S I N G L E V E L O F P U B L I C I M PAC T INFORM

CONSULT

INVOLVE

COLLABORATE

EMPOWER

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT The core principles of good community engagement are: • Clarity of purpose: make sure that you know what you are engaging your stakeholders or community in, and, importantly, what is and is not negotiable; • Inclusiveness and diversity: avoid talking to the same people and the same type of people all the time, and ensure that your engagement is inclusive of a wide range of people and all sorts of views (robust debate can lead to great outcomes); • Engaging processes: use a variety of techniques that are suitable to your audiences. How often have you attended a community engagement process as a citizen of your own community (and not in a council role)? How did you feel? Was it convenient to participate – the time, the place, the method of engagement? Were your views heard and respected? Did you know what was going to happen with your information and how it would be used? If you don’t feel comfortable attending or participating in community engagement as a member of the community, then why would your community feel comfortable and participate? • Relationships and trust: local government develops great local relationships, but these are absolutely dependent on mutual respect and trust. If you go out to engage with communities, you must be cognisant of the preciousness and potential fragility of those relationships. Be respectful, treat others as you would be treated yourself, keep your promises, and be honest. It’s not rocket science, but it makes such a difference to the outcomes of your engagement, the building of good will, and the willingness of people to participate in making the collective dream become reality;

Responsiveness and feedback: be flexible, work out what is being said, acknowledge great ideas and how they can shape the final outcome, and then let people know what you are acting on, what the outcomes are, and how they can continue to be involved; • Informed deliberation: the best consultations are those where there is good solid information to go on, where all sides of an argument are openly discussed, and when the decision that is made is based on sound inputs. Keeping all of this in mind, successful community engagement uses: • Inclusive methods to encourage stakeholder engagement; • Participatory data collection, review and ‘sense making’ processes to foster capacity building and learning by stakeholders; • Processes that continue to develop and build on relationships with existing and intended new stakeholders; • Provision of a range of accessible opportunities for feedback and input; and • A two-way flow of information between the client and key stakeholders. The benefits of community engagement are many. Effective community engagement will enable the community to develop a shared vision for the local area or service, a greater level of mutual understanding and a partnership relationship. Benefits for local government: • Community input can improve the quality of outcomes and policy being developed, making it more practical and relevant; •

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Community input can ensure that services are more targeted and delivered in a more effective and efficient way for that community; • Social, economic and environmental problems can be complex. Local government working with the community can gain new sources of information, build a sense of joint purpose, and increase the possibility of finding sustainable solutions; • Including diverse community groups in decisionmaking can broaden the understanding of issues, generate a wider variety of solutions, and develop more robust solutions. New perspectives can test assumptions and serve as a reality check so solutions are appropriate; • Engaging with communities is a way for local government to check the health of the relationship face-to-face. It can also explore ways in which local government and its diverse communities could work more closely on issues of concern to those communities; • Early notice of emerging issues puts local government in a better position to deal with those issues in a proactive way, instead of reacting as anger and conflict arise; • Good engagement enhances the reputation of Council as open, accountable and willing to listen. Benefits for stakeholders and communities: • With purposeful and well-planned engagement, there will be more opportunities for communities to become involved and participate, ensuring a greater diversity of voices on issues that matter to people; • Communities can expect Council to meet certain standards of engagement and give feedback on its ability to meet those standards; • Communities are able to identify their priorities for themselves; • There may be more ownership of solutions to current problems or plans for the future so that the community shares in decision-making and has a higher level of responsibility for creating that future; • Engagement can foster a sense of pride and greater sense of belonging to a diverse community, and there are considerable benefits to working together on behalf of the community; and • Individuals may become empowered to raise issues and be proactive with regard to issues that affect them including global issues such as climate change. From our experience, good community involvement and engagement in regional development means that councils need to be committed to training and development of staff, councillors, and council committee members. We also highly recommend ongoing evaluation of community engagement processes so local governments can continually improve their ways of working with the community and receiving input and advice. An innovative and ‘fit for purpose’ community stakeholder engagement and consultation process

will ensure that the data obtained is of the highest quality and relevance. Each local government area is unique. Knowing and understanding the community and its aspirations will be critical to meaningful engagement and reaching meaningful outcomes in regional development. The Regional Development Company (RDC) specialises in providing results-focused services in engagement, facilitation, strategic planning and training with the local government sector, community groups, small businesses, not-for-profit organisations and state and federal government departments and agencies. The highly skilled members of the RDC consultancy team have substantial experience and understanding of community engagement, specialising in regional communities. The team has a broad background and hands-on involvement across a range of sectors and are qualified facilitators. RDC’s great strength is the way in which the team uses its highly developed communication and facilitation skills to enable other people’s visions to become a reality. Often dealing with highly controversial and potentially inflammatory issues, RDC designs forums that allow people to engage and react in a constructive manner. With a broad background in regional and rural development, RDC has created a solid and successful foundation for bringing government and non-government agencies and regional communities together to work productively towards common goals. G For more information about RDC and to view a current listing of our clients please visit our website at www.regionaldevelopment.com.au or contact us on (03) 5722 2207.

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Community Housing in NSW

hile community housing providers have long been part of rural communities across the state, the last two years of growth in the sector have seen them become a significant presence in regional NSW. Of the 30 community housing providers in NSW, some 16 operate in rural and regional areas. This increased presence in rural communities has been supported by the development of strong relationships with local government. One community housing provider that provides vital housing services in rural and regional NSW is Homes Out West. Operating in the Riverina region of south west NSW, Homes Out West has experienced rapid growth in the last twelve months with the transfer of public housing stock to community housing management. In Executive Officer Geoff Mann’s words, “the scale of operations for the organisation now provides an even stronger platform to strengthen communities and facilitate developments to meet housing need.” Homes Out West manages properties in all local government areas along the NSW side of the Murray River, from Albury in the east to Wentworth in the west. Its capacity to work with Local Government has been demonstrated by the innovative and award winning Mandorla Place partnership which addressed a serious unmet need within the small rural community of Balranald. Balranald Shire and Homes Out West worked in collaboration to produce a housing needs analysis of the area, which identified that there was a high risk of young adults with disabilities becoming homeless or being removed from their community. Homes Out West then partnered with Balranald Shire and MacKillop Rural Community Services to explore options to address this need. This partnership culminated in the construction of six units for disabled young people in Balranald. Balranald Shire provided the land and project-managed the design and construction, Housing

NSW provided funds for the building and Homes Out West manages the housing. MacKillop Rural Community Services provides ongoing support for tenants. Geoff Mann describes the project as “a great example of how community housing can partner with local government to solve real problems of housing need in local communities.” The largest regionally-based community housing provider in NSW is Compass Housing Services. With its head office in Hamilton and branch offices in Newcastle, East Maitland, Dubbo, Upper Hunter, Broken Hill, Erina and Toukley, Compass offers tenancy and asset management to over 2000 dwellings in northern and western NSW. The organisation’s aim is to increase the supply of sustainable affordable and social housing that meets future demographic needs and allows for ageing in place. Compass acquired 1,000 new dwellings through the Nation Building and Economic Stimulus Plan (NBESP) in three locations. Compass has formed several partnerships with local councils to assist in providing affordable housing in the Hunter region. Cessnock City Council donated land to develop affordable housing in the Cessnock local government area, and Newcastle City Council’s Building Better Cities program donated $660,000 to help provide further affordable housing options in the Newcastle local

Balranald units, developed in a collaboration between Homes Out West and Balranald Shire Council

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Supporting a growing sector

s the peak industry body for housing associations in NSW, the NSW Federation of Housing Associations is the gateway to the state’s rapidly growing community housing sector. With more than 30 full-member organisations and 70 affiliates, we can provide a wealth of information and contacts with non-government housing providers in NSW. The enormous growth of the sector over recent years has also lifted the activity of the Federation. We’ve been working flat out to build a wide range of relationships to support these rapid changes. While these include political, industrial and commercial relationships for this new growth area, one of our important activities is hosting a network of local government officers involved in affordable housing. We’ve also been working with our members to deliver a wide range of professional support and qualifications for growing the capacity, professionalism and skills of those in the sector. The range is huge, from short courses for CEOs to accredited vocational training sessions and hands-on workshops, allowing us to provide the skills that the sector needs.

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The Federation’s web site (www.communityhousing.org.au) is a fantastic resource, providing a directory of community housing providers across NSW. News, information on training and events, links to publications and submissions, and other material of relevance to the sector can all be easily accessed from the Federation’s home page. Don’t delay – look it up today!

NSW Federation of Housing Associations Inc. 64-76 Kippax Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Tel: (02) 9281 7144 www.communityhousing.org.au

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT government area. Compass is also a member of the Gosford City Council Affordable Housing Sunset Committee. These partnerships have provided more affordable housing by combining local government resources with not-for-profit service delivery to meet the growing need for affordable housing in regional NSW. Working in partnerships is part of the practice of Argyle Community Housing, which operates across a large section of NSW, from Campbelltown in Sydney’s south to Albury on the Victorian border. In November 2010, in conjunction with the Wingecarribee Shire Council, St Vincent de Paul Society, Bowral Youth Refuge, Bowral Rotary Club and local businesses, Argyle Community

Housing opened a three bedroom transitional home in Bowral to be used for the youth of the area vacating the youth refuge in Bowral. This facility will be used to teach young people life skills and create a safe environment to live whilst completing their education. It is hoped that this is the beginning of a liaison between these local organisations to open more of this much needed service. The recent growth in the community housing sector has not been limited to NSW. Operating in several States in Australia, Community Housing Limited (CHL) manages more than 2500 properties in Tasmania and Western Australia as well as Victoria, which holds the majority of their properties, and NSW, where their properties are largely located on the Central Coast. With the funding support of the Federal and State governments from 2007-10 – through the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) and the NBESP – CHL is making a major contribution to the growth of affordable housing across Australia. CHL has focussed on building local partnerships, particularly with councils. In line with the Affordable Housing Strategies formulated and implemented by the Clarence Valley Council, Community

The opening of the transitional home in Bowral, developed in collaboration between Argyle Community Housing, Wingecarribee Shire Council and other local stakeholders

The turning of the first sod at the Hastings project in Victoria. Sitting on the machine is Cr David Gibb, Mayor of Mornington Peninsular Shire. The Hastings project was developed by Community Housing Limited in partnership with the Council and local stakeholders.

Housing Ltd delivered a total of 14 affordable dwellings at 3 sites in Grafton with land owned by Council and Housing NSW. In Victoria, Mornington Peninsula Council has participated in creating one of the most innovative affordable housing developments in Victoria in 2010. The $4.6 million development will be located on prime bayside land in the heart of Hastings and close to services and amenities. The development will have 20 new affordable homes offering long-term rental accommodation - 13 to the aged and families on low to moderate incomes, and seven for intellectually and physically disabled people who can live independently with support. The innovative approach in regards to the mix of tenants that can be housed is already being referred to as the ‘Hastings model’. It houses and support tenants living with a disability yet requiring different degrees of care, from 24 hour/7 day onsite care for highly dependent tenants to supported independent living. The project has been characterised by a tight-knit partnership between the Victorian Department of Human Services, Frankston Peninsula Carers (a local community group), Mornington Peninsula Council, and CHL to achieve a next-generation concept in affordable housing. In the New England region of northern NSW, Homes North Community Housing Company manages over 600 properties, with offices in Armidale, Tamworth, Gunnedah and Glen Innes. Its portfolio is set to grow to 900 properties in 2011, and since its inception in 1998 it has built strong relationships with community organisations and local land councils. Homes North’s development in Johnston Street, Tamworth, an NBESP project, comprises 16 two bedroom units. Executive Officer Maree McKenzie said “Eight of the units are fully adaptable and are purpose-designed for people to live very comfortably, especially for those who have limited mobility or are wheelchair bound.” The development was officially opened by Tamworth’s Mayor Col Murray. As they continue to grow and strengthen in the coming years, community housing providers will make a vital difference in rural and regional communities, in many cases through successful partnerships with local government.

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Rebuilding communities By Megan McGay After disaster strikes, what role does local government play in redeveloping communities?

ustralia has endured many types of natural disasters over the last decade. From widespread drought to horrific bushfires, unrelenting floods and the mother of all cyclones, communities across the country have dealt with intense and tragic circumstances. The role of local government in helping communities to recover and regenerate post disaster has never been more important. In Victoria, the people of Kinglake and Marysville have been working towards rebuilding their communities, following the February 2009 bushfires. While primary concerns include rebuilding homes and public buildings like schools and halls, redeveloping a community has many facets. This includes fostering business growth to provide local income, as well as less tangible things like renewing community spirit and building resilience. The Victorian bushfires were catastrophic to regional communities. With 173 people killed and more than 7,000 others homeless, restoration has been a task of epic proportions. Aside from structural damage, grief-stricken residents had to work through the emotional toil of rebuilding family and social networks. A review commissioned by the Victorian Government’s Health Department (‘Community Recovery after the February 2009 Victorian Bushfires’)

found that strategies focusing on ‘“community” as opposed to “victims”, “survivors” and “service providers”’ were more effective. The report found that including community members in the decisionmaking process of recovery was essential in building resilience and restoring quality of life. Director of the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health at the University of Melbourne, Professor Mark Creamer, said local governments have three key roles in assisting their communities in the aftermath of disaster. The first was disseminating information; ‘without information, myths and rumours can develop and be very destructive.’ He said that an innovative way to spread messages was to use people who interact daily with locals like hairdressers and bartenders. The second key role for local government was strengthening social networks by establishing many opportunities to get the community together in non-threatening, non-disaster-related activity. Thirdly, Professor Creamer said that members of local government needed to identify individuals who were not recovering and facilitate a pathway to care. ‘So what we do is educate our community, through our hairdressers, bar staff and football coaches, about how to recognise when someone is not travelling too

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Brisbane floods, surf life savers on patrol in Land Street, Toowong Image © Jeff Camden, News Ltd

well, and then we help them to go and see a GP,’ he said. While it is difficult to measure, Professor Creamer said that communities coping in the years after a disaster show a return to normal or better functioning than what was previously the case. He said the reestablishment of community activity, like sports meets and church groups, was one way to indicate this. Whether residents talked positively about the community and offered each other support was also a gauge. He said, ‘One objective indicator is how many people leave [a town]. We’ve got to be cautious about that because they might be leaving because of a fear of a future disaster, which might be a very rational, sensible decision … But if they’re leaving because the community atmosphere has deteriorated so badly, then that’s a sign that the community hasn’t returned,’ he said. Professor Creamer said that local governments should prioritise restoring ‘physical infrastructure that allowed the community to function effectively.’ He said that regardless of whether it’s the town hall or a local hotel, if that hub where everyone used to meet is burnt down, there is no structure for people to resume their regular activities. ‘Making sure as a local government that we rebuild the physical structure that will allow the community support networks to function effectively is a really important point,’ he said. As part of the Victorian bushfire recovery mission, 33 Community Recovery Committees (CRCs) were formed to advise both local shires and the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (VBRRA) on community recovery action plans for their region. Made up of local residents, the groups identified their most important projects, thus giving them a sense of control in local restoration. The Marysville and Triangle CRC is an example of the significant work made by these local groups. It was the driver of their regional Community Recovery Plan, which prioritised projects needed to help rebuild the area. These included restoring Gallipoli Park and

improving Murchison Street aesthetics, as well as equipment for the local Guides group which was destroyed in the fire. The overseeing body, VBRRA, was established just days after the Black Saturday fires, and its function will cease in June 2011. It was heavily reliant on local governments and their CRCs to direct recovery efforts. In June, VBRRA will be replaced by a Fire Recovery Unit as part of long-term management of restoration efforts. Similarly, a new Bushfire Community Support Program began in March 2011 to ensure that the wellbeing of affected communities will still be a priority. The 10 most affected local governments will be given special training to assist their communities in growing more resilient and being more prepared for future disasters. While long-term management strategies are taking effect in Victoria, Queensland is still in the early stages of recovery following destruction from severe flooding and Tropical Cyclone Yasi. The state government created a new body, the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) to coordinate the revival of communities. With over 50 local governments impacted by recent disaster, it became the overriding powerhouse to manage recovery efforts. The QRA could not function without the integral work of local government in rebuilding communities. Local shires and councils keep residents abreast of the recovery situation and guide them in starting again, post-crisis. Brisbane City Council is in the early stages of assisting flood recovery efforts. To help alleviate stress, the council extended rate payments and instigated rebates on water bills. Similarly, parking restrictions were not enforced in the month following the floods. The city is now offering grants of up to $150,000 for non-profit organisations affected by flood damage. The role of local government as a portal of information was made evident during the Queensland floods, when Brisbane City Council received 70 per cent more calls between 10 January and 19 January 2011 than at the same time in 2010. Council website, advertisements and newsletters have been necessary in informing the public struck by tragedy about their nearest Community Recovery Centre, as well as health warnings about new issues like contaminated water and increased mosquito activity. Similarly, Cassowary Coast Regional Council – the worst hit by the cyclone – reacted quickly to the situation and installed a Recovery Action Plan within one week of the disaster; a requirement of the state government. The plan involves a Recovery Group to direct restoration efforts, with four sub-groups accountable to it. Residents can offer ideas or report concerns to the appropriate sub-group by calling the council. Deputy Mayor Mark Nolan said the community’s advice was vital to the recovery plan’s success. He said one of the lessons learnt from other disasters was the need to move into a well-coordinated recovery phase as soon as possible. G

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and environmentally friendly source of water h heating. ti With W a history of utilising natural resources, it makes sense that Hills Solar should be at the forefront of solar hot water technology – because no one understands the Australian sun like Hills.

