Renewable gases, like biomethane and renewable hydrogen, are being demonstrated and developed around the country and already being used successfully overseas, in places like Europe, UK and USA.
If we look at the big picture we can find big opportunities, more solutions and more ways to support the energy transition.
FEATURES
12 INNOVATION FOR PUBLIC GOOD
Evolving technologies, social changes and shifting economies can be a challenge to navigate, but a new Victorian initiative aims to simplify the process.
18 AWARDS, SAVINGS FLOW FROM SMART DRAINAGE
A program using smart technologies to improve the way drainage is managed in the City of Gosnells, in Perth’s south-east, has been recognised on the national stage.
23 CO-DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURE WITH COMMUNITIES
Navigating change within communities can be challenging. Providing residents with a visual representation of new developments
50 GETTING DISABILITY INCLUSION RIGHT
It takes planning and a practical blueprint to work towards becoming a truly inclusive community; and Gunnedah Shire Council is leading the charge.
54 EMPOWERING WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SPORT
The Victorian Government wants to improve access to community sports infrastructure for women and girls – and councils have an important role to play.
56 THE VALUE OF ECOTOURISM
Over the last three years, Central Coast Council has undertaken a strategic shift in the way it presents tourism products to locals and guests – and the results are so significant, they were recently
Our cover image is of Copacabana headland on the Central Coast, highlighting our ecotourism feature in this issue. Image courtesy of Destination Central Coast.
Editor’s welcome
Welcome to what can best be described as the municipal works issue of Council for the year. Of course, we always focus on construction and community developments in every issue, but flicking through the pages of this edition, it’s clear that the latest in project development, design and construction is a key focus now.
We know that in local government we are the closest level of government to the community, and we also know that our primary focus is on delivering the infrastructure and services our people are calling for.
In this issue, we explore a suite of developments under several themes: smart cities, roads and transport and urban development.
Our communities have long been a test bed for the latest in smart technology, and the developments explored in this issue remain at the cutting edge. From software applications that enhance council meetings and involve communities in the project design process, to the benefits of smart drainage, and telemetry optimising council fleets, our smart cities feature covers a raft of new technologies the sector can benefit from.
Our exploration of the latest developments in roads and transport follows a similarly technologyfocused theme. Here, we look at ways to decarbonise the sector, through both effective asset management and the electrification of vehicles.
efficiency in water delivery and wastewater treatment.
As always, we have contributions from councils around Australia, including City of Gosnells, Gunnedah Council, City of Greater Geelong, Central Coast Council, Alice Springs Council and Redlands City Council. Redlands is our Council in Focus for this issue – if you’re not familiar with this feature, I encourage you to turn to these pages and review our past Councils in Focus on our website. In each issue, a different council generously shares a wealth of information about how they run their organisation – it’s fantastic content that I know every other council can learn from.
Laura Pearsall Editor, Council
If you have a story idea, tip or feedback regarding Council, I’d love to hear it. Drop me a line at laura.pearsall@primecreative.com.au and don’t forget to follow us on social media – find us on LinkedIn, X or Facebook.
document has been produced to
Councils receive $1M for heritage sites
The Queensland Government is delivering more than $1 million in grant funding to councils to protect, restore and promote some of the state’s most historic sites and buildings.
Under the latest round of the State Government’s Community Sustainability Action (CSA) Grants for Community Heritage, 26 projects will receive grants totalling $849,373.
A further eleven projects will share in funding totalling $174,656 under a new one-off pilot grant program called Showcasing Queensland Heritage.
Under the CSA grant program, grants of up to $50,000 were available for projects that will preserve and promote places on the Queensland Heritage Register.
Some of the funded projects include repairing the side veranda
of the Federal Hotel in Childers, improving accessibility to the Blackall Woolscour, conserving the stainedglass windows of Toowoomba’s St Luke’s Anglican Church, and replacing the roof of Redcliffe’s heritage-listed former fire station.
The Showcasing Queensland Heritage pilot program provided grants of between $5,000 and $50,000 to support groups to host community events that encourage and promote understanding, appreciation, and engagement with heritage-listed places in their local area.
The Southern Downs Steam Railway Association will receive $5,000 to host an open day celebrating Queensland’s rich railway history at the historic Warwick Railway Station, while the Croydon Shire Council will receive $40,000 to support the 2025
Heritage Festival. A highlight of the festival will be the grand re-opening of Croydon’s heritage-listed Chinese Temple site.
Queensland Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Leanne Linard, said that the government is working to protect and showcase heritage places.
“Queensland has a rich and vibrant history, with the Queensland Heritage Register featuring a diverse array of almost 1,800 places including public buildings, schools, industrial sites, homes, hotels and churches that showcase Queensland’s unique history,” Minister Linard said.
“We will continue to work closely with community groups, local councils and place owners to conserve our heritage-listed places, and to identify potential new places to add to the register.”
Funding for NSW flood recovery
The Federal and New South Wales Governments are delivering $24 million of investment to 21 community infrastructure repair projects in four flood-impacted councils in Central West New South Wales.
The Community Assets Program 2024 has supported the Cabonne, Forbes, Lachlan and Parkes Shire Councils to repair, restore and improve the resilience of community infrastructure directly damaged by storms and floods from August and September 2022.
Successful projects across the four councils include the repair of flood damaged parks, showgrounds, footpaths, pools, sporting fields and sport amenities.
More than $8 million is being invested in Cabonne Shire Council for projects such as the relocation of the Molong hockey fields and the restoration of Eugowra’s preschool, Memorial Park and pool.
Forbes is also set to receive over $8 million for projects in the Forbes Lake area, including improvements to amenities and upgraded footpaths that will ensure the community can continue to enjoy this muchloved precinct.
The program is jointly funded under the Federal-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), with project funding to be administered by the State Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Jenny McAllister, said that communities in Central West New South Wales were some of the hardest hit by the August and September 2022 floods, and both levels of government are working together to help them recover from and prepare for future events.
“We’re helping rebuild community facilities like parks, sporting and recreational facilities
to a more resilient standard so they can withstand increasingly frequent and intense severe weather events,” Minister McAllister said.
“We know that there is more work to be done, and we are committed to supporting Central Western communities to not only recover but rebuild for the long term.”
New South Wales Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, said that this shows what is possible when all levels of government work together in the best interests of communities.
“This funding is delivering on what it was intended to do – help councils build back better infrastructure for their communities to enjoy,”
Minister Scully said.
“Repairing community infrastructure is an essential part of getting communities back on track while helping to build community resilience.”
Building Australia’s future, together
In 2025, the municipal works sector will gather in Melbourne to showcase the latest equipment, tools and technologies delivering the best construction outcomes for local government projects.
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will play host to Converge, an innovative new event focusing on the municipal works, commercial and civil construction industries.
Taking place from 17-18 September 2025, Converge will bring together top decision-makers from the industry, creating a space to share the cutting-edge tools, ideas and technologies that will shape these sectors.
Converge will cater to councils and asset managers by showcasing the latest tools available in municipal works. From horticultural equipment to road maintenance and large-scale trade tools, the exhibition will serve as a one-stop-shop for council fleet managers and subcontractors, with a special focus on zero-emission technology.
In addition, a significant segment of the show will be dedicated to civil construction and road maintenance. Tier 1 to Tier 3 contractors will gain exclusive insights into the latest equipment and technology reshaping the industry. Leaders from major civil works projects will share their knowledge on Victoria’s Big Build and the state’s ten-year, $120 billion infrastructure pipeline.
As Australia’s only one-stop-shop for municipal works and major civil construction, the event promises an immersive experience that takes council procurement experts on a journey from the small scale to the large.
Attendees can anticipate live demonstrations, equipment showcases, and engaging conference spaces offering invaluable solutions for the future development and maintenance of Australia’s infrastructure. In addition to hands-on tools and machinery, Converge will also
have a dedicated zone showcasing live demonstrations of the latest software transforming commercial construction. These technologies have a critical role to play in engaging communities with the works being undertaken in their backyards and are vital to securing the social license required to proceed positively with projects.
CONNECT WITH DECISION MAKERS
Converge attendees and exhibitors will benefit from extensive media coverage in the lead up, during and after the event, with exposure to an accumulated audience of decision makers of more than one million people.
Council will be joined by other renowned titles including Infrastructure, Roads & Infrastructure, Utility, Earthmovers & Excavators, Earthmoving Equipment, Inside Construction and Tradie
“Whether you’re an engineer, asset manager, project or procurement manager, or even a subcontractor,
Converge is the event for you,” Converge Show Director Lauren Chartres said.
“Built by Australians, for Australian construction, we’ve designed the event as a one-stop shop, where attendees can gather all the information they need to enhance their municipal and civil construction projects now and into the future.
“Our focus is on ensuring different sectors within the construction industry can learn from one another and gain the valuable insights they need to deliver on their ultimate goal: executing complex construction developments on time, on budget and to the highest standard.”
Converge offers a range of opportunities for local government employees and companies servicing the sector. Early bird stand enquiries, conference speaking positions and sponsorship opportunities are available now. To learn more, visit convergeexpo.com.au
Converge will showcase the best in municipal construction.
We’re Creating the Future of Water for people and communities, for generations to come
Unlocking local government’s potential to address housing crisis
By Amy Crawford, CEO, Australian Local Government Association
It was fantastic to see about 150 mayors, shire presidents, CEOs and council staff at our National Local Government Housing Summit in Adelaide last month.
Following the summit, we have released new research highlighting key opportunities and policy reforms for councils and communities to play a more effective role in addressing Australia’s housing crisis.
Delivered by Equity Economics, the Addressing the Housing Crisis: Unlocking Local Government’s Contribution report showed with greater support and partnerships, local governments can facilitate more affordable housing and help deliver on Australia’s housing target of 1.2 million homes over the next five years.
However, the research also showed that building the enabling – or trunk – infrastructure to cover the gap between current housing constructions and our nation’s target is predicted to cost $5.7 billion.
Of course, this is beyond local government’s capacity to fund, and we need better, more sustainable partnerships with all levels of government in the future.
The report was informed by a survey of about 130 councils across Australia, which showed:
• 80 per cent of local governments can’t cover trunk infrastructure expenses. Only five per cent of responding councils have current annual revenues that cover total annual expenses for trunk infrastructure.
• 40 per cent of local governments have cut back on new infrastructure developments because of inadequate trunk infrastructure funding.
As a signatory to the National Housing Accord, ALGA supports the Government’s national housing target, but more upfront investment is needed for trunk infrastructure for new developments, including water and sewage facilities, parks and main roads.
Local governments receive some support for this infrastructure through developer contributions and government grants, but it
doesn’t fully cover the costs which are ultimately subsidised by our communities.
Last year, we welcomed the Government’s $500 million Housing Support Program for state and local governments to build enabling infrastructure, but as our new research shows, this is just a drop in the ocean.
Given the size of our infrastructure deficit, it’s vital we work together with all levels of government to explore new funding partnerships and long-term reforms that will support and benefit our communities.
Finally, it’s fantastic to see we have already had a strong interest in our 2024 National Local Roads, Transport & Infrastructure Congress from 3-4 December.
A program outline is now available for this year’s event which will be held in Margaret River in Western Australia.
We hope you can register and join us to discuss a range of transport, infrastructure resilience, asset management, climate and circular economy challenges and opportunities.
Amy Crawford is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Local Government Association, the national voice of local government, representing 537 councils across the country.
Image: ALGA
YOUR NATIONAL PARTNER FOR UNDER PRESSURE TAPPING SERVICES
Do not disrupt your industrial, commercial or domestic water supply.
Complete Tapping Service provides services on water and wastewater pipes of all materials (MSCL, DICL, CICL, UPVC, PE, HOBAS, RC, Ecopur, Ducpur, Cu and others).
Working with councils, water authorities and contractors - under pressure tapping’s from 20mm up to 750mm (Drill size).
Innovation for public good
Evolving technologies, social changes, shifting economies and environmental pressures can be a challenge, but a new Victorian initiative aims to collaborate with councils and identify new opportunities.
The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) is a membership association and the legislated peak body for Victoria’s local councils. The MAV has a long history in the state, having been formed in 1879, with the Municipal Association Act 1907 officially recognising MAV as the voice of local government in Victoria.
MAV is a driving force behind a strong and strategically positioned local government sector. As part of its 2024-27 Strategic Plan, ‘Shaping Our Future’, MAV established MAVlab – an initiative focused on helping
councils navigate the challenges of our changing world.
Through innovation and collaboration, MAVlab will work to support Victoria’s 79 local governments to find interventions that address the challenges and opportunities facing the modern sector.
COMMUNITIES OF THE FUTURE
MAVlab is led by MAV’s Chief Innovator in Residence Bonnie Shaw. It will bring an innovation lens and collaborative ways of working at scale, to support local
governments in their responses to critical social, environmental, economic, technological and leadership challenges.
Ms Shaw was the Practice Lead for Australia’s first (and multi-award winning) smart cities team at the City of Melbourne. She co-founded a successful data analytics startup and has worked with variety of commercial and public sector innovations labs, non-profits and global brands. She has been appointed as an adjunct professor at several universities and has received awards for work in innovation and
MAV Chief Innovator in Residence Bonnie Shaw and attendees at the MAVlab launch.
advanced technologies. This diverse experience gives her a unique perspective and skillset that she brings back to councils.
“I believe that robust and resilient local government is critical for healthy communities, environment and democracy and I’m excited to help catalyse a broader civic imagination for the possibilities ahead. The MAVlab approach will be data informed, wilfully optimistic and wildly collaborative – both with our colleagues in council and more broadly across the sector,” Ms Shaw said.
Ms Shaw says MAVlab will take a deliberately collaborative approach to facing the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century.
After it’s launch in July, the first action for the lab was to open nominations for people working in local government in Victoria to join the MAVlab Innovation Associates Network. This group will access coaching and training to share knowledge and capability and join opportunities to collaborate with the lab on an exciting collection of projects.
“MAVlab will keep a clear gaze towards the horizon. We intend to share both our processes and our outcomes so we can learn together – and move faster and more efficiently – towards achieving better outcomes for our people, places and the planet.”
MAV President Cr David Clark said the association was proud to be working with the future needs of councils and communities in mind.
“MAVlab is an example of the MAV bringing a contemporary approach to leading the local government sector into a new era in Victoria over the coming years,” Cr Clark said.
MEETING COMPLEX NEEDS
No one understands the challenges facing communities in the 21st century better than local councils. Our local communities – and the governments that represent them – are at the forefront of multiple transformations happening simultaneously.
The combined pressures of rapidly evolving technologies, significant social changes, community health and wellbeing challenges, shifting
economies and a variety of growing environmental pressures are creating a volatile context for local government leadership.
“We will work with a rich diversity of partners and collaborators to ensure that our work reflects the needs, resources and skills of local governments, local communities and the broader sector together,” Ms Shaw said.
“We know that many councils are already testing bold interventions and partnerships to address some of our most significant environmental, economic and community wellbeing challenges. MAVlab will seek out and showcase this innovative work with the aim to share knowledge and accelerate impact.”
As MAVlab grows and matures, there will be a wide range of opportunities for councils and the sector to get involved with MAVlab activities. There will be opportunities to directly participate in projects, to share data and lived experience on specific challenges, to host interventions and to collaborate with world renowned practitioners on some of the most important challenges facing our communities today.
INNOVATION TALKS
One of the first initiatives MAVlab is rolling out is its Innovation Talks seminar series, a new event series that will act like innovation acupuncture by showcasing inspirational public sector work and the extraordinary practitioners leading it.
Monthly events began in August and will be hosted online, convening a collection of international luminaries with leading local practitioners sharing work from around Victoria and the world.
Talks will focus on themes of community health and wellbeing, climate futures, future gen, connected places, tomorrow’s infrastructure, local leadership and emerging tech and data practices.
