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SearchArchives for March 2011
30 March, 2011
Union lodges claim
for 6% pay rise
The Community and Public Sector Union has lodged a log of claims for a six per cent pay increase per year, a 1.75 per cent increase in superannuation, a 35-hour week and six weeks’ annual leave.
State Secretary of the Union, Karen Batt said she believed the claims to be reasonable and would not rule out industrial action to support them.
“We are hopeful the government will come to the table and bargain in good faith,” Ms Batt said.
“They can’t just continue to say to the public they will deliver X, but not fund the very people that are required to deliver it on their behalf.”
Ms Batt said retention rates would not improve in such a difficult, and at times distressing, job if wages and conditions were unattractive.
“People will just come in and then leave,” she said.
Ms Batt said the Union covered more than 32,000 public servants, including child protection workers, prison officers and court staff.
“The work of Public Servants across all the occupations is such that there does need to be an ability to make sure people are not burnt out,” Ms Batt said.
“It also is a balance between work and family life.”
She said the union was also open to discussing several models of child-care being made available to workers.
She said Commonwealth employees were paid 15 per cent superannuation and that if the Victorian Government is to be competitive, it should lift the annual nine per cent rate its State employees receive.
She said the current agreement expired on 30 June 2011.
Ms Batt said the Reserve Bank had forecast the Australian economy would grow by 4.5 per cent in 2011.
30 March, 2011
Commissioner delivers
on maternity leave
The Public Sector Standards Commissioner has been asked to examine the maternity leave entitlements of staff serving in Ministerial and electoral offices to ensure they are consistent with those in the wider Victorian Public Service.
The Commissioner, Peter Allen, was requested by the Premier, Ted Baillieu, to look into current agreements and policies in place and to recommend ways of resolving any inconsistencies.
The Premier said a policy that was used to deny paid maternity leave to a particular electorate office staff member had been in place since 2002.
“I believe that policy is unreasonable,” Mr Baillieu said.
He said certain policies or agreements might have to be modified, and he was happy to work with the Community and Public Sector Union to make any changes Mr Allen recommended, as well as amend the policies to avoid a similar situation arising again.
“I have written to the Speaker and the President to advise them that I have asked the Public Sector Standards Commissioner to examine this matter with a view to regularising entitlements,” Mr Baillieu said.
He said that in relation to the particular electorate officer denied maternity leave, he understood the decision was made in accordance with advice provided by the Department of Parliamentary Services.
He said the Parliament’s Maternity Leave Policy of December 2002 explicitly states that ‘paid maternity leave shall not be granted to an electorate officer who has not completed 12 months continuous service on the day the electorate officer commences maternity leave’.
“I believe there should be recognition of prior service for the purpose of paid maternity leave between the public and Parliamentary services,” Mr Baillieu said.
“As a consequence, I believe that this anomaly – which has been in place for nine years – will be fixed, including in the case of the staff member concerned.”
30 March, 2011
Environment report
is green bill of health
The Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability has issued her 2011 audit report on how Departments and Agencies were implementing their environmental management systems.
The Commissioner, Professor Kate Auty said the report, Structures for Sustainability, revealed a need for PS leaders to show a strengthened commitment to resource efficiency and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by their Departments and Agencies.
“This strategic audit tells us that we can do better, always, and we still have a way to go,” Professor Auty said.
“In Australia, climate change concerns are real and grave. We know that we are, per capita, among the highest producers of greenhouse gases.”
She said the results of the audit did show indications of progress.
“In 2009-10 there was a three per cent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions from energy use in offices and a three per cent decrease in emissions travelled per 1,000 kilometres from the government’s car fleet” Professor Auty said.
She said the report also discussed the characteristics of organisational structures and cultures that could contribute to successful environmental management.
“Business will need to incorporate climate change policies into its DNA and that in a low-carbon future, companies will have to be green to grow,” Professor Auty said.
She said the strategic audit unequivocally married the study of environmental management systems to the climate science, examined the organisational theory, the structures and cultures of organisations that will enhance climate change action and sustainable outcomes, and outlined a number of agency case studies for the lessons they contained.
She said the Victorian Government should consider establishing a process whereby all agency heads and other executive staff were required to include in their contracts and/or performance plans, key performance indicators which gave active consideration to environmental management and resource efficiency.
She said the Government should also require Departments and Agencies to review their organisational structures to ensure they promoted environmental sustainability and they should report annually on actions taken to promote consideration of environmental sustainability.
The Commissioner’s report can be accessed at this PS News link.
30 March, 2011
Transport program
misses the bus
The Auditor-General has found that a program designed to help local communities make better use of public, private and community transport options could not be evaluated due to weaknesses in governance, oversight and monitoring.
In his report Local Community Transport Services: the Transport Connections program, Auditor-General, Des Pearson found the program depended for its success on collaboration between government and community agencies but that was not forthcoming.
He said the Transport Connections Program (TCP) was a partnership between the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD), Department of Transport (DOT), Department of Human Services, and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
“DPCD is the lead agency for the TCP,” Mr Pearson said.
“However, DOT manages $4.19 million of the program budget.”
Mr Pearson said the TCP was designed to build capacity for local communities to work together on overcoming transport disadvantage, however the audit found there was little evidence to demonstrate the extent to which access to local transport had improved.
He said the program as an $18 million, four-year initiative (2006–2010) that assisted regional and rural communities.
“Although the program depended on collaboration between government and community agencies, DPCD did not effectively coordinate with DOT and other partnering agencies in managing and overseeing the TCP,” Mr Pearson said.
“Limited community engagement and weak oversight by local steering committees and by DPCD was evident at three of the four projects examined.”
He said the audit found DPCD did not resolve emerging issues in a timely manner, nor did it adequately enforce accountability provisions with funded projects.
He said DPCD acknowledged the issues and had since acted to strengthen its management of the TCP.
“As performance monitoring and evaluation of the program focused on activity rather than impact, DPCD cannot demonstrate the extent to which desired outcomes have been achieved,” Mr Pearson said.
His recommendations included that DPCD and DOT strengthen and better document grant assessment processes so all funding decisions could be shown to have been appropriately and equitably considered.
The full audit report can be accessed at this PS News link.
30 March, 2011
VCAT pounces on
online portal
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has launched an online case management tool - the VCAT Case Portal.
President of VCAT, Iain Ross said the benefits of the VCAT Case Portal were substantial and would deliver greater efficiency and lower costs to parties using the Tribunal’s services.
Justice Ross said that filing and storing documents online created a ‘virtual library’ that could be easily searched at any time.
“The fact that case information can be obtained through a central online access point saves parties time and money,” Justice Ross said.
“It avoids the need to file hard copy documents at VCAT.”
He said the VCAT Case Portal used Microsoft SharePoint software to create a secure on-line portal for parties, enabling them to upload, exchange and share documents.
He said VCAT was the first justice institution in Victoria to develop the capability to manage cases on-line.
Justice Ross said the VCAT Case Portal provided parties with 24-hour access to their case and would allow them to file documents electronically at any time, thus saving more money.
He said key events, including hearing dates, would be posted online and could be viewed by all parties, reducing confusion and avoiding delay.
Justice Ross said the Tribunal had also introduced a range of other technological initiatives including the use of ‘smartboards’ within the Tribunals Planning and Environment jurisdiction, to enable images of a development and the proposed site to be projected on the board in hearing rooms.
He said this innovation replaced the need for parties to view the site in question and as a result, cases were heard more quickly and at less cost to parties.
30 March, 2011
Gas campaign puts
heat on appliances
Energy Safe Victoria has launched a new campaign to educate the community about the dangers of faulty gas appliances.
Minister for Energy and Resources, Michael O’Brien said the risks of leaving gas appliances unchecked were not worth taking.
The Minister launched the campaign with Vanessa and Scott Robinson, the parents of two young children who died in their sleep at Mooroopna last year because of a carbon monoxide leak from a faulty heater into their bedroom.
“Vanessa and Scott Robinson very bravely asked to be involved in this campaign because they do not want the same thing to happen to other families,” Mr O’Brien said.
“We thank and admire them for their bravery and commitment to this campaign, particularly so soon after the loss of their children.”
He urged Victorian families to get their gas appliances regularly serviced and checked to stop accidental carbon monoxide deaths.
“Carbon monoxide is a silent killer – you can’t smell it, taste it or see it,” Mr O’Brien said.
“All Victorians should regularly ensure their gas appliances are regularly checked and serviced at least every two years by a qualified gasfitter or service technician.”
He said carbon monoxide poisoning in the home became a danger when gas appliances, such as heaters, malfunctioned and do not burn the gas.
He said the appliance may appear to be functioning normally but was also producing poisonous carbon monoxide.
Mr O’Brien said there had been nine fatalities from carbon monoxide poisoning in Victoria in the past 11 years.
He said the ESV campaign would include television, cinema, radio and newspaper advertisements and more information was available from the ESV website this PS News link.
30 March, 2011
Audit does business
on business programs
An audit into small business support programs offered by Small Business Victoria (SBV) has found that only two out of eight were appropriately planned.
The audit found that the other six did not have business cases analysing the options from which they were selected and there was there was no guarantee they were value for money.
In his report Effectiveness of Small Business Victoria’s Support Programs, Auditor-General Des Pearson said SBV could improve its evaluations by using efficiency indicators and more objective effectiveness indicators.
The Auditor-General said his audit focused on eight Time to Thrive (TTT) programs which took up $38.4 million of the $98 million budget for all the TTT programs.
He said there was only limited assurance that six of the programs represented best use of their $20.4 million, four-year budget allocation.
“SBV can improve its evaluations by using efficiency indicators and more objective effectiveness indicators, in addition to relying on the feedback of program participants,” Mr Pearson said.
He said only two major support programs were appropriately planned – the World Class Service website and Fair Payments Policy Advocacy.
He said the six other programs were designed to assist current and prospective small business operators start or grow their businesses.
“While the support programs were well received, participation rates were low.
“Given the significant infrastructure created through WCS (Business Victoria’s website known as World Class Service), there is potential for the State to get better leverage from its investment through increased participation rates.”
He said the low rates of participation meant that a significant number of current and prospective small business operators had not benefited from subsidised assistance that could better prepare them to start or grow their businesses.
He made a number of recommendations in his report including that Small Business Victoria should more actively promote the TTT programs.
The full audit report can be accessed at this PS News link.
30 March, 2011
Bargaining report
right on the money
A report on enterprise bargaining under the Commonwealth Fair Work Act 2009 reveals the current national workplace relations system is working well according to the Federal Minister for Workplace Relations, Senator Chris Evans.
Senator Evans said the Trends in Federal Enterprise Bargaining report for the September 2010 quarter showed the number of current enterprise agreements across Australia had grown to 24,745 covering more than 2.3 million employees.
He said the figures showed that agreement making under the modern workplace relations system was working well.
“This is the largest ever number of enterprise agreements at any one time, which clearly reflects that the federal workplace relations system of agreement making is meeting its objective to balance the needs of employees and employers without taking away basic rights and guaranteed minimum standards,” Senator Evans said.
He said the report also showed there was a record 24,119 current agreements in the private sector covering almost 1.8 million private sector employees, with the Construction, Manufacturing and Retail industries accounting for more than half the current agreements.
Senator Evans said the September quarter delivered an average annual wage increase of 4.2 per cent to Australian employees under new agreements. This was a slight increase from 4.0 per cent in the June 2010 quarter. In the public sector there was an increase of 4.7 per cent and 4.1 per cent in the private sector.
He said average wage increases in agreement across all industries had been within the range of 4.0 per cent to 4.2 per cent for more than three years.
“Wages growth has remained contained, reflecting the gradual strengthening of the Australian economy following the Global Financial Crisis,” Senator Evans said.
“What we are seeing now is wage increases simply returning to where they were prior to the GFC.”
He said it was important to note the September quarter wages growth for the Public Sector was contained within the normal range which, over the past three years had varied between 3.6 per cent and 4.8 per cent.
The full report is available at this PS News link.
30 March, 2011
Indigenous honours
to be on a roll
A discussion paper has been released on the establishment of a Victorian Indigenous Honour Roll.
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Jeanette Powell said the establishment of the Honour Roll was an example of Victoria leading the way in Aboriginal affairs.
“The annual Indigenous Honour Roll, the first of its kind in Australia, is set to be a permanent record of indigenous Victorians’ contributions and achievements,” Mrs Powell said.
“The Government is keen to ensure that indigenous Victorians who have made a significant contribution to their community to the wider society are properly recognised.”
She said the Indigenous Honour Roll would be a true reflection of community sentiment, which is why the consultation process has been entered.
“This initiative will truly be a partnership between the Victorian indigenous community, the Government and the wider community,” Mrs Powell said.
“I encourage the Aboriginal community, indeed the whole community, to let the Government know how they would like to see the Indigenous Honour Roll operate.”
Mrs Powell said people could voice their opinions and ideas on questions such as what should be the criteria for nominations; should the Indigenous Honour Roll include a category for non-indigenous nominees; and who should be included on the selection panel.
She said the consultation process would run until 13 May 2011 and an announcement about the structure of the Honour Roll made later in May.
Mrs Powell said Indigenous Victorians could have their say by visiting the website this PS News link.
30 March, 2011
Volunteer enquiry to
pay off for CFA
An independent enquiry into the management of volunteers by the Country Fire Authority (CFA) is to be conducted by Retired County Court Judge, David Jones.
Minister for Emergency Services, Peter Ryan said the inquiry would examine the effect of arrangements made by the CFA on issues pertinent to volunteers, including recruitment, training, deployment, utilisation and support of CFA volunteers.