Call us on 1300 363 386 hillssolar.com.au

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Verve Energy solar farm for mid-west Verve Energy, Western Australia’s biggest electricity generation company, is to build a 10MW solar farm near Ellendale in the mid-west.

t will be Australia’s first utility scale solar farm and the biggest in Australia. Work on the project, called Greenough River Solar Farm, is planned to start in April 2011 and is scheduled to be completed in late 2011. The site is 80 hectares of private, cleared land about 30 kilometres east of Greenough, and 50 kilometres southeast of Geraldton, on the Nangetty Walkaway Road. The solar farm will consist of about 40,000 solar photovoltaic panels. The solar photovoltaic (PV) farm will produce electricity when it is needed most – during the day. This significant project for the state and for Verve Energy will go ahead with contributions from the Royalties for Regions scheme and Office of Energy. It has significant support from the Mid West Regional Development Commission. The solar farm will generate approximately 28GWh of electricity per annum, which is equivalent to powering about 3,000 homes. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25,000 tonnes per year – the equivalent of taking 5,000 cars off the road. Verve Energy Managing Director Shirley In’t Veld said the project would build on the strong renewable

energy push in the mid-west region. ‘This solar farm will be the first step towards expanding Western Australia’s renewable energy away from the high reliance on wind farms,’ Ms In’t Veld said. ‘Solar photovoltaic is the fastest-growing proven renewable energy technology with continually falling costs. ‘Verve Energy is very pleased to be building this solar farm. It will add a significant project to our sustainable energy portfolio, which includes wind farms and wind-diesel plants throughout the state.’ The Minister for Regional Development and Lands, Brendon Grylls, said the project would provide Western Australia with the opportunity to lead the country in solar energy generation. The project will benefit the mid-west by creating jobs during construction, and also during continued maintenance. It will help the state government meet its renewable energy target of 20 per cent by 2020. This project is supported by the Office of Energy, Royalties for Regions through the Department of Regional Development and Mid West Regional Development Commission. G

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Lighting up Lake Macquarie

urrounded by beautiful beaches, mountains, and the ocean, the city of Lake Macquarie is located 90 minutes north of Sydney, 10 minutes from Newcastle, and 40 minutes from Hunter Wine Country and the NSW Central Coast. Lake Macquarie is one of the fastest growing cities in the Hunter, and one of the largest cities in New South Wales. After investigating a number of products, the Lake Macquarie City Council approached GE to replace their current flood light fixtures with energy efficient ones. Energy cost savings, cost of maintenance and longevity of the light fittings were some of the factors that were looked into, before deciding to change the current light fixtures. Eleven units of 250W conventional floodlights were replaced with GE LED 90W flood lights which will result in major energy savings. The LED lights give a bright white light, enhancing the building and the area around the council. The flood lights are estimated to have a lifespan of 50,000 hours, equating to approximately 12 years of use and therefore saving major costs on maintenance. A warranty of 5 Years, an IP65 rating to protect the light

from external conditions, and a solid casing ensures a reliable solution in energy efficient lighting. Lake Macquarie City Council is increasingly exploring energy efficient lighting options for its operation and the success of the flood lights should lead to future projects in the city. GE offers a range of tools to help businesses customize a lighting solution that best meets their needs. The tools can help organizations like Lake Macquarie City Council to plan and execute upgrades to existing lighting systems, providing insight into areas which can deliver cost savings and maintenance requirements.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

GE Lighting Australia GE Lighting Australia recently introduced an innovative new roadway luminaire, the Evolve™ LED R150 Cobrahead streetlight. Building on GE’s traditional strengths in both fixtures and LED technology, the Evolve Cobrahead reduces glare and energy costs, while adding years to product life.

magine that you’re an actor about to go on stage. You’ve memorised your lines and your movements. But, just as you’re preparing to step into the light, the director hands you a new script. “Forget your old lines,” she says. “We’re doing something completely different.” Employees in GE’s lighting businesses confronted a similar challenge last year. “Roadway lighting was not at the top of our product development list for 2009,” says Paul Morse, Vice President - Sales, for GE Lighting Solutions, “but we changed our priorities as municipalities began committing stimulus dollars to energy-efficient streetlights.” The result was the new Evolve Cobrahead LED luminaire, a breakthrough in eco-friendly roadway lighting. “A normal development cycle runs two to three years,” says Paul. Working together, engineers and employees from GE Lighting Systems in Hendersonville, North Carolina, GE Lumination in Cleveland, Ohio and GE design engineers in Lachine in Montreal, Canada, created the Evolve Cobrahead in fewer than 12 months. Also impressive, this new product was voted “Best-in-Class” in the recent Next Generation Luminaires™ Design Competition, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America and the International Association of Lighting Designers. The award cites excellence in the design and energy efficiency for general illumination lighting.

Striking-features With energy costs continuing to rise, the Evolve Cobrahead strikes back by yielding a 40 per cent reduction in system-energy requirements and more than 10 years in service life (three or four times that of metal halide). LED solutions create energy and maintenance relief that traditional products can’t match. The Evolve Cobrahead wins in the quality arena as well, with a concentric light ring technology that is tailored to roadway light distribution. Many products in the market use light bar designs, which produce more glare. Furthermore, the housing -- shaped like a cobra’s head -- channels runoff from rain and snow to keep the light clean and bright. The combination of energy savings, long life, good light and good looks is proving attractive to many U.S. West Coast cities that are bidding out their roadway lighting business. GE is one of the few companies with deep experience in both fixtures and LEDs.

Contact person for GE: George Verghese – Commercial Manager LED Ph: (02) 8788 7274 Mobile: 04 2025 3287

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Lighting the way - with the GE difference GE EVOLVE R150 COBRAHEAD

The Evolve R150 Family is a highly reliable LED Solution specially designed for roadway lighting, combined with a reduced energy consumption of up to 40% compared with traditional High Pressure Sodium lamps. With its unique optical design, the graceful R150 can effectively control glare and light trespass and significantly improve the light distribution uniformity of roadway lighting.

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Reduced Light Power Density enabling energy saving ,mproved &R, and vertical illumination to improve detail recognition on the road surface 8niform light levels for enhanced security camera surveillance &ontrolled perimeter spill light to effectively reduce light pollution

5/03/11 9:33 AM

LIGHTING

The pros and cons of LEDs By Bryan Douglas, Chief Executive Officer, Lighting Council Australia From traffic lights to exit signs, torches to street lighting, kitchens to lounge rooms, stadium displays to architectural and decorative lighting – the use of LEDs as a light source is on the rise. Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are an important development in the lighting industry and they are here to stay. What are LEDs? EDs are a type of solid-state lighting (SSL). They consist of a chip of semiconducting material treated to create a positive-negative junction. When switched on, charge carriers flow into the junction and combine to release energy in the form of photons. The colour emitted depends on the materials used to make the diode. LEDs can be red, yellow, blue, green or ‘white’ (created by combining other colours). LEDs were introduced as a practical electronic component in the 1960s. Significant technical

developments in more recent years have seen them used widely as indicator devices and, increasingly, for special and general-purpose lighting.

Benefits LEDs are highly energy efficient, comparable to fluorescent technology. They have a long life – lasting up to 50 times longer than incandescent lamps and 5–10 times longer than fluorescent lamps. This makes them ideal for hard-to-access locations. LEDs are durable and can withstand vibration and shocks.

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LIGHTING They are not affected by regular on/off switching, which is good for areas such as bathrooms. Another advantage is that LEDs do not contain the toxic substance mercury. In addition, they are at full brightness as soon as they are switched on and are fully dimmable.

Quality comparison Some types of LEDs, however, still have a way to go to match the quality of other technology. For example, recent testing of LED T8 fluorescent replacements by the US Department of Energy found bare lamp output of the LED T8 was about one-third the average for fluorescent T8s. Performance was also significantly below fluorescent T8s in luminaire efficacy (efficiency in terms of light output versus energy consumed) and colour rendering index (colour accuracy). However, average fixture efficiency was higher with LED T8s because LEDs are directional, so less light is lost inside the fixture.

Other issues Heat management of LEDs is an issue, requiring elements such as heat sinks. Degradation in LED material and phosphors in white LEDs can lead to colour shift; a potential issue for side-by-side applications. As a point source of light, LEDs are well suited to uses such as traffic lights, but this makes LED use for general illumination more challenging. And initial costs for LEDs remain higher than alternatives.

Expectations and standards Numerous new LED products are now entering the Australian market. While some are excellent, many are poor quality and do not live up to suppliers’ claims. Lighting Art and Science December 2009 edition reported that LED testing at the Queensland University of Technology found ‘Many [LEDs] perform poorly or

have failed to meet the specifications for the application that they were designed for’. Such performance issues threaten to undermine user confidence, discourage uptake, and delay or otherwise compromise the substantial energy savings potential of LEDs. Lighting Council is keen to promote this technology. However, we want to avoid a repeat of the early days of compact fluorescent lamp technology when consumers were put off by poor quality, premature failures and light output issues. While new LED standards are being prepared at an international level, the technology is yet to be properly standardised globally or within Australia.

SSL Quality Scheme Standardisation remains an issue. Until we have robust, mature standards, we can’t address the quality and performance problems. In response, Lighting Council Australia recently launched an industry-led voluntary quality certification scheme for LEDs. The SSL Quality Scheme provides confidence to the market that a luminaire carrying the scheme’s label matches the supplier’s performance claims. Lighting Council Australia verifies performance claims based on test reports or other evidence provided and then authorise the use of the SSL Quality Scheme label. Labels include details such as light output, efficiency, power required, light colour and colour accuracy. Registered products appear on a searchable database on Lighting Council Australia’s website. LEDs have enormous potential. This is a highly flexible technology that will lead to a re-think of lighting applications. We haven’t even imagined all the possible uses yet. G

More information about LEDs and the SSL Quality Scheme is at www.lightingcouncil.com.au.

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LIGHTING

Transforming your urban landscape

hilips is a global company of leading businesses creating value with meaningful innovations that improve people’s health and wellbeing. We strive to make best use of the opportunities for lighting, to achieve lasting change in many aspects of life and, in particular, enhance well-being. This notion is the signature of how we simply enhance life with light. Philips believes that cities, towns and villages should be warm, inviting places that people enjoy living in and visiting. Research has demonstrated that high-quality white light offers many clear advantages over yellow light. For example, the ambience is perceived as brighter, colours appear more natural and it is easier for pedestrians and cyclists to recognise the faces of other people and obstacles on the street. This greater clarity improves the general feeling of security. Because it improves visibility, especially in the periphery, which can be very important for motorists, white light can make the roads safer as well. And that’s not all. Modern white light sources offer comparable or even better energy efficiency than the high-pressure sodium lamps. Urban development and regeneration programs are increasingly focused on re-humanising the urban environment, and we believe lighting has a vital role to play in this regard, creating an appealing, inclusive ambience.

Lighting streets and pedestrian areas The illumination of streets and pedestrian areas has evolved from simple functional lighting into a more demanding and creative discipline. It should not only provide light in which people can drive, cycle and walk safely, but must be pleasing and inviting as well. It should promote communication and well-being, encouraging night-time socialising and complementing the city’s night life. Luminaires for street and pedestrian lighting also have an architectural role. During the day they become an integral part of the street scene. Our range of architectural street luminaires has been designed with this is mind, offering a winning blend of performance and style.

Lighting residential areas

No one else has the breadth and depth of expertise in all aspects of lighting, or the means to offer solutions that address the needs and challenges faced by society today. Over more than a century, we have built up a depth of understanding and a craft for innovation that continues to benefit profoundly all our stakeholders – lighting professionals, their customers and consumers alike. With Philips, you are at the forefront of technological innovation and new value creation. We believe that trust, openness and brilliant ideas can change the world.

For many years residential lighting was purely functional. And although safety, security and orientation remain essential requirements, there is now a drive to improve the residents’ quality of life, creating a pleasing identity for these often-overlooked parts of the city.

For more information and helpful hints on how to implement cost and energy efficient lighting systems, please contact Philips Customer Service: 1300 304 404 or email lightingsalesdesk@philips.com or log onto www.philips.com.au/lighting.

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COMMUNITY + SOCIAL FABRIC

Strips: Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life in them yet By Bruce Atkinson Strip retailing is often forgotten in the 21st century world of shopping centres. A central management structure can be key to the survival of such precincts.

he state of the Australian retail market tends to be measured in the headlines of the announcements and financial metrics of listed retailers and shopping centres. Yet across the country, there are thousands of strip centres populated by independent retailers that also reflect economic fluctuations, consumer spending and confidence. While most strip centres fight the good fight without any assistance, some municipalities have recognised the importance of viable shopping precincts and have established management programs. The management model for shopping strips has been around for about 25 years, and usually involves

a separate scheme that establishes a fund for the employment of a manager and activities, including promotions, business development and training programs. The trader contributions are gathered through special rate levies, sometimes topped up by a municipal grant or by commitment to public works to upgrade the retail precinct in a bid to fortify the strips against shopping centres and big box retailers. While marketing is a key element of strip centre management programs, managers of some of the 75 programs in Victoria say that their role is much broader than simply running promotions and coordinating advertising.

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COMMUNITY + SOCIAL FABRIC They also argue that management programs have proven to be crucial in supporting and encouraging small retailers in the economic downturn over the past two years, providing business advice and ideas to keep the tills ringing. Noella Jacobs was a marketing and centre manager for shopping centres throughout Australia, and worked in public relations before starting YMP Mainstreet, a company providing management services to strip centres. Jacobs now manages five centres and consults with several municipalities on business improvement programs. Her centres include Greensborough Town Centre, Rosanna Village, Lalor, Keilor Rd in Niddrie and Bundoora Square.

The strip manager’s role Jacobs said a strip centre manager has to develop a marketing program as a key element of a business plan for each centre, but the job is varied and demanding, with a different focus for each centre, defined by its structure, size, market characteristics and competition. Business improvement, training and networking events are a priority at the Greensborough Town Centre, along with identifying potential tenants for vacant premises and liaison with the Banyule City Council on cleaning, security and maintenance issues. Liaison is also important with the police, community groups and schools. Kim Gibb was a private secretary before being appointed as centre manager for Tunstall Square in Donvale, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, 13 years ago. Gibb has had similar roles at Jacksons Court in Doncaster, Templestowe Village, North Balwyn Village, Montrose and Heidelberg Central and says a manager’s role is to do ‘everything and anything that is necessary’ to promote the centre, improve the viability of existing businesses and create investment opportunities for new businesses. Both Lucinda Bakhach and Michelle Frazer agree that advocacy is part of the job, along with developing economic strategies, not just marketing programs, that capitalise on a centre’s point of difference. Bakhach, who started the economic development unit at Stonnington City Council to support major strips such as Chapel St, High St, Glenferrie Rd and Commercial Rd in Melbourne, has been promotions and development manager for Mt Eliza Chamber of Commerce for around six years. She said managers also needed to educate and inform businesses about trends and opportunities and ‘hopefully provide some inspiration about how to do things better or differently’.

State of play Managers said that strip centres have been ‘doing it tough’ in the past 12 to 18 months. Gibb said trading has been down everywhere and retailers struggling to maintain sales turnover

are now also facing rent increases in many areas as investors attempt to improve their return on inflated property values. She said some retailers had closed their doors because they were unable to pay increased rents, with the possibility of a ‘glut of empty premises in some areas’, and rents and property values out of kilter. Bakhach said that strip retailers have felt the impact of retail chains in ‘aggressive sales mode’, while Jacobs said that her centres traded well up to Christmas 2009, but had suffered in the following six months with a lower customer shopping basket evident, along with tighter spending. In longer-term trends, Frazer claims there has been a move back to shopping strips for their community values, personal service and unique products and services. Notwithstanding that, Frazer concedes that business is generally down in strip centres. She said the global financial crisis and rising cost of living had also driven many people to save money by shopping locally. Frazer has managed the Blackburn Station shopping centre, Brentford Square and Burwood Heights shopping centres in the City of Whitehorse in Melbourne’s east, but has recently resigned from her manager role to pursue a career in Victorian state politics. Jacobs said closure of banks has had a major negative impact on strip centres, but on the positive side, more people are enjoying walking and the ambience of strips, particularly where there are outdoor cafés. Bakhach said one of the key trends impacting on shopping strips was the take-up of internet shopping options, which time-poor and savvy shoppers use to scope the range, quality and price of the products they are after. ‘There is an increasingly high degree of consumer spending focused on technology, electrical and homeware offerings that are traditionally lacking in strip centres,’ she said. ‘Hard tops that are drawing from large catchments and offer variety, customer comfort and add-ons are not going away; they are growing, and so are their marketing budgets as retail and entertainment hubs increase in popularity and continue to vie to provide something for everyone.’ Bakhach said it is a catch cry at the moment, but social media is something strip retailers need to monitor, as it is used to broadly and immediately disseminate information about how people feel about where they visit, what they buy and their retail experience. ‘If it’s a bad experience, many people will find out about it quickly and avoid having the same experience. The implication is that we need to get back to basics, be the best at what we do, be customer focused and provide a great retail experience,’ Bakhach contends.