The first event focused on connected places and featured a conversation between two living legends of public sector design: Nathalie de Vries (the DV from the world-renowned Dutch architecture practice MVRDV) in conversation with Jocelyn Chiew, Director of City Design at the City of Melbourne.
A visionary architect and urbanist, Ms de Vries is known for designing innovative, unexpected, and joyful
MAV President Cr David Clark, MAV CEO Kelly Grigsby and Bonnie Shaw.
mixed-use buildings that transform urban spaces. As a principal architect and urbanist, she has played an important role in establishing the research-by-design methodology of the firm, resulting in many awardwinning buildings, masterplans, and research projects worldwide.
Ms Chiew meanwhile is known for her unwavering commitment to high-quality public-sector design. She has led multidisciplinary design teams in consultancy, university and local government sectors, to deliver enduring public spaces and buildings for diverse communities. She is passionate about inclusive and participatory design that contributes to safe, sustainable and place specific architectures. Ms Chiew’s projects have won multiple state, national and international awards for design.
Facilitated by Bonnie Shaw, the session explored topics such as how good public design can engage community in social spaces, the role of public design and architecture in activating cities and citizens, and how provocative design can empower greater participation in the public realm.
ONLY THE BEGINNING
These early forays into innovation are just the beginning for MAVlab. As the lab builds and matures, there will be a wide range of opportunities – for councils and the sector –to get involved with MAVlab activities.
Councils and their employees will be able to participate in projects, share data and lived experience on specific challenges, host interventions and collaborate with world renowned
practitioners on some of the most important challenges facing our communities today.
“We’re thrilled to have introduced MAVlab to the sector, and we look forward to working directly with councils on their innovation initiatives now and into the future,” Ms Shaw said.
For more information, visit www.mav.asn.au/mavlab
Improving council procurement
Local Government Procurement’s Annual Conference takes place this October in Sydney – a must-attend event designed to empower councils across Australia to ‘create ripples and ride the wave’.
Since its inception in 2006, Local Government Procurement (LGP) has been the driving force behind smarter procurement for councils, negotiating better contracts, enhancing procurement expertise, and serving as a trusted strategic partner.
This year’s conference theme, “Creating Ripples to Ride the Wave”, highlights the power of small, decisive actions and innovations to create significant impacts that resonate across communities. The conference program has been carefully crafted to deliver actionable
insights and practical strategies that delegates can immediately implement in their councils. Whether it’s exploring cutting-edge procurement approaches, navigating key legal frameworks, or developing essential personal skills, each session is designed to enhance decisionmaking, promote sustainability and strengthen procurement processes.
But this conference is more than just learning – it’s about engagement and connection. Interactive sessions will spark meaningful discussions, while roundtable dialogues offer a deep dive into critical topics with peers. Networking is front and
centre, with ample opportunities to connect with industry leaders and fellow professionals.
Tailored for decision-makers, executive management, and professionals at all levels within councils, this event aims to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and skill development across various divisions.
The event will be held at Doltone House on Sydney Harbour from 29-30 October.
If you would like to be part of the event that drives positive change in local government, visit www.lgp.org.au
MAVlab will support Victorian councils in innovation efforts.
Combating Illegal dumping
The City of Canterbury Bankstown had a 61 per cent reduction in illegal dumping offences in priority areas, with the support of leading solution provider Spectur.
Illegal dumping is a nationwide, multi-million-dollar issue, and local councils are usually the ones left footing the bill to clean it up.
As part of its work to prevent illegal dumping and keep the streets clean and safe, the City of Canterbury Bankstown Council has undertaken restoration projects on North Parade and Dispensary Lane at Campsie.
Flanked by trees and buildings, Dispensary Lane’s low visibility meant that it was an illegal dumping hotspot, and Council was eager to prevent further offences and restore the lane to a welcoming space.
After cleaning up any dumped waste, workers laid plants and mulch beneath the trees to beautify the lane and potentially deter dumpers.
Overgrown and out of the way, North Parade was also a hotspot for dumping, with piles of rubbish and even abandoned cars scattered along it. Council estimated that as many as five illegal dumping offences occurred there every month.
A clean-up project cleared away the abandoned vehicles and rubbish, trimmed back the trees and overgrown bushes, and laid down fresh mulch, restoring visibility and bringing some light back to the
lane. To deter continued dumping, Council installed security cameras and signage to dissuade offenders and to catch those who continue to do the wrong thing.
The restoration was made possible by a $77,000 Illegal Dumping Prevention grant from the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority.
Additionally, Council has established dedicated Illegal Dumping Prevention Officers to roll out education campaigns to residents and businesses on neighbouring streets to help them better manage their waste.
Spectur’s security systems have proven to be an effective anti-crime measure, after helping Council to prosecute repeat illegal dumping offenders.
In February 2024, Spectur’s cameras recorded two men dumping expired food goods outside a Salvation Army charity store in Western Sydney. Thanks to the surveillance footage, Council was able to investigate and issue the offending driver a $2,000 fine for illegal waste dumping.
When the driver returned in May and dumped more expired food waste at the same store, Spectur’s surveillance helped ensure that he was fined with a further $15,000 for the repeat offence.
Spectur’s innovative security solutions not only help to reduce anti-social crime like illegal dumping, graffiti and property damage, but also provide peace of mind to property managers, councils and the community.
Spectur provides a range of flexible, programmable, and futureproofed security technologies, including solar-powered and portable options.
For more information, visit spectur.com.au/securitysurveillance-deterrence
Keeping council meetings productive
Council meetings are a vital aspect of the local government process, but many councils struggle to minimise stress and risk around meeting deadlines.
To combat this, local governments can make use of innovative software solutions that can help keep meetings on time and on track, ensuring councils can easily engage with stakeholders and make better, faster decisions for their communities.
Councils often prepare for meetings by gathering an agenda and business papers in simplified formats such as Microsoft Word documents, or hard copy documents. This limits integration and streamlining opportunities, as well as exposing councils to continued risk.
MEETING COUNCILLOR NEEDS
For more than eleven years, Gympie Regional Council relied on a MSWord-based platform to create and host its council meetings.
However, as the needs of the Gympie community evolved, the system failed to keep pace and the team needed a more modern, userfriendly solution that would ease the burden on meeting administrators, report writers and councillors. The team at Gympie needed something easier.
“Our system was lacking in functionality and while the demands of our community and council had changed, the platform hadn’t,” a council spokesperson said.
“Council was transitioning to cloudbased-operations, and we wanted to make life easier for meeting staff. Accessibility was also a key factor. We needed a seamless experience.”
That’s when Council discovered Resolve, an automated, web-based meeting management solution that could do all the heavy lifting.
The team at Gympie said Resolve really stood out to Council upon discovering its Online Councillor Portal and Live Streaming capabilities.
“The whole system really offered us a complete ecosystem, which was what we were looking for.”
STREAMLINED AND USER-FRIENDLY
While meeting management software like Resolve is a powerful tool, many councils are reluctant to make the switch, believing that the difficulty in learning and integrating new systems outweighs the benefits.
While Council had initial reservations about training staff to use the program, they were alleviated once they saw how easy and userfriendly Resolve was to use.
“We were a little concerned about training report writers because it was so different to what they were used to, but the intuitive nature of the platform meant they picked it up quickly.
“While creating reports was a different process, the preview function and ease of making changes
Software can make council meetings more streamlined and more effective.
has made them so comfortable with the system.
“We really didn’t get a chance to give people much of a warning on the change, but everyone adapted so well, and the feedback was great. It just shows how user-friendly the system is.”
Since adopting Resolve, Council has experienced significant improvements in day-to-day activities, meaning staff can spend more time on other tasks.
“Our meetings are simply much smoother.
“There’s less time going back and forth, and it’s just made us all so much more efficient. We also now use Resolve across a variety of meetings because the flexibility of copying a report across meeting types is just so easy.
“Resolve has enabled our team and executives to make better decisions faster, and at the end of the day those decisions contribute to a better community.”
To find out more, visit redmansolutions.com.au/agenda-andmeeting-management
Awards, savings flow from smart drainage
A program using smart technologies to improve drainage management in the City of Gosnells, in Perth’s south-east, has been recognised on the national stage.
The City’s Smart Drainage program won the Disaster Readiness and Recovery Category at the recent National Awards for Local Government.
Mayor Terresa Lynes attended the awards ceremony at the Australian Council of Local Government Gala Dinner in Canberra, where she accepted the City’s award from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“I feel proud to see a team from the City of Gosnells recognised on a
national level for the innovative and effective work they are doing in our local community,” Mayor Lynes said.
“It is also rewarding for the Council to see the City’s team acknowledged for their work on a program that has had a positive impact on residents and businesses within the City of Gosnells.”
The program was also recognised at the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA) WA Awards in March, for Excellence in
Asset Management and Excellence in Innovation – Metropolitan and won the Excellence in Asset Management Award from Stormwater WA.
The technologies implemented as part of the program include tractormounted CCTV to investigate inside pipes. There is also the ability to push cameras beyond the reach of the tractor.
Other features include Ground Penetrating Radar to identify
City of Gosnells staff demonstrating the new CCTV system to other councils.
and accurately size voids in the soil surrounding damaged pipes, expanding foam technology to fill those voids and flow meters linked to texting software so the City’s drainage crews are called to the site when water flows are high and before flooding occurs.
The Smart Drainage program began in 2022, following a thorough analysis of drainage, which identified a high incidence of sinkholes and tree root intrusion, particularly in areas where pipes with an ‘open joint’ (without a rubber ring seal) had been previously installed.
These open-jointed pipes were used extensively in subdivisions in the City between 1980 and 2009.
INSPECTION AND REPAIRS
Traditionally, the City would have outsourced drainage inspection to contractors. However, investing in a new tractor-mounted CCTV system and bringing this task in-house has already saved the City approximately $125,000, which is expected to be an annual saving.
The new CCTV system is operated by a single person and there is no longer a need for a person to physically enter pits. The new system also provides more accurate data about the condition of, and grade changes within, the drainage network, and is powered by solar power and batteries.
The proactive CCTV inspections of the drainage network revealed that regular pipe education and cleaning using chain flailing or jetting, which was required to clear roots and other buildup from the drainage network, had caused damage to the drainage network over time.
The excavation and repair of damaged pipes was also previously outsourced to contractors, which was both expensive and disruptive to surrounding residents and businesses.
In response, the City sought to bring this critical task in-house as well. Further, a new product to reline damaged pipes, which could be installed in-house and could withstand jetting and flailing, was successfully trialled and is now being employed where required across the drainage network.
SINK HOLE PREVENTION
While the City could now accurately inspect inside the drainage network and effectively repair sections of damaged pipe, it was critical to also consider problems occurring outside drainage pipes.
Traditional sinkhole identification and rectification methods employed by the City were labour-intensive, with the process requiring probing to locate the sinkholes, then excavation, repair and filling. This process incurred significant costs and caused disruption to the community.
Consequently, the City collaborated with a contractor to
conduct field trials of ‘Stream DP’ deep ground penetrating radar technology. This has enabled the City to identify underground voids more efficiently and with less disruption than with the traditional process.
The City continues to engage contractors for this task, although consideration is turning to the purchase of Ground Penetrating Radar equipment and bringing this role in-house as well.
Armed with the capability to identify and accurately size voids, the City began to research better methods to rectify the voids.
Drainage inspections can now be conducted by a single staff member.
Injection of foam grout or resin emerged as the best treatment option for the City. This involves filling the void and encasing the pipe joint to effectively prevent further sinkhole formation, without the need for extensive and disruptive excavation.
A test site in Thornlie allowed a void to be filled with the removal of only a few paving bricks, instead of the excavation of an entire section of footpath and road.
A TALE OF TWO RIVERS, ONE CITY
Perth is renowned for being dry, but with two major rivers, the Canning and Southern rivers, plus extensive wetland areas within the City of Gosnells boundaries, flooding was a significant focus for the City.
“Most community members don’t often think about drainage, except when floods occur,” Mayor Lynes said.
“While much of the City’s Smart Drainage program involves proactive work to prevent floods, the City needed to improve the way it identified and responded to flooding events as water levels begin to rise.”
To improve the City’s flooding emergency response, priority sections of the drainage network were identified and new digital rain gauge and flood sensors were
installed in those areas. The City then trialled ways to program the technology so flood alerts could be delivered to drainage maintenance crews and after-hours call-out teams by text message.
The method proved to be a highly successful and efficient way to respond to maintenance needs during storm events and will be progressively rolled out to more sites in the City in the coming years.
Another simple, cost-effective change has also been implemented to help prevent blockages downstream and proactively address a specific cause of flooding. This involves the use of PVC traps designed by City staff. These are strategically placed in pits in flood-prone locations to capture leaves and mulch before they enter the drainage network, minimising the impact of debris on the drainage system.
TEAM APPROACH
Bringing several tasks which were previously outsourced to contractors in-house and adding new technologies meant significant changes to the way the City’s Drainage Maintenance staff operated.
The success of the program was in part due to effective
communication about each project, and collaborating with staff to encourage valuable input from team members in the decisionmaking process.
Additional training and workshops were provided in the use of the new software, safety protocols and installation methods, which offered opportunities to bring team members together and cultivate a positive work culture.
FUTURE FLOW
As a rapidly growing outermetropolitan local government area spanning more than 127 square kilometres, the Smart Drainage program has provided a greater level of certainty for urban planning and significantly reduced flooding issues.
“By modernising the City’s drainage operations, the City has successfully improved response times and resource allocation, enhanced productivity and provided a safer, less disruptive environment for residents and staff,” Mayor Lynes said.
“It has taken considerable research, experimentation and innovation, however the City is extremely pleased with the outcomes.”
City of Gosnells Mayor Terresa Lynes accepts a National Award for Local Government from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Images: City of Gosnells
Making the most of existing infrastructure
Communities around Australia are growing, and councils are confronted with the challenge of “right-sizing” infrastructure for their needs. Smart IoT solutions are giving councils the insights they need to make the most of what they already have.
In a mobilised smart city, Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) technologies do a lot of heavy lifting: they count, crunch data, and reveal insights that can be turned into actions that keep communities running more smoothly.
Importantly, these insights can help us better understand infrastructure –roads, car parks, taxi ranks, and public transport hubs – and make the right decisions about future investment. From vehicle counting to incident detection and parking experience, technology is shaping the future of transportation for smarter cities.
But what does this mean for councils in Australia? Better, more fluid traffic flow; safer communities for pedestrians; more efficient parking around public transport; and most importantly – a community experience that residents are proud of, and visitors can aspire to.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Two typical applications for AIoT technologies in local government settings are vehicle counting, particularly at venues like Park’n’Ride facilities, and camera monitoring around intersections, counting pedestrians, cars, trucks and bicycles.
Secure Agility, an Australian technology solutions provider that helps organisations adapt technology and scale securely, offers products that can help councils in both of the above examples.
COMMUNITY INSIGHTS
At Park’n’Ride locations, Secure Agility’s AI solution can integrate with existing cameras to count the number of vehicles entering and exiting parking sites and calculate the number of car parks available. This data is shared directly with councils, which they can then share on their websites, to give the community instant access to parking availability.
Importantly, it’s a very low-cost solution that can use existing cameras and remove the need for expensive boom gates.
For intersection monitoring, Secure Agility’s solutions provide councils with data that helps them better understand what is happening in their communities, allowing them to plan more effectively for the future. For example, one council is tracking “micro freight”—the bicycles delivering food and packages around the community – and will use these insights to better understand the local economy and residents'
purchasing decisions and better plan the location of future bike lanes in the community.
UPGRADING EXISTING EQUIPMENT
New solutions on existing CCTV cameras can also be used to detect improper behaviour – for example, vehicles incorrectly using taxi ranks, cars entering no-standing areas, and cars driving in the wrong direction. Identification of this behaviour allows councils to understand opportunities for community education and potential revenue through the fining of improper behaviour if it is an ongoing problem.
