Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010

The Australian Local Government Yearbook® 2010

ISBN 978-1-921345-14-2

MINISTER’S FOREWORD

Our Regional and Local Community Infrastructure

Program now stands at more than $1 billion. It

has already provided funding to every local

government across Australia to build more than

3,300 small- and large-scale projects. 3,000 of these

projects have already been completed and others are

underway.

Together, we are building local infrastructure that

has supported thousands of local jobs during the

global economic recession while leaving a lasting

legacy in local communities. We have provided

this funding through local government because we

understand that as the sphere of government closest

to the community, councils and shires understand

community needs and priorities.

Our Local Government Reform Fund, a $25 million

partnership between all levels of government, has

begun funding collaborative reform projects to build

capacity and improve the sustainability of local

government.

The Australian Centre of Excellence for Local

Government – which the Prime Minister announced

at the ACLG last year -- has opened its doors, thanks

to an $8 million endowment from the Rudd Labor

Government.

The Government has also made sure that local

government is represented on every one of the 54 local

committees that form Regional Development Australia

– an organisation to help coordinate regional planning

and development and give regional Australians a

stronger voice in government.

We continue to provide record funding for local

roads through the Roads to Recovery program - $350

million each year. Over the past year, we have also

delivered funding to local governments to help improve

dangerous road black spots in communities.

Central to our approach is the Rudd Government’s

recognition of the key role that local government plays

in communities and in the lives of every Australian.

Each year, Australian councils and shires are

responsible for more than $20 billion of expenditure.

They employ more than 168,000 people and

maintain over half a million kilometres of road.

Local governments today provide a range of

services – child care, community services, parks,

playgrounds and recreational facilities, environmental

services and infrastructure.

Increasingly, they are involved in the economic

development of their communities as well as ensuring

social inclusion. They contribute to the productivity,

sustainability and liveability of our communities.

I look forward to working with local government

over the coming year to build and strengthen our

partnership.

The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010 ● 1

Minister’s ForewordOver the past 12 months, the Rudd Labor Government’s partnership with local government has gone from strength to strength. We have changed the ways we work together to improve the quality of life of our communities. So far, we have held two meetings of the Australian Council of Local Government, which have brought mayors, shire presidents and local government representatives from across the nation to Parliament House to hold a genuine dialogue with the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers. I am pleased to say that the third meeting will take place on 18 June this year.

The Hon. Anthony AlbaneseMinister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government

CONTENTS

2 ● The Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010

Editor-in-Chief: Ric NavarroDesign: Joanne MarchesePublished by:

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Other titles include The Australian Local Government Environment Yearbook® and The Australian Local Government Infrastructure Yearbook®.

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Except as stipulated under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may

be reproduced in any form without the permission of the publisher.

First Edition 1993, Second Edition 1994, Third Edition 1995, Fourth Edition

1996, Fifth Edition 1997, Sixth Edition 1998, Seventh Edition 2000, Eighth

Edition 2001, Ninth Edition 2002, Tenth Edition 2003, Eleventh Edition

2004, Twelfth Edition 2005, Thirteenth Edition 2006, Fourteenth Edition

2007, Fifteenth Edition 2008, Sixteenth Edition 2009, Seventeenth Edition

Published 2010

ISBN 978-1-921345-14-2

While all reasonable care has been taken in the preparation of this

Yearbook, the editors and publishers do not guarantee the accuracy

of information contained in the text and advertisements. Every effort

has been made to acknowledge all sources and owners of copyright.

The views expressed in this Yearbook are those of the individual authors

and do not necessarily refl ect the opinion of the publishers and editors.

1 Minister’s Foreword

LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT4 Observations from COP15 – Copenhagen,

Denmark

9 Choose the savings plan from ME Bank that

suits you

10 Audits facilitate reform in local government

tendering

BEST PRACTICE12 Queensland Local Government Act 2009:

turning compliance into business success

14 Fleetcare – Technology & Innovation

18 What’s better than winning a Golden Globe?

20 Sydney Council says No to Coal

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL FABRIC21 ILUA binds Jangga People and councils

24 Food and urban change

EQUIPMENT & MACHINERY22 Mowing forwards with Toro Groundsmaster

5900/5910 series

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY26 Panasonic Australia

AGED CARE & COMMUNITY SERVICES28 Aged care packages in the community –

What local government needs to know

ANIMAL HEALTH31 Medibank & Lort Smith Animal Hospital

32 Lort Smith Animal Hospital - caring for animals

for 75 years

COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE34 Community Infrastructure:

Addressing overdue reforms

MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP37 What does good governance mean for councils?

41 Unlocking the potential of frontline managers

EDUCATION & TRAINING39 New Infrastructure Asset Management Course

40 Charles Sturt University

CONTENTS


INNOVATION46 New KODAK i4000 Series scanners

ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY48 The future of sustainable energy

52 Solar Inverters Pty Ltd

54 Local government can play major role in

promoting renewable energies

56 AGL leading the way

58 On Road to a cleaner future with Century Batteries

59 SHOROC Councils’ e-waste ban leads

Australia and confi rms new National Policy

60 Conergy – Our world is full of energy

62 Climate Report shows Australia getting warmer

63 Council’s new recycling initiative proving a

success

PARKS & OPEN SPACE64 Action for Young Australians Report

FINANCIAL & BUSINESS STRATEGY72 Business and Councils: Partnering for success

ASSET MANAGEMENT73 Councils under pressure to prepare asset

management plans

INFRASTRUCTURE75 Spatial data infrastructures – driving government

and society

82 Road crashes on Local Government Roads:

Causes and Solutions

87 Saferoads – Total Road Safety Solutions

89 AECOM transition delivers more for local

government

INFRASTRUCTURE & ENGINEERING80 The Gorge Road has the fi rst Basyc motorcycle

barrier installation in Australia

91 Now Komatsu Vantage-series graders

INFRASTRUCTURE – LIGHTING92 LED to light the way for councils

95 Councils struggling with street lighting costs

96 Generate more, with less

URBAN PLANNING, REVITALISATION & DEVELOPMENT98 New report fi nds traffi c congestion set to increase

100 Urban Renewal Revitalising Central Dandenong

102 Sustainable cities, sustainable councils

106 Can VicUrban help develop council-owned assets?

WATER108 Water reform vital for future supply

110 Taking the lead in Waterproofi ng the East

112 Managing Basin water resources –

a partnership at all levels of government

113 Harnessing recycled water

116 Water – the change challenge

119 Whittlesea sports fi elds makeover

122 Waterproofi ng Northern Adelaide

TENDERING & CONTRACTING124 Law surrounding the tender process

FLEET MANAGEMENT127 Century Batteries – Power Solutions for Australia’s

vehicle fl eet!

NATIONAL AWARDS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT128 Minister’s message

129 National Award for Excellence

131 Category Winner – Improving Service Delivery

Through Collaborations

132 Category Winner – Excellence in Alcohol

Management

133 Category Winner – Health and Wellbeing

134 Category Winner – Innovation in Community

Engagement

135 Category Winner – Innovation in Natural

Resource Management

136 Joint Category Winner – Leading Community

137 Category Winner – Leading Community

Greenhouse Actions

138 Category Winner – Strength in Diversity

140 Category Winner – Managing Community Assets

141 Category Winner – Women in Local Government

142 Category Winner – Strengthening Indigenous

Communities

144 Category Winner – Youth Engagement

LEADING EDGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Copenhagen was a fascinating spectacle. There

was much happening each day around the Bella

Centre (the venue for the talks) and it was great

to see the views of local government from around the

world being fed into the negotiating agenda of many

countries. There were about 20 people from Australian

councils who were also in Copenhagen for the talks as

part of the more than 30,000 strong army of observers.

I met regularly with many of them to ensure that the

Australian local government message was a consistent

one.

ICLEI (the International Network of Local

Governments for Sustainability) was pursuing the

inclusion of a specifi c reference to local government

in the ‘shared vision statement’ which was being

negotiated by countries at the COP. Although the

shared vision draft was shelved as the COP struggled

to achieve consensus at its conclusion, countries

generally saw and accepted a key role for local

government and other sub national governments to

play in adapting to the impacts of climate change in

the future.

If you followed the media coverage from

Copenhagen at the time, you will have a very good

idea of how the negotiations progressed - it was a fl uid

and diffi cult to control beast. The elephant lurking in

every room of the huge Bella Centre was the question

over what emissions targets should be agreed to by

nations, how this should differ between developed and

developing countries and the level of fi nancial support

to be paid by rich countries to poor countries. These

were the headline matters which were never far away

no matter what technical minutia was being thrashed

out between negotiators in one of the many rooms.

As a member of the Australian delegation, I was

able to participate in the daily Australian delegation

briefi ng meeting each morning. There were about 60

people involved in these discussions which took place

each morning at 8.30am prior to the commencement

of negotiating meetings. The business of the

delegation was very effi ciently organised and the

various Australian Government offi cials were allocated

across the myriad of meetings which took place

simultaneously each day. The morning delegation

meetings were a chance to report back on events from

the previous day and also to highlight issues that may

arise over the course of the coming day. I was also

given the opportunity to provide feedback at these

meetings.

(continued on page 6)


Observations from COP15 –Copenhagen, DenmarkBy Geoff Lake, President of the Australian Local Government Association

I arrived in Copenhagen in time for day three of the COP15 talks at the end of last year. My role at Copenhagen was to represent the interests of Australian local government as part of Australia’s offi cial delegation. The Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann, was there representing premiers and chief ministers, and the Queensland climate change minister also attended. Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong, and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd were the federal elected members in the delegation. The rest of Australia’s 114 strong delegation were senior offi cials – mainly from the federal level but also a small number from state government.

Pictured with Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong

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The Australian delegation was led by Louise Hand

who is Australia’s Ambassador for Climate Change. It

mainly comprised offi cials from the various relevant

Commonwealth departments (in particular the

Department of Climate Change and the Department

of Foreign Affairs and Trade). Perhaps appropriately for

a two week global discussion on climate change, a

weatherman from the Bureau of Meteorology was also

present.

It is hard to describe exactly what it was like being

in Copenhagen. The Bella Centre was a massive

space and it had been extended for COP15 with

huge temporary canvas structures. The peak morning

arrival of participants (almost all by train) was orderly

and generally effi cient – although this changed in

the second week as security was stepped up with

the arrival of world leaders. The tight security and

massive cloakroom was fast and the papers offi ce

similarly nimble in its ability to dispense thousands of

documents in a short period.

There were various interest groups broadly

recognised at COP15: businesses, farmers, indigenous

people, local government, trade unions, young people

and women. Each day there were approximately

100 side events scheduled which were open to all

participants. Topics discussed at the side events

traversed virtually all imaginable issues related to

climate change and sustainability. They tended to

be of varying quality, but most were informative and

featured expert presenters who had invested signifi cant

time in preparing their presentations. There were also

about 1,000 trade exhibitors – mostly NGOs trumpeting

their particular cause or countries boasting that

they had been doing more than their fair share in

combating climate change.

The whole experience resembled something similar

to a music festival – with 20,000 or so people milling

around, talking, eating at one of the various food

vendors (which were generally overpriced and of

fairly dismal quality), debating ideas or simply going

along to one of many events which were going on

throughout each day. Wireless internet was everywhere

and there were almost as many laptops as there were

people and mobile phones. NGO representatives

scampered left and right trying to get their hands on

that latest draft of some meeting just concluded or to

lobby someone or other. Other participants would be

checking their Facebook page or media websites from

their home country to see how it all was being reported.

On Thursday of the fi rst week, I passed a group of

enthusiastic young climate activists who had bailed

up Lord Christopher Monckton, a prominent climate

change sceptic, and engaged him in a rigorous

debate over climate science. Unknown to him, some

plucky person had stuck a sticker on his back which

proclaimed ‘I love climate change’.

Not surprisingly, sceptics like Lord Monckton were

in short supply at Copenhagen. Participants were

generally either passionate representatives of one

of the thousands of NGOs, part of one of the various

country negotiation teams or part of the army of

journalists.

As a member of Australia’s delegation I got

unrestricted access to all negotiating rooms and

sessions. Negotiations were divided between the twin

track proceedings of the ‘Conference of the Parties’

under the United Nations Convention on Climate

Change and the ‘Meeting of the Parties’ under the

Kyoto Protocol. When either track was not meeting

in plenary, negotiations were separated into two

respective ad hoc working groups and then these were

broken down further into subsidiary bodies, contact

groups and informal consultations. Negotiations

typically extended well past the 8.00pm slated fi nishing

time, with some sessions often still going after 2.00am.

Wandering in and out of these, one couldn’t help

but admire the patient offi cials diligently debating the

issues in dispute.

When meeting in plenary, a massive room

was set up with the 193 lead country negotiators

seated behind hundreds of tables. These sessions

were chaired from the front table on the stage and

delegates patiently waited for the call to make their

contribution. Contributions were typically spoken

slowly and with extreme deference to the chair. Brevity,

thankfully, was almost always practiced.

Conveniently, countries organised themselves into

blocs of like interests. Australia was part of the ‘Umbrella

Group’ which it chaired and this group comprised

non-EU developed countries such as the United States,

Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and Russia.

Through this leadership role, Australia was contributing

well above its relative international size. Along with

Denmark (which was similarly elevated by virtue of its

role as host), the European Union, the United States,

Brazil and China, Australia was one of the key players

over the two weeks.

The outcome reached at Copenhagen has been

widely reported in the world’s media and people will

have drawn their own conclusions on what was, or

was not, achieved. I am not as pessimistic about the

outcome as many media commentators have been.


Lord Monckton engaging with delegates.

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I think getting world leaders to agree to limit global

warming over coming years to two degrees and

to a $100 billion per annum transfer to developing

countries is signifi cant. Obviously, there is still a long

way to go in putting the necessary commitments

in place to achieve such goals, but progress was

defi nitely achieved and I am hopeful this momentum

will continue into this year – in particular at COP16 in

Mexico at the end of the year.

In terms of local government, what is clear is that

we are a critical player in any approach by countries

to tackle climate change. Many of the adaptation

and mitigation strategies discussed at Copenhagen

had relevance to local and state level governments

and in this sense local government’s role was

regularly touched upon. Obviously, the focus of the

negotiations was at the international level between

countries so specifi c aspects of the role of sub-national

governments was more of an issue of framing each

individual country’s particular position rather than

part of the general plenary discussions. However, any

emissions target that is adopted by a country will need

the active championing, support and intellectual

property of its local government if they are to have any

chance of succeeding.Lord Monckton showing off his true colours?

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To ensure that this funding is used effi ciently,

local government needs to make sure that its

procurement strategies are in line with the best

interests of the community and service providers.

The Local Government Act 1989 (The Act) requires

councils to seek best value for their communities and

publicly tender contracts worth $150,000 or more for

goods and services, and $200,000 or more for capital

works.

The Victorian Auditor-General carried out an audit

on tendering and contracting in local government,

focusing on a sample of tenders from fi ve councils:

the City of Casey, the City of Greater Bendigo, Mount

Alexander Shire Council, Colac-Otway Shire Council,

and the City of Yarra. The objective of the audit was to

examine whether policies, guidelines and procedures

for tendering and contracting are adequate, have

been complied with and have resulted in value for

money.

The audit found that although the councils

demonstrated adequate procurement policies overall,

there were weaknesses to be addressed within each

council’s set of procedures. Limited guidance to

staff, weaknesses in local management controls and

oversight arrangements meant that there was generally

less than desirable assurance that probity standards

had been consistently applied, and that confl icts of

interest had been avoided.

The audit report noted that there was signifi cant

scope for achieving greater value for money through

procurement. Noted areas for improvement included

attention to the benefi ts of strategic procurement,

and clarity on statutory obligations when aggregate

payments to suppliers exceeded the tender thresholds.

The lack of suffi cient focus on these areas is not

conducive to a culture of effective procurement within

councils, and does not reinforce the imperatives for

seeking and demonstrating value. The results and

recommendations from the audit report provide

salutary advice for councils across all states.

Probity and value for moneyProbity in procurement relates to the fairness,

impartiality and integrity of the process and is critical

to achieving value for money. The fi ndings of the report

showed that although all councils had established

adequate probity standards, in most cases guidance

to staff was insuffi cient, resulting in potential and actual

confl icts of interest being inadequately managed.

Of the fi ve councils, only the City of Yarra required

members of a tender evaluation panel (TEP) to sign

confl ict of interest declarations before evaluating

tenders. During the audit, the other councils addressed

their lack of TEP declarations, with a view to reviewing

this procedure.

The City of Casey was found to have a confl ict of

interest regarding its contract with a service provider

tendering for building works. The fi rm’s staff routinely sit

on tender panels for council, but this raises a confl ict of

interest as the fi rm receives a percentage of the value

of the works tendered, which represents poor practice

in probity. Additionally, Casey has delegated fi nancial

authority to the fi rm’s staff to approve invoices up to

$100,000 contrary to the Act, which only permits a

council to delegate such functions to staff.

Despite the lack of probity in these operations, it

was found that contract staff at Casey had not acted

inappropriately. It was suggested, however, that the fi rm

should adhere to the Act as council staff are required

to. Council staff are prohibited from exercising their

delegated powers, duties or functions if they have

confl icts of interest. It was noted that Casey took action

during the audit to address TEP declarations regarding

confl ict of interest.

The City of Casey’s response to the report noted

concerns but raised some of its own. “The Chief

Executive Offi cer supports many of the observations

and recommendations that have been made and

issues that need addressing, however, expresses

concern that some parts of the report do not fairly

represent Council’s practices in relation to tendering

and contracting.

Audits facilitate reform in local government tendering and contractingLocal government spends more than $2.7 billion annually on goods, services and works. Most expenditure is on roads, construction, waste management and plant and equipment.



“The Chief Executive Offi cer advises that Council has comprehensive systems in place that are not referred to in the report. Despite this, Council acknowledges that there is room for improvement and has addressed, and is continuing to address, issues raised.”

Similarly to Casey, Bendigo has an internal civil works unit that competes as an in-house bidder on public tenders by council, and there was insuffi cient assurance that the in-house team did not have access to information about competing tenders that could provide an unfair advantage. During the course of the audit, Bendigo developed an action plan to strengthen local procurement practices, as confi rmed by CEO, Mike Tyler.

“Since the audit, there is now greater clarity as to the actions required to improve the current arrangements. The staff Code of Conduct has been completely revised to emphasise confl ict of interest issues.

“The Council has also adopted a Tendering Policy which clearly states probity requirements and specifi es which in-house bids can be made in response to Council’s request for tender,” Tyler said.

The report found that all fi ve councils had examples of recurring services that resulted in cumulative payments to suppliers that, over time, had exceeded public tender thresholds, and where there was no contract or evidence of a competitive process. Therefore, there was insuffi cient assurance that councils had optimised value for money through competition, or that they had complied with their statutory obligations to go to tender.

Additionally, councils’ oversight was seen to be inadequate, with a lack of systematically monitored cumulative payments to suppliers to identify ways to better achieve greater value.

RecommendationsThe report put forward three recommendations:

1. Councils should strengthen the application of probity standards in procurement by: • Training all staff involved in procurement to identify and manage confl icts of interest and probity • Requiring all tender evaluation panel members to document declarations of confl icts of interest • Assuring TEP reports provide suffi cient detail and analysis to support decisions to award tenders • Maintaining suffi ciently detailed and secure records of all procurement activities and decisions to reliably acquit transparency and accountability obligations. 2. Councils should strengthen oversight and monitoring of procurement by: • Regularly monitoring cumulative payments to suppliers to identify opportunities to use competitive and/or collaborative procurement arrangements for improved value • Establishing procedures for assuring compliance with and adherence to statutory requirements and public sector probity standards • Systematically reviewing the effectiveness of procurement activities and associated controls3. Local Government Victoria (LGV) should review and enhance guidance to councils on strategic procurement in consultation with stakeholders.

This should include amending the Local Government Regulations to: • Better prescribe the range of circumstances under which a council’s statutory obligations to tender apply, and specifi cally address situations involving cumulative spend with suppliers • Require councils to set the scope, timeframe and value of works to be covered by a contract entered into because of an emergency and to report this publicly.

Submissions from the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD), and the audited councils, addressed the above recommendations.

The DPCD agreed with the fi rst two recommendations, and said of the third, “the Department will continue to work with the local government sector on enhancing guidance to councils on strategic procurement. Amendments to the regulations will be considered in the context of procurement reforms that are being delivered through the ‘Councils Reforming Business’ and ‘Reducing the Regulatory Burden’ programs.”

The City of Yarra’s submission noted that Council’s recently implemented Contract Management system and new procedures now include each of the dot points under recommendations 1 and 2. Yarra also praised the timely report for its pursuit of opportunity and innovation across the sector. “We have reviewed the proposed report and … record that key new probity processes noted as in progress during the audit process at Yarra have been incorporated in Council’s Procurement Procedure Manual and procedures implemented.”

Craig Neimann, CEO of The City of Greater Bendigo appreciated the opportunity to make amendments to improve processes. “I welcome and accept the three recommendations in the report as an opportunity to further review and refi ne our procurement process and improve our contract administration. Since the audit was undertaken there have been signifi cant improvements in our probity and transparency arrangements and increased internal scrutiny of our processes.

“In relation to recommendation two, I acknowledge that strengthening the oversight and monitoring of procurement will enhance Council’s statutory compliance and improve best value outcomes for the community.” The council has made amendments to its procedures including monthly reviews of key procurement performance indicators, and are considering additional resources to achieve more strategic procurement outcomes.

“Mount Alexander Shire Council welcomed the suggestions in the report, saying, “As a result of the report, Council is already considering a number of enhancements to systems and procedures that will address the matters raised and recommendations put forward,” Neimann said.

Overall, councils agreed that better management of procurement processes would lead to increases in probity and value for money, and have since implemented changes to effect this improvement.

BEST PRACTICE


The Commonwealth Government and a number

of state governments have taken that study

on board, and the Queensland Government

also undertook its own assessment of the fi nancial

sustainability of local governments. It found the

focus of improvements was largely short-term and

that greater emphasis was required in order to plan

for the sustained management of infrastructure

over its useful life. As a result, Queensland’s Local

Government Act (the Act) was amended in 2009 to

emphasise the importance of strategic planning. The

detailed thinking and requirements of the Act are

now becoming clearer with the late 2009 release of

Draft Regulations to support the implementation.

Under the revised Act, councils in Queensland

must demonstrate long-term fi nancial sustainability

by meeting a set of developed criteria in fi nancial

forecasts and asset management plans. While some

may see this as adding further pressure on already

strained resources, if managed at an organisational

level, there are a number of opportunities for councils

to improve their overall effi ciency.

The changes resulting from the legislation will

be almost immediate. Councils should introduce

more robust planning exercises and will also

need to ensure long-term planning is in place. The

sustainability and reporting process for Queensland

local governments incorporates an emphasis

on sustainable communities and sustainable

councils. The process requires councils to provide

information periodically on specifi c areas associated

with governance and accountability, planning,

asset management and fi nancial performance

management. The existence of asset management

plans for key assets is a necessary predecessor to

councils having a complete long-term fi nancial

model that supports the planning and decision-

making processes.

The Commonwealth Government has set a target

to have all infrastructure asset classes managed by

councils covered by asset management plans by

December 2010. To help achieve this, the Queensland

Department of Infrastructure and Planning has

established the ‘Asset Management Advancement

Program 2009–10’. While some councils are in a

position to adopt these changes, the majority do

not have any formal asset management plans. Local

councils will need to commit time to achieve these

deadlines and, with already strained resources, this

can be a challenging task.


Queensland Local Government Act 2009: turning compliance into business successBy Kevin Atkins, Team Leader, Strategic Investment Planning, MWH

Following a 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers study conducted for the Australian Local Government Association, a backlog of $14.5 billion in infrastructure renewals was identifi ed.

Interested in preserving your local wartime heritage?

The Saluting Their Service commemorationsprogram offers modest grants to assist localcommunities to honour the service and sacrificeof Australia’s veterans.The program is designed to help preserve ourheritage from wars and conflicts and encouragecommunity participation in commemorativeevents.A wide range of community projects may besupported including:• establishing or refurbishing community

war memorials;• restoring vandalised memorials;• restoring and publicly displaying wartime

memorabilia; and• activities that recognise significant events

and themes in Australia’s wartime history.Local councils, schools and community groups suchas historical societies and ex-service organisationscan apply for grants through the Department ofVeterans’ Affairs.

available from theDEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS on:133 254 – metropolitan callers1800 555 254 – non-metropolitan callersWebsite: www.dva.gov.au/grants

Application formsand funding guidelines

Fleetcare is a prime example of a company

displaying best practices. A company that

may be a small player in size is certainly a

big player in brand competing successfully with

brands twice and three times its size. How have

they managed this? What is their point of

difference exactly that lets them mingle with the

big boys? The answer? Technology &

Innovation.

Unlike their competitors Fleetcare are an

independent outfit not tied to any financial

institution. They are currently celebrating 20

years in business, making them one of the

oldest companies in their industry. However,

managing director and founder Nigel Malcolm

didn’t make 20 years without having a set idea

of the core principles that would build his business,

“Prior to launching Fleetcare, I spent six months

researching the fleet management market, through

talking to business owners about their needs, and what

they truly required and wanted from a fleet

management company,” he says, “ Being independent

and smaller than our competitors meant we really had

to prove ourselves and come up with something no

other fleet management business had. Technology and

customer focus were the areas we knew we had to

excel in.”

Fleetcare and indeed Nigel Malcolm have stayed

true to this mantra and have spent 20 years delivering

outstanding customer service through cutting edge

technology and applications and innovative products,

setting them apart from their larger competitors.

Malcolm recognised that the technology aspect was

integral to delivering the customer service he was so

passionate about. It was, in fact, due to this

commitment to customer service that saw the birth of

their unique customer portal, Fleetmanager. “It was

clear that we needed to design a cutting edge fleet

management system that gave greater control to the

fleet managers, letting them access all necessary fleet

information from one point in real time and at any time.”

Malcolm explains.

To achieve this Fleetcare invested in their own in-

house IT team to build an in house system, tailored

exactly to their customer’s requirements. The result,

Fleetmanager, has been instrumental to the company’s

growth and is Australia’s most intelligent fleet

management software according to Malcolm.

Not a company to rest on their laurels, Fleetcare

have continued to build on Fleetmanager over the

years, constantly developing new functionality within

the portal. When they saw their 20th Birthday

approaching, they again wanted to deliver something

special for their clients. Cue Australia’s first fully

integrated GPS Fleet Tracking system. All Fleetcare

clients can now track every vehicle in their fleet in real

time within their Fleetmanager accounts. Malcolm

maintains, “In the fleet management sector we are

definitely ahead of the competition in terms of fleet

management technology and the added value

associated with implementing such systems.” Fleetcare

are also ahead of companies that solely provide GPS

Tracking, “Many of the latter claim to be fleet

management companies but in reality only provide

GPS Tracking and none of the other services that are

essential to total fleet management, such as fuel, or

maintenance.”

Over the coming months Fleetcare will launch yet

another innovation, CO2 reporting within Fleetmanager.

This again hands control back to the client so they can

monitor emissions and aim to minimise their fleet’s

environmental impact, a hot topic within the industry at

the moment.

So it seems then that Fleetcare is your one stop shop

for all things fleet management and you can be

guaranteed that by being their client, you will always be

privy to the latest technology and innovation. You can’t

really ask for much more than that.

Fleetcare – Technology& Innovation


BEST PRACTICE - CASE STUDY

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS

IN THE DRIVING SEAT

As Australia’s largest privately owned fleet management company, we are proud

of our 20 year history of service and care to fleet customers around Australia.

With over 30,000 cars on the road, businesses large and small enjoy superior

customer service, our innovative approach to applying the latest technology and

the powerhouse reporting systems that underpin our passion to deliver the best

fleet management services in Australia.

Whether you require a fully outsourced fleet solution, a fuel management

product for your company’s fleet or want to talk to us about a Novated Lease,

our products cover all your fleet requirements.

And, with the introduction of our state of the art GPS tracking system, your fleet

will always be at your fingertips.

Talk to us today about the Fleetcare difference. Contact 1300 655 170 or visit www.fleetcare.com.au

BEST PRACTICE



Many of the issues faced here in Australia were encountered when similar legislation was introduced in New Zealand in 2002. In the lead up to the implementation of the New Zealand legislation, MWH assisted a signifi cant number of the local government authorities and developed an approach that has since been adopted by more than 75 local authorities in New Zealand, as well as several other organisations worldwide. As learned through that process, councils must remain service or activity-focused.

Whether an individual or department is responsible

for maintaining water infrastructure, roads or other

assets, they must also strive to provide continuous

and exemplary service to the customers. In May 2009

the NZ Government undertook the ‘Transparency,

Accountability and Financial Management’ (TAFM)

review. An intention of the review is “simplifying long-

term council community plans and giving them a

more strategic focus”. There are a number of interesting

parallels between the TAFM review and what is

being proposed through the Act and regulations in

Queensland. The main concerns relate to the increased

cost and compliance requirements.

The service-based approach is being suggested

through the release of the consultation document,

Local Government (Finance, Plans and Reporting)

Regulation 2009. The Draft Regulations include further

details about the compliance requirements placed

before Councils. The Draft Regulations require the

preparation of a number of long-term plans:

• long-term community plan (s83)

• long-term fi nancial plan (s86)

• long-term asset management plan (s92).

The long-term plans are complemented by the

Annual Operational Plan for the fi nancial year (s95).

It is at this point that the Draft Regulations place

a focus on the services being offered by a local

government. The Annual Operational Plan must “state

the proposed outputs of the local government for the

fi nancial year to which the plan relates”. It is noted that,

“An output is a discrete service or other product that

the local government delivers to its external clients

(including policy advice, for example)” (s96 (2)).

The Annual Operations Plans will require Councils to

focus on the delivery of services whilst at the same

time defi ning/managing the assets that are required

to support the delivery of the services. What is not

included is the attention that should be placed on the

identifi cation and delivery of non-asset solutions.

The process for developing the Long-Term

Community Plan is clearly laid out in s85. There is a

requirement to demonstrate long-term performance by

the inclusion of detailed ratios of fi nancial sustainability

including:

• asset consumption

• asset sustainability

• interest coverage

• net fi nancial liabilities

• operating surplus ratio

• working capital ratio.

These performance measures will need to be

supplemented by more direct annual targets or

levels of service that state the performance measures

adopted by the local government for the delivery of the

proposed outputs. Again the focus is on the delivery of

the outputs or services which will involve discussions

and agreement with the community on the services

required.

By working in conjunction with external providers (to

supplement already stretched in-house resources) and

developing a clear link between a community plan

and the more detailed service delivery plans, councils

are able to best manage their limited resources (see

Figure 1). This helps councils identify the current state

of affairs and provides them with a sound improvement

plan to best manage their services and assets.

While it will require additional work, the Act is an

undeniably excellent opportunity for councils. Far from

being a ‘tick and fl ick’ situation, councils should instead

consider how to use this requirement to ensure the

sustainable delivery of services for local communities.

Through its introduction, senior council members will

be in a much stronger position to plan for the long-

term by determining how much they are in a position

to spend and where they will source this funding from.

By establishing early on which areas require greatest

attention, and where the opportunities for improving

effi ciencies lie, councils should be in an even stronger

position than they are today.

Kevin Atkins has more than 30 years of experience in Council Operations and Management. He is MWH’s Practice Leader, Asset Management. For further information, please contact him at [email protected].

Figure 1: By developing a clear link between a community plan and the more detailed service delivery plan, councils are able to best manage their limited resources and ensure that work carried out supports the overall strategy and service delivery targets.

WorkCover NSW Workplace safety doesn’t just affect you at work. It affects your whole family.

For ways to make your workplace safer contact WorkCover on 13 10 50 or visit workcover.nsw.gov.au.

In 2007/2008 in NSW there were:30,077 major workplace injuries reported4,775 cases resulting in permanent disability79 deaths resulting from workplace injury or disease

For information and assistance on staying safe at work talk to us:

Over the phone: Phone us on 13 10 50 for information on workplace health and safety, injury management and workers compensation.Face to face: Attend one of our workshops or have a business advisory officer visit your workplace.Online: Visit workcover.nsw.gov.au for advice, activities and programs that can assist your business.In print: Subscribe to WorkCover News and eNews, or ask for our catalogue of publications.

For more information about how WorkCover NSW can assist you to achieve a safer

workplace call 13 10 50 or visit

Safe business is good businessWe all want our families to arrive home from work safely every day.


BEST PRACTICE


Winning a Green Globe of course. In 2009 Local

Government Super was awarded a Green

Globe for Commercial Property Sustainability.

The Green Globe awards were introduced by the NSW

State Government to recognise the efforts of business

and the community to actively reduce their

environmental footprint.

Local Government Super won the award ahead of

well-known property firms such as Mirvac, Multiplex and

GPT. The award recognised our sustainable portfolio

program and our commitment to reducing building

emissions.

Each commercial building in our property portfolio is

now accredited with a five-star NABERS rating for

environmental sustainability through the use of

renewable energy. NABERS is the National Australian

Built Environment Ratings System and it measures a

commercial building’s environmental performance

based on the building’s energy and water use, waste

reduction and greenhouse emissions.

Under our sustainable portfolio program, each

building in the portfolio sources 100% of its base

building energy from fully-accredited renewable green

power, reducing emissions by approximately 10,000

tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.

Local Government Super encourages all existing

tenants to use renewable energy for their own electricity

needs and all new leases require tenants to source their

power from green energy suppliers.

So what does this mean for members of LocalGovernment Super?Many tenants including banks, professional

organisations, IT companies, and government

departments and agencies, are now demanding more

sustainable commercial and industrial premises and

this is driving up the demand for greener buildings.

In fact, starting in 2011, all government tenants will

be required to only occupy buildings which have a

minimum NABERS rating of 4.5 stars, and these

government tenants account for around 20% of the

total commercial leasing market.