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COMMUNITY + SOCIAL FABRIC Retail mix Gibb points out that strip shopping centres are continually evolving and sometimes suffer from the fact that the mix of businesses and store upgrades are not as controlled as in a hard top centre. ‘The café culture is a trend that has taken over our shopping strips. Footpath trading used to mean books, clothing and fresh food displayed, but today it means the placement of tables and chairs on the footpath to complement the cafés and takeaways that seem to multiply daily.’ She believes that the loss of fresh food retailers such as butchers, bakers, greengrocers and delicatessens from strips because of supermarket competition and markets has started to reverse. Gibb also believes that state government policies to increase residential density in and around strip centres has provided new opportunities for retailers where developers ensure that their projects have adequate parking and are properly integrated into communities. Key elements of a successful strip centre include a good mix of quality retail stores, visual appeal, cleanliness and safety, easily accessible parking and convenient public transport. Jacob said the presentation of a centre in terms of cleanliness and landscaping is important in creating a positive image, while anchor tenants or specialist retailers that attract customers from beyond the primary catchment can boost overall trading. Bakhach agrees that a good retail mix and the presence of anchor tenants servicing the daily needs of the community underpin a successful centre, along with tenants such as greengrocers, butchers, bakeries, delicatessens, florists, hairdressers, banks and speciality boutiques. ‘You can often find that one or two really good retailers can mean the difference between a great and average strip,’ said Bakhach. ‘Another major factor is ambience. It’s about appealing to people’s sense of beauty, comfort and safety. I also believe that it is becoming increasingly important for businesses within a strip to work together to promote their precinct’s point of difference.’

Marketing for strip retail Frazer argues that marketing cannot be underestimated in terms of creating a sense of place and a brand with which residents can identify. While the physical environment and facilities are important and can create a point of difference to other shopping environments, ongoing marketing activity is essential to attracting and retaining customers. The Blackburn Station shopping centre publishes a 16-page quarterly newsletter sent to 11,500 homes containing local news, event information and advertising. Frazer has also used local press, as well as developing community links, especially with schools. Bakhach publishes a high-quality Mt Eliza mini magazine quarterly for 19,000 homes on the

Mornington Peninsula, and has an active promotional calendar that includes an annual Christmas Fair and high-quality farmers’ market. Mt Eliza community links have been strengthened by engaging local artists in the development of distinctive elements of the retail precinct, such as flags, signage and seating. Gibb claims that strip shopping centres with a united traders’ group can achieve the same recognition through marketing and promotion as any hard top centre. ‘With this recognition comes opportunities and access to funds that allow public facility upgrades such as footpaths, roadways, toilets, bike racks, rubbish bins and lighting that will improve the ambience of a centre and encourage increased customer interest and new quality business interest,’ said Gibb. ‘It is vital that a marketing strategy reflect the type of shopping centre and the catchment that surrounds it.’

Money, money, money Marketing is about visual recognition of a brand, logo and name, according to Gibb, who has developed strategies for the various centres she has managed, including publications, signage and banners, school competitions and shopping dollar incentive programs. While each of the strip centre managers acknowledge that there are some grumbles from businesses that claim they receive no benefit from rate levies and that it is simply another cost for their business, they point out that all of the successful management programs are underpinned by trader levies. ‘The majority of traders I work with see the benefit in our special promotional levy,’ said Bakhach. ‘However, this has occurred over time by delivering tangible outcomes.’ Jacobs said traders tend to be supportive of a levy as long as it is managed professionally, while Frazer said most schemes she has been involved in have garnered support from around 90 per cent of traders. Gibb has worked in centres with and without special rates and charges and says a compulsory special rate scheme guarantees an annual budget that allows for better planning. ‘Over the years, the majority of centres where I have worked have embraced special rate schemes. ‘Communication is the key, as business operators and property owners are prepared to support a levy if they understand the rate, its purpose, proposed benefit and ultimate cost,’ Gibb said. G

This article originally appeared in the November edition of Inside Retailing, and is reproduced with permission.

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Aligning with our local communities.

At Stockland we take great pride in creating places that meet the needs of our customers and local communities. Family-friendly initiatives like my funland play areas and 5 star parents’ rooms make shopping more relaxing. Add in easy parking, quality ﬁt outs and a savvy retail mix and you can see why Stockland is a ﬁrst choice destination. Visit www.stockland.com.au

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COMMUNITY + SOCIAL FABRIC

Stockland Commercial Property

tockland is Australia’s leading diversified property group and one of the largest retail property owners, developers and managers in the country, actively managing a portfolio that includes residential communities, retirement living, shopping centres, office and industrial assets. For over 55 years, Stockland has been creating places that meet the needs of its customers and communities. Whether it is providing a shopping centre that serves the local community, building parks in its residential communities or contributing to programs that improve the wellbeing of tenants and residents, Stockland’s focus is on developing thriving communities. Stockland is one of the largest retail property owners, developers and managers in Australia, with a portfolio comprising 38 shopping centres, with a total of 800,831sqm GLA valued at approximately $4.1 billion. The properties accommodate more than 2,600 tenants and generate in excess of $4.8 billion in retail sales per annum. Stockland’s diversified business model puts it in a good position to positively impact the communities where it has residential, retail or retirement properties. The North Shore masterplanned community, located 12 kilometres north-west of Townsville, will ultimately house over 15,000 people across 1,000 hectares of land. This community will include parklands, four planned schools, four planned childcare centres and a town centre with a 40,000sqm Stockland shopping centre.

In order to create a strong and vibrant community hub at North Shore, Stockland brought forward the development of the shopping centre and began construction in early 2010. Typically, when a residential community is developed, the shopping centre is only established once the population reaches a critical mass. At North Shore, Stockland is opening the shopping centre early so that new residents have a local town centre. The response has been very positive and Residential lot sales have increased substantially as a result. Stockland has an impressive record of implementing innovative design and development in major retail centres. Stockland Townsville has redefined the notion of shopping in the area with state of the art design, the latest enviro-installation, and exciting new precincts. Stockland Townsville is registered for Green

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COMMUNITY + SOCIAL FABRIC Star retail design accreditation. Its environmental initiatives include energy sub-metering, naturally ventilated carparks, “smart” water meters and a green tenancy fitout guide. Stockland uses its knowledge and experience to leverage synergies between its retail, residential and retirement living businesses, for greater potential returns in the long run. This crossbusiness view enables Stockland to ensure its business is more than the sum of the parts. As such, its people are able to draw on the expertise, knowledge and resources from across the business to ensure the retail developments are at the forefront of design, sustainability and are effectively managed to ensure the success of its centre’s customers. Stockland has a strong community vision, which is evident across the entire business. In retail, this vision is demonstrated through centre locations, the selected retail mix and the development design, which follows extensive research and community consultation to identify the needs of the market. In addition to this, family friendly amenities, which have been awarded a 5 star breast feeding association award, are incorporated into Stockland centres to ensure they are not only places people want to spend time, but provide conveniences for the communities they are built for. Stockland is my funland play areas have also been introduced into some centres. This is an extension of the Stockland is my funland kids club which currently has over 75,000 members Australia wide. The my funland play areas are colourful and interactive, promoting active play, social collaboration and educational content for children, while giving mum and dad some much needed down time. Stockland has a strong commitment to our communities.

Each of the retail centres work closely with local governments, community services, schools and residents to create a range of programs and initiatives to support local communities. Stockland Rockhampton recently completed the Stockmotion youth film project. Stockmotion was devised to provide a positive and educational experience for teenagers in shopping centres, in response to some issues being experienced at Stockland Rockhampton. The centre team worked in partnership with the local police, local schools, community and youth groups to address safety and behavior concerns affecting the whole of the Rockhampton community. The program involved 25 teenagers designing and developing their own stop motion animation film over an eight week period. At the end of the program, there was a community screening of the films at the local cinema and prizes were awarded to the winning team. Industry professionals spoke with the teenagers about how to make a career in animation and film, and further education courses were highlighted to the participants. Not only did this engage teenagers in a positive way and provide them with skills they may not have had previously, but the benefits have been felt by the entire community, including retail tenants, shoppers, parents, Police and service providers. Stockland is currently looking at other areas in which this initiative can be rolled out as well as looking into other initiatives that will work within its local communities. Figures are accurate as at 30 June 2010.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Local government is beginning to app-ly itself Mobile phone apps are beginning to streamline the practices of government.

n the past, an issue pertaining to a local municipality such as a large pothole in a main road could go weeks before being brought to the council’s attention. The hole can become deeper, the damage bill to citizens’ cars larger, and the danger to motorists and pedestrians remains – possibly resulting in injury and civil actions being brought against the local council. To report the pothole, a citizen would have to know what municipality they were in, then obtain contact details in order to get in touch with the relevant government official – a process that would often go unperformed, falling under the ‘too many hoops to jump through’ or ‘someone else will do it’ category, ategory, or simply be forgotten about ass more immediate concerns pushed it out of mind. Last year’s App My State competition, run by the Victorian Government, was initiated as a means of creating technology that assisted in their goal of moving ng towards an open government nt where citizens could more easily asily integrate themselves into the e progress of their communities. es. Premier John Brumby said the competition would encourage Victorians to create new and innovative ways to use government information and provide services to help other Victorians. Born of the federal government’s December 2009 ‘Government 2.0 report’, which aimed to ‘make our democracy more participatory and informed’, the competition attracted 171 entries, handing out $100,000 in prizes to individuals and teams. The project was a successful one for the Brumby government, proving a financially savvy way of sourcing apps, which Brumby claimed returned an estimated $1 million worth of web and mobile tools for the modest $100,000 outlay. The competition followed the success of a similar initiative launched in Washington D.C., the Apps for Democracy competition, which garnered an estimated value of over US$2.2 million in apps for less than US$100,000 in prize value. Placing fourth overall in the App My State competition was Snap Send Solve, an app that lets citizens streamline the process of reporting issues,

such as the aforementioned pothole conundrum, to their council in under 30 seconds. Snap Send Solve is a free iPhone app that works by determining which council the citizen is in, using their phone’s GPS location. Once their location has been determined, the server sends back all relevant council details, including contact information, location, and email contact. The app allows its user to easily capture, using the phone’s camera, and report on common issues including litter, hard waste, parking, street cleaning, trees, noise, and also provide a general request or general feedback. All reports from Snap Send Solve are sent from the app using the sender’s email address so that the council can communicate directly with w them over the issue. Many other convenient apps are being used in ap councils across Australia. co Tweed Council has Twe established an app that esta allows ratepayers to access allow information including road inform closures, development closu applications, and library book applic reservations. Mount Gambier Library patrons are also able to view the library’s catalogue on their smart phones, and Ku-Ring-Gai council’s Fires Near Me application is designed to alert people to bush fire activity in NSW. Apps can also be used to boost tourism and social behaviour within a municipality. Gold Coast City Council has launched Parkfinder, which allows users to find a Gold Coast park location, and share it with friends and family via social media on their smartphone. Local government is only just beginning to tap the benefits of social media and web and mobile tools. They have the capability to not only close the chasm between government and its citizens, but through assisting in their own governance, taxpayers could eventually eliminate the need for some of the more redundant governmental processes, saving themselves money and building a more efficient society. The possibilities continue to advance, along with the technology that will create a new dimension for local governance. G

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315444

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Amcom Telecommunications Ltd

mcom is an award-winning Australian telecommunications company. Operating since 1998, Amcom specialises in meeting the growing needs of business and government for data, internet, voice and related services over its extensive network. In 2009 Amcom was named Australia’s best telecommunications company of the year. Delivering superior customer service, faster

connection times, product innovation and low connection costs, Amcom is the provider of choice to many leading organisations. Customers like Perth’s City of Stirling enjoy the flexibility and value the Amcom Network delivers. As City of Stirling CIO, Peter Bennington attests, “Amcom aren’t staying still. As they’re expanding their own network, they’re offering us capabilities to push greater bandwidth to our largest facilities at a lower cost. Plus as they generate larger savings, they pass them onto us, and typically we don’t ask them to. They just do it.” And the benefits of being on the Amcom network can be significant. “We’ve probably reduced our bottom line over the past few years by 20-25 percent, which is a huge saving”, said Bennington. To learn more about how you can extend your connectivity and communications capabilities, visit www.amcom.com. au or telephone 1800 428 428.

“THEY CAME ACROSS AS MORE NIMBLE AND FLEXIBLE TO RESPOND TO CHANGING NEEDS.” Peter Bennington City of Stirling CIO

As a full-service business telecommunications provider, Amcom provides latest generation products and services which deliver high value and great functionality. > High speed IPv4/IPv6 Internet from 2Mbps to 100Mbps* > Secure high-speed Point-toPoint and Multi-Point connectivity options up to 10GbE > Full range of IP Telephone and Video solutions > Value added services including Datacentre & VPN Subject to availability of services.

Contact us to understand how, like City of Stirling, you can gain greater value and functionality from your communications and networking. amcom.com.au or 1800 428 428.

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PRINT + DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

South East Water reduce the environmental impact of print

outh East Water is a State-owned company and one of Melbourne’s three metropolitan water retailers. The company provides water, sewerage and recycled water services to 1.5 million customers, including residential, commercial and industrial customers, within a defined geographical boundary. South East Water is committed to working with the community to deliver sustainable water solutions for a better future. This includes partnering initiatives to deliver water conservation, education and community programs to help customers better manage their water and wastewater requirements. A strong sustainability program is also in place to ensure business decisions are based on a robust assessment of environmental, social and financial implications. South East Water’s commitment to sustainability is not isolated to water efficiency; it

Benefits • • • • •

Printing drops from 3rd to 15th place of help desk issues by volume 50 per cent reduction in energy consumption across the print fleet Printing costs can now be tracked across the business Paper usage reduced by 4 reams per person annually 60 Tonne reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

includes energy efficiency and the reduction of waste waste. e.

Issue Is ssu sue As part of its intern internal nal Ec E Eco-Office o Offfice fific P Program, ro og grram m So S South outth East Water reviewed its entire print fleet and printing practices. The results highlighted to senior management an inefficient print environment, with significant paper wastage and high running costs. “When taking a closer look at reducing the environmental impact of our printing, we saw that we could significantly reduce costs as well,” said Stuart Brockwell, South East Water Acting CIO. “We had over 120 printers, scanners and faxes with limited standardisation. This was causing us massive headaches in managing all the different models and makes.” With the overall objectives of reducing waste, improving security and lowering costs, South East Water sought expertise around management of its print fleet. After testing the market for managed multi-function print services, South East Water selected Canon to provide recommendations on how it could achieve its objectives for its print and document management environment.

Implementation After conducting a thorough review of the printing environment, Canon designed a customised print and document management solution based on South East

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PRINT + DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT Water’s requirements. “Canon’s recommendation to consolidate, centralise and secure our print fleet, while providing visibility and control over cost and effective integration into our document management system, made its offer the most compelling.”

However, with uniFLOW follow-me printing, print jobs are only released when the employee is present and swipes in for access, so the need to “print-and-sprint” to the machines was avoided. Under the new system, departmental and individual printing habits are now visible to the business. “Before implementing uniFLOW we didn’t have good information on what our organisation spent on printing and how these costs were distributed across the business. Canon’s software solution allows us to track who are the heavier print users and attribute costs to the correct business unit. It also highlights the cost of colour printing to our staff.” By issuing print usage reports and attributing the associated cost to every department, awareness of the financial impact of printing increased dramatically. Simple options such as setting all printers to black and white and duplex by default has significantly reduced paper usage. By adopting Canon’s unique eMaintenance system, South East Water was able to reduce its total cost of ownership by automating meter reading and consumable ordering through its eMetering and eConsumables systems. eMonitoring watches over South East Water’s multifunction printers round the clock, actively identifying issues remotely and often solving them before they have an impact on the organisation’s operations.

Results

“With more than 120 devices, we found ourselves frequently occupied with support and maintenance of the fleet. By lowering the total number of printers, faxes and scanners from 120 to 15 multi-function devices, we were able to significantly reduce our overall cost for consumables and servicing,” said Stuart. With the objective of reducing both cost and waste, Canon introduced its uniFLOW software to provide tighter control and tracking, and eMaintenance to allow for proactive maintenance across the print fleet. With uniFLOW’s follow-me printing functionality, South East Water was able to monitor and control its print fleet by simply changing the printing behavior of its employees. One of the solution’s key features is the print-release function, where all South East Water employees must swipe an identity card before their print job is released. Any print jobs that are not released within 24 hours are automatically deleted. “Before introducing follow-me printing, employees would often print something out and then get called into a meeting or simply forget about it, leaving paper stacked up next to the printer to be recycled or to go straight into the bin. Now those paper documents never see the light of day, with staff only printing when they really need to.” One of the main concerns associated with consolidating the print fleet came from employees that dealt with confidential information and relied on having their own printer for security.

“Green IT makes for good business. Partnering with Canon has provided us with significant savings by reducing our paper consumption and improving our energy efficiency. Since the implementation, we have halved the energy consumed by our print fleet and reduced annual paper usage from 16.6 reams per person per year to 12.4 reams per person,” said Stuart. South East Water has seen an extremely positive change in employee attitude to paper wastage since using and understanding the new integrated print fleet. Unclaimed print jobs near the devices are notably absent, as are the larger paper recycling bins as the business no longer produces a high volume of waste. “Looking at productivity and efficiency, the results are clear. Printing issues were consistently in the top three of calls logged to the IT service desk. Since the introduction of eMaintenance, it has now dropped to 15th place.” “It is difficult to see what is holding organisations back from implementing a managed print service solution. There are financial, al, productivity and environmental benefits to adopting this approach.” h.” “Working with Canon not only achieved the project objectives, but it gave our IT team peace of mind. We no longer have to worry about managing our print fleet and nd are able to concentrate on our core ore business,” concluded Stuart.

