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Official Launch
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| This is a temporary website for the recently established Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government. A more comprehensive website will be made available in the coming months. The Australian Government is contributing $8 million in funding for a Centre for Excellence in Local Government to enhance professionalism and skills, showcase innovation and best practice, and facilitate a better informed policy debate. The new centre was announced by the Prime Minister at the inaugural Australian Council of Local Government meeting on 18 November 2008. A consortium led by the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) has been selected to establish the centre following a competitive process. The consortium partners are the University of Canberra, Australia and New Zealand School of Government, Local Government Managers Australia, and the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia Limited. Other program partners will include the Australian National University, Charles Darwin University and Edith Cowan University. The Centre will:
Some activities will commence almost immediately, with the Centre expected to be fully operational by early 2010. |
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Official Launch of ACELG ACELG was officially launched on 14 December by Hon Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. The Minister also released the first ACELG Project Plan and opened the international Roundtable on Metropolitan Governance. The launch was hosted by the University of Technology, Sydney, which leads the ACELG consortium, and attended by around 70 invited guests including Hon Maxine McKew, Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government, Cllr Philip Black, Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney, senior state and federal government officials, international guests and representatives of ACELG consortium and program partners. Mr Albanese commented said that the Centre of Excellence is the first of its kind in Australia and is part of the Rudd Government's historic partnership with local government to improve the way both levels of government serve local communities. "This is a historic first for Australia - a centre dedicated to supporting and improving the way that local government serves their communities," he said. Recognising the need for an institution that focuses on improving efficiency and performance in local government, Mr Albanese said that Australia had for too long trailed the rest of the world. "Until now Australia has had a vacuum," he said. "Over the last decade a lack of leadership has shown neglect of the local government sector when it comes to the attitude of the federal government." ACELG board chairperson Hon Margaret Reynolds - a former federal minister for local government - said that the new centre would usher in a new era of co-operation between the three levels of government in Australia. "I do feel confident that the work that this new centre of excellence is going to do is really going to engage the three levels of government in recognising how much contribution can be made at the national level and to lives of Australian citizens." UTS Vice-Chancellor Professor Ross Milbourne said the 565 local governments across Australia had a huge impact on everyday lives, delivering essential services and providing much of the nation's infrastructure. "Despite being less than six months old the centre has already been very busy," Professor Milbourne said. "A wide ranging consultation with the sector is well advanced, with discussions having already occurred in all states and the Northern Territory, and a number of projects are already underway." Examples include:
Professor Milbourne said these were just a few of the plans in place for the coming year. "This Centre of Excellence can, and will, make a very real difference to Australia," he said.
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Roundtable on Metropolitan Governance On 14-15 December ACELG hosted an international roundtable on metropolitan governance. This was a joint project with the Canada-based Forum of Federations and the Major Cities Unit of Infrastructure Australia. The Roundtable formed part of preparations for next year's World Urban Forum in Brazil. The Forum of Federations is working with the Brazilian organisers to arrange a session on the governance of fragmented metropolitan regions, in particular institutions and processes for intergovernmental coordination and delivery of services. Australia was approached to assist by bringing together local and international experts to identify key issues. International speakers came from Canada, the USA, India, South Africa and New Zealand. Australian participants included senior federal, state/territory and local government representatives, together with other leading practitioners and academics. Click here for the program. The Roundtable offered an opportunity to compare recent experience in metropolitan governance and planning across Australia, and with international developments. Discussions also provided valuable input to the work of the Major Cities Unit, Infrastructure Australia, in formulating a national cities strategy, and to the research program of the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government. Presentations to the Roundtable are available below. A more comprehensive report on discussions will be compiled and posted on this website in early March 2010. For further details, contact Graham Sansom. Presentations:
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Inaugural Meeting of ACELG Board The inaugural meeting of the ACELG Board was held at the University of Technology, Sydney on Thursday 1 October. The federal Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government, Hon Maxine McKew, opened the meeting, hailing the Centre as a key driver to promote best practice, innovation and professionalism in local government. Ms McKew also welcomed the appointment of former Senator and Local Government Minister, Hon Margaret Reynolds, as Chairperson of the Board. Margaret Reynolds expressed her enthusiasm for the role, saying that she had thoroughly enjoyed her previous experience as both a councillor and Minister working in this crucial sector, and was looking forward to once again getting involved with Australian local government policy and practice.
The Board meeting approved the appointment of Professor Graham Sansom, the current Director of the UTS Centre for Local Government, as the Director of ACELG. It also authorised an extensive consultation process to finalise the Centre?s Project Plan for the next 3-5 years. This began with a roundtable discussion with members of the Australian Council of Local Government in Darwin on 9 October, as well as a series of meetings with Northern Territory local and territory government representatives. Discussions are planned in all other states and the ACT over the next two months. Please contact Melissa.Gibbs@uts.edu.au for further information.  |
Membership of the ACELG Board
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