Not only does this make the community safer, but it also identifies an additional revenue stream for councils.
Ultimately, AIoT technology allows councils to improve the experience residents and visitors have in their community; the applications of the insights gleaned from camera data are virtually limitless.
To learn more about how your council can benefit or if you need help developing your custom use case, please contact Secure Agility today.
For more information, visit secureagility.com/iot-exploration
Leading the charge
As electric vehicles become more widespread, local governments are investing in charging infrastructure to support their communities. While free parking at these locations incentivises EV adoption, could it be costing councils an important revenue stream?
EV owners often charge their vehicle at home or at work, but what about when they need to use a public charging point?
David Moore, Global Commercial Lead – Electric Vehicle Charging at EasyPark, explained that there's an ongoing debate as to whether parking at council-provided public EV charging stations should be free.
“For councils there is a cost to install, maintain and ensure there’s an availability of public EV charging points, plus all the safety and compliance considerations,” Mr Moore said.
“Councils have to decide if they are prepared to ‘give away’ these parking spaces or if they need to recover their costs by seeking payment for parking as well as charging.
"It's more expensive to supply two services than one, so not charging for both parking and EV charging means councils are increasing their overhead without increasing their income.”
Mr Moore said that given council budget pressures and the fact that they are also obligated to supply a range of other services to residents, it would seem sensible for them to charge for any new service they provide.
INCENTIVISING EV ADOPTION
Councils want to enhance the sustainability of their areas and communities to reach their environmental goals. Incentivising the use of non-internal combustion engine vehicles is an important step in the right direction.
Mr Moore said that to help drive adoption of EVs there needs to be as many incentives for EV drivers as possible.
“Free city centre parking for EVs is a great way to drive initial adoption, but as adoption grows, free EV parking might become problematic.
“Introducing and enforcing payment prevents the possibility of drivers abusing the system. For example, would a driver look to take advantage of what they consider to be free parking by leaving their car in the space for longer than it takes to charge their EV?
“Many Norwegian cities, as well as in Copenhagen and Aarhus in Denmark, have moved from a free EV parking model, to charging regular or discounted parking tariffs to improve mobility around city centres.
“Councils which are flexible, collaborative and can iterate on their plans over time, tend to be the ones with the most successful
implementation of parking and charging strategies.”
CHARGING FOR PARKING WITHOUT SACRIFICING PUBLIC OPINION
“Having a plan for urban mobility is key, and part of that plan needs to include the successful implementation of charging capabilities in cities in a way that works for both the city and residents. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this, what works for one city doesn't automatically apply to another.
“Whatever cities and councils decide to do, if the user experience is clunky, costly and unpleasant, then drivers simply will find alternative options. A vacant or an under-utilised parking and charging space is a waste of resources, so are charging spots which are filled up unnecessarily long if parking is free, so finding the sweet spot for both administrators and users is vital.”
Mr Moore said that he and the team at EasyPark believe that finding the best pathway forward requires extensive collaboration between councils, communities and parking service providers.
For more information, visit easypark.com.au
There are many opportunities with EVs, charging and parking.
Co-designing infrastructure with communities
Navigating change within communities can be challenging. If residents and stakeholders struggle to visualise what a new development will look like, it can be difficult to obtain the social license necessary to proceed.
If you could showcase complex developments in a way that residents and stakeholders understand, and you could engage with your community more easily, what impact would that have on your project? Would it help achieve public acceptance? Would it reduce negative reviews of a development? Would this help you save time and money?
The infrastructure project lifecycle typically involves several key phases, from planning and design to construction and maintenance. Autodesk provides a variety of solutions that can enhance each stage of this lifecycle, allowing improved efficiency and collaboration, and projects that better meet the needs of your communities.
Offering best-in-class 2D and 3D drafting and design software, Autodesk is trusted by millions of users worldwide. Bundled into one package, solutions such as Autodesk InfraWorks, Civil 3D, Vehicle Tracking, Revit, Twinmotion, and AutoCAD can help you bring your complex engineering designs to life with clarity and beauty.
Autodesk’s solutions offer improved visibility, communication, collaboration and adaptability through the digitisation of data. They take complex developments out of the realm of designers and allow community members to access and visualise the project information, ensuring easy communication of project plans, updates and changes. Digitising infrastructure design correlates with improved sustainability by optimising materials and minimising waste. This approach can help your council achieve its sustainability goals in an increasingly environmentally conscious industry.
SOLUTIONS FOR COUNCILS
Plan, design, construct, and operate resilient, sustainable, high-performance infrastructure in a common data environment. Whether you need to repair, upgrade or expand existing roads, modernise essential infrastructure or deliver safe and accessible water to your communities, Autodesk’s solutions provide an array of specialised tools ensuring the unique needs of any council project can be met.
INFRAWORKS
InfraWorks provides an immersive, engaging experience making it easier for stakeholders and community members to understand complex designs. Help your community visualise urban planning projects and proposed developments in a realworld context, assess their impact on the surrounding environment, and facilitate better community engagement.
TWINMOTION
With Twinmotion for Revit, users create, visualise, and analyse large infrastructure designs in a 3D environment. The program can be used in conjunction with InfraWorks to enhance the design process and provide stakeholders with a realistic view of proposed projects. The program is best suited for use in urban development projects, including transportation networks, public spaces and community layouts.
CIVIL 3D
Civil 3D enables planners to design roads and active transport paths that improve connectivity in communities while minimising land use. It’s also suitable for designing water, wastewater and stormwater systems, ensuring efficient, compliant and sustainable infrastructure.
Revit is most often used in urban planning and development, such as to design parks, recreational facilities and public spaces. Revit allows planners to create detailed 3D models of proposed developments and impacts on surrounding areas, enabling engagement with the community on how land is used and zoned.
WATER SOLUTIONS
Autodesk’s water solutions help users design, analyse and manage water distribution systems, stormwater management and wastewater treatment facilities. By visualising water systems and infrastructure data, local governments can communicate more effectively with the public and stakeholders about projects, initiatives and community impacts.
CONSTRUCTION CLOUD
Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) is a comprehensive solution that integrates various tools for project management, collaboration, and data management in the construction industry. By adopting ACC, local governments can enhance their efficiency, accountability, and collaboration, leading to better services for the community.
For more information, visit autodesk.com.au
Image:
Autodesk
Expert lighting for safer communities
Community safety is one of councils’ primary concerns, and lighting in public spaces plays a major part in creating a sense of security for locals.
While it's important to ensure that public spaces are well lit, when designing outdoor lighting systems councils must adhere to the Australian Standards for public lighting and obtrusive light spill.
The standards, AS/NZS 1158 and AS 4282, specifically state that all lighting of carparks, streets and other public spaces must be designed to minimise light spillage, to preserve the quality of the night sky, and to prevent light spilling into areas not intended to be lit, such as homes or wildlife areas.
Not only do light programs need to meet the standards when they are designed and installed, councils must regularly audit their public lighting to ensure that they continue to meet the requirements over time.
DESIGNING QUALITY LIGHT SOLUTIONS
In order to create attractive, energyefficient and standards-compliant lighting systems, councils should work collaboratively with design and installation contractors to create the best quality public spaces.
Public Lighting Design (PLD) is a leading lighting designer, with offices based in Melbourne and
Sydney, which regularly works with local governments to develop tailor made lighting setups for communities across Australia.
The PLD team can prepare sustainable and aesthetic concept lighting plans that comply with Australian Standards. PLD tailors its solutions to meet the specific needs of each project, improves safety and aesthetics, delivering optimal lighting levels, ensuring energy efficiency, and minimising light spillage.
The PLD team can also conduct lighting audits to verify that existing lighting systems comply with the standards. PLD delivers a detailed report outlining any areas of non-compliance and providing cost-effective recommend actions to address the issues. With these comprehensive assessments, councils can rest easy knowing that their lighting installations meet the necessary regulations and safety requirements.
WORKING TOGETHER TO LIGHT THE WAY
PLD has worked with numerous councils on their lighting projects, including:
FRANKSTON CITY COUNCIL –SEAFORD WETLANDS BRIDGE
PLD was commissioned by Frankston City Council to oversee the lighting design for its new Seaford Wetlands Bridge.
After undertaking a thorough risk assessment of the project, PLD presented Frankston Council with a range of potential lighting options. In the end Council chose a wildlife friendly linear LED lighting system on the bridge handrails, maintaining the areas significance as a natural habitat while elevating both the bridge’s aesthetic appeal and its functional lighting.
HUME CITY COUNCIL – ROXBURGH PARK DRIVE DUPLICATION
Hume City Council needed a fast and compliant design for the lighting of its Roxburgh Park Drive duplication project.
Working together with Council and its contractors, PLD produced utility accredited designs in accordance with the standards that resulted in the timely and efficient completion of the project, which provided much improved connectivity and safety for the community.
MITCHELL SHIRE COUNCIL –WALLAN TENNIS COURT
Mitchell Shire Council contracted PLD to assist with the design and upgrade of the Wallan Tennis Court’s to improve safety and encourage greater participation.
PLD thoroughly assessed the existing lighting infrastructure to determine opportunities for upgrades, then delivered all the information to Mitchell Shire Council, which used it to create a tender for the project.
After the project’s completion, PLD conducted an additional audit to reaffirm the design’s effectiveness and ensure it remained compliant following construction.
For more information, visit publiclightingdesign.com.au
Lighting around parks makes them safer places at night. Image: PLD
Optimising council vehicle fleets
To carry out vital services, councils manage an enormous number of vehicles. But without fully understanding how these vehicles are performing, councils are missing out on optimisation opportunities.
In a world driven by the energy transition and continued technological advancement, councils have the opportunity to reap great benefits by taking advantage of emerging systems and technologies.
Advances in automation, Internet of Things (IoT) and predictive analytics have created new telematics systems that councils can use to manage their fleets, ensuring they stay productive, efficient and safe.
Fleet tracking is a management system that combines the use of GPS location tracking with data analytics software to monitor the activity of a fleet of vehicles and other assets.
Fleet management software gathers data on vehicle location and driver behaviour, which councils can use to cut costs by maximising efficiency and reducing accidents, whilst also minimising environmental impacts.
DRIVING GREATER EFFICIENCY ON THE ROAD
Councils operate on tight budgets, so it's important to squeeze value out of every expense. Fleet management systems can help local governments proactively improve the value of fleet operations by reducing fuel costs with more efficient routes, or reallocating unused vehicles to new roles.
Fleet management systems can also help councils undergo preventative maintenance on their fleets, reducing vehicle downtime and the cost of repairs. The system can track service history and alert both fleet managers and operators when a vehicle is due for maintenance. It can also provide vehicle diagnostic data like the odometer mileage and engine miles to prevent any larger issues down the line.
SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE FLEETS
Fleet management software can also help councils looking to reduce their emissions.
Many of the practices that councils can use to increase the cost-effectiveness of their fleet operations will also serve to reduce CO2 emissions, such as reducing idling times, and planning more fuel-efficient routes.
Management systems can also help councils determine the most effective parts of their fleet to transition to electric vehicles (EV).
By understanding a vehicle’s daily route, operation costs and inactive time, councils can evaluate where they could best utilise EVs. The fleet management system can even provide vehicle recommendations, based on the models available in a given region, performance requirements, as well as the projected cost savings and avoided CO2 emissions.
Fleet Complete is one of Australia’s leading fleet management solutions providers, with over 20 years of industry experience.
Fleet Complete is the leading Australian provider of the best-inclass GO9 fleet tracking device. This small device can track vehicle location, speed, trip distances and time, allowing councils to make informed fleet management decisions.
The device can even track engine data, by plugging directly into the vehicle’s standard diagnostic port. No antenna, wiring or special tools are required for a standard connection, which can provide managers with the internal data of each vehicle in a fleet.
The GO9 can not only report on speedometer and odometer information, it can also detect engine faults and even severe turning, accelerating, speeding and braking, thanks to a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope. The system can put together this forensic data to help drivers and managers determine how best to respond to collision or near-collision incidents.
The GO9 device and Geotab platform provide fleet insights. Image:
Powering local government service delivery
Advanced telematics for every asset in the fleet, helping councils do more and budget better.
Fleet Complete have been providing mission critical fleet, asset and mobile workforce management solutions worldwide. With local Australian operations headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia, we have local knowledge and strong representation in all mainland states. Fleet Complete has built a stellar reputation and reach in the local market through an understanding of the unique Australian economy and work culture whilst operating as Australia's largest and most trusted Geotab reseller.
Leading the way in EV transition
Councils are leading the way in the shift to electric vehicles. Plan your transition with our EV Suitability Assessment and manage your EV fleet in the field with advanced telematics.
Monitor every asset in the field
Service delivery is at the heart of local government. This inevitably means mixed fleets — utes and passenger vehicles, buses and refuse collection trucks. Manage all parts of your fleet in one place.
Cut costs and get more done
Fleet upkeep and fuel are major costs to ratepayers. Schedule and predict maintenance needs and curb fuel waste such as excessive idling with Geotab’s fleet management solutions.
Revolutionising disaster preparedness
Councils play a pivotal role in ensuring the continuity of essential services in disaster-prone areas, and there are a range of solutions they can rely on to ensure communities remain connected in the worst of circumstances.
As climate change and environmental challenges increase the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, it is crucial that councils invest in innovative solutions that safeguard critical infrastructure.
Of particular importance are telecommunication networks. NBN operates hundreds of fixed wireless sites across Australia, utilising telecommunications transmission towers to provide broadband and telephony access via radio signals to communities. These sites are primarily established in regional and remote areas where constructing typical NBN fibre infrastructure is challenging due to geographical constraints. Many of these sites are in disaster-prone areas, susceptible to bushfires and floods.
When a bushfire or flood disrupts power to a fixed wireless site, it results in a sudden loss of communication for everyone relying on that network. This loss is particularly critical for residents and emergency services personnel who depend on timely updates and communication during crises.
Decon Corporation, with its expertise in renewable energy technologies and commitment to enhancing disaster resilience, offers transformative solutions such as the Smart Power Cell (SPC). These advanced, off-grid power systems not only ensure uninterrupted telecommunications during emergencies, but also contribute to sustainable energy practices.
Decon, with partial funding from the Federal Government, has designed, manufactured, and deployed the SPC solution to 76 NBN fixed wireless sites across Australia. In the event of a natural disaster that wipes out the power infrastructure, the SPC ensures continuous power at the fixed wireless site, maintaining crucial communications for residents and emergency services. This solution also prevents NBN and local authorities from risking technicians' lives by sending them to restore power in hazardous conditions.
Last year, Decon manufactured and deployed 33 SPCs across five local government authorities in Queensland. This $4.4 million venture, a collaboration between NBN and local municipalities, was funded through the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program. The SPC units were installed to ensure internet connectivity during natural or other disasters.
The SPC is a transportable offgrid power solution that combines renewable energy technologies, including solar, wind turbines, and advanced sodium metal chloride (salt) batteries. Its versatile and resilient design ensures reliable and clean power delivery in remote or disaster-prone areas, enhancing disaster resilience and digital inclusion. In the event of a power outage or natural disaster, local communities and residents will have uninterrupted access to telecommunications, a critical factor in life-or-death situations.
Decon provides 24/7 remote monitoring for all SPC units nationwide. This monitoring system ensures real-time oversight and management, allowing for proactive maintenance and rapid response to any issues, enhancing the reliability and performance of the units.
Before the introduction of the SPC, remote sites were powered solely by diesel generators. The deployment of the SPC saves an equivalent of more than 25 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually per site, comparable to the emissions of over 5.7 Australian cars.
For the five local government authorities in Queensland, since their deployment last year, there have been a total of 674 hours of power outages across the region. Decon's SPCs have provided continuous power to the telecommunications transmission towers during those times, particularly during the intense cyclonic storms caused by Category 3 Tropical Cyclone Kirrily in January 2024.
