Victorian Local Government Bill 2019

Gov Bill

Last year, in November, the new Local Government Bill was introduced to Parliament. The bill will become law imminently, and will take effect in a progressive motion across 2020, and into 2021.

The bill is the result of many years of extensive engagement with Victoria’s 79 councils, ratepayers, stakeholders and communties, and seeks to reform and improve the way local government works in the state of Victoria.  With a focus on training for councillors, and strategic planning in the areas of financial management, community vision and good practice guidelines, the introduction of the bill brings in a new era of local governance.

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Infrastructure Australia’s Priority List 2020

Priority List

Infrastructure Australia has released its Infrastructure Priority List for 2020, with board chair, Julieanne Alroe, stating it features thirty-seven new proposals. Ms Alroe notes the wide range of sectors covered include water, energy, health, waste and transport.

The Priority List is supported by the evidence raised from the 2019 Infrastructure Audit, and submissions from government departments, industry and the community.

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National Gas Reservation Policy

Govern

Who remembers using a piggy bank? As a child, you’d save one and two cent pieces; if you were lucky you might even get a silver coin to slide into the slot on the pig’s back. As the coins dropped you’d hear them clunk onto the others inside. Once the pig became heavy, with its tum full of coins, you’d go with your parents to the local branch of the bank, and deposit those coins into your own savings account. Saving for the future is a good plan.

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Asset Renewal Decision-making

GovtGovernment departments across Australia at the local, state or federal level are faced with the complexities of when to renew assets.

Most of the public infrastructure in our nation was built in the post-WWII boom: 1950s to 1970s. With many assets having a life-cycle of between 30 – 80 years, it’s no wonder that right now, across our major cities and rural areas, we’re seeing unprecedented construction, upgrading and renewal. But renewing assets is not as simple as the asset reaching its end-of-life or reducing its functionality. Other factors must be taken into consideration, such as:

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