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6 July 2021
Win! Infrastructure contribution rule changes referred to committee
I am pleased to advise that following strong advocacy from LGNSW and others the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Infrastructure Contributions) Bill 2021 that threatened to impact vital infrastructure contributions has been referred to an Upper House Committee.
The Committee will gather evidence on the implications and appropriateness of the proposed amendments towards enhancing the infrastructure contributions system. We will definitely be weighing in and welcome the opportunity to now be part of the conversation.
As noted last week, I am deeply concerned about these reforms.
LGNSW will be making a submission and I encourage your council to make a submission before the closing date of Sunday 11 July. For more information please contact LGNSW Strategy Manager Planning, Jane Partridge.
Win! $283 million for bushfire projects
Funding for 195 projects in NSW councils and communities impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires worth $283 million was announced last week as part of the Federal Government’s Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund.
Councils are best placed to provide a locally led economic recovery and create jobs for their communities, and this funding is part of the $3 billion support LGNSW was able to help secure in that dark season to help councils provide that leadership.
It is pleasing to see the Federal Government continuing to honour that commitment with this latest round of funding.
Win! Breakthrough in coastal and estuary management
Our councils charged with the complex responsibility of managing coastal and estuary lands will be glad to hear the NSW Government has committed to a series of actions to make their job easier.
As a result of LGNSW advocacy, the Future Directions Statement for NSW’s Coastal and Estuary Management Program commits to 54 actions over the next five years to strategically address the management of complex coastal issues that require a coordinated and collaborative approach.
These actions should assist councils with developing, implementing and securing funding for Coastal Management Plans, improve councils’ ability to respond to emergency situations and improve council capacity building through training, sharing of project outcomes and data.
For more information, contact LGNSW Senior Policy Officer, Environment, Denise Anderson.
NAIDOC Week July 4-11
The NAIDOC 2021 theme – Heal Country! – calls for all of us to continue to seek greater protections for our lands, our waters, our sacred sites and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction.
NAIDOC 2021 invites the nation to embrace First Nations’ cultural knowledge and understanding of Country as part of Australia's national heritage and equally respect the culture and values of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders as they do the cultures and values of all Australians.
Well done to the many councils who are running NAIDOC Week events across the State to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements and those who have had to quickly pivot to alternative events and activities due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.
Stand for Your Community
I welcome the Office of Local Government’s launch of its ‘Stand for your Community’ campaign on the weekend encouraging candidates from diverse backgrounds to stand for council elections.
Councils should reflect the communities they represent and I have been involved in the Minister for Local Government’s working group to develop an action plan to encourage women to run for council.
I have also called on the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs to support a campaign and resourcing to encourage more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to stand for the 2021 local government elections.
Some of our recent wins in this area include increased training workshops for women considering a run at council, superannuation for councillors to improve financial remuneration and greater flexibility around attending meetings via audiovisual links.
Leading the call for COVID support for our communities
I have called on the Premier to provide urgent support for businesses and individuals put at financial risk during the COVID stay at home orders in a letter co-signed by a significant number of Mayors deeply concerned about the impacts of the latest lockdown on their recovering economies.
We all appreciate the Government’s funding grants of up to $10,000 for small businesses, payroll tax deferrals and extensions of the Dine and Discover program to the end of August, but that alone will not be enough to reverse the overall economic effects of the current lockdown.
Our economic recovery stands on a knife’s edge, this latest lockdown threatens local government’s efforts to provide a locally led economic recovery - efforts that have been instrumental in driving a rapid comeback and helped create thousands of jobs.
The latest lockdown and accompanying border closures will leave a lot of communities hurting, and the NSW Government must act quickly to minimise the impacts.
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