Decon's SPC solutions demonstrate a significant advancement in disaster preparedness and resilience for telecommunications infrastructure. By ensuring continuous power supply through innovative renewable energy technologies and robust remote monitoring, Decon supports local councils and government authorities in their mission to maintain critical services during emergencies.
For more information, visit deconcorp.com.au
Building a sustainable future
By David Horseman, Senior Manager, Professional Services, Strategic Asset Management, Brightly
As Australia grapples with the escalating impacts of climate change, addressing the path to a sustainable future has never been more critical –and strategic asset management has an important role to play.
While efforts continue to grow renewable energy capacity to achieve Australia’s climate ambitions, it’s only half the battle. The other half is how we plan and manage community infrastructure and improve its resilience while protecting the natural environment.
With infrastructure like buildings and roads accounting for around 70 per cent of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, councils must take decisive action to decarbonise operations, embrace sustainable practices and rethink how to manage the growing demand for new energy.
COMMON ROADBLOCKS
While many councils are already taking action to decarbonise, green up spaces and encourage low-carbon behaviours, the road to sustainable infrastructure comes with a unique set of challenges.
The lowest carbon asset is the one you don’t build. Therefore, it is critical that councils focus on increased utilisation and enhanced resilience of existing community infrastructure. This has the potential to significantly reduce the need for new assets, minimising carbon impact and reducing costs.
Councils must also decide on how best to manage aging buildings, which account for around 25 per cent of Australia’s emissions. Those constructed between 1960 and 2002 generally operate well below their potential, with outdated or inefficient technologies to support energy management. Adoption of efficient energy strategies, technology and monitoring can greatly enhance building performance and will often have a short payback period.
As the crucial foundation to sustainable community infrastructure, it is imperative that councils address any lack of visibility and quality of
asset data. A surprising number of councils still rely on outdated methods, siloed systems and incomplete data. Without a full holistic view of their infrastructure, it’s difficult for councils to know their carbon footprint and prioritise where and when to invest their limited time and money.
ADDRESSING INFRASTRUCTURE SUSTAINABILITY
Diverse strategies are needed to meet our sustainable infrastructure goals, the top ten of which are:
1. Decarbonising assets through green construction and maintenance methods, energyefficient operations and lowcarbon materials
2. E xtending asset lifecycles to significantly reduce the need for new construction
3. Reducing infrastructure waste and costs by extending an asset’s lifespan, maximising utilisation and reusing materials
4. Improving asset resilience by making infrastructure more robust against climate impacts
5. Reducing transport carbon emissions, the largest percentage of a council’s carbon footprint
6. Creating digital twins for scenario analysis and optimised investment decisions
7. Digitising asset operations with intelligent analytics, IoT, automation and AI
8. Electrifying operations by transitioning to renewable energy-powered electric systems
9. Maintaining natural environments including parks, trees, and water bodies
10. Conserving water as part of building climate change resilience
THE ROLE OF STRATEGIC ASSET MANAGEMENT
Creating and delivering on an effective sustainability strategy doesn’t require councils to make massive operational and structural changes. Councils can significantly lower their carbon footprint and reduce climate change risk by better understanding the performance, utilisation and resilience of their assets, and using predictive scenario analysis to optimise their investments long term.
This is the critical role that strategic asset management (SAM) plays in answering the United Nations' call to build a greener, more sustainable future by 2030.
By enabling councils to see the future now, it’s an approach that clearly identifies current and future performance of infrastructure under various possible strategies, service levels and investment scenarios.
Providing a clear, evidence-based and science-backed roadmap for asset operations, maintenance and investment that directly supports the critical sustainability actions outlined above.
The good news is by embedding sustainable practices through SAM, councils can not only reduce their environmental impacts, but also improve asset performance and save on costs in the process. In addition to addressing the genuine existential threat that climate change poses, it is also great for the bottom line.
The path to sustainability is challenging, but with SAM planning and commitment, councils can make powerful progress toward safer, happier and more resilient communities.
Find the right path to sustainability. And stay on it.
Visit brightlysoftware.com/sustainability
For local governments and asset-centric organisations, a more sustainable future is an important ambition. And a huge responsibility. The first steps an organisation takes can have a big impact on the outcome. Brightly can help make sure that you’re on the right path from the very beginning. And our technology and our people can work with you to make sure you stay on that path, every step of the way. Scan
Understanding new EV charger requirements
As governments invest in residential precincts to combat the housing crisis, councils must ensure that all new dwellings meet new energy efficiency requirements under the National Construction Code, which include minimum EV charger standards.
The updated requirements for new housing under the National Construction Code 2022 have been in effect since 1 May 2024.
The NCC sets out the requirements for the design and construction of buildings in Australia, including aspects like plumbing and drainage, and energy efficiency. It sets the minimum required level for the safety, health, amenity, accessibility and sustainability of certain developments.
With the electric vehicle (EV) industry one of the fastest growing industries in the world, all levels of government, businesses and the public are steering towards EVs at a steadily accelerating pace, and developing EV charging solutions to get ahead of this growth is currently a high priority.
Under the new NCC standards, all new parking spaces for apartment buildings must include space for switchboards and EV charging infrastructure.
Additionally, ten per cent of parking spaces in new office and retail developments must be EV ready, as must 20 per cent of parking spaces in all other commercial developments.
With the State and Federal Governments having set ambitious housing targets, councils are eager to ensure that new residential housing gets built, particularly in metropolitan areas where apartment developments will contribute significantly to meeting housing goals.
these important residential developments, as well as provide supporting structures like office, retail and commercial buildings, it is important that they are aware of the EV infrastructure requirements.
Councils should also keep themselves appraised of the best providers of switchboards and EV infrastructure to ensure they’re meeting the NCC requirements with cost effective, quality products.
NHP offers the most comprehensive EV charging solutions in Australia and New Zealand.
The first plank to an NCC compliant EV charging solution is a dedicated electric vehicle distribution board (EV DB). NHP makes it easy to comply with the new requirements via a standardised EV DB in the Concept Plus panel board range. These EV DBs are AS/NZS 61439 design verified,
IP42 rated with 36mm space per charger for metering.
NHP's load management solution, EnergySync™, can be incorporated into the Concept Plus EV DBs. EnergySync is suitable for buildings including apartment complexes, offices and commercial buildings, and is designed to ensure that EV charging does not overload the building’s network during peak load hours.
NHP also offers a range of charging products, from its flexible Delta AC Max to the strong and robust steel cased Delta DC Wallbox and DC City Charger.
NHP’s wide variety of EV chargers range from AC 7kW through to DC 350kW.
Many of its products feature smart functionality with Ethernet, Wi-Fi or SIM card connectivity, allowing operators to remotely access and control chargers.
NHP’s EnergySync load management system and EV chargers can effectively be integrated with the Concept Plus EV DB to create a robust and flexible EV charging system.
NHP products boast easy installation, the standard NHP service warranty (with an option for extended warranty and maintenance packages up to five years), and the full backing and support of NHP’s expert team.
For more information, visit nhp.com.au/products/electric-vehicleinfrastructure
Image: INHP
Image: INHP
A hybrid approach to council fleets
Councils that procure high-quality fleet vehicles that pack a power punch while also reducing emissions will see significant cost savings and sustainability benefits in the long run.
Councils rely on their fleet vehicles to deliver a variety of critical services to the communities that depend on them, from cleaning and maintaining parks, gardens and other public spaces, to emergency management and disaster response.
Modern local governments are eager to reduce their emissions and meet sustainability targets, while also reducing their operating costs. When it comes to fleet vehicles, sustainability and cost cutting benefits come hand in hand. By increasing the fuel efficiency of their fleets, councils can find significant savings alongside reduced carbon emissions.
Fleet electrification is a proven method of reducing fuel consumption, resulting in positive budget and environmental outcomes. However, all-electric vehicles often don’t have the power or the versatility to complete the more demanding council jobs, such as maintenance and clean-up works.
AUSTRALIA’S FIRST HYBRID UTE
Great Wall Motors (GWM) has recently brought the first fullyhybrid ute to Australia, in the form of the Cannon Alpha.
The Cannon Alpha’s 2.0L turbo petrol hybrid engine delivers impressive performance whether navigating urban landscapes or more rugged terrains. The hybrid powertrain gives this ute the strength council workers need to complete jobs that require heavy equipment or difficult journeys.
Sometimes referred to as a self-charging hybrid or closed-loop hybrid, the Cannon Alpha sees its electric motor and petrol engine
more power is required, the petrol engine seamlessly starts to provide support.
This hybrid configuration charges itself, as the engine not only drives the wheels but also charges the battery simultaneously so that, when needed, the car can switch easily back to EV mode. This, combined with ‘regenerative braking’ – wherein the system captures energy that would otherwise be wasted when slowing down –ensures best possible fuel efficiency and maximum range.
The Cannon Alpha is the first ute with this type of hybrid configuration to reach Australian markets.
doesn’t sacrifice gutsy performance.
The Alpha’s engine is a feat of modern engineering, delivering an impressive blend of power and towing capacity.
The Alpha is also larger than a number of other top-selling utes in the market, providing councils with more space for equipment. But being a hybrid, the ability to carry extra gear doesn’t come at the expense of increased fuel costs. The Cannon Alpha delivers all these benefits without sacrificing strength or versatility.
For more information, visit gwmanz.com
Image:
Australia’s first fully-hybrid ute, the Cannon Alpha.
A municipal works, civil and commercial construction event.
17-18 September 2025,
In September 2025, a new event will be landing at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Converge will bring together leading decision makers in the Municipal Works, Civil and Commercial Construction space, to share the tools, ideas and technologies that are shaping these sectors.
Choosing the right stormwater treatment devices
As urban development accelerates, a new protocol offers councils a reliable way to verify stormwater treatment devices, ensuring effective water management.
Managing stormwater is a significant challenge for local councils. Rapid rates of development necessitate extensive stormwater pipe networks, often within constrained spaces. Industrial and commercial areas, such as service stations, present potential water quality risks to local creeks and downstream natural environments.
To mitigate these risks, various stormwater treatment devices have been developed to fit into tight spaces and treat water before it reaches natural water bodies. However, ensuring these devices deliver the required water quality outcomes has been problematic due to the lack of a standardised performance verification process.
Stormwater Australia is the peak industry body for the stormwater
industry and is supported by state organisations in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Our members have proudly protected the environment, served their communities and supported sustainable stormwater solutions since 2000.
Stormwater Australia believes that coordination and sharing of lessons and information are key to meeting the ongoing challenge of stormwater management. From water quality to urban design and natural disasters, long-term solutions require the stormwater community to tackle problems together as a team.
It was with this background that Stormwater Australia in conjunction with industry stakeholders
developed the Stormwater Quality Improvement Device Evaluation Protocol (SQIDEP).
CHALLENGES FOR COUNCILS
The rapid pace of urban development has led to the proliferation of stormwater treatment devices without a robust verification process. This means councils face the problems of:
• D ealing with large numbers of development applications that include stormwater proprietary devices
• No time, and sometimes no means, to rapidly assess the validity of proprietary device claims
• No easy way of comparing the stormwater treatment claims of proprietary services
• Poor performance of existing underground devices, leading to ineffective stormwater management
• High maintenance costs and efforts associated with devices that are performing poorly
THE SOLUTION: SQIDEP
At the request of local government members, Stormwater Australia developed SQIDEP to address these issues. SQIDEP is not intended to replace local government stormwater planning or guidelines. Its purpose is to support local governments in understanding which proprietary devices have sufficient evidence to support their water quality treatment claims.
SQIDEP is an independent evaluation process to verify the performance of stormwater treatment technologies. It provides a uniform set of criteria for field-testing and reporting on the efficacy of stormwater treatment measures.
The SQIDEP approval process involves:
1. Independent assessment: Devices are assessed by qualified independent parties, including universities and specialist engineers/scientists within the stormwater consulting field.
2. Rigorous field testing: Devices undergo rigorous field and laboratory testing to quantify their pollutant removal capabilities.
3. Independent verification: Independent evaluators verify the performance of these devices and provide a certificate that verifies performance claims.
There are many benefits that come with using SQIDEP-verified devices:
1. Credibility and reliability: SQIDEP approval ensures that devices have undergone thorough testing and peer reviews, guaranteeing that they achieve performance claims for pollutant removal.
2. Consistency and standards compliance: Using SQIDEP-verified devices helps councils comply with established standards and protocols.
3. Improved water quality: These devices are tested for their efficiency in removing pollutants, significantly improving water quality and benefiting the environment and public health.
4. Innovation and competition: The approval process encourages innovation and competition among manufacturers, leading to the development of more effective stormwater treatment solutions.
5. Performance assurance: Field validation over prolonged periods and multiple storm events ensures consistent device performance under various conditions.
6. Transparency and accountability: The detailed approval process, including independent peer reviews and quality assurance project plans, ensures transparency and accountability. All evaluation reports and certificates are available on our website.
7. Data-driven decisions: Extensive data collected during the approval process provides valuable information for informed decisionmaking regarding stormwater management strategies.
SQIDEP PROGRESS
Since SQIDEP’s implementation in 2020, Stormwater Australia has provided independent SQIDEP verification and approval for eight devices with another four currently under evaluation. Details of the approved devices can be found on the Stormwater Australia website.
A number of councils are now mandating SQIDEP certification for stormwater treatment devices to ensure that developers are engaging with verified stormwater devices prior to submitting development approvals. One of these is the Gold Coast City Council, which has incorporated SQIDEP verification into its planning scheme, requiring that proprietary devices used in design solutions be SQIDEP-approved.
Similarly, Logan City Council has mandated that all new developments must use SQIDEP-certified proprietary stormwater treatment devices. Certification must be provided before development approvals are issued, ensuring that only verified devices are utilised in new projects.
Brisbane City Council has also changed parts of their Infrastructure design planning policy to include SQIDEP verification. They have provided a transition period (up until December 2024) for existing
and new development approvals that include stormwater treatment devices, to be SQIDEP Verified. These devices will demonstrate the required performance metrics of Brisbane City Plan 2014.
It is expected that other councils will follow. Stormwater Australia is available to work with local governments to provide any additional guidance that is required for SQIDEP or to support any broader challenges that they are facing with respect to stormwater strategy and implementation across blue, green and grey stormwater assets.
For more information, visit stormwateraustralia.com.au
YOU’RE INVITED: SQIDEP WORKSHOP
Stormwater Australia will hold its national conference at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 8 to 11 October 2024. On 8 October, an SQIDEP workshop is being convened, which will also be live streamed for those who can’t make it to Brisbane. It will cover:
• B ackground to the SQIDEP protocol
• Key principles of the SQIDEP protocol and evaluation process
• W hat SQIDEP does and does not do, and why
• H ow it helps regulators, designers, developers and suppliers
• The body of evidence and local field test pathways
• M anaging expectations (time, cost, outcomes)
• Selecting an experienced team
• F inding a representative site
• Selecting the appropriate monitoring/measurement equipment
• Preparing compliant submission documentation
• The evaluators workshop, the verification certificate, the review process and the dispute resolution process
Registrations are now open at set2024.com.au/registration
Safety and efficiency in drain cleaning
Water jet drain cleaning is an important part of maintaining pipe networks, and it’s vital that council workers have access to quality equipment and training to undertake this work.
High-pressure water jetting uses a stream of pressurised water to remove debris or waste materials from surfaces, including drains and pipes.
Common equipment used for this work includes high-pressure water cleaners, hydro jetters and drain cleaners.
This equipment relies on powerful motors and pumps to propel the water with sufficient force. These motors can be extremely loud, causing disruption for people living or working nearby.
Water jetting also has the potential to be dangerous to untrained workers. If misused or improperly maintained, high-pressure jetters can dislodge material from the surfaces being cleaned or parts of the equipment can come loose, both of which can hit and possibly injure operators. In some cases, the water pressure can be so intense that it can pierce the skin, which can even cause contaminated material to enter the body.
