The People's Choice voting is now open.
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/about/peoples-choice
There are some great entries from public libraries (see below) so go to the website and vote for your favourite now!
Good luck to all those libraries that have entered.
Library and Information Services
Auburn Living Library goes to Oberon!
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/70-auburn-living-library-goes-to-oberon
Children's Book Week Safari 2009
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/32-childrens-book-week-safari-2009
Emerging from the Green
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/65-emerging-from-the-green
Lake Macquarie Seniors Program
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/112-lake-macquarie-seniors-program
New Lives, New Australians - Snapshots of Greta Migrant Camp, 1949 - 1960
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/95-new-lives-new-australians---snapshots-of-greta-migrant-camp-1949--1960
Picture Coffs Harbour
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/10-picture-coffs-harbour
Randwick: A history book
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/69-randwick-a-history-book-
Storyworx: a story-based educational program for young adults with an intellectual disability at Kogarah Library and Cultural Centre
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/55-storyworx-a-story-based-educational-program-for-young-adults-with-an-intellectual-disability-at-kogarah-library-and-cultural-centre
Volunteering for life-long learning
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/89-volunteering-for-life-long-learning
Waverley Words Literary Festival 2009
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/106-waverley-words-literary-festival-2009
Cultural Infrastructure - Ingleburn Library and Community Centre
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/60-ingleburn-library-and-community-centre
Dennis Johnson Branch Library, Stanhope Gardens. Co-located with Blacktown Leisure Centre, Stanhope.
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/61-dennis-johnson-branch-library-stanhope-gardens-co-located-with-blacktown-leisure-centre-stanhope
Surry Hills Library and Community Centre
http://culturalawards2010.lgsa.org.au/projects/94-surry-hills-library-and-community-centre
Showing posts with label local government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label local government. Show all posts
Monday, March 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Local government mergers and the future of libraries in Western Australia
Funding challenges in WA compounded by fears of what local government mergers could mean for libraries in the state
Public library managers in Western Australia are working flat out to put together a business case for an alternative funding model, to replace the one that has been in operation since 1954. Until the new funding agreement has been signed off, the State Government has capped its contribution to the annual library budget at $6.5 million. There had been a further $10 million in top-up funding spread over the previous four years.
A library manager told ALN, ‘A report was prepared for the joint advisory committee on libraries a couple of years ago and it made 111 recommendations. Because of all the changes, we’re about 12 months behind where we thought we would be, but there are lots of working groups tackling the top 10 recommendations and the big one is the funding model.’
If the new funding model is finished in time, there is a chance that the State Government could be persuaded to grant additional cash in years two and three of the current three-year plan.
At the start of the year, there was nervousness about what local government amalgamation in WA might mean for public libraries, and the situation has not improved. Our source said, ‘There is still a great deal of uncertainty around amalgamation'.
In February this year the minister for local government announced the Liberal-National government package of local government reform strategies. The principle strategies in the package focus on voluntary structural reform of local government.
Specifically, the strategies encourage local government to take steps voluntarily to amalgamate and form larger local governments to reduce the total number of elected members to between six and nine, and for local governments to form appropriate regional groupings of councils to assist with the efficient delivery of services.
‘Local government was invited to submit proposals to a steering committee by the end of September 2009. The steering committee is due to submit a report to the minister for local government next month [December2009]. There is still a great deal of uncertainty, particularly for the regional areas, as to whether there will be mandatory amalgamations, with little information, apart from speculation, being forthcoming.’
Source: Australian Library News 19 November 2009
Public library managers in Western Australia are working flat out to put together a business case for an alternative funding model, to replace the one that has been in operation since 1954. Until the new funding agreement has been signed off, the State Government has capped its contribution to the annual library budget at $6.5 million. There had been a further $10 million in top-up funding spread over the previous four years.
A library manager told ALN, ‘A report was prepared for the joint advisory committee on libraries a couple of years ago and it made 111 recommendations. Because of all the changes, we’re about 12 months behind where we thought we would be, but there are lots of working groups tackling the top 10 recommendations and the big one is the funding model.’
If the new funding model is finished in time, there is a chance that the State Government could be persuaded to grant additional cash in years two and three of the current three-year plan.
At the start of the year, there was nervousness about what local government amalgamation in WA might mean for public libraries, and the situation has not improved. Our source said, ‘There is still a great deal of uncertainty around amalgamation'.
