The Premier this week released the Government’s Taking Action for Victoria’s Future – The Victorian Climate Change White Paper Action Plan. The Plan includes 10 key action areas, with key commitments including:

• Victoria a target to reduce emissions by at least 20 per cent by 2020 compared to 2000 levels (equivalent to 40% per capita)
• reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of Victorian brown coal-fired generators by up to four million tonnes over the next four years, culminating in a total saving of 28 million tonnes by 2020, equivalent to the closure of two units of Hazelwood Power Station; and
• setting a target of 5 Star-equivalent energy rating across existing homes by 2020, assisted by comprehensive household retrofit program and doubling of the Victorian Energy Saver Incentive scheme.

The White Paper will be supported by a Victorian Climate Change Bill, to legislate the 20 per cent reduction by 2020 and brown coal-fired generator controls. The Bill will also legislate to:

• ensure that decision-makers take climate change into account in specified government decisions
• develop a Climate Change Adaptation Plan by the Government every four years, outlining the climate change impacts and risks to Victoria, as well as the Government’s priority areas for a State response
• allow the Climate Communities Program increased funding through the Sustainability Fund; and
• ensure that the Government must report every two years on climate change science and Victoria’s progress towards its emissions reduction target.

The MAV is preparing a Members Brief on the Climate Change White Paper, to be distributed to all members in coming days.

Nina Rogers, Manager-Climate Change and Environment Policy, 9667 5519.

The ’Local Government and Planning Legislation Amendment Bill 2010’ has been introduced into the Victorian Parliament. The Bill deals with several matters, including:

• Refinements to the conflict of interest rules arising out of consultation concluded in February 2010;
• Amendments to electoral representation review processes arising out of consultation concluded in January 2010;
• An amendment to enforce the prohibition on Councils publishing or distributing electoral matter during an election period;
• Clarification of the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer to deal with Councillor WorkCover;
• Indexation of the remuneration threshold for defining a “senior officer”;
• Amendments to the City of Melbourne Act 2001 to facilitate that Council’s 1200 Buildings Program;
• Technical amendments to the Planning and Environment Act 1987 to facilitate the establishment of Development Assessment Committees.

A summary of the proposed amendment has been released by Local Government Victoria, Department of Planning and Community Development, and further information regarding the passage of the Bill and, subject to its approval, the dates when relevant provisions come into operation will be made available online.

Mr Wynne made the announcement while launching the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) Establishing a Victorian Local Government Services Report, which recommends that a Victorian Local Government Services Report is published each year to report on council service outcomes.

Said Mr Wynne, “Importantly, this new level of accountability will not place unnecessary financial or administrative burden on councils.  To compliment the new reporting framework the ESC will conduct a ‘streamlining review’ that will examine current reporting obligations and aim to reduce the administrative burden of the sector by 25 per cent.”

Mr Wynne said the report came after Premier John Brumby last August asked the ESC to develop a performance monitoring framework for the local government sector.

“I have asked the ESC to progress the recommendations of the final report. This will primarily focus on the first stage of the implementation program, which will result in a pilot report involving 20 to 25 representative councils by January 2011, and the streamlining review.”

The 2010 MAV Councillor Development Weekend was conducted on the weekend of July 23 -25, with a great roll up of 134 Councillors, 30 partners and 6 children; all housed successfully at the Novotel Forest Resort in Creswick. The feedback from participants has been hugely positive about the program, the venue and the entire experience.

Speakers included former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson, Professor Andrew Podger and Ron Ben-David (Chair, Essential Services Commission). Both Richard Wynne, Minister for Local Government, and Jeanette Powell, Shadow Minister for Local Government addressed the delegates. Workshops were provided on carbon footprint reduction, measuring council performance, staff satisfaction and performance, diversity Programs, Codes of Conduct and Council and Community Planning.