While proper PPE can minimise the danger of these incidents, comprehensive training can better prevent such accidents from occurring, ensuring that maintenance jobs are completed on time and workers are better able to keep themselves and others safe.
EXPERT TRAINING
SECA provides nationally recognised drain cleaning courses at their purpose-built training academy in New South Wales, as well as onsite training. CCTV training is available in all of SECA’s locations around Australia.
The courses provide personnel with in-depth knowledge of industrial drain cleaning operations, management of worksites, safe work practices and associated law, and emergency and rescue practices.
They ensure that operators are accredited and authorised to operate drain cleaning equipment, and that they comply with WorkSafe guidelines.
The training also provides an operator with the necessary knowledge to supervise a drain cleaning operation and be responsible for a crew of workers.
FIRST-CLASS EQUIPMENT
In addition to quality training, operators must have access to first-class equipment to ensure that maintenance operations are as effective and safe as possible.
The Rioned MultiJet is a highpressure jetting system designed and built with the latest technology. The equipment is entirely housed within a simple trailer for easy transportation and positioning. The jetting equipment is suitable for unblocking and cleaning drains and sewers of up to 450mm.
Thanks to the water-cooled diesel or petrol engine, special exhaust system and enclosed body, the MultiJet is
the quietest trailer-mounted jetting machine in its class, ensuring minimal disruptions to nearby homes and businesses, without sacrificing cleaning power.
The trailer body is uniquely designed with a low centre of gravity and aerodynamic chassis to ensure excellent handling and stability on the road, as well as improve the fuel efficiency of the towing vehicle. When pivoted out, the hose reel remains within the machine body, maximising ease of use while minimising obstructions onto the road, preventing accidents.
By combining the best of both training and equipment, maintenance professionals can ensure that their operations are completed quickly and effectively whilst guaranteeing the safety of their workers.
For more information, visit seca.com.au/ seca-training or seca.com.au/product/ rioned-multijet
Water jet drain cleaning is a great option for councils.
Image:
Seca
THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION FOR SWIFT & SEAMLESS PIPE REPAIR
With a Design Life Expectancy of 100 years, backed by materials resistant to even the harshest municipal sewage water, Quick-Lock ensures longevity and stability without the need for harsh chemicals. The patented locking system securely seals and stabilises damages mechanically, making it suitable for all sewage and stormwater pipe materials.
Here’s why Quick-Lock stands out:
Engineered with high-quality, durable materials for reliability
Say goodbye to emissions and foul odours during installation
No waiting around for curing time – get back to business swiftly
Enjoy a streamlined installation process, saving you time and effort
No excavation required, minimising disruption
Seawater, potable water and vertical bore solutions available
Choose Quick-Lock for a seamless pipe repair solution that’s efficient, effective, and environmentally friendly. CERTIFIED
Connecting homes to vital infrastructure
To support the new homes needed to ease the housing crisis, governments will have to invest significantly in supporting infrastructure.
According to Susan LloydHurwitz, Chair of the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council, in the 2023-24 financial year, approximately 208,000 new households were formed, while only 178,000 new homes were delivered . This shortfall was reflected in the previous year as well, with 244,000 new households formed and only 173,000 dwellings created.
This continued undersupply in the housing market means that affordability has deteriorated significantly with no sign of recovering, leaving home ownership far out of reach for many Australians.
To combat this, the Federal Government has established a target of 1.2 million new homes delivered across Australia over the next five years.
The housing targets are needed and have been welcomed by industry; but these additional homes will also require significant supporting infrastructure, such as roads, water and wastewater networks, powerlines and more, to effectively service growing communities.
SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE
There are many projects, funds, initiatives and grant programs from all levels of government supporting the delivery of both new homes and the enabling infrastructure to support them.
Among these is the Federal Government’s $1 billion Homes for Australia plan, which is delivering funding to states and territories for the development of enabling infrastructure and amenities essential for new homes.
Councils have repeatedly advocated that along with these initiatives, we need increased investment in housing supporting infrastructure. With the government releasing
ambitious housing targets and proposals, local governments are concerned that investment in the necessary infrastructure remains a ‘sticking point’ across the country, and they continue to call on state and federal governments to deliver the funding required to make these vital projects happen.
STORMWATER, WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE
Water, stormwater and sewer networks are some of the most important services enabling infrastructure projects for new housing developments. Civil infrastructure companies across Australia are ramping up efforts to expand and enhance their networks in preparation for the government’s ambitious housing targets.
To deliver these projects councils and utilities will need to rely on quality suppliers and service providers.
Civilcast is a pre-approved supplier to New South Wales councils, offering industry-leading
civil products for the delivery of stormwater, water and sewer infrastructure.
Its extensive range of precast concrete and steel products –including grates, manhole covers, and precast pits, culverts and custom precast solutions – ensures Civilcast can meet the diverse needs of its customers, no matter the project. Its agile team also promise streamlined product delivery, minimising costly project delays.
With an in-house team of civil engineers and estimators, Civilcast can provide leading expertise and advice that can guide customers through the unique challenges of their projects.
It can also deliver custom solutions to the current challenges associated with the raft of new infrastructure Australia’s growing communities will require, tailor-made and meticulously designed, to support even the most demanding project.
For more information, visit civilcast.com.au
Image: Civilcast
Sustainable council construction with timber
Councils are under pressure to deliver projects quickly and within tight budgets, while also meeting increasing sustainability standards. Significant time, cost and sustainability benefits can be realised by choosing the right material.
While concrete and steel make up the bulk of modern buildings, timber is a beneficial alternative for new constructions that offers a host of benefits.
Choosing to build with timber can help councils achieve their sustainability goals by reducing the carbon footprint of their projects across the supply chain. During its production, timber consumes the lowest amount of energy of any building material commonly in use today. By acquiring timber products sourced from reputable and renewable plantations, councils can be sure that they are making use of a replenishable resource.
Additionally, timber functions as an effective means of carbon sequestration. When a tree is harvested, the carbon it has absorbed throughout its life is retained within its cellular structure. Therefore, a timber building effectively locks up that carbon, preventing it from returning to the atmosphere and providing an excellent sustainability solution. Using timber in new buildings can also help councils cut down on construction times. By using prefabricated timber products, local governments can significantly reduce project times without sacrificing structural integrity, helping cut costs and improve ROI.
AUSTRALIA’S LEADING MASS TIMBER PROVIDER
XLam is the proud provider of timber construction products for a number of landmark buildings across Australia and New Zealand. As the pioneer of mass timber in Australasia, XLam is a leader in
manufacture, supply, technical expertise and support.
The XLam team works closely with its clients to integrate mass timber into their projects and to assist them to unlock the benefits of working with cross laminated timber (CLT) in pure mass timber builds and as a component of conventional steel and concrete construction.
CLT consists of layers of kiln-dried lumber oriented at right angles to one another and then glued to form rigid structural panels, resulting in a superior strength to weight ratio compared to concrete or steel.
This weight reduction allows for savings to be made on other structural elements such as slabs and frames, enables additions and extensions to be made to existing buildings and allows greater quantities of material on softer foundations.
XLam’s timber stock is sourced from local, responsible and renewable plantations, ensuring a carbon friendly product
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COUNCILS
XLam has experience working with local governments across Australia & New Zealand. Its past projects have encompassed government offices, community infrastructure, social housing, educational institutions and emergency services projects.
Council projects XLam has been involved in include:
∞ The Snowy Monaro Regional Council’s new Jindabyne Library, constructed using modular prefabricated CLT components, allowing it to be built in a matter of weeks
∞ The City of Greater Geelong’s Customer Service centre at the Wurriki Nyal Civic Precinct, which used XLam’s mass engineered timber products to create a beautiful, sustainable, contemporary workplace for Council's central Geelong-based employees
∞ Northern Beaches Council’s Warriewood Community Centre, which, once construction completes in late 2025, will be a sustainable, resilient multi-use building for the Warriewood Valley community
XLam utilises sustainable building materials to create inspiring, beautiful, sustainable and functional community buildings and civil infrastructure that have a lasting positive impact on communities.
Image:
XLam
SUSTAINABLE & RENEWABLE MASS TIMBER BUILDING SUPPLIES
Understanding the lifecycle of electric equipment
Councils are becoming increasingly aware of the broader environmental, social and governance implications of the equipment they procure, including for electrified machinery such as ride-on mowers, sweepers and scrubbers.
The debate over choosing electric vehicles and equipment over internal combustion engines (ICE) to reduce carbon emissions is settled. As well as generating zero emissions during operation, electric outdoor maintenance and cleansing equipment has proven to perform more efficiently than their ICE counterparts, saving organisations time and money.
So while that debate has been settled, local councils and government departments in Australia are now increasingly aligning their corporate strategies with broader environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies. They’re no longer solely focused on a cost and environmental harms comparison when choosing outdoor maintenance and cleansing equipment—they’re targeting the whole supply chain.
A growing awareness of ESG principles in the whole lifecycle of products and services means that in some instances, ESG is becoming a mandatory part of tender conditions. For businesses that want to submit a tender response, just meeting environmental goals alone may no longer be enough. For fleet managers responsible for purchasing outdoor landscaping and cleansing equipment products or services, they may now need to consider the entire supply chain and lifecycle – from raw material extraction to eventual disposal –when setting assessment criteria for equipment.
While data and information about the environmental savings of operating and maintaining batterypowered equipment is plentiful, it’s more difficult to find ESG information regarding the manufacture and disposal of electric equipment. This is especially true when a manufacturer chooses to self-declare their green credentials rather than seek
independent third-party inspections, assessment and accreditation, leading to a greenwashing of information.
AUTHENTIC SUSTAINABILITY
A thorough lifecycle assessment (LCA) is critical to understanding the full environmental impact of outdoor maintenance and cleansing equipment. Fimap is an Italian company that designs and manufactures professional floor cleaning machines and is at the forefront of sustainability innovation. In 2019, the company achieved the first ISO 14067:2018 (Greenhouse gases –Carbon footprint of products) certified scrubbing machine range in the world.
Fimap’s LCA includes detailed analyses of the upstream, core, and downstream phases of their products.
“Upstream is all production of every raw material, the transportation, and the energy use of our suppliers,” said Davide Lanza, Environmental Specialist at Fimap.
“The core phase is Fimap’s manufacturing stage, covering our energy consumption, all the waste we produce and the disposal of manufacturing waste.
“But the most important phase is the downstream phase because that has the most impact. For example, the use of resources, chemicals, the service, and the reuse and recycling
of the machine is very important,” Mr phases and calculate the CO2 impact for each hour of machine operation.”
manufacturing processes where they
reduce environmental impacts. It also gives buyers of outdoor maintenance and landscaping equipment evidencebased ESG information they need to make informed decisions that meet their ESG requirements.
A data-driven, evidence-based approach ensures that sustainability and social responsibility efforts are targeted and effective.
ESG-FUELLED INNOVATION
Authentic sustainability in the lifecycle of outdoor maintenance and cleansing equipment requires a comprehensive ESG approach to understand the full impact of raw material sourcing, manufacturing, use and disposal.
For councils looking to enhance their approach to environmental sustainability, looking at the broader impact of the facilities maintenance equipment they procure is an important place to start.
Working with manufacturers like Fimap, which are fully certified for their approach to the carbon footprints of their products, adds additional piece of mind. Conquest Equipment Group incorporating, EcoTeq Outdoor & Conquest Industrial, specialise in commercial facilities maintenance equipment for indoor and outdoor applications, and are the exclusive distributor of Fimap floor and pavement cleaning equipment in Australia.
Councils need to consider the environmental impact of all equipment.
Image: EcoTeq w
and cleaning gutters that are from the depot saves time and fuel. info@kor.com.au or visit kor.com.au
Maximising water network efficiency
Councils around Australia manage many thousands of kilometres of water pipelines, and ensuring these assets are operating at their peak is an ongoing priority.
For water pipelines, operating at maximum efficiency means minimising leaks, ensuring stability and promptly repairing any damage across the network.
Australian-made repair clamps, manufactured by AVK in Victoria, are the perfect solution for permanently repairing leaky, unstable, cracked or damaged pipeline systems ranging from DN40 to DN1200.
These clamps are available in a wide range of widths, from 150mm to 1200mm, and offer a stable repair solution for most leaking, cracked, or damaged pipes. They are also an effective way to reinforce old pipes in crucial areas or to provide a reliable seal for decommissioned service connections.
The product is made from highquality 316 stainless steel and Nitrile rubber gaskets, allowing it to be used in various applications, including reticulated water and sewerage systems, as well as industrial use.
VERSATILE SIZING WITH ONE CLAMP
The Series 748 repair clamp’s adjustable outer diameter (OD) range means that a single clamp can be used for pipes of different diameters within that OD range. This significantly reduces the need to stock multiple clamps for different pipe types and sizes.
Features and benefits of the clamps include:
• Manufactured from grade 316 stainless steel for superior corrosion protection
• Nitrile rubber gaskets provide a potable water contact approved seal and insulate against galvanic corrosion
• Fully passivated stainless steel underscores the quality and longevity of the product
• Clamp design permits the installation of a single clamp on a range of pipe diameters
• All sharp surfaces finished avoiding injury to the installer
• Product supplied with detailed installation instructions
• PTFE anti-galling coating employed to minimise galling of the stainless steel fasteners
• Manufacturing facility certified to the ISO 9001 quality assured standard Don’t compromise – insist on AVK Australian-made repair clamps.
QUALITY GUARANTEE
AVK offers a five-year quality assurance guarantee on all AVK branded products, covering both material and workmanship. AVK will repair or replace the product at no charge should inspection indicate
the product did not perform to its intended purpose during the application.
To help users choose the right clamp, AVK has created a repair clamp selection guide. This guide also includes recommendations for sealing dimensions to ensure that there is enough contact between the edge of the area to be repaired and the end of the clamp.
Download the repair clamp selection guide at AVK’s website and ensure you’ve got the right clamp for your next job.
Repair clamps are an important part of pipe systems.
Image: AVK
Bringing opportunities to regional areas
Generating opportunities in regional communities is a key focus for councils located outside of Australia’s cities, and one industry has plenty to offer.
Australia’s renewable hydrogen sector has taken another significant step forward after Spanish-based Solarig signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with leading energy infrastructure company Jemena. Under the MOU the parties will collaborate to assess the feasibility and facilitate the supply of zero-carbon renewable hydrogen to gas users connected to Jemena’s network in N SW
The MOU between Solarig and Jemena focuses on the development of hydrogen production and blending facilities in regional NSW which will initially inject up to 35TJ of renewable hydrogen per year into Jemena’s NSW gas distribution network. If successful, both parties will work to further develop additional renewable hydrogen initiatives helping to build Australia’s renewable hydrogen market, and positioning NSW as a prominent national and international hub.
As part of the MOU, Jemena will undertake feasibility assessments for renewable hydrogen to be blended into the network so it can be used by homes, businesses, and industrial customers.
Solarig’s Australian Country Manager Andrew Want said Australia’s transition to low-carbon energy, transport and industry is accelerating at pace and solutions to decarbonise gas and liquid fuels were an urgent priority. “Solarig in Australia is leading the development of green hydrogen infrastructure to support industries like transport, agriculture and mining in their decarbonisation efforts,” said Mr Want.
“Our operations in Australia are focused on building infrastructure across regional Australia, where the renewable energy resources are and our major industries are – such as mining, agriculture and logistics – providing long-term economic development and sustainable employment opportunities to communities in regional areas.”
Jemena’s Managing Director, David Gillespie said Jemena is always looking for opportunities to support a renewable gas market with a view to providing a long-term decarbonisation pathway for gas, while also contributing to broader economy-wide decarbonisation efforts.
“Australia is right in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to decarbonise our energy sector. But we know there is not one silver bullet that is going to help us reach our emission reduction targets,” said Mr Gillespie.