“Among the terms of reference is scope for Mr Jones to look at mechanisms to enable and ensure that the voices of CFA volunteers are heard in accordance with CFA’s commitment under the Volunteer Charter,” Mr Ryan said.
“The charter has been signed by the government and was last week introduced to Parliament to be enshrined in legislation.”
He said the CFA Volunteer Charter was a commitment by the State Government, the CFA and its volunteers to recognise the needs of volunteers and consult with them on matters that affected them.
He said the Victorian Government was grateful of the huge contribution made to the community by Victoria’s 58,000 CFA volunteers, who selflessly give their time looking out for the well-being and safety of others.
“An inquiry into the arrangements made by the CFA for volunteers will help achieve the charter’s intention to strengthen and facilitate the governments and CFA’s contribution to volunteers,” Mr Ryan said.
He said the terms of reference would also include the availability and accessibility of general or specialist training to volunteers so that CFA could both maximise the utilisation of volunteers and realise volunteer potential.
30 March, 2011
P-platers driven to
VicRoads website
A new information resource has been launched on the VicRoads website to help P-plate drivers find out which vehicles they can and can’t drive.
Minister for Roads, Terry Mulder said the new database’s searchable list would make it easy for probationary drivers, their parents and those selling vehicles to establish whether P-plate drivers were legally able to drive a particular vehicle make and model in Victoria.
“The new website enables drivers to instantly check whether the car is banned or not,” Mr Mulder said.
He said it would be a helpful resource for P-platers when buying their first car.
“It will also help P-platers check whether a car they plan on borrowing is OK for them to drive.”
Mr Mulder said P-platers were banned from driving vehicles with eight-cylinder engines, turbocharged, supercharged or modified vehicles and even some high performance six-cylinder vehicles.
“Young drivers are over-represented in the Victorian road toll, making up 28 per cent of all driver fatalities,” the Minister said.
“A proportion of this can be attributed towards inexperienced drivers handling high performance vehicles.”
He said bans on certain vehicles for young drivers were put in place to combat the high road toll among P-plate drivers.
He said P-platers would receive a $239 on-the-spot-fine and incur three demerit points if caught driving a prohibited vehicle.
Mr Mulder said the new database also enabled people to filter their search results based on safety rating and fuel consumption.
He said licensed drivers could apply to VicRoads for an exemption to drive a vehicle on the prohibited list on the grounds of employment needs, essential activities or family circumstances.
He said if an exemption was issued, it would be conditional for the specific vehicle and would include restrictions on how and when that vehicle may be used.
The new resource can be accessed at this PS News link.
30 March, 2011
Police recruits
to fill the Bill
The Minister for Police has launched the second phase of a Victoria Police recruitment drive expected to attract 1,700 new recruits over the next four years.
Police say more than 1,000 new recruits had entered the Victoria Police Academy in the past 12 months, responding to the first stage of the campaign which kicked off in July last year.
The Minister, Peter Ryan said the additional police would make metropolitan and regional communities safer.
“Victoria needs the best recruits from all backgrounds who have the drive, passion and commitment to serve their community as a member of the Victoria Police force,” Mr Ryan said
“The dedication and enthusiasm required to complete academy training ensure that new recruits are well prepared to face the challenges of what is ultimately a very rewarding career.”
He said the $6 million recruitment campaign included television, radio, print and online advertisements advising the public that hundreds of career opportunities exist within Victoria Police.
Assistant Police Commissioner for the Eastern Region, Wendy Steendam said the latest recruitment push was aimed at those who had the skills, qualities and fitness to serve the community in which they live.
“Joining Victoria Police is not just about having a job – it’s about embracing a career which offers a wide range of different and challenging roles,” Assistant Commissioner Steendam said.
“We’ve been really pleased with the interest shown in a policing career as a result of the campaign so far – but we want to keep up the momentum, and encourage people of all ages, life and work experiences, levels of education, women and men and people of culturally diverse backgrounds to apply.”
She said the Victoria Police Academy was undergoing a major upgrade, with an additional 10 classrooms being built to enable training to be delivered to about 600 recruits at one time.
People considering a career with Victoria Police should visit this PS News link.
The Public Service is not among the campaign’s targets.
30 March, 2011
Zones closed to
catch fruit fly
The Department of Primary Industries has declared two new suspension zones following further discoveries of Queensland fruit fly.
DPI spokesman Gary D’Arcy said the Department had started QFF eradication activities at Woorinen (near Swan Hill) and Nangiloc (near Mildura), as well as continuing eradication efforts in its existing suspension areas.
“DPI is declaring a 15 kilometre suspension area around each of the new outbreak sites, and Departmental staff and contractors are visiting properties within these fruit fly affected regions as part of DPI’s eradication program,” Mr D’Arcy said.
He said residents in fruit fly affected regions should be aware that they might receive a visit from DPI staff.
“To date we have had tremendous cooperation from residents and this is a great help in our fruit fly control efforts, but we urge residents to cooperate with our staff and contractors who are helping to protect our fruit industry from this pest,” Mr D’Arcy said.
He said residents should keep fruit trees well maintained, properly dispose of unwanted fruit, report suspected infestations to DPI and not remove home-grown fresh fruit from their properties.
He said it was extremely important that people do not carry fruit when travelling in Victoria.
He said bringing fruit into some areas was against the law and random roadside checks and on-the-spot fines applied.
Mr D’Arcy said DPI was working with fruit growers and their representatives to make sure it was as easy as possible for growers to meet the requirements needed to move fruit from declared zones.
“We want to protect Victoria’s fruit industry by requiring fruit fly treatment on fruit that will be moved to market, without making the task too onerous for growers,” Mr D’Arcy said.
More information is available from this PS News link.
30 March, 2011
Health brokerage
service fixed
A new health brokerage service has been set up in Melbourne for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander living in the north of the city.
A joint project between the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) and the Northern Division of General Practice, Access Services for Koories (ASK) was officially launched by the Federal Minister for Indigenous Health, Warren Snowdon.
Mr Snowdon said the ASK was aimed at making a real difference to health outcomes for Melbourne’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by forging a better integrated service delivery.
“The Brokerage Program is aimed at increasing the access of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to high quality, culturally appropriate primary health care by linking individuals to a network of health providers,” Mr Snowdon said.
“As a result, local clients will gain a greater knowledge of what the mainstream health system can offer them, and mainstream health providers will learn to provide services in a culturally and clinically appropriate way.”
Mr Snowdon said the latest ABS report into the health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples found that, nationally, more than one-quarter of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults reported problems accessing one or more health services.
He said the new brokerage service resulted from a strengthened alliance between VAHS and the Division of General Practice whose combined strengths could identify gaps in services, draw on successful relations of the past, and build and strengthen those relations.
Mr Snowdon said the ASK brokerage project would be located at 66 Sackville Street, Collingwood.
He said the new Victorian service joined those already operating in NSW and Western Australia.
30 March, 2011
Landlords receive
gas warning
Consumer Affairs Victoria has warned landlords to take their responsibility for ensuring gas appliances in their rental properties are serviced regularly.
CAV said risks from poorly maintained or faulty gas appliances included carbon monoxide poisoning, which killed two young brothers while they slept in their rented Mooroopna home last year.
It said landlords had a duty to keep their rental premises in good repair, which included making sure appliances were regularly maintained and serviced and manufacturers could provide information about how frequently their appliances should be inspected.
CAV said professional servicing of gas appliances was necessary, as carbon monoxide leaks were hard to detect – the poisonous gas was tasteless, colourless and odourless.
It said symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning included tiredness, shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.
CAV recommended landlords get gas appliances checked by a licensed gas fitter before letting a property, or between each tenancy.
It said that if repairs were found necessary, the landlord’s legal responsibilities depended on whether the repair was urgent or not.
Consumer Affairs said a gas leak was an urgent repair and a landlord must respond immediately, as required under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, however requests for servicing or maintenance of gas appliances were considered non-urgent.
Landlords and tenants can find more information about their rights and responsibilities at this PS News link.
For more information about the safety of electrical and gas appliances, contact Energy Safe Victoria at this PS News link.
30 March, 2011
Water purchase
plan refloated
Tenders for the purchase of water in the southern sections of the Murray Darling Basin have been announced by the Federal Minister for Water, Tony Burke.
Mr Burke said the tenders opened this week and were part of the Commonwealth’s approach to smaller rounds of ‘rolling’ tenders for water buybacks in the Basin.
“I am determined to achieve a plan for the Murray Darling that delivers healthy rivers, strong communities and continued food production,” Mr Burke said.
“We’ve seen what drought did to farmers and regional communities and I am determined to make sure that the next drought doesn’t look like the last in the Murray Darling Basin.”
Mr Burke said the smaller, more consistent water buyback tenders were aimed at giving communities confidence in a steady, measured pace of water purchasing.
“This approach will provide irrigators with the opportunity to sell their water, with the added reassurance that more rounds will be available soon if their circumstances change or if their sell offer is not accepted,” Mr Burke said.
“Water purchases made under the buybacks will count towards any reduction in diversions needed to meet the final sustainable diversion limits under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and complements our substantial investments in more efficient irrigation water delivery and use.”
Mr Burke said tenders were part of the Australian Government’s $3.1 billion Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling program, under its Water for the Future Initiative.
He said the decision to run tenders in the nominated catchments was guided by the best available information as to where the largest unmet environmental needs existed across the Basin.
“This can only be achieved by investing in infrastructure upgrades and improving the efficiency and productivity of our irrigation industry while we recover water for the rivers,” Mr Burke said.
He said up to $60 million would be available for the southern-connected Murray system (excluding NSW) tender.
Guidelines and the application forms were available from this PS News link.
30 March, 2011
Dune project draws
line in the sand
The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) has issued a call for volunteers to join a project protecting sand dunes from ocean waves and storm surges between Seaspray and The Honeysuckles.
DSE Project Manager, Bill Storer said the Seaspray Dunes Rehabilitation project was a joint venture by the Department, Parks Victoria, Wellington Shire Council and Seaspray Reserves Committee of Management.
Mr Storer said the project would involve planting native coastal vegetation on the lee of the dunes and erecting sand fencing in ‘blow outs’ at strategic locations along the dune system to raise its height and width.
“This is a crucial project for the future protection and maintenance of these dunes and to sustain the area for both aesthetic and recreational purposes,” Mr Storer said.
“Rehabilitation of dune vegetation will in itself not prevent beach and dune erosion, but it will act to bind and store a greater volume of dune sand, providing additional security against beach erosion.”
He said the members of the project team wanted to involve the local and wider community as much as possible in this venture and were calling for volunteers to help plant 8,000 tube seedlings of native coastal vegetation.
“It’s a big job, so we’ll be employing a contractor to do some of the work too,” Mr Storer said, “but we would like community groups and individuals who can spare some time to come along in May and help us preserve this small piece of our beautiful Ninety-Mile Beach environment.
“It’s a great way to be involved and to learn more about caring for our precious natural resources and to feel a sense of ownership of a little bit of the dune system.”
Mr Storer said a Schools Planting day would take place on 6 May 2011 and Community Planting day on 7 May.
30 March, 2011
Flood money to flow
Flood-affected councils across Victoria will be eligible to receive up-front money for flood recovery works.
As a matter of urgency, up to 50 per cent of eligible National Disaster Relief Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) claims would be paid to councils in advance.
NDRRA assistance is currently available to offset costs associated with emergency protection works and the restoration of essential municipal and other public assets.
Councils may claim any extraordinary salaries, wages or other expenditure incurred as a direct consequence of the emergency, including overtime and allowances of council staff, the backfilling of staff deployed to response operations, and the engagement of external contractors.
Water survey
Melbourne Water has launched an online survey to find out what people really think about their local waterway.
The online consultation will inform the development of Melbourne Water’s Healthy Waterways Strategy – which will include measures to protect rivers, creeks, estuaries and wetlands.
Melbourne Water is responsible for 8,400km of rivers and creeks and 289 constructed waterway treatment systems and wetlands.
The first 100 people to take part in the survey will receive a free Healthy Waterways kit.
To take part in the survey visit this PS News link before 22 April 2011.
Smoke alarm contest
The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board has teamed up with battery maker Duracell to offer prizes to people who change their smoke alarm batteries at the end of daylight saving.
The competition calls on people to “Like” the MFB Facebook page and then find the photo of the Fire Fighter Bunny before 3 April 2011.
Prizes include a Fire Fighter Bunny, and several Smoke Alarms including batteries.
Enter the competition at this PS News link.
Trust account changes
Consumer Affairs Victoria has advised of changes to the responsibilities of estate agents, conveyancers and auditors of trust accounts.
New legislation sees the obligations of estate agents, conveyancers and auditors for managing trust accounts change from 1 April 2011.
The law change means that estate agents and conveyancers must lodge a copy of the audit report with the Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria within 10 business days of receiving it from the auditor.
A fine of up to $14,334 may be imposed for those who fail to comply.
Picnic grounds upgraded
The Department of Sustainability and Environment have improved and ungraded a number of recreational sites with additional facilities in East Gippsland.
Sites at Mount Taylor, north of Bairnsdale, Marthavale Hut, between Bairnsdale and Omeo and Stanton’s Place, north of Bruthen have all recently been upgraded with barbeques, tables and toilets.
There will be more works carried out at Haunted Stream, the Slaughter Walking Track, Bruthen Walks and other sites later this year.
Bridge reopened
The Spring Creek Road Bridge in Inverleigh has been re-opened ahead of schedule following repair works.
The timber bridge had been repaired with new steel and concrete components that will improve safety for motorists.
The $600,000 project included safety works, the installation of new steel piers and concrete abutments, the installation of crash barriers and general repairs.