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MANAGEMENT

‘Business as unusual’ By John Ravlic, chief executive, LGMA National

Introduction

he title of this paper, ‘Business as unusual’, has been borrowed from a presentation by the honourable Robert Montague, Minister of State for Local Government in Jamaica. At the last commonwealth local government conference he said that a shift in attitude amongst local governments is needed. Using the phrase ‘business unusual’, he said local government could not continue to do the same things in the same way and expect different results, but had to employ innovation and new measures. He described business unusual as: • Improving revenue streams • Improving service delivery • Increasing dialogue with communities • Identifying new partners and deepening ties with the old to find project funding • Leading from the front • Articulating a vision • Being innovative and creative. The Minister captured what is critical for local government’s survival in the next decade and beyond, and this has been adapted to the Australian context. I will endeavour to give you an overview of why it’s important for local government to take on a business as unusual approach in dealing with the challenge of not enough people and not enough funding against the backdrop of increased expectation and demand for services from an ageing community.

finance and admin staff in particular. The GFC has had little impact on the availability of our mission – critical skills such as engineering, planning, building and health.

Positive indicators All the economic indicators coming out of Australia are very positive as far as investment in mining is concerned. This level of economic activity will have significant impact on our country’s capacity to deliver these projects. Local government is at the bottom of the food chain, in terms of salary and conditions offered. In a rampant economy that is driving demand for skills, we do not have the means to compete for talent on salary.

Supply side solutions The proposed solutions for skill shortage are mostly about the supply side. How do we increase the number of engineers? How do we bring more Gen Y workers into our sector? Recent reports indicate the number of engineering graduates has not kept pace with demand due to the low number of mathematics teachers at secondary school level. Students attempting entry into university lack the mathematics pre-requisites to apply for science- and engineering-based programs. Problems in the education system such as this are out of our control and influence and may take years to resolve; some would say decades.

Economic boom

Influence and control

Over two decades, our nation experienced a significant economic boom. The intensity of this economic activity had significant impact on local government’s capacity to deliver services. The property and construction boom resulted in engineering, planning, building and health personnel leaving our sector in droves. This was followed by the mining and minerals boom, which resulted in engineering, trades and other skills leaving our sector, particularly in regional Australia.

With skills shortages, we need to concentrate on what we can control and influence to achieve maximum bang for our buck. We must look at addressing the demand side, rather than spending too much time on the supply side, which is very difficult to influence in the short- to medium-term.

GFC In recent years, Australia found itself, like the rest of the world, in a global financial crisis, which has had significant impact on our unemployment, demand and consumption and growth. This resulted in some softening of the labour market and availability of IT,

Demand side One issue crying out for a more rational approach on the demand side is the current situation that sees so many of our professionals burdened by organisational systems that result in them doing everything except what they are employed to do. We have professionals that spend less than half of their time on what they are employed to do. For example, our engineers and planners end up with administration and finance responsibilities,

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MANAGEMENT

consultation and engagement responsibilities, and project management responsibilities. While all of these responsibilities are important, what we need to determine is the best way to go about this.

Regional, rural and remote Australia, with one or two planners, are unable to compete for talent either with larger councils in their region or other organisations that offer greater career opportunities and advancement. In this situation, employment established by regional groupings of councils could go some way towards competitively addressing issues around attracting and retaining talent.

be to manage the service demands of our ageing population with a decreased pool of talent. This will exacerbate the situation created as the economy starts to heat up and mining companies with greater access to funds attract our talented and much needed staff. There will be ongoing pressure on our sector. Local government needs to respond radically and reform how it goes about doing business. Doing more of the same will result in not keeping pace with the evolving world around us. Productivity gains achieved through innovation are going to be increasingly important to our sector.

Ageing population

PricewaterhouseCoopers report

Whilst the economic crisis might be over, the ageing of the population will continue to place pressure on councils. Our communities will age as well as our workforce. The challenge to our sector will

The 2006 PricewaterhouseCoopers report into local government sustainability highlighted infrastructure problems. The report, which was commissioned by ALGA, demonstrated a $14.5 billion shortfall in local

Group employment

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MANAGEMENT government’s spending on maintaining vital community infrastructure. Essentially it showed that as a result of cost shifting over the past 30 years, and local government having to pick up the can to support growing people services, councils are increasingly unable to meet the required levels of annual spending to maintain existing physical infrastructure. The report argued that local government needs urgent support from the federal government to address this infrastructure underspend.

Financial distress

No other risk and insurance advisor understands local government like JLT does.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers report also found that up to one-third of Australian councils are facing severe financial challenges. They are one major event from being in financial distress. And that’s without the costs of future adaptation and mitigation measures that will be required to assist communities to cope with climate change.

Climate change The final national approach to climate change will have a direct flow-on to local government, which will be acting locally. The extent of local climate change response will be dependent on local capacity.

Public Sector - Managing Director Stephen Penfold Phone: (02) 9320 2742 Email: Stephen.Penfold@jlta.com.au

Conclusion All indicators from the prime minster are that there will be significant budget cuts in coming years to generate the savings required to achieve the desired surplus. Local government cannot continue to look to the commonwealth as its white knight. The money will not be there as the commonwealth juggles priorities like health, education and rebuilding following recent disasters and makes moves to return their budget to surplus. Australian councils are facing significant challenges in the next decade. Over the last couple of years, against the backdrop of the GFC, it’s almost been business as usual for most Australian councils as they’ve continued to meet the needs of the communities with little change to their service and staffing levels. The next decade will be all but business as usual, as councils adjust their operations to cope with: • The same or lower government assistance; • Increased service demands from retiring baby boomers; • Pressure to meet growing community infrastructure needs; • A fall in availability of skills as housing, construction and mining go into their next growth phase; and • Implementation of local climate change initiatives. Some 300 councils have a population of less than 10,000, and it’s these resource-poor councils that have the most work to do to cope with these conditions over the next decade. The capacity of our sector to meet the expected needs of our communities is about to be seriously challenged. Business as unusual will be the theme for what will be a decade of restraint. G

Sydney Public Sector - General Manager Contact: Joe Zammit Phone: (02) 9320 2745 Email: Joe.Zammit@jlta.com.au Brisbane Public Sector - General Manager Contact: Russell Ditchburn Phone: (07) 3000 5541 Email: Russell.Ditchburn@jlta.com.au Melbourne Public Sector – General Manager Contact: Bob Falzon Phone: (03) 9860 3404 Email: Bob.Falzon@jlta.com.au Adelaide Public Sector - General Manager Contact: Gary Okely Phone: (08) 8235 6410 Email: Gary.Okely@jlta.com.au Perth Public Sector – General Manager Contact: Leon Lawrence Phone: (08) 9483 8855 Email: Leon.Lawrence@jlta.com.au Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pty Ltd ABN 69 009 098 864 AFS Licence 226827 www.jlta.com.au 0604_10

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MANAGEMENT

Help protect the environment with Avery® Enviro friendly office products

o You See Yourself as Eco-Friendly? How often do you consider the environment? Often, we make an effort to reduce our impact on the world around us whilst at home, but don’t carry through in our workplace. Why not be the instigator of change at your office? Simple things can make a big difference. For example, did you know that by switching off your computer monitor at night, you can save enough energy to print up to 800 pages of Avery laser labels? Or that 95% of the energy used by the average mobile phone chargers is wasted energy? Only 5% is actually used to charge phones, the rest is used when the charger is plugged into the wall but not switched off at the socket. If everyone plays a part in looking after the environment it can help save the planet for future generations. Using eco-friendly products is a great way to make a difference and a range of Avery® Enviro friendly office products is now available: • Avery® Labels, Business Cards, Folders and Filing products are part of the Enviro range • The products can be recycled as part of your normal recycling • The labels contain an eco-friendly adhesive • Their packaging is made from recycled cardboard

How your choice can Help

Did you know that the average person in the office uses 15 trees worth of paper every year? Avery’s range of Enviro labels are made from 100% post consumer recycled material. Not only are these labels kinder to the environment but they are also fully recyclable (even the backing paper!).

Recycling 1 tonne of paper saves 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil, 3.2 cubic metres of landfill space and 4,100 kilowatts of energy! Avery also has a range of recycled filing products which are made from recycled material and also fully recyclable. These folders make use of paper other people no longer need, a perfect example of sustainable manufacturing. Having read the above, we hope to have shown you two things: Firstly, that Avery takes its commitment to the environment seriously, not just with products, but also with packaging, manufacturing and sourcing of material. Secondly, that it’s easy to make a difference and that you have that choice. The famous environmental campaigner Anita Roddick once said “Consumers have not been told effectively enough that they have huge power and that purchasing and shopping involve a moral choice”. Now you have that choice!

You only have to look at a stationery catalogue nowadays to see the vast amount of environmentally responsible office products available. Just by choosing these products you can start to make a difference.

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MACHINERY + EQUIPMENT

Investment in government supply relationships – a success

lackwoods has been a vital part of Australia’s industrial landscape for decades. The Blackwoods brand is proudly associated with thousands of strategic projects with both businesses small and large, and government at all levels nationwide. Blackwoods learned that customer needs and expectations are as varied as our product range, but the aim is clear: Customer satisfaction through dynamic and innovative sales and service solutions. Blackwoods’ investment in people, technology and resources makes it easier for all levels of government to

do business with them. That includes the introduction of a world-class supply chain capability delivering superior delivery performance, the roll out of leading edge mobile technology and supporting the important work of councils, defence, schools, hospitals, police and other government functions. Blackwoods has stayed on top by changing with and anticipating the needs of customers they serve.

Customer relationship management key to understanding government needs Blackwoods most recent investment has been in CRM (Customer Relationship Management). During 2010 Blackwoods progressively rolled out a new CRM system to nurture its interaction with customers and to better understand, anticipate and respond to the unique needs of government in a consistent way throughout the organisation. Essentially, the Blackwoods CRM system is designed to ensure that every sales and service team member is able to review recent communication and order history with each individual customer and respond instantly. “This means the team member can be more proactive and a lot faster in helping that customer with a specific request”, says Guido Kuehnelt who masterminded the implementation of the CRM system. As General Manager Sales Solutions of Wesfarmers Industrial and Safety, Kuehnelt leads a team tasked with developing the tools and processes for the sales

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MACHINERY + EQUIPMENT and service teams to achieve higher satisfaction and effectiveness in dealing with their customers. Essentially, an efficient CRM system therefore gets people, processes and technology working in synergy to focus on how to better service the customer, eliminate wasted time and reduce operational costs. The Blackwoods CRM system does exactly that and it dovetails well with the company’s many other customer service touchstones like web and integrated eBusiness solutions, phone service and account managers equipped with mobile devices which can relay orders back to a Blackwoods branch while still at a customer’s site. As Guido Kuehnelt says: “It’s all part of being the preferred partner for all MRO supplies to our numerous government customers and being a preferred partner means understanding the customer needs, being helpful, delivering results and providing a reliable service.

The Defence Recognised Supplier Scheme (DRSS) For over a century now, Blackwoods has been the proud incumbent of a number of Australia’s Defence supply contracts, and they take the job seriously understanding the critical need of quality and reliability of product and service. In yet another show of the strengthening relationships they have with their customers, Blackwoods was recently acknowledged by the Defence Recognised Supplier Scheme (DRSS). For Blackwoods, the honour is enhanced by the fact that the ADO itself claims to be a ‘very demanding customer that uses some of the most technologically

advanced and high quality products and services currently available’. For the ADO, it is critical that the products and services supplied are delivered on time, on budget and fit for purpose, and DRSS status is only granted to suppliers that have demonstrated an ability to deliver products or services that meet the ADO’s stringent standards. Blackwoods National Key Account Manager for Government, Michael Quigg, is not prepared simply to rest on his laurels though saying “we aim to provide all of our customers with the same high quality level of service, supply and solutions that we offer the ADO. Government Departments at all levels and across all industries recognise our commitment to service, our investment in relationships, our innovative services and our interest in environment, community and sustainability, and I think it’s those things that make us Australia’s industrial and safety supplier of choice”.

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INNOVATION

Innovation activity in Australia doubles in 2010 Index The fourth edition of the Innovation Index of Australian Industry shows minimal impact from economic slowdown. IBM Australia and the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, published the fourth edition of the IBM-Melbourne Institute ‘Innovation Index of Australian Industry’ (Innovation Index), which reveals growth in innovative activity in Australia between 2007-2008.

he study revealed that following a three-year period of flat innovation growth in Australia between 2005-2007, there has been a significant rise in innovation activity of 6.1 per cent, compared with an average rate of increase in the period since 1990 of 3.1 per cent per annum. This finding is of particular interest given the backdrop of the global financial crisis (GFC), which would have had some impact on the period under review. Whereas innovation activity seems to have been slowed or affected by other economic disruptions during 1990 to 2007, last year’s study shows a strong increase relative to a slowdown in economic growth (2.4 per cent in 2008 and 1.3 per cent in 2009). The 2010 Innovation Index also found that Australia seems to be focused on the commercialisation of innovation, with patent intensity quadrupling in the period under review. The top five performing innovation industries in 2008 were: cultural and recreational services; personal/other services; retail; communications; wholesale trade. The study also found a strong correlation between the top performing innovation sectors and those industries that were strong ICT innovators, in particular communications, retail, wholesale trade, finance and utilities. ’It’s extremely encouraging to see Australia continuing to invest significantly in innovation even at the outset of a massive economic disruption like the

GFC,’ said Glenn Wightwick, chief technologist, IBM Australia. ‘It’s also clear from the study that ICT is a key innovation enabler. As we move into the next phase of Australia’s growth, underpinned by smart systems and a ubiquitous broadband network, we expect innovation growth to continue despite any continuing GFC lag in the next study.’ Commenting on the backdrop of the GFC on this year’s study, Associate Professor Paul Jensen, senior research fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, said: ‘Economic growth in Australia slowed to 2.4 per cent in calendar year 2008 from 4.7 per cent the previous year as the effects of the GFC started to be felt. Most of the growth in the Innovation Index in 2008 was due to an increase in patent, design and R&D intensity, as well as the increase in the organisational/managerial component. This seems to indicate that business confidence from government announcements about pro-innovation policy development, coupled with longer-term micro-economic reform, allowed Australian businesses to continue implementing innovation-related policies, even during a period of economic uncertainty.’ The Innovation Index was conceived by IBM Australia and prepared by researchers at the Melbourne Institute to fill a gap in innovation research. Although innovation is widely accepted as a key driver

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INNOVATION of productivity, until the index, there had not been a published study in Australia that measured the many different aspects in which local industries innovate in their provision of products and services. The index is still the only study to reflect the complex nature of innovation via an inter-industry, multi-indicator analysis approach. This is achieved by addressing the many contributors to industry innovation with the analysis of six key data groups, comprising: research and development intensity; patent intensity; trademark intensity; design intensity; organisational/managerial transformation; and productivity. The study is unique in that it captures innovation trends across 13 categories of Australian industry – as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics – over a period of 19 years since 1990. It tracks the evolving innovation performance of the Australian economy to provide business leaders, analysts and policy-makers with a rigorous and insightful new measure to assess industry and national economic performance. ‘The IBM-Melbourne Institute ‘Innovation Index of Australian Industry’ embodies IBM’s ongoing commitment to and investment in innovation and the prosperity of the Australian economy even as we recover from a major global economic disruption. This year’s Innovation Index is quite revealing when we look across different industry segments: the most significant changes in innovation tend to be in industry segments that are business-to-consumer focused rather than business-to-business oriented. This suggests that innovation in the digital era is geared towards improving customer interactions – a finding also supported by IBM’s 2010 CEO Study,’ said Matt English, partner, IBM Global Business Services. Paul Jensen comments: ‘With 19 years of data to draw from, we have a unique insight into longer-term trends around innovation, which is such an important driver of economic growth. Some of the more noteworthy longer-term trends include the overall rise in the Innovation Index, which has increased by 74 per cent from 1990 to 2008. Growth in patent intensity has significantly outpaced that of the other innovation components since 1990, more than quadrupling during the period under review. By industry, manufacturing recorded its strongest gain ever during the period under review, which is thought to be one of the sectors experiencing significant change. Overall, in 2008 the productivity index – a key overall gauge of past successful innovation – was 30 per cent above the 1990 benchmark level. All these indicators point to a robust culture of innovation in Australia that should continue, even with some GFC lag factors taken into account, into the next period of review in 2011.’

operations; and organisational, managerial and marketing functions, encompassing activity that is both ‘new to the world’ and ‘new to the organisation’. The key findings from the ‘IBM – Melbourne Institute Innovation Index of Australian Industry 2010’ are:

Key observations

For more information on IBM Australia, visit www.ibm.com/au

The IBM-Melbourne Institute ‘Innovation Index of Australian Industry’ defines innovation as the introduction of new and improved ways of enhancing business productivity. The Innovation Index records this activity in relation to goods and services; technical

•

Innovative activity in Australia as measured by the Innovation Index rose by 6.1 per cent between 2007 and 2008. This compares with an average rate of increase in the period since 1990 of 3.2 per cent per annum.

•

Most of the growth in the Innovation Index in 2008 was due to an increase in patent, design and R&D intensity, as well as the increase in the organisational/managerial component.

•

The ‘top five’ innovation industries in 2008 were: cultural and recreational services; personal/other services; retail; communications and wholesale trade.

•

The ‘top five’ technology innovators are: communications; retail; wholesale trade; finance; utilities.