The greater demand for greener buildings should

reduce vacancy rates over the longer term and

improve rental return for these premises. In Local

Government Super’s property portfolio for example, the

current vacancy rate is around 5.5% which is lower than

the market average of 8-12% for industrial and office

buildings.

Over time there will be a growing distinction

between buildings with high NABERS ratings and other

less energy efficient buildings and it’s expected that this

distinction will lead to a widening gap in vacancy rates

and investment returns.

Local Government Super will continue to improve

the NABERS ratings of our buildings so we can maximise

the returns on your super investment.

To find out more about Local Government Super’ssustainable portfolio program, just go towww.lgsuper.com.au

Long term returns for your superand your environment.

What’s better thanwinning a GoldenGlobe?

CEO Local Government Super, Peter Lambert receives the Green Globe Award

Everyone wants good returns on their super.

But more and more people want to know exactly how their super fund is achieving those returns.

Local Government Super is committed to an environmentally sustainable investment policy and this means that all of our investment decisions take into account environmental, social and governance issues.

In fact just last year Local Government Super was recognised with a Green Globe award for reducing carbon emissions from the buildings in our commercial property portfolio.

Our aim is to maximise the returns on your super by investing in the long-term interests of our environment.

To find out more just go to

Long term returns for your super and your environment.

0936

-LG

S-2

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ook

Please note that the information contained in this document is of a general nature only and does not constitute personal advice as it does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Any advice in this document is provided by FuturePlus Financial Services Pty Limited (ABN 90 080 972 630) as an Australian Financial Services Licensee (AFSL 238445) on behalf of the Trustee of Local Government Super, LGSS Pty Limited (ABN 68 078 003 497). LGSS Pty Limited is an APRA Registrable Superannuation Entity Licensee (ABN Pool A - 74 925 979 278 and ABN - Pool B 28 901 371 321). A reference to Local Government Super refers to Local Government Superannuation Scheme Pool A and Pool B as the context requires. Local Government Super is a registered business name of LGSS Pty Limited. Members should not rely solely on this information and should consider their own personal objectives, financial situation and needs before acting on this information. Prior to making any investment decision you should obtain and consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) pertaining to your membership and seek professional investment advice.

A number of essential reports have been adopted

by Council to progress the city’s plans including: A

Renewable Energy Master Plan tender, Alternative

Waste Technology plant tender and a trigeneration

report for Prince Alfred Park Pool. The City is currently

tendering for a Combined Cooling, Heat and Power

(trigeneration) masterplan for the LGA.

“We cannot continue to rely on electricity produced

from burning dirty coal. It accounts for about 80 per

cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the City of Sydney

and is a major contributor to global warming. It is also

extremely ineffi cient – only about 30 per cent of the

energy from burning coal in the Hunter Valley actually

reaches your house in Sydney,” Ms Moore said.

The City’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan commits

the Council to:

• Produce 70 per cent of the electricity (330

megawatts) supply by 2030 from trigeneration

– converting natural and waste gas into

electricity, heating and cooling;

• Ensure by 2020 that 25-30 per cent of energy

use comes from renewable energy (solar, wind,

marine, geothermal, Green Power and

renewable fuels);

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per

cent by 2030; and

• Divert 66 per cent of domestic waste from landfi ll

by 2014.

Councillors resolved to appoint the international

engineering and design fi rm ARUP to develop a

Decentralised Energy Master Plan for renewable

energy. City of Sydney Sustainability Manager Chris

Derksema said this Plan will be the roadmap for

converting 25-30 per cent of the City’s electricity use

from coal-generated electricity to renewable sources.

“ARUP will be looking at a range of renewable means

of generating electricity and methods to implement it,”

Mr Derksema said. “CBD roofspace and its capacity to

produce solar power will be one component as well

as wind energy, including off-shore, hydro and marine

renewables.

“Another vital resource will be the use of renewable

gases potentially sourced from household, commercial

and industrial waste and other sources including

sewage, agricultural, landfi ll and low carbon coal seam

gas. These gases can be harvested and converted into

locally-produced electricity providing low-cost heating

and cooling for buildings from a trigeneration network

across the City,” Mr Derksema said. The City is currently

seeking tenders for its Trigeneration Plan also known as

Combined Cooling, Heat and Power.

The plan is expected to detail specifi c information

about the locations, size and scale of a network of

trigeneration machines – similar to what energy expert

Allan Jones implemented in Woking, Surrey. The City

has already commissioned a study into the fi rst such

trigeneration or cogeneration plant to be located

at Prince Alfred Park Pool in Surry Hills. Council is now

proceeding with a business case to develop the

system.

Council has also appointed ARUP to develop

a business case to establish an Alternative Waste

Technology Facility (AWTF) in or near the City of Sydney.

AWTFs take general household waste and recover

reusable materials such as recyclables or organic

matter. The plan will also include the potential to

capture gases produced during the recovery process

to help power the trigeneration network.

An AWT could greatly reduce waste going to landfi ll

and will help the City deliver on its target of diverting 66

per cent of waste from landfi ll.

Sydney Council says No to CoalPlans to turn Sydney into a low carbon city using locally-produced electricity from the sun, wind, marine, Green Power and waste gases are being developed by the City of Sydney Council as part of its Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan. Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the City is challenging traditional electricity supplies from coal-fi red power stations.

BEST PRACTICE



The National Native Title Tribunal

registered the legally binding

agreement on 11 February between

the Jangga People, Charters Towers

Regional Council, Isaac Regional Council

and Whitsunday Regional Council over

the Jangga People’s traditional country

centred on the township of Mt Coolon,

120km west of Mackay and 150km south

of Townsville.

Tribunal Member Graham Fletcher,

who mediated between the groups, said

the ILUA recognised the Jangga People

as the traditional owners of the area and

established how they would work with the

three local governments in the future.

“The agreement gives the groups

certainty about the protection of their

rights and clarity about how they will

carry out their business on a day-to-day

basis,” he said.

“The Jangga People are assured their

cultural heritage will be protected as

the councils have agreed to include the

Jangga People in their decision-making

processes about matters that could

impact on their rights.

“Clear terms about access have been

developed for the councils to follow when

developing infrastructure, such as roads

and buildings, and providing services to

the communities.

“The parties are to be congratulated

for reaching an agreement over such a

large area. The solid working relationship

they built during the negotiation process

stands them in good stead for the

successful implementation of the ILUA.”

Across Australia 402 ILUAs have

been registered with the Tribunal, with

214 of these agreements registered in

Queensland.

*ILUAs are legally binding agreements about the use and management of land, made between indigenous groups and others with interests in a particular area. ILUAs are practical and fl exible as they are developed to suit the different needs of the groups and the land issues they’re working through.

ILUA binds Jangga People and councils The Jangga People and three north Queensland regional councils have fi nalised an indigenous land use agreement (ILUA*) about infrastructure development, terms of access and consultation protocols over 20,700sqkm under a native title claim.

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P:\GEO_INFO\Products\QLD\ILUA\QI2007_007 Jangga and Local Government ILUA\Mapping\GT2008_1855 Media Map\20081028_QI2007_007_Media_Map_A4P.worMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdfMap Ref: 20081028_QI2007_007_Media map_A4P.pdf

Jangga and Local GovernmentILUA Area

Data StatementAgreement boundary data compiled by NNTT.

Other locational data sourced from Geoscience Australia and PSMA.Compiled by the National Native Title Tribunal on 28 October 2008.

Rockhampton

Townsville

Cairns

BRISBANE

MapArea

Queensland

N

Copyright © Commonwealth of Australia

The Registrar, the National Native Title Tribunal and its staff, members and agents and the Commonwealth (collectively theCommonwealth) accept no liability and give no undertakings guarantees or warranties concerning the accuracy, completenessor fitness for purpose of the information provided. In return for being allowed to access this information you agree to release andindemnify the Commonwealth and third party data suppliers in respect of all claims, expenses, losses, damages and costs arisingdirectly or indirectly from your use of the information and the use of the information you obtained by any third party.

Jangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentJangga and Local GovernmentILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA AreaILUA Area

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19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S19° 44' S

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22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' S22° 30' SGDA94

0 30 60

KILOMETRES

GLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDENGLENDEN

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL FABRIC

Graham Fletcher

EQUIPMENT + MACHINERY


Launched in July 2008, the new Groundsmaster

5900 / 5910 Series is the ultimate top of the line

mower from Toro Australia, the leading worldwide

provider of commercial turf and turf management

equipment.

The new generation of wide area rotary mowers, the

Groundsmaster 5900 / 5910 Series sets the standard for

productivity, uptime and increased operator comfort.

The most powerful ride-on mower in its class, the

Groundsmaster 5900 / 5910 Series features a powerful

99hp (74kW) turbo-diesel engine which powers through

the toughest turf with ease, while the high pressure

common rail (HPCR) electronic fuel delivery system

provides fuel efficiency resulting in lower emissions.

With a large 16 foot mower capable of mowing

more than 100 acres of turf daily and full-time four-

wheel drive, the Groundsmaster 5900 / 5910 Series

offers greater manoeuvrability on all terrains, and can

turn 180° to mow around trees leaving no uncut grass,

increasing productivity.

Equipment downtime is a thing of the past thanks to

the Toro InfoCentre, a new multi sensor onboard

diagnostic system which is standard on all

Groundsmaster 5900 / 5910 rotary mowers. It continually

undertakes monitoring of the internal systems to provide

up to the moment information on the calibration of the

machines, and ensures that even the slightest variation

from the normal operating function is reported. All

operating information is displayed within the onboard

unit, and a visible and audible alarm is raised to notify

the operator of any potential problems.

Keeping your motor engines cool is even easier with

the revolutionary sensor trigger SmartCool System,

which briefly reverses the cooling fan to blow of any

chaff and debris which can block the air intake screens,

leading to overheated engines which need time to cool

off. Yet another small but significant victory in the fight

against equipment downtime!

Recognising the importance of operator comfort,

the Groundsmaster 5900 offers an open air cockpit,

while the Groundsmaster 5910 offers a factory installed

climate-controlled cab which provides protection and

comfort during extreme temperatures. Both cabs

features rubber mounts which isolate the operator

platform from the frame, thereby reducing vibration and

improving comfort. Ergonomic seating which can be

adjusted for height and angle, an adjustable steering

tower, as well as one-touch controls provide exceptional

comfort during operation.

For maximum productivity, precision, minimum

downtime and costs, look no further than the

Groundsmaster 5900/5910 Series from Toro Australia.

Get mowing today by contacting your local Toro dealer, orgo to www.toro.com.au

Mowing forwards with ToroGroundsmaster 5900 / 5910 Series

HER

O/T

OR3

364J

For more information call 1800 356 372

www.toro.com.au

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Food and urban changeBy Juris Greste

It is not the most obvious proposition to make but it could very well be that, indirectly, the cost and supply of food could drive changes to the way we live in cities and towns.



Consider this:

In 1900, 10 per cent of the world’s population lived

in cities. Today 50 per cent live in cities. In 2050, 75 per

cent are expected to be living in cities. On top of that,

there are likely to be another 3 billion people on the

planet - another 50 per cent more!

What does all that mean? One thing it means is that

fewer people are on the land producing food, while there

are more people to feed. Food producing land is taken

up by urban development. Furthermore, not only are

we reducing the area under food production but fewer

people want to farm because it is getting increasingly

diffi cult. Add to that the effects of climate change which

will not aid overall global food production. In all of human

history, food has never been so cheap. One of the factors

has been cheap and abundant fertilisers derived from oil.

This cannot last for ever.

Considering the changes in energy sources, carbon

reduction, climate effects and population increase, it is

unlikely that the production and availability of food will

greatly increase. A more likely consequence is that food

is going to cost more; energy is going to cost more; and

we need to reduce the size of our carbon/ecological

footprint which will impose further costs.

Here are some basic (rounded off) consumption

statistics. The average Australian divides the household

budget thus:

food - 15 per cent;

transport - 15 per cent;

housing to buy - 30 per cent; and

all other things - 40 per cent

The cost of housing does not include maintenance

and energy costs.

The most important essentials in life are food and

shelter. Even though Australia produces more food than

it consumes, in a globalised world, our food prices will

be determined by world markets.

If food and energy (for housing and transport) are

likely to cost more, how do we balance the household

budget and leave enough for the “other things”? Unless

we greatly reduce spending on “other things”, we need

to reduce the cost of housing and transport to pay

for increased costs of food and energy. Where (and

how) you live is going to affect all your other life costs

(unless we all become super rich - and how likely is

that?). These kind of cost savings are only possible with

a conspicuous adjustment and transformation of the

way we live in cities and towns. This is likely to be driven

by the notion of proximity and the urban values and

benefi ts that it can bring.

Certainly for at least the last 30 years, we have

become addicted to the growth paradigm. From a

city and town making perspective, this has meant that

the pattern as well as a form of urban change has

been driven by the economics of construction and

infrastructure development (like a string of beads of

independent projects) instead of the more nuanced

socioeconomic and urban ecological systems. This has

meant urban spread and increasing travel distances.

Historically all of our cities have emerged, and for

many years existed, as a clustering of small towns

and villages. Their life depended on the proximity

of synergy generating and co-located activities.

While trade relationships between cities and towns

obviously required transport, within the towns and

cities themselves the need for travel and long distance

movement was regarded as undesirable. Once the

technologies for cheaper transport emerged, distance

was not seen as a barrier or problem. Under the

pressures to expand and grow, the good sense of older

urbanism was overtaken by other forces.

As our own cities continue to grow and energy

costs escalate, we need to recognise the values of the

urbanism of years past. Instead of regarding Transport

Oriented Development as the answer to contemporary

urban growth and expansion, we need to look to

develop the concept of proximities and concentration.

I don’t want to suggest that the idea of proximity is

a euphemism for the nasty label of density. However,

in the context of all the major challenges that are

facing us (and the rest of the world), the underlying

drivers of city and town making have to be the notion

of proximity and concentration. Proximity embraces

the qualities of connectivity, variety and amenity - all

essentials of a good urban place and liveability.

This is a radical reversal. However, to base urban

growth on the basis of beating the transportation

problem is like putting city making on a treadmill. You

expend a lot of energy but don’t get anywhere. In

the longer term, if we value housing and adequate

food, we need to moderate and rationalise our

housing expectations generally so that we can

reduce expenditure on energy and transport. This

means putting the concept of proximities uppermost

with the understanding that in the age of digital

communication, proximity also takes on a meaning

that is different from the past.

The growth of cities in the fi rst place was enabled by

greater effi ciency of food production. All the indications

are that the cost and availability of food will transform

cities - certainly in Australia - yet again.

About the AuthorJuris Greste is an urban designer with an

architectural background and over 50 years of

professional experience as a consultant. He has been a

full time educator in architecture and urban design at

QUT for about 12 years since 1977 and has continued

teaching as a part time lecturer and contributor ever

since. Juris has a Masters urban design qualifi cation

from Oxford Brookes University (with Distinction). He was

an instigating member of the Urban Design Alliance

of Queensland Inc - a multi-disciplinary association of

built environment professional groups (and is its fi rst

Life Member); is the secretary of the Australian Institute

of Urban Studies Qld for the ninth year and recipient

of the 2004 Year of the Built Environment exemplar

award. In 2007 he was awarded the Order of Australia

Medal (OAM) “For service to urban design, particularly

through raising community awareness of the need

for high quality and sustainable environments, to

professional associations and to education.”

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CACPs help older Australians to remain within the

community, offering assistance at home. EACH

packages provide similar services, with the

addition of nursing and allied health services. EACH

Dementia packages differ from CACP and EACH in

that they are specifi cally targeted towards those with

behavioural problems or psychological symptoms

associated with dementia. Although the services

offered to EACH Dementia recipients are similar to

those offered by EACH packages, the assistance may

be delivered using a more fl exible approach, and

strategies which better cater for people suffering from

dementia. Recipients must be approved by an Aged

Care Assessment Team to access an EACH or an EACH

Dementia package.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s ‘Aged

care packages in the community’ report, published in

October 2009, presented statistics regarding each of

the three types of care packages, and their recipients.

The report examines the 2007-2008 period, and

makes a comparison between the three package

types at June 2008.

CACPs were introduced in 1992, followed by EACH

packages in 2002, and EACH Dementia packages

in 2006. In February 2007, the Australian Government

announced that the target for aged care provision

would increase from the existing target of 108

operational places and packages per 1,000 people

aged 70 years and over to 113 by 2010-11, with the

community care component totalling 25 places (up

Aged care packages in the community - What local government needs to knowCommunity care packages help people who are eligible for entry into residential aged care to stay in the community, by providing them with help in their own homes. There are three types of packages offered in Australia: Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs) for people with low-care needs, Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) packages for people with high-care needs, and the more fl exible EACH Dementia packages.

AGED CARE & COMMUNITY SERVICES



from 20), and 4 of every 25 community care packages

going to high-care recipients. In June 2008, there were

23.3 care packages per thousand, with 3.4 in every 25

for people with high-care needs.

Availability The availability of these types of packages is

increasing. Compared to the longer-established CACPs,

of which there were 40,280 operational packages, the

EACH and EACH Dementia packages were still relatively

small at June 2008 with 4,244 and 1,996 operational

packages respectively, but were expanding rapidly.

During 2007-08 there were 725 new EACH Dementia

packages, 942 new EACH packages, and 2,283 new

CACP packages.

The distribution of CACPs among states and

territories generally refl ects the distribution of the

Australian population, with 34% available in New South

Wales, and 25% in Victoria. Major cities and inner

regional areas receive the highest percentage of this

allocation (a combined total of 90%), followed by outer

regional, remote and very remote areas.

EACH and EACH Dementia package allocation

increased rapidly from 2007-08, 29% and 57%

respectively. Again, 90% of these were allocated in

major cities and inner regional areas. The fi rst high-care

packages for very remote areas became available

in 2007-08 when fi ve EACH packages became

operational.

Outlets and occupancy At 30 June 2008, 1,100 mainstream CACP service

outlets were providing 39,638 packages throughout

Australia. EACH service outlets increased from 205

to 266 during 2007-08, and EACH Dementia outlets

increased from 111 to 187. Again, the highest

percentage of outlets was located in the three states

with the largest populations – New South Wales, Victoria

and Queensland. The average number of packages

per outlet for CACP was 36, with the majority of the

outlets being small (up to 20 packages). Averages

for both EACH options were slightly lower, at 16 EACH

packages per outlet, and 11 packages for EACH

Dementia outlets.

Occupancy rates for the places on offer varied

state to state. For CACPs, the occupancy rate was 93%

Australia-wide. For EACH packages nationwide, the

occupancy rate was 89%, and for EACH Dementia, 76%.

Remote and very remote areas experienced the lowest

occupancy rates, with the highest rates of occupancy

occurring in major cities.

Age and sex distribution of recipients Across all care types, the majority of packages were

allocated to women. Women make up the majority

of care recipients for all three programs, particularly

for the CACP program, with the proportion of women

being 7 percentage points higher than the other two

programs, which provide help to people with high-care

needs.

The ratio of women to men varied between states,

with the Northern Territory in particular showing a lower

margin between the number of men and women

receiving packages, particularly EACH packages.

Recipients of all package types also had an

average age above 80 years, with less than 20% of

recipients being above 90 years old, and under 7%

being under 65. Male recipients as a rule tended to be

younger than female recipients across all categories.

EACH recipients had the youngest age profi le with

7% of recipients aged under 65 years and 55% aged

80 years and over, while the CACP recipients had the

oldest age profi le, with 65% aged 80 years and over.

In the EACH package category, the median age of

recipients tended to be lower in remote and very

remote areas.

Birthplace and preferred language People born in non-English-speaking countries

made relatively high use of care package services

compared to Australian-born, and people born

overseas in English-speaking countries.

The majority of care recipients were born in

Australia. Approximately 30% of CACP and EACH

recipients were born overseas, while 41% of EACH

Dementia recipients were not born in Australia. Of

people aged between 75-84 years, 2.17% of people

born in non-English-speaking countries made use of

the packages, while 0.66% of Australian-born people

in this age group received community care. Of the

over-85 population, the percentages were 5.82% and

4.4% respectively. The highest concentration of people

from overseas requiring care packages was in Western

Australia and the ACT for CACPs.

The preferred language for all care recipients was

English, ranging from 79% to 84% of recipients across

the care packages. Preference then tended towards

European languages.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander care recipientsUse of packages by Indigenous Australians was higher

than for overseas-born people from non-English-

speaking countries. Overall, Indigenous people over 50

years used community aged care packages at over 3

times the rate of other Australians.

In total, 1,337 of care recipients across all three

categories identifi ed as Aboriginal or Torres Strait

Islander. 1,275 of these were CACP recipients, while

only 8 belonged to the EACH Dementia category. This is

infl uenced by limited availability of high-care packages

combined with diffi culties in providing high level

community care and dementia-specifi c care in more

remote areas.

The highest proportion of Aboriginal or Torres Strait

Islander recipients lived in the Northern Territory. Of

those receiving CACP packages, 40% lived in remote

or very remote areas, and the rest were quite evenly

split across major cities, inner regional areas and outer

regional areas.

Only 8 EACH Dementia recipients identifi ed as

being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, and of those,

three lived in major cities, two in inner regional areas

and three in outer regional areas. None lived in remote

or very remote areas.


Invariably, the median age of Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander care receivers was lower than that of the

general population of care recipients, with an average

of 68 years compared to the median of 82 years in the

general population of care recipients.

Living arrangements The report showed that of the CACP recipients, the

majority lived either alone (54%) or with family (42%).

The only state in which this differed was the Northern

Territory, where the majority lived with family (65%),

followed by alone (26%).

71% of EACH recipients did not live alone – 68% lived

with family and 3% lived with others. The report states

that this relatively small proportion of EACH recipients

living alone refl ects the importance of informal care

arrangements in supporting high-care recipients in

their home. This care seems to be more commonly

provided by family.

EACH Dementia recipients showed the lowest

percentage of people living alone, with 78% living with

family or with others. The remaining 22% lived alone at

the time of application, but by 30 June 2008 a further

4% lived with a carer, and 14% had a carer who did not

live with them. Only 4% lived alone, without a carer, at

the time of assessment.

Admissions and SeparationsEach category saw more admissions than separations

over the 2007-08 period. The majority of admissions

were women, across each package type. The majority

of admissions in the CACP category were for over-75s,

and in the other two categories the majority were over

80 years old.

The majority of separations across the board were

due to the recipient moving into residential aged

care. In the CACP program, this was followed by death,

moving to another carer, then hospital admission. This

was largely the same for EACH and EACH Dementia

recipients, but the proportion of EACH Dementia

recipients moving to residential aged care was higher.

The report stated that there did not seem to be a

correlation between length of stay and reason for

separation.


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With Medibank Private and Lort Smith Animal

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good sense to set up a partnership relationship that not

only sees benefits delivered for both organisations, but

through the joining of forces, also means good news for

companion animals everywhere.

The long-term partnership has an ambitious

schedule of programs and projects aimed at improving

companion animal health and educating on the

importance of responsible pet ownership.

In December 2009, Medibank Pet Insurance kicked

off the first of these programs with their ‘Spread the Love’

campaign. Working with Lort Smith the campaign

promoted the importance of health insurance for pets,

while raising much needed funds to provide healthcare

for the hundreds of thousands of animals in need that

Lort Smith treats every year, raising over $10,000 for the

Hospital.

The company take their support to the hospital

seriously, with employee volunteers regularly rolling up

their sleeves to get stuck in to help out in our busy

shelters. As part of Medibank’s corporate responsibility

commitment, employees have one working day every

year when they can take time out to volunteer and

make a difference in the community. Teams of

employees take advantage of this on a recurring basis

to spend a morning being directed on the finer points of

animal care by Lort Smith’s Animal Management

Officers.

Medibank Private Pet Insurance is also Key Sponsor

of the Lort Smith PALS pet therapy program. The benefits

of pet therapy in the sick and elderly have long been

cited with research dating back about 45 years. The

PALS (Pets Are Loving Support) program is delivered by

Lort Smith through 300 community volunteers who visit

hospital patients and nursing home residents with their

dogs to help provide interaction, warmth and

companionship to residents and patients. Medibank’s

support has enabled us to provide the volunteers and

dogs with t-shirts, identification tags and doggie coats,

as well as provided support to increase awareness via

the Medibank health and wellbeing magazine and

website.

Future potential programs to be delivered through

the partnership include research on the significance

and benefits of the human animal bond, education on

responsible pet ownership, a pet-health advice line and

further fundraising activities to support the hospital in

delivering exceptional pet health care to lost,

abandoned, mistreated and sick animals.

For more information on the hospital visit www.lortsmith.comor contact the Development Office on (03) 9321 7214.

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ANIMAL HEALTH

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COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE


The Program identifi ed projects for infrastructure

funding on both a formula and competitive basis.

Round One of the Program, worth $800 million,

is well underway, with all of the funds having been

allocated, and a number of projects either completed

or underway. Round Two applications, vying for a share

of a further $220 million, were allocated in early 2010

with works scheduled to commence throughout the

year.

Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure,

Transport, Regional Development and Local

Government, acknowledged the scale of the

government’s contribution to community infrastructure.

“In just over a year, this Program has delivered $1

billion to build and renew community facilities across

Australia, making it the largest single federal investment

in community infrastructure in the nation’s history.”

“Already more than 3,300 community construction

projects have been completed or are underway

through the fi rst round,” he said.

“Across the country, the Regional and Local

Community Infrastructure Program is funding local

projects like sporting fi elds, swimming pools, libraries,

community halls, water and energy saving facilities, as

well as improving elderly and disabled access.”

The Minister has visited many of the sites where the

RLCIP has already contributed to the community. One

such visit included the offi cial opening of the new and

improved Merbein Pool in Mildura, in February this year.

What was once an ageing facility has been

transformed into an eight-lane, 25-metre swimming

pool, surrounded by landscaped gardens, that

provides a communal venue for Mildura residents and

locals from surrounding areas to spend hot Mildura

days, and will bring the communities together.

As well as being ideal for leisure activities, the pool

is a valuable asset for the disabled community, with

access ramps and stainless steel handrails providing a

safe environment for rehabilitation and recreation.

“It is expected [that] over 8,000 people will use

the upgraded Merbein Pool each summer – a great

investment for this small town,” said Mr Albanese.

In Bellerive, Tasmania, a century-old cricket ground

has fi nally been illuminated. Bellerive Oval, built in 1914

and the home of Tasmanian cricket since 1987, could

only be used during the daylight, due to a lack of

lighting suitable for night matches.

In December 2009, the four new 56-metre light

towers were switched on for the fi rst time, casting a

long awaited glow on the pitch at night. As a result, the

fi rst international cricket game to be played under the

lights took place between Australia and the West Indies

in February this year.

The installation was jointly funded by the Tasmanian

Government, who contributed $2.85 million, the Federal

Government, whose Nation Building Stimulus Package

contributed $2 million, and the Tasmanian Cricket

Association who added $100,000 to the pot.

Community Infrastructure: Addressing overdue reformsA year after the inception of the Nation Building Stimulus Package, communities across Australia continue to benefi t from the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program (RLCIP) funding provided by the Federal Government. The list of funding recipients is still growing, creating jobs, stronger local economies and vital infrastructure to support the growth of communities into the future.



Mr Albanese, who attended the auspicious match,

was impressed by the oval’s contribution to the

Tasmanian community. “This project is a great example

of our economic stimulus money at work supporting

local jobs during the height of the global recession

while at the same time leaving a lasting legacy for the

community,” he said.

“All up, some 50 jobs were supported during the

installation of the lights, with new ongoing jobs likely

now that there’s the possibility of more world class

events being held at the Oval.

“In partnership with the State Government, the

Clarence City Council, Tasmanian Cricket Association

and the local community, we have delivered a piece

of infrastructure that will support the growth of sport in

Tasmania.”

Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett emphasised the

importance of the facility, noting that Bellerive Oval

had been in danger of becoming obsolete in the

international cricket sphere, and also highlighted the

benefi ts to the local community.

“It has provided an important injection of money

into the local economy, helping to keep the order

books of Tasmanian companies moving and

underpinning the jobs of Tasmanians.”

Along with the celebratory opening of many new

facilities comes the announcement of funding for more

projects, and Tasmania is set to receive another boost.

The Federal Government will provide another $1.3

million in funding to Tasmania for 26 projects that are

waiting to begin across the south of the island state.

At the announcement of this additional funding,

Julie Collins, Member for Franklin, said, “The funding

we’ve announced today will keep more people working

in our community, it will support our local economy,

and importantly, it will build local infrastructure for the

future.”

The funding will enable projects such as the

$222,000 refurbishment of Blackmans Bay Community

Hall, a $241,000 promenade construction at Kangaroo

Bay, as well as many other projects including the

construction of playgrounds and sporting facilities,

church redevelopment, and the enhancement of

public spaces.

Over in the west, $724,000 worth of community

infrastructure projects have been approved for the

south-western region. These include a fund of $216,000

for the City of Bunbury, which will use the cash injection

to extend the Western Aeroplane Taxiway at Bunbury

Airport, install shade sails at Jetty Baths Playground,

and upgrade access to various tourist facilities.

Many other regions have received substantial

fi nancial assistance packages from Round 2 of the

Government’s stimulus scheme, including nine new

projects in Queensland’s Redland, worth $842,000, a

$2.1 million upgrade for the Whyalla foreshore in South

Australia ($730,000 of which was provided by the

RLCIP), and many more across every state and territory

in Australia.

South Australia will be provided with up to $2.65

million from the Federal Government that will be put

towards urban planning and local government reform

in the state.

Adelaide will receive $1 million of this to pilot an

Integrated Design Strategy, focused on improving the

productivity, liveability and sustainability of the city.

The intended result of the strategy is to encourage

a new model of collaboration between state and

local government, and to integrate urban planning

and infrastructure management across the major

metropolitan councils to drive a better approach to

inner city planning in the future.

Another $1.65 million will be dedicated to three

local government reform projects to assist South

Australian councils in the management of their

infrastructure and other assets. This initiative will help

local governments to collaborate and identify improved

ways of serving their communities. To augment this

process, audits will be conducted of council operations

to identify opportunities for improvement.

Community infrastructure projects not linked to the

Nation Building Plan are also gathering momentum.

Many councils and private land developers are

planning and constructing areas for community

integration, including a signifi cant development in the

suburbs of Perth.

Alkimos is located in the north-west corridor of Perth,

an area earmarked for substantial growth over the next

three decades. Alkimos is one of the largest coastal

developments in the corridor, and will eventually house

a future population of up to 50,000 people, just 40km

from the Perth CBD.

In January this year, the West Australian

government’s land development agency, LandCorp,

announced that the Delfi n Lend Lease Group had

been selected as development partner for the fi rst

stage of the $400 million suburban development.

The Alkimos-Eglinton development is planned to

incorporate a marina, shops, up to 11 schools and

more than 500 hectares of regional open space.



The residential estate will be named Shorehaven

at Alkimos and will be constructed on land owned by

Peet Alkimos Pty Ltd.

Preliminary earthworks began onsite in August 2009,

and development of residences is expected to begin in

mid-2010. The residences have been designed to refl ect

the highest standard of urban design and sustainability.

Peet Limited’s Managing Director and Chief

Executive Offi cer, Brendan Gore, explained the move to

environmental housing. “The community will maximise

green energy and smart water. All homebuyers will

receive a full sustainability package including water

tanks to service their homes and waterwise front

garden landscaping packages.”

The Peet Alkimos project is expected to create close

to 1,000 jobs in the construction, retail and transport

industries at the estate over the next 12 years.

“As well as these economic benefi ts, Shorehaven at

Alkimos provides homebuyers with an opportunity to

invest today in what will become an important, growing

and vibrant coastal centre in Perth’s popular northern

beachside suburbs,” Mr Gore added.

Much of Western Australia is undergoing a total

transformation, with funding from Round 2 of the

Community Infrastructure Program being allocated to

a number of regions across the state. Plans to reunite

Perth and Northbridge by sinking the rail line and

constructing a modern, attractive town square will

link the two communities, and a similar project to the

Alkimos project is underway in Karratha.

On the other side of the country in Geelong,

regional Victoria’s fastest growing area, another estate

similar to Alkimos is gearing up for development.

Armstrong Creek is located near the Surf Coast

Highway outside South Geelong, and is the primary

growth corridor for Geelong. Only a ten-minute drive

from the popular beachside town of Torquay, and close

to the ring road, the estate is expected to be a unique

and popular offering.

Armstrong Creek, like Alkimos, will be developed

with a focus on the environment. Innovative solutions

for the capture, recycling and use of water will be

implemented, along with drought tolerant landscaping.

The effi cient use of energy will also be promoted,

with energy lots onsite dedicated to solar energy

capture, and the encouragement of effi cient co-

generation systems for big businesses in the area. Solar

power will be used where possible for the lighting of

public spaces.

Land is projected to be available for development

this year, and should provide housing for between

55,000 to 65,000 people, as well as schools, retail space,

parks, open space and bike paths. Employment will be

boosted in the area, as 22,000 positions will be required

for the construction and development of the site.

A different type of housing has received the go-

ahead from the Parliamentary Standing Committee

on Public Works. Twelve defence bases across

Australia are set to receive new housing for members

of the Australian Defence Force and their families.

Defence Housing Australia (DHA) will build six-star

energy effi cient houses, in advance of the Federal

Government’s plan to introduce a six-star energy rating

into the Building Code of Australia by May this year.

Derek Volkmer, Chairman of the DHA Board, said, “DHA

was keen to commit to this new standard as quickly

as possible. We are very pleased to have a number of

six-star energy rated houses underway and more are

planned for the future.“

Construction of the houses, to be built around

Australia in six states and territories, is expected to

be completed by the end of 2010. This project has

an estimated cost of $1.457 billion, and will help the

Defence Force to increase its size by approximately

3,000 members.