23 March, 2011
Transparency theme
for Privacy Week
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has announced that Privacy Awareness Week 2011 is to be held from 1 to 7 May.
The theme for the Victorian public sector (VPS) is Privacy, it’s not a secret. Find out why.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner said the theme was designed to promote a major objective of the Information Privacy Act – transparency and openness.
The Office said it was important that staff of organisations regulated by the Information Privacy Act understood all their privacy compliance responsibilities.
During the week a number of events will be held for VPS staff across Victoria that aim to highlight the fact that privacy laws are about protecting personal information while not preventing proper information flows.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner said when handling personal and health information VPS staff had a responsibility to collect, use and disclose it only where necessary to perform operational duties or for other functions permitted by privacy and other laws.
The Office said reasonable steps needed to be taken to ensure such information was kept accurate and secure at all times.
Privacy Awareness Week 2011 materials and events have been developed in collaboration with a number of VPS organisations including the Department of Justice, Department of Human Services, Department of Transport, VicRoads and WorkSafe.
Privacy messages will be promoted via a poster and mouse-pad being distributed in mid April.
A “Privacy on a page” document will also be available for VPS managers and another for VPS staff.
23 March, 2011
Honours offered
to PS women
Public Servants are prominent among the 20 new names added to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women announced last week to mark the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day.
Inducting the 20 to the Roll, the Minister for Women’s Affairs, Mary Wooldridge said their achievements spaned a diverse range of areas including business and industry, community services, indigenous affairs, multicultural affairs, youth affairs, health, training and education, the arts, international development and social justice.
“The Victorian Honour Roll of Women is important as it acknowledges and celebrates the achievements of inspirational women in Victoria and ensures that the contributions these women have made are recorded and passed on to future generations,” Ms Wooldridge said.
“As we mark the centenary of International Women’s Day, it is timely to acknowledge the leadership shown by these exceptional women.”
Ms Wooldridge said more than 470 women have now been inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.
She said the inductees included one of the first women principals in Victoria, Cecilia Conroy, and the first female Chief Executive of the Royal Women’s Hospital, Dale Fisher.
Ms Wooldridge said other prominent inductees were the first woman Chair of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, Marion Lau, the first female Director of a TAFE Institution in Victoria, Virginia Simmons, and Chief Executive and Chief Conciliator of the Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission, Diane Sisely.
“Like those who came before them, these women have demonstrated vision, courage and a commitment to succeed in their chosen fields and, as a consequence, they have made Victoria a better place,” Ms Wooldridge said.
“They also serve as inspirational role models for other women, many of whom are contributing to the vibrancy and inclusiveness of their own communities.”
For more information about the 2011 Honour Roll inductees visit this PS News link.
23 March, 2011
Governance paper sets
course for the future
The Institute of Public Administration Australia has produced a new policy paper addressing some of the fundamental questions about issues and challenges facing governments around Australia and proposing principles and recommendations to guide their responses.
Prepared by the IPAA’s Submissions Standing Committee under the leadership of
Martin Stewart-Weeks, the paper The Future Course of Modern Government recognises the need for some fundamental rethinking but not at the expense of replacing existing systems and proven practices.
According to the paper, some of these systems and practices are bound to disappear over time but there were certain underlying issues of public administration that were perennial challenges which any new public governance and management frameworks would need to accommodate.
It says these include the need to balance complex and often contested notions of the public good; the ability to adjudicate between different and sometimes clashing interests and values; and the need to ensure systems of public management were always open, equitable, fair and transparent.
The paper says it tries to capture the sense that something important and potentially very exciting was happening to Australia’s systems of public management, without eroding the legitimacy of the larger frames of theory and good practice to which they represented an important and valuable contribution.
It includes discussion of the convergence between reforms under first the eGovernment and the Government 2.0 banners and larger programs of public sector reform.
The paper says some necessary changes will confront politicians and bureaucrats with uncomfortable implications for a new culture, but it heralds transitions with considerable opportunity for a more robust model of participation for better services, better and more effective policy and a capacity to repair the bonds of trust between citizens and governments.
Some of the recommendations and highlights in the paper include agreeing with the UK Public Services 2020 Commission that a combination of long-term demand, fiscal constraint and outcome failures had brought public services to a critical moment; that the next wave of public sector reforms would be formed around distributed systems, rather than centralised structures; and promoting participation in service design and delivery would be the heart of a new agenda.
It also says that improving public services would balance earlier models of contestability and competition with the use of social media which could unleash more powerful assessments of public service failures; and more and more public services should be designed, delivered and evaluated with an open invitation for appropriate participation by those experiencing or delivering the service.
The full IPAA paper can be accessed at this PS News link.
23 March, 2011
Health care plan
in good hands
Melbourne Health has released its “Respecting our Community” Action Plan to provide better care for people with a disability, from an indigenous background or from the State’s culturally and linguistically diverse community.
The plan was launched by the Minister for Health, David Davis, at Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Mr Davis said patients of Melbourne Health were diverse in terms of culture, language, age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status.
“At the core of this plan are three population groups that experience higher levels of disparities in access to health services,” Mr Davis said.
“They are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from refugee and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people who have disabilities.”
Mr Davis said the plan aimed to improve patient outcomes, better understand and care for diverse patients, support staff, create an accessible and welcoming hospital, strengthen community partnerships, consult widely and show leadership in diversity.
“Health care that better responds to patient needs will ultimately result in improved quality, safety and outcomes for patients and reduced hospitalisation rates,” Mr Davis said.
He said people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds represented high patient numbers at Melbourne Health, with more than 50 per cent of patients born outside Australia and 20 per cent having English as their second language.
“Melbourne Health is a leader in responsive health care and is in a strong position to achieve the objectives outlined in this plan to ensure it delivers the highest possible care to Victoria’s diverse community,” Mr Davis said.
23 March, 2011
Justice call for
justice worker
The Community and Public Sector Union has asked Fair Work Australia to intervene to save the job of a Juvenile Justice worker.
State Secretary of the CPSU, Karen Batt said the worker, Joseph Fagan, was being held solely responsible for an escape from the Melbourne Youth Justice Centre last year.
Mr Fagan, who had been in the job for 15 years, has been summoned to a “show-cause” hearing by the Department of Human Services in April.
Mr Fagan was assaulted, had a sharpened instrument held to his throat, and used as a hostage to expedite the escape of four youths from the centre.
Ms Batt said Mr Fagan was being solely blamed for the escape.
“Joseph is a victim of a serious crime yet is being scapegoated by the Government for the escape,” Ms Batt said.
The Union alleges the department failed to provide Mr Fagan, who turned 72 recently, with a safe working environment and a secure facility.
Mr Fagan was on night shift when one of the youths called him for some toilet paper.
The hearing will focus on an operating breach when Mr Fagan responded to the request but failed to take another officer with him.
Mr Fagan could not locate general duties staff, who were in another area responding to a diversion.
Mr Fagan took the toilet paper to the boys and when he opened the door they pulled him in and put the knife to his throat.
Mr Fagan was put in a headlock and had his keys and radio taken from him.
He was then dragged upstairs, still in a headlock, to let out four other youths from their respective rooms and once together the youths escaped through the control room.
According to the union, the Comrie Review that followed was critical of conditions inside the centre, recommending that it be shut down, and also reported adversely on centre management.
All six youths involved in the escape were charged and pleaded guilty to escaping from a youth justice centre, assault and injurious imprisonment.
23 March, 2011
Internet report calls
Facebook to book
The Victorian Privacy Commissioner, Helen Versey, has launched a new report on the legal risks to teenagers of social networking websites (SNS).
Published by Monash University, the report Teenagers, Legal Risks and Social Networking Sites investigates the legal risks of social networking as experienced by Victorian secondary school students, teachers and parents.
In their report, authors Melissa de Zwart, David Lindsay, Michael Henderson and Michael Phillips, said the mainstream media and policy responses had emphasised abusive behaviour such as bullying and grooming, but comparatively little attention had been given to the potential legal risks that children and young people may face.
The report identified the main areas of the law that give rise to possible legal liability for young people using SNS as Privacy, disclosure and breach of confidence; Intellectual property rights, especially copyright infringement; Defamation; and Criminal laws, including harassment and offensive material.
The project found that there was a general awareness of risks in using SNS by middle school students, however there was a lack of understanding by students, parents, and teachers of the nature of the legal risks.
The report found that the majority of surveyed students update information on their SNS at least every day.
The report also found that the most common content reported as posted to SNS by surveyed students was photographs of themselves, and the most highly valued feature of SNS was the ability to stay in touch with friends and family.
The report found that 19.6 per cent of students were ambivalent about risk, and a majority of surveyed students (72.4 per cent) indicated that they had had unwanted or unpleasant contact by strangers.
The report found parents and teachers were particularly concerned with issues of cyber-bullying, and grooming or stalking.
Surveyed students reported an awareness of a variety of strategies for avoiding risks or problems, including ignoring “friendship” requests from strangers, blocking or deleting unpleasant or unwanted friends, setting their profile to “private”, not disclosing personal details, frequently changing their password, threatening people who wished to be added to the student’s SNS and self-censorship.
The report found that only one per cent of respondents reported asking for guidance or help from adults as a viable strategy.
The key recommendations included equipping children and young people with the necessary information to empower them to effectively manage risks associated with the everyday use of SNS through specifically tailored educational activities.
The report recommended educational activities to be part of a fully integrated cybersafety school curricula that focused on providing clear and accurate information about all risks associated with SNS use, including legal risks.
23 March, 2011
Taxi licences to
take new route
Arrangements for trading in Melbourne taxi licences are to change with the Department of Transport deciding not to renew its agreement with BSX Services Pty Ltd (BSX).
Since 2006 the company has managed trading arrangements associated with the transfer and assignment of the taxi licences.
Victorian Minister for Public Transport, Terry Mulder, said the new arrangements would give taxi industry participants the flexibility to manage their own taxi licence transfer and assignment transactions by dealing directly with the Victorian Taxi Directorate (VTD).
“The actual process for transferring and assigning taxi licences will remain the same,” Mr Mulder said.
“However, under this new arrangement, licence holders and prospective transferees and assignees will be able to choose whether they go to a taxi broker, or directly transfer or assign a licence to each other without a brokerage fee.”
Mr Mulder said existing taxi brokers, whose BSX authorisations will be recognised by the VTD, will continue to be subject to a strict professional code of conduct.
He said the ongoing management of the transfer and assignment of taxi licences will be referred to the forthcoming independent review of the Victorian taxi industry for investigation.
Mr Mulder said in the interim, industry participants would be able to obtain relevant documentation, such as application forms and contracts, as well as relevant up-to-date price data, required for the transfer and assignment of licences on the Victorian Taxi Directorate website.
For further information visit this PS News link.
23 March, 2011
Flying start to
duck season
The Department of Sustainability and Environment has reported a hectic first day for the 2011 duck hunting season last weekend, estimating up to 2,000 hunters took to the waters to at Lake Buloke on Saturday.
The Department reported a much quieter Sunday.
Manager of Wildlife Conservation and Management at DSE, Simon Toop said that while hunters had been active across the state, the north-west of Victoria was the focus of activity.
“The wet start to the year provided ideal conditions for hunters, and we’ve seen some wetlands come to life after being dry for years,” Mr Toop said.
He said during the opening weekend a team of approximately 130 DSE, Parks Victoria and Victoria Police officers were patrolling the wetlands across Victoria.
“With a significant increase in officers on the ground, the majority of hunters did the right thing and acted safely, responsibly and in accordance with the law,” Mr Toop said.
He said police were investigating reports of an alleged accidental shooting at Lake Buloke when shots from a hunter at a low-flying bird allegedly struck a protestor.
Mr Toop said during the duck season opening weekend, a total of 108 infringement notices were issued across Victoria including 75 fines to protestors for entering wetlands during a prohibited period.
Mr Toop said 14 hunters were also fined for using or possessing toxic shot, while 10 hunters were fined for not retaining the wing of the duck.
He said a further three hunters were fined for hunting from a boat with the motor running, two hunters were fined for littering, two hunters were fined for failing to destroy game on recovery, and one hunter was fined for failing to carry the correct safety equipment on their boat (a fire extinguisher).
Mr Toop said three hunters would be charged on summons for shooting too early, two hunters would be charged on summons for unsecured firearms and three will be charged on summons for hunting without a Game Licence.
For more information visit this PS News link.
23 March, 2011
New PS units for
housing, planning
New housing and planning units are to be set up in the Victorian Public Service to assist the State Government address the need for better housing affordability and to provide Local Government with better information for their strategic planning activities.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy said a new Housing Affordability Unit had been established to provide whole-of-government advice on policies, legislation and procedures that could be reformed to make housing more affordable.
“Housing affordability is one of the greatest challenges facing Victoria, which is why I have set up this specific unit within the Department of Planning and Community Development,” Mr Guy said.
He said housing affordability was a complex issue and suggested there was no single solution to achieving improved affordability.
“It is essential to understand the issues from a range of sources, such as housing market performance and matters identified by the building industry which impact on housing development,” Mr Guy said.
Mr Guy said the future Urban Renewal Authority would have an important role in improving housing affordability in the longer term in Melbourne’s inner urban area.
“This will be important for the development and renewal of key sites such as E-gate and Fisherman’s Bend,” Mr Guy said.
Mr Guy said a second unit had been established for peri-urban Councils, to further strengthen the partnership with the State Government.
“The peri-urban and hinterland areas of Melbourne and regional Victoria are critical to the prosperity of the city and our state as a whole,” Mr Guy said.
He said the unit would focus on population management, strategic planning and long-term structure planning of towns and future communities.
Mr Guy said the Peri-Urban Unit would be the first port of call for Councils needing assistance in strategic planning and transport integration and rural, coastal, green wedge and interface issues.