•

The highest productivity performer in 2008 was communications, largely attributed to the rate of ICT development and investment.

•

Mining recorded flat innovation activity in 2007-8, largely due to high investment from demand not reaping outputs in this timeframe. Innovation through ICT is expected to turn this into productivity gains in the coming years.

IBM-Melbourne Institute Innovation Index For more information about the IBM-Melbourne Institute Innovation Index of Australian Industry, and to download a full analysis of the results, visit: www.melbourneinstitute.com.

The Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research The Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research is a department of the Faculty of Economics and Commerce at the University of Melbourne. The Institute was formed in 1962 under the leadership of Professor Ronald Henderson and was the first economics research institute in an Australian university. Its objective is to be nationally and internationally renowned in academia, government, business and community groups as a major institute of applied economic and social research. For more information, see http://www.melbourneinstitute.com. G

IBM Australia

About IBM For more information about IBM, please visit www.ibm.com/think

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INNOVATION

PinForce Sentinel is changing the way Councils manage their parking DCA’s PinForce Sentinel

CA is at the forefront of parking management technologies. Since it was launched, DCA’s PinForce Mobile compliance system has been selected by every major Australasian Council. It is now in use by over 100 Councils and private operators across Australasia and USA and is trusted to issue 5 million infringements worth $400 million annually. DCA’s technology revolution for the Parking Industry continues with the development of the state of the art Vehicle Detection System called PinForce Sentinel. PinForce Sentinel is the world’s most advanced Vehicle Detection System.

Creating the most intelligent parking compliance system DCA has worked closely with Councils to develop PinForce Sentinel. With growing demands for finite parking resources, we realised that Councils are seeking comprehensive data to assist in formulating Parking Policies and tools to enforce policy. With PinForce Sentinel, Council’s are able to systematically analyse parking behaviour to examine parking occupancy, utilisation and turnover. For the first time, the data collected provides analytical information about the total parking bay utilisation, including both issued infringements and un-issued infringements. This allows councils to maintain a balance between bay turnover, compliance and enforcement.

The Power of Data PinForce Sentinel provides unparalleled data on parking behaviour. PinForce Sentinel detects a vehicle’s presence in a designated area, recording its arrival and departure time, including vehicle overstays, via sensors embedded in the parking bay. Information gathered is transmitted to the officer’s handheld, when walking or driving past the sensors. The data collected by Sentinel’s sensors is presented in a range of report formats, allowing Parking Managers and Traffic Engineers to measure, manage and modify parking restrictions. The information provided is structured to allow analysis of an individual parking bay or in an aggregated area, city block, street and suburb. The reports can be structured to allow analysis for different applications and uses, for example parking, traffic flow, and usage planning and community requirements.

Officers alerted to overstaying vehicles PinForce Sentinel renders tyre chalking a relic from

the past as each vehicle’s arrival and departure times are digitally recorded by the system. PinForce Sentinel electronically alerts officers to vehicles which have overstayed. As the officer passes within the vicinity of the sensor, PinForce Sentinel electronically notifies the officer which parking spots have vehicles staying longer than permitted. Officers are also notified of which other nearby parking spots have vehicles that are about to enter violation. Naturally, the system allows multiple user-defined grace periods.

Seamless integration with PinForce Mobile PinForce Sentinel is totally integrated and compatible with PinForce Mobile, this means officers need carry only one device to detect and issue infringements. Best of all, PinForce Mobile pre-populates infringement details with data provided by the in-ground sensor, vastly improving productivity, accuracy and efficiency. With the introduction of PinForce Sentinel, officers will be saved the time and effort of accurately recording the infringement type, location details, offence details and signage, leaving only the vehicle details to be manually entered is required. Sentinel can be added to existing PinForce Mobile systems or can be adopted as a ‘stand-alone’ facility.

164 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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PinForce is the Intelligent and Integrated Compliance Solution DCA is the leader in mobile and remote infringement enforcement technology. With over eighty Councils and Parking Operators across Australia and New Zealand adopting DCA PinForce technology, we’ve developed an exciting and innovative product that improves enforcement, lowers costs and can substantially improve productivity.

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Trusted to deliver over 5 million tickets totalling over $400 million p.a.

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PinForce Sentinel

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PinForce Sentinel is the world's most advanced Vehicle Detection System available. Sentinel delivers an

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INNOVATION

The Kawasaki Mule – Making Hard Work Easy

ough and compact, Kawasaki Mules are agile, capable, go-anywhere utility vehicles designed to deliver a hard day’s work while making minimum impact on their surroundings. True work-a-holics, Kawasaki MULES are built tough and are always ready to work. The MULE is a valuable asset when reliability and durability counts most. When you need to haul or tow extra heavy loads around the job site or need to provide effective mobile support delivering tools and parts fast, the Kawasaki MULE is the key to getting the job done. Leading the line-up is the Mule 4010 Trans 4x4 Diesel. Arguably the most powerful and versatile offroad utility vehicle ever made, the big Diesel Mule makes the ultimate work partner. With a huge 953cc, electric power steering, 3-cylinder diesel engine providing unmatched low end power and torque, enormous carrying and towing capabilities, it’s the ultimate ‘go anywhere’ work vehicle. Did we mention it’s versatile? The Mule 4010 Trans 4x4 Diesel is the world’s first off-road utility vehicle to enable transformation from a four passenger to two passenger seating configuration. Answering the market’s need for a lightweight, offroad-capable utility vehicle, the Mule 600 and

Mule 610 4x4 are compact, agile and stylish, making them both perfect for a variety of roles from pure utility to outdoor leisure activities. And you can rest easy with the knowledge that the Mule 600 and Mule 610 4x4’s low weight and low ground-pressure tyres avoid damage to sensitive areas such as golf fairways, parklands or recreation areas. Petrol or Diesel, 2WD or 4WD, seating 2 or 4, there is a Kawasaki Mule just waiting to make your day’s work a little easier. See the four model MULE range today at your nearest Kawasaki MULE dealership or view them on-line at www.kawasaki.com.au

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THE COMPACT, GO-ANYWHERE

WORKHORSE

Whatever the job, wherever the location, the Kawasaki Mule is up to the task Tough, compact and agile, the Mule is equally at home at the construction site, factory, farm or sportsfield. A low groundpressure footprint and quiet, clean-burning engine means minimal impact on the surroundings while electric power steering, combined with multiple class-leading safety features, means virtually anyone will feel immediately at home in the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat.

Automatic transmission

2WD and/or 4WD

Electric power steering*

Fuel efficient & low emission

Roll Over Protection System & seatbelts

Large carrying capacity

Mule 600 2x4

Mule 610 4x4

Mule 4010 Diesel 4x4

Mule 4010 Trans4x4 Diesel

401cc 2x4 petrol

401cc 4x4 petrol

953cc 4x4 diesel

953cc 4x4 diesel (with transformable 2 or 4 seating capacity)

Visit www.kawasaki.com.au for your nearest Kawasaki dealer and a compehensive range of Mule accessories. * Electric power steering is only available with the 4010 series.

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INNOVATION

New thinking, new directions – building innovation capability in Australia

he recently published Australian Industry Group (AIG) ‘New Thinking, New Directions’ report outlines a range of innovation opportunities based on the findings of the National Innovation Review Steering Group. The Steering Group, of which the AIC was a member, was tasked with driving a business-led conversation about building innovation capability in Australia. The report combines the results of a three-week online collaboration event, workshops in the major capital cities and an industry innovation survey.

Phase one – Online collaboration event 400 individuals from industry, research centres, universities and government contributed ideas and opinions via a web-based platform that focused on six key questions, including ‘What skills are needed to boost innovation in Australian workplaces?’ and ‘How can we improve collaboration with the research base and between businesses?’

Phase two – Capital city workshops In Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, 25 people attended workshops to prioritise the ideas generated online during phase one and to develop the chosen ideas using an action-planning logic model. Workshop participants were invited to present their elaborated ideas in an ‘elevator pitch’ format.

Phase three – Industry innovation survey A large-scale innovation survey was distributed to 300 Australian businesses to seek quantitative data on a range of issues related to innovation. The results of the survey provided further emphasis on the areas

where effort and investment needs to be focused to build innovation capability in Australia. Combining the findings from the three phases led to the identification of seven key innovation themes: 1. Transforming culture by showcasing innovation. 2. Leveraging the Australian broadband opportunity. 3. Building and embedding professional innovation skills. 4. Developing new models and incentives for research/business collaboration. 5. Re-examining the role of government procurement in fostering innovation. 6. Using corporate venturing to improve access to finance for innovation. 7. Streamlining access to government programs and support. The Innovation Review Steering Committee (comprised of the AIC, Australian Industry Group, Cutler and Company, UQ Business School, Queensland Government, Alcatel-Lucent and PricewaterhouseCoopers) believes that these seven areas of focus will provide enhanced opportunities for Australia to improve innovation outcomes across the economy over the long term. The AIC’s TechFast program and RipCurl collaboration was cited as an example of innovation success, particularly relating to theme four (developing new models and incentives for research/business collaboration). The AIC’s TechFast program was engaged to assist RipCurl to find new technologies and advanced materials to develop its second generation power heated wetsuit – the H Bomb. G

Key insights A range of key insights into Australian innovation were highlighted by the survey, including: • Three in four survey respondents have introduced new products or services in the past year, while more than four in five have undertaken business process innovation. Half of all firms have made significant efforts to change the business culture in the last year. • While businesses mainly innovate by introducing new products and improving business processes, adopting new technologies and introducing new skill sets are also significant. Less important as a form of innovation are new business structures, new management practices and the introduction of new business models. • The motivations to innovate vary with the type of innovation undertaken. Most firms change business processes to lift productivity and reduce costs, while new products or services are introduced to increase revenues and build new markets. • Across all types of innovation, the least important motivating factors are: being seen as an industry leader, making use of new systems and staying ahead of the competition. • Key barriers to innovation are lack of funds, appropriate skills, time and resources. Insufficient tax incentives are also seen as an inhibitor to innovation. • Almost a third of firms have been involved in collaborative projects with external research providers such as universities and CSIRO, with those participating citing the solution of technical problems and the creation of future options for new products or services as the key outcomes. • The technologies viewed as most promising by firms for creating future innovation opportunities are fast broadband and software applications, with a smaller proportion identifying advanced materials as important. • Insufficient funding, knowledge, time and resources are perceived as the key barriers to adopting new technologies to improve innovation capability.

Australian Innovation. Phone: 03 9827 2116. Email: info@ausinnovation.org

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INNOVATION

Australia’s first digital playground The future of outdoor play for today’s digital generation arrives in Queensland!

obelle Domain in Springfield Central Parklands, Queensland will be the first park in Australia to feature ICON, the award-winning play equipment, that combines outdoor play with digital, interactive gaming. ICON by Kompan Playscape is a revolutionary range of play equipment that is already captivating audiences in America, Europe and Asia. ‘This is a huge leap in playground equipment innovation’, Tom Grover, President of Kompan Playscape, states ‘ICON is the product of years of development. With over $40 million invested into research and development industrial designers, child development specialists, educators, park and recreation professionals, technology experts, and most importantly, kids, were all engaged in the creation of ICON. The result is an innovative system that encourages kids to be physically active using a digital platform that they understand.’ ICON has won many international design awards including the prestigious Galabau Innovation Award. ‘Epidemic obesity rates and sedentary lifestyles of today’s generation give greater importance to the

development of quality play environments that deliver a variety of play experiences, ICON equipment achieves all of this’, said Ben Urban, Urban Play. ‘Outdoor play is the ideal antidote to overstructured and inactive lifestyles. Providing engaging, challenging and durable play equipment ensures that kids play harder, stay longer, and come back more often to satisfy their natural need to play. Kompan and Urban Play are committed to making the most of that time in the playground’, said Urban. Stage two of the 24 hectare site in Springfield Parklands will be open to the public in early 2011 and is considered to be the most significant parkland in south east Queensland for a generation. The playground was designed and installed by Urban Play in conjunction with the Ipswich City Council and Springfield Land Corporation. Urban Play are the exclusive agents for Kompan Playscape play equipment in Queensland, Northern New South Wales and Northern Territory. G For more information contact: Ben Urban 3844 1877, 0403 340 415 or ben@urbanplay.com.au, www.urbanplay.com.au

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INNOVATION

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES GIVE SOLAR LIGHTING A BRIGHT FUTURE

esigning and building navigation lighting solutions for marine and aviation customers since 1996, Australian-owned company Sealite Pty Ltd covets its in-house design and manufacturing capabilities to achieve the production of a broad range of solar powered lighting solutions. With continuous expansion of the Victorian-based site, customers can expect greater innovation, customised solutions and even faster delivery. “Our commitment to R&D, investment in modern equipment and manufacturing advancements has made us a global industry leader in solar LED lighting” said Chris Procter, CEO. “Our solar powered LED products could help local government departments achieve their goals in the reduction of their

carbon footprint, and help strengthen the sustainability of local communities and the environment” he added. Sealite’s customisable, IP68-rated (the highest dust and waterproof rating available), solar LED area light is the perfect solution for lighting remote locations or open spaces where connection to the power grid is unfeasible. The sophisticated thermal management system extends LED life and increases product reliability. Sealite’s solar LED lights can be easily installed for immediate operation and are practically maintenance free with battery replacement occurring on average once every 5 years. For further information or a customised solution, email info@sealite.com, visit www.sealite.com or call us today on 03 5977 6128.

Reduce your community’s carbon footprint, save energy and move towards a sustainable future with . . . Australian solar LED lighting manufacturer Sealite Pty Ltd has been designing and building navigation lighting solutions for marine and aviation customers since 1996. Sealite’s Solar LED Area Light is the perfect solution for lighting shelters, car parks and maintenance areas, perimeter lighting, or jetties and piers where connection to the power grid is unfeasible. Designed to meet stringent IP68 Ingress Protection for survival in the harshest conditions.

Email info@sealite.com for more information or call today

Sealite’s Solar LED Area Light 2700 lumen @ 18watts providing excellent illumination over a wide projected area. Positive o-ring sealing

50,000 hour rated LEDs Adjustable light arm Weatherproof IP68 housing

UV Stabilised LEXAN® polycarbonate lens containing 8 ultra-high intensity LEDs for optimal area illumination

Vandal-resistant battery enclosure & lens Approx. 120 degree light spread Adjustable mounting

Designed and manufactured in Australia at Sealite’s world-class production facility ensuring superior quality and reliability.

Head Office: Sealite Pty Ltd AUSTRALIA

Ph. Fax. Internet: Email:

+61 (0)3 5977 6128 +61 (0)3 5977 6124 www.sealite.com info@sealite.com

USA Customers: Sealite LLC USA

Ph. Fax. Internet: Email:

+1 (603) 737 1310 +1 (603) 737 1320 www.sealite.com info@sealite.com

170 • The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2011

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INNOVATION

Warning and Safety Systems Risk Managed LED Airfield Lighting

n January 2010, the Local Government Association released an Information Paper on “Establishing a Risk Management Plan which outlines the key steps that Councils should undertake to implement a risk management approach to their various programs and activities”. The LGA document supports and expands on Australian Standard AS/NZS 4360:2004 “Risk Management”, which identifies a five-step process that Councils should use for developing a sustainable risk management plan. Warning & Safety System’s RM (Risk Managed) LED airfield lighting is an Australian designed and manufactured system that has been developed to harmonise with the guidelines established by the LGA information paper and AS/NZS 4360:2004. Marketed under the product name of “RAMICS” (Remote Airfield Management, Information and Control System), this integrated system from Warning & Safety Systems is “self-reporting”. By using RAMICS, regional Councils can have: • Savings on power and emission targets with solar power, • Active (real time) monitoring and control

capability, Simplified, pre-emptive maintenance capability, A simple and practical way to conserve and manage human resources, • Savings on overtime, fuel costs and travel risks by cutting out unnecessary trips to remote sites, • Near instant alerts of equipment failure or damage, • Audit trails for system activation and usage times, • The ability to authorise multiple people to receive or send text messages, • Low ongoing data costs, • Existing mobile phones to send/receive control and diagnostic messages, • The ability to monitor and control other related or ancillary equipment. RAMICS automatically sends to authorised users a text message to inform them of equipment status and condition. If you would like to learn more about these products and how they may help your organizations risk management strategies: • •

Contact: Alan Rose (08) 8339 4593 or 0419 806 571, email: alan10@wssaviation.com.au

WARNING & SAFETY SYSTEMS INNOVATIVE AIRFIELD LIGHTING AND RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

WSSAVIATION TM Manufacturer of RAMICS Remote AIRFIELD MANAGEMENT, INFORMATION & CONTROL SYSTEM

• LED lighting specialists. • Australian owned & manufactured. • Remote air¿eld specialists. •RAMICS/ Save on power & emissions targets, real time monitoring and control capabilty.