The past twelve months and the foreseeable future

focus on community infrastructure, and promise to

provide countless community benefi ts, including

jobs, housing, sustainability, accessibility, security, and

building infrastructure. Combined, these projects are

addressing long overdue infrastructure upgrades

across the broad spectrum of Australia’s communities.

Integrated Group Limited is a

national leader in the supply of

recruitment, labour hire and

managed labour services across

all sectors of

industry and commerce.

HOBART

Phone: (03) 6208 5555

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Email: [email protected]

LAUNCESTON

Phone: (03) 6334 5498

Fax: (03) 6364 7685


MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP


What does good governance mean for councils?By Martin Gray, Jeito Pty Ltd

Good governance ultimately defi nes the inherent confl ict between control and risk, as was elegantly defi ned by John Uhrig in his Review of Corporate Governance of Statutory Authorities and Offi ce Holders in June 2003.

The current economic crisis has spawned much

introspection about its causes and many of the

reviews have focused on the principles of good

governance.

The OECD states that there are eight main

characteristics of good governance. It is participatory,

consensus oriented, accountable, transparent,

responsive, effective and effi cient, equitable and

inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that

corruption is minimised, the views of minorities are

taken into account and that the voices of the most

vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making.

(OECD, 2001)

Clearly such divergent characteristics will lead

to stresses, and in certain cases confl icts, which will

require some fi ne-tuning. This article will discuss certain

characteristics of Local Government which are peculiar to

effective councillor decision-making, and which include:



• Councillors as representatives and team players

• The council meeting as the forum for decision-

making

• Leadership

• Councillor access to information.

Councillors as Representatives and Team PlayersDecision-making for councillors is made signifi cantly

more diffi cult by the need for them to represent both

their constituents, who elected them, as well as the

welfare of the community as a whole.

Nevertheless, once elected, councillors need to

understand that their pre-election agendas and

allegiances are superseded by the expectation of the

local community for effective governance.

And the democratic nature of Local Government,

with its emphasis on transparency to the community of

the decision processes, demands that the electorate

can follow the decision processes in some detail.

The Council Meeting as the Forum for Decision-Making

Councillors are able to exercise their authority after

they have been formally sworn in and when they meet

formally as council. Neither the mayor nor councillors

have executive authority as individuals.

However, for councils, like all effective teams, it is

the quality and skill of the participants’ interactions

and their ability to function and perform as a unit,

that determines the outcome – success, failure or

somewhere in between.

And even with the best will in the world, behavioural

psychologists have shown that effective team

behaviour can be impacted by inbuilt forces that

oppose productive dialogue amongst team members,

such as the need to protect themselves from seeming

to be incompetent.

In the end, good governance requires councillors

to be part of a process that asks the hard questions,

validates the information, debates the issues, seeks

understanding of the issues before them and to then,

and only then, make a decision.

LeadershipGreat teams require the political acumen of

effective leadership – being able to align agendas,

create coalitions, smooth ruffl ed feathers, etc. But

perhaps most importantly, it is the capability to

effect changes in the attitudes of colleagues and

their behaviour so that they are less defensive, more

prepared to listen to other points of view and to face

the brutal facts of current circumstance.

The mayor, as the chair of the council, has the

unenviable task of moulding and cajoling his or

her councillors into a team capable of effective

governance – what they are elected to do.

With their many agendas and allegiances, inside

and outside of chambers, mayors often feel that it would

be easier to herd cats than the bunch of councillors the

community has given them. It is no less of a problem for

the Chief Executive and his or her management team,

they too have to manage this herd of cats, a herd that

changes every time there is an election.

Information Access and Decision ProcessesLocal Government decision-making is based on a

wide range of issues on behalf of the community. This

is no simple task for councillors. Indeed, if you think

about the vast volume of complex and sometimes

contradictory information councillors are expected

to read and understand, and the challenges that this

can represent, perfunctory endorsement of report

recommendations is not surprising.

And this problem of information overload is

compounded by the limited access by councillors to

administrative support, so that they need to individually

satisfy themselves about the validity of the information

they receive.

The Way ForwardThe fi rst step on the way to achieving good

governance through great teamwork is to fi nd out

what the team thinks of its own performance. It does

not matter what others think. What does matter is what

the team thinks of itself, what skills and competencies

it thinks it has, how effective the decision processes are

and what the individuals that comprise the team think

of each other. This is about unearthing from the tacit

consciousness of team members what they really think

and feel, through reviews such as:

• Assessments about the information and

decision-making processes that underpin the

effectiveness or otherwise of council meetings

• Councillor opinions of mayoral leadership both

within the council meeting and externally

• Peer reviews by the councillors of each other’s

behaviour within and outside the council meeting.

In the fi nal analysis, rarely is Local Government

performance accidental. Rather, it is the alchemy of

good strategy, strong teams and discipline based

upon a virtuous cycle of facing the brutal facts through

regular review (assessments), learning from the fi ndings

and implementing remedial and proactive actions as

appropriate.

(Source: Local Agenda, Issue 21)

EDUCATION + TRAINING

This course, initiated by the Institute of Public Works

Engineering Australia (IPWEA) and jointly developed

with the Centre for Pavement Engineering Education

(CPEE) will respond to the need for a program for

engineering and science graduates employed in local

government and public works authorities in the

emerging discipline of Infrastructure Asset

Management.

The recent recognition of the long-term lifecycle

costs associated with the operation, maintenance and

renewal of physical assets has created the need for skills

in the management of infrastructure networks such as

roads, water supply, drainage and sewerage. State

governments have legislation requiring local authorities

to create and implement asset management plans for

the physical infrastructure under their control. This will

add to the demand for specialists with Infrastructure

Asset Management qualifications.

The course can be studied entirely by distance and

will provide graduates with the knowledge and skills to

fill senior positions in this specialist field.

Applicants for the course must hold a Bachelor

degree in Engineering or Science (in an appropriate

discipline) or an equivalent qualification. An applicant

holding a three year Bachelor degree will be required

to have had at least three years relevant work

experience.

New Infrastructure AssetManagement Course The Centre for Pavement Engineering Education and the

University of Tasmania are offering in 2010 an industry

specific four unit Graduate Certificate in Infrastructure

Asset Management.

If you would like to be amongst the first to study this exciting new program contact CPEE on (03) 9830 5721 or at

[email protected] log on to www.pavementeducation.edu.au

The course has as core units: �� Asset Management Fundamentals �� Asset Management Practices

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The course will provide today’s Infrastructure Asset Management Specialist with the opportunity to expand their skills and knowledge and to gain recognition with a

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Education Enhancement Opportunities

Accredited by the University of Tasmania, this new program has been jointly developed by the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA) and

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Graduate Certificate in Infrastructure Asset Management

Infrastructure Asset Management

This is a Commonwealth Supported Course


EDUCATION + TRAINING


“When I began my Masters inHuman Resource ManagementI was working as a support

Teacher Librarian in the library. Now Iam the manager, a member of theCurriculum and IT policy groupsand am President of the SA SchoolLibrary Association. Study hasenabled me to feel more confidentwith my communication and hasgiven me theoretical knowledge inmany areas.

Over the last four years I havebeen studying externally towards aMasters in Human ResourceManagement. I chose Charles SturtUniversity as I wanted to be able toexperience an educational instituteoutside South Australia, where I live.

I found that once enrolled for theyear, most of the required materialsarrived at my door within a fewweeks of course commencement. Itwas like receiving a Christmaspresent until you realise that itactually means work! All of thereadings, and if applicable therequired text, are sent as part of the

package as well as most of theinformation you need to completeassignments and do research.

One of the most impressiveaspects of studying externally atCharles Sturt was your personalwebpage. You can set this up toassist you with your learning and tobecome involved in University life.The links to each subject also giveyou tips on getting the most out ofyour study. If you are techno-phobicthis process can be a little dauntinghowever there are people who cantalk you through any difficulties youmight experience.

This degree has helped me in mycareer by enabling me to studyleadership styles, learn about howdifferent organisations work andhow Human Resources are valuableassets in any organisation. I havebeen able to relate to many aspectsof the study in my management roleand on many committees I am on. Ithas assisted me withcommunication techniques and onhow to improve time management

issues. In the future I know that my

study at CSU will enable me to

apply for suitable management

positions and enable me to relate to

a wide range of people who make

up an educational institution. It is

my hope that I can use these skills

to make me a better practitioner.”

Wendy RuttenCSU Masters in Human ResourceManagement

As a national leader in distance education and flexible learning, Charles Sturt University’s MBA program has enhanced the careers of thousands of graduates.

Our flexible study options mean you can fit study in with your life, work and family commitments. With three sessions per year, you can study whenever it suits you.

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CSU Student Profile



Unlocking the potential of frontline managersBy Aaron De Smet, Monica McGurk, and Marc Vinson

Instead of administrative work and meetings, frontline managers should focus on coaching their employees and on constantly improving quality.

Aretail manager responsible for more than $80

million in annual revenue, an airline manager

who oversees a yearly passenger volume worth

more than $160 million, a banking manager who deals

with upward of seven million questions from customers

a year. These aren’t executives at a corporate

headquarters; they are the hidden—yet crucial—

managers of frontline employees.

In a majority of the companies we’ve encountered,

the frontline managers’ role is merely to oversee a limited

number of direct reports, often in a “span breaking”

capacity, relaying information from executives to

workers.1 Such managers keep an eye on things, enforce

plans and policies, report operational results, and

quickly escalate issues or problems. In other words, a

frontline manager is meant to communicate decisions,

not to make them; to ensure compliance with policies,

not to use judgment or discretion (and certainly not to

develop policies); and to oversee the implementation

of improvements, not to contribute ideas or even

implement improvements (workers do that).

This system makes companies less productive,

less agile, and less profi table, our experience shows.

Change is possible, however. At companies that have

successfully empowered their frontline managers, the

resulting fl exibility and productivity generate strong

fi nancial returns. One convenience store retailer, for

example, reduced hours worked by 19 to 25 percent

while increasing sales by almost 10 percent. It

achieved this result by halving the time store managers

spent on administration; restructuring their work (and

that of their employees) to focus on the areas most

relevant to customers, such as the cleanliness of

stores and upselling efforts at the cash register; and

creating easy-to-understand performance metrics that

managers now had enough time to coach employees

on daily.

The key is a shift to frontline managers who have

the time—and the ability—to address the unique

circumstances of their specifi c stores, plants, or mines;

to foresee trouble and stem it before it begins; and

to encourage workers to seek out opportunities for

self-improvement. In diffi cult economic times, making

employees more productive is even more crucial than

it is ordinarily.

The reality of the front lineTo unlock a team’s abilities, a manager at any

level must spend a signifi cant amount of time on

two activities: helping the team understand the

company’s direction and its implications for team

members and coaching for performance. Little of

either occurs on the front line today. Across industries,

frontline managers spend 30 to 60 percent of their

time on administrative work and meetings, and 10

to 50 percent on nonmanagerial tasks (travelling,

participating in training, taking breaks, conducting

special projects, or undertaking direct customer

service or sales themselves). They spend only 10 to 40

per cent actually managing frontline employees by, for

example, coaching them directly (Exhibit 1).



Even then, managers often aren’t truly coaching

the front line. Our survey of retail district managers, for

example, showed that much of the time they spend

on frontline employees actually involved auditing

for compliance with standards or solving immediate

problems (Exhibit 2). At some companies we surveyed,

district managers devote just 4 to 10 percent of their

time—as little as 10 minutes a day—to coaching teams.

To put the point another way, a district manager in

retailing may spend as little as one hour a month

developing people in the more junior but critical role of

store manager.

Exhibit 1: Where the time goes

Exhibit 2: Not enough time

In our experience, neither companies nor their frontline

managers typically expect more. One area manager

at a specialty retailer with thousands of outlets said,

“Coaching? A good store manager should just know

what to do—that’s what we hire them for.” A store

manager in a global convenience retailer told us,

“There are just good stores and bad stores—there’s

very little we can do to change that.” Another store

manager, in a North American electronics retailer, said,

“They told me, ‘We don’t pay you to think; we pay you to

execute.’”



These shortcomings are rooted in the early days

of the industrial revolution, when manufacturing work

was broken down into highly specialised, repetitive,

and easily observed tasks. No one worker created

a whole shoe, for example; each hammered his

nail in the same spot and the same way every time,

maximising effectiveness and effi ciency. Employees

didn’t necessarily know anything about the overall

job in which they participated, so supervisors (usually

people good at the work itself) were employed to

enforce detailed standards and policies—essentially,

serving as span breakers between workers and policy

makers. Many manufacturing companies still use this

approach, because it can deliver high-quality results

on the front line, at least in the short term. In many

service industries, the same approach has taken hold

in order to provide all customers in all locations with a

consistent experience.

Although attention to execution is important,

an exclusive focus on it can have insidious long-

term effects. Such a preoccupation leaves no time

for efforts to deal with new demands (say, higher

production or quality), let alone for looking at the big

picture. The result is a working environment with little

fl exibility, little encouragement to make improvements,

and an increased risk of low morale among both

workers and their managers—all at high cost to

companies.

The effects of poor frontline management may be

particularly damaging at service companies, where

researchers have consistently detected a causal

relationship between the attitudes and behavior of

customer-facing employees, on the one hand, and

the customers’ perceptions of service quality, on the

other. In service industries, research has found that

three factors drive performance: the work climate; the

way teams act together and the way things are done;

and the engagement, commitment, and satisfaction

of employees. Leadership—in particular, the quality

of supervision and the nature of the relationships

between supervisors and their teams—is crucial

to performance in each of these areas.2 Clearly,

the typical work patterns and attitudes of frontline

managers are not conducive to good results.

At a North American medical-products distributor,

for example, one supervisor refl ected that the

company “is like California—forest fi res breaking out

everywhere and no plan to stop them. A lot of crisis-

to-crisis situations with no plan. We’ve been in this

mode for so long, we don’t know how to stop and

plan, although that’s what we desperately need to

do. I wish I knew how to intervene.” Because frontline

managers were so busy jumping in to solve problems,

they had no time to step back and look at longer-term

performance trends or to identify—and try to head

off—emerging performance issues. It’s therefore no

wonder that the company’s performance had begun

to decline: inventories were increasing and errors in

shipments became more frequent. Companies can

also get into frontline trouble if they fail to maintain

well-managed operations.

Time better spentAt best-practice companies, frontline managers

allocate 60 to 70 per cent of their time to the fl oor,

much of it in high-quality individual coaching. Such

companies also empower their managers to make

decisions and act on opportunities. The bottom-

line benefi t is signifi cant, but to obtain it companies

must fundamentally redefi ne what they expect from

frontline managers and redesign the work that those

managers and their subordinates do. The examples

below explain how two companies in different

circumstances and industries made such changes.

Manufacturing and the front lineSometimes a corporate crisis drives frontline

changes. A global equipment manufacturer, for

example, was facing backlogs, capacity constraints,

and quality and profi tability issues in its core

vehicle assembly business. The company’s senior

leaders concluded that they would have to change

operations at fi ve plants by running two shifts rather

than three while also raising production levels and

quality. “Substantial” results would be needed in no

more than seven weeks. Frontline managers were

to have a critical role in the changeover—indeed, it

couldn’t succeed unless they adopted a new way

of working. To communicate the importance of the

changes being introduced, senior leaders, among

other things, ordered vice presidents to spend full days

in vehicle assembly stations and sent the company’s

director of operations to participate in daily shift start-

up meetings at each plant.3

Meanwhile, the jobs of frontline managers

changed. They were to spend more time in active

roles: critical processes and workfl ows were

redesigned according to lean principles,4 and the

managers played the principal part in implementing

these changes. Administrative activities, such as

writing reports to plant managers and gathering data

to prepare for site visits from regional managers, were

eliminated. Innovations spouted—boards posted on

factory fl oors, for example, were continuously updated

with performance information, such as hour-by-hour

tracking of lost time, as well as long-term problems

and the solutions found for them. End-of-shift reports

let each shift know exactly what the previous one

had accomplished. Weekly reports informed workers

about the fi ve most important defects to correct and

the fi ve most important actions needed to improve

performance. A typical manager’s span of control fell

to 12 – 15, from 20 – 30.

Such changes freed managers to spend more

time providing on-the-fl oor coaching and helping

teams solve immediate problems. Managers received

on-the-job training in lean technical skills as well as

in coaching, team building, and problem solving.

They also moved their desks from offi ces to the shop

fl oor and spent at least fi ve hours a day there, literally

putting themselves in the middle of the transformation.

As a result, managers and workers identifi ed and

implemented other improvements—for example,

making parts more available, with fewer defects, and



routing materials more effi ciently—so that lost

production and the need for rework fell. Overall, though

the transformation took ten weeks rather than seven,

the initial targets were exceeded. Across the fi ve plants,

the number of completed vehicles rose by 40 per

cent a month—despite the elimination of a shift—and

quality by 80 percent. Worker hours fell by 40 per cent.

Retailing and the front lineChanging the mindsets and capabilities of

individual frontline managers can be the hardest part.

In our experience, many of them see limits to how

much they can accomplish; some also recognise

the need to restructure their roles but nonetheless

fear change. At times, before the job of coaching

can begin, companies must address more insidious

mindsets—such as a belief that employees can’t learn,

their negative attitudes toward customers, or a lack

of confi dence that frontline managers can infl uence

performance.

The fi rst step is to help frontline managers

understand the need for change and how it could

make things better. At the convenience store retailer

mentioned earlier, for example, an analysis revealed

that store managers spent, on average, 61 percent of

their time on administration and that they struggled

with poorly defi ned processes for interacting with

customers. In addition, these managers felt that they

had no control over key performance drivers (such

as sales in important product categories), lacked

simple tools to monitor daily performance, and had

inadequate leadership and coaching skills. They

were also tired of “fl avour of the month” corporate-

improvement initiatives that dictated more work without

addressing the fundamental causes of problems.

To give store managers a sense of what could be,

this company showed some groups of managers a

radically different model store. There, work processes

such as stocking took much less time than it did in the

company’s ordinary stores, because similar products

were grouped together, and high-volume stock was

stored in a common and much more accessible

location. Cleaning was easier because the layout

had been improved, employees had the equipment

and supplies to clean more frequently and quickly,

and an if-it’s-simple-clean-it-now policy had been

introduced. Such steps created a more attractive store

environment, simplifi ed the work of employees, freed

them to interact with customers, and reduced the

amount of time managers had to spend dealing with

problems in these areas.

Managers also gained time in other ways: for

example, they no longer had to complete long weekly

sales reports, respond to corporate directives that

arrived at unexpected times, and accommodate too-

frequent visits by district or regional sales managers.

Streamlined sales reporting captured fewer but more

essential indicators, such as the volume of sales in key

product categories. All visits from district or regional

managers were scheduled in advance and followed a

predetermined and performance-focused agenda.

As a result, the time store managers spent on

administration fell by nearly half, so they could devote

60 to 70 per cent of their days to activities such as

coaching workers and interacting with customers.

These managers spent more time on the sales fl oor

with individual employees and regularly discussed

store strategies and performance metrics with them.

The discussions took advantage of a new performance

scorecard with just a few key metrics, such as the

number of customers greeted during peak hours,

success rates on “suggestive selling” at checkout,

and immediate follow-up with customers to gauge

their satisfaction. Because the stores stayed open 24

hours a day, managers weren’t always present. They

therefore engaged all employees in regular problem-

solving sessions to create a better selling and service

environment in the stores—for example, by ensuring

that more employees would be available at critical

times of the week. Furthermore, managers could now

adapt the company’s general operating model by

deciding how many (and which) employees would be

present in stores at any given time.

This vision of a well-run store, contrasting starkly with

the stores of the managers who visited it, overcame

their fears. Once frontline managers have accepted

the need for change, however, they must learn the

new ways of working required by the demands of

their redefi ned roles. At the convenience store retailer,

training sessions and trial-and-error fi eldwork helped

the managers develop the needed capabilities

quickly. Some of these skills were technical, focused

on managing more effective processes and revised

daily routines, as well as keeping track of the simplifi ed

store performance scorecards. Other forms of training

enhanced the managers’ interpersonal skills, such as

how to engage and empower subordinates; to have

regular, constructive conversations about performance;

and how to provide feedback and coaching.

Managers were also made aware of the negative

mindsets (such as, “I am just another associate when

I go on the store fl oor,” and “My job is to make sure

that tasks get done”) that made it harder to develop

the right skills and capabilities. They learned how to

counter these mind-sets and to adopt more positive

ones (for instance, “I regularly provide my employees

with constructive feedback and tips,” and “My job is

to ensure that tasks are complete and that customers

are served as well”), which promote more appropriate

behavior and better performance. When the company

rolled out the program broadly, the results were

impressive: productivity rose by 51 percent in one

region and by 65 percent in another.5

Companies that succeed in redefi ning the job of

the frontline manager can improve their performance

remarkably. Successful approaches can be applied

across many industries. A mining company that

implemented such a program enjoyed a 10 percent

increase in tonnage per frontline employee. A bank

branch found that cross-selling went up by 24 percent

within a year. Total sales at a department store rose two

percent in one six-month period.



The key is to help frontline managers become true

leaders, with the time, the skills, and the desire to help

workers understand the company’s direction and its

implications for themselves, as well as to coach them

individually. Such managers should have enough

time to think ahead, to uncover and solve long-term

problems, and to plan for potential new demands.

A nursing supervisor at a European hospital that

empowered its nurses offered perhaps the clearest

description of the way frontline leaders ought to

think—a description that couldn’t be more different

from the role of traditional frontline managers: “I am a

valued member of this team, who has responsibility to

make sure my ward nurses have the right coaching

to improve patient service while contributing to the

overall functioning of our ward—for the fi rst time, I feel

as important as a doctor or an administrator in the

success of this institution.” That kind of frontline leader

can consistently help employees to enhance their

impact on an organisation’s work.

About the AuthorsAaron De Smet is a principal in McKinsey’s

Houston offi ce, Monica McGurk is a principal in the

Atlanta offi ce, and Marc Vinson is a consultant in the

Cleveland offi ce.

Notes1 Various management studies have defi ned the optimal number of direct reports for a single supervisor as anywhere from 6 to 30. Our case evidence suggests that 12 to 15 direct reports at the front line is typically the most appropriate number, depending on the complexity of individual jobs, the typical number of new problems to solve, and the overall experience of the frontline staff.2 For example, see Florian V. Wangenheim, Heiner Evanschitzky, and Maren Wunderlich, “The employee–customer satisfaction link: Does it hold for all employee groups?” Journal of Business Research, 2007, Volume 60, Number 7, pp. 690–7; S. Douglas Pugh, Joerg Dietz, Jack W. Wiley, and Scott M. Brooks, “Driving service effectiveness through employee–customer linkages,” Academy of Management Executive, 2002, Volume 16, Number 4, pp. 73–84; Benjamin Schneider and David E. Bowen, Winning the service game, Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 1995.3 More on the importance of the senior leadership’s role in driving change can be found in Carolyn B. Aiken and Scott P. Keller, “The CEO’s role in leading transformation,” mckinseyquarterly.com, February 2007.4 Lean transformations, which focus on removing all waste and improving the fl ow in a process, typically involve just-in-time supplies, the standardisation of work, and continuous tracking of quality and timeliness. This company focused particularly on line layout and line balancing, standardising work, 5S (organising and managing workspaces), and index or “takt” time (maximum allowable time to produce a product to meet demand).5 In this case, the productivity metric is the sales-to-labor ratio. The improvement in individual markets ranged from 34 per cent (an increase to 4.0, from 3.0) to 81 per cent (an increase to 7.8, from 4.3).

Source: Organisation Practice

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INNOVATION


Kodak today announced the Kodak i4000 Series

Scanners, designed to help end users, especially

those in local government departments and

small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs), cost-

effectively automate document capture and

management. The new capture platform of the i4000

Series Scanners combines walk-up ease of use, one

touch scanning, comprehensive software capabilities

and simplified integration within new or existing

document management processes, for a complete

information management solution.

“The sheer amount of paper handled by local

government organizations and SMBs on a daily basis is

tremendous, particularly for those with limited resources

for document management,” said Francis Yanga,

Channel Manager Document Imaging, Kodak Australia

and New Zealand. The i4000 Series Scanners’ compact,

ergonomic design makes it easier for average end

users to effectively integrate document capture into

new and existing information-driven business processes.

Kodak’s Smart Touch functionality allows end users to

send digital documents to common destinations

including e-mail, desktop applications, shared file

locations and Microsoft Sharepoint Server. The i4000

Series Scanners also provide flexible, dual-support for

Kodak’s Perfect Page Image Processing Technology or

KOFAX VRS Software.

“With so many Local Government Organisations and

SMBs still dependent on paper documents, the easy-to-

use architecture of the i4000 Series Scanners represents

a strategic first-step for any business working to remain

competitive in the information economy,” said Yanga.

The i4200 Scanner and i4600 Scanner serve as true

production-level entry points, able to process images of

200 dots per inch (dpi) bi-tonal scanning quality at

rated speeds of 100 pages per minute (ppm) and 120

ppm, respectively. The i4000 Series are the smallest

scanners in their class to offer a c-shape transport with

additional straight-through paper path, 500-sheet

feeder. In addition, the i4000 Series are the only

scanners in their class to allow field speed and feature

upgrades to adjust for growing volumes of documents

and continuous enhancement of the solution.

The Kodak i4000 Series Scanners will be available for

shipping in April 2010. The i4200 Scanner will be priced

at A$15,990, and the i4600 Scanner will be offered at

A$19,990. Kodak Service and Support will offer on-site

warranty service with four-hour response and extended

warranty options. For more information, please visit:

www.kodak.com/go/i4000.

More information about KODAK Document ImagingScanners and Services is available atwww.kodak.com/go/docimaging.

New KODAK i4000 Series Scanners Champion Process-DrivenDocument Capture for Local Government Departments and Smallto Medium Businesses to Improving Efficiency and Cut Costs

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY


If at all possible, we should be building our future

on more sustainable sources. Something that will

continue to provide our descendents with the

abundant energy that has helped transform the

livelihood of human beings throughout the world.

Sustainable energy is one of those vague terms

that can mean different things to different people. It is

often used as a “green” catch-all for things like energy

conservation, energy effi ciency and renewable energy,

all with a positive environmental overtone.

A more precise (and more useful) defi nition of

sustainable energy is “sources of energy that provide

our energy needs today without jeopardising the

needs of future generations”.

So how far in the future are we looking?David MacKay in his book ‘Sustainable Energy - without

the hot air’ considers that 1,000 years will about do it. If you

consider how technology has changed since the 11th

century, then worrying about what our descendants are

using for energy in the 31st century is probably futile - as

long as we haven’t destroyed the planet in the meantime,

of course.

Others such as the non-profi t organisation inVEST

consider that 100 years ought to be enough. Given that we

are still using the energy sources that were used 100 years

ago this might be too short a period. If these resources had

been exhausted by our forebears by the early 20th century,

then we would be living in a very different world today.

Some, of course, would wish that it were so.


The future of sustainable energyBy Martin Nicholson

Much of our energy today comes from three high-energy resources - oil, coal and gas. These resources took millions of years to form. Over the last couple of centuries we’ve been avidly consuming them so it’s reasonable to suppose that one day they will all be gone.

recyclingatwork.org.au makes it easier for you to help your local businesses to reduce their commercial and industrial waste.

Connect your local cafes, restaurants, retailers and offices, mechanics, builders, manufacturers, landscapers and others with a host of recycling services listed in an up-to-date national database.

To find a local recycling service, businesses simply enter their location and choose from a broad selection of material categories like

plastics, timber, food, paper and cardboard, packaging, metals and more. Businesses then see a list of all local recycling services by distance to their location.

Local councils and shires can list relevant services on recyclingatwork.org.au and provide advice and support to local businesses.

To find out more or to list a service visit recyclingatwork.org.au or call 1300 763 768

YOU WILL BE SURPRISED WHAT YOU CAN RECYCLErecyclingatwork.org.au Call 1300 763 768


Opinions of the experts differ on how long coal, oil

and gas will last, and estimates vary from decades to a

few centuries. But it is generally agreed that these fossil

fuels will not meet MacKay’s 1,000-year test and may fail

the 100-year test and so are not considered sustainable.

The experts also differ on how long uranium can supply

our current generation of nuclear reactors but we will

deal with that below.

Renewable energy sources are often considered

to be sustainable as they use resources such as water,

wind and sunlight that are, for all intents and purposes,

inexhaustible. Many will say that these are the only

truly sustainable energy sources. As we shall see, that

view ignores the 1,000-year test as well as some serious

technical defi ciencies with some renewable energy

sources.

First, not all so-called renewable sources are

themselves sustainable. For example, some biofuels such

as ethanol made from food crops like corn are no longer

considered sustainable because of the competing

need for the land on which the feedstock grows. The

Australian Greens consider some biomass such as wood

waste from old-growth forests to be unsuitable feedstock

because of the risk to the big carbon sinks of old-

growth forests. Hydropower relying on water fl ow from a

particular river may also not be sustainable - particularly

in Australia. Climate change may dry up rivers or change

their course and leave the hydro system stranded.

Second, some renewable sources such as wind and

solar PV are too variable to meet our continuous power

demands unless combined with conventional sources

(fossil fuels and nuclear) to fi ll in the gaps. Others, like

solar thermal with suffi cient heat storage to produce

continuous reliable power, are prohibitively expensive. So

without further technology developments, such as huge

cost effective, sustainable electricity storage systems, our

energy system in Australia is not sustainable today with

or without renewables. See “Hasten slowly into renewable

energy”.

Geothermal energy is said to be promising but

MacKay argues that a geothermal mine would be

sustainable only if we are taking the energy out of the

ground at the same rate as the earth is replacing it. So

we might have to treat geothermal heat more like fossil

fuels - a resource to be mined until it runs out.

MacKay also seriously questions whether Britain could

ever generate enough energy from renewable resources

to meet its energy needs even if technology was not an

issue. Britain (and possibly Australia) may have to look at

other options to fi nd sustainable energy.

Are there any other sustainable energy sources on the horizon?

According to the World Nuclear Association, today’s

generation of nuclear reactors use an average of 175

tonnes a year of uranium per GW. These reactors are

largely using the uranium in a “once-through” cycle

where less than one per cent of the uranium is actually

used to generate energy.

MacKay estimates that the total world recoverable

uranium is about 27 million tonnes. This includes

resources mineable at less than $130 per kg (the higher-

grade resources of around fi ve million tonnes) and

lower-grade resources contained in phosphate deposits

that will be more expensive to mine. According to the

International Energy Agency, because nuclear reactors

use relatively little fuel most of the cost in generating

nuclear energy is in the planning, construction and

decommissioning of the power station not in the fuel. This

means that a signifi cant increase in the price of uranium

has a much lower impact on the price of electricity. So

it is reasonable to suppose that as the cheaper higher-

grade resources become depleted the industry will be

able to turn to the lower-grade resources.

Using all this recoverable uranium, our current nuclear

reactors could operate for 400 years so they would fail

the 1,000-year test but comfortably satisfy a 100-year

test. But the WNA expects the world’s reactor numbers

to more than double over the next few years so our

current once-through reactors using uranium may not be

sustainable depending on your view of sustainability.

Thorium can be used as an alternative to uranium.

It is three times as abundant in the earth’s crust as

uranium and is more evenly distributed around the world

including Australia. Thorium has the added advantage

that, unlike uranium, it can be completely burned up in

simple reactors so it creates less long-lived radioactive

waste. India already uses thorium in nuclear reactors

so the technology is not new, but it will still not be

sustainable using current generation reactors.

The newer generation fast breeder reactors burn up

all the uranium so they can extract much more energy

from uranium than traditional once-through reactors.

MacKay estimates that fast breeder reactors obtain

roughly 60 times as much energy from the same amount

of uranium. They can also use all the discarded uranium

from existing once-through reactors. This technology is

not new either and several experimental reactors have

been constructed over the last few decades but the

promising Integral Fast Reactor technology might take

several decades to become a commercial standard.

Fast breeder nuclear reactors could be the

sustainable energy source we are looking for.

To the Greens this will all be bad news. First renewable

sources will not deliver reliable, sustainable energy on

their own - at least not in Australia. But worse news for

the Greens is that the most likely source of sustainable

energy will actually be nuclear power. James Lovelock

knew this all along of course.

About the AuthorMartin Nicholson lives in the Byron Bay hinterland.

He studied mathematics, engineering and electrical

sciences at Cambridge University in the UK and

graduated with a Masters degree in 1974. He has

spent most of his working life as business owner and

chief executive of a number of information technology

companies in Australia. He is the author of the book

Energy in a Changing Climate and has had several

opinion pieces published in The Australian and The

Financial Review.



Dalkia Technical Services is a subsidiary

of the Dalkia Group of Companies,

the energy division of Veolia Environnement,

world leader in environmental services.

Through its exclusive distribution agreement with Trane, Dalkia

provides the most comprehensive suite of energy services, multi-

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ENERGY


Every system, whether large or small requires that

the installers understand the limitations and

component compatibility so as to maximise the life

and output of the systems. This is the only way that

mistakes can be avoided and long term success can

be assured.

Solar Inverters has been actively working in the

industry since 1989. It is a company with science and

engineering at its core. It employs qualified electronics

engineers, technicians and electricians. It trains

apprentices in both the electronics and electrical

trades. It operates a component level service

department that is known in the industry Australia wide

for its high tech inverter repair capabilities.

This allows us to provide fast and reliable back up

service and repairs for our products, customers and

their installations.

Solar Inverters is a vertically integrated company. It is

engaged in every aspect of the renewable energy

industry including import and export of hardware,

design and consultancy, manufacture, tender

specification services, inverter repair and calibration

services, solar instrumentation and R & D.

Understanding the components that go into putting

together a reliable and high performing system has

enabled us to select the best quality equipment

available, for all of our customers in Australia and

overseas.

Mr Bulanyi says that “to us, system performance and

reliability is paramount. This was the key factor in our

company Solar Inverters recently being awarded one of

Australia’s largest solar projects, the design supply,

installation and long term maintenance of a 137kW

rooftop solar system for Coffs Harbour City Council.”