23 March, 2011
School’s in for
education panel
An expert panel has been set up to develop a Tertiary Education Plan for Gippsland.
The Minister for Higher Education and Skills, Peter Hall, said the plan follows Skills Victoria’s 2009 report advising on the development of the Victorian Tertiary Education Plan that confirmed there was an appreciable gap in participation and attainment levels between large parts of Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Mr Hall said the latest available data revealed that the student university deferral rate in the Gippsland region was running at 17.1 per cent, the second highest deferral rate of any region in Victoria, and well above the state average of just 9.8 per cent.
He said just 26.4 per cent of Gippsland students were opting for higher education, well below the Victorian average of 41.3 per cent.
“With Victoria forecast to need an extra 120,000 VET graduates by 2015 and have 47 per cent of 25 to 34 year-olds holding a bachelor degree by 2025, this initiative will help to ensure that Gippsland businesses and communities continue to thrive,” Mr Hall said.
“Getting the right skills, education and training is critical to securing a growing, competitive economy and supporting strong families and vibrant communities.”
Mr Hall said an expert panel including chair Professor Kwong Lee Dow, Dr Michele Allan and John Mitchell, would lead the development of the plan.
Mr Hall said terms of reference would include the future economic development plans for the region and related skill requirements, the current skills profile and educational attainment of the Gippsland population, current tertiary education provision throughout the region, and the factors that impact on tertiary participation and attainment.
Mr Hall said the panel would call for submissions from educational providers and other relevant organisations and would report to the Minister by 12 September.
23 March, 2011
Part-time workers
in full-time need
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed a big pool of under-employed Australians who are looking for more work.
Almost three quarters of a million (733,900) part-time workers stated they did not have enough paid employment in September 2010.
This represents 22 per cent of all part-time workers. Over half (55 per cent) of all under-employed part-time workers said they wanted to work full-time, which is classed at 35 hours a week or more.
One in two under-employed part-time workers said they were actively looking for more hours of work.
The most common steps taken to find extra employment were to ask their current employer (62 per cent), contact a prospective employer (53 per cent), or search the internet (51 per cent).
More than half (59 per cent) of all under-employed part-time workers preferred to work more hours with their current employer.
Older workers tended to experience longer periods of under-employment. One in two (49 per cent) under-employed part-time workers aged 45-54 years, and 52 per cent of those aged 55 years and over, had been under-employed for one year or more.
In comparison, just 25 per cent of underemployed workers aged 15-19 years had been under-employed for one year or more.
Further information is available in Underemployed Workers, Australia, September 2010, which can be downloaded at this PS News link.
23 March, 2011
Small business rings
up advice program
Small Business Victoria has launched its Mobile Business Centre program which will deliver better targeted support to small businesses throughout Victoria.
The Minister for Small Business, Louise Asher unveiled the program saying it would deliver free business mentoring and face-to-face assistance wherever small businesses were located across Victoria.
Ms Asher said the 2011 program had been revamped to deliver better targeted support to small businesses throughout Victoria.
“Small business people affected by the floods have already been able to use the Mobile Business Centre this year to help them get back on their feet,” Ms Asher said
“These rural and regional visits will continue throughout Victoria from April.”
Ms Asher said the Mobile Business Centre would offer free business mentoring and face-to-face assistance to small businesses in metropolitan Melbourne from July.
“This year, for the first time, the Mobile Business Centre will also deliver targeted support to small businesses in metropolitan Melbourne and the CBD,” Ms Asher said.
“Small business owners often face difficulties accessing reliable information, or they lack the time to go and get some business advice to help them make decisions for their business.”
Ms Asher said the Mobile Business Centre would help to fill the information gap, by travelling to metropolitan centres and through regional Victoria to provide services that meet the needs of small business.
She said the Mobile Business Centre would visit more than 100 metropolitan Melbourne, CBD and regional and rural Victorian locations during the year.
For locations and dates for the 2011 Mobile Business Centre tour visit this PS News link.
23 March, 2011
Grants granted to win
race against racism
The recipients of more than $1 million in funding for a pilot project discouraging young people from intolerant and radical ideologies have been announced by the Federal Attorney-General, Robert McClelland.
He said the grants had been awarded under the Building Community Resilience – Youth Mentoring Grants Program, and were designed to promote a tolerant, safe and inclusive society. The program is being piloted in Victoria and New South Wales.
Mr McClelland said the grants would provide mentoring to individuals that were identified as vulnerable to extremist views; equip communities with the skills and resources to actively address intolerance and discourage extremist views; reinforce the important role youth play in the community in addressing and countering issues around violent extremism; and, educate communities and individuals about countering extremist views and the avenues available to support them.
He said recipients of the 2011-12 Building Community Resilience Youth Mentoring Grants included the Australian Multicultural Foundation, Australian Muslim Youth Leadership and Mentorship Program, which will equip 16 young Australian Muslim leaders from around Australia with the skills to represent their communities.
Mr McClelland said through training and peer mentoring the leaders would be assisted to overcome any alienation they may feel, and to engage with the broader community to discount negative perceptions and dispel myths and inaccuracies about Islam.
JobQuest was also recognised for its Mentoring and Resiliency Development Project, which addressed the development of key social, emotional and interpersonal issues among vulnerable young people in the setting of schools and community organisations.
A grant was also received by Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre, Voices of Change, which was a project aimed at developing youth mentors and ambassadors who felt empowered to speak out on the extremist ideas and work with “at risk” youth in their communities.
The other grant recipients were Islamic Women Welfare Council of Victoria, Aman: Youth for Peace-Building; New Australia Media, Media Makers, Anglicare Sydney, Aussie Youth Connect; and the Hume City Council, Hume Anti-Violent Extremism Youth (HAVEY) Project.
Information about the Building Community Resilience – Youth Mentoring Grants Program is available at this PS News link.
23 March, 2011
Fish scientists hook
up for bluefin study
Scientists from the Department of Primary Industries’ Fisheries Research Branch have begun collecting data on the bluefin tuna fishery in south west Victoria.
Their aim is to produce the first scientific “snapshot” of recreational fishing of the tuna in Victoria.
Minister for Agriculture, Peter Walsh said throughout the 2011 tuna season, which runs between February and June, researchers would visit boat ramps in Warrnambool, Portland and Port Fairy asking anglers how many tuna they have caught.
“Experienced tuna anglers will also be asked to maintain a diary to provide a valuable record of their fishing activities,” Mr Walsh said.
“This research will play a crucial role in helping us to understand Victoria’s southern bluefin tuna fishery, which is an immensely valuable asset to the state.”
Mr Walsh said in recent years a world class off-shore game fishery for southern bluefin tuna had developed in south west Victoria.
“Catch rates are largely unknown for this highly regarded tuna fishery,” Mr Walsh said.
“The coastal communities of Port Fairy, Warrnambool and Portland have become favourite haunts of anglers seeking the prized species.”
Mr Walsh said the information gathered would provide an estimate of Victoria’s annual recreational southern bluefin tuna catch to help fisheries managers develop management frameworks.
He said the program has been funded through a $187,900 grant from the Recreational Fishing Grants Program.
Mr Walsh said the Recreational Fishing Grants Program, which invests money collected from angling licence fees back into the recreational fishing industry, had funded more than 350 projects worth about $13.7 million.
For more information visit this PS News link.
23 March, 2011
City opens doors
to award scheme
The City of Melbourne is inviting nominations for its “Melbourne Awards” which recognise outstanding contributions to the city by its individuals, community groups and corporations.
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the Melbourne Awards were an opportunity to honour those who had selflessly given their time and made an outstanding difference to Melbourne.
“The Melbourne Awards celebrate the work of those whose passion and commitment has helped shape Melbourne as one of the world’s most liveable cities,” Mr Doyle said.
“We encourage all who have contributed in some way to Melbourne’s profile, community or environment to enter and be recognised for their dedication to Melbourne.”
Mr Doyle said there were nine categories honouring significant contributions to Melbourne’s profile, community and sustainability.
He said the Contribution to Profile award celebrated projects or activities that have built Melbourne’s reputation as a national centre for shopping, business, sport, entertainment and culture, while the Contribution to Community award was awarded to projects or activities that enhanced the lives of residents and workers through new approaches to community services and volunteer work, improvements to accessibility, developments in architecture and design, or improvements to parks, gardens and open spaces.
Mr Doyle said the final Contribution to Sustainability award recognised projects or activities that created a more environmentally sustainable city through advancements in sustainable innovation and design or the development of new environmental projects or programs.
He said the award categories were recognised within three separate divisions – individual, corporation and community.
Mr Doyle said nominations were open until 2 May and a gala awards ceremony would take place at Melbourne Town Hall on 27 August.
For more information visit this PS News link.
23 March, 2011
Fine results achieved
for workplace crimes
The Fair Work Ombudsman has revealed that legal action taken against Victorian employers so far this financial year has seen fines of $282,650 imposed for breaches of the workplace laws.
Executive Director of the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Office, Michael Campbell said court penalties served as a warning to others to ensure they understood and complied with national workplace relations laws.
Mr Campbell said since July 2010, courts have finalised 25 penalty matters for the Fair Work Ombudsman and imposed penalties totalling almost $1.5 million nationally.
He said that since March 2006, Fair Work Ombudsman litigations have resulted in 187 court-imposed penalties totalling around $6.8 million.
“The courts are taking a pretty dim view of employers and unions who ignore the rules, dishing out some severe penalties both as a specific deterrent and to discourage similar conduct by others,” Mr Campbell said.
“We recognise that accidental breaches can and do occur and our approach is fair and flexible but, as one federal magistrate noted recently, compliance with all aspects of the law is not optional, it is essential.”
Mr Campbell said the Agency had also recovered more than $117 million for 87,000 workers around the country who had been underpaid.
Mr Campbell said court penalties in Victoria this financial year included fines for underpaying employees, failing to keep proper records and not issuing payslips.
He said one company was fined $120,800 for underpaying two employees, and another company was fined $18,480 for underpaying 11 employees and dismissing an apprentice who queried his pay.
He said successful prosecutions of underpayment of wages benefited employers who were complying with workplace laws because it helped them to compete on a level playing field.
For more information visit this PS News link.
23 March, 2011
Election paper ticks
box for mayor
A discussion paper has been released by the Minister for Local Government proposing options for the direct election of the mayor of Geelong.
Minister for Local Government, Jeanette Powell, said the discussion paper sets out a number of options for mayoral elections for the community to consider.
“The Victorian Government is responding to requests from members of the Geelong community to be able to directly elect their mayor,” Mrs Powell said.
“I urge citizens of the City of Greater Geelong to get involved and have their say about which model they prefer in order to do this.”
Mrs Powell said residents and ratepayers are being asked whether they wish to directly elect just the mayor or to directly elect a leadership team comprising both the mayor and a deputy mayor, as with the City of Melbourne.
“The Geelong community has articulated its desire for this change and now is the time to let us know how you wish to elect the leadership you want,” Mrs Powell said.
“People are also invited to consider whether candidates for mayor or a deputy mayor should be allowed to also nominate as regular councillors.”
She said the Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government David Morris would be taking the lead role in the consultation phase.
Mrs Powell said currently the Mayor of Greater Geelong was elected by the councillors, as required by the Local Government Act 1989.
She said the current mayor was re-elected in December 2010 for a two-year term that would expire when the council has its general elections in late 2012.
“I know that the residents and ratepayers of Greater Geelong are passionate about the leadership of their community so I encourage you all to have your say,” Mrs Powell said.
The discussion paper and a submission template can be found at this PS News link.
Submissions must be lodged with Local Government Victoria by 16 May.
23 March, 2011
WorkSafe sponsorship
A new sponsorship agreement between WorkSafe Victoria and the Victorian Country Football League will help grassroots football continue to grow while taking the WorkSafe safety message to regional Victoria.
The agreement, involving $1.25 million over three years, would ensure the WorkSafe Victoria logo continued to be seen on more than 82,000 footy jumpers, thousands of footballs, goal posts and signage around Victorian football grounds.
WorkSafe has provided funding of $2.85 million since 2002 as a sponsor of the Victorian Country Football League.
Council call for members
Expressions of interest have been invited from multicultural business owners to join the new Multicultural Business Ministerial Council.
The Council will operate on a two-year term from 2011 to 2013, and will provide advice on policy initiatives and priorities that can support multicultural businesses in Victoria.
Individuals are sought from a variety of industry sectors, in both metropolitan and regional Victoria.
Nominations close on 25 March.
National register for names
Draft legislation on a national business names register is out for public consultation.
The new national business names register is expected to start operating in 2012 and will be managed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
Businesses will be able to complete one online application to register a business name, valid nationwide, combining the Australian Business Number (ABN) and Business Name (BN) registrations.
Businesses, industry associations, intermediaries, not-for-profit organizations and consumers are invited to submit their comments by 24 April.
Budget breakfast
The Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria) (IPAA) will hold its State Budget Briefing & Analysis on 4 May.
Secretary Department of Treasury and Finance, Grant Hehir, will present at the popular fixture of the public sector calendar.
The briefing is an early opportunity for public sector professionals to learn how the Victorian State Budget will influence their planning and programs for the coming year.
For more information visit this PS News link.
Call to vaccinate
Victorians at risk of influenza should be immunised now in preparation for the 2011 season.
People with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women, indigenous people and the elderly are particularly at risk from influenza.
The immunisation is free for everyone aged 65 years and over, and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 and over.
The vaccine can be obtained by visiting your GP or other immunization providers.
Hearing centre opened
Australian Hearing has opened a new centre at Horsham to meet the local demand for hearing services.