“We are going to need a mix of renewable energy fuels to ensure Australia can reach net zero, while still delivering safe and reliable energy. Forming these types of relationships is essential to developing a robust renewable gas sector.”
Mr Want said the hydrogen produced will be generated using 100 per cent renewable electricity from Solarigdeveloped generation projects or through the purchase of renewable energy. Solarig develops, finances, builds and operates infrastructure for the energy transition. It currently manages more than 10GW of photovoltaic assets and has a portfolio of more than 20GW of power projects in 12 countries, with a strong presence in Europe, Central and South America, Japan and Australia.
The Solarig project in regional NSW is one of the first commercial renewable hydrogen facilities proposed for connection to the Jemena network and, subject to meeting the pre-feasibility requirements, will be one of the first commercial renewable hydrogen blending projects in Australia.
The MOU between Jemena and Solarig comes off the back of the recent announcement of more renewable gas facilities for biomethane production being developed in regional NSW, after Jemena and renewable gas producer Optimal Energy signed a three-year MOU.
Through that arrangement, Optimal Renewable Gas will be identifying suitable sites in regional NSW in proximity to agricultural and other waste sources that could produce up to 1.5PJ of biomethane, in preparation for building the facilities. Additionally, Jemena will undertake feasibility and preparatory work so biomethane can be injected into the nearby NSW gas distribution network.
Biomethane is a renewable gas created by processing biogas, which is generated from decomposing organic waste. It is completely interchangeable with natural gas and is therefore compatible with all existing gas network infrastructure and gas appliances used in homes and businesses and in industrial manufacturing processes.
Research commissioned by Jemena has identified potential sources of biomethane – agricultural waste, wastewater and landfills – in the vicinity of its NSW network that could produce up to 30PJ of biomethane annually. To put this in context, Jemena’s 386 industrial costumers used around 49.6 petajoules of gas last year.
With the new hydrogen collaboration, existing biomethane projects, and more projects on the way the potential for a renewable gas industry to develop, bring circular economy benefits and job opportunities to regional areas appears to be growing.
Hydrogen will help in the energy transition.
Image: Jemena
Getting disability inclusion right
It takes planning and a practical blueprint to work towards becoming a truly inclusive community, and Gunnedah Shire Council is leading the charge.
Gunnedah Shire Council, in north-west New South Wales, is a vibrant shire with a growing population. To realise its vision as both an advocate and champion for the rights of people with all abilities in their community, Council undertook extensive community engagement to create its Gunnedah Shire disABILITY Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2028.
Gunnedah Shire Council Community and Social Planner Debra Hilton said as the shire grew, it was important to ensure accessibility was always part of the journey.
“Our community’s strength is in its diversity,” Ms Hilton said. “Everyone deserves to enjoy the benefits of full participation in everything we have to offer.
“Our full vision as an advocate and a champion for the rights of people with all abilities is to ensure all citizens are treated equally and respectfully and have opportunities to enjoy the benefits of full participation in a caring, proud, prosperous and inclusive community.
“We needed our disABILITY Inclusion Action Plan to make this commitment
Image: : Denis Kuvaev/shutterstock.com
Gunnedah’s vision is that all citizens are treated equally and respectfully.
part of our everyday business, and the way to ensure this happens is to consult with our community stakeholders.”
Gunnedah Shire Council consulted with more than 325 people to discover what each person thought worked in disability inclusion, and what could be improved.
Representatives from community care agencies and service providers, Carers NSW, the disability support sector, people with lived experience of disability, residents within the broader Gunnedah Shire and the Gunnedah Shire Access Working Group provided input for the document. The Gunnedah Shire Access Working Group is an advisory group of Council that includes a range of internal and external stakeholders. It meets quarterly to discuss ideas, projects and initiatives of Council relevant to enhancing access and cultivating inclusion.
People were engaged through popup events, community workshops, a survey and one-on-one conversations. Information about the process was sent to village hall committees and progress associations and distributed through community interagency networks.
Ms Hilton said part of the consultation was to measure Gunnedah Shire’s success against the four key focus areas of the 2022 NSW Disability Inclusion Action Planning Guidelines:
1. Foster positive community attitudes and behaviours
2. Increase the liveability of our communities
3. Support access to meaningful employment for people with disability
4. Improve access to mainstream services through better systems and processes
“The feedback we received showed strong successes across all four focus areas,” Ms Hilton said. “Our consultation revealed support for the way in which Council interacted and engaged with people with disability, and acknowledged the significant inroads made by Council over the past five years into promoting access and inclusion.”
Some of the things Council has got right included:
• The “Missed Business Guide”, a resource manual for business on how to attract more customers by providing better access to their business operations
• Multiple community events and activities at Livvi’s Place Inclusive Playground
• The Section 356 Access Incentive Grant to encourage businesses to enhance accessibility
• The Access Working Group
• A strengthened focus on the shire’s monitoring of compliance in Accessible (Disabled) Parking and NSW Mobility Parking Scheme Permits
“The consultation also showed where there was room for improvement by highlighting barriers that remain for people with disability and their carers when accessing information and services, and when getting around the community.”
Areas that could be improved included access to shops and businesses, accessible parking, cinema seating, physical access to venues and facilities, maintenance and design of pathways, pedestrian crossings, inclusive tourism, better signage and emergency and disaster-focused strategies.
The thoughts, experiences and ideas of respondents went into the Draft Gunnedah Shire disABILITY Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2028,
community. The document also aligns with the National Disability Strategy 2021-2031 and Council’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The action plan noted that one in five members of the Gunnedah Shire community reported having a disability in 2021, slightly above the national figure of one in six Australians. In addition, 793 people (6.1 per cent of the Gunnedah Shire population) said they needed help in their day-to-day lives due to disability, compared with 5.8 per cent for NSW.
“This shows just how critical it is to get disability inclusion right in our community,” Ms Hilton said. “This is a great place to live and raise a family, and everyone needs to be able to participate fully.”
The Gunnedah Shire DisABILITY Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2028 works to address the ongoing needs of the community by:
• Advocating equal rights for all
• Progressing positive community attitudes and behaviours
• Creating liveable communities by providing a range of facilities, services and events that make our shire a great place for people to live, work and play
• Supporting access to meaningful employment, education and
An inclusive playground in Gunnedah.
Image: Gunnedah Shire Council
• Improving access to mainstream services through better systems and processes
• Collaborating with business partners, service providers and community groups
• Strategic planning to meet the changing needs and expectations of its growing community
• Monitoring compliance to legislation
To make this happen, the plan commits to 48 actions. These include a wide range of measures, including seeking out professional development opportunities for frontline customer service staff to access Auslan training, developing an Inclusive Events Guide, carrying out access audits of Council facilities, reviewing allocations and locations of designated access parking bays, undertaking audits of footpaths, crossings and many other public areas, and many other initiatives.
The draft plan was placed on public exhibition following the June 2024 meeting of Gunnedah Shire Council and consultation has now closed. Submissions from the public exhibition period will be considered before the plan goes back to Councillors for final approval.
“This is, of course, only part of the process,” Ms Hilton said. “It’s just as important to ensure we measure our success against this plan.
“Over the next four years, the plan will be monitored and evaluated against a list of performance measures. There will be a progress report each year to both Council and to the NSW Minister for Disability Services.
“Local government knows it is a long and comprehensive process to get this
important document right, but it is critical to plan our way forward.
“There has been a lot of thought from a lot of people that has gone into the Gunnedah Shire disABILITY Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2028, and we have been proud to work hand-in-hand with our community to make this a reality.”
The draft Gunnedah Shire disABILITY Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2028 can be viewed on the Gunnedah Shire Council website gunnedah.nsw.gov.au
Gunnedah’s plan advocates equal rights for all.
Building better communities
Councils are the pillar of government closest to the community, and working with partners that also give back to society are another way councils can extend their own support.
Creating opportunities in communities is a central focus for Australia’s 537 councils, a vision shared by the GO Foundation, an organisation established to create space for Indigenous students to unlock the power of their identity and culture.
Founded by proud Indigenous men and AFL legends Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin – the ‘G’ and ‘O’ of GO Foundation – the organisation provides scholarships for Indigenous children during primary school, high school and university. Importantly, they put culture at the heart of everything they do.
The holistic program creates opportunities for young Indigenous people by focusing on the students’ identity, culture, and their wider community as they complete their education.
INDUSTRY SUPPORT
Leading provider of pipeline infrastructure solutions, Interflow, has entered a partnership with the GO Foundation to provide vital funding towards the Foundation’s scholarship and cultural support program.
Interflow’s Executive Manager of People and Capability Tracy Keevers said she’s proud of this momentous occasion in the history of the organisation. According to Ms Keevers, supporting causes like the GO Foundation has been central to the company’s success over the past 85 years.
“The GO Foundation is strongly related to Interflow’s purpose, which has always been about improving the lives of the people we work with and of those within the communities we serve,” Ms Keevers said.
“As a family business, we’ve been able to do things differently. We have always taken care of the families of people that worked
within the business. That philosophy hasn’t changed, but it has grown to include the lives of people outside the business, too.”
The GO Foundation partnership ties in deeply with Interflow’s Reflect RAP, currently in its second year, which emphasises building strong foundations to engage in meaningful reconciliation.
“Part of it is down to the industry we’re in,” Ms Keevers said. “We really want to learn about sustainable land practices and have a closer connection to Country as an organisation.
“At the same time, we want to have a long-lasting, positive effect on communities, and that’s what GO Foundation is all about.
“It is very grassroots. Every dollar we give will make a difference to Indigenous children staying at school.”
In partnering with GO Foundation, which has been making a difference to Indigenous student education for 15 years, Interflow becomes a part of the achievement of a grand goal.
Right now, GO Foundation funds over 660 active scholarships. The organisation has a goal of 1000 active scholarships, and Interflow is proud to support that goal.
“Maybe in the future, Interflow will be able to offer positions to candidates who have come through the program, but it’s really not about that,” Keevers said.
“If we’re truly committed to reconciliation and truly committed to improving lives, we need to put our money where our mouth is and do something about it. This is about us having a positive, powerful, long-term impact for generations to come.”
For more information, visit interflow.com.au
The GO Foundation is making a difference in the lives of Indigenous Australians.
Image: GO Foundation
Empowering women and girls in sport
By Ali Wastie, Chief Executive Officer, City of Greater Geelong
The Victorian Government’s Fair Access Policy Roadmap aims to develop a statewide foundation to improve access to community sports infrastructure for women and girls –and councils have a vital role to play.
Greater Geelong is Victoria’s second-largest city, located 75 kilometres south-west of Melbourne and stretching 1,247 square kilometres across unique suburban, coastal and country areas.
If you know anything about our community, it’s that we are sports mad. We’re home to both men’s and women’s AFL Geelong Cats sides, Geelong United Basketball and more than 325 grassroots sporting clubs.
We are an active bunch, involved in everything from football (AFL and soccer), netball, basketball, tennis and swimming, to archery, gridiron, underwater hockey, rowing and pickleball.
At the City of Greater Geelong, we are committed to supporting community sport because we know the immense health and social benefits of leading an active and connected life.
Part of that involves helping local women and girls to fully participate in and enjoy sport, who according to our City of Greater Geelong Sport & Recreation Census typically play sport less than men and boys.
In fact, the Change Our Game State of Play Survey found women are 2.5 times more likely to report feeling unwelcome at their sporting club compared to men and 28 per cent have considered leaving their club due to inequitable treatment.
Some of the concerns raised through the survey included women and girls not having access to the best courts and feeling like their opinions were less valued.
There are some encouraging trends though, with 95 per cent of all sports facilities in Greater Geelong available for all genders and 84 per cent of clubs reporting on women and girls’ results and achievements.
One of the ways we are tackling this is through our recently adopted Fair Access Policy, which the City enthusiastically developed alongside other councils in response to the Victorian Government’s Fair Access Policy Roadmap.
The policy outlines how the City plans to improve our ability to identify and eliminate systemic causes of gender inequality across sport.
It also looks at how we will support sporting clubs to do the same.
Mayor Trent Sullivan said the new policy would pave the way to creating a sporting environment that was equitable and supportive for all.
“We know that playing sport is beneficial for women and girls in terms of their physical and mental health, confidence levels and community connection, however their participation rates are lower than men and boys,” Mayor Trent Sullivan said.
“Our Fair Access Policy includes principles and approaches to address known barriers so that females have
equality will be considered and prioritised in all current and future Council planning, policy, service delivery, facility allocations and practice when it comes to community sports infrastructure.
This includes how infrastructure is designed, how resources are allocated and representation in the governance of clubs.
We got to this point thanks to the insights from community members, with more than 85 per cent of respondents identifying as female.
Community members told us that negative behaviours needed to be addressed, such as criticism and anti-social behaviour towards females that were barriers to participation; and that clubs required support in creating welcome, safe and inclusive environments.
The draft policy gained majority support from those who took the survey or quick poll. Respondents were excited about addressing
Council recently adopted a Fair Access Policy.
ensuring safety and access to resources, and advocating for fairness and quality in sport participation.
Feedback was also sought from sporting clubs, advisory committees to Council, other councils, and the Office for Women in Sport.
Edward Wilson, Regional Manager – Barwon, AFL Barwon (footy and netball) said AFL Barwon saw the Fair Access Policy development and implementation as a fundamental policy to support, engage and drive outcomes that supported all members of the community.
“We’ve been impressed with the significant degree of detail, engagement and development undertaken by the City in developing this policy, with an unprecedented experience of collaboration and insight influencing the final product,” Mr Wilson said.
AFL Barwon found that the lack of courts and grounds was its biggest issue when it came to meeting increased demand and engaging females.
“We believe the policy will shape equitable opportunities for all within the community and are a full supporter of the Fair Access Policy’s implementation,” Mr Wilson said.
“Thank you to the City for their commitment and leadership in engagement, to deliver a sound and equitable policy.”
Local sporting organisations reported that some clubs had embraced diversity and inclusion better than others, there were lower levels of female representation at the executive level and that women’s participation in sport after COVID lockdowns was slower to rebound.
By getting into the nitty gritty of the challenges and barriers that face
we can find solutions together to flip the script.
This will involve long-term collaboration between all levels of government, sporting bodies, community clubs and of course, women and girls.
Short and long-term sustainable actions aimed at creating meaningful change form part of our action plan, such as:
• Consulting with women and girls to understand their preferred game facility preferences to influence local sports associations/leagues and peak sporting bodies
• Prioritising capital works budgets that increase and improve safe access to community sports and active recreation infrastructure, such as gender-neutral change rooms and upgraded security lighting
• Undertaking Gender Impact Assessments and Safety Audits of community sports and active recreation infrastructure, which will inform future design
• Encouraging clubs to discuss with women and girls on what would encourage them to take on a leadership position, such as training and mentoring support, and more convenient times of committee meetings
• Incentivising fair access to community sport and active recreation infrastructure, through financial, recognition and reward, prioritisation of capital works or other means
• Long-term investment into programs targeting women and girls’ participation with a view to creating ongoing sustainable programs
Like most councils, we’re working to progressively replace or modernise ageing facilities that were built for men and are no longer fit for purpose.
The recent growth in female participation in sports such as Aussie Rules, soccer and cricket is fantastic and something we want to continue to encourage.
Female participants in these sports have and are continuing to contend with facilities that don’t meet their needs, while clubs are grappling with finding space for all the extra participants.
We’ve heard too many unfortunate stories of women and girls having to get changed in their cars.
As a result, Council has invested heavily to address this and has rolled out new changerooms in several sporting facilities across our region that are suitable for all genders, but there are many still needing to be upgraded and heavy investment required to do so.
This creates a financial challenge for us and we are grateful for any funding support we can receive from the state and federal governments.
The 2024 Paris Olympics was a great example of how supporting girls from a young age to get involved in sporting activities can develop into a lifelong passion, goal setting and improved confidence.