We submitted a unique design using Power-One

Aurora Inverters and Kyocera Solar panels. We clearly

demonstrated that the use of such premium

components for a long term result far outweighed the

short term gain with low cost equipment. We overcame

many unusual technical design challenges in regards

to site shading, mechanical fixing of the solar panels to

the roof and general integration of the system.”

Our aim is to raise awareness and promote a greater

understanding of solar power and why the quality will

always outshine the shady alternatives.

Feel free to call us with your technical questions and

we will happily assist so that you can make the best

purchasing decision.

www.solarinverters.com.au / [email protected]

/ 1300 767 761

Solar Inverters Pty LtdPeter Bulanyi, Managing Director of Solar Inverters Pty Ltd says, “renewable energy is strictlya science and engineering business. Companies that are serious about renewableenergy primarily employ electronics engineers, technicians and electricians.”


It is within the powers of local government to

infl uence the energy choices of their citizens and

many progressive municipalities “have already taken

innovative decisions to enhance the deployment

and use of renewable energy resources within their

geographic boundaries,” notes the IEA in ‘Cities, Towns

and Renewable Energy.’

The report is designed to “inspire” local public and

private offi cials “to gain a greater understanding of the

potential for renewable energy, and to comprehend

how its enhanced deployment could benefi t local

citizens and business.”

The document provides guidance to policy-makers

at higher levels of government to incentivise local

communities and to enable these policy-makers to

“appreciate the role that local municipalities might

play in increasing the deployment of renewable energy

and moving further towards the desired transition from

a fossil fuel future to a sustainable energy future”.

Local governments around the world have

instigated policies which can be “easily adopted” by

other local governments. The report provides case

studies from municipalities with populations ranging

from 1,500 to 12.4 million, “to illustrate how policy

development can impact on the deployment of

renewable energy within territorial boundaries.

“Cities tend to target a specifi c renewable energy

resource that best suits their conditions,” from solar PV in

low-latitude high-sunshine regions; geothermal power

in cities located near tectonic plates; and bioenergy in

areas with a nearby forest industry.

“In larger cities, only a portion of the total energy

demand is likely to be met by renewable energy

projects located within the city boundary,” the

report fi nds, but renewable energy “could become

a signifi cant component of the total energy mix of

a distributed energy system by employing new and

improved small-scale technologies together with smart

meters and intelligent grids.

“The local approach to renewable energy project

deployment can help to demonstrate what is possible,

at what costs and who the winners and losers might

be,” it adds. “Social experimentation relating to

renewable energy deployment and climate change

mitigation and adaptation can also be undertaken

at the local level and, where successful, adopted

nationally.”

Local government can play major role in promoting renewable energiesEvery city in the world should undertake policy development to support the deployment of renewable energy, recommends a 200-page report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).



Development of renewable energy deployment

policies should be associated with energy effi ciency

measures, the report recommends. “Putting parallel

policies in place to support the use of renewable

energy by the local community usually makes good

sense.”

“A wide range of policies is already evident for

councils to select from, that will lead to greater

renewable energy deployment,” it concludes. “None

of these would suit all cities and towns, so careful

evaluation is required to determine those most

appropriate to local conditions.”

Cities with few pro-renewables policies in place

should evaluate the performance of their peers who

embrace renewable energy, and determine whether

similar benefi ts would accrue. “Support from citizens

and local businesses for the greater deployment of

renewable energy technologies is essential, based on a

good understanding of the issues,” the report adds.

“If each of the many successful renewable energy

demonstration projects and innovative policies

undertaken by leading cities as identifi ed in this study,

could be replicated one hundred-fold during the

coming decade,” it states, “then cities could become

facilitators of change in the energy sector.”


Local governments around the world have instigated policies which can be “easily adopted” by other local governments.

For over 40 years, Aquatec-Maxcon Pty. Ltd. has been in the forefront of supplying water and wastewater treatment technologies.

Aquatec-Maxcon provides fast, cost effective solutions for potable water treatment, municipal wastewater treatment, industrial wastewater treatment and water recycling.

We design and develop, manufacture and install, test and commission.

Through our Aquatec Products Division we can supply Trojan UV Systems, Kubota Membrane Bioreactors, Vortisand Fine Sand Filters, MF/UF/RO Membrane Systems, CSO VacFlush Bottom Tank Flushing Systems, Centrifugal Aeration Blowers (HV Turbo), Capstone Microturbine Co-gen Generators and CSO/ Biogest Mechanical Sludge Hyrdolosis Units.


RENEWABLE ENERGY

AGL is Australia’s leading integrated

renewable energy company, and is

taking action toward creating a

sustainable energy future. The company

is committed to leading Australia in

minimising the effects of climate change

by investing in sustainable energy

businesses such as wind farms and

innovative environmentally friendly

projects such as the hydroelectric

Bogong Power Station.

AGL has major investments in the

supply of gas and electricity, as well as a

substantial base of over 3.2 million

customers across Australia.

AGL has been developing a suite of

renewable assets for several years and

has a large pipeline of renewable

projects which, when completed, will significantly

contribute towards the long-term goal of 20% renewable

energy by 2020. Whether it is wind farms in South

Australia or gas exploration in New South Wales, AGL

continues to realise its vision and works to minimise its

own impact on the environment. The company

continues to build on its renewable generation capacity,

which is already substantial.

AGL recently announced it would build the 52 MW

AGL Hallett 5 Wind Farm in South Australia, and also

announced it had entered into conditional

arrangements to build the 365 MW Macarthur Wind

Farm in Victoria, pending the passage of legislation

making changes to the Renewable Energy Target

scheme and Board approvals. AGL formally launched its

hydroelectric 140 MW Bogong Power Station last year.

Decisions being made today by AGL to invest in

renewable energy are contributing to Australia’s

response to climate change, by shaping the energy

profile of our community for the years to come. AGL

operates about 800MW of zero emission hydro

generation. Combined with a possible 134 wind turbines

in South Australia with a total capacity of over 255MW,

and an additional 400MW of wind generation permitted

and under investment consideration, these assets will

make AGL the largest listed owner, operator or developer

of renewable generation in Australasia.

As further demonstration of AGL’s sustainability

credentials, it is one of Australia’s leading businesses in

relation to sustainability performance. AGL, a

constituent company on the Dow Jones Sustainability

Asia Pacific Index (DJSI Asia Pacific), is the only

Australian integrated energy company to have been

included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI

World). Furthermore, it has been recognised as a global

leader in relation to the disclosure of carbon related risks

and opportunities and was the only Australian utility to

be named among the 38 Australian and New Zealand

companies on the Carbon Disclosure Project’s Carbon

Disclosure Leadership Index.

At AGL, sustainability is about recognising that if it

wants its business to be here, successful and respected

in the next 10, 20 or 50 years, it needs to do the right

thing by its shareholders, employees, customers, the

community and the environment. By engaging in these

sustainable activities and drawing on over 170 years of

experience, it is uniquely positioned to help its own and

other businesses transition to a carbon-constrained

future.

AGL reduces risk to the environment and minimises

its environmental impact by integrating considerations

of environmental sustainability into all activities. Key

considerations for AGL and its stakeholders in minimising

environmental impact include pollution prevention,

promotion of waste minimisation, reuse and recycling,

the efficient use of resources such as water and energy

and protecting cultural heritage.

For more information please visit agl.com.au

AGL leading the way

AG

L20

88

For superior service, competitive pricing and expert assistanceWe’ve been the energy experts for over 170 years. And that experience has set the

standard for excellence in the delivery of energy to local government. For you that means

priority service with a dedicated service team, competitive rates, expert advice on energy

effi ciency, Carbon Management Solutions and more. And as Australia’s leading renewable

energy company, we are perfectly placed to help you meet your green energy requirements.

Call AGL and we’ll help your organisation do better.

For expert advice and service, call 1300 793 477 (8.30am-5.30pm, Monday to Friday AEST.)

Why choose Australia’s leading renewable energy company?

AGL2088_Local Govt Year Book_A4 ADV_FA.indd 1 9/03/10 11:56 AM


ENVIRONMENT

It is estimated that 1 in 5 Australian households have

a used automotive battery on their property, which

poses a serious environmental risk, particularly when

we consider that 98% of a used lead acid battery is

recyclable.

Used lead acid batteries contain hazardous

materials which if not handled correctly may prove

harmful to humans, wildlife and the local environment

and this presents local councils with the challenge of

ensuring they are not disposed of with household waste

or discarded on road sides.

Century Yuasa Batteries, Australia’s oldest and most

recognised battery manufacturer has launched a

National Battery Recycling Program designed to help

reduce the impact of used lead acid batteries on the

environment.

The scheme can assist local councils and

businesses with the management and reduction of

costs associated with the disposal of used lead acid

batteries, by providing motorists, homeowners and

businesses with a national network of convenient

locations and resources to recycle their used batteries.

According to Steve Hermann, General Manager of

CenturyYuasa’s automotive division

“As a responsible business it is important that wemanage the ‘cradle to grave’ process of manufacture,distribution and responsible disposal of used batteries.

In many cases we have found that people aresimply unaware of how or where to dispose of theirused batteries correctly and as a result we often seebatteries discarded with household waste, at localrefuse sites or dumped on road sides.

Century is committed to working with local councilsto help reduce the number of used batteries that findthere way into refuse sites and the local environment.Our program provides a total scrap battery

management solution, which includes a range ofmaterials available for use by local councils to supporttheir environmental and recycling programs and helpreduce the environmental impact of used lead acidbatteries.”

To support the scheme Century has created a

dedicated recycling website

www.recyclemybattery.com.au and a national contact

number 1300 650 702 where motorists and homeowners

can find their nearest CenturyYuasa Battery Recycling

Centre. The site features over 800 approved recycling

sites nationally, ensuring coverage throughout metro

and regional Australia and also contains useful

information and advice on all aspects of battery

recycling.

For more information on the CenturyYuasa Battery

Recycling program speak to your Century Recycling

specialist on 1300 362 287 visit

www.recyclemybattery.com.au or email [email protected].

On Road to a cleaner futurewith Century Batteries



The four councils introduced a ban on the kerbside

collection of e-waste (electronic waste) from

1 January 2010, due to concerns about their

effect on the environment when placed in landfi ll.

E-waste contains an alarming range of toxic materials,

including lead, cadmium and mercury. E-waste also

contains valuable non-renewable resources such as

nickel, copper and zinc which can be recovered during

any recycling process.

E-waste has been defi ned by the councils as

computers, televisions, printers, scanners, modems, DVD

players, VCRs and gaming machines.

Previously e-waste had been collected as part of

each council’s general household clean-up collection,

which normally take place twice a year.

However, from 1 January residents are no longer

allowed to place e-waste items out for collection. The

councils have successfully held scheduled ‘drop-off

days’ in early 2010 at centralised locations to coincide

with its practice on unwanted paints and household

chemicals.

SHOROC President and Warringah Mayor Michael

Regan said that the councils had led the campaign

nationwide. The agreement reached last week between

the state and federal environment ministers on a new

national waste policy includes a nationwide e-waste

recycling scheme by 2011.

“We took our concerns about the effect of e-waste

on the environment to Canberra and we’re pleased to

see a national approach to this issue as a result,” he

said. “Our e-waste recycling/collection strategy such as

drop-off days in 2010 will be an interim measure until a

federal e-waste recycling scheme takes effect.”

The national waste policy announced last week

would introduce a nationwide scheme from 2011

whereby householders would be able to drop off their

e-waste at centralised collection points across Australia.

SHOROC Councils’ e-waste Ban Leads Australia and Confi rms New National PolicyThe SHOROC group of councils of Mosman, Manly, Warringah and Pittwater say their ban on e-waste will likely be followed across Australia, and has received tacit support from combined state and federal governments following the announcement of a new national waste policy.


ENERGY

Conergy Group is one of the

world’s largest companies solely

dedicated to renewable energy.

Founded in 1998 in Hamburg,

Germany, Conergy now numbers

among the leading international

providers of renewable energy systems.

With offices in over 20 countries across

5 continents, the company has

established itself as a leader in the

booming renewable energy market.

In Australia, Conergy are proud to

have distribution facilities in Brisbane,

Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Darwin

with plans to open two further offices

in 2010. Our network manufactures

and supplies a broad range of solar

hot water, grid connect & off grid solar

power system packages and small

wind power solutions. Our products

are used in individual homes, small

community projects and large

commercial and industrial developments.

Conergy EPC has engineered and constructed

some of the worlds largest Solar PV Megawatt scale

power stations, and has recently finished Asia’s largest

PV power plant, a 24MW project SinAn in Korea.

When Conergy designs and builds turn-key PV

systems, they ensure the best engineering, technologies

and services are used to guarantee clients that their

investment goals are reached. Each customer around

the world can rely on Conergy’s extensive system

experience of over 100 MW of installed capacities, and

in general, on over 1.2 Gigawatt of renewable energy

systems installed, developed or sold around the world.

With our international Megawatt presence on all

major continents, we are the only company that has

proven to be capable of designing and managing a

20+ MW project in and around Asia.

Conergy are not only one of the worlds largest truly

global installer of utility scale PV, but have extensive

experience in managing large scale domestic

installations of Solar Hot Water and PV systems. It has

proven to be successful managing the customers

expectations, site assessment, installation and post

installation quality audits. As a manufacturer, Conergy

are able to offer both quality and value while offering

genuine backup to their warranty’s.

Everyone at Conergy, from engineers to sales

professionals, is passionate about creating access to

efficient, economical and clean energy. With a large

network of renewable energy experts worldwide,

Conergy is proud to provide the building industry with

the best products and service.

Our in-house PV Engineers and Clean Energy

Council accredited solar system designers are only a

phone call away. So whether you’re in the planning

stages of a large or small project or want detailed

technical advice and system design support, Conergy

delivers the goods. You can be assured of top quality

technical advice and guidance at all stages of your

project.

Call us on 1300551303 and ask about our special LocalAuthority discounts on our Proven Wind turbines.www.conergy.com.au

Conergy – Our world is full of energy

R e s o u rc e s a re o u r b u s i n e s s , t o o .

BY HARNESSING ENDLESS RESOURCES LIKE THE SUN AND THE

WIND, YOU CAN FUTURE PROOF YOUR BUSINESS TODAY.

As a global leader in renewable energy technology with over 1 Gigawatt of

renewables installed, Conergy Group’s products and projects are already delivering

clean, renewable energy to over 1.7 million people worldwide every year. In addition

to our range of quality solar solutions, we also supply the world’s only explosion

proof BWEA certifi ed small wind turbines for the oil & gas industry. So whether your

business is considering solar or small wind power - make Conergy your strong,

reliable partner in renewable energy technology and system integration from small

to large scale projects.

Call Conergy Australia on 1300 724 531 for more information, or

visit us online: www.conergy.com.au

O U R W O R L D I S F U L L O F E N E R G Y .



The scientists said their monitoring and research of the world’s driest inhabited continent for 100 years “clearly demonstrate that climate change is real.”

“We are seeing signifi cant evidence of a changing climate. We are warming in every part of the country during every season and as each decade goes by, the records are being broken,” said Megan Clark, head of Australia’s state-backed Commonwealth Scientifi c & Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). The U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change acknowledged in January its 2007 report had exaggerated the pace of Himalayan glaciers melting, and last month said the report also had overstated how much of the Netherlands is below sea level. The 2007 report is based on the work of thousands of scientists and is the main policy guide for governments looking to act on climate change. Skeptics have leapt on the errors, saying they undermine the science of climate change but the IPCC, which has announced a review, has defended its work. The CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology report said international research showed it is extremely unlikely that global warming could be explained by natural causes alone. “There is greater than 90 percent certainty that increases in greenhouse gas emissions have caused most of the global warming since the mid-20th century,” said the report. “Evidence of human infl uence has been detected

in ocean warming, sea-level rise, continental-average temperatures, temperature extremes and wind patterns,” said the report. Australia, a major grains and meat producer, battled the worst drought in 100 years for most of the past decade, damaging its farm output, but in recent years the commodities sector has been recovering due to good rainfall. The government estimated farm output for 2008/09 at A$42 billion ($38.4 billion) out of total Australian gross domestic product of A$1.2 trillion. Studies show that rising seas, shifting rainfall patterns and greater extremes of droughts and fl oods could cost Australia’s economy dearly. A government report last November said residential buildings worth up to A$63 billion could be inundated if seas rise by 1.1 metres (3.5 feet) this century.

Heating upSince 1960, the mean temperature in Australia has increased by about 0.7 degrees Celsius, but some areas of the country had warmed by 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius in the past 50 years, the report said. Australia’s warmest decade on record is 2000 to 2009. While total rainfall in Australia had been relatively stable, the geographic distribution changed signifi cantly over the past 50 years, with rainfall decreasing in southwest and southeast Australia, the major population areas. Sea levels around the island continent since 1993 have risen 7-10mm per year in the north and west and 1.5 to 3mm in the south and east, said the report. From 1870 to 2007, the global average sea level rose by close to 200mm (8 inches), sea levels rose at an average of 1.7mm a year in the 20th century and about 3mm per year from 1993-2009, it said. Sea surface temperatures around Australia have increased by about 0.4 degrees Celsius in the past 50 years. The scientists said global carbon dioxide concentration in 2009 of 386 parts per million (ppm) was much higher than the natural range of 170 to 300 ppm that existed in the atmosphere for the past 800,000 years and possibly 20 million years. The scientists said that based on their monitoring of the nation’s climate for 100 years, Australian average temperatures are projected to rise by 0.6 to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030.

(Source: Thomson Reuters)

Climate Report Shows Australia Getting WarmerBy Michael Perry with David Fogarty

Australia’s top scientists recently released a “State of the Climate” report at a time of growing scepticism over climate change as a result of revelations of errors in some global scientifi c reports.



Spokesperson for Environment and Health

Councillor George Moore said that large

quantities of paper and cardboard were being

disposed at Tara Landfi ll by a number of local

businesses. Until now no paper or cardboard recycling

schemes serviced the Tara area.

“In response to this need council has launched a

program which involves Tara businesses separating

paper and cardboard which is then recycled.

Council saw an opportunity to minimise rubbish and

divert the recyclable waste stream from the landfi ll

while supporting a local charity by saving Waminda

volunteers the trip out to Tara,” Cr Moore said.

The concept of recycling commercial paper and

cardboard was fi rst suggested by Council’s Overseer

Engineering Services at Tara, Lenny Wright, who

recognised a way to better utilise vehicles travelling

across the region.

“Each week, empty Council trucks leave Tara for

Dalby to be loaded with screenings. To make use of

these otherwise empty trucks, they are now being

loaded with stockpiled recyclables from Tara. En route

to collecting screenings the trucks deliver recyclables

to Waminda Services in Dalby,” Mr Wright said.

Operations Manager Greg Murr said Waminda

Services is a non-profi t organisation that collects

materials, including paper and cardboard, for recycling

from around the district and helps improve the quality

of life and opportunities for advancement for people

and families wherever disability impacts.

“Waminda Services Limited is very appreciative of

the initiative of the Western Downs Regional Council in

supporting our Waste Paper and Cardboard recycling

operation,” Mr Murr said.

“Council collects cardboard from key businesses

in the Tara township and transports it to us in Dalby

for processing. This is a win-win arrangement in that it

not only alleviates strain on the landfi ll facility at Tara,

but also provides us with approximately one tonne of

cardboard per week.

“We hope to improve and expand on this

partnership in the future as we move forward with

the Council and regional communities, playing an

active part in continuing to develop environmentally

responsible practices.”

So far the response from local businesses has been

encouraging with Waminda receiving 18 cubic metres

per week.

Local businesses wishing to participate in Council’s initiative are encouraged to contact the Tara Customer Service Centre on (07) 4665 3133.

Council’s new recycling initiative proving a successWestern Downs Regional Council’s Waste Management team and Engineering Services have jointly launched an innovative recycling scheme that is removing commercial waste streams from Tara Landfi ll.


What is the issue?A childhood that is primarily sedentary and spent

indoors can lead to poorer physical and mental health

outcomes2. Conversely, there is growing recognition

of the importance to children’s and young people’s

health of physical activity, both structured and

unstructured, contact with nature and time outdoors.

Traditionally, interventions to address these issues

have been targeted through schools, recreational

settings, or families and individuals considered more at

risk. However recently it has been recognised that the

built environment is an alternative intervention point for

improving health and wellbeing. Parks and open space

represent an often present but underused setting in

this regard. For children and young people, parks and

open space are not just the stereotypical place to play,

but also provide a place to socialise, be physically

active, explore, have fun, ‘hang out’, be in contact with

nature, escape from indoors, or just be free from the

encumbrances of an increasingly adult world.

The fact that urban planning standards and bylaws

now require suburbs, towns and new developments to

include provision for parks and open space presents

an opportunity for enhancing the wellbeing of children

and young people. However, as noted by Jane Jacobs

in her iconic study of the death and life of great

American cities, people do not use open space ‘just

because it is there and because city planners or

designers wish they would’3. They use it for their own

unique and varied purposes. Hence it is important to

understand the reasons why children do or don’t use

such areas (including factors infl uencing their parents

and carers), how children perceive, use, experience

and value parks and open space, in what ways they

benefi t, how their needs vary with age, gender or

ethnicity and how they are affected when access is

diminished.

Aspects of health and wellbeing relevant to parks and open space

Sedentary lifestylesFor both adults and children, the way in which we

work, live and play is increasingly sedentary compared

with past generations. Children today are often driven

to school and other places due to safety concerns,

distances between home and multiple destinations

and parental work schedules4. Societal concerns about

‘stranger danger’ have also led many parents to curtail

the kind of free play at the park or vacant lot enjoyed

by previous generations2. At the same time, there has

been an increase in inactive leisure activities such as

playing video games or watching television5.

Physical activityThe rise in sedentariness and obesity is paralleled

by a decline in children’s physical activity levels6. Higher

levels of physical activity in childhood are associated

with reduced risk of many chronic diseases later in

life including heart disease, high blood pressure,

diabetes, some cancers and obesity8. While there

are many contributing factors (physical education in

schools, family infl uences), environmental factors such

as urban design, access to parks and playgrounds

and neighbourhood safety7 also infl uence children’s

opportunities to be active as well as their activity levels.

Childhood obesity and overweightChildhood obesity is increasingly described as a

global epidemic9. In 2006, 6% of Australian children

were obese and 17% were overweight10. It is projected

that 25% of young Australians will be obese by 2025

if current trends are not reversed11. As well as the

obvious link to nutrition, childhood obesity is strongly

associated with lower levels of daily physical activity and

increased hours of television viewing12. In addition to the

adverse consequences to physical health in later life,

overweight and obese children suffer from social and

mental health issues including bullying and teasing,

low self-esteem, disturbed body image, exclusion by

peers and depression13.

Mental health and wellbeingIn addition to the mental health benefi ts associated

with physical activity14, parks and open space provide

opportunities for social interaction and contact with

nature which are protective factors for mental health.

The presence of nature in children’s immediate vicinity

can improve mental health15 and be restorative16.

New research angles relating to the nexus between

nature and children’s wellbeing are also emerging. For

example, a signifi cant reduction in ADHD symptoms has

been observed for boys and girls exposed weekly to

green space17. As noted by Louv, access to green and

outdoor spaces can also foster social interaction and

friendships, both for children and their parents2.

Action for Young Australians Report

Parks and open space: for the health and wellbeing of children and young peopleThe quality of the experience of living in a community is strongly infl uencedby the ambience of its parks, gardens and open spaces, by the vibrancy, safety, aesthetics and sense of ownership and stewardship of its open spaces. 1, p23

PARKS & OPEN SPACE

PARKS & OPEN SPACE

What is the evidence base for what works?As shown in the diagram below, there are a number of

elements that can be created or modifi ed to infl uence

both the quantity and quality of children’s experiences

in parks and open space.

The ways in which parks and open space

characteristics infl uence, and can be modifi ed for,

health and wellbeing are detailed below.

Catering for varying needs The reasons for and nature of children’s park

use can vary considerably by age, gender, physical

capability, ethnicity and area. Parks need to cater to

both passive and active use. Passive uses of parks

reported by children include socialising and ‘hanging

out’1, while active uses typically include playing on

sporting equipment, skateboarding, walking and

playing sport1. In terms of age differences, younger

kids are more likely to visit the park with parents

or older family members and for purposes of play,

including playground use4. Popular uses reported for

primary school aged children include playing on play

equipment, ball games and walking1. Older children

and adolescents on the other hand are more likely to

use parks for socialising1, as well as for organised sport

or informal sporting activity such as ball games18.

There is very little in the published literature about

the experiences and perceptions of young people

from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) or

Indigenous backgrounds in relation to parks and open

space. However, a youth consultation undertaken

for the City of Darebin highlighted the need to

recognise that people from Indigenous and existing

and emerging CaLD communities use and view parks

differently1. Experiences of non-acceptance, fear of

racism and lack of intercultural understanding, can

deter some young people of CaLD backgrounds from

using parks. In addition, due to higher visibility when

congregated in public (e.g. due to skin colour or

dress), they can be erroneously accused of ‘anti-social’

behaviour or be classifi ed as ‘gangs’19. In relation to

young people with disabilities, while some parks have

specifi c equipment (e.g. a wheelchair swing) available,

broader issues emphasised in the literature relate to

actual access into the park and fear of stigmatisation20

21.

Accessibility Having parks, ovals or open space close to home

increases the likelihood that children and young

people will use them22 23 and has been associated

with signifi cantly higher levels of physical activity23-27.

While some studies of children and young people

have used 800 metres as a marker of park proximity,

it is recommended that parks be within 5 minutes

walk or 400 metres from the furthest house in the

neighbourhood to ensure easy access by walking or

cycling28.

As well as close proximity, active adolescents also

report the importance of walkability, including ease

of movement within an area and road connectivity

to get to parks29. Access to parks and open space is

increasingly important given the declining prominence

of the suburban backyard and increasing higher

density living in Australia. The presence or absence

of ovals, reserves and parks can also determine

convenience of access to sporting clubs and activities

that commonly take place at these, such as junior

sport (e.g. t-ball, football) or dog walking groups.

Informal opportunities to play sport are also affected by

access.

Sometimes a park or oval can be present in a

neighbourhood but not necessarily available to young

people. The fencing and padlocking of a school oval to

prevent vandalism, for example, has been bemoaned

as a loss of a place to play by young people30. Park

accessibility for children and/or parents and carers with

disabilities is also important. This applies both to physical

access into the park, movement within it (e.g. presence

and quality of paths), location of amenities such as

toilets, and provision of shaded resting areas20 21.

Proximity to traffi c In a study of physical activity and adolescent girls, the

higher the traffi c density, the less likely the girls were to

travel to the park. This was associated in turn with lower

physical activity levels39. Footpaths en route to parks

and safe crossings to a park by means of median strips,

zebra crossings and, where traffi c is moderately high,

traffi c lights, can reduce both actual safety risks and

parental concerns about safety. The location of parks

and open space away from busy main roads and high

density traffi c is also an important

planning consideration27 and the

recommendation for parks to

be within a fi ve minute walk of

houses reduces the likelihood

of needing to cross busy

intersections28.

PARKS & OPEN SPACE


Size There are differing viewpoints in the literature and

in urban planning guidelines relating to the optimal

size of parks and open space. Larger surface areas

such as ovals and larger parks have been associated

with greater physical activity in young children28,

but increasing park proximity to homes may entail

a greater number of smaller parks and green areas.

On balance, a variety of sizes is optimal within a

community, thus catering to different needs of different

people at different times31.

SafetyBoth perceived and actual safety concerns, as well

as a broader societal trend towards an over-protective

style of parenting2 impact on children’s and young

people’s use and experience of parks and open space.

Parental concerns about safety in neighbourhoods is

signifi cantly associated with children engaging in lower

levels of physical activity outside of the school setting27.

A recent qualitative Australian study identifi ed “stranger

danger” as one of the main reasons for parents

restricting their children’s independent mobility within

neighbourhoods32. Children themselves have also

reported being afraid of strangers33, although not to the

same level of concern expressed by parents27.

Use of parks and open space is also affected

by parent and child concerns about the risks of

encountering dangers of a physical form, such as

syringes or broken glass, or social form, such as bullying

and antisocial behaviour from teenagers32 34. However,

as noted by Kelty et al35 little is known about the actual

risk posed by these concerns, nor is there evidence

of any increase in child abductions or assaults by

strangers in Australia over the past few decades.

Parent and carer safety concerns that consequently

disallow children to play alone or without supervision

at parks, or to travel independently to and from parks,

can signifi cantly impact on the time children spend in

outdoor play36. Factors shown to increase perceptions

of safety and hence park use include improving natural

surveillance by opening the park to view of surrounding

houses37, lighting at night 22 38 and the presence of

an authority fi gure such as a park ranger or security

guard27. Maintenance of playgrounds and parks and

the absence or removal of graffi ti are also factors that

shape parent and community perceptions of park

safety44.

AestheticsAlthough more researched in relation to adults,

aesthetic factors (e.g. attractiveness, presence of

interesting focal points) are relevant also to children’s

mental health and appear to infl uence both use of

parks and associated physical activity and, more

broadly, feelings towards the neighbourhood29.

Adolescent girls for example, were found to be more

physically active on weekends if they rated their overall

neighbourhood as attractive with enjoyable scenery40.

In another study, children expressed a desire for clean

and attractive environments as a preference relating to

outdoor play41. While not negating the attractiveness of

manicured park gardens and grassed areas, children

and young people also need and value access

to natural landscapes2. There is also sometimes a

tension between what is designed by developers and

landscape architects to be aesthetically pleasing and

what is functional and practical for park user groups, in

particular children.

Facilities and amenitiesAspects of park infrastructure shown to be

associated with park preference and increased

physical activity among young people include:

• large, grassed open areas for free play and room to

run42

• playgrounds that cater to different age-groups42

• physically challenging and interesting play

equipment 41

• playground equipment and other features that

enhance creative and unstructured play,

imagination and agility43

• safe walking and cycle paths22 26 27 38

• high quality and clearly designated areas for play

including sporting fi elds and pitches (for football

and cricket) 18 22 and half or full basketball courts1/

basketball rings41

• shelter, seating and tables for adults supervising

children on play equipment24

• better overall amenities such as fresh drinking

water22

• accessible toilets1

• improved lighting1

• aesthetic features and nature e.g. water features,

trees2

• skateboards ramps (mainly used by boys)22 41

• events and activities that draw families or young

people such as movies or music1.

It is pertinent to note that some facilities may cater

better to particular subsets of young people; a case in

point being Cohen’s fi nding that boys’ physical activity

was positively associated with parks with skateboard

ramps, while the relationship was inverse for girls22.

Similarly, facilities that attract older teenagers may deter

young children or vice versa. Further investigation is

needed regarding ways parks and open space can

optimally cater for multiple user groups35.

While the literature and guidelines often focus on

more structured features of parks and open space

(such as playground equipment and paths) from a

broader child development perspective, providing

opportunities for creative play, exploring, make-believe,

PARKS & OPEN SPACE

contact with different textures and exposure to nature

are all critical, and often missing in the more typical

‘plastic fantastic’ playgrounds of today. The willingness

of parents to travel across suburbs to more unique

parks that are often built from natural materials or have

a unique feature (e.g. resembling a ship, a volcano) is

testimony to this44.

Conditions As articulated by Bedimo-Rung et al, ‘people

choose to visit or not visit parks not only because of

what features are located there, but also because of

the condition of those features’. The condition of play

equipment is a key infl uence in a parent’s decision

to let children play in certain parks45. In a recent WA

study, negatives relating to the condition of playground

equipment and vandalism on playgrounds, tables or

benches emerged as a deterrent or reason for using

parks outside of the local area44. The condition of

parks has also been found to vary by area, with a US

playground audit reporting signifi cantly more safety

problems in disadvantaged neighbourhoods46. Both

actual and perceived conditions of parks by parents

and the wider community can be a barrier to park use

for children.

Rules Rules and regulations relating to parks and open

space can work both for and against children and

young people. Although not often mentioned in

the published literature, evidence ‘on the ground’

suggests that in some instances rules and restrictions

put in place to address one issue (e.g. no dogs, no

ballgames, no bikes or scooters on the grass) can

inadvertently deter children’s and young people’s use

of these areas.

On the other hand, parents of young children

sometimes report feeling that fenced playgrounds

are safer (e.g. less likelihood of animals entering, less

litter)44 and that rules relating to things such as shared

path use (e.g. for walking, bikes, rollerblades, scooters)

are also in the interest of safety. Trends towards a

more litigious society also have potential negative

implications, for instance liability concerns or insurance

costs that result in rationalisation of playgrounds31.

What is currently done to address the issue? Distilling what is current practice and approaches

in relation to parks and open space as it pertains to

children and young people is not a straightforward task

for a number of reasons:

1. What is currently done does not fall neatly into the mandate of a particular sector, profession or research fi eld.

As with many intersectoral issues, parks and open

space can run the risk of ‘falling through the cracks’

as an area for policy attention and intervention.

There are no guidelines or recommendations that

apply nationally, and at state and territory and local

government level, it is mainly broader issues that

are covered (e.g. the percentage of land allocated

to green space, regulations relating to types of

use). Although ‘quantity’ of access to parks and

open space per se is an issue in some areas, and

can be problematic particularly in small remote

communities, ‘quality’ is probably the more neglected

issue, particularly for children and young people. For

instance, while planning guidelines often stipulate

the minimum area to be allocated to parks and open

space in new developments (e.g. 10% in WA), little

if any consideration is given to the variability in size,

location, inclusion of interesting features and activities

for population groups.

