Bulletin (PDF 18.3 MB) - City of Armadale

Information BulletinCorrespondence & PapersPage Cor-30Planning is not and was never intended to be a purely regulatory function. Planning is aboutensuring community outcomes are delivered for the benefit of citizens, both now and intothe future, and within reasonable environmental and design parameters. Removing therights of communities to be engaged in planning and development is anathema to civilisedand democratic societies we have in Australia.Likewise the pressure to continuously reorganise or introduce new urban 'governance'structures to fix the problems of our cities and towns is largely a smoke screen. In sayingthat, I fully support the need to ensure our business models are operating efficiently andthis may sometimes involve a degree of organisational and governance change. However tosimply say that amalgamation of local government or introducing new developmentcorporations or assessment panels will do the trick is simply not true. In the case of myhome state, multiple interventions in the system of planning governance has just resulted inmore confusion and distrust and the growing perception that good planning is little morethan trying to reduce red tape.Local government plays a critical role in planning and the management of our diversecommunities. I will champion our role and the rights of our communities to be a key part oflocal planning decisions.Cr Genia McCafferyALGA PresidentGovernment consults widely on carbon price policyALGA attended the first meeting of the Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Roundtable onClimate Change on Friday 26 November 2010. The roundtable is one of two that have beenestablished by the Government to provide input to their deliberations on a carbon price. Theother Roundtable is for business and met on the morning of the same day. The Minister forClimate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, and the Minister for Sustainability,Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Tony Burke, chaired the meeting andAgriculture Minister Joe Ludwig was also in attendance. The ministers provided a briefing onthe Government's approach to climate change and the carbon price issue. Members havebeen appointed as individuals who bring different perspectives on climate change to thetable that will provide valuable input to the Government's plans going forward. TheRoundtable will meet throughout 2011.Changes to solar creditsThe Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, has announcedamendments to Solar Credits with support for household solar installations beginning to bephased out a year earlier than previously planned. Minister Combet says this followsextensive industry consultation with the clean energy sector and energy utilities on draftregulations targeted at ensuring that solar systems are not provided for little or no out-ofpocketexpense. Mr Combet said the Solar Credits multiplier would be reduced from 1 July2011 in recognition of significant reductions in the cost of solar panels.Green money websiteThe Find Green Money website provides easy access to comprehensive information aboutgreen funding opportunities. Green Money could be anything from a discount on a backyardworm farm offered by a local council to a Community Action Grant offered by the Federal