As a matter of fact, we had a number of local female athletes who competed on the world stage.
“Australia’s 11th fastest woman of all time, Geelong’s Mia Gross, debuted in Paris after starting her athletic journey at age nine sprinting down the Landy Field track for Grovedale Little Athletics Club,” Mayor Trent Sullivan said.
“As a supporter and manager of hundreds of grounds, arenas and facilities, Council is thrilled to have played our part in her sporting development.”
We are committed to helping women and girls to fall in love with community sport, whether they become world-class athletes like Mia or not, and feel welcome and empowered.
I’m excited about the task ahead as we break through systemic barriers to give women and girls the fair access they deserve.
City of Greater Geelong is supporting increased sports participation for women and girls.
Images: City of Greater Geelong.
The value of ecotourism
Central Coast Council has undertaken a strategic shift in how it presents tourism products to locals and guests – and the results have been recognised on a global scale.
The N SW Central Coast continues to achieve global recognition for its innovative work in sustainable tourism, most recently awarded first place in the global Green Destinations Story Awards 2024 at one of the world’s leading travel trade shows, ITB Berlin
This award follows the Central Coast region achieving ECO Destination certification in 2022, one of the first Australian destinations to do so. The successful new path was launched in 2020 by the region’s strategic shift in its Tourism Management Model.
By winning first place in the world’s most prestigious sustainable destination awards ceremony, the Central Coast has been confirmed as one of several regions leading the way on a global scale for successfully implementing sustainable tourism strategies within its local industry.
Notably, the Central Coast was the only Australian destination selected in this year’s international competition, as well as the only Australian destination to achieve ‘hat trick’ finalist status in the Green Destinations Top 100 List in 2021, 2022, and 2023, showcasing a consistent commitment to sustainable tourism management in action.
Central Coast Council Communications Marketing and Customer Engagement Unit Manager Sue Ledingham said the international recognition of the Central Coast is an incredible achievement, and is a great example of how a Council, working together with their local tourism industry, can achieve both economic and sustainable outcomes.
“Taking home this award is testament not only to Central Coast Council’s ability to lead tourism management for the region, but
to the benefits of collaborating with local industry who are leading with sustainability in their tourism offerings,” Ms Ledingham said.
Ms Ledingham said Council’s winning sustainability story focused on the region’s commitment to building an ecotourism community known as ‘Eco Advocates’, prompted by a strategic shift in the way it promotes tourism products to both locals and guests.
The entry titled, ‘A Destination of Eco Advocates with Whales, Alpacas and Wheels’ received high praise from independent judges, with the story focusing on growing high-quality, ECO Certified tourism experiences, including immersive coast and hinterland adventures.
“There are currently nine ECO Certified tourism experiences on the Central Coast, with an additional 17 operators expressing interest in starting their sustainability journey by
joining a funded pathway program,”
Ms Ledingham said.
“Council’s 2023 Eco Advocate initiative gave operators the choice of financial support with a discounted membership fee for their first year pursuing certification, or resource support with one-on-one mentoring available during the application process. The incentive followed feedback from local industry that either lack of time or money were key reasons for not prioritising sustainability in their businesses.”
Since Council launched the Eco Advocate initiative in mid-2023, three new Central Coast tourism operators have already achieved national ECO Certification; a family-run oyster farm, luxury seaside lodges, and a botanical winery. Additionally, since operating under its new Tourism Management Model from 2020 until present, the Central Coast region has been recognised in an admirable list
of industry awards at the regional, state, national and international level, including Winner in the NSW Local Government Excellence Awards 2023, Gold Winner in the NSW Tourism Awards 2023, and Finalist in the National Banksia Sustainability Awards 2023.
Ms Ledingham had the privilege of receiving the latest Green Destinations Story Award on behalf of Central Coast Council in Berlin. She said the Central Coast’s ecotourism portfolio has never been stronger, more diverse, or better placed to showcase the value in promoting sustainable tourism best practice.
“The global award demonstrates how it’s the people-powered partnerships that really drive change in local government. In just four years, we’ve seen Council’s tourism team proactively work with local industry and tourism partners to become a world-class ecotourism destination.
“This journey to sustainability has been made possible by first establishing a new regional tourism management model as a launch pad for such change.
“Since 2020, a Council-led, hybrid local tourism organisation (LTO) model has supported a regional
Images: Destination Central Coast
Copacabana headland on the Central Coast.
Sue Ledingham accepts first place in the Green Destinations Story Awards.
perception change campaign and the growth of a new destination brand that celebrates our natural and cultural assets, appealing to both local pride and visitor interest.”
Since moving from its previous externally-sourced, paid-membership model to a free membership LTO focused on sustainable destination management, the Central Coast’s refreshed approach to tourism has been led at a destination management and marketing level by a dedicated localised tourism team, based within local government, and contingent on partnerships.
Ms Ledingham said this has resulted in a more hands-on approach for Central Coast Council, with the Destination Marketing and Visitor Services section, known as Destination Central Coast, leading the rebrand and renewed tourism management model adopted by Council. This includes managing destination assets, industry support services, destination PR, content production, digital marketing and social media strategy, strategic
tourism planning, research and reporting.
Central Coast Council CEO David Farmer said the region has suffered through bushfires, coastal erosion, flooding and the pandemic over the last four years, so a clear path to recovery was vital to support the community from within.
“As all local government authorities know, for real success to be achieved in a region, understanding what the local business sector needs for success, and how Council can help as a partner, is paramount in building sustainable economic and community growth and benefits,”
Mr Farmer said.
“By promoting ECO Certified experiences through destination marketing campaigns, Destination Central Coast is giving conscious guests a clearer choice of the best eco-friendly, nature-based experiences, attractions and accommodation the Central Coast has to offer, with responsible tourism embedded at a destination level.”
Mr Farmer said Central Coast Council’s investment in promoting
a business environment where ecotourism thrives is reflected in the latest visitation data to the region, where guests are staying longer and spending more.
“For the year ending March 2024, the Central Coast hosted 5.5 million domestic visitors, who spent a total of $1.5 billion, which is a 12.1 per cent increase when compared to March 2023.
“Additionally, a total of 4.7 million nights were recorded in March 2024, reflecting a 4.1 per cent rise since March 2023.
“We are extremely proud of our success, and we hope that Council’s investment in the tourism sector on the Central Coast offers inspiration to other regions who might be looking at similar innovative approaches where the management model can serve as a springboard for success.”
The latest Central Coast Eco Adventures tourism campaign showcases the region’s destination brand at its finest, with green appeal – including the global award and accreditation to back it up.
Kayaking through Glenworth Valley.
Uniting communities through culture
Celebrating the unique aspects of individual cultures is the key to bringing Australia’s multicultural communities together.
Alice Springs Town Council (ASTC) has been recognised as a national leader in championing diversity and multiculturalism, being awarded the 2024 Cohesive Communities Award at the National Awards for Local Government.
Alice Springs Town Council CEO Andrew Wilsmore said the award was great recognition of Council’s dedication to making everyone feel welcome in the community.
The awards were handed out in July 2024 at the Australian Council of Local Government Gala Dinner in Canberra. The Cohesive Communities Award highlights local government initiatives that foster inclusion and celebrate cultural diversity and is awarded annually. ASTC was recognised for the 2023 Diwali Night Market event, celebrating culture in the heart of Alice Springs.
The Diwali Night Market was held with the support of Alice Springs Elected Members and SBS on Demand, and saw more than 2,000 residents descend on the famous Todd Mall for a night full of culture and fun, with traditional Punjab, Malayalee and Indian dance and music performances, international cuisine and craft exhibits. People from all walks of life joined in the centre of town to immerse themselves in culture for the evening, supporting the local Indian community in celebrating the important holiday.
“We are thrilled to receive the 2024 Cohesive Communities Award, it’s a wonderful acknowledgement for the hard work our team members put in to benefit the community,” Mr Wilsmore said.
“The Council team is dedicated to working together and fostering an environment where everyone feels valued, respected and included. Putting these events on takes a lot of hard work and collaboration but it’s absolutely worth it to see the smiles on peoples’ faces.
“We take great pride in creating moments within Alice Springs that allow the community to connect meaningfully with one another and the Diwali Night Market was a perfect example of that. Alice Springs is a wonderful and unique part of Australia where people from all cultures live in harmony. It’s incredibly meaningful to give residents the chance to show that in action and learn a little bit about a culture they may not otherwise know about.
“The Council team deserves a lot of credit for the work they have
put in and I also want to thank all community members that voted for Council through this process. Most importantly I also want to thank everyone that came out to the Diwali Night Markets to help make it an incredible event.”
WHAT IS DIWALI?
Also known as the Festival of Lights, Deepavali, Thar, Bandi Chhor and Tihar, Diwali is one of the biggest and most important holidays of the calendar year. The festival lasts for five days, celebrating the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness and is incredibly important in many cultures. While the exact dates for Diwali change each year, usually falling between October and November, Diwali is one of the most celebrated times of the year with households revelling across the world with special meals and fireworks displays.
Diwali also sees people decorate their homes with colourful Rangoli designs and lights, often dressing in bright colours and dancing. With light being a primary focus of the festival, a big fireworks display was central to the Alice Springs Diwali Night Market, giving people of all cultural backgrounds the opportunity to celebrate together.
The community gathered to celebrate Diwali.
Alice Springs has a rich history of multiculturalism that dates back many years. The traditional owners of the land in and around Alice Springs are the Central and Eastern Arrernte people who have lived in the area for tens of thousands of years. A strong Aboriginal presence and history remains in the town to this day, with culture intertwined in the landscape and everyday life.
There is also a strong multicultural presence throughout the Alice Springs community dating back to Afghan cameleers in the late 1800s. Now home to people from all corners of the globe, with one third of all Alice Springs residents born overseas, ASTC adopted a new Multicultural Action Plan in 2023 to promote cultural diversity and social cohesion. This included the introduction of a new role within Council of Community Inclusion Officer, held by Abby McCrickard. Ms McCrickard played a vital role in organising the Diwali Night Market, saying it was a rewarding way of giving back to the community.
“During the consultation phase of Council’s Multicultural Action Plan 2023-2026 we found there was a great
diverse community, with 32.9 per cent of residents being born overseas,” she said.
“With India being the most common country of birth other than Australia, sitting at 3.7 per cent, it was clear that a Diwali event would be embraced by the whole community. The best part of the event was seeing people who had never heard of Diwali learn about the celebration and being told how thrilled people felt seeing their country of birth celebration be held in their Australian home.
“I was so proud that Elected Members and Council supported us to throw this event and it is a great demonstration of Alice Springs’ strong community spirit,” Ms McCrickard said.
POSITIVE IMPACTS
While ASTC is proud to be recognised for championing diversity and inclusion, the biggest reward is seeing the positive impact the Diwali Night Market had on the local Indian community.
Gagandeep Singh Ralh is a local member of the Indian-Punjab community in Alice Springs, and said it was meaningful to see his culture
represented and celebrated in his adopted home town.
“I’m so happy that ASTC won the Local Government National Cohesive Community Award for 2024 for the Diwali Night Market Initiative. The Diwali Night Market was a great event that brought people together and celebrated our diverse talents and cultures,” he said.
“As a member of the Indian-Punjabi community, I did my best to support ASTC for this event’s success. Our Bhangra dance group, Outback Bhangra Crew, performed at the event, and it was a wonderful experience that made a big difference to our community.”
Attention has now turned to the 2024 edition of the event with preparations well underway. After the success of last year’s iteration, Ms McCrickard believes it’s important to continue the momentum in 2024.
“We saw last year how much an event like this can mean to the community, and that’s incredibly rewarding. It also means there’s an opportunity to build on it and make it an even bigger celebration this year,” she said.
Performances enraptured the crowds.
Images: Alice Springs Town Council.
The power of sustainable procurement
No longer confined to mere cost-cutting measures and supply chain efficiency, procurement now holds the key to unlocking a sustainable future.
The shift to circular procurement is a strategic imperative for our biggest buyers – federal, state and local governments. Every purchase decision carries significant environmental and social implications.
By strategically aligning procurement practices with sustainability goals, organisations can catalyse positive change across industries and communities, and close the loop between design, manufacturing, and recycling.
The Federal Government’s Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy (ESP) puts
circular procurement on the national agenda and will stimulate industry investment and innovation in sustainable goods and services by generating stable demand at scale. The ESP applies to construction services, furniture, fittings and equipment, ICT goods and textiles. The policy began with construction services at or above $7.5 million from 1 July 2024.
Sustainability Victoria is already operating in this space, working with Victorian councils and industry across the supply chain to ensure more recycled product is bought at-scale.
“By prioritising recycled materials in procurement, councils can reduce their dependence on virgin resources, divert local ‘waste’ material for reuse or manufacturing, and support local circular economies,” Sustainability Victoria’s Manager Markets Acceleration Shannon Smyth said.
“Embracing recycled products has economic advantages, fosters innovation, creates new markets, and enhances resilience in the face of supply chain disruptions.”
A 2021 analysis of local government procurement identified opportunities to use
Broadmeadows MP Kathleen Matthews-Ward (far left), Hume Mayor Naim Kurt (left) with representatives from Eagle Lighting at the Buy Recycled Northern Showcase.
products and materials containing recycled content in construction and infrastructure projects. The research found that Victorian councils were forecast to spend $12.5 billion on capital works from FY2020-23 with around $5.5 billion of that on projects that had the potential to incorporate large volumes of recycled material.
“Councils have demonstrated they have capacity to be quite progressive when it comes to procurement policy and new service provision – they’re willing to move and try new things, establishing new innovative manufacturing businesses or research projects,” Mr Smyth said. With significant buying power and strong community ties, councils are uniquely positioned to become leaders in circular procurement.
“Their procurement systems and process can be more agile to opportunities – not less onerous in terms of quality, but they have a level of community and social expectation to demonstrate progress, not only environmental issues, but also social issues as well,” Mr Smyth said.
Sustainability Victoria’s Buy Recycled Service is designed to improve confidence in recycled products, uplift procurement processes and enable knowledge sharing and networking within and between councils. 96 per cent of Victorian councils have engaged with the Buy Recycled Service, including all metropolitan councils.
“Whether it be new kerbside collection models right through to utilising products that are generated through the collection of those new resources – councils are adaptive, agile and willing,” Mr Smyth said. “Councils are perfectly positioned because they can demonstrate the leadership directly back to community and, in turn, local industry.”
BUY RECYCLED SHOWCASE
In June, sixteen councils and more than 100 attendees from industry, council and state government attended Sustainability Victoria’s Buy Recycled Northern Showcase. The event allowed council officials
and businesses to learn from local government and industry experts about using recycled materials in infrastructure and parks and gardens.
“The direct feedback that I got from participants was that it allows them to speak directly with suppliers or councils that have used the product to get a clear understanding of what a recycled product does and how it performs when applied in the field. We’re talking warts and all – the good stories and bad stories as well,” Mr Smyth said.
“That honest assessment – you can’t buy that confidence. Those partnerships and connections between council-to-council and council-to-supplier is exactly what we’re trying to facilitate.
“Both industry and small suppliers don’t necessarily have the opportunity to conduct robust in-field testing,” Mr Smyth said. “So for them to be able to partner with councils who are trialling a new recycled product at a smaller scale, and essentially provide that baseline data or case study for future, larger scale adoptions, that’s what these events have been really successful at doing over the last couple of years.”
Presenting at the Showcase, City of Whittlesea’s Unit Manager Engineering Design and Construction Maurice Serruto understands how procurement can drive great outcomes for councils.
“Recycling and sustainability are here to stay. You can get some easy wins by looking at the alternatives, like the use of recycled crushed concrete in lieu of quarried crushed rock.
“In quarter three of 2023–24, we used 300 tonnes of recycled crushed concrete and glass in concrete kerb construction and 2,100 tonnes of reclaimed asphalt. Not only that, we produced zero construction waste to landfill in these road projects with the material taken to resource recovery centres within or close to the City of Whittlesea.”