2. What is currently done also gets framed and addressed differently depending on the group or sector concerned. Parks and open spaces are variously considered as:

• important for physical activity – referred to in

guidelines and reports on children’s physical

activity47

• infrastructure – usually the remit of local

government and concerned with facilities, co-

existence of different user groups, maintenance and

safety issues

• a venue for activity – used by sporting groups,

recreational clubs and other activities for children

and young people

• ‘a place for youth’ – recognised in the youth sector

as places where young people may like to hang

out, but also where anti-social behaviour may occur

• a planning or design issue – urban planners,

landscape architects and developers are among

groups that infl uence the placement, size, design

and content of parks and open space, but may not

overtly consider specifi c issues relating to children

and young people

• play areas for young children – both the general

community and parent groups recognise access

to parks, playgrounds and space to run and play as

important for children, as well as providing an ‘out of

the house’ option for parents.

3. What is currently being done is not always easy to fi nd. Within Australia as elsewhere, there is much unseen

activity that is relevant to parks and open space and

young people, ranging from PhD studies, local council

projects, youth development initiatives and more.

Examples include council youth consultations and

park planning in Victoria and a mobile ‘fun van’ visiting

parks in WA to draw parents and

young children. As information

about such initiatives is usually

not formally published or

disseminated, there is greater

likelihood of wheels being

re-invented elsewhere and

lessons learnt

being lost.


4. What is currently done is often on behalf of children and young people.

The direct and indirect value of input from children

and young people is less acknowledged in the

published literature but is a recurring theme in a

number of consultation documents and reports.

A Victorian inquiry into sustainable urban design for

example, noted that it is rare for young people to be

consulted about the design of public open space

and refers to ‘the skatepark’ as ‘frequently representing

the quintessence of planning for youth’48. By contrast,

involving young people can foster a sense of ownership

of public places in a way that merely providing

them with facilities cannot do1. Published qualitative

research undertaken with children aged 6 to 12 years

also highlights the rich insights afforded by children

into the mix of intrapersonal, social and environmental

factors that infl uence their perceptions and use of

open space41.

Who can make a difference?The ARACY webinar discussion around parks and

open space for children in late 2008 highlighted the

diversity and groundswell of interest around Australia

in enhancing children and young people’s access to

and experiences of parks and open space. Those

identifi ed as having an interest and role to play are

listed in the table below.

The issue of parks and open space for children and young people does not fall neatly into the mandate of a particular sector, profession or research fi eld. Those who can make a difference include: • Urban designers

• Urban planners

• Town planners

• Developers

• Landscape architects

• Local government (various sections, including crime

and safety, youth development, park maintenance)

• Playground designers and contractors

• Botanists

• Education Departments

• National parks

• Environmental groups (e.g. Men of the Trees, Earthcare)

• Park and open space user groups

• Local residents

• Youth organisations and events

• Parents and carers

• Groups working priority youth populations

(e.g. CaLD, Aboriginal)

• Service clubs (e.g. Rotary, Lions)

• Sporting clubs

• Sport and recreation departments/organisations

• Kidsafe Australia

• Community and kitchen garden projects

Experience from the fi eld also tells us While many of the factors that can contribute to

children’s and young people’s use and experience

of parks and open space can be drawn from the

literature, there is an incredible volume of anecdotal

and grassroots insight that needs to be tapped into for

some of the unanswered questions. For example:

• What are the key modifi able factors that make

some parks very popular while others are deserted

and avoided?

• How can we resolve tensions between teenagers

needing places to hang out and community

apprehension about ‘loitering’?

• Who is ‘leading the way’ in relation to designing and

planning ‘best practice’ parks and open space?

• Are there ways to engage children and young

people more in the planning and design of such

spaces?

• Can modern parks and open space cater to

children’s developmental needs for adventure,

exploration and imagination?

• Is there scope to roll out ‘adopt a park’ programs to

local residents, schools and other community

groups to increase sense of ownership as well as

practical care of parks and open space?

• How can parks and open space better cater

simultaneously to a range of age groups, youth of

CaLD backgrounds and those with special needs?

Posing these and other questions, and identifying

the actionable gaps in research, policy and practice to

date, are part of the way forward to enhancing the role

that parks and open space can play in the health and

wellbeing of children and young people in Australia.

Where to from here? While there is a growing recognition and pockets of

research and activity around Australia in many of the

areas identifi ed above, there is much more that could

be done. Broad recommendations for moving forward

include:

1. Fostering mechanisms for contact and collaboration between diverse organisations and

sectors that have shared interest in enhancing the

role of parks and open space for children’s health

and wellbeing. The ARACY webinar brought just

some of these players ‘out of the woodwork’ and

together, and there was interest among participants

in further sharing of information, ideas and ‘what

works’. The national playground conference to

be held in 2010 is one example of an avenue for

progressing some of these links.

2. Addressing research and research into practice voids. For example, much of the literature and

planning for parks and open space is ‘through

adult eyes’, albeit on behalf of children, and

there is very little Australian research or

documented consultation relating to children’s and

young people’s perspectives on how and why they

use parks, their play equipment preferences

(e.g. ‘plastic fantastic’ versus nature based), barriers

and facilitators to use and different age, gender

and ethnicity groups and so on.

PARKS & OPEN SPACE

PARKS & OPEN SPACE

3. Building community ownership and valuing of parks and open space for children/young people. Low use of parks and open space, a mismatch between

park design and amenities and local demographics,

and incivilities such as graffi ti and vandalism create a

vicious circle that deters parents and children from using

them. Quality also emerges from parents and parent/

youth organisations as an important consideration

for decision-making relating to the location, design,

equipping and landscaping of parks and open space.

Greater consultation with local groups and residents

can help to inform planning and maintenance, and

also aids the process of engagement that helps to build

ownership of parks and open space as a community

asset. There are some promising examples around

Australia of local councils that have taken a more

holistic (i.e. across sectors) approach to parks and open

space and engaged in community consultation with

good outcomes, but there is a role for external groups

and residents to play in encouraging other councils to

follow suit.

Conclusion This brief report summarises both the evidence

and knowledge gaps relating to the contribution that

parks and open space can make to the health and

wellbeing of children and young people. Access to

and use of parks and open space is linked to physical,

social and mental health benefi ts, and is increasingly

important for current generations growing up in a

world with more structured ‘play’, smaller backyards,

higher density housing and rising levels of sedentary

behaviour, childhood obesity and depression. The mere

presence of a park or open space does not, however,

mean that it is enticing or appropriate for children, and

in general parks and open space are often underused

or undervalued. The evidence surrounding the nexus

between parks and open space and children has

been somewhat scattered to date. This report and the

conceptual model presented sought to consolidate

what is currently available. Similarly, there is a diverse

array of sectors, agencies, community groups,

researchers and policy makers to whom this issue is

pertinent; including many whose core business may not

be children and youth per se, but whose role impacts on

the built and natural environment. There is considerable

scope for further communication and collaboration

among these players, and untapped synergies between

parks and open space that make good design sense,

foster a sense of community and help to enhance the

health and wellbeing of children and young people in

Australia.

References1. City of Darebin 2005, City of Darebin: Young People in Darebin Parks, Research Project. Victoria: Success Works.2. Louv, R 2008, Last child in the woods. Saving Our Children from Nature-Defi cit Disorder Revised and updated ed. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books.3. Jacobs, J 1961,The death and life of the great American cities. New York: Random House.4. Morris, J, Wang, F & Lotta, L 2001, School Children’s Travel Patterns: A Look Back and a Way Forward, Transport Engineering in Australia, 7(1-2):15-25.

5. Biddle, SJ, Gorely, T, Marshall, SJ, Murdey, I & Cameron N 2004, Physical activity and sedentary behaviours in youth: issues and controversies. The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, 124(1):29-33.6. Dollman, J, Norton, K & Norton L 2005, Evidence for secular trends in children’s physical activitybehaviour, Br J Sports Med, 39(892-897).7. Crawford, D & Jeffery, RW (editors) 2005, Obesity Prevention and Public Health. New York: Oxford University Press.8. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention 2007, Physical activity and good nutrition: Essential elements to prevent chronic disease and obesity, At A Glance, Atlanta: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.9. Kumanyika, S, Jeffery, R, Morabia, A, Ritenbaugh C & Antipatis V 2002, Obesity prevention: the case for action, International Journal of Obesity, 26:425-436.10. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2008, Making progress: the health, development and wellbeing of Australia’s children and young people, Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.11. Australian Society for the Study of Obesity 2004, Obesity in Australian children. Sydney: Australian Society for the Study of Obesity.12. Janssen, I, Katzmarzyk, P & Boyce WF et al 2005, Comparison of overweight and obesity prevalence in school-aged youth from 34 countries and their relationships with physical activity and dietary patterns, Obesity Reviews, 6:123-132.13. Doyle, AC, le Grange, D, Goldschmidt, A & Wilfl ey DE 2006, Psychosocial and Physical Impairment in Overweight Adolescents at High Risk for Eating Disorders, Obesity, 15(1):145-154.14. Boutcher, SH 2007, Physical Activity and Psychological Well-Being, London & New York: Taylor & Francis Group.15. Küller, R & Lindsten, C 1992, Health and behavior of children in classrooms with and without windows, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 12(4):305-317.16. Korpela, K, Kyttä, M & Hartig, T 2002, Restorative Experience, Self-Regulation, and Children’s Place Preferences, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 22(4):387-398.17. Kuo, FE & Taylor, AF 2004, A Potential Natural Treatment for Attention-Defi cit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence From a National Study, American Journal of Public Health, 94(9):1580-1586.18. Zakarian, JM, Hovell, MF, Hofstetter, CR, Sallis, JF & Keating KJ 1994, Correlates of Vigorous Exercise in a Predominantly Low SES and Minority High School Population, Preventive Medicine, 23(1994):314-321.19. Cottone, C 2005, New Kids on the Block: Making space for Sudanese young people in Queensland, Brisbane: Youth Affairs Network Queensland.20. Rimmer, JH, Riley, B, Wang, E, Rauworth, A & Jurkowski J, 2004, Physical Activity Participation Among Persons with Disabilities Barriers and Facilitators, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 26(5):419-425.21. Seeland, K & Nicolè, S 2006, Public green space and disabled users, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 5(1):29-34.22. Cohen, DA, Ashwood, JS, Scott, MM, Overton, A, Evenson, KR & Staten, LK, et al 2006, Public parks and physical activity among adolescent girls, Pediatrics, 118(5):e1381-9.23. Epstein, LH, Raja, S, Gold, SS, Paluch, RA, Pak, Y & Roemmich, JN 2006, Reducing sedentary behavior: The relationship between park area and the physical activity of youth, Psychological science, 17(8):654-659.


24. Davison, KK & Lawson, CT 2006, Do attributes in the physical environment infl uence children’s physical activity? A review of the literature, International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, 3(19).25. Fein, AJ, Plotnikoff, RC, Wild, TC & Spence, JC 2004, Perceived Environment and Physical Activity in Youth. International Journal of Behavioural Medicine, 11(3):135-142.26. Mota, J, Almeida, M, Santos, P & Ribeiro JC 2005, Perceived Neighborhood Environments and physical activity in adolescents. Preventive Medicine, 41(2005):834-836.27. Timperio, A, Crawford, D, Telford, A & Salmon J 2004, Perceptions about the local neighborhood and walking and cycling among children. Preventive Medicine, 38(1):39-47.28. Roemmich, J, Epstein, L, Raja, S, Yind, H, Robinson, J & Winiewicz D 2006, Association of access to parks and recreational facilities with the physical activity of young children, Preventive Medicine, 43:437-41.29. Santos, MP, Page, AS, Cooper, AR, Ribeiro, JC & Mota J 2008, Perceptions of the built environment in relation to physical activity in Portuguese adolescents, Health & Place.30. Wood, L 2006, Social capital, mental health and the environments in which people live (PhD thesis), The University of Western Australia.31. Australian Local Government Association, National Heart Foundation, Planning Institute of Australia Healthy Spaces and Places; towards a national planning guide; draft discussion document (unpublished paper), 2008. For resulting planning guide, see http://www.healthyplaces.org.au.32. Veitch, J, Bagley, S, Ball, K & Salmon, J 2006 Where do children usually play? A qualitative study of parents’ perceptions of infl uences on children’s active free-play, Health & Place, 12(4):383-393.33. Joshi, MS, MacLean, M & Carter W 1999, Children’s journey to school: Spatial skills, knowledge and perceptions of the environment. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 17(1):125-139.34. Trayers, T 2006, Improving health through neighbourhood environmental change: are we speaking the same language? A qualitative study of views of different stakeholders, Journal of public health, 28(1):49-55.35. Kelty, SF, Giles-Corti, B & Zubrick SR 2009 Physical Activity and young people: The impact of the built environment in encouraging play, fun and being active, New York: Nova Science Publishers Inc. 36. Veitch, J, Salmon, J & Ball, K, 2008, Children’s active free play in local neighborhoods: a behavioral mapping study. Health Education Research, 23(5):870-879.

37. Western Australian Planning Commission 2004, Liveable Neighbourhoods: a Western Australian government sustainable cities initiative, 3rd edition, Perth: Western Australian Planning Commission.38. Jago, R, Baranowski, T, Zakeri, I & Harris M 2005, Observed environmental features and the physical activity of adolescent males, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 29(2):98-104.39. Norman, GJ, Nutter, SK, Ryan, S, Sallis, JF, Calfas, KJ & Patrick, K 2006, Community Design and Access to Recreational Facilities as Correlates of Adolescent Physical Activity and Body-Mass Index, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 3(Suppl 1):S118-S128.40. Whitehead, SH, Biddle, SJH, O’Donovan, TM, & Nevill ME 2006, Social–Psychological and Physical Environmental Factors in Groups Differing by Levels of Physical Activity: A Study of Scottish Adolescent Girls, Pediatric Exercise Science, 18(2):226-239.41. Veitch, J, Salmon, J & Ball, K 2007, Children’s Perceptions of the Use of Public Open Spaces for Active Free-play, Children’s Geographies, 5(4):409 - 422.42. Potwarka, LR, Kaczynski, AT & Flack, AL 2008, Places to Play: Association of Park Space and Facilities with Healthy Weight Status among Children, Journal of Community Health, 33(5):344-350.43. Burdette, HL & Whitaker, RC 2005, Resurrecting free play in young children - Looking beyond fi tness and fatness to attention, affi liation, and affect, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 159(1):46-50.44. Wood, L, Walker, N, I‘Anson, K, Ivery, P, French, S & Giles-Corti, B 2008, PARKS: Parks and Reserves Kwinana Study: The use and role of parks within the Town of Kwinana, Perth: Centre for the Built Environment and Health, The University of Western Australia.45. Bedimo-Rung, AL, Mowen, AJ & Cohen, DA 2005, The signifi cance of parks to physical activity and public health - A conceptual model, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28(2):159-168.46. Cradock, AL, Kawachi, I, Colditz, GA, Hannon, C, Melly, SJ & Wiecha JL et al 2005, Playground safety and access in Boston neighborhoods, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28(4):357-363.47. Children’s Physical Activity Coalition 2008, Charter for Active Kids: A Blueprint for active and healthy children in Western Australia, Perth: Children’s Physical Activity Coalition.48. Victorian Parliament 2004, Inquiry into Sustainable Urban Design for New Communities in Outer Suburban Areas, Melbourne: Victorian Government, Outer Suburban/Interface Services and Development Committee.

PARKS & OPEN SPACE

PARKS & OPEN SPACE

About Action for Young Australians The Action for Young Australians series of

publications focuses on complex issues impacting on

young people in Australia today. Drawing on Australian

and international research and expertise, the reports

identify what is known and what is actually being done

to address key problems affecting the wellbeing of

children and young people and suggest a way forward

for progressing identifi ed solutions to the problem – that

is, turning the evidence into action.

Parks and open space: for the health and wellbeing

of children and young people was developed in

partnership with the Centre for Built Environment

and Health, University of Western Australia. The report

examines the evidence and knowledge gaps relating

to the contribution that parks and open space can

make to the health and wellbeing of children and

young people. It fi nds that there are many untapped

opportunities for better utilising parks and open space

to foster a stronger sense of community and proactively

enhance wellbeing.

This report is an important resource for encouraging

a collaborative way forward to embrace those

opportunities.

The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) ARACY is a national non-profi t organisation

working to create better futures for all Australia’s

children and young people. Despite Australia being

a wealthy, developed country, many aspects of the

health and wellbeing of our young people have been

declining. ARACY was formed to reverse these trends,

by preventing and addressing the major problems

affecting our children and young people.

ARACY tackles these complex issues through

building collaborations with researchers,

policy makers and practitioners from a broad range of

disciplines. We share knowledge and

foster evidence-based solutions.

The Centre for the Built Environment and Health In 2008 ARACY commissioned the Centre for Built

Environment and Health to develop

an Action for Young Australians report on the

importance of parks and open space to the wellbeing

of children and young people.

The Centre for the Built Environment and Health is

based within the School of Population Health at The

University of Western Australia. The Centre focuses

on research that can infl uence planning and urban

design policy and practice to create healthy and

sustainable communities, with a strong emphasis

on research translation. An ‘across the life course’

perspective underpins the research, and there is a

growing program of work relating to the impact of the

built environment on the health and wellbeing and

development of children and young people. The

Centre involves a collaboration between a multi-

disciplinary team of investigators, encompassing

expertise in public health, behavioural science,

geographical information systems, biostatistics,

qualitative and quantitative methods, social

determinants of health, urban design, transportation

planning, ageing, child health, health economics and

social ecology.

The report author was Dr Lisa Wood, Research Assistant

Professor and Deputy Director, Centre for the Built

Environment and Health, School of Population Health,

the University of Western Australia.


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Business and Councils: Partnering for success

ASSET MANAGEMENT


Councils under pressure to prepare asset management plansLocal councils are under pressure to complete asset management plans for all of their infrastructure asset classes to meet a target set by the Commonwealth Government. Councils are required to have these plans in place by December 2010.

The asset management target has come about

as a result of the National Financial Sustainability

Study of Local Government survey, prepared by

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and commissioned

by the Australian Local Government Association

to investigate the fi nancial sustainability of local

government.

The survey found that local governments across

Australia are responding to heightened community

expectations by providing an increasing range of

essential services and infrastructure that support

local communities. In the last three decades, local

governments have expanded their undertakings

with regards to community infrastructure and service

provision, now providing human and social services

alongside maintenance of the physical aspect of

community infrastructure.

The survey shows that these additional roles

and service quality, combined with slow revenue

growth, have caused numerous councils to develop

signifi cant fi nancial operating defi cits. This in turn has

led to councils reducing expenditure on infrastructure

renewals, and without reforms to the way that councils

are funded and managed, the level of local community

services and infrastructure is likely to suffer.

After a fi nancial analysis of one hundred Australian

councils had been carried out, the conclusion reached

in the PwC study was that, ‘without reforms, up to 30% of

local governments might not be sustainable’. PwC also

reported that ‘much of the infrastructure of community

centres, aged care facilities, health clinics and sport

and recreation facilities was established in the 1950s (or

earlier) and is not being suffi ciently upgraded because

of a lack of funds’.

In addition, it was found that the national backlog in

local infrastructure renewal work totalled an estimated

$14.5 billion, resulting from a substantial difference

between the revenue earned and the funding received

by local governments.

Reforms have been called for in relation to local

government infrastructure and planning, including

increased federal government funding for community

infrastructure projects. But a major focus resulting

from the survey is the fi nancial planning and asset

management at a strategic level.

The report noted that ‘a sizable proportion of

councils, including the vast majority of the larger

councils, have made signifi cant progress in reforming

operations to improve effi ciency and many of these

councils now only need to focus on continued

improvement through productivity gains’. However,

‘some councils still have scope to further improve their

effi ciency and effectiveness mainly by improving their

scale, fi nancial management and asset management’.

The Local Government and Planning Ministers’

Council (LGPMC) has had nationally consistent asset

management and fi nancial planning systems on its

agenda for some time, however added importance has

now been given to the consideration of these issues in

light of the recent global fi nancial crisis, and climate

change considerations.

The LGPMC has subsequently agreed to accelerate

the application of augmented frameworks within which

asset management and fi nancial planning can be

better controlled, and State and Territory governments

have agreed to work with local government to

implement these new frameworks by December 31,

2010.

ASSET MANAGEMENT


There were seven elements identifi ed for a national

asset management framework. These are:

• development of an asset management policy

• strategy and planning

• governance and management arrangements

• defi ning levels of service

• data and systems

• skills and processes

• evaluation

State and Territory governments will establish policy

frameworks for local government, and local councils

will form their own asset management strategies

according to these frameworks.

These strategies will address the following:

• What assets do we currently have?

• What is the current situation with regard to council’s

assets and their management? This would include

current and forecast future needs, and adequacy

of funding.

• Where do we want to be? A council’s asset

management strategy should fi t in with the goals

and objectives of its council plan, and

• How will we get there? This would include a

comparison between the current situation and the

proposed future to highlight where strategies will

need to be developed to cater for any changes.

This target has placed local councils under the

increased pressure of establishing asset

management plans whilst trying to handle the

existing challenges of the strain on local government

resources.

An information paper posted on the Australian

Council of Local Government’s (ACLG) website

expresses concern that ‘while councils in some

jurisdictions are well advanced on asset management

and fi nancial planning systems, others will struggle to

meet the deadline set by LGPMC’.

ACLG outlines numerous challenges that will be

faced by local government when addressing the

task of implementing such a plan, not least the trials

highlighted by a lack of consistent and reliable data

about assets owned by local government, for example

the value, condition and maintenance of these assets.

Funding and skills shortages will also prove to be

obstacles in the compilation of asset management

plans across Australia, meaning that for some

communities, integrated efforts with neighbouring

councils might provide a greater opportunity to meet

the requirements of the asset management plan.

Despite these concerns, if councils establish their

asset management plans in accordance with the

Commonwealth Government’s target, they will be

provided with opportunities to improve effi ciency

through core organisational management, and to

ensure the sustainability of their communities through

a reduction in expenditure and a narrowed, prioritised

focus.

Queensland’s Department of Infrastructure and

Planning has implemented an asset management

advancement program for the state’s local councils,

designed to support councils in developing their plans

progressively over the 18-month timeframe given by the

Commonwealth government.

The program is part of the sustainability and

reporting process that the Department had already

developed to focus on sustainability in communities

and councils. It is a milestone-based approach aimed

at assisting local governments to integrate their asset

management plans into their existing schedule of

responsibilities, and to ensure that the complete range

of requirements for the asset management target is

met.

Stage one of the Commonwealth Government’s

requirements is to have a core plan completed as per

the International Infrastructure Management Manual

approach by December 31, 2010, with an advanced

plan to follow in June 2012.

Councils are encouraged to evaluate all assets owned,

and prioritise each asset according to provided

guidelines, as follows:

1. Water, wastewater, roads, bridges, bus/road tunnels,

buildings

2. Stormwater drainage, fl ood mitigation network,

waste landfi ll

3. Recreational facilities, off-road footpaths and

bikeways, wharves/piers

4. Beaches, natural reserves, urban parks and

streetscapes, retaining/sea/river walls

The Department of Infrastructure and Planning then

recommends a step-by-step approach to the core plan,

and has put forward a series of milestones for councils

to adhere to in order to distribute the work over the time

given for completion of the plan. These include drafting

the asset management policy and collecting asset

maintenance and condition assessments, identifying

backlog requirements for all asset classes, and linking

asset data to long-term fi nancial plans. These activities

are given completion targets that span the whole of

2010, giving Queensland councils a specifi c timeframe

within which to work.

The introduction of the Commonwealth

Government’s target will pose a challenge for many

smaller communities, but will give council members a

comprehensive understanding of which assets require

the most immediate attention, what needs to be spent,

and where the funding will come from.

With a nationally consistent framework, this

will hopefully lead to nationwide improvements in

infrastructure, and strengthened communities with a

sustainable future.

INFRASTRUCTURE


Spatial data infrastructures – driving government and societyBy the Hon. Gary Nairn

In addressing “Spatial Data Infrastructures – Driving Government and Society” I should admit that in all honesty there are two words missing from the title. Those two words are “should be”. So the title should read “Spatial Data Infrastructures – should be Driving Government and Society”. But although that is the honest situation it would be a negative title and also there are more positive things happening with the use of spatial information than there are negative. It is just that some Governments are still not quite getting it.

In June 2009, I was privileged to have been asked to

give a keynote presentation at the 11th Global Spatial

Data Infrastructure Conference in Rotterdam. Like the

WALIS Forum in Western Australia, the GSDI organisation

has a strong track record over many years in leading

the way internationally with respect to spatial data

infrastructures. And I would say that they have had quite

some success when you consider projects such as the

INSPIRE initiative in Europe and the subsequent action of

countries like the Netherlands with GIDEON and the UK

with “Place Matters: the Location Strategy for the United

Kingdom”.

In both those cases we have seen a new level of

success with ministers in their governments “getting

it” and in fact driving those projects. This has been a

signifi cant breakthrough for the profession and the

industry and this is one we want to see copied in

many other countries including here in Australia but I’ll

come back to that later. In launching the UK’s initiative,

Parliamentary Under-Secretary Baroness Andrews said:

“The government acknowledges that a better

understanding of location is an important factor in

moving forward the transformational government

agenda. Implementation of the Location Strategy

will maximise value to the people, government and

UK industry of the use of geographic information. It

will provide a consistent framework to assist national,

regional and local initiatives, and service delivery for the

benefi t of all our people.”

Also a great catch phrase in that UK document is

“Place Matters – Everything happens somewhere”.

This is a strong endorsement for national SDIs.

Now let me say a few things about SDIs but

concentrating on the third letter, that is, the “I” for

infrastructure. I just mentioned the European INSPIRE

initiative – let me remind you what that stands for –

INfrastructure for SPatial InfoRmation in Europe. And

I particularly put the emphasis on the fi rst word –

INfrastructure. In our profession and industry there would

appear to be no confusion or debate about what we

mean by infrastructure. The Collins Australian Dictionary

defi nes infrastructure as “the basic requirements of a

developed economy” and I don’t think I could get an

argument here against an SDI fi tting that defi nition for

Australia’s developed economy.


But let’s acknowledge that it is a relatively new

concept – with ‘new’ meaning the last couple of

decades. So for a very long time, in fact literally

centuries, the word infrastructure has traditionally been

applied to such things as roads, water supply, ports,

railways, airports, etc. So what are the common themes

between these projects? They act as linkages between

and within communities, they serve as facilitators for

further development and growth and they effectively

link users and providers.

In this day and age I would say that SDIs fi t

perfectly with those particular themes of the traditional

infrastructures. Abbas Rajabifard, Director Centre for

Spatial Data Infrastructures & Land Administration,

defi nes an SDI as “an infrastructure linking data users

and providers on the basis of the common goal of

data sharing”. So that fi ts the defi nition.

In fact he and the Senior Research Fellow,

Department of Geomatics at University of Melbourne,

Jude Wallace said, “Society can be regarded

as spatially enabled where location and spatial

information are regarded as common goods made

available to citizens and businesses to encourage

creativity and product development”. That would also

seem to fi t nicely within the Collins Dictionary defi nition

of infrastructure.

But there is another common theme amongst those

traditional infrastructures. That is, they are all hard – not

diffi cult hard, although they are often that as well, but

hard hard. You know, they are built of concrete and

steel and bitumen, those sorts of hard materials. An

SDI doesn’t have that same theme as it is soft. Not

soft soft but soft as in software. And maybe there lies

one of the problems. Because based on some recent

determinations it would seem that to get a guernsey as

infrastructure there needs to be plenty of that hard stuff

– “soft” doesn’t compute when it comes to infrastructure

funding. And here is the evidence.

In late 2009, the Australian Financial Review listed

the fi fteen national infrastructure projects funded by

the Federal Government under their Building Australia

Fund’s fi rst round. Total funding of the fi fteen projects

was $8.453 billion. Of the fi fteen projects nine were rail

or rail related, four were roads and two were ports. All

very “hard” pieces of infrastructure. Lots of concrete,

steel and bitumen in them.

In my view none of the fi fteen projects are truly

national projects as was requested by the Federal

Government when it sought expressions of interest. They

are all effectively state-based infrastructure projects

that are normally state responsibilities. I’ll concede

that with some they will ultimately improve interstate

links and projects like the Oakajee Port in WA which

will facilitate exports to benefi t the broader Australian

economy … I’m sure you get the picture.

There were, however, three truly national

infrastructure projects put before Infrastructure Australia

by ANZLIC, the Australian Spatial Consortium and by

SIBA which don’t appear in that list of funded projects.

The fi rst one is a project I will call National Positioning

Infrastructure or NPI and I will come back to that. The

second was to develop a truly national Digital Elevation

Model (DEM) and the third a national Spatial Data

Infrastructure (SDI).

Infrastructure Australia determined that the DEM

and the SDI “did not meet the (government’s) criteria of

infrastructure”! So with that short sentence SDIs and for

that matter DEMs, lost any chance of receiving Federal

Government funds.

This should be of serious concern to our profession

and our industry but also to the broader community.

Spatial data is a fundamental input to all of the big

decisions that governments will be making in the

coming years. It is fundamental to all of the major

“hard” projects that will soak up many billions of dollars

of taxpayers’ money over the next decade.

But a fundamental piece of “soft” infrastructure that

will help to provide certainty to those big decisions

and will ensure effi ciencies in the construction of those

major “hard” projects won’t be in place.

The ludicrous aspect is that there is substantial work

happening in both these areas but no national focus

and coordination to ensure large amounts of time,

effort and therefore limited funds are not wasted on

duplication and different standards - WA’s SLIP being a

standout example of some of that substantial work.

The rejection of these infrastructures is like saying in

the early 1900s that there was no need for a national

map to be prepared. Imagine if there had been no

Federal coordination in building a map of Australia – it

may have looked like this!

The Mesopotamians were well organised in 1500BC

and the French well and truly sorted out interoperability

a long time ago when Napoleon decreed that there

would be common standards as part of the design of

the Arc de Triomphe.

But the tragedy is we do actually know what

happens when projects are not recognised as being

national and then suffer as a result of no Federal

coordination. And the well-remembered example is

the great Australian embarrassment of different railway

gauges.

If projects like a national SDI, DEM and NPI are not

given national infrastructure status then we will very

quickly create the digital equivalent of the different

railway gauges. Not exactly smart for a nation that

is supposedly focused on developing a knowledge

economy.


Government in 1500BC

Source: Prof. Ian Williamson Chair, UN PCGIAP Working Group, Asia-Pacifi c

INFRASTRUCTURE


phone 1800 632 973email [email protected]

www.terranean.com.au

Full Wave Form, Integrated Digital Camera;

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high definition LiDAR

Ortho-photography, DEM’s, Contours and Features

aerial photography

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GIS services

Value Add including Topographic, Landcover and

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satellite remote sensing

Gold Coast Scenic Amenity Map

In order to manage and protect its scenic assets, the Gold

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Technologies to identify and map Scenic Amenity across the

Gold Coast landscape.

Scenic Amenity

refers to benefits

the community

obtains from the

aesthetic visual

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the Gold Coast’s

beaches, forests,

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Scenic Amenity

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community’s

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different types of landscape and the visibility of landscapes from

public viewing locations. It is calculated from two factors:

1. Scenic Preference – a measure of the relative contribution of

community preference for different landscapes, and

2. Visual Exposure – a measure of the relative visibility of

different parts of the landscape.

The primary outputs of the project were new Scenic Preference

and Scenic Amenity maps. Both have a resolution of 10 metres,

suitable for planning at 1:25 000 scale. This project also produced

the most detailed and accurate landcover map of the Gold Coast

that will be useful for a wide range of projects. These maps were

provided as GIS layers compatible with the Council’s GIS system

and as a series of 1:25 000 scale maps in printed and digital

format.

These maps will be used by the GCCC to:

• Address the requirements of the Queensland State

Government’s “South East Queensland Regional Plan 2005-

2026 Scenic Amenity Policies”

• Assist in developing key strategies, including Council’s “Draft

Local Growth Management Strategy” and “Landscape

Character Strategy”.

• Provide a basis for assessing the visual impact of proposed

developments.


INFRASTRUCTURE


Now I mentioned an NPI and that I would come back to it. Unlike the DEM and SDI, Infrastructure Australia accepted that project fi tted the criteria of infrastructure. If I was a cynic I would say it was its physical structures that got it the recognition. A project worth around $300 million was proposed that would see the development and coordination of a network of about 2400 base stations across the nation.

This network of base stations would establish a Global Navigation Satellite System of Continuously Operating Reference Stations (GNSS-CORS), interoperable and with common standards broadcasting real time information providing 2cm accuracy to industries such as construction, mining and agriculture. Economic studies have shown a $32 to $58 billion benefi t to these three industries over the next 20 years of an NPI, so investing $300 million is pretty much a no brainer.

But this project is barely at fi rst base. Despite the economic study and the broader industry furiously developing non-interoperable, different standard, local networks, the Minister for Infrastructure wants to “identify how, and for whom, the technologies would directly impact and then translate each of these direct impacts into economic measures”.

Having spent nearly twelve years in government, I understand what this really means.

It really means – “yes, good idea so I won’t say no at the moment, but the money we have we want to go to big visible projects like major roads and railways so go away and prepare some more reports that might take quite some time and then we’ll see what we‘ve got left.”

Which in effect is a tentative no, but we can’t let that deter us. Following some fruitful discussions with the Minister for Broadband Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, discussions are underway with the NBN Co with respect to their pilot broadband project in Tasmania with hopefully the establishment of base stations in collaboration with it.

Meanwhile, I read recently that the Federal Government “is likely to adopt an international standard that would wirelessly link motor vehicles with transport infrastructure, such as traffi c lights and level crossings, helping to minimise road accidents and traffi c jams” - in other words, a national Intelligent Transport System or ITS.

So someone please tell me how you can develop a national ITS without an NPI and a national SDI in place. Well maybe you can but it will probably make the

transport system look like this!

Crucial “soft” infrastructure in an SDI would not only support national systems such as an ITS but will be the enabling platform and link between data and the people needed to ensure governments get big

decisions right, or as right as can be. That then would be a case of SDIs really driving government and society.