For further assistance please contact Alan Rose (08) 8339 4593 or 0419 806 571 Email: alan10@wssaviation.com.au

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INNOVATION

The keys to innovation By Jason Cotton, Dynamic Horizons I am frequently asked about my definition of innovation, and people are often taken aback with the simplicity of my response – ‘innovation is something new that creates value’. The value created can have multiple stakeholders: customers, suppliers, the community, the environment, the organisation and, of course, staff. The more stakeholders for whom the innovation creates value, the greater the success of adoption. Just think about innovations such as the internet and the multiple value propositions it delivers. But how do we innovate more deliberately and in different contexts?

nnovation has a number of fairly simple principles at its core that transcend the organisation, the industry and context. The first principle is to deeply understand your business, its stakeholders and its culture. In a local government context the stakeholders are similar to any other business, you have customers (ratepayers), suppliers (service providers), the community, the environment, the council and its staff. The opportunity for local government is to deliver a powerful value proposition across these stakeholders by embracing the principles of innovation. So how do we begin to get this understanding? It is important to develop a view of ‘the business’ and where the boundaries are. After all, local government is not going to open a chain of healthy fast food shops, regardless of how good an opportunity it might be. If we are going to tap the creative energy of the organisation, we need to ensure that we focus it in line with our business objectives, because with any focused energy, that is where it has power. One of my favourite quotations is ‘the mightiest of rivers will lose its force when broken into many streams’. If we harness and focus our innovation effort in line with our business objectives, we will achieve far more meaningful results. Businesses often fall into the trap of thinking that innovation will come if we ask customers what they want, that customers will tell us how to innovate and some form of epiphany will occur. Unfortunately, customers can rarely articulate what they truly want in the way we are expecting, such as a new product or service, and the endeavour sometimes yields nothing

but disappointment. What customers want is to have outcomes delivered. Companies such as 3M actually observe customers, gain intelligence about what outcomes they are trying to achieve, and then look for ways of delivering those outcomes faster, cheaper or more effectively. The final piece of understanding is your culture. We look at this to gain insight into what might work and what doesn’t. After all, hot pink characters as an innovation mascot may simply not work in your culture. I have found it far more effective to initially work with the culture, not against it or trying to change it. Changing culture is difficult, and rarely succeeds, particularly not quickly. Experience across many organisations tells me that by understanding the culture and working with it, people engage far more authentically with the innovation endeavour, and then we take them on a journey, until we do in fact see a culture shift. This can be a very powerful result. The second principle is to have an innovation strategy. Innovation won’t just happen, it needs to be defined, the innovation outcomes need to be determined, and the roadmap of how you deliver the outcomes needs to be drawn. There is no other aspect of business that you would embark upon without a strategy, and innovation is no different. Whenever we work with an organisation we ask two lead-in questions. One: ‘What does innovation mean for this company?’, and two: ‘What outcomes do you want to achieve?’ For local government, it could be that innovation is about world-class service delivery, and the desired outcomes would be increased ratepayer and employee satisfaction.

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INNOVATION But that is for you to decide! All too often we see businesses who simply embark upon an innovation endeavour with the goal of being more innovative, but with no real sense of why, how, or indeed what. One key part of the strategy is to have a solid communication plan. What is the message, what is the call to action, how do people engage and what is in it for them? Communication is much like the body’s nervous system – you need to send the right messages and ensure that the messages are received. Innovation is not just about the big win. There are many forms of innovation, and like a share portfolio, we need to take a stake in each form. The first is continuous improvement or, as I refer to it, incremental innovation. In essence it’s about doing things better. The second is strategic innovation, which looks at how we go about doing business. I often refer to it as doing things differently. Then there is disruptive innovation, which is about doing different things. As with the share analogy, you would not put all your money into a long-term high-risk share, but you would invest a percentage in this type of share. And so it is with innovation, if we simply focus on the big win, we will lose momentum and have a high risk of not achieving a result. The third principle is to have a visible and straightforward process that people can engage with. They will need somewhere to socialise their idea, build that idea and ultimately determine the best way forward (which might also be to cease). A word of caution is that you cannot predict the exact nature of the ideas or opportunities that will emerge, so it’s impossible to build a process that caters for everything. Don’t be a slave to the process; it is there as a facilitator, not a master. The fourth principle is energy. Energy is the life force of innovation, and it takes many forms. One form is passion. Harnessing what your people are passionate about is a powerful engagement strategy. Whether it is social justice, environment, service, or processes, weaving some element of them into your innovation endeavour will create a wider engagement, and because you are tapping into passion, people will engage with heart, soul and mind. Another form is simply physical energy. I sometimes see companies trying to force a high level of engagement in innovation by running one initiative after the next. Soon, people become ‘innovation weary’. We have successfully utilised the campaign approach to innovation, where focused intensive effort is put into one area of focus for a short period of time, say six weeks. Then six weeks later, another campaign is conducted on another area of focus. This approach creates high levels of energy over shorter periods of time, and leads to outstanding results. And of course, people who achieve results become even more energised and engaged, which provides significant momentum. While I am talking about implementation, I would like to take a moment to debunk an innovation myth. Innovation is NOT about ideas. Idea campaigns or

suggestion boxes simply don’t work because ideas themselves are actually worth nothing! It’s what you do with the idea that creates the value, and getting to implementation is where that value is realised. Don’t get me wrong, ideas are an important currency, but they are not the economy. We have all seen a group of people collaborating constructively on a project. The energy, spirit and work that results is remarkable. Collaboration is part of the innovation DNA, not only to harness the collective intellectual horsepower, but also to continue to build organisational energy. My last point on energy is about capability and education. There is an assumption that people somehow intuitively know how to innovate. We have found that if people find themselves out of their depth and unsure, this can be de-energising. Conducting workshops to educate staff on creative thinking techniques, how to evaluate opportunities, or how to construct a pitch to gain senior support for an opportunity is valuable, not only to build people’s skills, but also to build their confidence, and confident, passionate people are a powerful life force in any organisation. The final and probably most important principle is leadership. I was asked a number of years ago by a workshop participant to define leadership. After much thought, I drew a parallel with sportsmanship. Sportsmanship is, I believe, equally hard to define. Words such as spirit of the game, fairness and honesty arise. The conclusion that I came to was that sportsmanship is a set of behaviours. And so it is, I believe, with leadership. Leadership is a set of behaviours that enable the sustainable achievement of results and the growth and wellbeing of the people who deliver them. The other realisation is that innovation is a discretionary behaviour. A manager cannot successfully mandate that people be innovative! People need to want to exercise their ‘innovation muscle’. To want to do this requires an environment that is supportive, nurturing, collaborative and respectful – the result of leadership. People will never forget how someone made them feel, so if the environment is punitive, defensive and seeks to drive compliance, innovation is unlikely to flourish, as people will feel cautious and apprehensive. I was once challenged by the head of HR for a large Australian company. He suggested to me that the organisation’s people were the problem, that they were the ‘wrong type’ of person for innovation. Further enquiry raised a belief that these people feared failure. Having spent some time working with these people, I was of a different opinion. It was not failure they feared; it was the consequences of failure, the ‘career-limiting move’. And that is a leadership issue. He was taken aback. There is no doubt in my mind that the key enabler to innovation is leadership – it is the glue that brings it all together, inspires people to engage, creates a conducive environment and ultimately delivers results. G

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INNOVATION

KingGee

ingGee, a division of Pacific Brands, has been producing workwear since 1926. Our range has evolved to meet the changing demands of the Australian working environment, and the Australian safety standards designed to protect Australian workers. Our garments are designed to be of premium quality, consistent fit, comfort, and provide innovative practicality. KingGee has always prided itself on being the leader in providing purposeful innovation to the Australian workforce. Our list of achievements in this area is testament to this ongoing commitment. In 2006, KingGee proudly celebrated 80 years of providing the Australian workforce with the highest quality workwear to the highest design standards. Today we make over 3 million garments each year, not bad for a company that started out hand making overalls in a Sydney workshop. Since then, we may have grown in size, but our passion for workwear remains the same. Our mission has always been to set the standard in workwear, with garments that are engineered to complement the way we work, are durable, comfortable and easy to care for. From highly functional or protective workwear for men to safety boots to flattering and comfortable womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workwear. KingGee products are designed and developed by working in partnership with the Australians that wear them. Whether your workplace is on a building site, down a mine, behind a service counter or in a city office, KingGee has the right clothing to suit your needs. To view the full KingGee range of workwear visit www.kinggee.com.au

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17:37 AM

INNOVATION

KingGee Dustee® Polo

ingGee and Australian carpenter and inventor, Pete Hinchey from Dustee, have joined together to provide a first in work wear for on-the-spot respiratory protection. The new KingGee Dustee, exclusive to KingGee, is permanently attached to the KingGee visibility polo meaning it is always there when needed. “This innovation marks a significant step in the evolution of occupational health and safety on the jobsite,” said Professor Ian Olver, chief executive officer of The Cancer Council. “Apart from being an obvious irritant to the respiratory system of the worker, in the worst case scenarios nuisance dust can exacerbate underlying health issues such as asthma or even lung disease. “By making the mask so accessible, tradies will be more likely to use it when encountered with intermittent dust previously not worth the trip to the truck,” he said. Mr Hinchey said the “eureka moment” happened while he was at work. “OH&S is a priority on jobsites, mine included, but when it comes to intermittent dust, it’s too inconvenient to go to the truck for a mask for a two minute job,” he said. “Some might call it lazy but when you’re in the thick of work, you don’t want to break the productivity.” The KingGee Dustee uses a lightweight micromesh fabric that not only provides 30+ sun protection but also strips moisture away from the body, drying quickly, to keep workers cool and comfortable. “Safety and comfort is first and foremost what KingGee strives for when it comes to work wear,” said Mirjana Buckmaster, brand manager, KingGee. “On being approached by Pete with the Dustee concept, KingGee immediately saw the benefit to the worker and wanted to pack it with even more protection for greater comfort.” The KingGee Dustee, compliant to Australian high visibility standards for day use only, is available at Big W, Totally Workwear and selected independents.

KING GEE DUSTEE POLO ®

WWW.KINGGEE.COM.AU

Information: www.kinggee.com.au

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EDUCATION + TRAINING

ANZSOG revolutionises leadership training The ANZSOG Excellence in Local Government Leadership Program will challenge local government leaders to set the agenda for local government reform in the 21st century. community leaders, and senior state and national government officials. The dates of delivery are Sunday 17 July to Saturday 23 July and Sunday 4 September to Saturday 10 September 2011. The program will then move annually to a different state or territory, building case studies and better practice toolkits in local government innovation as the course rolls out.

Building knowledge and capabilities

Mark Evans, ANZSOG

Leading the local state

he Australia and New Zealand School of Government’s (ANZSOG) Excellence in Local Government Leadership Program is a core program of the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG), established with Australian Government funding in June 2009. The program has been designed to enhance the capability of local government leaders to deliver public value for citizens in an increasingly complex and contested environment. It will bring together for the first time local government leaders from across Australia and New Zealand to explore emerging challenges for public management, including managing with contested authority, dealing with intractable problems, and pragmatism about the means of providing services. It builds on the assumption that excellence in local government leadership requires a creative and dynamic working relationship between elected leaders and senior managers, all levels of government and citizens and stakeholders. The inaugural program will be launched in Canberra in July 2011, and comprises two week-long modules that bring together senior local government practitioners with leading academics, political and

The program’s content is the product of a comprehensive national consultation with local government leaders, professionals and stakeholders that was conducted during 2010 across Australia and New Zealand. Messages from this consultation have emphasised the value of bringing together some of the world’s leading academic thinkers and public sector practitioners from all levels of government to address the challenges of contemporary local government. Respondents also highlighted that the program should focus on the ‘real issues’ faced by local government leaders, and it should be taught in a dynamic, interactive learning environment with a problem-solving focus. The program will therefore concentrate on four major themes: 1. Understanding policy contexts and building strong working relationships with other governments, stakeholders, citizens and local media Where are we now, and where are we heading? What leadership capabilities do we require to meet challenges and adapt to changing political and social circumstances? How can we manage our relationships with other governments to deliver real gains for local citizens? The program will provide new thinking for understanding, sustaining and strengthening partnerships within the political environment. 2. Creating and delivering public value What are the characteristics of a world-class local government, and the values that should underpin it? How can local governments build legitimate and sustainable futures for their communities? 3. Leading and managing change What qualities of leadership do we require to create and deliver public value at the local level? The latest thinking in strategic leadership will be explored, and better practices identified for enhancing community wellbeing through innovative service provision.

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EDUCATION + TRAINING

4. Solving critical problems in local governance The program will act as a think tank and address participants’ most difficult problems, ensuring that the program delivers genuine public value. The issues investigated will be brought to the program by course participants.

Teaching and learning methods The program will be delivered in two Sunday to Saturday residential segments; the first in July (17–23) and the second in September (4–10) 2011, linked together through a group project supported by an expert local government think tank. Topics to be covered in the two deliveries include: Week 1: Defining the challenge • Understanding policy contexts and building strong working relationships (with other governments, with the community, with local media) • Creating and delivering public value • Leading and managing change. Week 2: Making the change • Solving critical problems in local governance • Community engagement (involving social leadership, citizen centric policy-making and delivery) • Sustainable development (encompassing economic development, climate change, asset management and infrastructure) • Social inclusion (mitigating issues of ageing, youth, indigenous alienation)

• •

Forging a strong CEO-Mayor relationship Consolidation (highlighting issues of resource sharing, identity-building and co-community development). Before the program’s first-week delivery, participants will be asked to prioritise the critical problems they are confronting within their local government authority from a list identified through the national consultation process. During the program, participants will be organised into work groups on the basis of their preferences and provided with background materials, international practice guides and an expert panel on the problem to be solved. At the end of Week 1, each group will present its proposal for how they intend to solve the problem to an expert panel and their peers. In the weeks between the two deliveries, groups will work on a detailed action plan which should aim to serve as a Better Practice Guide in their area of concern. This will involve the support of an expert think tank. Completed action plans will be presented in Week 2 to an expert panel and their peers. Both weeks will include showcase lectures from international thought leaders drawn from local government practice; panel discussions on critical local governance issues involving leading practitioners from Australian and New Zealand governments and academia; and networking opportunities with key figures from local, state and commonwealth governments.

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EDUCATION + TRAINING What’s in it for the sector? The program has benefited from the strong support of Australian and New Zealand national governments and Australian states and territories. A wide range of scholarships have been made available to potential participants, including $100,000 from the Australian Government to support women leaders. Governments’ commitment to scholarship funding reflects a high level of support both for strengthening local government capability and for the problem-solving teaching and learning philosophy underpinning the program. The program will challenge local government leaders to set the agenda for local government reform in the 21st century, with an emphasis placed on strategic leadership, collaborative governance with other governments, citizens and stakeholders, and innovative service delivery. As the Dean of ANZSOG, Professor Allan Fels, puts it, ‘This program provides local communities with the opportunity to solve some of their most difficult problems with the support of the leading international and national

experts in the field.’ Course participants will bring their problems to the program and will benefit from the best international and national advice available. The program will provide local government leaders with a dynamic national forum for building networks and shared commitment to delivering world class local governance. Additional international networking opportunities will be provided through partnering arrangements with the UK’s Leeds-Castle Program which will bring Australian and New Zealand local government leaders together with their UK counterparts to solve critical problems in local governance. Alumni development and mentoring arrangements will be fostered to ensure that the ANZSOG local government leadership network is a powerful and progressive voice in local governance. G

Fore more information, phone: (03) 8344 1968 or visit: www.anzsog.edu.au

EDUCATION + TRAINING

Online training a first for local government

he Local Government Association has launched a first in training for council members with six online training modules to assist new and returning councillors in their new roles. The modules have been designed to complement the face-to-face training programs run by the Local Government Association Education and Training service and council in-house induction programs. LGA President, Mayor Felicity-Ann Lewis, said new councillors need to develop specialised skills to enable them to conduct council business effectively. ‘Councils are very diverse businesses,’ Mayor Lewis said. ‘Council members have to look at a vast range of community issues and requirements and ensure good governance under the Local Government and other Acts. It is important that new councillors quickly gain and maintain the skills needed to function well in their new roles.’ The six training modules include: • Roles and Responsibilities of Councils • Roles and Responsibilities of Council Members • Council of Interest • Register of Interests • Council and Committee Meeting Procedures • Financial Management and Reporting

‘The modules were “piloted” with a group of councils’ governance staff, CEOs and council members, prior to the Local Government Elections,’ Mayor Lewis said. ‘The LGA received excellent feedback on the training, which will also assist councils to satisfy their obligations under the Local Government Act 1999 to support training and development opportunities for council members through a formal training policy.’ ‘Returning councillors are also encouraged to enrol for the training modules as a refresher. It’s an easy way for elected members, who are often time- challenged, to undertake training in their own time and also for those from regional and remote councils who would normally be faced with travelling to Adelaide for training courses.’ Each module provides information on the topic, followed by quizzes and/or case studies to assist users to check their understanding of the information they have just read. The online training service, which has gone ‘live’ today is in addition to a wide ranging education and training program available to council members. Details of the program are available on the LGA website at www.lga.sa.gov.au/goto/members G

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314342_Centre for Pavement Engineering.ai

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Infrastructure Asset Management Course in Demand The University of Tasmania offer an industry specific four unit Graduate Certificate in Infrastructure Asset Management. This course, initiated by the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA) and jointly developed with the Centre for Pavement Engineering Education (CPEE) responds 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 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 technical specialists with Infrastructure Asset Management qualifications. The demand for these skills is most significant in local authorities where career opportunities now exist for specialist infrastructure asset managers. The four unit course consists of two compulsory units and two units selected from a list of elective units, is studied entirely by distance and will provide graduates with the knowledge and skills to fill senior positions in this specialist field. Applicants for this 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.

Education Enhancement Opportunities Graduate Certificate in Infrastructure Asset Management Accredited by the University of Tasmania, this 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

The course has as core units: • Asset Management Fundamentals • Asset Management Practices with a range of electives including

• Project Evaluation • Engineering Risk Management • Financial Management 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 University postgraduate award.