According to Mr Smyth, events such as SV’s Buy Recycled Showcase support networking, and demonstrate the circular activity already happening, to help shape what circular can mean for councils and industry in Victoria.
“We’re really keen to continue to work closely with councils to expand what procurement can drive and deliver in terms of a circular, netzero economy for Victoria,” Mr Smyth said.
Shannon Smyth addresses the showcase.
Images: Sustainability Victoria
The premier economic development conference
Economic Development Australia’s flagship event, the National Economic Development Conference, returns this October to celebrate the ‘Power of Place’.
NEDC24 will explore how place-based economic development enhances and leverages the physical, cultural and social identity of place, to help drive community prosperity, resilience and empowerment. Council spoke with Economic Development Australia CEO Jacqueline Brinkman to learn more about the event.
WHAT IS THE FOCUS FOR THIS YEAR’S PROGRAM?
The theme is the Power of Place, which is about showcasing how local economic development has community at its centre. The program will highlight how place-based economic development can create sustainable, equitable, and localised economic growth, while improving
WHO ARE THE KEY SPEAKERS?
Dr Katherine Trebeck will be a highlight keynote. Katherine is a global authority on the wellbeing economy and is the best in the business at explaining the theory and setting out how economic developers can advocate and implement economic system change at a local level. She is a key advisor to international governments on this topic.
The Breakout Sessions will provide learnings across a range of areas, allowing a deeper dive into various topics. We are looking forward to our fireside chat with Nathan Ohle, the President of the International Economic Development Council.
There is also enormous excitement in the inaugural Great Debate. Our
premise that: The Role of Economic Development is Growth. This will be a lively and robust conversation which will challenge perspectives.
WHAT WILL DELEGATES LEARN FOR THEIR REGIONS?
Delegates will leave with the tools to combat the complex challenges they face including housing, climate impact, workforce, generational equity and place branding.
WHY SHOULD LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ATTEND NEDC24?
NEDC is a unique conference as the program is curated to provide economic development professionals with practical and implementable tools. The event also provides plenty of opportunities to build a
Redland City Council
1. WHAT IS THE POPULATION SIZE AND LAND AREA OF YOUR COUNCIL?
Redland City Council is the local government authority for Redland City, which covers an area of 537 sq km, including about 335km of coastline. The local government area encompasses 12 mainland suburbs from Redland Bay in the south to Capalaba in the west and Thorneside to the north, and six residential islands – North Stradbroke, Russell, Lamb, Coochiemudlo, Karragarra and Macleay. The city has a population of more than 166,800.
2. HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WORK AT YOUR COUNCIL?
Redland City Council employs over 1,000 people across five departments.
3. WHO IS THE MAYOR?
Jos Mitchell was elected Mayor of Redland City in March 2024. She and her husband have raised their three, now adult, children in the city. Jos has a career history traversing both
public and private sectors, including more than a decade working with the Queensland Police Service as a general duties officer, prosecutor and trainer. She co-founded a regional company that grew to attract national and multinational clientele. She has also worked as a nationally-accredited
mediator, consultant, and a manager of economic development and community services within local government.
Jos has served as a board director for regional development and water organisations in Central Queensland. She is passionate about local business development, the unique environment of Redlands and her fellow residents. Jos is looking forward to a term of active engagement, innovation and a strong collaborative approach with our community and stakeholders.
4. WHO IS THE CEO?
Andrew Chesterman has been the Chief Executive Officer at Redland City Council since 2017. He has an extensive background in strategic leadership and public administration in state and local government. Andrew has been President of Local Government Managers Australia (Qld) since 2021 and is a member of the
Images: Redland City Council
Redland City Mayor Jos Mitchell.
Redland Bay, looking over Weinam Creek to the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.
CEO Institute. He also holds undergraduate and post graduate qualifications, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Certificate of Organisational Coaching.
Andrew’s familiarity with local government dates back 30 years and includes experience in Victoria and the United Kingdom. He has also worked across a range of industries as a management consultant for an Australian Stock Exchange listed technology and business company. Andrew has a long association with leadership roles associated with building better communities and a more sustainable environment.
5. WHAT IS THE COUNCIL’S ANNUAL BUDGET?
Redland City Council has adopted a $444 million budget for 2024-2025.
6. CAN YOU GIVE US A BREAKDOWN OF SPENDING FOR THE BUDGET YEAR AHEAD?
The 2024-2025 Budget focusses on ensuring ratepayers receive value for their money, delivering for the community today while continuing to build for future generations. It includes a $118.3 million capital expenditure program that represents a significant investment in our city’s lifestyle, future, natural environment and community.
Council manages and maintains more than 1300km of roads and almost 700km of footpaths, cycleways, paths, tracks and trails. We are also responsible for about 134 bridges, almost 700 bus stops, 200 car parks, about 19,000ha of open space, and close to 680km of stormwater pipes.
Council also provides libraries, a performing arts centre, art galleries, an animal shelter and an environment centre, and supports about 70 local sport and recreation clubs. Almost half of this year’s capital expenditure, $52.57 million, will be spent on road and infrastructure projects. Other major capital expenditure includes:
• $31.86 million for water, waste and wastewater projects
• $17.69 million for parks, open space and conservation
• $4.49 million for marine and foreshore projects, including canal and breakwater works
• $4.54 million for community and cultural development, including refurbishment works at Redland Performing Arts Centre and renewal works at Cleveland Library
About $7.2 million of the capital expenditure will fund projects on the islands – including road sealing and upgrades, a new community building, swimming enclosure renewals and foreshore protection.
7. WHAT IS YOUR COUNCIL’S VISION FOR THE COMMUNITY?
Council’s vision for the city, extending to 2041, is “Naturally wonderful lifestyle. Connected communities. Embracing opportunities”. This vision is articulated in our corporate plan, Our Future Redlands – A Corporate Plan to 2026 and Beyond. With a focus on finding a balance between sustaining the naturally wonderful lifestyle we currently enjoy, and the community’s clear desire for a thriving and progressive city, the plan helps to ensure Council decisions support an enriched and sustainable future for our city and the communities that live, work and play here.
The Corporate Plan is built on seven pivotal areas of city leadership, strong communities, Quandamooka Country, natural environment, liveable neighbourhoods, thriving economy and efficient and effective organisation. These are accompanied by projects and initiatives, informed by the community, which will shape the city in line with residents’ immediate needs and future aspirations.
Among them are measures to encourage community participation in local decisionmaking and increase awareness and transparency around Council operations. The Corporate Plan aims to make our city more connected, embraces initiatives to recognise and celebrate our local heritage, progress our reconciliation journey with Traditional Owners, enhance our environment and provide sporting, recreational, lifestyle, job and business opportunities for all.
Underpinned by the four pillars of sustainability – social, economic, governance and environment – the Corporate Plan supports the
of foreshores and paves the way for the activation of our coastline, encouraging recreation through projects such as the Minjerribah Panorama Coastal Walk on North Stradbroke Island.
Enhancing the unique character and liveability of our city is also a core element. Active transport investment will be a key driver as Council improves connectivity across the city through a greater focus on cycling and pedestrian facilities, as well as advancing the upgrades to island and mainland transport infrastructure.
The Corporate Plan has also driven city-shaping projects like the creation of the Birkdale Community Precinct, the site for the proposed Redland Whitewater Centre, which will be a unique addition to sport and recreation facilities on Redlands Coast, and the event venue for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Brisbane 2032) Canoe Slalom events.
With our community at the centre, Council’s vision is to present Redlands Coast as a desirable place to live, work and play, uniquely positioned environmentally, socially and culturally.
Bushwalking in Eastern Escarpment at Mount Cotton.
Council adopted the place brand and positioning statement, Redlands Coast – Naturally Wonderful, in 2018 to facilitate promotion of the city to attract visitors, new business and investment.
The Redlands Coast is truly naturally wonderful – from bush to bay, beach to rainforest.
It encompasses more than 335km of coastline along southern Moreton Bay as well as seven islands, six of which are inhabited. This includes North Stradbroke Island/Minjerribah, the world’s second largest sand island. The islands offer world-class beaches and surfing, fishing and boating and the opportunity to visit unique artisan studios, explore conservation areas, discover diverse wildlife and stunning panoramas. Cylinder Beach, named in Australian Traveller’s list of Australia’s top ten beaches, is a rare northern bay beach (similar to other better known top beaches at Byron Bay and Noosa). North Stradbroke Island also offers one of Australia’s best land-based vantage points to view migratory whales. Home to the Quandamooka People, who have cared for the region for more
than 21,000 years, our Islands offer unique and rich experiences to explore this ancient culture.
Redlands Coast also features internationally significant wetlands and conservation areas, native botanic gardens, national parks and vast tracts of unspoiled bushland. There are areas perfect for hiking and wildlife spotting and many walking, cycling and mountain bike tracks and trails.
Redlands Coast is home to kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, possums and more than 300 species of birdlife, while southern Moreton Bay teems with marine life including dolphins, turtles, dugongs and
The region also boasts a range of boutique stores, a thriving café culture, craft bars and microbreweries, Queensland’s largest winery, unique arts and crafts and creative precincts, including Council’s Redland Performing Arts Centre and Redland Art Gallery.
Renowned as an event-friendly destination with a balanced calendar of community events, Redlands Coast is also home to a diverse array of markets, festivals, concerts, cultural celebrations and sporting fixtures and competitions.
Redland City is about 35 minutes’ drive, or 26km, from the Brisbane CBD and about 50 minutes’ drive, or 96km, from the Gold Coast.
9. HOW IS YOUR COUNCIL ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND REACHING SUSTAINABILITY GOALS?
Redland City has about 335 kilometres of coastline and foreshore that is prone to natural processes such as erosion and storm tide inundation. These processes are predicted to increase with a changing climate. In an effort to manage the impact of climate change on our foreshores, Council has adopted a Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy (CHAS) and a number of targeted Shoreline Erosion Management Plans (SEMPs).
The CHAS enables Council and the local community to be better prepared to proactively manage the impacts of coastal hazards on our communities, environment, cultural values, infrastructure, liveability and services, now and up to the
year 2100. It has been developed in consultation with stakeholders and is tailored to include our full coastal landscape and diverse communities. SEMPs have been implemented to manage current erosion issues along both the Amity Point coastline on North Stradbroke Island and on Coochiemudlo Island.
Protecting and restoring our natural environment is one of Council’s top priorities and we have identified a number of catalyst projects in our Corporate Plan to help us reach this goal. They include developing a strategy to review opportunities associated with Council’s wastewater treatment plants including new forms of energy, participating in the development of a regional waste plan, and developing a local Waste Recycling and Reduction Plan to move towards a zero waste future.
Council’s Corporate Plan also outlines a number of key initiatives to create a more sustainable city for now and into the future. This includes:
• E xploring and implementing opportunities to proactively reduce Council’s carbon footprint.
• Supporting the transition to a circular economy for waste and participating in regional collaboration and other partnership opportunities to improve resource efficiency
• Partnering with Seqwater and other water service providers to contribute to the development of the Water 4 SEQ Plan – an integrated plan for water cycle management in South East
Redland City Council CEO Andrew Chesterman.
Queensland, supporting drought preparedness for the region.
• Partnering with industry leaders to investigate alternative sources of energy that provide environmental, community and economic benefits
10. WHAT IS AN EXCITING COMMUNITY PROGRAM OR INITIATIVE COUNCIL HAS COMING UP IN THE FUTURE, OR ALREADY UNDERWAY?
Council is committed to creating a strong and vibrant community that promotes resilience, care and respect for residents of all ages, cultures, abilities and needs.
In 2016, Council developed the Community Champions Program after fires on Russell and Macleay Islands, where urgent evacuation was required for residents seeking shelter. It was discovered that shelter and care could be provided sooner with the assistance of trained volunteers based on the islands. These volunteers work in conjunction with the Redland City Local Disaster Management Group and can open the Evacuation Centre and provide shelter, food, water and care for their neighbours. They also provide education to the community about how to prepare for a disaster and assist with community recovery following a disaster.
The Community Champions Program was named “Local Government Award” joint winner at the Get Ready Queensland Resilient Australia Awards 2019. The program went on to be selected as a finalist in the Resilient Australia National Local Government Award, where it received a national Highly Commended Award. Several Community Champion volunteers have also been recognised with state awards and National Emergency Service Medals.
Recently, Council has implemented several initiatives to support people in the community living with nonvisible disabilities.
In February 2024 Council implemented the internationally recognised Hidden Disabilities Sunflower initiative. Through the wearing of white sunflower lanyards, pins and other merchandise, Council employees show those with a nonvisible disability (such as dementia,
vision and hearing impairment and chronic illnesses) that we are here to provide support and extra help if needed. The initiative has been rolled out at Council’s Visitor Information Centre, Customer Service Centres, Redland Art Gallery, Redland Performing Arts Centre, Libraries, Redlands Indigiscapes Centre, the Disaster Management team and at events, with the goal of expanding the program into all areas of Council in the future.
Council has also made its Cleveland Library more dementia-friendly through the installation of a dementia clock and a Tovertafel, or “magic table”. The Tovertafel is becoming a tool in dementia care communities and libraries worldwide. It is a ceiling-mounted device that projects interactive games and activities onto a table, specifically designed for people with dementia but also beneficial for individuals with learning difficulties and neurodiversity. Engaging with the Tovertafel offers social, sensory, cognitive, and physical benefits. This initiative aligns with the objectives of a number of Council plans including the DementiaFriendly Council Action Plan and Age-friendly Action Plan.
11. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT AN INTERESTING URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN THE REGION?
Redland City Council and Councilowned subsidiary Redland Investment Corporation have partnered with developer Shayher Group to deliver a $250 million revitalisation of a 1.55 hectares site in the heart of Capalaba.
The Capalaba Revitalisation Project will transform the area behind Capalaba Central Shopping Centre into the urban heart of Capalaba, incorporating a commercial precinct and exemplary public spaces including community assets such as a new library, customer service centre, arts centre and community hall.
The project will also accommodate an employment hub and a diverse mix of dining, retail and entertainment uses, including a village green with a large screen, and mixed-use residential and commercial areas.
Construction is expected to start in early-2025.
12. HOW IS YOUR COUNCIL EMBRACING DIGITISATION AND GROWING ITS TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES?
Redland City Council is committed to meeting the evolving digital and cyber security needs of our community and customers. A four-to-seven-year, $45 million Digital Transformation Program (DTP) was endorsed by Council late last year, in support of the catalyst project of the same name identified in our Corporate Plan.
The DTP’s signature piece is modernising Council’s core Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems – the very bedrock of our digital capabilities. An integrated software solution tailored to the specific needs of local government will be progressively deployed through a series of projects, resulting in the replacement of several separate systems. This will greatly reduce manual tasks, improve information sharing and reduce duplication of effort between departments.
This year, $6.06 million has been allocated to the DTP, and in the coming months, our customers will be able to use a cloud-based system with an intuitive digital experience platform to lodge several types of requests online, receiving automated status updates on their requests. The number of requests that can be lodged this way will increase over time. Council officers will also be able to action their work requests (that don’t involve a payment) from our parks, roadsides and conservation areas, rather than going back to the office.
A new 24/7 online venue booking system is also due for launch later this year. The Bookable Spaces project will consolidate and integrate all functions to do with booking Council spaces, which include more than 100 halls, sports fields, parks, and beaches as well as venues in our libraries and environmental education centre.
At every step in our digital transformation, we are keeping our end goal in sight: to make it easier for our community and customers to interact with Council, provide more choice and convenience, and access to contemporary and secure online services anytime from anywhere.
Combining the resources of our respected editorial team with the knowledge and insights of some of the best and brightest minds in the sector, Council keeps you informed of the critical news, updates and changes you need to be aware of.