Let me take you back to the INSPIRE initiative – which in spatial terms is truly inspiring. INSPIRE says that to spatially enable society fi ve things must be done:1. Data should be collected once and maintained at the level where this can be done most effi ciently.2. It should be possible to seamlessly combine spatial data from different sources and share it between many users and applications.3. Spatial data should be collected at one level of government and shared between all levels.4. Spatial data needed for good governance should be available on conditions that are not restricting its extensive use.5. It should be easy to discover which spatial data is available, to evaluate its fi tness for purpose and to know which conditions apply for its use.

Very sensible stuff – let’s gather the data only once, let’s share what we have, governments work together, make it available and make it easy to fi nd and know what you can do with it. How simple is that?

And remarkably, this was agreed to by politicians who could see and understand the benefi ts of such “soft” infrastructure for the future development and governing of the European community.

As I said earlier countries like the Netherlands and the UK are well on the way to implementing those initiatives. Not only will it be good for Europe, it will be good for the individual countries. You can be certain that they wouldn’t be embracing these initiatives unless it was also good for them at home and good politics. For a politician, why wouldn’t you embrace infrastructure that will help you make better and more timely decisions that then benefi t your constituents? Local Members of Parliament should be falling over themselves to put this infrastructure in place.

So why aren’t they?Two main reasons really. Firstly they don’t understand.

And secondly the current systems within government act as a disincentive for it to happen.

Why don’t they understand?In my experience new concepts, or particular

projects, happened in a substantial part as a result of an advocate – a political champion. Many great ideas have languished due to the lack of that champion. Add to that a political gene pool that seems to be becoming smaller and smaller with a desperate shortage of people with any sort of technical/practical science background. I refer here not only to Members of Parliament but also to political staffers. Advisers to Ministers are key people when it comes to getting support for particular projects. We lack a political champion in Canberra.

At this point I must stand up and be counted. I think it is fair to say that during my time in Government I was seen as an advocate, a political champion for the spatial cause. But in hindsight, I probably didn’t do enough. I struggled but persevered while I was on the back bench but did have some success with the Action Agenda for Spatial Information in 2001.

Lacking Infrastructure?

INFRASTRUCTURE


After being appointed Special Minister of State I saw a good opportunity to raise the awareness of the value of spatial information as part of my e-Government initiative. It made no sense to me for the Australian Government to embark on the major reform initiative of e-Government without the involvement of spatial information. But to make it work I fi rstly needed the States and Territories to come on board with respect to standards and interoperability. I got that agreement and joint projects were commenced. Unfortunately having been made redundant in 2007 I haven’t been there to drive those projects and they have been caught up in Gershon and other inevitable reviews that take place under a new government. We need that political champion to get these crucial projects back on track.

So you might also appreciate that I experienced some level of frustration during the recent Victorian bushfi res given that the following recommendation was made in my report of the 2003 bushfi res inquiry I chaired. It said:

“The committee recommends that Geoscience Australia take responsibility, in conjunction with Emergency Management Australia, for developing a national spatial data policy to coordinate the development of data systems, the collection of data and the sharing of that data between all the emergency response agencies across Australia, and that both agencies participate in the delivery of spatial information systems as part of a national approach to emergency planning and management data. The fi rst priority in policy development and of systems should be related to bushfi re hazards.”

I think that basically says develop a national SDI and it will be very useful for managing bushfi res!

Let me very quickly say that I have no criticism of Geoscience Australia. The spatial information people in GA have my great support and it was always a privilege to work with them as I did on a number of occasions during my time in Parliament. They did some great work in promoting and using spatial information across government. But they can only do what they are given the resources to do. And they must work within the systems of Government. I know for a fact they share my frustration.

Which brings me back to the second reason mentioned before, that systems within Government act as a disincentive for an effective whole of government approach. Because that is getting to the nitty gritty of why the development of a national SDI isn’t happening organically.

Why current systems act as a disincentiveAs much as you may often hear Governments talking

about a “whole of government approach” or “whole of government answer”, the reality is it rarely happens. I was doing it with e-Government but not without diffi culty.

And it rarely happens, purely and simply because Government Departments are funded to do a particular job and there is no incentive for them to share a bright idea or a particular system developed by it or paid by it with another Department. Very occasionally two or several Departments might contribute funding towards a joint project but in the overall scheme of things that is still pretty rare. The reality is that Departments become quite protective of whatever it is they have developed, as

Ministers generally don’t like sharing the limelight with a colleague. Sad but true.

At a Federal level, most Government Departments will tell you that Geoscience Australia is the Government agency responsible for spatial information. Which is true. But there is no incentive for GA to actively engage all the other Departments in a whole of government approach to spatial information because it would be done detrimentally to its own charter and goals. And if employees in GA did that to any extent their superiors would probably think they must be getting too much of the budget allocation to have time to go off and help other Departments.

I propose that the opposite has to happen. Departments should be rewarded for sharing smart initiatives with other Departments and penalised when they don’t. Such a system should soon see whole of government initiatives occurring. However, judging from past experience this will take strong leadership at the very highest levels. It has been tried in the past but was perceived to have perverse incentives, with regulatory offsets and fi nancial offsets that only left the whole of government proponent out of pocket, potentially not having anything shared and with no credit for the benefi ts that could be gained. As someone said to me, agencies don’t like to be left holding the baby when the music stops. But let’s not give up. Let’s push for that strong leadership. Perhaps Lindsay Tanner may fi ll that role coming out of the Web 2.0 Taskforce’s work.

From a spatial point of view, I would help facilitate this through the appointment of a CSIO – Chief Spatial Information Offi cer.

CIOs, Chief Information Offi cers, were appointed as a result of information technology becoming mainstream in all Departments of Government. Once upon a time that wasn’t the case when IT was a very specialised area. But that quickly changed, just like when typing pools became typists in individual offi ces and then word processing departments became redundant as individuals did their own word processing.

Similar processes are happening with spatial information. Yes, there is and there will be specialist aspects of the technology but spatial information is becoming mainstream as well. You don’t need to be a spatial specialist to drive an in-car GPS navigation system and you don’t have to be a GIS specialist to utilise spatial information when deciding where the next school or hospital should be located. The spatial information used in the types of decision-making in government can be ubiquitous, transparent, to the particular system being administered within that department.

It’s when we get to that point, where spatial information is a transparent aspect of all systems, when it is ubiquitous to the decision making process, we will be able to truly say that SDIs are driving government and society.

But we are certainly not there yet here in Australia and so to take the next step to achieve that, we must commit to investing in absolutey necessary “soft” infrastructures like a truly national Spatial Data Infrastructure. And we must do it now.

(Adapted from the Keynote address by the Hon. Gary Nairn to the WALIS Forum, Perth, 11th November 2009)


INFRASTRUCTURE + ENGINEERING

Acrowd of about thirty engineers, installation

crews, and media persons gathered on a

winding section of The Gorge Road near

the Kangaroo Creek Reservoir on Monday 14

December 2009 to witness and participate in the

first installation of the Basyc Motorcycle Barrier in

Australia. The “Basyc” is a Spanish solution for

using a soft impact barrier created to reduce the

high motorcycle death and injury rate in Spain. It

is now a barrier used in ten countries on three

continents.

The Basyc installation foreman, Mr Aitor

Elorrieta, plus the Cegasa Marketing Manager

for the Basyc product, Mr Eduardo Adan, and

the Cegasa Pacific Basyc Product Manager, Mr

Gavin Li, were the team leaders for the initial

installation. Work started late by the time those

engineers gathering were all present and

accounted for. There was no pressure, but we

were informed that the media and the

politicians were expected at 3pm. Apart from the

media pressures, it was a challenging format for

the Spanish instructors having to train crews of

men, build a finished product and communicate

with Engineers whose interests covered a range

of associated topics. It is easier to train one work

crew than several work crews. It is easier to talk to

one engineer rather than multiple engineers

either individually or in small groups essentially

asking similar questions.

So what caused the interest in Basyc? Basyc

is a soft impact solution to protect motorcyclists

from sliding into guardrail posts. It is a fabric

barrier that attaches to the guardrail beam and

then is attached at the base of the posts. The

system has been tested to Spanish standards

with motorcycle rider dummies and tested to

European standards EN1317 for sedan vehicles.

Basyc passes all tests. At the present time there is

great interest in several states to make roads

safer for the motorcyclists. Some road authorities

are using post attenuators to protect each post

but none of these have been tested for both

motorcycle rider impacts and car impacts. Some

road authorities are using steel beam protection

bolted to the posts, but in crash tests there is

evidence that these beams scrub out the

vehicle tyres. Basyc is a new user friendly system

whether impacted by car or motorcycle rider.

For further information on the Basyc systemcontact Swami Nathan or Dane Hansen on+61 (0) 2-9631-8833.

The Gorge Road has the firstBasyc motorcycle barrierinstallation in Australia


INFRASTRUCTURE

Road crashes on Local Government Roads: Causes and Solutions Blair Turner & Victoria Pyta (presenter), ARRB Group Ltd

Abstract Local government roads form a signifi cant part

of the public road network, but little is known about

crashes on these types of roads. This Austroads study

involved a review of literature, crash data analysis, site

investigations, in-depth crash analysis and stakeholder

workshop to address this issue. It was identifi ed that a

signifi cant proportion of road deaths and casualties

occur on roads managed by local government.

Information is provided on the types of crashes, and

likely contributors to these. Information is also provided

on likely barriers that may prevent improvements in

safety on local government roads. A range of strategies

are provided to address these barriers and improve the

level of safety on local government roads.

Introduction Every year, crashes on roads result in an estimated

1.2 million fatalities, and up to 50 million are injured

or permanently disabled on the world’s roads (World

Health Organisation 2009). In Australia, road safety

is also a signifi cant issue, with around 1600 fatalities

per year (Australian Transport Council 2008), and

up to 30,000 serious injuries (Bureau of Infrastructure

Transport & Regional Economics 2009). This equates to

an average of over 4 deaths per day, and 80 serious

injuries.

Local government managed roads make up a

large proportion of the public road network, but little

information exists as to the number of deaths and

injuries that occur on these roads, nor on the types

of crashes. Similarly, there is little information on the

barriers to improving safety on these roads, or solutions

targeted specifi cally at these roads.


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Austroads (the association of Australian and New Zealand road controlling authorities) recognised this issue, and commissioned the Australian Road Research Board to investigate. A project was undertaken to examine:• the scale of the road safety problem on local government managed roads• types of crashes, and difference to crashes on state roads• barriers to improving safety on local government roads• examples of how safety on local government roads can be better managed.

Method In order to address these issues, the following tasks were undertaken:• a review of published literature on this topic• an analysis of crash data from each Australian state, and from New Zealand for the period 2003 to 2007. This compared crash numbers and types on local government and state managed roads• an analysis of the South Australian in-depth crash database (conducted by the Centre for Automotive Safety Research). This includes detailed information on the road environment, vehicles involved in each crash and road users (from interviews)• around 60 site investigations on local government managed roads in New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria. These occurred at locations with a history of crashes• a stakeholder workshop.

Results The review identifi ed that 84% of the Australian network (in terms of length), and 88% of the New Zealand road network is managed by local government. A large proportion of this is in rural areas. There is no clear information on the amount of traffi c on local government managed roads, but it is likely that just over a third (37%) of all vehicle kilometres travelled is on local government roads – mostly on the urban parts of the network. The crash analysis identifi ed that around half (51%, a total of 33,500 per year) of all casualty crashes in Australia, and two-thirds (65%, or 7,100) of those in New Zealand occur on local government roads. The proportion of fatal crashes is slightly less than this with 40% (or around 560 per year) of all fatals in Australia, and 46% in New Zealand (170 per year). Given a lack of accurate information for traffi c volumes on local roads, it is not possible to calculate accurate crash rates (in terms of crashes per 100m vehicle kilometres travelled). It is therefore not possible to determine the additional risk experienced by road users on local roads compared with state roads. However, it is likely that the risk is higher (between 1.5 to 2 times the level of risk), and in some road environments may be much higher. Long term trend data (over 10 years) indicated that despite a general downward trend in casualty and fatal crash numbers, the fi gures for local government managed roads had been relatively stagnant. As an

example, in New Zealand there were around 180 deaths on local government roads in 1999, with a similar total in 2008. However, crashes on state roads had decreased from around 340 to 180 over this same period. The crash analysis of local government roads indicated that:• casualty crashes tended to occur on urban roads (around 75% of crashes) although fatal crashes were evenly split across rural and urban roads (50%)• where a death occurred, this mostly involved motorists losing control of their vehicles either on a curve (22%) or straight (21%); or striking a pedestrian (16%). All of these were over-represented when compared to fatal crashes on state highways• in New Zealand (where crash causation is recorded), the most common crash causes recorded were poor observation, failing to give way or stop, speed, and alcohol, and each of these factors were over- represented when compared to the state network• of the fatal crashes, speed and alcohol were the most common cause factor• there was a higher proportion of non-seatbelt wearing on local government roads• 17-24 year-olds were the age group most involved in crashes, with a higher proportion in this age involved in crashes on local government roads. This was even more pronounced for fatal crashes (28% of fatal crashes in Australia, and 33% in New Zealand involved this age group). Many of these issues were linked to issues identifi ed during the site investigations and in-depth crash database analysis. This work highlighted the following issues from crashes on metropolitan local government roads:• presence of roadside hazards• visual obstruction of signs and traffi c controls• poor delineation• high number of crashes at controlled intersections• young drivers and risk taking• impaired drivers, including pre-existing medical conditions• driver distraction. In rural areas, the following issues were identifi ed as being signifi cant in local government crashes:• severe outcomes at intersections• lower standard of traffi c control, street lighting and delineation at rural junctions• roadside hazards – especially trees• poor junction geometry• poor road alignment and delineation• unsealed shoulders• driver inexperience• loss of control• excessive speed• impairment. It can be concluded that crashes on local government roads are a signifi cant public health issue. There is also some evidence to suggest that despite a general reduction in crashes on all roads over the last decade, the number of crashes on local government roads has not reduced dramatically in recent years.(continued on page 86)

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INFRASTRUCTURE


Measures to address specifi c crash types on local roads Low cost measures are available to address many of these issues. Most obvious are improvements to delineation (at curves and junctions) and review of speed limits. Many of the issues should be addressed through maintenance (e.g. signs, road markings and vegetation clearance). Higher cost options include removal of roadside hazards (or protection of vehicles through installation of barriers), installation of adequate pedestrian facilities, provision of road shoulders, and improvements to road alignment. A number of enforcement options are available (including for speed, impairment and seat belts), as well as education programs (particularly to address driver speed, distraction and inattention, medical conditions and driver expectation). Although the types of solutions to use are relatively clear, there are often barriers to making improvements to safety on local government roads.

Barriers to improving safety on local government managed roads A workshop of key stakeholders was held to determine current barriers to delivering road safety on local government roads. Attendees from across Australia and New Zealand were invited to the event, or to contribute to the discussion through comments on the document that was produced following this. Attendees included safety experts working within local government, in liaison roles for state government, or for local government associations. A variety of barriers were identifi ed during discussions. These can be summarised as follows:• Crash distribution – the local government road network is extensive, and crashes tend not to cluster making treatment (e.g. engineering measures or enforcement) diffi cult.• Access to knowledge about how to address safety – there is a perceived need for guidance specifi cally for local roads, possibly with advice on how incremental steps towards road safety can best be achieved with the money that a council has available to them. Diffi culties were identifi ed in accessing information on good practice given other competing demands.• Data issues – there is diffi culty in accessing data relating to road safety (e.g. crash data), and then in interpreting this.• Funding/costs – funding specifi cally for local government road safety is limited. Given that there are often very few ‘black spots’ on local government roads, treating existing problems is diffi cult under the current benefi t/cost approach. There are also diffi culties in applying for additional funding, as this takes time and resources. It was also widely considered that in many cases local government cannot afford best practice.• Community and political buy-in and expectation – getting people to talk about road safety is not a diffi cult task, but eliciting productive discussion and convincing councils to give road safety suffi cient priority to promote informed, concerted and coordinated effort is a more diffi cult

matter. There is a need to raise the awareness of the real risks on the road.• Staff issues – local government often lacks the staff resources to deliver safety outcomes. This includes availability of staff, and staff with appropriate skills to perform their roles.• Network planning issues – it is important to build safety into design at the planning stage to maximise safety benefi ts, and minimise the need for remedial safety treatments in future. This is not always done.• Responsibility/liability – it was suggested that there is too much emphasis on blame-shifting between the different levels of government and not enough emphasis on problem-solving.• Changing population structure, traffi c volumes and composition – an ageing population, and growth in traffi c (including heavy vehicles) presents a problem to local government.

Some solutions for improving local government road safety The fi nal Austroads report provides guidance on each of the barriers presented above. Key suggestions are as follows: The development and implementation of an effective road safety strategy is crucial. A safety management systems approach for asset planning, building and management is a promising method for incorporating a safety philosophy (and more specifi cally, the Safe System philosophy) throughout local government processes. Multiple local stakeholder coordinating arrangements are important for creating a sense of responsibility and ownership of road safety within the community and for raising the profi le of road safety on the local government agenda. Creation of ‘partnerships’ between various local governments (particularly smaller ones) is crucial to improving safety outcomes. This can take the form of ‘sister council’ arrangements or clusters of councils. This will assist in the pooling of resources and staff expertise. For every council there should be available at least one full-time employee who is responsible for road safety (or more specially, a ‘Safe System’ position). For smaller councils, this might entail sharing of this resource across a number of councils. This Safe System expert should have a clearly defi ned role, and access to relevant information on addressing road safety specifi cally on local government roads. There appears to be a need for specifi c road safety guidance for local government. In many cases, local government is not able to deliver ‘best practice’ solutions, but rather would perhaps best deliver safety in an incremental fashion. Guidance is needed on how to achieve this delivery. The way in which information is provided to local government practitioners needs to be examined. It is unlikely that they will have time to access many of the research reports that exist on new and improved approaches to treatment of risk. There are some successful examples of online tools that are available to practitioners (e.g. the Austroads Road Safety (continued on page 88)


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Artists impression


Engineering Toolkit, available at www.engtoolkit.com.au) but wider promotion of such tools is required. It was also suggested that a database of behavioural interventions (and their effectiveness) be produced, and this idea appears to have merit. The benefi t-cost approach to funding safety projects does not fi t well with the types of problems found on local government networks, and the ‘bidding war’ that ensues takes valuable resources in terms of time with no guarantee of success. Guidance and/or a revision of this approach is needed to help fund local government road safety improvements, including longer term projects that will increase the safety of the local government road network. The risk assessment based approach (one that examines the level of risk not just from crash data, but also from road and roadside attributes), as well as those involving mass action or route treatments seem to be of high relevance to those managing local roads (particularly the low volume network). Greater use could be made of such tools, although funding mechanisms might need to be altered to maximise their use. Funding for safety is only a small proportion of total expenditure on roads in local governments. It is important to ensure that budgets and processes in other areas of road management (including planning and asset management) take account of up to date information on road safety to ensure that funds directed at these tasks maximise the safety benefi t. Improved information is required to help identify current crash problems within local government areas. Benchmarking between similar local governments (either within one state, or even potentially between states) would be a valuable tool to help authorities identify problem issues. State government has an opportunity and a responsibility to assist in this task. Better knowledge about the safety situation will help raise awareness of road safety risks, providing useful information for politicians and the public. There are good models of how such information could be presented, and these should be used as a basis for such dissemination.

Recommendations Based on the discussion above, the following recommendations are made:

1. Development and delivery of effective local government road safety strategies is of utmost importance in delivering road safety outcomes. Local governments that do not yet have a road safety strategy should be encouraged and assisted to develop one. 2. Partnerships between local governments, and between state government and local government should be actively promoted. Various successful models exist and should be assessed by state authorities.3. The introduction of a ‘safety management system’ approach for local government should be investigated.4. Each council should have access to a full-time Safe System practitioner.5. Guidance on the delivery of safety on local government roads should be assessed, and revised to take account of barriers (and opportunities) on local government roads. This guidance should include information on mass action programs, route assessments and risk assessment.6. Better dissemination of road safety information is required, and a tool (perhaps online) to assist in provision of information to local government safety practitioners (including those on behavioural measures) should be developed.7. Funding arrangements for local government road safety should be reviewed at both state and federal level, and a model for road funding tied in to the Safe Systems approach should be developed.8. The quality, consistency and completeness of data held at a national level on expenditure, road condition, exposure and crashes on local roads is in need of improvement. Without good quality, reliable and complete data the question of whether funding for local roads is appropriate cannot be adequately addressed.9. There is a need for greater dissemination of Safe System principles throughout local government to ensure opportunities to improve safety benefi ts are maximised. This dissemination should be conducted in a systematic way.10. Information on crashes on local government roads should be provided by state government to each local government on a regular basis. This should include information to enable benchmarking.(continued on page 90)


INFRASTRUCTURE

AECOM, a global provider of professional technical

and management support services, has

integrated its four businesses in Australia –

Maunsell, EDAW, ENSR, and Bassett – under a unified

AECOM brand, with more benefits for its local

government clients.

As AECOM, the business can more easily harness its

full range of capabilities – which includes Building

Engineering, Environment, Mining, Architecture, Design +

Planning, Economics, Transportation, Water,

Infrastructure Services, Program Management, and

Energy – both in Australia and globally, and make this

experience available to local government clients.

The integration provides AECOM with easier access

to more specialists, both within Australia and beyond,

bringing together its collective teams and their latest

ideas, insights, and talents for partnering more

powerfully and thinking more innovatively with its local

government clients.

In increasingly complex projects, local government is

seeking a much stronger alignment and integration of

services, which a single AECOM provides. Although the

name may have changed, AECOM remains committed

to providing tailored solutions and a high level of

service. It continues with its strong commitment to local

presence and decision-making, ensuring its local

government clients receive the best mix of local

knowledge and global reach.

PARTNERINGTHINKING

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Maunsell, EDAW, ENSR & Bassett are now AECOM.

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Delivering for local government — the Maroochy Boulevard Interchange, animportant strategic link to central Maroochydore, designed by AECOM


INFRASTRUCTURE


INFRASTRUCTURE


Conclusion In both Australia and New Zealand, a signifi cant

proportion of fatal and injury crashes occur on local

government roads. Given the volumes of traffi c using

these roads, the risk to an individual driver of being

involved in a casualty crash are likely to be higher

on local government roads than on state roads. In

addition, it appears that improvements in safety on

local roads have been slower in coming (over the last

10 year period) than for state roads.

This project identifi ed a number of key crash types

that occur on local government managed roads, as

well as methods to address these. However, various

barriers also exist in addressing this risk. These need

to be addressed before improvements can be made.

Responsibility for improving local government road

safety lies at all levels of government (federal, state and

local), and a concerted effort by each will be required

to improve safety on the road.

References Australian Transport Council (2008). National road

safety action plan: 2009 and 2010, ATSB, Canberra, ACT.

BITRE (2009). Australian Transport Statistics: Yearbook

2009. Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport, and Regional

Economics. Canberra, Australia.

WHO (2009). Global status report on road safety:

time for action. World Health Organization. Geneva,

Switzerland.

AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank Austroads for funding

this research, and the workshop attendees for their

valuable input. We also acknowledge Jeremy Woolley

from the Centre for Automotive Safety Research in

Adelaide for the in-depth crash analysis; Sarah Zhang

for help with the crash data analysis; the ARRB staff

in various offi ces for conducting site inspections, and

David Green for analysis of that data.

Author biographies Blair Turner joined ARRB Group Ltd at the end of

2004, and has a number of years experience in road

safety, both in Australasia and Europe. He initially

worked for the New Zealand Government (LTSA)

before moving to the UK to continue his career. He

has been involved in a wide range of road safety

research projects, road safety audits and investigation

of crash locations, and production of road safety

reviews (including a review of the UK Road Safety

Strategy). Much of his work has involved liaison with

local government regarding road safety issues. Blair

is now based in ARRB’s Melbourne offi ce where he

is currently responsible for research on road safety

engineering.

Victoria Pyta joined the road safety team at

ARRB Group Ltd in April 2005. In 2003, she attained

a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Psychology from

The University of Melbourne. Victoria’s skills include

qualitative and quantitative data analysis, survey

design, literature reviews and consultation. She has

worked on a wide range of research projects at ARRB.

These have spanned diverse areas such as bicycle

commuting, engineering-based crash reduction

treatments, young pedestrians, younger and older

drivers and the effects of red light cameras on crashes.


Komatsu Australia has released its new Dash 5

Vantage series of graders – consisting of two

models, the GD555A-5 and the GD655A-5 –

featuring the best cab visibility of any grader on the

market, increased engine power, and an upgraded

version of its unique dual-mode transmission system.

Operating weight of the GD555A-5 is 17.1 tonnes,

with variable power up to 144 kW (depending on which

gear is in use), while the GD655A-5 has an operating

weight of 17.6 tonnes, and variable power ratings of up

to 163 kW.

According to Kevin Edwards, Komatsu Australia’s

National Business Manager, the key advance in the

new grader range is the visibility from the cab, which he

said is class leading against any other grader on the

market.

“The visibility on these graders – whether to the

blade, out the front or to the rear, is absolutely unrivalled

– which is why we’ve tagged them our ‘Vantage’ series

grader,” he said.

“The graders’ new hexangular ROPS cab features a

patented front Y-shape pillar and rear side pillar to give

better visibility – and hence greater operator

confidence and productivity – in all grader

applications,” he said.

The Vantage graders are also equipped with power

and economy modes to better match them to

customer applications and requirements.

This gives the operator the choice of direct drive

(manual) transmission, as used on conventional

graders, or torque converter transmission for improved

control at low speeds and in final finishing – all at the

flick of a switch.

Further information: Komatsu Australia, ph 1300 KOMATSU(1300 566 287), website www.komatsu.com.au, [email protected].

New Komatsu Vantage-seriesgraders offer class-leadingvisibility, more power and non-stall transmission

INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING

INFRASTRUCTURE - LIGHTING


LED to light the way for councilsWith constant pressure on local government to address energy ineffi ciency, the search is on for an alternative light source to fl uorescents. Light emitting diode (LED) lighting is already commonly found in such applications as garden lights, torches and bicycle lamps, and is lauded to be the future of commercial lighting. In fact, Melbourne’s iconic Westgate Bridge is set to receive an LED facelift, with more than seven kilometres of multicoloured LED lights planned for installation on the bridge by the end of 2010.

LED lights are a promising alternative to the lighting

currently used for large areas, because they have

a longer lamp life, highly directional light which

reduces loss of light through distribution in all directions,

they are more energy effi cient, and reach full brightness

immediately without a warm-up period.

A reasonable question to ask would be why LED has

been so slow to take off, given its obvious advantages

over other light sources. LED was originally only available

in colours such as green, but a white LED has recently

become available. Despite this progress, frustrations

regarding the high prices, low light output and relative

ignorance regarding life span have all hampered LED’s

advancement in the market.

The light at the end of the tunnel for LED is that

constantly improving technology is helping LED to

be taken more seriously. As a means of discovering

the benefi ts of LED replacements for fl uorescents,

energy effi ciency fi rm CarbonetiX in October 2008

embarked upon an independent evaluation of LED

versus fl uorescent lighting. The Solid State Lighting

Trial was undertaken in partnership with the Victorian

Government Sustainability Fund, managed by

Sustainability Victoria, and with the support of the City

of Frankston.

The report addresses the existing obstacles that

LED lighting faces, as well as predicting trends that

will increase the likelihood of LED becoming a viable

alternative to fl uorescent lighting by 2015. The report also

presents recommendations aimed at aiding building

owners to achieve immediate energy savings with

fl uorescent lighting.



Fluorescent lighting and LEDs As fl uorescent lighting is the most commonly used

lighting source in commercial applications, the task

of replacing fl uorescents with LEDs will be a large one.

Fluorescent lighting is the primary source of lighting

in offi ces, supermarkets, schools, hospitals, and many

other buildings, and has such widespread use due to

its effi ciency, reliability and affordability.

Now, LED lights provide an alternative to the

fl uorescent linear tubes that are commonly used,

and claim to be more energy effi cient than their

predecessors.

The trial In addition to addressing the barriers to uptake of

LEDs as a fl uorescent substitute, the evaluation carried

out by CarbonetiX discusses a trial of the LED lights

in a community centre in Frankston, highlighting the

observed benefi ts and drawbacks of switching to an

LED system.

The Solid State Lighting Trial was carried out over a

year, from October 2008 to October 2009. First, an initial

desktop evaluation of 1200mm long LED tubes was

carried out for brightness and luminous effi cacy. As part

of this process, nineteen different manufacturers were

evaluated according to their LED specifi cations.

The six tubes that appeared to be the best on

paper were then tested for light output and power

consumption in a typical offi ce light fi tting. The cost of

tubes varied from $50 to $120.

An obstacle that was encountered when changing

the tubes was the necessity to remove the starter in

the light fi tting, and in some cases the power factor

correction capacitor and the iron-core ballast required

disconnection, or to be bypassed. The fi ndings showed

that performance levels of the LED lights differed greatly,

and some of the tubes had an unappealing blue light.

The best performing LED tube then underwent

photometric testing in a NATA certifi ed laboratory, and

proved to have an effi cacy of approximately 80 lumens

per watt. The report noted that this superior lamp also

emitted a good colour of light, between cool-white and

daylight.

Bruce Rowse, director of CarbonetiX, was surprised

by the result. “The useful light provided by the best

lamp in a standard offi ce troffer (fl uorescent fi tting) was

similar to that of a used halo-phosphor fl uoro tube – a

surprising result as earlier testing we had undertaken

had indicated LEDs were just not bright enough to be

used as a fl uorescent substitute.”

The best performing lamps were then installed in

the Mahogany Neighbourhood Centre in the City of

Frankston, and the change from fl uorescent to LED was

performance-monitored.

The community centre comprises an offi ce, and

meeting and training rooms, and is in constant use by

community groups, operating 7 days a week. Prior to

the changeover to LED, the centre was illuminated by

halo-phosphor tubes, estimated by CarbonetiX to have

overall effi cacy of between 30 to 50 lumens per watt.

According to Rowse, “the LED tubes produce light

that is strongly directional. This can offer a signifi cant

advantage by ensuring that all the light is directed to

where it is needed and not be lost in the back of a

fi tting.” As such, the consensus was that the LED lamp

could effectively replace the fl uorescent tubes with

little or no light lost. All 176 fl uorescent tubes were then

replaced with the LED tubes.

Pre- and post-surveys regarding the light quality in

the centre revealed that occupants and users noted

either no change or an improvement in the quality

of light in the community centre. According to an

assessment, levels of illumination were around the

same as before but power consumption had dropped

by more than 50%, from 40 watts to 18 watts per light.

Nine months after the installation, the lamps were

still performing at the same level as they had after

installation, without any failures. Despite the optimism

that this lends to LED technology, nine months is

not suffi cient time to deduce whether the lamps

will operate for 50,000 hours, as claimed by the

manufacturer.

As a result of the trial, it was established that LED

lamps might be a viable alternative to fl uorescent

tubes, provided that the LED emits suffi cient light.

However, there are still some factors that will hinder the

progress of LED into the commercial market, namely

cost, a lack of information about depreciation and

lamp life, and exaggerated performance claims from

LED manufacturers.

Cost The highest performing tube chosen from the

range of LED lights submitted for testing was also

one of the most expensive, nearing the upper limit

of $120 per tube. As a contrast, a good fl uorescent

tube costs approximately $5. This creates a large

barrier to widespread uptake of the technology due to

excessively high outlays for a changeover.

At current prices, it is estimated that it would take

ten years for an organisation to recoup the monetary

benefi ts of investing in LED lighting. It is likely, however,

that demand for the new method of lighting will drive

prices down over the next fi ve years. In the US, the

Department of Energy held a series of workshops

looking at potential advancements in solid-state

lighting manufacturing, and attendees at the workshop

predicted about a 70% decrease in the costs by 2015.

This reduction should come about as the result of an

85% decline in the cost of the packaged LED, which

accounts for around 40% of the cost of the luminaire.



With costs of LED tubes potentially dropping to

$20 or $30, and a halved energy output for lighting,

the report estimated that businesses should be

able to receive a payback in energy saving within

approximately three years.

The cost of retrofi tting a building with LED lighting

to replace the fl uorescents will vary, depending on the

procedures required. Some LED models merely require

the starter in the fi tting to be removed, adding no extra

cost to the changeover, whereas others require the

fi tting ballast to be bypassed, signifi cantly increasing

the cost of installation. As a result, the payback period

may be extended for some installations.

Lumen depreciation and lamp life As lamps age, light loss, known as lumen

depreciation, occurs. A typical fl uorescent tube, for

example, will be emitting 15% to 20% less light at the

end of its life than it did at the time of installation.

LED lighting is a relatively new technology, and is rapidly

changing and developing. LED lamp manufacturers

are claiming life spans of 50,000 to 100,000 hours for

their new products, but such claims are unable to

be substantiated, as a new lamp would need to be

tested for approximately 6 years before the claim can

be proven valid. By this time, the lamp would almost

certainly be obsolescent.

In the US, the Illumination Engineering Society (IES)

has developed two standards by which the life span

and light output of an LED light may be determined.

One of these, the LM80 Approved Method: Measuring

Lumen Maintenance of LED Light Sources, involves

a controlled 60,000 hour test, from which data can

be extrapolated that will predict the life span of an

LED lamp up to 36,000 hours. This can then help to

estimate the number of hours by which time light

output will drop to 70% of its original. This estimate

is called the ‘L70’ life of the lamp. According to the

report, however, few manufacturers are providing data

on lamp life in accordance with this standard.

Exaggerated performance claims What manufacturers do provide, however, are

claims of luminosity above that found in the initial

trials. Even the best LED tube trialled for the report

produced only 80% of the light claimed by the

manufacturer. The trial found only one tube that was a

viable alternative for halo-phosphor tubes.