The new hearing centre will give local people who suffer from hearing problems access to the latest technologies and services.
The centre will provide hearing assessments and hearing aid fittings, access to digital hearing device technology, repair and maintenance services.
Licence freeze extended
The freeze on late-night liquor licences in inner Melbourne and surrounding municipalities has been extended for a further 18 months.
The freeze was due to expire at the end of this year but the Director of Liquor Licensing will not grant any new licences for bars, pubs and nightclubs operating after 1am until 30 June, 2013.
The freeze will stop the growth of high-risk late-night venues in the local government areas of Melbourne, Port Phillip, Yarra and Stonnington.
Sustainability Awards open
Entries are open for the 2011 Premier’s Sustainability Awards.
The awards, now in their ninth year, recognise and reward Victorian businesses, institutions, communities and individuals that are forging a sustainable Victoria now and for the future.
There are eight award categories – small business, large business, community, products or services, built environment, local government, state government and tertiary education.
Awards close on 1 April and finalists will be announced on 5 May.
The awards ceremony will take place on 9 June.
16 March, 2011
Privacy training
opens online
Online privacy training is now available from the Office of the Victorian Privacy Commissioner, Helen Versey.
Ms Versey announced the new service saying it was available for all Government organisations coming under the Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic).
She said the low-cost online training course was being provided at a cost of $5 per staff member and would be suitable for staff of all organisations regulated by the Act, including staff of contracted service providers.
The course would enable access to basic privacy training for staff and organisations unable to participate in Privacy Victoria’s face-to-face training program and would include a Certificate of Completion for staff completing the course.
Ms Versey said the course aimed to provide a minimum level of knowledge and was generic in nature.
She encouraged managers from organisations purchasing courses for their staff to undertake the course themselves.
She said topics covered include what is privacy and personal information, the Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic) (IP Act), the Information Privacy Principles (IPPs), exemptions to the Information Privacy Act, the role of the Privacy Officer, developing a privacy policy, and dealing with complaints.
She said staff completing the online course might require further training in the Act.
Ms Versey said there was no limit to the number of courses that could be purchased and more information was available from e3Learning Solutions at this PS News link.
16 March, 2011
Union report juggles
work-life balance
A survey of female Public Servants by the national Community and Public Sector Union has found that many are failing to achieve the right work-life balance.
The CPSU’s annual What Women Want, surveyed almost 10,000 women in Public Service positions and found two in five believed accessing flexible hours or taking leave for family reasons would disadvantage their career.
According to the survey, one in two said juggling work and family life wasn’t easy and one in five respondents said that they were dissatisfied with their work-life balance.
National Secretary of the union, Nadine Flood said however the survey also found that six in 10 women had the option of improving their work-life balance under current work entitlements.
She said among the reasons given for not accessing the leave they were entitled to, respondents said they were too busy; current staff levels would not cover their absence; or they had unsupportive supervisors.
Ms Flood said women in the PS were under increasing pressure both at work and at home.
“Women in the public sector have fought for and won some reasonable flexible working conditions in their agreements,” Ms Flood said.
“However, our survey shows clearly that having a technical right to access leave does not always mean women will get to use it.”
She said the survey also revealed a dramatic increase in the number of women being contacted by their employers outside work hours, increasing from 35 per cent of women in 2008 to 44 per cent last year.
She said the issues around access to flexible working conditions were complex, but it was clear that women were being squeezed at work and home.
Ms Flood said the What Women Want survey also found that nearly one in five full-time women was working an additional 10 or more hours each week; and one in three women said they had little or no influence over whether they worked additional hours.
16 March, 2011
Collection notices
collect guidance
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has published a new Information Sheet to assist Victorian public sector organisations and their contractors provide privacy collection notices.
Information Sheet 02.11 Collection Notices has been prepared for organisations bound by the Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic).
Information Privacy Principle (IPP) 1.3 requires organisations that collect personal information about an individual to ensure the person is aware the information has been collected.
The new Information Sheet explains that giving notice to individuals is essential in promoting transparency about an organisation’s collection and handling of personal information, and ensures individuals are aware of their rights and obligations in relation to providing and accessing their information.
The Information Sheet also explains the distinction between a collection notice, which must be provided when specific information is collected by an organisation, and a privacy policy, which is a general statement about how personal information flows through an organisation.
The Information Sheet says that organisations should only use and disclose personal information for the primary purpose for which it was collected, and organisations are only to collect information which is necessary for their functions or activities.
It says the collection notice should inform individuals about the identity of the organisation and how to contact it; the fact that the individual is able to gain access to the information; the purposes for which the information is collected; to whom the organisation usually discloses information of that kind; any law that requires the particular information to be collected; and the main consequences for the individual if all or part of the information is not provided.
The information sheet reminds organisations that in accordance with IPP 1.3 the collection notice must be provided at or before the time of collection.
The Information Sheet can be accessed at this PS News link.
16 March, 2011
Comments to flow to
flood review website
A new interactive website has been launched to support the review of the 2010-11 flood warnings and response.
The review, to be led by former Chief Commissioner of Police, Neil Comrie, will examine aspects of flood response and recovery, emergency warnings, and evacuations.
Mr Comrie said the website had been designed to be easy to use, informative and to offer members of the public the chance to make a submission or have their views and comments heard.
He said the website featured information about the review, community consultation meetings in flood-affected communities, how to make a submission, and frequently asked questions.
He said the website would allow all Victorians accessible and equitable access to the review process and the opportunity to provide their input.
“With more than 100 towns and 20 per cent of Victoria covered in water during the January floods alone, there will be many areas that have valuable experiences to share,” Mr Comrie said.
He said the review findings would help guide the state government’s response and planning to ensure Victoria is better equipped to deal with similarly severe flooding events in the future.
“Throughout March and April, we will be visiting more than a dozen regional and rural centres to speak to residents of those towns and surrounding areas and hear their thoughts,” Mr Comrie said.
Mr Comrie said an interim report will be submitted to the Premier by 30 June 2011 and a final report is due on 1 December 2011.
The new website could be visited at this PS News link.
16 March, 2011
Advice sheet advises
on privacy policy
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has published a new Information Sheet to assist Departments and Agencies draft and review their privacy policies.
Information Sheet 01.11 Drafting and Reviewing a Privacy Policy has been prepared for organisations bound by the Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic).
The Information Sheet will benefit Victorian public sector organisations including Local Councils, Victoria Police and courts, as well as private sector organisations performing services under Government contracts.
It explains that a privacy policy is a statement about how an organisation manages the personal information it collects, and explains the difference between a privacy policy and a collection statement that is used when specific information is collected by an organisation.
The new Information Sheet reminds organisations subject to the Information Privacy Act that it must set out in a publicly available document its clearly expressed policies on the management of personal information, and the policy must be made available to anyone who asks for it.
The Information Sheet explains that an organisation, if asked, must generally inform people about the sort of personal information it holds and why, and how that information is collected, used and disclosed.
The Information Sheet says that by requiring organisations to provide publicly available information about internal record-handling processes, a greater level of understanding about public sector administration is ensured, and this transparency deters unnecessary collection and unlawful use or disclosure of information.
It says a privacy policy should be concise, and directed towards its audience and should be written in plain English and be easy to read.
The policy should deal with both online and offline collection of information.
It says privacy polices give individuals greater confidence when providing their personal information to VPS agencies and help people decide whether to make an application for access to information held by the organisation.
The Information Sheet explains that privacy policies need to be adapted to individual organisations because every organisation collects and handles personal information differently.
The Privacy Commissioner said she didn’t endorse or review organisations’ privacy policies as any endorsement may compromise her ability to later deal with a complaint.
Privacy Victoria staff were available to give general guidance and provide information however.
The new Information Sheet can be accessed at this PS News link.
16 March, 2011
Healthy report on
PS medical claims
A report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has revealed that the number of new medical claims lodged by Public Service workers across Australia in 2007-08 was significantly less than in earlier years.
The report said that although the 1,300 or so claims lodged that year were similar in number to 2006-07, they represented a drop of about a third on the previous three years.
Jenny Hargreaves of the Institute’s Hospitals and Performance Group said Public Sector claims were examined in the report Australia’s public sector medical indemnity claims 2007-2008.
Ms Hargreaves said the report examined data on the number, nature, incidence and costs of medical indemnity claims in the public sector during the financial year from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008.
She said it was released alongside another report, Public and private sector medical indemnity claims in Australia 2007-08, which was the first time the Institute had been able to present the total number of medical indemnity claims across Australia.
She said the Public Sector report described the allegations of harm that gave rise to claims, the alleged physical and mental effects on claim subjects, the specialties of clinicians involved, and the size, duration and outcomes of the medical indemnity claims.
Ms Hargreaves said the report was the sixth in the series on public sector medical indemnity claims, presenting data on claims open during the 2007-08 financial year and updated claim characteristics over the period 2003-04 to 2006-07.
The report showed there were 1,292 new claims opened at some time in 2007-08.
According to the report, the number of new claims was similar to 2006-07 (1,306) but less than approximately 2,000 claims each year between 2003-04 and 2005-06.
The report said the proportion of new claims related to the clinical service context of Obstetrics remained relatively steady over the five year period (14-16 per cent) and Accident and Emergency fluctuated between 15 per cent and 21 per cent.
It said new claims relating to General surgery made up 12 per cent of claims in 2007-08 and in 2003-04, however there was a peak of 30 per cent in 2005-06.
According to the report, the increased proportion of new claims that year was affected by claims against one general surgeon in one State.
The report showed claims that were closed between 2003-04 and 2007-08 varied between about 1,600 and 2,200 each year.
The full report can be accessed at this PS News link.
16 March, 2011
Charity chalks up
teacher donations
A new payroll giving scheme has been set up to allow employees of the Education Department to donate directly to the State Schools’ Relief charity.
Education Minister Martin Dixon announced the scheme, which he said would support the 80-year-old charity make it easier for struggling families to access school uniforms, shoes and books.
“The big heart of our education community is further supporting our education family through the new Payroll Giving Scheme,” Mr Dixon said, “making it more convenient for our already generous teachers to donate to this worthwhile cause.”
He said the State Schools’ Relief was formed during the great depression and last year helped 8,300 students and their families by providing 2,470 pairs of shorts and runners, 6,600 polo shirts and 2,700 track pants.
Mr Dixon said providing new uniforms and shoes to children who could not to access them otherwise provided a broad range of benefits beyond keeping them warm.
“It enables participation in school and community activities and alleviates the financial burden on families,” Mr Dixon said.
He said demand was increasing and many of the children assisted recently had been affected by drought and floods.
He said the Victorian Government would cover all of the charity’s staffing and operational costs, including the cost of the lease for the new distribution centre, ensuring 100 per cent of donated funds went straight to children in need.
Mr Dixon said having new clothes also helped children avoid the stigma of “looking poor” and stopped them feeling different from their classmates.
“Flow on positive effects include improved attendance rates, better academic performance and increased self esteem – not only for the students but for their parents as well,” Mr Dixon said.
16 March, 2011
CAV’s scam quiz
has the answers
Consumer Affairs Victoria has unveiled an online scams quiz which tests people’s skills in identifying common scams.
Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria, Claire Noone said the quiz throws a number of common online scenarios at participants and asks them to identify whether they are scams or not.
“Scammers have a range of tricks at their disposal, especially when it comes to the online environment,” Dr Noone said.
“Emails that look legitimate may actually be fake.”
She said scammers are often very sophisticated in their attempts to dupe unsuspecting victims out of their hard earned dollars.
Dr Noone said the quiz results would provide Consumer Affairs Victoria with insight about consumers’ understanding of scams and which scenarios presented the highest risk.
She said Consumer Affairs Victoria received more than 5,500 reports of scams in 2010 and estimated that 1,400 of these involved some type of online component.
“As many scams go unreported, it’s likely that these figures actually only represent the tip of an iceberg,” Dr Noone said.
Consumer Affairs Minister Michael O’Brien said scams could be very difficult to identify from the real thing so consumers needed to educate themselves about the tactics scammers may use to deceive.
“New technology means new ways of reaching consumers but it also means new ways to con people, often out of large sums of money,” Mr O’Brien said.
He said the quiz shows different online scams, provides advice on how to identify a scam from a legitimate offer, and provides tips on how to avoid a scam.
The quiz is available online at this PS News link.
16 March, 2011
Police make headway
on new headgear
Victoria Police has expanded its uniform standards to incorporate articles of faith from the Sikh religion, including the Force’s first official turban.
Superintendent Bob Hill said the incorporation of the turban into the uniform standards was reflective of the growing diversity of the Victoria Police workforce.
He said the turban would be made from Indian cotton with a choice of two fabric weights and would be dark navy to match the police tunic.
He said a metal, numbered hat badge with a vertical pin for insertion at the crest of the turban would be worn for ceremonial use.
“The Victorian community is the most ethnically diverse in the country and it is important that our police reflect this,” Superintendent Hill said.
He said Victoria Police was committed to creating and sustaining a workforce that was diverse and strongly representative of different cultures, experiences and backgrounds.
He said Victoria was now recognised as one of the most multicultural and diverse regions in the world, with residents hailing from more than 200 countries, speaking more than 230 languages and practising more than 120 religious faiths.
“We are committed to attracting more officers from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds as this is the only way we are going to create greater trust and understanding with the community,” Superintendent Hill said.
“We have an increased understanding of the needs of Victoria Police staff and are striving to respectfully accommodate the religious requirements of all Victoria Police members where possible.”
Superintendent Hill said Victoria Police was currently exploring and researching other cultural religious requirements that may require incorporation into the general duties uniform inventory
He said members could seek a permanent variation to the authorised uniform standards based on medical, cultural or religious grounds.