Infrastructure Asset Management

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To study this exciting program contact CPEE on (03) 9890 5155 or at info@pavementeducation.edu.au log on to www.pavementeducation.edu.au

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TRANSPORT

Looking for a total fleet solution? – the “i’s” have it

ooking for a total fleet solution? Look no further than Hyundai Motor Company Australia for a range of vehicles to meet all your business and fleet needs. Operating in Australia since 1986, Hyundai has built their reputation on offering a comprehensive range of vehicles delivering outstanding fuel economy, an array of comprehensive standard features and proven reliability backed by a five-year warranty. Safety credentials are top of mind. The all-new 2011 i20 is Australia’s most affordable 5-star ANCAP model line. When it comes to city driving, the proven reliability and affordability the all-new i20, voted ECOcar Magazine’s ‘Car of the Year’ 2010, are the only choice. i20 delivers impressive fuel economy, has a roomy and comfortable interior and offers excellent load space flexibility with 60/40 split folding rear seats. Whether it is running errands, deliveries or just commuting, i20 does not disappoint. If its style and performance you’re after, the allnew i45 mid-sized sedan has it all. Perfect for on-road sales representatives in the ‘Active’ guise, or the sophistication of the ‘Premium’ model for a discerning executive fleet, i45 is built with meticulous attention to detail and comes with a complete suite of in-cabin refinements including state-of-the art stereo, satellite navigation* and Bluetooth®. The multi-award winning i30 hatch and i30cw wagon models offer the total fleet solution for fuel economy, comfort, and flexibility. Fitted with a raft of standard convenience and safety features, i30 delivers versatility, while the i30cw wagon adds stowage space and roof rails to handle a myriad of load options. All i30 model variants are awarded a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. Need to move people? Winner of consecutive Australia’s ‘Best People Mover’ 2009^, iMax CRDi turbo diesel combines business efficiency and lifestyle practicality with seating for up to eight passengers in comfort while retaining generous rear luggage space. When it comes to deliveries, iLoad is an obvious choice. This tough, modern, true ‘semi-bonneted’ threeseat design offers functionality and versatility while offering comfort and appointments only expected in passenger cars. Access to the load area is through twin sliding doors and either a traditional lift back tailgate or twin swing rear doors allowing easy forklift access. Driver comfort and safety is paramount, and iLoad offers exceptional line of sight to the rear for easy loading dock parking and added on-road safety. With over a one-tonne payload capacity iLoad can

effortlessly handle two pallets and comes with a six-seat crew cab option. Across the range Hyundai saves you money. Hyundai’s latest vehicles deliver exceptional fuel efficiency to help keep fuel costs low, and importantly Hyundai offers class leading lower ‘cost of ownership’, lead by extended service intervals minimising ‘off-road’ time, and reducing service costs. In the recent CANSTAR Blue Customer Satisfaction report#, Hyundai took the top spot for overall satisfaction in the automotive category out of nine volume manufacturers, the only company to receive a full 5-stars in the ‘Value For Money’, ‘Point Of Sale Service’, ‘After Sale Service’ and ‘Overall’ assessments. For more information visit: http://www.hyundai.com. au/Fleet/default.aspx, or email: www.fleetadvantage@ hyundai.com.au. * ^ #

Satellite navigation is available as an option on Active and Elite models and standard on the Premium model Awarded by Australia’s seven State and Territory based motoring clubs. For more information visit: www.canstarblue.com.au/vehicles/cars

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NATIONAL AWARDS

2010 Winners

LOCAL GOVERNMENT – BUILDING AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITIES b

How the awards are judged Judging the National Awards for Local government in 2010 involved a two-step process. The ﬁrst step was the judging of the Category Awards. In 2010 there were 12 categories and independent panels were set up to judge applications in each category. Each category’s speciﬁc criteria is available at www.infrastructure.gov.au/local/awards ‘Category Fact Sheets’.

In 2010, at each stage of the two-stage judging process, the following general criteria and questions were asked of all projects: Innovation and/or Best Practice • How does your project demonstrate innovation and/or best practice in the way your council does business or delivers services to your community? Process and Planning

All category winners were brought to Canberra to present their projects to a panel of national judges. Two national awards for excellence were awarded in 2010.

• How did you determine what changes were required to your business practices and/ or your community’s needs? Benefits • What are the benefits of the project? Who benefits and how?

Would you like to know more about the National Awards? The website address for the National Awards for Local Government is: www.infrastructure.gov.au/local/awards. You can email the Awards team at: awards@infrastructure.gov.au You can speak to us on Freecall: 1800 065 113 You can write to us at this address: Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government National Awards for Local Government GPO Box 594 CANBERRA ACT 2601

Transferability • Could other councils adopt your initiative? How?

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NATIONAL AWARDS

National Award for Excellence Brewarrina Shire Council, New South Wales Brewarrina Rural and Remote Dental Project Brewarrina is a remote community in New South Wales with a predominantly Indigenous population. Prior to the introduction of the Brewarrina Rural and Remote Dental Project, the community had been without dental services for five years. In December 2006, Brewarrina Shire Council approached Griffith University to develop a Rural Placement Dental Program that would host final year dental students undertaking practical experience in the town of Brewarrina. The community was consulted and a partnership between Brewarrina Shire Council, Griffith University, Ochre Health and Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) was formed to deliver the Brewarrina Rural and Remote Dental Project. Not only does the project provide a health service for Brewarrina that has not existed for five years, it also benefits all of rural Australia by providing dental students with a valuable opportunity to experience rural life in a remote town. These placements show Gold Coast based students that living and working in a rural locality can be a rewarding experience and will hopefully lead to some of these

students considering starting their careers in rural Australia. Most students report that being involved in this program was a positive experience and invaluable to their understanding of the speciﬁc needs involved in a rural area. Some students have indicated that they are now looking to move to a rural community after graduation.

Brewarrina Shire Council seized an opportunity to provide a level of service in oral care that had been non-existent in the community for five years. By partnering with Griffith University, Ochre Health and Greater Western Area Health Service, Brewarrina Shire Council has created an innovative and mutually beneficial program that meets a significant gap in the wellbeing of community members.

This ground breaking program provides dental students from the Gold Coast with invaluable hands-on training and also gives them the opportunity to experience living in a remote community. This model is easily adaptable for other regions, and Brewarrina Shire Council is commended for delivering such a vital health service to its region and community.

Contact:

Miss Belinda Colless

Telephone: 02 6839 2106 Fax:

02 6839 2100

E-mail:

edo@brewarrina.nsw.gov.au 1

National Award for Excellence

(small council, under 15,000 rateable properties)

Byron Shire Council, New South Wales Brunswick Area Sewerage Augmentation Scheme: Waltzing the Billabong Byron Shire, known for its beaches, water sports and marine life, receives 1.7 million visitors annually. Consequently, the region’s sewage system had become th overloaded creating a pressing need for the outdated sewage treatment plants to be upgraded or replaced. The Brunswick Area Sewerage Augmentation Scheme represents an estate of more than 250 hectares, hosting ﬁve threatened ecological communities, 16 threatened fauna species, including the iconic Koala, and at least eight threatened ﬂora species. As a result of the scheme, the natural areas at all sites now have management plans and actions in place to secure their ongoing integrity, habitat, corridor and carbon sequestration values.

Most of the efﬂuent discharges are now used as habitat enhancers rather than just a waste product. Innovative strategies have been employed to rehabilitate the billabongs and increase the saltmarsh and mangrove estate within the estuary. To date 35,000 trees have been planted that will also sequester carbon emissions generated during construction and operation. Opportunities for natural resource management research have also been incorporated into the project to improve understanding and management of issues such as: • acid sulphate soils management; • carbon biosequestration; • constructed wetlands management; • efﬂuent reuse trials using Hemp, Kanaf and Bamboo; and

• threatened species management.

Contact:

Mr Michael Bingham

Telephone:

02 6626 7019

Fax:

02 6684 3018

E-mail:

michael.bingham@byron.nsw.gov.au

Byron Shire Council has showed impressive leadership in cleaning up its waterways through longterm, strategic planning. By fully engaging with its community, Council has delivered a capital intensive project that will ensure current and future generations will continue to beneﬁt from clean waterways. Council took the initiative and developed this project well before any problems took hold, and brought the community with it. There is a lot to be learnt from Byron Shire Council’s experience, and Council is commended for providing a healthy ecology that will signiﬁcantly support the agriculture and tourism industries in that region.

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NATIONAL AWARDS

Category Winner Excellence in Alcohol Management

Leeton Shire Council, New South Wales R U Over It? Leeton Shire Council’s R U Over It? campaign demonstrates a range of new approaches to educate and inform patrons of licensed premises on the issue of alcohol consumption levels and the possibility of still being over the limit the morning after.

The project concept was created by Leeton Shire Council and developed with Greater Southern Area Health Service. See www.ruoverit.com.au

The campaign uses a mixture of traditional marketing materials including posters, leaﬂets and coasters with directions to a web page. The web page offers information on the effects of alcohol and a drinks calculator to let drinkers know when they would o g e r be able to drive after consuming t the inputted number of standard drinks. It also helps to educate drinkers on the value of a standard wi e nn drink – an issue which is often confusing to many patrons. c

In addition, in an innovative move, a hand stamp featuring the logo R U Over It? is used by bar or security staff to identify patrons. Unlike most club entry stamps, the long-life ink is designed to remain in place until washed off the next morning. The stamp serves as a prompt to drivers to consider whether they are still over the legal limit for driving the morning after drinking.

Contact:

Mrs Sandra Robinson

Telephone:

02 6953 0931

Fax:

02 6953 3337

E-mail:

rso@leeton.nsw.gov.au

Category Winner Excellence in Alcohol Management (small council, under 15,000 rateable properties)

Town of Vincent, Western Australia Vincent Liquor Accord

The success of the Accord relies on mutual and open communication between all stakeholders including licensed premises, the Town of Vincent Council, Western Australia Police and other regulatory authorities.

Key initiatives targeting and supporting the ‘Socialise with Safety’ message, include: • Educational posters that have been targeted primarily at patrons who ﬁt the 18-30 year age bracket; • development of the Vincent Liquor Accord Community Information Guide; • recognisable branding for the Accord Members; and • implementation of a Liquor Licence Referral Assessment Procedure to guide the assessment of impacts associated with extended trading permit applications. These strategies highlight the cooperation of licensed premises to adopt best practice initiatives which extend beyond regulatory requirements, in the best interests of the community.

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The Vincent Accord acknowledges that patrons, residents, and the general community have a right to socialise in a safe environment, and should be able to do so without impacting on the rights and wellbeing of others. ers.

The Accord sets out the principles, aims and strategies of the committed parties and provides a uniﬁed approach to promoting safer drinking behaviours. The Accord also acknowledges the currently implemented and supported practices with respect to Licensed Premises operating within the Town of Vincent, including the implementation of the Liquor Control Act 1988, and the importance of participating in drug and alcohol education initiatives.

The Vincent Liquor Accord Committee is a committed, collaborative group aiming to implement strategies that promote the town of Vincent as a safe place to socialise.

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Contact:

Mr Scott Teymant

Telephone:

08 9273 6035

Fax:

08 9273 6099

E-mail:

scott.teymant@vincent.wa.gov.au 5

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NATIONAL AWARDS

Category Winner Infrastructure Development Award

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City of Casey, Victoria The Casey Fields Development Project The Casey Fields Development Project involves the development of a number of leading edge facilities and ancillary works at Council’s premier sporting precinct, Casey Fields.

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The project’s key feature is the development of a Regional Athletics Centre to support local and senior athletic, school and little athletics programs. In addition, the project will also deliver Stage 2 of an innovative Regional Playground, installation of spectator shade structures on surrounding playing ovals and internal access roads and car parking to support these new facilities. Responding to clear community needs as identiﬁed in the City of Casey’s award winning Leisure Facilities & Development Plan, and the Casey Fields Master Plan, the project will ensure that Casey Fields continues to develop sustainably as the premier sports facility in Melbourne’s south east.

Initiatives to counter obesity and physical inactivity, such as the Casey Fields Development Project are important in providing an opportunity for the residents of Casey and wider communities to be the best they can be.

A broad range of active and passive recreation opportunities are available providing opportunities for the region’s rapidly growing community to be active, and to gather and develop into stronger and more vibrant communities.

Contact:

Mr Peter Fitchett

Telephone:

03 9705 5167

Fax:

03 9705 5327

E-mail:

pﬁtchett@casey.vic.gov.au 7

Category Winner Infrastructure Development Award (small council, under 15,000 rateable properties)

Etheridge Shire Council, Queensland Einasleigh River Bridge What is unique about this project is the collaborative method by which Etheridge Shire Council obtained its funding for this important local infrastructure. Council obtained the support of its neighbouring shires and communities to lodge an application to the Australian Government under the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program.

The new Einasleigh River Bridge is not unique in its design or construction methods. The new bridge comprises a two lane concrete structure with rock protected embankment road approaches joining into the existing Gulf Development Road. However, a large saving in cost has been achieved by the innovative use of pre-cast concrete elements to reduce on-site works in this remote area.

Delivery of fresh concrete to the site involved a ﬁve hour round trip from the nearest supplier and technical hurdles had to be overcome with the help of Main Roads to ensure the concrete was delivered in a useable condition. This project has provided economic stimulus to a region that was heavily impacted by the Global Financial Crisis. This project will open up new opportunities for the economic sustainability across the region.

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Contact:

Mr David Munro

Telephone:

07 4062 1202

Fax:

07 4062 1285

E-mail:

david.munro@etheridge.qld.gov.au

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This project is one of the ﬁrst projects to connect all tiers of government working collaboratively together. The Einasleigh River Bridge is a State Government asset, which needed to be upgraded to allow for all-weather access to enable the movement of goods and services to the Gulf communities all year round as the old bridge ﬂooded during the monsoon season. m

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NATIONAL AWARDS

Category Winner Innovation in natural resource management

Blue Mountains City Council, New South Wales Save our Swamps program

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The federally listed Temperate Highland Peat Swamps on Sandstone (THPSS) are biodiversity hotspots supporting ten nationally endangered threatened species and three state listed swamp Endangered Ecological Communities (EECs). They play a key role in maintaining the hydrological cycle through their capacity to store, regulate and ﬁlter water ﬂows into downstream creek and river systems.

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The THPSS are increasingly at risk of being degraded by stormwater induced channelisation and dewatering; sedimentation; invasive weeds; unauthorised access tracks; aquifer dewatering from subsurface mining and tunnelling activities; and the long-term affects of climate change.

The Save our Swamps (SOS) program is a whole of government partnership between Blue Mountains City Council (BMCC), Lithgow City Council, Wingecarribee Shire Council and Gosford City Council, local communities, various state government agencies, universities and the Australian and NSW State Governments, working collaboratively together to restore the federally listed THPSS EECs on a regional landscape scale across all four Local government areas.

Ongoing monitoring will continue through the Swampwatch program and the Blue Mountains Water Skink and Giant Dragonﬂy monitoring programs and university research projects.

SOS encourages community awareness through a multi-media awareness raising campaign, a dedicated website, a school education program and a private landholder extension/incentive service. A community capacity building program was created to engage the community in protecting these signiﬁcant ecosystems through Swampcare, an integrated training, workshop and on-ground delivery program and University research projects.

Contact:

Mr Geoffrey Smith

Telephone:

02 4780 5751

Fax:

02 4780 5562

E-mail:

gsmith@bmcc.nsw.gov.au

Category Winner Innovation in natural resource management (small council, under 15,000 rateable properties)

Byron Shire Council, New South Wales Brunswick Area Sewerage Augmentation Scheme: Waltzing the Billabong

Design and construction of the treatment plant is driven by the sustainability management plan that ensures sustainability opportunities are pursued wherever possible.

For ten years the community, through the Brunswick River Waste Water Steering Committee, has worked to deliver the Brunswick Area Sewage Augmentation Scheme that responds to more than twelve Regional Environmental Plan objectives.

The site now features 4.5km of cattle exclusion fencing, where Council has employed innovative strategies to rehabilitate one of two billabongs, planted 35,000 trees that will sequester carbon emitted during construction and operation.

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The health of the area’s waterways is also vital in sustaining the region’s two main economic drivers: tourism and agriculture.

To further improve waterway health the project has annexed 35ha at the site of th he new treatment plant for riparian rehabilitation. tion.

The treatment plant will supply farmers with treated efﬂuent and residual nutrients along with biosolids as soils conditioner. This will reduce dependence on potable water supplies and fertiliser use whilst minimising discharges to the Brunswick river.

Whilst replacing degraded sewerage infrastructure, Byron Bay’s passionate and knowledgeable residents were keen to sustain the health of local waterways which are critical to the region’s biodiversity and the Cape Byron Marine Park.

This rehabilitation project is improving ﬁshery habitat, increasing the salt marsh and mangrove estate within the estuary and contributing to terrestrial wildlife corridors.

The scheme will replace two outdated sewage treatment plants at Brunswick Heads and Mullumbimby with a modern plant designed to improve discharge water quality whilst minimising energy and chemical consumption. Contact:

Mr Michael Bingham

Telephone:

02 6626 7019

Fax:

02 6684 3018

E-mail:

michael.bingham@byron.nsw.gov.au

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NATIONAL AWARDS

Category Winner Leading Community Climate Change Action

Darebin City Council, Victoria Thinking Climate, Making Change in the City of Darebin – Darebin’s Climate Change Action

Darebin Council are reducing energy use in most of their largest energy using buildings and achieving cost savings of over $180,000 a year through use of timer controls, energy efﬁcient appliances and upgrades to ventilation and air-conditioning systems.