In February this year the minister for local government announced the Liberal-National government package of local government reform strategies. The principle strategies in the package focus on voluntary structural reform of local government.
Specifically, the strategies encourage local government to take steps voluntarily to amalgamate and form larger local governments to reduce the total number of elected members to between six and nine, and for local governments to form appropriate regional groupings of councils to assist with the efficient delivery of services.
‘Local government was invited to submit proposals to a steering committee by the end of September 2009. The steering committee is due to submit a report to the minister for local government next month [December2009]. There is still a great deal of uncertainty, particularly for the regional areas, as to whether there will be mandatory amalgamations, with little information, apart from speculation, being forthcoming.’
Source: Australian Library News 19 November 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Amalgamations?
Amalgamations won't fix resourcing, says LGSA
SYDNEY: Amalgamating Sydney's councils won't make the problem of resourcing go away, the Local Government and Shires Associations have (LGSA) said.
In a response to suggestions made by the Sydney Business Chamber that the city’s councils could be reduced from 42 to 12, the President of the Local Government Association Cr Genia McCaffery said that amalgamations would not fix the problem of resourcing.
“Decreasing the number of Sydney councils won’t necessarily make the problem of under-resourced councils go away,” she said.
“It won’t remove the burden of an unfair rate pegged system, inadequate tax allocations, a cost shifting bill that totaled $431 million in 07/08 or an infrastructure renewal backlog that grows by $500 million each year.
“Before we start talking about amalgamation or reform we need to address these problems, and the only way to do that is with more funding from the State and Federal Government.
“If you amalgamate two under-resourced councils without considering all the other factors, all you will end up with is a larger under-resourced council.”
President of the Shires Association Cr Bruce Miller said NSW councils were already investigating ways to modernise the sector.
“There are many options to consider – electoral, structural, functional, industrial and organisational,” he said.
“And if some councils are eventually amalgamated, there are a host of things to consider. Rural and regional councils for example, have a smaller population but a larger geographic area to maintain.
“Residents might have to travel more than 100km simply to attend a council meeting to have their say on local issues.
“We want to work with the State Government to ensure the best possible changes are made with the best outcomes for our local communities.”
A recent report by the Association of Consulting Engineers Australia (ACEA) also called for a consolidation of local urban councils in the Sydney basin, reducing the total number of councils from 42 councils to just 11.
The ACEA recommended that the Department of Local Government be abolished and its functions merged into a new super-department of planning and local government. LGSA said it was a sensible idea but unlikely to succeed.
SYDNEY: Amalgamating Sydney's councils won't make the problem of resourcing go away, the Local Government and Shires Associations have (LGSA) said.
In a response to suggestions made by the Sydney Business Chamber that the city’s councils could be reduced from 42 to 12, the President of the Local Government Association Cr Genia McCaffery said that amalgamations would not fix the problem of resourcing.
“Decreasing the number of Sydney councils won’t necessarily make the problem of under-resourced councils go away,” she said.
“It won’t remove the burden of an unfair rate pegged system, inadequate tax allocations, a cost shifting bill that totaled $431 million in 07/08 or an infrastructure renewal backlog that grows by $500 million each year.
“Before we start talking about amalgamation or reform we need to address these problems, and the only way to do that is with more funding from the State and Federal Government.
“If you amalgamate two under-resourced councils without considering all the other factors, all you will end up with is a larger under-resourced council.”
President of the Shires Association Cr Bruce Miller said NSW councils were already investigating ways to modernise the sector.
“There are many options to consider – electoral, structural, functional, industrial and organisational,” he said.
“And if some councils are eventually amalgamated, there are a host of things to consider. Rural and regional councils for example, have a smaller population but a larger geographic area to maintain.
“Residents might have to travel more than 100km simply to attend a council meeting to have their say on local issues.
“We want to work with the State Government to ensure the best possible changes are made with the best outcomes for our local communities.”
A recent report by the Association of Consulting Engineers Australia (ACEA) also called for a consolidation of local urban councils in the Sydney basin, reducing the total number of councils from 42 councils to just 11.
The ACEA recommended that the Department of Local Government be abolished and its functions merged into a new super-department of planning and local government. LGSA said it was a sensible idea but unlikely to succeed.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Comparative Information
The Comparative Information on NSW Local Government Councils for 2007/08 publication has just been released.
Click here
Click here
Thursday, July 9, 2009
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.
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.
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