16 March, 2011
Safety agency floats
boating workshops
A series of workshops explaining the new safety requirements for commercial boating in Victoria which come into effect on 1 July are to be conducted by Transport Safety Victoria (TSV).
Acting Director of Maritime Safety at TSV, Lisa Faldon has encouraged those in the commercial boating industry to attend the workshops to learn more about the upcoming reforms.
“Commercial operators are required to have a documented safety management plan in place by 1 July this year, as this is a key requirement of the national standard for commercial vessels,” Ms Faldon said.
“The TSV workshops would provide industry with the guidance they need to produce a plan that meets their legislative obligations.”
She said the new requirements meant that commercial trading and fishing vessels must meet the National Standard for Commercial Vessels in relation to operational practices from 1 July 2011.
She said the workshops would help commercial vessel owners and operators to better understand the requirements of the national standard for commercial vessels, and would provide information and guidance to assist owners and operators to develop safety management systems and plans for the operation of their vessels.
Ms Faldon said commercial operators would be required to submit their safety management plan as part of their annual vessel survey from 1 July 2011.
“TSV Surveyors will assess and issue Commercial Vessel Safe Construction Certificates as they always have, as well as now issuing a Commercial Vessel Safe Operation Certificate.
“Commercial operators have a duty of care to ensure the safety of passengers and crew at all times. In order for the additional certificate to be issued vessel operators must demonstrate competence and capacity to meet their safety duties.”
For further information including a full listing of workshop dates and locations, visit this PS News link.
16 March, 2011
Hospital system gets
clean bill of health
A new Health Incident Management System has been introduced into Victorian hospitals to collect information about incidents that have the potential to harm patients.
Minister for Health, David Davis said the new system would contribute to better outcomes for all patients.
“We have now made fully operational a new management tool which will help to deliver better safety and higher quality services for Victorian patients,” Mr Davis said.
“We want to better monitor these types of incidents so they can be reduced to a minimum and we can improve patient care.”
Mr Davis said the Health Incident Management System was an important tool for collating, analysing and identifying trends and a useful and important step forward in reporting errors and sentinel events.
“We want to encourage every health practitioner to report any errors which occur within the hospital setting,” Mr Davis said.
“That way we can maximise the base of information available for analysis and deal with problems as they emerge.”
He said health services would have the ability to undertake analysis and trending of their own incident data and would also be able to reap the benefits of utilising a standardised methodology for recording the degree of harm for a person affected in an incident.
He said sources of data collection would include all Victorian public health services; 39 registered community health centres; Ambulance Victoria; the Royal District Nursing Service; Ballarat District Nursing and Healthcare; 14 bush nursing centres; Forensicare; and five Incorporated Residential Aged Care Services.
Mr Davis said all these agencies were required to send de-identified clinical incident data to the Department of Health for aggregation and analysis.
He said analysis of the Statewide aggregate incident data would enable the Department to better target future quality improvement and patient safety initiatives in Victorian publicly-funded health services.
16 March, 2011
Roadmap bridges
water reforms
A new ‘roadmap’ for urban water reform has been released by the Minister for Water, Peter Walsh.
Mr Walsh said the roadmap, Living Melbourne, Living Victoria, identified priority areas of urban water reform.
He said the reforms would embed water efficiency within the community by focusing on local solutions rather than large-scale infrastructure.
“Integrated water cycle management creates incentives for adaptive, innovative and productive water management and puts our under-utilised stormwater and recycled water resources to better use,” Mr Walsh said.
He said the roadmap highlighted the need to act quickly in light of Melbourne’s rapidly growing population.
“Opportunities for better community outcomes will be lost if we do not put in place more sustainable water management approaches.
“The Council has outlined some of the key directions it believes government can take to drive these once-in-a-lifetime changes.”
Mr Walsh said the roadmap recommends eight key directions including an agreed vision for the contribution of water to urban liveability, through protection from flooding, improving the health of urban waterways and supporting green landscapes.
He said he had asked the Living Victoria Ministerial Advisory Council to build on the roadmap by delivering a detailed implementation plan.
Chair of the Advisory Council, Mike Waller said the recommendations would help guide reform across Victoria’s cities and towns.
“The Council has put forward a package of reforms to deliver a more resilient and adaptable water system for Melbourne, focusing on the need to diversify our water sources, empower customers and integrate urban planning with water planning,” Mr Waller said.
“By being smarter with how we use water we can continue to build a liveable, sustainable and productive Melbourne.”
The Living Melbourne, Living Victoria roadmap can be found at this PS News link.
16 March, 2011
Playground repairs
level playing fields
School playgrounds, play areas and carparks affected by the construction of facilities under the Building the Education Revolution (BER) program are to be rebuilt and restored.
Premier Ted Baillieu said the State Government would provide up to $5 million to rebuild and restore school play areas and car parks at Victorian government schools.
“School playgrounds and hard courts play a vital role in student engagement, learning, social skills and physical education,” Mr Baillieu said.
He said many facilities were lost during the roll-out of the BER program which resulted in cost blowouts and a loss of play equipment, sports courts and in some cases much-needed school car parking.
“Many schools across the State have suffered,” Mr Baillieu said.
“We have listened to schools and the community and we are taking the necessary steps to reinstate these facilities.”
He said the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development would contact affected schools to agree on the scope of works so the new facilities could be completed as soon as possible.
16 March, 2011
Beach program
waves goodbye
The Environment Protection Authority’s annual beach report program has been washed up for another year.
EPA director Stuart McConnell said Greater Melbourne’s wet summer had made for an interesting beach reporting season.
“This summer we issued 15 swim advisories for beaches due to heavy rain compared to not one last summer,” Mr McConnell said.
“We also had a 10-fold increase in the number of days where all beaches in the Bay had forecast poor bacterial water quality, which can be attributed to Melbourne’s wettest summer in 100 years.”
He said the season runs yearly from 1 December to March Labour Day weekend and the program monitors daily forecasts of expected bacterial water quality at 36 Port Phillip Bay beaches.
“The good news for Melburnians is poor bacterial readings tend to return to normal 24 to 48 hours after rain events, with no lasting effect on overall water quality in the bay,” Mr McConnell said.
He said rain flushing the catchments was the biggest contributor to poor water
quality.
“It’s also a timely reminder to Victorians to clean up after their pets and dispose of rubbish correctly, to keep the bay and our beaches as clean as possible” Mr McConnell said.
He said as a precaution, people should not swim near stormwater drains, rivers, streams and other outlets into the Bay during rainfall and for at least 24 hours after.
“Generally dry, hot weather over the 2009/10 summer contributed to good
results for our beaches 12 months ago,” Mr McConnell said.
He said a full assessment of the 2010/11 Beach Report season was being undertaken
and would be available later this year.
16 March, 2011
Railways line up in
discussion paper
The Department of Transport has issued a discussion paper on proposed Regulations for tourist and heritage railways.
Public comment is welcome.
The draft Regulations cover the appointment, number of members and composition of an Advisory Committee to advise the Director of Public Transport on tourist and heritage railways; registration criteria for a Tourist and Heritage Railway Group Register; and new offences to combat anti-social behaviour.
The Tourist and Heritage Railways Act 2010 was passed by Parliament in October 2010 but is not yet in force.
The discussion paper outlines the new framework set up to support the tourist and heritage rail sector and as part of the Act creates a register of assets, land and leasing arrangements; and a voluntary registration scheme for rail groups to promote improvement in governance, administration and land management arrangements.
The voluntary scheme is to provide groups with practical assistance rather than burden them with regulation.
The discussion paper lists the 17 existing tourist and heritage rail groups in
Victoria.
The Department of Transport says that to be covered by the Act, a tourist and heritage rail group must be a non-profit organisation providing historical and heritage related rail services mostly for tourists, mainly in Victoria, and it must also be accredited as a rail operator under the Rail Safety Act 2006.
The discussion paper proposes a number of specific offences in the Regulations, namely trespass, interfering with or damaging equipment, and general conduct offences.
The Department of Transport will hold two consultation workshops in late March and early April to discuss the Regulations in detail.
Feedback on the discussion paper is invited but must be made in writing to touristandheritage@transport.vic.gov.au before Monday 11 April 2011.
The discussion paper can be accessed at this PS News link.
16 March, 2011
Survey finds 150th
cup day a winner
A study of the economic impact of last year’s 150th Melbourne Cup has found the event injected $350 million into the Victorian economy.
Minister for Racing, Denis Napthine said the 2010 Melbourne Cup Carnival Economic Impact Study showed an increase of $10 million, despite severe weather conditions driving some racing enthusiasts to stay close to home for the 150th running of Australia’s richest and most iconic horse race.
“The Melbourne Cup Carnival continues to capture the imagination of race-goers and racing is a vital industry in Victoria,” Dr Napthine said.
“These latest figures confirm that thoroughbred racing is an exciting and strongly supported sport and a key part of the Victorian economy.”
He said the Melbourne Cup Carnival continued to bring thousands of thoroughbred racing enthusiasts from around the world to Victoria.
“The five premier races across the carnival calendar attracted strong attendances of more than 368,000, including nearly 60,000 visitors travelling from interstate and overseas,” Dr Napthine said.
He said the Victorian Racing Club economic impact study also revealed the anniversary of the Melbourne Cup was a major drawcard, influencing 55 per cent of interstate visitors and 41 per cent of overseas visitors in their decision to travel to Melbourne for the Cup Carnival.
Dr Napthine said punters showed a renewed love of thoroughbred racing with net wagering revenue increasing to almost $40 million in 2010, while fashion followers boosted Victoria’s retail sector by $26 million.
He said the study also revealed an increase in the popularity of house parties and Melbourne Cup functions as opportunities for watching the race that stops the nation.
“The report reveals that the Melbourne Cup provides benefits across Australia, with economies experiencing a gross national economic benefit of $728 million as a result of celebrations for the 150th anniversary of this iconic Australian horse race,” Dr Napthine said.
16 March, 2011
MASSIVE launch
is massive news
A new high-tech computing facility has been launched at the Australian Synchrotron and Monash University promising researchers the chance to study life-threatening illnesses such as lung disease, diabetes, AIDS and cancer in 3D.
Named MASSIVE - Multi-modal Australian ScienceS Imaging and Visualisation Environment – the new facility is a partnership between the Australian Synchrotron, CSIRO, the Victorian Partnership for Advanced Computing and Monash University.
Head of Science at the Australian Synchrotron, Associate Professor Andrew Peele said the expanded capabilities presented by the new technology were exciting for science and in particular research.
“In the past, the technology just didn’t exist to capture or view data or manipulate samples in a three-dimensional sense,” Dr Peele said.
“Now we have a technology that allows us to do this in near real time and in 3D.”
Dr Peele said the new facility, located at both the Australian Synchrotron and Monash University, would allow scientists in fields covering biomedicine, geoscience, neuroscience, astronomy, engineering and climate studies, to build, analyse and manipulate their own multi-dimensional research data.
Minister for Technology, Gordon Rich-Phillips said MASSIVE would be Australia’s first centre for excellence for computational imaging and visualisation, aiding in Australia’s research efforts.
“Diseases such as lung disease affect thousands of Australians and it is investments into research technology such as this that equip our researchers with the tools to combat serious diseases,” Mr Rich-Phillips said.
He said MASSIVE was funded by its partners and by both the Victorian Government and the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI).
“It is the investment in projects like MASSIVE that underlies Victoria’s competitive advantage for research and technology-based innovation, setting us apart from the crowd both domestically and internationally,” Mr Rich-Phillips said.
16 March, 2011
Water fine
Yarra Valley Water Pty Ltd has been fined $50,000 following an incident that saw approximately 115,000 litres of raw sewage pump into Jumping Creek.
The company was found guilty of one charge of causing an environmental
hazard on 7 May 2009.
The court heart that the company had failed in its duty of care when both its pumps and emergency generator failed, causing the spill.
Yarra Valley Water was also ordered to pay the Environment Protection Authority costs of $13,977 however no conviction was recorded.
IPAA management seminar
The Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria) will hold its Critical Stakeholder Management Seminar – Predicting events, coordinating actions and communicating responses on 6 April 2011.
The three speakers who will discuss their perspectives include Director of Emergency Management and Communication, Victoria State Emergency Service, Andrew Gissing, Country Fire Authority Chief Officer, Euan Ferguson, and Director of 2 Sticks Digital, Tim Martin.
Defence training grants
Applications are now open for training grants for Australia’s Defence industry.
Up to $14 million in funding will be available to help pay for trade apprenticeships support, university courses, short technical courses, TAFE courses, and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) training.
The funding will also assist Skilling Australia’s Defence Industry (SADI) projects next financial year which will support up to 5000 workers to develop technical, trade and professional skills while working in the Australian Defence Industry.
Applications close on 6 April 2011.
Reserve for St Kilda
The Department of Sustainability and Environment has approved plans for the marine reserve at St Kilda.
The new look marine reserve will include realigned bike and walking paths, new seating, a viewing deck, a large lawn area, indigenous plants and new toilets, lighting, bins and bike parking.
Discovery Centre resumes
Melbourne Water has resumed construction on the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands Discovery Centre after stopping the project to allow migratory birds to visit the wetlands and local birds to breed during the popular spring and summer seasons.
The Discovery Centre will feature water tanks, composting toilets, solar panels and a rain garden designed to clean stormwater.
Construction of the Wetlands Discovery Centre began in May last year and is expected to be completed in late 2011.
Tabcorp wins keno licence
Tabcorp Investments No.5 Pty Ltd has been awarded Victoria’s first ever stand-alone keno licence.