These programs are achieving demonstrated greenhouse savings and other community beneﬁts including cost savings, health and wellbeing and reduced trafﬁc congestion.

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The Community Climate Change Action Plan, adopted in June 2009, identiﬁes fourr new priority programs: a wide scale solar hot water roll-out; a business and industry energy efﬁciency program; working with elderly and low income households to save energy; and working in partnership with culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Council are also investing in greenhouse reductions including purchase of 100 per cent GreenPower for all Council owned and managed buildings. The purchase of GreenPower is saving more than 5,600 tonnes of emissions a year. Other initiatives include design for carbon neutral buildings and planning for upgrades to energy efﬁcient street lighting.

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The Council has demonstrated that signiﬁcant greenhouse emission reductions are possible by achieving their 2010 greenhouse reduction target for Council operations ahead of time.

The Action Plan provides targeted services and programs; advocacy to state and Australian governments; and strengthens community networks to ﬁght climate change. It also builds on the wide variety of innovative community programs delivered by Council through a range of partnerships to assist residents, business and organisations to reduce emissions.

Council has engaged extensively with the Darebin community to develop the Community Climate Change Action Plan to support the Darebin community to make signiﬁcant greenhouse reductions towards the target of zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

Darebin Council is taking leadership action on climate change.

Contact:

Ms Libby Hynes

Telephone:

03 8470 8442

Fax:

03 8470 8877

E-mail:

libby.hynes@darebin.vic.gov.au

Category Winner Rural and Remote Health

The partnership developed the project and opened a dental clinic in Brewarrina. The clinic is staffed by rotating Grifﬁth University students and supervisors and two local residents.

Brewarrina had not had a dental service for over five years when in 2006, Brewarrina Shire Council (BSC) approached Griffith University about Griffith’s developing Rural Placement Dental Program. A partnership between BSC, Griffith University, Ochre Health and the Greater Western Area Health Service subsequently formed.

The project aims to provide a dental service to residents of North Western NSW and to encourage dental students to work in rural and remote communities after graduation. Far-reaching beneﬁts include:

Since the project commenced in Februaryy 2009, over 700 patients have received treatment from as far away as Cobar, Bourke, Walgett, Moree and Dubbo and 1,300 appointments have been attended. The Brewarrina Rural and Remote Dental Project demonstrates a unique and creativve approach to delivering health care services in rural and remote locations and is fully supported by the Brewarrina community.

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The Brewarrina Rural and Remote Dental Project is an innovative solution to the critical need for better dental care in North Western NSW.

Brewarrina Shire Council, New South Wales Brewarrina Rural and Remote Dental Project

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• improved oral health education amongst children; • affordable access to dental services; • reduced cases of secondary illnesses, prevalent in predominantly Indigenous communities, caused by poor oral hygiene; • reduced travel (by over 200km) to dental services for local residents; • a stimulated local economy; • increased cultural awareness for non-Indigenous students; and • strengthened relationships between regional health service providers.

Contact:

Miss Belinda Colless

Telephone: 02 6839 2106 Fax:

02 6839 2100

E-mail:

edo@brewarrina.nsw.gov.au 15

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NATIONAL AWARDS

Category Winner Strengthening Indigenous Communities

Frankston City Council, Victoria Frankston City Council and Baluk Arts – The Stepping Stones Project The culmination of the ﬁrst year of the project was a concert on Frankston beach celebrating ‘Survival Day’ with Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Indigenous Hip Hop Projects and other local performers.

This project underlines the strength of art projects in creating, establishing and growing a community and supporting the health and well being of the members of that community. The project began as a partnership between Frankston City Council and Peninsula Health: Connecting the Peninsula Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community – The Stepping Stones Project.

The second year‘s celebration included the Baluk Arts Dancers and local didgeridoo players who had participated in workshops.

The community who worked on the project have now formed Baluk Arts – the area’s first Indigenous Arts group – as an incorporated not-for-profit group. Council is supporting the group to find a home in Frankston’s central business district that will become both an Indigenous Arts Centre and an Indigenous community hub. This project has not only been significant for Council, it also has the potential to have a long lasting impact on the Indigenous community, allowing it to flourish by providing income generating enterprise e and social engagement.

Stepping Stones has created signiﬁcant inroads into the development and growth in identity for the Indigenous community in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula areas.

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Over 200 participants took part in the project over two years. Workshops included basket weaving, jewellery making, paving stones, digital photography, batik, emu egg carving, dancing, didgeridoo making and playing, blanket making, stencil art, shell jewellery and local cultural areas of signiﬁcance.

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Contact:

Ms Merryn Tinkler

Telephone:

03 9784 1705

Fax:

03 9784 1706

E-mail:

merryn.tinkler@frankston.vic.gov.au 19

Category Winner Strengthening Indigenous Communities (small council, under 15,000 rateable properties)

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Lachlan Shire Council, New South Wales Widening the Circle Widening the Circle is funded by the Attorney General’s Department and is managed by the Lachlan Shire Council.

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The program’s speciﬁc target audience is young indigenous parents aged 12 to 25 and the wider community.

experiences and ideas. It also provides pathways and encouragement for young parents to access facilities and discover avenues for personal growth and development.

The program has achieved its objectives and is a quality, cost effective initiative that has been instrumental in creating a sense of belonging for members of the community who have previously felt isolated.

The program has an inclusive focus which allows the target audience and local professionals the opportunity to connect, ask questions, collect contact details and make appointments or referrals for future assistance.

The program aims to: • increase positive contact with young parents and service and support agencies; • decrease domestic violence, assault and malicious damage ﬁgures; and • increase attendance numbers at playgroups, preschools and schools.

Contact:

Miss Amy Johnson

Telephone: 02 6895 1903 Fax:

02 6895 3478

E-mail:

amy.johnson@lachlan.nsw.gov.au

Widening the Circle was designed to act as a bridge to close the gap between young people and services and agencies. It was felt that this bridge was needed because of a lack of conﬁdence, lack of education and low self esteem within this group. The program encourages the community to widen their circle of friends, increase their knowledge and open their minds to new

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Category Winner youth engagement

Kingborough Council, Tasmania Conversations in Kingborough - Youth Transport Project Conversations in Kingborough was a consultation project on the transportation needs of young people throughout the Kingborough municipal area.

Contact:

Ms Melissa Staples

Telephone:

03 6211 8228

Fax:

03 6211 8211

E-mail:

mstaples@kingborough.tas.gov.au

Through the use of the red couch, the project captivated young people’s imaginations and provided them with the opportunity to openly discuss their transport needs in a fun and inclusive manner.

The success of the project is evidenced by the fact that young people’s transport needs have been included in the Kingborough Integrated Transport Strategy. There are also plans for improved public transport provision within Kingborough and the development of a Youth Consultative Forum by Metro services.

The couch, with interviewer and ﬁlm crew, was placed in strategic locations throughout the area including Kingston, Taroona and Woodbridge high schools, the University of Tasmania, bus stops, aboard the Bruny Island ferry, the main street of Kingston, fer Blackmans Bay beach and other B g ate o public spaces.

The highlight of the project was the use of an iconic red couch which travelled throughout Kingborough and was used to initiate a series of conversations with local people.

The process was ﬁlmed and a 40 minute documentary and report with recommendations were produced.

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Category Winner youth engagement (small council, under 15,000 rateable properties)

Walgett Shire Council, New South Wales Walgett Shire Council Youth Engagement Strategy Building capacity through participation has resulted in young people making decisions about issues that affect them and formulating and developing strategies to address these issues.

Five initiatives: Youth Centres, Youth Council, Stories on the Floor, and Library Teens and School to Work emphasise participation in action.

The development focus area has resulted in previously shy, marginalised and severely disadvantaged young people representing their community at Regional and State levels.

These projects, previously not available in the community, provide opportunities for young people to engage in positive activities and develop their capacity to make effective transitions to adulthood.

The strategy’s success is underpinned by a commitment by Councillors and staff to the value of young people, and the belief that all young people have the ability to reach their full potential. This approach has resulted in signiﬁcant service delivery improvement and remarkable development within Walgett’s young community.

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Importantly, the strategy allows young people to become more broadly engaged with their community as informed and responsible citizens. Tangible beneﬁts are seen on various levels. In response to engagement at a diversionary entry level, young people are making more positive recreational choices.

Walgett Council and the broader community have gained immense beneﬁt through active youth engagement. Firstly, through understanding and effectively responding to the needs of young people, and secondly, through the development of resilient, connected and socially aware young community members.

The Walgett Shire Youth Engagement project values genuine participation by young people and operates within a framework focussed on three areas – diversion, participation and development.

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Contact:

Ms Lianne Tasker

Telephone:

02 6828 1399

Fax:

02 6828 1608

E-mail:

ltasker@walgett.nsw.gov.au 23

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Category Winner Asset and Financial Management

Waverley Council, New South Wales Working within an integrated community planning process to achieve sustainable asset renewal The bill for asset renewal for Waverley Council seemed so big that it might never have been able to ﬁnd an affordable solution. Five years ago the Council started developing and implementing a practical alternative to traditional ways of assessing the real cost to bring degraded assets to acceptable condition over time.

The process assumes it is not necessary to have all assets in absolutely tip top condition all of the time and there are acceptable intervals for asset renewal which will deliver both asset and ﬁnancial sustainability.

The process has resulted in substantially lower assessed costs for backlog and future infrastructure renewal programs and increased community satisfaction about the levels of service they can expect and when.

Because of the simple approach to communications, the community has now conﬁrmed this assumption is acceptable.

As the process sets a ﬂoor for the minimum investment necessary, it also allows customer choice without increasing risk that may arise from continued asset degradation.

The process involved:

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• gradually building up an accurate picture of the current condition of assets and developing estimates for restoring different proportions of them to top condition in deﬁned cycles; and then

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• checking with the community – using simple pictures – about what proportion of each asset category they really want to see in top condition at any one time.

Contact:

Dr Bronwyn Kelly

Telephone: 02 9369 8115 Fax:

02 9369 8037

E-mail:

bronwynk@waverley.nsw.gov.au 25

Category Winner Asset and Financial Management (small council, under 15,000 rateable properties)

Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council, Queensland NPARC Corporate Planning Framework

Contact:

Mr Stuart Duncan

Telephone:

07 4069 3121

Fax:

07 4069 3264

E-mail:

ceo@nparc.qld.gov.au

These previously independent Indigenous councils were transitioned to full Local government status under the Local government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004 and the Local government and Other an Legislation (Indigenous Regional g ate o Councils) Amendment Act 2007.

Under the Queensland Government’s Local Government Reform, the Aboriginal Councils of New Mapoon, Injinoo and Umagico were amalgamated with the two former island councils of Bamaga and Seisia to form the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC).

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In the midst of this major change, the new Regional Council went beyond simply working towards meeting the new legislative m requirements.

The NPARC undertook a strategic planning process to develop a Corporate Planning Framework that would best serve its residents and provide a robust, measurable and sustainable basis for financial and asset management, to result in enhanced service delivery and the fulfilment of the Council’s vision: Prosperity for our community and our people. Together with the new corporate planning framework, the NPARC implemented a new financial management system that laid the foundations for quantifying long term sustainable funding solutions to meet the vision, outcomes and adopted service standards.

The key purpose of the planning framework is to facilitate effective and efficient utilisation of Council resources in achievement of key outcomes. The planning framework provides a definitive link between Council’s vision and desired outcomes with defined customer service standards and direct alignment and responsibilities for all outcomes specifically allocated to senior Council staff. One of the key components of the planning framework is the use of Service Delivery Sub Plans to link corporate outcomes with the resources required to achieve the agreed outputs.

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Category Winner Regional Collaborations

Hinchinbrook Shire Council, Queensland The Herbert Resource Information Centre: A Community GIS Partnership

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Contact:

Mr Robert Clark

Telephone:

07 4776 4621

Fax:

07 4776 3233

E-mail:

rclark@hinchinbrook.qld.gov.au

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The Herbert Resource Information Centre (HRIC) is a non-proﬁt, collaborative, community based partnership that builds community relationships and provides access to shared geographic information, Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, and expertise to all partners in Hinchinbrook Shire, North Queensland. Hinchinbrook Shire Council’s partnership in the HRIC has involved collaboration with government, industry and community organisations, at a regional level, to deliver many economic, environmental and social beneﬁts to the region.

The HRIC has delivered signiﬁcant economic, social, and environmental beneﬁts to the Hinchinbrook Shire community and businesses for a period of 14 years. The strategy is strongly focused on building trust, commitment, and cooperation through a shared vision among partners, and the wider community.

The success of the HRIC can be measured in the quality of the relationships that it has fostered between organisations in the Hinchinbrook Shire, and the improved decision making that it has enabled. The success of the collaborative HRIC is demonstrated by the recently launched webbased Enterprise GIS (http://www.hric.org.au/ home/EnterpriseGIS.aspx).

The HRIC was formed in 1996, and since that time partners have included: the Australian Government – CSIRO, Division of Sustainable Ecosystems; the Queensland Government Department of Q Natural Resources and Mines; sugar industry organisations – CSR Sugar, Herbert River Mills; canegrowers - Herbert River District, Herbert Cane Productivity Services Ltd; BSES Ltd and a community-based natural resource management organisation, Terrain NRM.

Category Winner Urban Planning Reforms

Clarence City Council, Tasmania Planning for Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Areas

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Contact:

Mr Ross Lovell

Telephone:

03 6245 8604

Fax:

03 6245 8700

E-mail:

rlovell@ccc.tas.gov.au

The Integrated Assessment Climate Change Impacts on Clarence Coastal Areas Report is now among the leading resources for climate change mitigation in Tasmania.

The Report is the ﬁrst of its kind to combine the best available scientiﬁc methodology with social research in coastal communities to assist Local government to understand and plan responses to the impacts of climate change.

Most importantly, the new planning scheme controls will provide for longterm sustainable development, taking into account the best science available on the effects of climate change.

The Report provides Council with an opportunity to have a signiﬁcant inﬂuence in raising awareness about the impacts of climate change with coastal residents and prospective developers.

Ultimately the scheme provides for the best level of protection of life and property associated with coastal development.

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The City of Clarence has 191 kilometres of coastline, much of which is low-lying. Clarence attracts residents who enjoy living close to beaches and coastal environments and provides valuable coastal recreation amenities to a large number of visitors.

The Report is an important contributor to planning schemes at a local and state level, through the implementation approach taken in the amendment to the Clarence Planning Scheme. It is also expected to inform further development and implementation of the State Coastal Policy.

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Category Winner Urban Planning Reforms (small council, under 15,000 rateable properties)

Following community workshops and surveys during 2005 and 2006, the Town of Claremont has been in the enviable position of having a strong community-based vision for their urban regeneration initiative. The community helped define key project principles of maintaining the oval and access to public open space, retaining historic train station structures and developing a mix of land uses and housing types. The project location is ideally suited for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and, through TOD principles, achieves the identified community goals along with sustainability outcomes enabled through urban densification adjoining major public transport infrastructure.

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Town of Claremont, Western Australia Claremont North East Precinct Project: A Local government Urban Regeneration Initiative

Some 500 new residential dwellings will be provided so that a greater range of people will have the option of living in central Claremont.

The plan provides a long-term vision for future generations of people e living in the precinct, and the Town.

The project area is set within a broader precinct rich in heritage architecture dating back to the late 19th Century. These unique historic elements belong to the greater Claremont community and have been respectfully treated and integrated into the Claremont north east precinct development planning, deﬁning its character and celebrating its location in the Town.

At a time when sustainable development has been identiﬁed as one of the most strategic actions required by all levels of Government, the Town of Claremont has ﬁrmly embarked on a sustainable vision for its community.

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The project will provide a vibrant and diverse range of boutique uses adjoining a public plaza and emanating through adjoining active streetscapes.

Contact:

Mr Ben Rose

Telephone: 08 9340 6903 Fax:

08 9285 4301

E-mail:

brose@claremont.wa.gov.au 31

Category Winner Women in Local government

Holroyd City Council, New South Wales Holroyd City Council Women’s Development Program

The Program recognises that the needs of women are diverse and that women at different stages of their careers and lives have different priorities.

• Promote and support a family friendly environment. • Provide professional development opportunities and pathways for female staff members. • Foster an environment where health and wellbeing prevail. • Increase participation of women in civic life, particularly groups that may be disadvantaged.

The Program has an allocated budget and is endorsed and supported by Council’s General Manager, Councillors and Senior Management Team.

Council ratiﬁed the Framework in 2002 and developed its ﬁrst Action Plan to progress the priorities in 2004. The program has now evolved into a dynamic and innovative strategy which puts female staff at the fore-front of training and development.

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• Promote and report strategies to increase visibility of the above priorities and ensure probity.

The program recognises that both men and women are integral to developing a culture which values the contribution of women in the workforce and uses a range of strategies to engage both female and male staff.

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Council’s Women’s Development Program is a leadership and development program targeting women, and is based on the principles of the National Framework for Women in Local government.

The objectives of the Women’s Development Program are to:

Holroyd City Council is committed to increasing women’s participation in the organisation and has established a Women’s Development Program to progress this issue.

Contact:

Ms Hiba Soueid

Telephone:

02 9840 9911

Fax:

02 9840 9915

E-mail:

hiba.soueid@holroyd.nsw.gov.au

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