Local government sets national agenda

By Angela Dorizas (23 June 2009)

Councillors and mayors from across Australia have gathered in Canberra to set a new national agenda for local government.

The National General Assembly (NGA) of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) attracted around 700 delegates ready to vote on more than 140 motions on issues surrounding climate change, infrastructure and finance.

ALGA president Geoff Lake said local government faced a number of unprecedented challenges.

“Never before have there been more issues at stake for local government at the national level,” Cr Lake told conference delegates.

“And never before has there been more of a need for us to come together – from across the breadth of Australia – to debate and shape a national agenda for our sector.

“How we navigate these waters over the next few years, will determine whether we are a strengthened sector in the future, or one hamstrung by responsibilities beyond our capacity and finances well short of our needs.”

Cr Lake said the NGA was “not a mere talkfest”, but an opportunity for delegates representing 565 councils to discuss and debate the role local government should play in building “sustainable and resilient communities”.

He said local government was preparing to lobby on three key policy areas: infrastructure, climate change and financing.

“How we interface with the Federal Government will determine what role we can play in shaping these issues,” Cr Lake said.

“We can sit back and watch how these things play out or we can be right in there – in the thick of it – and influence how things happen.”

No news on federal front

Federal representatives present at the NGA failed to deliver any new announcements on the first day of proceedings.

The Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Anthony Albanese, addressed the congress on infrastructure and financing, but did not deliver any new funding commitments.

Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, Greg Combet, was scheduled to speak, but was held up at Parliament House in a debate over the OzCar affair.

His colleague, the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Children's Services and Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction, Bill Shorten, spoke on his behalf.

Shorten warned that a delay in the passing of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), currently being debated in the Senate, would negatively impact on the economy and environment.

“The potential delay in the CPRS is no small matter,” Shorten said.

“A problem delayed is not a problem solved.”

He said local government would continue to play a “crucial part” in responding to climate change, particularly in the areas of planning and infrastructure.

A number of climate change experts addressed the NGA, including: ANU Climate Change Institute executive director, Professor Will Steffen; Deacons Law Firm partner Elisa DeWit; Gold Coast City Council’s project manager of climate change strategy, Rebecca Durdev; and representatives from the Department of Climate Change, Gold Coast City Council and Clarence City Council.

The road to reform

Although excluded from the NGA theme, constitutional recognition of local government was also on the agenda, with Cr Lake providing an update on progress made.

Law experts Professor George Williams and Nicola McGarrity, from the University of NSW Gilbert and Tobin Centre of Public Law, presented their technical paper on constitutional reform and former Senator Robert Ray from CPR Communications outlined ALGA’s proposed two-year strategic campaign plan.

In terms of a timeline for reform, Ray said April to November 2012 would be the ideal time to put constitutional recognition of local government to the Australian people in a referendum.

The national general assembly continues until Wednesday, with Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull and Leader of the Australian Greens, Bob Brown, scheduled to deliver an address today.

The NGA will be followed by a meeting of the Prime Minister’s Australian Council of Local Government (ACLG) at Parliament House on Thursday.

Article from Sydney Morning Herald

A low-cost escape from recession? Book me in

Peter Vincent, April 18, 2009, Sydney Morning Herald

MARK TWAIN once said books were for people who wished they were somewhere else - and the global downturn is proving him right. As the recession bites and retail spending flags - dropping 2 per cent in February - it seems we are turning to books as an alternative to costlier ways of entertaining ourselves.
New book sales remain strong (largely thanks to Stephenie Meyer, the author of the blockbuster Twilight series). Between January and last month, they were up 7 per cent on the first quarter of last year, Nielsen BookScan Australia says.

Malcolm Neill, the chief executive of the Australian Booksellers Association, said books are "relatively immune" during a short downturn, although sales did tail off in a sustained downturn.

"Our experience of the last couple of recessions is that it takes a while for expenditure on books to be severely affected. There is an initial insulation, so that when people are tightening their belts books get whacked less," Mr Neill said.

While sales of new books eventually fell away, not so second-hand books, said Bob Gould, the owner of the cavernous Gould's Book Arcade in Newtown, who has sold pre-loved books for 40 years.

His shop has experienced a 10 per cent jump in business since February, but Mr Gould does not expect trade to go backwards. "Second hand books are counter-cyclical and always have been," he said.

"People have to read - and they read in bed or in the bath; they want a book. Second-hand books are very resilient."

Paul Berkelouw, the co-owner of the Berkelouw chain, which sells new and second-hand titles in Paddington, Leichhardt and Berrima, said his sales were up about 10 per cent for the last quarter.

Sales of low-priced new books (sets of six paperbacks for $20) were also doing well at his wholesale store in World Square.

"Expensive books about art and architecture are not doing well; people are looking for escapist stuff at the moment," Mr Berkelouw said.

Libraries are also noticing an increase in custom.

North Sydney Council's Stanton Library has had a 14 per cent jump in visitors in the past year and a parallel increase in new memberships and loans.

The number of visitors to the City of Sydney's seven libraries in the first three months of this year (94,325) was up 12 per cent on the first quarter of last year, although a council spokesman said this was partly due to a membership promotion and free Wi-Fi internet connection.
Full article here

Top 20 things librarians in public libraries wish patrons knew or did (part 1 of 4)

Hats off again to the Annoyed Librarian for alerting me to a series of articles about the Top 20 things librarians in public libraries wish patrons knew or did.

Again the comments at the end of AL's post on this topic are well worth reading.

Personally, on first blush I have two comments (a) I find the list patronising -it's only in light of AL's comments that I post the list at all and (b) why is #1 Use us! last?