The new 10-year licence is part of the ongoing restructure of Victoria’s gambling industry and will commence in April 2012
From that date, Tabcorp Investments will be authorised to conduct and distribute keno games in eligible hotels, clubs and wagering outlets across the state.
The licence arrangements mean Victoria will be in line with other Australian jurisdictions, including NSW and Queensland, which have a single keno operator.
New radiotherapy service
The first public radiotherapy service in Melbourne’s western suburbs has opened its doors at Sunshine Hospital.
The new $40.5 million radiotherapy centre will be run jointly by the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Western Health.
It is expected that up to 900 cancer patients per year will be treated at the centre
About 50 staff including medical specialists in radiation oncology, radiation therapists, physicists, oncology nurses and allied health staff will work at the centre.
Melanoma rates down
New research on melanoma in Victoria has revealed the rates of the deadly skin cancer are now falling in men and women under the age of 40.
The research also showed that melanoma incidence rates are continuing to rise in Victoria and the highest rates of melanoma are in men over 60.
In 2008 in Victoria, 2217 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed and 279 people died from the disease.
9 March, 2011
PS warned on
secret meetings
Public Servants, police and politicians have been warned of the dangers of joining exclusive or secretive organisations.
Ombudsman George Brouwer issued the warning in his report The Brotherhood: Risks associated with secretive organisations.
In his report Mr Brouwer said he had received information from a whistleblower that an all-male group calling itself The Brotherhood met in Melbourne regularly and traded information and requests for favours from other members who included police and Public Servants.
“My examination of The Brotherhood raised a number of issues, as well as concerns regarding its purpose and culture, and associated risks to public officers from being a member,” the Ombudsman said.
“I identified potential risks arising from the nature of the organisation... and the culture of the organisation which encourages exclusivity and secrecy with the potential for illegal and improper exchanges of information or favours.”
He said some of the public officers involved in The Brotherhood worked in public sector agencies that maintained databases with sensitive information about individuals.
“These databases would be a source of valuable information for individuals and companies wishing to serve legal documents, repossess motor vehicles and locate debtors,” he said.
“Such databases, particularly the Victoria Police Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP), have in the past been abused by public officers who have engaged in the unlawful trading of government information.”
The ombudsman said he investigated a number of examples and identified “issues involving improper behaviour”.
“My investigation … points to the significant dangers of police officers and Public Servants being involved, wittingly or unwittingly, in an organisation such as The Brotherhood where there is a culture which allows for inappropriate networking and improper exchanging of favours and information,” he said.
“Membership of such organisations undermines the effectiveness of those officials and the organisations in which they serve and potentially places their reputations at risk.
Mr Brouwer said his concerns were shared by the Chief Police Commissioner, Simon Overland.
The report quotes Mr Overland as saying “Such gatherings, even when totally benign, have the potential to undermine confidence in public institutions – especially policing.”
The Ombudsman recommended that public sector agencies advise their officers and employees of the risk of being members of, involved in, or attending meetings or functions of organisations, such as The Brotherhood.
His full report can be accessed at this PS News link.
9 March, 2011
New managers manage
to get new guide
A guide for new managers in the Victorian Public Service has been issued by the State Services Authority.
Entitled Welcome to Management: A Guide for New Managers in the Victorian Public Sector, the 43-page guide explains what the “manager” component of the job entails; how to learn more about personal strengths and weaknesses as a manager; identifying skill gaps; and setting priorities for building knowledge and learning new skills.
The guide includes information about how to make a smooth transition to a management role as well as discussions of public sector expectations and standards, real life examples, self-assessment activities, and pointers to other resources that can help new managers.
It does not cover financial management, project management or general public administration requirements as these will vary across organisations.
It will be most useful to newly appointed managers or other staff that are about to be promoted to a management role and should be used as part of the induction to a first management position.
It will also be valuable as a “refresher” after the first few months in a new management role and as a reference to look up ideas to help deal with management challenges.
Even if new Public Service managers have management experience elsewhere, there will be topics that are specific to Victorian public sector management while other areas will cover generic management skills.
The guide can be downloaded from this PS News link.
9 March, 2011
Ombudsman hits out in
assault investigation
An Ombudsman’s investigation into an alleged assault of a Disability Services Client by staff of the Department of Human Services has recommended disciplinary action against the staff and their managers.
Tabling the report, Ombudsman, George Brouwer said he had investigated an incident involving an assault in a Community Residential Unit.
A resident who was intellectually disabled and unable to speak, is alleged to have been assaulted by two Department of Human Services staff.
The report recommended the Department consider disciplinary action against staff and managers along with, in one instance, the question of continued suitability of employment.
After describing the incident in detail, the report said that within four days of the incident a number of incident reports had been received by management within the Department and a staff member at the unit had contacted Departmental management to express concern about the resident’s injury.
In response to the incident, the Department conducted an “informal information gathering process” and did not take any disciplinary action in relation to the resident’s carers.
Minister for Community Services, Mary Wooldridge said she was appalled by the incident.
“This incident should never have taken place and should not have been responded to in the manner outlined and I have sought assurances from the Secretary of DHS that the man at the centre of this incident is safe and not at risk of further harm,” Ms Wooldridge said.
“I have been advised that the Secretary has stood down three staff pending a full investigation,” she said.
“A fourth staff member has been moved to duties not involving disability clients. The matter has also been referred to Victoria Police.”
Ms Wooldridge said the Ombudsman had made a series of recommendations in his report, and she accepted every one of them.
However, a broader response was also necessary to ensure that an incident like this did not happen again.
“A new Adverse Events Procedure to promptly deal with allegations of this kind in supported accommodation will be implemented and will be fully established within each DHS region by May,” she said.
In addition, a formal alert system has been established so the Public Advocate can immediately escalate issues of concern to the Executive Director of Disability Services in DHS.”
9 March, 2011
Audit injects doubt
into drug prevention
An audit into the management of drug and alcohol prevention and treatment services has found that the administering Department cannot be sure if they are realising their objectives or not.
In his report Managing Drug and Alcohol Prevention and Treatment Services, Auditor-General Des Pearson said that although managing the schemes was “particularly difficult” there had been 31 internal reviews since 1999.
He said the great majority of review findings had not been acted upon, and a real commitment to implement long overdue reforms was required.
“Typically, prevention initiatives are one-off projects, such as media campaigns, with few prevention services funded on an ongoing basis,” Mr Pearson said.
“In contrast, there are 105 services providing treatment services to those who use alcohol and other drugs harmfully.”
The audit examined the effectiveness of drug and alcohol prevention and treatment services overseen by the Department of Health.
It concluded that because dealing with harmful alcohol and drug use was particularly difficult due to the complexity of addiction, prevention and treatment programs needed to be reviewed regularly and refined to adapt to changing community needs and to maximise their chances of success.
At its inception, the new community-based alcohol and drugs program was innovative in both its service and funding model.
However, 13 years later, the problems with treatment services that it was designed to overcome had not been resolved.
The Department had no assurance that the service system objectives of effective case management and continuity of care for clients and consistent, high quality services, was being achieved.
Treatment services remained difficult for clients to access and navigate, and did not provide seamless pathways to other health and social support services.
The audit said this had arisen not through a lack of review and awareness, but rather for want of action to address difficult issues.
While the treatment system had been refined, this had been at the margins.
A total of 31 internal reviews have been conducted since 1999, many on the same theme, and further reviews were currently underway.
These had, to some extent, informed current strategies for alcohol and other drug services, but the great majority of review findings had been subsumed by still further review activity.
“In this way review has stifled reform rather than being the springboard to improvement,” Mr Pearson said.
The poor track record of acting on review findings had resulted in scepticism among service providers about the current suite of reform projects for the program.
The audit pointed to a lack of coherence within the sector about what constituted prevention in the alcohol and other drugs context.
The Department’s intentions would be clearer if it had a prevention strategy to describe to stakeholders the kinds of activities which can lead to prevention outcomes. Despite calls for this since 2000, no such strategy existed.
The audit described the Department’s monitoring of services to be poor.
“In effect, the Department cannot show how well services are delivered on the ground,” it said.
The Department had not acted on recommendations to change its service mix to reflect available evidence and expert advice on how best to meet community needs.
An issue consistently raised was that current service system reflected what had been put in place in 1997, while client needs, and the complexity and patterns of substance use, had changed significantly since then.
The audit’s principal recommendations were that the Department of Health should implement a whole-of-government alcohol and other drug prevention strategy; revise the treatment service mix so that services funded align with need; prioritise replacement of its data collection system and improve the performance measures used for reporting publicly on the alcohol and other drugs program.
9 March, 2011
Changes put wind
in Councils’ sails
Local Councils are to be given responsibility for approving wind energy projects across Victoria.
This will mean a change to the Victoria Planning Provisions and all planning schemes in Victoria to remove the Minister’s decision-making powers regarding wind energy facilities of 30 megawatts or greater.
The result will make Councils the responsible authority for all planning permit applications for the use and development of land for a wind energy facility.
The amendment also makes other changes to strengthen wind farm policy by promoting greater consideration of local amenity impacts, introducing additional requirements for applications.
Measures will be implemented to support a successful transition of the responsibilities.
The Department of Planning and Community Development will work with Local Government, the Municipal Association of Victoria and other Agencies to support the transition and assist continuing implementation.
Expert advice will be available to Councils and in cases where a proposal straddles Local Government boundaries or presents particularly complex issues beyond the technical expertise or resource capacity of a Council, the option to refer a project to the Minister for Planning is available.
A full copy of the amendment, including the new guidelines and supporting information, will be available from 15 March.
For more information about VC78 and planning for wind energy facilities, visit this PS News link.
9 March, 2011
Second wave rescuers
hit Christchurch
Urban search and rescue technicians from Victoria have joined the international response to the Christchurch earthquake.
The team consists of eight Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) specialists as well as two Ambulance Victoria paramedics and a structural engineer.
Minister for Emergency Services, Peter Ryan said the highly-trained urban search and rescue operators would join a 72-strong Australian Taskforce that was assisting with emergency response and recovery efforts.
“Victoria has joined national and worldwide response efforts in offering assistance to New Zealand in every way possible,” Mr Ryan said.
“It is a difficult but important task for USAR teams to search the many structures impacted by the earthquake to ensure the missing are accounted for.”
Mr Ryan said the work conducted by Urban Search and Rescue technicians was demanding and the new Australian team would act on a 10-day rotation to relieve current teams.
“More than 120 Victorian police officers were deployed to New Zealand to help keep the broader Christchurch community safe and to help maintain law and order and Victoria has also provided paramedic peer support to help debrief New Zealand ambulance personnel,” Mr Ryan said.
“In sending Victoria’s deployment, there has been careful consideration around the level of resources that will be released to ensure Victoria maintains an appropriate level of capability in the event of a State-based or national incident.”
9 March, 2011
Maps flow from
flood disaster
Maps showing the severity of the January floods in Victoria have been released by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE).
Executive Director Sustainable Water and Environment at DSE, Jane Doolan said the maps would increase the State’s knowledge of flood behaviour for the different river systems and would help authorities improve future flood responses.
“Many areas in western and central Victoria recorded the largest flood on record and other areas recorded the second largest,” Dr Doolan said.
“This year started with the wettest January on record in Victoria with widespread rainfall across most of the State and the western part of the State recording rainfall three to four times the January average.”
This had resulted in widespread flooding in all of the major river systems including the Wimmera, Avoca, Loddon and Campaspe – only a year ago these rivers had been dry in patches because of the continuing drought.
“Jeparit recorded the highest daily rainfall during the January floods – 161.2 millimetres in just one day,” Dr Doolan said.
“This is the highest daily rainfall ever recorded there in over 100 years of record-keeping,” she said.
“Seven monitoring stations broke their highest daily rainfall records,” she said.
The maps were generated using data collected on the current floods through the use of aerial photography and remote sensing and can be accessed at
this PS News link.
DSE has also released a range of aerial photos comparing before and after the floods. They can be viewed at this PS News link.
9 March, 2011
Winners and losers
in lottery dispute
An independent investigation into the process that decided the public lottery licence in 2008 has found that applicant Intralot was not treated fairly.
Tabling the report of the Independent Review Panel (IRP) in Parliament, Minister for Gaming, Michael O’Brien said that while it found that Intralot had been treated unequally, it also found there was no intention to treat Intralot unequally in the process, and that the report created no impediments to current licensing processes.
“However, it does support the Government’s commitment to ensuring undue restrictions on retail competition in lotteries do not continue to unfairly hamper a competitive market,” Mr O’Brien said.
In January 2010 Intralot lodged a complaint with the Independent Review Panel, regarding allegations of unfair treatment in the licensing process.
Public lottery licences include a clause that prohibits the licensee from entering into exclusive arrangements for the distribution of lottery products.
However, Tattersall’s Category 1 Public Lottery Licence allows it to include a clause in franchise agreements whereby the agent is prohibited from selling rival lottery products from the Tattersall’s dedicated area.
In its complaint, Intralot alleged it was not treated equally or impartially because it was not informed about licence amendments to provide for Tattersall’s dedicated sales areas.
The IRP found that Intralot should have been advised of the Government’s changed position on its willingness to negotiate on licence conditions relating to dedicated areas.
However, the IRP did not recommend the deletion of the relevant clauses in Tattersall’s licence, as sought by Intralot, as it found that any remedy should focus on rights that could be given to Intralot, rather than the removal of rights from Tattersall’s.
9 March, 2011
Police transit team
on the right track
Victoria Police have launched a new roving Transit Strike Team to target Melbourne’s public transport system.
Inspector Philip Green from the Transit Safety Division said the strike team marked a change in the way police deployed officers.
It comprised a roving group of officers who would have the flexibility to respond to issues on the public transport system as they happened.