Exaggerated claims are a barrier to uptake of

LED due to a decline in credibility and insuffi cient

light performance. With manufacturers making

unsubstantiated claims, the industry will not progress

as quickly as it could. Fortunately, standards are being

put in place that, if followed and regulated, will build

consumer confi dence, and eventually expand the LED

market.

LED light output on the upOver the two years of the trial and report, a

great improvement in LED effi cacy was observed.

Manufacturers have begun to claim effi cacy of up

to 110 lumens per watt, and in the US a prize is being

offered for the fi rst manufacturer to produce a solid-

state light that produces 150 lumens per watt or

above.

The report claims that if the current rate of

improvement continues, it is possible that by 2015

commonly available lamps will show effi cacy of at

least 120 lumens per watt.

As fl uorescent lamps lose light in the fi ttings, the

range of effi cacy is currently somewhere between

56 lumens per watt for a poor fi tting, and 100 lumens

per watt for a superior fi tting. The CarbonetiX report

claims that by 2015, LED tubes should be available

that produce 50% to 100% more lumens per watt than

existing fl uorescent tubes.

All of the above factors indicate that LEDs may

sometime in the near future become a superior choice

to fl uorescent lighting, which is relatively static in terms

of its progress compared to LED advancements. The

report predicts that we should see LED tubes readily

available from electric wholesalers and retailers, as well

as LED fi xtures available with the same dimensions as

fl uorescent fi xtures.

What about the meantime?While we wait for LEDs to become as convenient and

cost effective as they are energy effi cient, what should

be done with existing fl uorescent light fi ttings?

Any building owner or facility manager should predict a

switch from fl uorescent to LED lighting by 2015. The report

suggests that in the meantime, building owners and

facility managers should explore other options to reduce

their current fl uorescent lighting use to increase both

fi nancial and energy savings.

Three common factors that can be addressed are

over-illumination, lower performance fl uorescent tubes,

and low performance light fi xtures.

To address these problems, there are plenty of

solutions. Removing excess tubes to minimise over-

illumination, replacing lower-performing tubes with

new high-performance tubes, fi tting mirror-like refl ectors

into existing fi ttings to refl ect light downwards, and

undertaking an illumination assessment using a lux

meter, will ensure that the building’s lighting is operating

as effi ciently as possible.

According to Rowse, “these alternate options should

be considered as bridging technologies whilst LED

performance, price and reliability continue to improve

over the next few years”.



Councils struggling with street lighting costsSydney councils are threatening to switch off their street lights to cope with soaring electricity costs. The NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal has recommended electricity price rises of up to 62 per cent between July this year and 2013, adding millions of dollars to council lighting bills.

Councils are demanding that the State Government

share the cost of street lighting. Lights, maintained

by electricity companies, are paid for by councils,

writes Carmel Melouney in the Sunday Telegraph.

Camden council has discussed reducing street lighting

in new suburbs, having fewer lights on straight roads and

even turning off street lights at night. A council report last

year said new subdivisions at Oran Park and Turner Road

would add an extra $500,000 to the council’s annual

lighting bill.

Cr Fred Anderson questioned whether lights needed

to be on all night: “It’s now possible to drive down a

suburban street with high beams on.” Camden Mayor

Chris Patterson said the price hikes were “a huge

concern. Not only is the cost of energy going up, but the

cost of new poles and infrastructure is also going up,” he

said. “Obviously, we would have to meet the minimum

standards with street lighting, but we’re looking at every

new development and whether there are extra lights

that we could cut.”

Penrith Mayor, Kevin Crameri, said his council may

also consider cutting down on street lights. Penrith

council spent $3,722,304 on electricity last fi nancial year,

two-thirds for street lighting, and has banded together

with 27 other councils as part of a competitive group

tender for lighting.

Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils

president, Alison McLaren, said they were looking at joint

purchasing of street lighting because the rising cost of

electricity “is going to be a major problem.”

Local Government Association president and North

Sydney Mayor, Genia McCaffery, said councils may be

forced to sack staff to pay rising power bills. Cr McCaffery

said 22 Sydney councils have lobbied Energy Australia

for fi ve years to adopt lower-cost, more energy-effi cient

lighting.

Councils were angry that their electricity costs had

soared when they had no control over Energy Australia’s

infrastructure, she said. Waverley, Woollahra, Willoughby,

Kogarah and North Sydney are part of the Street Lighting

Improvement Program, lobbying Energy Australia.

Waverley council has entered into an agreement with

other councils to buy electricity from Tasmania.

LIGHTING


Lighting consumes about 20% of all electricity in the

world. Global lighting consumption has its

implications on rising energy prices, climate

change, security of energy supply and economic

growth. New lighting technologies, which are much

more efficient than previous technologies, now create

the opportunity for us to convert existing lighting

installations to newer technology bringing huge savings

in energy costs and CO2 emissions.

The new Philips range of TL5 recessed luminaires are

more energy efficient than ever before. The latest optical

technology was used to create a highly effective optic,

giving rise to new opportunities for saving energy.

This family of advanced TL5 recessed luminaire with

micro optic technology use less energy than standard

TL5 solutions. Even greater savings can be made by

retrofitting TLD lighting installations with our new TL5

recessed luminaires. The quality of the lighting is

maintained, however, thanks to the Omni directional

Lighting Control optic which increases luminous

efficacy while reducing glare in all directions and

complying

with relevant

brightness

limits.

The new

Philips TL5

luminaires

fitted with the

optional ActiLume lighting control can deliver

automatic energy savings, and regulate and switch to

adapt the lighting to the conditions in the indoor

environment. Built into the luminaire it’s operated with

the new Philips DALI ballast being the first true plug-and-

play lighting control system on the market. With

optional daylight-linking and presence-detecting

lighting control systems in your recessed luminaire, your

energy consumption can easily be halved in

comparison to conventional office lighting solutions.

For more information contact PhilipsPh 1300 304 404 or [email protected]

Generate more, with less

PAUS-002-10 [email protected] 3/4/10 11:02:31 AM

URBAN PLANNING


New report fi nds traffi c congestion set to increaseBy 2041, Australia’s cities will experience signifi cant increases in traffi c congestion, people will spend more time travelling and cars will generate more greenhouse gas emissions, a new study has found.

Cities for the future: Baseline report and key issues,

commissioned by the Australian Sustainable Built

Environment Council (ASBEC), was released at the

Green Cities 2010 conference in Melbourne.

The report points to a bleak future where transport-

related greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) increase by

almost 50 per cent and travel times increase by a

quarter.

“Under a business as usual approach, our urban

centres will become more transport intensive and less

transport effi cient. Congestion will worsen, travel times

become longer and transport-related GHG increase,”

says ASBEC President, Tom Roper. “The report is a clarion

call to our federal, state and local governments that

swift, decisive action is required to deliver better transport

systems in Australia’s cities,” Mr Roper says. According to

Romilly Madew, Chief Executive of the Green Building

Council Australia and task group chair, the analysis

“clearly shows that, without action to change the way

people live, work and play in our cities, our transport

challenges will only get worse.”

Cities for the future is the fi rst part of a four stage

project which aims to explore and measure the links

between greenhouse gas emissions from urban

transport and land use within our cities. “This report

has found that the shape of our cities and the

distribution of land uses can infl uence transport and

therefore emissions. However, in raising sustainability

and reducing emissions, we are likely to realise other

tangible benefi ts, such as healthier communities,

more accessible services, appropriate responses to

demographic change, and more effi cient use of land

and infrastructure,” Ms Madew explains. The study

examined two cities, Greater Melbourne and South East

Queensland, with key fi ndings including:

• Urban centres will become more transport intensive and less transport effi cient: The total

amount of passenger travel and time spent travelling

in cities is forecast to grow more than proportionally

to population and employment.

• Transport is forecast to be slower: Average trip

speed (kilometres per hour) is projected to decrease

in both regions studied in the report by around 10 to

13 per cent by 2041.

• Transport outcomes are likely to deteriorate: people in both cities are projected to spend

more time travelling per day and to travel

longer distances. People in South East

Queensland and Greater Melbourne will

see their travel time increase by approximately

26 and 23 per cent, respectively, by 2041.

URBAN PLANNING


• Transport GHG emissions are projected to rise in the studied urban centres: Emissions in

South East Queensland are projected to have

the largest increase, rising by 75 per cent

between 2006 and 2041.

• Land transport GHG emissions from within urban Australia are projected to rise substantially under the baseline scenario: Without additional

policy interventions these emissions are projected to

rise from an estimated 41 megatonnes per annum in

2006 to 60 megatonnes in 2041– an increase of 46

per cent.

• The need for mobility and its costs will increase: Overall, the analysis shows that the

need for mobility and its costs in terms of time

and harmful impacts upon the environment

will increase. These adverse changes are

expected to outpace the growth in underlying

population and represent a challenge for

future transport networks.

Stage two of ASBEC’s study will bring together key

experts and stakeholders in Australia to discuss the initial

fi ndings and develop alternative frameworks for land

use, transport, environmental outcomes and community

planning.

“From this, we will determine which alternative

scenarios provide the best outcomes for Australia’s cities

and the people who live in them,” Ms Madew explains.

“The challenge is to recast our vision for Australia’s cities

and deliver sustainable, liveable places that

service a diverse and growing population,” says Tom

Roper. “While the model is still being debated, the

principles of the sustainable city of the future are clear:

well planned, built and operated places that are

sensitive to their environment, meet the diverse needs of

existing and future residents, and contribute to a high

quality of life.”

About ASBEC The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council

(ASBEC) is the peak body of key organisations

committed to a sustainable built environment in

Australia. ASBEC members are industry and professional

associations, non-government organisations and

government observers who are involved in the planning,

design, delivery and operation of our built environment,

and are concerned with the sector’s social and

environmental impacts.

ASBEC’s Cities for the Future task group comprises

representatives from the Green Building Council of

Australia, Australian Institute of Architects, Australian

Conservation Foundation, Property Council of

Australia, the Planning Institute of Australia and the

Association of Consulting Engineers Australia. Cities

for the future: Baseline report and key issues was funded

by task group members, the Built Environment

Industry Innovation Council (co-funded by the Australian

Government Department of Innovation,

Industry, Science and Research), the ACT Planning and

Land Authority and the Victorian Employers’

Chamber of Commerce and Industry.


URBAN REVITALISATION

The City of Greater Dandenong is a vibrant and

welcoming city. It is home to a thriving manufacturing

and business sector and the largest provider of

employment in the region.

Significant investment has been made in new

commercial and industrial building construction in Greater

Dandenong in recent years, highlighting continuing

confidence in our local economy and our future. Attention

is now being directed at the city’s three main activity

centres in Dandenong, Springvale and Noble Park.

Our city’s vibrancy, diversity and vitality is already

celebrated by the 130,000 residents who call Greater

Dandenong home. Greater Dandenong is quintessentially

multicultural Melbourne with people from over 150 nations

living within the municipality.

The City of Greater Dandenong is leading a progressive

program which it believes will result in the municipality

being at the forefront of urban renewal in Australia. The

City has developed comprehensive structure plans for its

Noble Park and Springvale Activity Centres which have

already seen significant new development investment

injected into these areas, whilst central Dandenong

remains its flagship urban renewal project.

The State Government’s recognition of Dandenong as

a vital region is reflected in their investment of $290 million

in the Revitalising Central Dandenong Project. Not only will

this attract an estimated $1 billion in private sector

investment and development and entice new residents

into 4,000 new homes, but it will also lead to enhanced

business growth and the creation of 5,000 new jobs over

the next 20 years.

What makes this project even more exciting is how

Local Government, the State Government and the Greater

Dandenong community have worked in partnership to see

it eventuate. The Urban Master Plan builds on a shared

vision, one which continues to capitalise on our city’s

social and economic strengths.

The State Government contribution will see Lonsdale

Street transformed into one of Melbourne’s great

boulevards, the construction of a vibrant City Street to

connect Dandenong Station to the city centre and a new

gateway in the George Street Bridge. It also involves the

acquisition of 7 hectares of land by VicUrban which is

being redeveloped to create housing, education, retail

and business opportunities in the heart of the city centre.

All this is part of the vision to establish central Dandenong

Urban RenewalRevitalising CentralDandenong

URBAN PLANNING


URBAN PLANNING


Sustainable cities, sustainable councilsRomilly Madew, Chief Executive Green Building Council of Australia

By 2050, Australia’s population is expected to rise by 60 per cent, reaching 35 million people. Most of us – nearly 85 per cent - will choose to live in cities.

Current urban development patterns will not sustain

this growth – and so they must be reinvented.

In Australia, we are in the enviable position of

being able to plan and design our living spaces of the

future. But just what will these places look like? How will

we interact with them? How do we ensure that they

are liveable and enjoyable places? How do we ensure

they meet the diverse needs of both existing and future

residents and workers?

These are just some of the many questions facing

all levels of government, owners, developers, planners,

builders, communities – and the Green Building Council

of Australia (GBCA) – as we begin to plan our future

communities.

Australia’s industry leadership is already recognised

internationally. Since the GBCA was established in 2002,

it has grown to become an organisation comprising

more than 785 member organisations. This makes GBCA

one of the world’s largest green building councils, after

the USA (there are over 63 councils globally).

The GBCA launched the Green Star voluntary

environmental rating system in 2003, and since then it

has certifi ed more than 220 buildings – with over 460

more buildings registered for Green Star certifi cation.

Together, certifi ed and registered projects amount to

nearly 10 million square metres of green building – that’s

181 times the size of Sydney Harbour.

Today, few new buildings in CBD areas are built

without attaining Green Star certifi cation.

Clearly, we’re heading in the right direction with our

buildings. We have the tools and the industry leadership

to drive the green agenda brick-by-brick, building-by-

building. However, our vision for our communities must

now be re-engineered to ensure we can rapidly take on

the challenge of greening our cities.

In late 2009, the Federal Department of Infrastructure

announced the adoption of new reforms which will

require states and territories to develop capital city

strategic plans by 2012 that meet national criteria

for transport, housing, urban development and

sustainability.

The Australian Government says that national criteria

will deliver better integrated and longer term - 30 year

- infrastructure and land use plans. The criteria require

planned, evidence-based land release to improve

housing affordability, better transport planning to tackle

urban congestion, and new urban development to be

better linked to transport, jobs and services.

From 1 January 2012, the Australian Government will

link future infrastructure funding to states and territories

meeting these criteria.

The GBCA has welcomed this move, as a longer-

term strategic approach to urban planning is required

if Australia is to successfully meet the challenges of

climate change, productivity, population growth and

housing affordability, and create sustainable, liveable

places.

Sustainable communities and precincts are places

where people want to live and work – both now and in

the future. They are well planned, built and operated.

They meet the diverse needs of existing and future

residents, are sensitive to their environment, and

contribute to a high quality of life for all the people who

live there.

Architect Buckminster Fuller said “the best way to

predict the future is to design it”. In February 2010, the

GBCA released the Green Star - Communities national

framework for sustainable communities and precincts.

The framework outlines fi ve national best practice

principles to guide sustainable communities in Australia:

liveability, economic prosperity, environmental quality,

place-making and urban governance.

The next stage of our project is to develop a tool that

assesses sustainable communities against best practice

benchmarks. There is a real need for frameworks,

models, tools and case studies that promote the delivery

of new sustainable communities and the revitalisation

and retrofi tting of existing ones, and we expect everyone

from planners and designers, through to builders and

community neighbourhood groups will fi nd the tool

useful.

Green Star - Communities will provide valuable

support for and complement the Federal Government’s

sustainable cities agenda, but it will also provide state

and local governments with a framework for planning

guidelines and development incentives for the property

industry, and help drive a nationally consistent planning

base for policy and regulation.

Left unabated, climate change will have a serious

and direct impact on local governments’ ability to

provide services over the long term and to effectively

govern. Making sustainable changes now is the best

insurance against more drastic and far-reaching

changes in the future. The challenge for local

government is to be green agents of change.

URBAN PLANNING


Sustainability Victoria’s green fi tout at 50 Lonsdale Street in Melbourne achieved a 5 Star Green Star – Interiors v1.1 rating.

Melbourne’s CH2 was the fi rst building in Australia to achieve a 6 Star Green Star certifi ed rating (Offi ce Design), and achieved a 6 Star Green Star As Built rating in 2010, confi rming that the green design features actually delivered the desired environmental outcomes.

URBAN PLANNING


The GBCA suggests four local government solutions

to Australia’s climate change challenges, including:

• Strong leadership at the local level, and a fi rm

commitment to championing green initiatives.

• Collaboration and strategic partnerships between

local governments and local business communities.

• Education, capacity building and skills development, as a signifi cant transformation of

the nation’s skill base must be achieved if

Australia is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and

improve environmental outcomes without

endangering overall employment growth.

• Commonwealth support and funding for effective

green education and skills programs, and to

help local councils deliver national sustainability

programs.

So, what can your council do to go green?

Firstly, introduce incentives that encourage

developers to commit to green buildings or ‘green up’

existing structures. Fast-track permit processing for green

buildings; this practice has already been initiated in

some capital cities, including Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane

and Adelaide. The GBCA has an online portal, the

Green Guide to Government Policy (available at www.

gbca.org.au), which outlines green building programs

and incentives at all levels of government around

Australia. It’s a valuable at-a-glance resource to help

you understand what other councils are doing, and to

promote your own green initiatives.

Perhaps the most important role for local

governments is as green leaders – by leading the

way in the adoption of sustainable building and eco-

friendly business practices. So, commit your council to

Green Star certifi cation for all future building projects

and major renovations. Melbourne and Brisbane city

councils have both committed to a minimum 5 Star

Green Star standard for all new offi ce accommodation,

and we expect other councils to soon follow suit.

Finally, join the Green Building Council of Australia.

Many federal, state and local governments – including

the Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth

city councils - are already fully engaged members of the

GBCA and are collaborating with industry to ensure we

fi nd sustainable building solutions to our global climate

change challenges.

The GBCA is currently in the process of establishing

a local government task group to encourage further

partnerships between government and industry. By

working with the GBCA, your council can infl uence

the future direction of green building in Australia and

connect with other green building leaders. You’ll also

be providing a clear signal to your constituents that your

council is committed to sustainability.

It’s time to get serious about sustainability. We

must look at how we manage our precious resources,

minimise our environmental footprint and create cities

that are healthy, liveable places that address the needs

of a diverse range of people.

After all, we are not just building a community for

tomorrow. We are building a community for generations.

Our buildings must be viable and sustainable in fi fty or

even one hundred years, and must address long-term

implications of climate change so that we can secure

our nation’s and our planet’s future.

Power and Water Corporation was awarded a 4 Star Green Star – Offi ce Design v2 rating from the Green Building Council of Australia for its Ben Hammond Complex in Darwin.

The Northern Territory’s fi rst 4 Star Green Star building has set a new benchmark for sustainable tropical design.

Melbourne

As the capital city of the State of Victoria in Australia, the City

of Melbourne is committed to achieving its Zero-Net Emissions

2020 strategy and is working with Honeywell to retrofit 13 council

buildings in the short term to reduce carbon emissions and

deliver significant water and energy savings for the city.

The City of Melbourne was one of the first cities to form a

partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative, under the C40

programme, to help tackle climate change.

Challenges The project outlines an ambitious timeline of 18 months that will

showcase results to the public and to the business community.

This is the first step to inspire a wider adoption of the 1200 Buildings

program that will cumulatively help the City achieve its sustainability

goals.

Investments made by the City into this program also needed to have

tangible benefits so that the water and energy reductions translate to

financial savings as well.

Solution - Honeywell Energy Performance ContractThe City of Melbourne has signed an agreement with Honeywell

to retrofit 13 Council buildings starting in December 2009 which

will include a wide range of works including improvements to

HVAC systems and building controls, lighting retrofits, solar pool

heating system, low flow plumbing fixtures, rainwater harvesting

technologies and gas, water & electricity metering using

specialised computer systems.

The buildings selected for the program are:

Commonwealth Bank Building

City Library

City Square Car Park

Elgin Street Car Park

Melbourne City Baths

Kensington Community Recreation Centre

Carlton Baths Community Centre

North Melbourne Baths

North Melbourne Town Hall

Queen Victoria Market

Campbell Arcade

North Melbourne Library

BenefitsUnder the agreement, the program is expected to generate:

$190,000 of annual energy savings

1560 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions

- equivalent to taking 348 cars off the road

11,791 kilolitres in water consumption savings - equivalent to

reducing enough water needed to fill 52 Olympic swimming

pools.

In addition, the savings made under the program will repay the

investment made by the Council within 15 years. Retrofitting

existing buildings makes sound financial sense as it reduces

energy and water bills for building owners and tenants.

As a longer term goal, the City of Melbourne will work with

businesses under the 1200 Buildings program to work through

similar retrofit programs to achieve substantial energy and water

savings across the city.

The combination of financial impact and environmental benefits

will have significant impact on the people and businesses that

operate in Melbourne and by being proactive, the community can

support the achievement of the Zero-Net Emissions goal by 2020.



WATER

Water reform vital for future supply The urban water industry is facing pressure to reform amid new and increased estimates of Australia’s population growth. There is now serious debate as to what changes urban water providers must make to continue servicing a growing population. Eden Cox investigates the options.

When Treasury revised its population forecast from

28 million to 35 million people by 2050, urban

water providers were left to rethink whether

existing plans to augment supplies would be adequate

for the projected extra 7 million people.

Whilst other large industries like gas,

telecommunications and electricity have undergone

transformations to keep pace with growing demand, the

water industry has largely escaped such reforms.

The National Water Commission (NWC) has said that

signifi cant investment in infrastructure are needed over

the next 25 years to meet this growth in demand.

Water plans need to respond to current

circumstances, but should also outline fl exible strategies

that can be applied under future conditions expected

as a result of climate change.

Advocates for market-based reforms claim that water

restrictions are proof of an ineffective system, and that

Australia needs competition between government-

controlled water monopolies for an innovative and

effi cient system.

Major arguments on the other side of the debate

draw attention to the fact that water is vital for human

survival, stating that such commodities should not be left

to the mercy of the market.

Ross Young, CEO of the Water Services Association of

Australia, said that whilst market-based approaches are

worth investigating, competitive urban water markets do

not exist anywhere in the world.

“Competition may be possible at the wholesale

level but it is highly unlikely to be achievable at the retail

level due to the transaction costs and the relatively low

value of water compared to other utility services such as

electricity,” he said.

Mr Young also highlighted the importance of

undertaking thorough studies to determine which

parts of the water supply system constitute a natural

monopoly, and which parts of the system could be

opened up to competition.

While this debate continues, urban water providers

have responded to the drought and threat of climate

change by investing heavily in new water sources, with

$30 billion to be spent on urban water projects between

2007/08 and 2012/13.

Investment in urban water supply infrastructure

has traditionally been sporadic, with large, infrequent

additions to capacity rather than incremental growth.

Signifi cant efforts and major investments continue to be

made to diversify urban water supplies, pushing for less

rainfall-dependent sources. These developments include

desalination, large-scale non-potable recycling, sewer

mining, grey water collection and reuse, storm water

harvesting systems, and new dams.

Water recycling remains a politically contentious

issue, unpopular with many politicians and communities

alike. But the NWC said no plan should be ruled

out before a robust, open-minded and transparent

comparison of all options to weigh up benefi ts, costs

and risks.

Desalination remains the infrastructure of choice to

bolster long-term water supply, and, with the exceptions

of Darwin and Hobart, all capital cities will have

desalination plants within the next four years.

Whilst desalination provides a reliable source of

water in a relatively short time, it is not a faultless solution.

“Desalination and recycling schemes will be an

increasingly important source of water for our cities but

they will not be the panacea,” said Mr Young.


Critics say that the process is expensive and energy intensive, and the water industry warns that to fund all of these new water sources the cost of water in capital cities could double in the next four to fi ve years. Mr Young emphasised that even though water prices are increasing, “water is still a relatively small component of household outgoings, particularly when compared with electricity bills.” Water restriction measures aren’t the perfect answer either. The NWC said that water restrictions impose signifi cant costs on water users, government authorities and the broader community. The Productivity Commission estimated in 2008 that the hidden costs of water restrictions could be up to $1 billion a year. “Domestic gardening supports a large industry and gardening is one of the most popular recreational activities,” said Mr Young. “Domestic and public gardens add to the attractiveness of our urban environments and assist in reducing the impact of the urban heat island effect.” Mr Young and the NWC agree that water restrictions should only be applied in the event of sudden water shortages and drought, not relied upon for long periods of time, as has been the case in all capitals except Darwin and Hobart. Treasury secretary Ken Henry has been a long-standing supporter of urban reforms, citing that a market-based system would improve supply and demand of urban water. Henry believes that the current system, where water is effectively being given away to consumers, is creating unnecessary domestic demand and is therefore restricting access to more important users. Furthermore, the NWC noted that currently a water usage charge is not levied directly on all users, meaning these consumers do not receive a price signal providing an incentive to use water wisely. Mr Young pointed out that many disadvantaged Australians receive concessions on their water bill, which also dilutes the price signal. The NWC highlighted that signifi cant scope exists in several Australian states to bring building tenants into a transparent water charging environment, including more frequent billing cycles that provide more effective price signals to customers. Some groups are touting the implementation of scarcity pricing as a measure for reducing urban consumption. In 2009, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) biennial report, “Urban water management: optimal price and investment policy under uncertainty”, said that scarcity pricing presents an effi cient way of allocating urban water resources, and is preferable to water restrictions. Scarcity pricing involves consumer charges for water that vary with storage levels, meaning prices are generally higher during summer, and lower in high-rainfall seasons. But this kind of solution remains controversial, with critics arguing that the inelasticity of household water demand will present little benefi t in terms of reduction. “Previous studies have indicated that water used internal to the home is largely unchanged by the price of water as the essentials of life uses such as washing clothes, showering and toilet fl ushing need to continue regardless of price,” said Mr Young.

“Studies have also indicated that water used external to the home such as watering gardens is more sensitive to price but still largely insensitive compared to other goods and services purchased by consumers.” Then there are also those who focus on equity concerns, with fears that low-income consumers could be forced to cut back on essential water for drinking, washing, cooking and cleaning. ABARE recommended that scarcity pricing could work using a two-block price scheme in which a low constant price would apply to the fi rst block of consumption, and a variable scarcity price would apply to consumption above this level, which should include only non-essential water use. In some jurisdictions block-pricing is already in place. Mr Young said that such a system is economically ineffi cient and cannot recover all the costs associated with a water supply system. “Having said this, inclining block tariffs have assisted in signalling to customers the scarcity value of water,” he said. Scarcity pricing schemes would require household water consumption to be measured accurately within each billing period. But it is not currently possible to read all household meters on the last day of the billing cycle. One way to overcome this problem would be to invest in smart metering technology. Several smart meter trials have already been implemented across the country, including an extensive trial on 468 homes in Sydney’s north. The NWC is supportive of such systems and encourages the government to consider urban smart metering more seriously. But whilst the Rudd government has been focusing attention on rural water use in the Murray-Darling Basin, its urban water response has been slow, aside from the provision of subsidies for urban desalination plants and water recycling facilities. The NWC biennial report says existing water provision structures allow only some competition in water supply and service, including third-party access regimes in some states. In NSW, this has enabled private providers AquaNet Sydney and Veolia Water Australia to plan a $100 million recycled water plant and pipeline system for industrial water users in Sydney. But the water industry has said that increasing competition between urban water providers will mean the scrapping of uniform ‘stamp pricing’ for suburbs. They argue that wealthy suburbs on the coast will receive bill cuts, whilst suburbs further west will receive higher charges for wastewater treatment. While the debate continues on all sides, it’s heartening to know that the urban water industry has recognised the need for some big reforms. “Water systems of the future will be much more integrated than what they are now and will involve an integrated approach which embraces all aspects of the urban water cycle, including stormwater, groundwater, dams, desalination, recycled water and water grids,” said Mr Young. The pressure on Australian water supplies, predicted to increase in the grip of accelerating population growth and the threat of climate change, is an enormous challenge facing utility providers, planners and local government.

WATER


WATER


The City of Unley’s signing of an agreement to

access recycled water from the Glenelg to

Adelaide Pipeline (GAP) is just one of the more

visible aspects of the city’s water sustainability and

conservation program that has made it a leader in

“Waterproofing the East” of Adelaide.

The long-term agreement to provide up to 50

megalitres of high quality recycled water will assist in

returning Unley’s parks and public open spaces to their

pre-2007 condition prior to the introduction of water

restrictions. Construction of a new access pipeline will

take place this year with the aim of having the water

available for use next summer. However, the GAP

agreement is only one element of Unley Council’s

overall water sustainability strategy.

Other projects on the go include stormwater

harvesting and aquifer storage and recovery, water

sensitive urban design and greater use of rainwater

tanks.

Environmentally sensitive urban design initiatives

being undertaken across the city include changes to

the way it lays footpaths and captures available

stormwater. Permeable/gap paving will now be used for

all footpath replacement works, while under an

innovative program a portion of the stormwater from

residential properties will progressively be captured and

diverted to water street trees through a series of “tree

wells”.

As part of the process of footpath replacement,

Council gives residents the opportunity to choose the

surface for the nature strip outside their property.

Residents are now being encouraged to choose

permeable loam as a preferred nature strip instead of

the more conventional dolomite, which easily

compacts and becomes impenetrable by stormwater.

Unley Council is also continuing to investigate the

feasibility of several stormwater harvesting/reuse

schemes to further reduce its dependence on mains

water. Tied in with all of this is a program of community

education on sustainable water use, including seminars

on drought resistant gardening.

This focus on water is important for a garden city

such as Unley, but it is only one of the environmental

initiatives that Council is undertaking as part of its

2009/10 Environmental Sustainability Program, which

extend across a wide range of Council activities.

As a step towards addressing CO2 emissions from

Council buildings and saving energy costs, energy

efficient lighting upgrades took place in 2009 with

similar upgrades to air conditioning units this year.

Following a survey that showed that most lighting in

parks was inefficient and needed replacing, a program

of bulb replacement is underway with energy efficiency

being the prime consideration.

And as part of the Solar Rooftops East project, Unley

Council is working with the Eastern Regional Alliance of

local councils on the possibility of facilitating the bulk

purchase of photo voltaic (PV) solar panels to make

them more cost effective for householders.

Community support for environmental projects in the

city has enabled Council to increase its rates by 1 per

cent, with the resulting income specifically earmarked

to fund environmental projects.

Taking the lead inWaterproofing the East

EQUIPMENT + MACHINERY


For the first time in Australia’s history there is now a single bodyresponsible for managing water resource planning across the vastMurray–Darling Basin. This came about through the growing realisation by governments

at all levels that the health of the Murray–Darling Basin is in seriousdecline.

In 2008 the Basin States – Queensland, New South Wales, Victoriaand South Australia - passed legislation transferring certain powersto the Australian Government to allow it to amend its Water Act and tocreate a comprehensive Basin Plan which will bind all Basin States andthe Australian Capital Territory.

The Authority’s central task is to develop a Basin Plan which willinclude sustainable diversion limits (based on the best availablescience), an environmental watering plan, a water quality and salinitymanagement plan and water trade rules.

A proposed plan will be released for discussion and consultationthis year with the final Plan going to the Commonwealth Government in2011.

Why was water reform needed? In less than a century, waterextracted from the Murray –Darling Basin has increased five-fold, from2,000 GL a year in the 1920s to more than 10,000 GL a year in morerecent years.

A century of regulating the rivers for transport and irrigation hasgenerally confined river flow to within the banks and reduced thefrequency and pattern of flooding. The average inflows into the Murrayhave shrunk from 24,000 GL a year to 1,300 GL and the systemcontinues to suffer from the lowest three years of inflows in 108 years ofrecords.

The impacts of climate change and variability and populationgrowth have added to the pressures on the river systems and in 2002the Murray stopped flowing to the sea.

The first environmental report card on the ecological health of theMurray–Darling Basin, the Sustainable Rivers Audit (2004-2007) whichcovered 96,000 km of rivers and streams, found long-term degradation

in most of the Basin’s valleys and that 20 of the Basin’s 23 river valleyswere in poor or very poor health.

The Basin Plan will tackle these issues and will aim to secure thefuture of the Basin.

The states and the ACT will continue to determine how water isallocated and used in their own jurisdictions through the developmentof water resource plans, but these must be consistent with the BasinPlan.

Development of the plan has included extensive consultation withthe many communities which rely on Basin water for economic, socialand cultural needs. Local government has been a crucial conduit fortwo-way communication in the development of the Plan and theAuthority will continue to work closely with all levels of government.

The Authority values feedback from communities and individualsthroughout the Basin and has established a community engagementprogram to facilitate two-way communication.

For more information visit the Authority site at www.mdba.gov.aucontact us at [email protected] or via phone our freenumber 1800 230 067.

Managing Basin water resources – a partnership atall levels of government

A new era for water planning in Australia’s

food bowlThe Murray–Darling Basin is under enormous stress because

of past water allocation decisions, a prolonged record drought, natural climate variability and climate change.

To tackle these challenges the Murray–Darling Basin Authority is on track to delivering an historic Basin Plan — a strategy for the

integrated and sustainable management of water resources across the whole Basin.

In preparing the plan, the Authority has been consulting extensively with Basin state and territory governments, key stakeholders and

rural and regional communities across the basin.

The plan is based on the best and latest scientific, social, cultural and economic knowledge, evidence and analysis. A lot of this research

information is now available for public comment from our website at www.mdba.gov.au

You can freely download the full text of major reports such as: a Basin socio–economic context report; a discussion paper on sustainable

diversion limits for the Basin; a “concept statement” detailing how we are developing the Basin Plan, and more.

The Authority is due to release a draft Basin Plan for public discussion in Mid 2010 and a final Plan in 2011.


Harnessing recycled waterBy Pat Nixon, Process Engineer, Sinclair Knight Merz

Surprising as it may sound, recycled water is often viewed as a waste product to be managed as economically as possible. However as Pat Nixon explains, with a bit more planning and careful thought, recycled water can be considered an abundant and valuable resource with many uses and benefi ts.

