President's Message

CONTACT

Communications 

Phone: 02 9242 4000 
[email protected]

3 September 2020

LGNSW President Cr Linda Scott

The prospect of large crowds flocking to our coastal parks and beaches to soak up the warmer Spring temperatures requires vigilance when it comes to crowd management and social distancing.

LGNSW and mayors of coastal councils recently met with the NSW Police Deputy Commissioner and other officials to coordinate efforts designed to manage visitation, limit the potential for community transmission of COVID-19, and keep our beaches open.

I wrote to the NSW Premier this week calling on the government to support council efforts to keep open spaces, including beaches and outdoor recreation areas, COVID-19 safe. See letter here. 

Meanwhile, the Local Government Bushfire Recovery Support Group - made up of Office of Local Government, City of Sydney, and LGNSW - has reconvened to support councils this bushfire season, in recognition that several councils have started preparations early. For further information, email Elle Brunsdon, LGNSW Policy Adviser.

Congratulations to our winning female leaders!
Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 Ministers’ Awards for Women in Local Government. Well done! LGNSW was very proud to assist Ministers Hancock and Taylor with selecting this year’s recipients. Thank you for your hard work, dedication and exceptional leadership. I hope you have inspired many more women to run for council in the up-coming local government elections.

View the special online video ceremony

Advocacy Wins! This week:

First Financial Assistance Grants payments arrive: We welcomed the first quarterly payment. A total of $2.6 billion in untied Commonwealth funding in 2020-21 will allow councils to help manage the cumulative impacts of drought, bushfires and now the COVID19 pandemic. For further information, email Shaun McBride, Chief Economist.

DRIVES24 access: After representations from our members, LGNSW has successfully negotiated expanded council access to the driver licensing and vehicle registration information held by Transport for NSW to assist with the investigation and enforcement of offences. Contact Liz Hayes if you are yet to receive an email from Transport for NSW regarding this expanded access.

New and strong regulation of building sector: After decades of calling for stronger regulation of the building industry, we welcomed the start of landmark building legislation this week. The new laws signal tighter building standards enforced by the NSW Building Commissioner, who has the power to stop defective apartment buildings being built and sold.

The changes include:

  • compulsory six-month notifications of developer applications for occupation certificates;
  • powers to withhold an occupation certificate where the building is not up to standard;
  • ability to order rectification of serious defects and cost recovery associated with rectification; and
  • on-the-spot inspections of buildings up to six years old, and up to 10 years old in extreme circumstances.

For more information, email Jane Partridge, Strategy Manager, Planning.

Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements interim observations: We welcomed the Commission’s acknowledgment that State governments must support local government in fulfilling their responsibilities in managing natural disasters, and that current processes to facilitate sharing resources between local governments during natural disasters appear beneficial, and warrant greater support. For further information, email Kelly Kwan, Executive Manager, Advocacy.

Member value add. This week: Applications are now open for grants of between $30,000 and $120,000 under the Increasing Resilience to Climate Change program, funded by DPIE and administered by LGNSW. For more information, email Stefanie Garland, Environment.

Help amplify our advocacy work
Join Tenterfield Council and many other LGNSW members in the campaign for the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) to be included on the National Cabinet, on behalf of more than 530 councils across Australia. Refer to the Advocacy Kit and email Kelly Kwan, Executive Manager, Advocacy to let us know when your council has moved this motion! 

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