Slightly lighter relief was provided by Li Cunxin (Mao’s Last Dancer) who hardly left a dry eye in the hall, Sir Murray Rivers QC (Bryan Dawe) and Rod Quantock (Climate Change). A special presentation was made by Cr Gaetano Greco from Darebin Council. Gaetano is the current winner of the annual $10,000 McArthur Management Services Local Government Fellowship. Gaetano’s presentation on Municipal Wi Fi networks was outstanding.

Presentations from the weekend are now available and a report on the weekend from President Bill McArthur will be sent to all Councillors shortly.

An MAV COAG Working Party has been established to provide input to all National Partnerships which impact on local government in the area of human services. The key item discussed at the first meeting was the review of the HACC agreement between the State and MAV – local government. Jane Herington, Director Aged Care, Department of Health, addressed the meeting on the negotiations with the Commonwealth. All councils will be consulted on the review of the Agreement.

Clare Hargreaves.

The MAV is seeking nominations from a Chief Executive Officer, Director or Senior Manager from a metropolitan and a non-metropolitan council to participate on the Victorian Committee of Food Regulators which is being established by the Victorian Government.

The establishment of the Committee was recommended by the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) to strengthen food safety regulation in Victoria in its report “Simplifying the Menu: Food Regulation in Victoria”.  The MAV has been invited to be a local government representative, with additional positions reserved for two council senior officers.

Food regulation policy is set by State Government agencies yet rely on local government for implementation, who register the bulk of food businesses. Please forward your nomination to Rosemary Hancock by Friday, 13 August 2010.

Premier John Brumby yesterday announced that from Wednesday 1 September, Victorian councils will be able to water 100 per cent of sportsgrounds and will have more flexibility for watering trees.

Providing a boost to community and junior sport, increased water allowances are also available for households and businesses, who can apply to their local water authority for restriction exemptions to enable new warm season lawns to be established.

Minister for Women’s Affairs Maxine Morand and Minister for Local Government Richard Wynne yesterday announced $20,000 in scholarships to assist more women in local government participate in senior leadership development.

Speaking at the Women’s Professional Development forum hosted by Local Government Professionals (LGPro), Ms Morand said the new funding would promote leadership training for women currently in and aspiring to senior executive roles in local councils.

“I am proud our Government has been able to provide this funding to support LGPro’s new Executive Leadership Program,” Ms Morand said.

For more information about the scholarships, please contact the State Government Office of Women’s Policy on (03) 9208 3618.

Nominations are now open for the 2011 Victorian Honour Roll of Women.  The Honour Roll was launched in 2001 as part of Victoria’s Centenary of Federation – Women Shaping the Nation Event, and it is a great opportunity for Victorian councils to recognise the achievements of women from all sections of the community.

Women can be nominated for their contributions in a diverse range of fields including science, social justice, human rights, education, medicine, arts, sport and recreation, as well as involvement in ethnic and Indigenous communities.

Nominations close on Wednesday, 13 October 2010, and the new inductees will be announced by the Minister for Women’s Affairs in March 2011 as part of International Women’s Day celebrations.

The MAV, in partnership with the Victorian Multicultural Commission, the Standing Committee on Local Government and Cultural Diversity and the Rural City of Wangaratta is proud to present the 2010 Local Government and Multiculturalism Conference: Innovation and Leadership on the Ground.

Developing a richer understanding of multicultural communities and the challenges and benefits that cultural diversity brings to local areas, speakers will include the Hon James Merlino, Minister Assisting the Premier on Multicultural Affairs; Mr George Lekakis, Chairperson of VMC; Mr Bill McArthur, President of MAV; and Mr Pino Migliorino, Chairperson of the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Council of Australia.

The one day conference will be held on Friday 27 August 2010, in Wangaratta Victoria, and be preceded by a conference dinner on Thursday 26 August, which will be addressed by Cr Geoff Lake, President of the Australian Local Government Association.

Victorians who have developed an innovation that benefits farmers or rural communities should nominate for the Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) Hugh McKay Future Farming Award worth $10,000 in prize money.

The award is part of a suite that comprises the annual DPI Science Awards, established by the Victorian Government in 1992 to recognise the important contribution science and innovation make to Victoria’s primary industries. Nominations close on August 23.