Arecycled water strategy can provide an opportunity

to maximise the use of a valuable resource and

minimise the release of excess recycled water to

the environment as “waste”.

Communities that value the contribution of

recycled water can often fi nd it helpful to implement a

management hierarchy to use water sustainably, create

fi t-for-purpose solutions, and ultimately reduce nutrient

loads on local waterways.

The hierarchy covers fi ve main areas:

1. Reduce the generation of wastewater through water

conservation and prevent of stormwater infi ltration

into the wastewater network.

2. Recycle water where possible, including Class A+1

water to replace fi t-for-purpose household potable

water uses and Class B/C water for benefi cial non-

contact uses such as irrigation and industry process

water.

3. Recover recycled water from storage, to balance

excess recycled water production to avoid

unnecessary release of recycled water to waterways

and thus prevent the use of potable water for non-

potable water needs.

4. Release unavoidable excess recycled water using

optimal timing and positioning of release, which

takes advantage of ebb tide fl ows to maximise

mixing with receiving waters.

5. Consider other initiatives to meet the objectives of

maximising potable water sources and minimising

the release of excess recycled water to the

environment, by using recycled water for irrigation of

golf courses, wholesale nurseries, parks and gardens.

Transition from policy to strategy In moving from policy to strategy it is essential to

change the way recycled water is viewed and used by

the community. This management allows lower quality

water to be used where potable water quality is not

necessary, not only reducing release, but conserving

the use of higher value potable water resources.

An integrated and holistic approach is required,

considering all forms of recycled water quality and

respective appropriateness of use to proactively identify

applications for recycled water.

Also helpful is devising a strategy that is built upon

existing recycled water policy and infrastructure to

maximise its effi ciency and avoid redundancy.

WATER

WATER


Additional considerations to develop a recycled

water strategy include:

• engaging with customers and the community

• improving environmental performance and

minimising impacts on the environment

• managing service delivery sustainably

• building on existing infrastructure and existing water

strategies and policies

• providing future planning of all available and

required infrastructure

• engaging the community to generate greater

awareness of the value of water and understand

community preferences for a range of water

product and service options

• raising environmental performance by improving

the quality of treated wastewater released to

waterways, increasing the volume of recycled water

used and reducing the volume of recycled water

released to the environment

• sustainably managing service delivery by providing

a reliable and long-term water supply that meets

high quality standards on a fi t-for-purpose basis,

while being cost-effective and therefore value for

money

• addressing public health and safety concerns

and incorporating an acceptable level of risk to the

community, and

• incorporating environmental, social and economic

goals to develop a triple-bottom-line basis to the

strategic planning framework.

1 Explaining water quality criteria for class A+ to

D recycled water, p8 Water Quality Guidelines for

Recycled Water Schemes, Queensland Department of

Natural Resources and Water (2008).

Author: Pat NixonPat Nixon is a water engineer with SKM based in

Brisbane. He has over twenty years’ experience in

planning, design, documentation, and contract

management and construction supervision of water,

wastewater and recycled water infrastructure projects.

Article reproduced courtesy of Sinclair Knight Merz

To adapt to a changing and variable climate and population growth in the Gold Coast region of Queensland, Australia, it was critical to develop a city-wide blueprint to make use of recycled water resources and develop long-term sustainable water management plans. In response to this requirement, Gold Coast Water (GCW) and other key stakeholders working with Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) developed the Recycled Water Strategy (RWS). The comprehensive strategy, which considers recycled water management over a 50-year period, was developed through the review and consideration of diverse and complex technical, economic and scientifi c information.

Gold Coast Case


StudyAddressing the region’s needs

Ecological sustainability is increasingly crucial

to good engineering practice and, as such, this

project aimed to improve the quality of life in the

region through social and economic contributions

and to protect the natural environment through the

assessment and mitigation of environmental impacts.

Sustainable water resources The strategy involved the sustainable use of water

resources by providing fi t-for-purpose solutions across

the residential, industrial and commercial sectors.

Through its development, the strategy helped

change the relationship the community has with water,

in particular highlighting the value of recycled water

and minimising the release of excess recycled water to

the environment.

Using water sustainably for the future Sustainability was integrated into all aspects of the

strategy development, including options assessment

and, in particular, the multi-criteria assessment of

alternative strategies. Driven by a comprehensive

methodology, the strategy considered an enduring

and long-term management strategy for recycled

water. It was designed to not only maximise its

environmental and ecological sustainability, but also

social and economic sustainability, using key criteria,

such as:

• surface water and ground water quality

• whole-of-life, whole-of-system costs

• greenhouse gas emissions

• risk

• security of water supply

• potable water substitution, and

• social equity.

Community ownership and pride The strategy helped frame the use of recycled

water in the region by employing extensive

consultation, including an advisory committee with

representatives from community groups, environmental

groups, government, residents and industry.

It benefi ted the community by generating a

sense of empowerment and ownership of public

assets, fostering partnership with the government

and strengthening relationships and understanding

between different sectors of the community.

It also helped develop community pride in being a

part of one of Australia’s largest integrated urban water

communities, and at the vanguard of international

sustainable water management and lifestyle.

An innovative solution The strategy not only outlines an integrated

industrial, residential and commercial solution for an

entire city, but is part of a comprehensive, consistent

and integrated set of internationally recognised water

management frameworks. The methodology presents

a structured, advanced approach for engaging

community and stakeholders in large-scale strategy

and policy development and includes innovative

and holistic methods to assess alternative options. For

example, time weighting solutions were used to refl ect

the importance of delivering initiatives in the short-term

as opposed to a long-term plan.

Outcome Through its development, the strategy has helped

change the relationship the community has with water,

highlighting the value of recycled water.

It also has signifi cant environmental benefi ts. It

targets both the reduction of potable water use to

increase the long-term security of fresh water supplies

in the region and the release of excess recycled water

to the environment, which minimises nutrient loads on

local waterways and estuaries.

The project won the 2009 Engineering Excellence

Award for Environment from the Queensland Division of

Engineers Australia.

WATER

Also helpful is devising a strategy that is built upon existing recycled water policy and infrastructure to maximise its effi ciency and avoid redundancy.

WATER


Addressing population, industry and climatechange

Sustainable OnkaparingaThe City of Onkaparinga in Adelaide’s south is South

Australia’s largest Council by population. In 2007 there

were around 157,000 residents and this is expected to

increase by 40,000 in the next 20 years.

The recent effects of drought and the looming

impacts of climate change necessitated an innovative

approach to sustainable water management within the

region – herein lies the challenge.

The foundations of a solutionSeveral wastewater management schemes exist within

the City to support the region. However, these schemes

evolved somewhat independently and without a clear

single vision or target to maximise re-use.

It was recognised that the scale of resources and

the networks of systems meant that a region-wide

sustainable water management project was entirely

feasible with collaboration from State Government

agencies and the private sector.

Bringing together these existing schemes to achieve

a sustainable water management solution required a

vision that was bold and realistic enough to engage

the existing project owners and commit resources.

Water Proofing the South

A City’s vision to harness all sources of water Water Proofing the South was devised to deliver a

localised integrated water resource management

strategy entirely within the City of Onkaparinga to

provide ‘fit-for-purpose’ alternative water sources to

traditional sources such so that overall water use in the

region is sustainable.

The Action:

Water Proofing the South Stage 1 – reclaimedwater The first stage has resulted in 3.8GL of reuse, which

would cover the playing surface of Adelaide’s AAMI

Stadium to the top of the goal posts approximately 30

times. This has predominantly been achieved through

the enhancement of the reuse potential of reclaimed

water.

With existing schemes in place, far more extensive

infrastructure has been required to deliver the desired

increase in the use of recycled water. Therefore, the

following works have been necessary:

• upgrades to the Christies Beach and the Aldinga

Waste Water Treatment Plants to improve water

quality to the standard required for urban use.

• up to 70km of network enhancements and

expansions

• an increase in the amount of winter storage

• the reuse of surplus stormwater in the Christie

Creek catchment, including environmental and

recreational benefits.

The City of Onkaparinga, SA Water and the privately

owned Willunga Basin Water Company are each

investing directly in the project. In recognition of its

regional benefits and unique collaborative nature, the

project has also received $34.5M in funding support

from the Commonwealth Government. This is coupled

with contributions from Flinders University and the

Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources

Management Board. The latter are contributing to the

$185M scheme, which is rapidly progressing towards its

scheduled end of December 2010 completion date.

Water Proofing the South Stage 2 – stormwaterreuse in the City of OnkaparingaInvestigations have identified that the City has

approximately 24GL of stormwater entering St Vincent’s

Gulf from its nine catchments. With consideration for the

preservation of environmental flows, approximately 12-

13GL is available for harvesting and reuse across 12

potential Managed Aquifer Recovery (MAR) schemes

within the City. Maximising the reuse from these sites is

made possible through their interconnection and

existing infrastructure.

The focus for Water Proofing the South Stage 2 is the

capture, storage, treatment and reuse of stormwater.

The objective is to offset as much as possible of the

city’s mainswater demand with fit-for-purpose water.

The total cost of Water Proofing the South Stage 2 is

estimated at $30M. Council will receive approximately

$15M funding from the Commonwealth and $7.5M from

the State Government to support the delivery of the

project.

The Water Proofing the South 2 concept includes the

creation of four new wetlands and MAR schemes and

an extensive network of pipe transfer infrastructure. The

project will harvest approximately 2.8GL with 2.2GL

being made available for reuse, preserving 20% in the

aquifer for environmental purposes.

For more information please contact Benjamin Hall at theCity of Onkaparinga on 08 8384 0595 [email protected] or visitwww.onkaparingacity.com/wps

Water – the change challenge

THE CHANGE CHALLENGEWater Proofi ng the South. A localised, integrated water management strategy for Adelaide’s southern suburbs.

With population growth, industrial demand and the predictions for climate change, the provision of ‘fi t-for-purpose’ alternative water sources such as reclaimed water and stormwater is critical. Water Proofi ng the South will ensure water use in the City of Onkaparinga is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

The $185 million Stage 1 of Water Proofi ng the South will deliver 3.8 gigalitres of treated effl uent and stormwater for reuse in new housing developments, the irrigation of public open space and the local viticulture industry.*

The $30 million Stage 2 of Water Proofi ng the South will harvest 2.8 gigalitres of stormwater, making 2.2 gigalitres available for reuse through distribution systems. These systems connect wetlands and managed aquifer recharge schemes with local reserves, open space, schools and sports fi elds.**

* Stage 1 is made possible by the collective effort of the City of Onkaparinga, SA Water and the privately owned Willunga Basin Water Company with signifi cant funding support from the federal and state governments.

** Stage 2 is to be delivered by the City of Onkaparinga, but is made possible with funding support from the federal and state governments.


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WATER

Irrigation management case study

Whittlesea sports fi elds makeoverPeter Ali, Manager Infrastructure, and Stephen Comben, Strategic Projects & Operations Offi cer, Parks & Gardens, City of Whittlesea, Victoria.

The City of Whittlesea is located on the metropolitan fringe, about 20 kilometres to the north of Melbourne. Its population is growing rapidly, and there are estimates that its present population of 148,000 people will balloon out to 300,000. A reliable water supply is vital to both the economic and environmental health of this community. With demand for Mebourne’s domestic water supply expected to outstrip current supplies within the next two decades, options are being explored and plans put in place to ensure reliable supplies, including effi ciency programs for residential, commercial, and industrial customers and the reuse of treated effl uent and other waste water.

Irrigation in the municipality In 2003, the City of Whittlesea appointed an

independent irrigation consultant to review its irrigation

systems. The review assessed the likely annual water

consumption for the existing automatic systems for

passive and active reserves and streetscapes and

identifi ed those systems having the greatest potential

for water savings.

The review found that 81 per cent of the water

applied to the City’s open space areas was on

sports fi elds. It was in this context that the option of

implementing a computer-based system to provide

centrally controlled and remote operation of irrigation

controllers to sports fi elds (and larger passive sites) was

investigated.

Released in May 2003, the report concluded that

implementing a centralised irrigation management

system (CIMS) had the potential for greater water

conservation compared to current practices. These

savings demonstrated that water savings of up to 25

per cent could be expected when compared to a ‘set

and forget’ approach, saving The City of Whittlesea

$69,835 a year, based on the current cost of water.

A cost benefi t analysis that compared installation

and modifi cation costs with potential water savings

showed that, on water cost savings alone, the system

would pay for itself within three years.

Based on this information, the City of Whittlesea

entered into a strategic partnership with Toro Australia

to develop an integrated irrigation control solution

based on the requirements detailed within the report.

The system, which was installed in January 2005,

has already resulted in dramatic environmental

improvements. It automatically provides information

back to the central computer about its operation.

Meters on irrigation lines monitor the amount of

water fl owing through the lines. If the fl ow exceeds

the preset amount, the computer shuts off the whole

line and signals an alarm. Broken sprinklers and other

malfunctions can be quickly identifi ed to prevent water

wastage.

Although the amount of landscaped area in the

municipality has doubled in the past six years, using

the automated control system has enabled the city to

stay within drought-imposed water use levels. Under

the provisions of the Drought Response Plan (DRP),

Melbourne’s retail water companies allowed councils

and schools to water sports fi elds, subject to submitting

a Water Conservation Plan (WCP) (2003).

Total Strategy Whittlesea’s WCP identifi ed actions aimed at reducing water use by sports fi elds and ovals by at least ten per cent over twelve months, including the use of drought-tolerant grass species such as couch grass (Cynodon dactylon) in all new and reconstructed sporting grounds. Field trials by Melbourne’s leading sports turf research institutions have demonstrated a 75 per cent water reduction on fi elds using this grass species compared with the conventional rye grass varieties. These savings in water were exceeded despite the city’s tremendous growth.

WATER


A number of initiatives were implemented at the

same time as the Irrinet computerised irrigation control

system was installed to exceed this water reduction

target. Whittlesea’s Sports Field Management Strategy

(2002) introduced a complete change in previous

cultural maintenance practices, including:

• Using wetting agents and fertiliser/aerating

programs

• Existing irrigation system designs/upgrades

• Using wetting agents when rainfall was predicted

• Using slow-release fertilisers

• Using moisture-retaining synthetic materials in soil

composition

• Changing watering frequencies and timing

• Changing mowing height to optimise moisture

retention

• Verti-drainage and de-thatching programs to

maximise water penetration within the soil profi le.

One of the added benefi ts that set the Toro solution

apart from its competitors was its high end reporting

functionality. The system stores operational information

within a fully relational SQL database, and provides

fully customisable reports on any operational function,

including site-specifi c water use, irrigation application

times and sequencing. This reporting has been used

to demonstrate to the water supply organisation

compliance with Whittlesea’s WCP.

Irrigation system testing is done using handheld

remote units of GPRS-enabled laptop computers,

forgoing the need to access site controllers. Changes

can be made to irrigation program settings with these

units. Site controllers need only to be accessed for

controller maintenance. All other functions are controlled

remotely through either the central control computer or

handheld devices.

Community Sustainability Whittlesea’s not-for-profi t sporting clubs refl ect

the needs and aspirations of the local community.

Innovative planning and development have enhanced

opportunities for community inclusiveness and wellbeing

through assisting access to recreation pursuits offered by

these clubs.

Implementing the central control system project has

increased the viability of these not-for-profi t organisations

by reducing the costs associated with maintaining their

sporting fi elds, e.g. the 30 per cent reduction in water

required to maintain sporting grounds in the 2004-05

season reduced maintenance costs by an average of

$2,400 per ground per season.

Trials are underway to expand the irrigation control

system to control sporting ground lighting during training

sessions and for after hours events. As the Irrinet system

is fully automated, clubs no longer need to be involved

in the scheduling or adjusting of irrigation applications.

This is now done through the central computer (either

directly through the GPRS-enabled laptop computers or

through the use of handheld radios).

By removing club personnel from the loop, Whittlesea

park maintenance staff can maintain total control over

irrigation systems, ensuring strict compliance with water

use targets.

Planning for the Future Whittlesea’s new Aurora subdivision will set a new

benchmark in the fi eld of urban design. It will be

Australia’s fi rst totally green residential development,

incorporating features such as:

• Five-star rated appliances and solar hot water

heating, resulting in a 33 per cent reduction in

greenhouse gases when compared to traditional

methods,

• Harvesting rainwater for garden irrigation and using

AAA+ rated fi xtures resulting in a 61 per cent

reduction in water consumption,

• The use of grey water (treated wastewater) for

reuse in both public open space and private

gardens, resulting in zero discharge of wastewater.

Whittlesea’s central control system will be used to

manage statutory compliance issues associated

with the reuse of wastewater both within private

gardens and public open space. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines require: four-

hour time window between the fi nish of irrigation

cycles and open space use, strict controls on

managing spray drift as a result of prevailing winds,

reporting and documentation of watering times, and

the amount of water applied at any given area.

Daily water output and watering time reports will be

automatically emailed to both council staff and, where

required, statutory bodies such as the EPA to ensure

compliance with the site’s Environmental Management

Plan. Watering fi nishing times can be strictly controlled.

The integrated weather station will automatically shut

down irrigation systems in the event of predetermined

wind speed and direction events.

The spectacular rate of new development, typifi ed

by the Aurora development, will see the creation of

a multitude of new landscaped areas throughout

the municipality. Capital improvement in the way of

developed open space areas, sporting ovals and

associated irrigation infrastructure will be funded by

each developer.

Whittlesea will assume eventual maintenance

responsibility for these areas after a two-year developer

maintenance period. Whittlesea’s Landscape Guidelines

for New Developments (2004) required developers to

provide Irrinet-compatible irrigation infrastructure in all

new subdivisions, thus ensuring that the environmental

benefi ts being achieved on council’s existing irrigated

sporting ovals and open space continues to be

achieved in all new areas. Developers have been

very happy to comply with this direction, given the

demonstrated environmental and cost benefi ts that the

system provides.

Whittlesea’s irrigation systems distribution based on landscape area type Water Distribution Roundabouts 0.7%

Streetscapes 0.9%

Parks 1.3%

Community Facilities 15.3%

Sports fi elds 81.8%

WATER


Table: Comparison of likely water costs for managed and un-managed irrigation systems (Sports fi elds + Municipal Offi ces and Convention Centre)

Managed to match climatic conditions Un-Managed ‘set and forget’ approach

$206,942/year $276,777/year

Cost difference of $69,835 associated with water conservation - (25% saving)

Source: Irrigation Australia, Volume 24 Issue 3 (Spring 2009)

After researching the various types of controllers

available, city staff selected the Toro Irrinet system,

which used radio signals to transmit information

about how much water to apply and whether the

system is working properly. Radio signals are received

by fi eld units installed at 35 sites throughout the city.

The fi eld units then activate sprinklers that deliver an

appropriate amount of water to each planting area,

depending on whether it is turf, trees, annuals, shrubs,

or other greenery.

Using data from a weather station and site rain

buckets, the amount of water applied can also be

automatically adjusted. When it is hot, for example,

the evapotranspiration (ET) rate of plants rises, and

the computer is programmed to vary the amount of

water with changes in the ET rate. ET rates are radioed

to the computer each evening, and a ‘set call’ is then

relayed to each of the fi eld units with instructions

for the following day. Flow meters installed at each

site immediately report on any irrigation hardware

faults, reducing water loss due to damaged or faulty

irrigation control valves or sprinklers.

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WATER

TENDERING & CONTRACTING


Law Surrounding The Tender ProcessApplications for Local Government

By Brian Ambler, Partner and Tetyana Wotton, Solicitor TressCox Lawyers*

Private enterprise and government agencies will often procure goods and services through the tender process. It is therefore important for “professionals involved in the strategic and operational management of facilities for public and private sector organisations throughout Australia, as well as those professionals who support the industry through the provision of products and services”1 to understand the law regulating the tender process.

Goods and services are exchanged through

the medium of a contract. According to the

fundamental principles of contract law, a contract

is formed at the point where an ascertainable offer

made by a capable party is accepted by another

capable party. Additionally, there must be a common

intention to be legally bound by the agreement, and

both parties must provide consideration. In the case

of contracts within the Facility Management sector,

a valid contract would exist where two parties have

agreed to enter into a contract for the supply of Facility

Management services. Consideration would then be

provided by payment of a sum of money by one party

in exchange for the provision of management services

by the other party. Importantly, once a legally binding

contract is in place, a number of remedies are available

for breach of contract.

Before entering into a contract, a government

agency and potentially the private sector that requires

the provision of goods or services will often issue a

request for tender. A request for tender is “a published

notice inviting suppliers who satisfy the conditions for



participation to submit a tender in accordance with

requirements of the request for tender and other request

documentation”2 . Suppliers interested in providing those

goods or services will then submit a tender, otherwise

known as a “price, bid, offer, quotation, consultant

proposal or expression of interest”3. The purpose of

the tendering process is for the requestor to locate a

preferred supplier in order to enter into a contractual

relationship for the provision of the goods or services.

It is apparent, therefore, that the tendering process

precedes the contractual relationship. A request for

tender, for the purposes of contract formation, is not an

offer. Instead, it is an ‘invitation to treat’, or, in other words,

a “request to negotiate or make an offer with a contract

in mind” 4. As such, in Pratt Contractors Ltd v Palmerston

North City Council 5, it was found that “the starting point

is that a simple uncomplicated request for bids will

generally be no more than an invitation to treat, not

giving rise to contractual obligations”.

This reality poses a number of problems for suppliers,

who, unless their tender is accepted, have no apparent

contractual rights. In an economy where the cost

of preparing a tender is constantly increasing, this is

particularly unnerving. The Courts have accordingly

realised that “this approach to the tendering process

simply does not accord with the parties’ legitimate

expectations” 6, and as such, have formed the institution

of the “process contract”.

The Process ContractThe process contract is separate from the tender

contract. The tender contract is formed when a

requestor decides upon a particular offer from one

supplier. The process contract essentially exists solely to

protect the “integrity of the bidding system” 7. The process

contract applies to both public and private tendering,

and creates “binding obligations on the party calling

for tenders to evaluate each tender in a certain way”8.

However, process contracts are not automatic, with

their existence dependent “upon a consideration of the

circumstances and the obligations expressly or impliedly

accepted”9 .

In Hughes Aircraft Systems International Inc v

Airservices Australia 10, two corporations tendered for

a government contract. In negotiations prior to the

submission of tenders, the parties agreed to a set of

guidelines for the assessment of tenders, in particular

that there would be “fairness between the tenderers”.

The Court found that Hughes Aircraft relied on these

representations in deciding to participate in the tender

process, and therefore selection of a tender “was

required to follow the procedures and be in accordance

with the criteria specifi ed” 11. A breach of the process

contract was found when Airservices Australia failed

to abide by the agreed guidelines for assessment and

awarded the contract to another tenderer. Hughes

Aircraft was subsequently awarded damages.

Therefore, where a request for tender sets out specifi c

guidelines for the assessment or treatment of tenders,

it could be said that a process contract is formed. If

the requestor departs from these specifi ed “terms”,

they could be found to be in breach of the process

contract. In this case, any “wronged” supplier would be

entitled to seek damages for any losses sustained in

preparing the tender and, in some circumstances, for

loss of profi t.12

It is increasingly common for requestors to attempt

to exclude a process contract from the tender process.

The legality of such an exclusion clause in the request

for tender is uncertain. In Cubic Transportation Systems

Inc v New South Wales13 an attempt to exclude a

process contract was read down by the judge who

held that there was in fact a process contract in place.

However, in State Transit Authority (NSW) v Australian

Jockey Club14 the judge found an exclusion contract to

be valid, stating that it was “abundantly clear that the

plaintiff… was entitled to deal with individual tenderers

differently and was under no obligation to follow any

particular process”. Despite inconsistencies in the law,

it is likely that such a provision would be invalid where

parties have agreed to a defi nable assessment process

and that process has been departed from.

It is apparent therefore that the process contract is

a common law concept existing to protect the “integrity

of the bidding system” . However, statute appears to

also provide for the creation of legal obligations in

the tender process. In particular, Section 52 of the

Trade Practices Act 1974 provides that “a corporation

shall not, in trade or commerce, engage in conduct

that is misleading or deceptive or is likely to mislead

or deceive”. Therefore, if a request for tender outlines

criteria for assessment that are markedly different to

those actually intended to be used, the requestor may

be found to have breached this section of the Act.

Tendering for Government In addition to the process contract, government

procurement is further regulated through the

existence of a number of procurement guidelines.

This is because “it is a matter of public concern

that the government’s buying and selling should be

properly conducted and that legal measures which

encourage the responsible conduct of government

business are to be encouraged”16. Whilst procurement

guidelines are not legally binding, it is important to

consider and understand the relevant guidelines when

submitting tenders for government as they are “the

policy framework under which agencies govern and

undertake their own procurement” 17.

At a national level, government agencies

must abide by the Commonwealth Procurement

Guidelines. A copy of the guide is available at http://

www.fi nance.gov.au/publications/fmg-series/

procurement-guidelines/index.html. This guide applies

to procurement carried out by offi cials in agencies and

in bodies subject to the Commonwealth Authorities

and Companies Act 1997 and states that “value for

money is the core principle underpinning Australian

Government procurement”18 . According to the guide,

value for money can be enhanced by: “encouraging

competition by ensuring non-discrimination…

promoting the use of resources in an effi cient, effective

and ethical manner; and making decisions in an

accountable and transparent manner”19.



The States also provide procurement guidelines by

which government agencies must abide. Whilst they all

follow similar principles, there are different provisions in

place which may affect the procurement process. A list

of the core applicable guides is provided:

State/Territory Document name Available at

NSW Code of Practice for Procurement http://www.nswprocurement.com.au/

VIC Procurement Policies (Master Manual) http://www.vgpb.vic.gov.au/

QLD Queensland Government Procurement Plan 2009–2012 http://www.qgm.qld.gov.au/

SA State Procurement Act 2004 http://www.spb.sa.gov.au/

WA Guide to Tendering with Western Australian

Public Authorities http://www.dtf.wa.gov.au/

NT Procurement Directions http://www.nt.gov.au/

ACT Government Procurement ACT 2001;

and Procurement Policy Unit http://www.procurement.act.gov.au/

TAS Purchasing Principles; and

Purchasing Policies http://www.purchasing.tas.gov.au/

Conclusions The tender process is essentially made up of two

different contracts that exist side by side: the tender

contract and the process contract. In the case of

government tenders, procurement guidelines may

also infl uence the tender process. The scope of these

contracts and guidelines should always be understood

by a supplier before they submit a tender to either a

corporation or government agency.

For any further information on the tender process, please contact Brian Ambler, Partner, on (02) 9228 9215 or Tetyana Wotton, Solicitor, on (02) 9228 9306 at TressCox Lawyers.

*(With acknowledgement to Melissa Smith, Summer Clerk, who greatly contributed to this article)

1 Facility Management Association of Australia Website -

http://www.fma.com.au/cms/index.php?option=com_

content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=32 2 Commonwealth of Australia, Commonwealth

Procurement Guidelines (December 2008) 46 3 NSW Government, Code of Practice for Procurement

(January 2005) 114 P. J. Butt, Butterworths Concise Australian Legal

Dictionary, (3rd Ed, 2004) 2355 [1995] 1 NZLR 469 per Gallen J at 478-479

6 Macquarie Generation v CNA Resources Ltd [2001]

NSWSC 1040 at [52]-[53] as summarised in Nicolas

Seddon, Government Contracts: Federal, State And

Local, (4th Ed, 2009) 3257 R v. Ron Engineering & Construction (Eastern) Ltd

[1981] 1 S.C.R. 111 at 2738 NSW Department of Commerce, Tendering Manual,

(December 2006) Chapter 2, 6 9 Pratt Contractors Ltd v Palmerston North City Council

[1995] 1 NZLR 469 per Gallen J at 478-47910 (1997) 76 FCR 15111 Hughes Aircraft Systems International Inc v Airservices

Australia (1997) 76 FCR 15112 Nicolas Seddon, Government Contracts: Federal, State

And Local, (4th Ed, 2009) 35313 [2002] NSW SC 65614 [2003] NSW SC 726 at [25]15 R v. Ron Engineering & Construction (Eastern) Ltd

[1981] 1 S.C.R. 111 at 27316 Nicolas Seddon, Government Contracts: Federal, State

And Local, (4th Ed, 2009) 31417 Commonwealth of Australia, Commonwealth

Procurement Guidelines (December 2008) v18 Commonwealth of Australia, Commonwealth

Procurement Guidelines (December 2008) 1019 Commonwealth of Australia, Commonwealth

Procurement Guidelines (December 2008) 10


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Sort and Save is a community based recycling

project that has changed the way Wodonga

Council delivers its waste management service.

Sort and Save demonstrates how innovative

management practices not only improve service

delivery but also empower the whole community

to adopt more efficient waste management habits.

Originally, the project was tabled as an answer to the city’s

costly hard waste problems.

However, through problem solving and community

discussion, it was modified to offer creative, sustainable

solutions to equally pressing social and economic issues

within Wodonga

It is a project anchored in ongoing community partnerships,

empowering those involved, particularly marginalised

people, and is already showing many positive social,

economic and environmental benefits.

Sort and Save, while managed by Wodonga Council,

involves partnerships with four local community

organisations. The strength of Sort and Save lies in the

commitment of these partners to finding innovative ways of

doing things better, smarter and more productively, while

reducing everyday environmental impacts.

Corrections Victoria, Recovery GAME, Kalianna Enterprises

and Beechworth Correctional Centre work alongside

Wodonga Council to reduce, reuse and recycle goods

received at the Wodonga Council Waste Transfer Station.

The project provides a workplace for the long-term

unemployed, skills development for marginalised members

of the community and a practical exercise in educating the

general public in sustainable, environmentally sound waste

management.

Since this national award the project also won two other

major awards:

• Waste Management Association of Australia –

National Transfer Station Excellence Award – Best

Small Transfer Station 2009.

• United Nations Association of Australia – World

Environment Day Awards – Local Government

Award – Best Specific Environmental Initiative 2009

For further information contact:

David Pinder – Waste Management Coordinator

City of Wodonga

Tel: (02) 6022 9365


City of WodongaSort and Save: A Community Recycling Project

Inside recovery shop - sales of second hand recovered good

Opening the detox centre at the waste transfer station (left to right): Jan Van derGraff (Sustainability Victoria), Mark Verbaken - Manager Environment and Com-munity Protection, and Rodney Wangman - Mayor in 2008.

Award ceremony (from left to right): Mark Verbaken - Manager, ´Environmentand Community Protection, Ian Kiernan - Chairman Clean-up Australia DayCommittee , Greg Harrison - Diversion Officer









Mentoring, the rightpath to employment

Passport to Work (PTW) is

specifically designed for long-

term unemployed individuals

and highly disadvantaged members of

the community. The program seeks to

provide a unique opportunity to bring

the participant (protégé residing within

Hume City) and a mentor (a local

corporate professional) together to

accelerate sustainable employment to

further training outcomes for the

protégé involved, identifying,

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their core barriers to employment.

PTW protégés participate in a life-

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(drugs, alcohol, depression etc),

discrimination (occurring to migrants

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disability, with PTW being introduced

to break the old habits and materialise

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attempting to break the cycle of

unemployment.

The program was developed

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Juno Consulting, a Melbourne

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the unemployed jobseekers that

benefit the most from the mentoring

process.

The PTW model has evolved from

a traditional mentoring model to a

collaborative partnership between local

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local corporate organisations.

Hume City Council (HCC)

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program. Previous programs have

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Hume Whittlesea Local and Learning

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TAFE, Victoria Police, ANZ, MAB

Corporation and HCC.

PTW connects residents with each

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encouraging active participation in the

community on average 65 -75% of the

protégés find employment within the

duration of the mentoring program,

which has an immense impact in the

lives of both the individual and their

families.

PTW encourages social

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needs of our diverse community; it

engages with all Hume residents and

supports their employment and/or

education journey, providing support

and pathways for the community. The

program is a social connection for

some of the protégés at times

engaging them to learn and seek

employment.

A protégé is empowered as an

outcome of the journey taken and

inturn their achievement with either

employment or educational

achievement helps their family and

individuals retain the cultural heritage

which empowers the wider community,

both for residents, the corporate

organisations and local Government-

promoting Hume City as a multicultural

society, which bonds and strengthens

the wider community.

Origin’s Project Manager Kathy McNeill mentored Mona Daouk in a Hume Councils Passport to Workprogram. This helps unemployed people gain job skills and find work. Mona was employed with Origin as aresult and is still employed with Origin. PHOTO: Tony Gough. © Newspix




Category Winner – Strengthening Indigenous Communities

City of Geraldton-GreenoughMentoring, the right path to employment

Youth’n’Motion Midnight Basketball

Midnight Basketball was officially launched on 4th

January 2008 in a response to the antisocial and

criminal behaviour often witnessed in and around the

West End area of the City's Central Business District

(CBD). The impact of the program was noticeable with

Police reporting a 30% reduction in antisocial and

criminal behaviour in the CBD.

Since Midnight Basketball first opened its doors in

2008 over 1000 young people have been through the

program (as at 2010) and the program is still in

operation. Although Midnight Basketball is not

exclusively targeting Indigenous youth they make up

approximately 85% of the total number of participants.

The aim of Midnight Basketball is to engage young

people by providing a program that is safe, fun and

educational. Keeping youth out of trouble and away

from harmful situations is on the top of the priority list.

However it is equally important to equip the young

people with tools and strategies that will help them

reach their full potential in life. This is achieved through

life skills workshops conducted on the night. Topics

addressed in the workshops range from sexual health

to financial literacy and problem solving. The Midnight

Basketball program is constructed around the

philosophy, No workshop No jumpshot.

Contact: Filip Hansen, Youth Development Officer

Phone: 08 9921 0502

Fax: 08 9956 6674



Documents

Australian Local Government Yearbook 2010