“We have 250 transit police dedicated to safety on Victoria’s public transport system,” Inspector Green said.
“On top of this we have now created a Transit Strike Team which will have the ability to move quickly into any area where an incident may evolve,” he said.
“For example, if there is an issue with a group of people behaving in an anti-social manner and intimating commuters at a suburban railway station, our strike team will be immediately deployed to respond to the situation.”
The team will comprise a senior sergeant, four sergeants and a number of senior constables and constables.
“The number of officers working as part of the strike team on any given day will fluctuate on a needs basis,” Inspector Green said.
“For example, when planning for a major event we may increase the number of officers in the strike team to allow us to have more flexibility when deploying officers,” he said.
“The Transit Safety Division will be boosted by a further 100 officers by mid-year, and we envisage that as part of this we may increase the size of the strike team.”
The new team complements the Direct Start deployment model which sees transit officers starting work at one of seven locations including Frankston, Dandenong, Box Hill, Epping, Sunshine, Werribee or a city railway station.
9 March, 2011
Marine protection
plan not shipshape
Parks Victoria is unable to show that its efforts to protect biodiversity in marine areas are having the desired effect – or any effect at all - according to Auditor-General, Des Pearson.
In his report Environmental Management of Marine Protected Areas, Mr Pearson said little environmental management was evident across marine protected areas.
“This audit points to systemic weaknesses with planning, program management and resource allocation that should be addressed,” Mr Pearson said.
Dedicated funding for Marine Protected Areas had been used for other activities.
This had contributed to a lack of dedicated marine staffing and expertise and a consequent lack of demonstrable activity to achieve management plan objectives.
“While dedicated funding for marine-related activities has not been used as intended, management and reporting systems within Parks Victoria are such that it is not possible to determine where these funds were applied,” Mr Pearson said.
“As Parks Victoria cannot track activity against labour, its biggest cost, it is also not able to show that the delivery of its programs and activities has been efficient.”
While Parks Victoria had developed management plans for all 24 marine national parks and sanctuaries which broadly detailed threats and management objectives, the plans lacked detailed targets, prioritised actions or responsibilities and time frames, the audit stated.
The audit’s main recommendations were that Parks Victoria should document its marine environmental management programs, including program logic, implementation plans, reporting frameworks and evaluation plans;
That the Biosecurity Standing Committee should assign expertise to develop a marine pest biosecurity plan;
That Parks Victoria should develop park management plans for all marine protected areas with supporting plans that specify actions, targets, performance indicators, accountabilities and time frames for delivery;
That the Department of Sustainability and Environment should implement a new services agreement with Parks Victoria that clearly specifies the responsibilities of both Agencies, performance standards and indicators, funding levels and reporting requirements.
9 March, 2011
Scientists to fuel
bushfire studies
The Victorian Government’s investigation into fuel and bushfire risk management in Victoria’s high country is to be overseen by a scientific advisory committee.
Applications are being called for the Bushfire Risk and Strategic Cattle Grazing Scientific Advisory Committee which will ensure that research to assess effectiveness of managing fuel and bushfire risk using strategic cattle grazing is scientifically rigorous.
Executive Director Forests and Parks for the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Peter Appleford said the Department was seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified scientists.
“The members will be scientists who are internationally recognised for their high level of professional experience and expertise relevant to the program,” Dr Appleford said.
“The committee will consist of up to five members and an independent chair to be appointed for a term of up to six years.”
The committee would undertake peer review at the design, data collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting stages, ensuring the program met current international standards for quality assurance.
DSE is currently investigating the effectiveness of managing fuel and bushfire risk using strategic cattle grazing in Victoria’s high country, including the Alpine National Park. The research will also assess the non-fuel impacts of grazing.
The six-year scientific research program will help DSE to meet its responsibilities under Victoria’s National Parks Act to ensure that appropriate and sufficient measures are taken to protect each national park and State park from injury.
Meanwhile the Federal Government has demanded Victoria provide all relevant information about the reintroduction of cattle grazing to the Alpine National Park within two weeks.
Federal Minister for the Environment, Tony Burke said his Department would then consider the information before providing advice as to whether the Victorian Government’s actions were illegal under national environmental law.
9 March, 2011
Liquor licensees in
bar room shake-up
Victorian liquor licensees and their staff are to be given assistance in managing aggressive patrons in their venues.
A pilot program, Safer Bars, is aimed at reducing alcohol fuelled violence.
Minister for Consumer Affairs, Michael O’Brien said the Government had made a commitment to ban violent drunks from licensed premises for 12 months, rewarding licensees for good behaviour and introducing a demerit point system for licensees who flout Victoria’s laws.
“Consistent feedback from licensees and the industry has also shown a strong need for industry training on managing aggression in licensed premises,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Aggression in licensed premises is a broader problem than simply ensuring responsible service of alcohol, as often patrons can arrive at the venue intoxicated or staff themselves can contribute to the escalation of aggression issues.”
Responsible Alcohol Victoria has engaged Bar Guardians Pty Ltd to pilot the Safer Bars program to approximately 270 staff of licensed premises in Victoria.
The three-hour program draws on prevention research from around the world, and has the specific focus of reducing risk factors and enhancing staff skills to prevent aggression.
Mr O’Brien said the trial would be completed by the end of March and would be followed by an evaluation providing recommendations in further developing the training program.
9 March, 2011
Agencies tap into
groundwater tests
A new water testing program has started along the Victoria-South Australia border.
The Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and the South Australian Department for Water (DFW) are working with Southern Rural Water to undertake groundwater pumping tests at eight locations in a bid to gain a greater understanding of the region’s primary water source.
Hydrogeologist with DSE, Stuart Horner said that the tests would investigate the extent of interaction between the two groundwater systems in the Victorian-South Australian border region.
“In this area groundwater is present within two main aquifers; a confined sand aquifer (lower) which is overlain by an (upper) limestone aquifer,” Mr Horner said.
“Understanding the extent to which the two aquifers interact is an important step in the long-term management of groundwater resources in this area.”
He said groundwater was the primary reliable water source for town, irrigation, and stock and domestic water supply along the border which was why it was important to undertake this investigation.
“The tests involve pumping water from the confined sand aquifer while monitoring water levels in the upper limestone aquifer to determine if there is a connection between the two,” Mr Horner said.
DFW Resource Allocation Manager - South East, Drew Laslett said the process would result in some groundwater being pumped to the surface.
“The testing program will help us gain an understanding of how the aquifers interrelate to one another, informing planning and management of the resource’s use into the future,” Mr Laslett said.
“The results will also be utilised in the development of three-dimensional models, allowing greater understanding of the geological structure of the region.”
He said drilling started in South Australia in mid-February around the Nangwarry and Moerlong regions and aquifer testing would start in mid-March.
The pumping tests were expected to be completed by mid-April.
9 March, 2011
Vic regions switched
on to digital
Regional Victoria’s conversion to digital television is ahead of schedule with eight out of 10 households making the change by the end of 2010.
The switch will take place on 5 May.
Federal Minister for the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy said that as the third region in Australia to switch, and by far the largest to date with approximately 450,000 households part of the switchover, regional Victoria was on track.
The Digital Tracker Summary Report for October-December 2010 showed that 81 per cent of households in regional Victoria had converted to digital TV during the quarter compared to 45 per cent in early 2009.
“South-West Victoria had the highest rate of conversion in regional Victoria, with 85 per cent of households reporting they were digital ready,” Senator Conroy said.
“Broadcasters have rolled out new digital TV transmitters in several locations across regional Victoria to improve the reliability of local digital TV reception, meaning that more households will be able to receive terrestrial digital TV.”
The reach of free to air digital TV channels is being extended further by the Government-funded VAST satellite service which is broadcasting digital TV into households in remote areas and terrestrial reception black spots.
The number of digital ready households in the Remote Central and Eastern Australia TV licence area, which includes remote areas of South Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, had more than doubled since early 2009.
9 March, 2011
Call for growth in
cancer screening
The Minister for Health, David Davis has called on the Federal Government to take the lead in ensuring that all Victorians over 50 are offered screening for bowel cancer.
He urged the Commonwealth to continue the life saving National Bowel Screening Program beyond 30 June.
The current program is restricted to one-off screening for people aged 50, 55 and 65, despite the National Health and Medical Research Council recommending two-yearly screening for all people older than 50.
“Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer affecting Victorian men and women, and 90 per cent of bowel cancer can be treated successfully if detected in its early stages,” Mr Davis said.
“We are committed to working with the Commonwealth to fast-track the roll-out of the program and, if necessary, will introduce a Victorian plan to increase access to screening with or without Commonwealth assistance.”
He said an effective population screening program for bowel cancer could in time match the success of cervical cancer screening, with Australian women having one of the lowest mortality rates in the world.
The release of an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare technical paper in December last year raised concerns that not all eligible Victorians were being offered the screening and that participation in the program was low.
9 March, 2011
Ned Kelly’s armour
pinged for museum
The State Library of Victoria has loaned Ned Kelly’s armour to the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.
It will be part of an exhibition, Not Just Ned: A True History of the Irish in Australia, which will reunite Ned Kelly’s armour with that of the remaining Kelly gang members - Joe Byrne, Steve Hart and Dan Kelly.
This will be the first time all four suits have been exhibited together outside of Victoria.
Not Just Ned: A true history of the Irish in Australia examines the Irish presence in Australia – from the day in January 1788 when a small number of Irish convicts, marines and officials walked off the transports of the First Fleet, to the continuing arrival in our own time of young Irish backpackers.
Director of Collections and Access at the State Library, Shane Carmody said he was pleased the State Library could make a significant contribution to the exhibition.
“Victoria would not be the State it is today without the influence of the Irish,” Mr Carmody said.
“From Sir Redmond Barry who founded our State Library and the University of Melbourne to Ned Kelly, our most famous outlaw, Victoria’s history is marked by men and women of Irish descent from all walks of life,” he said.
Not Just Ned: A true history of the Irish in Australia opens at the National Museum of Australia on 17 March and runs until 31 July.
9 March, 2011
Drop in disability rate
Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that Victoria had a significant decline in its disability rate in the six years to 2009.
Victoria dropped from 20 per cent to 18.4 percent.
In a further breakdown of the Victorian figures, disability caused by physical conditions dropped from 16.8 per cent to 15.4 per cent, including a significant decrease in disability caused by asthma (dropping from 0.9 per cent to 0.5 per cent).
Note Printer fined
An environmental incident last July has led to the Commonwealth Government-owned note printing plant in Craigieburn being fined nearly $6,000.
The company notified the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) when a contractor on site noticed green liquid trickling through the stormwater system.
EPA officers investigated and confirmed an unknown amount of wiping solution waste had entered the system.
The company has 28 days to pay the fine, have the matter dealt with in court or seek an internal review.
Scholarship program continues
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), in conjunction with SCG Credit Union, is to continue with its tertiary scholarship program.
Under the program, it will award $950 each year to support those members and their families attempting a suitable tertiary course with a demonstrated need.
There are two categories: A scholarship for member’s children where the parent must have been a financial member of CPSU for at least the past two years; the applicant must be 25 years or younger and must be enrolled in a tertiary course approved by CPSU.
The second category is for the members themselves who wish to undertake tertiary study.
They must have been members for at least two years and have the course approved by the CPSU.
Grants for fire victims
Applications for financial assistance are invited from tertiary and TAFE students directly affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires so they can continue their studies.
Funding comes from the latest round of the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund (VBAF) Scholarship Program which will provide further grants of $15,000 per year to eligible students.
Applications close on 30 September.
Review of Portland Health
An independent review of Portland District Health has been commissioned.
The review will consider the overall effectiveness of the systems, procedures and accountability structure currently in place.
The Department of Health is preparing the review’s terms of reference which will be followed by the independent reviewer.
CMA applications invited
Applications are invited for Board positions with Victoria’s 10 Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs).
The Government is seeking “community decision-makers to provide local input and represent our catchments,” in order to maintain the CMA system.
2 March, 2011
Police fill the bill
in New Zealand
One hundred and sixteen members of Victoria Police have made the trip to New Zealand to assist the local Police Force with the Christchurch earthquake.
Led by Superintendent John Todor and Inspectors Nigel Howard, Steve Guilmartin and Mick Talbot, the contingent includes 65 specialists from the Operations Response Unit (ORU), 25 from the Force Response Unit (FRU), 10 from the Transit Safety Division and 16 support staff.
The teams are working alongside NZ police assisting with public order issues, specifically those related to community safety and reassurance.
The deployment is for two weeks, depending on the needs of the NZ Police.
According to Chief Police Commissioner Simon Overland, there was a lot to be done in the disaster zone and the Victorian members were happy to help out in whatever way they can.
“We have all seen the news coverage of the earthquake and it is impossible not to be affected by those images,” Commissioner Overland said.
Superintendent Todor said the visiting police had experience with emergency management and were well-equipped to deal with the situation.
“We are well prepared and equipped to deal with any situation that requires a police response,” Superintendent Todor said.
“The lessons we learnt from Black Saturday and the recent floods throughout Australia will be used to assist us in dealing with this disaster.”
He said Victoria Police had become good at dealing with inter-agency and inter-jurisdictional events and the members in New Zealand would provide the best possible service to the local community.
2 March, 2011
Mum’s the word for
breastmilk bank
Melbourne’s first Breastmilk Bank has been opened at the Mercy Hospital for Women.
Officially commissioned by the Minister for Health, David Davis, the Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank will collect, screen, pasteurise and store donor milk for sick, premature and extremely small babies whose mothers cannot supply sufficient milk themselves.
Mr Davis described the bank as an important initiative which would greatly benefit sick and premature babies and their mothers.
“This is world class work,” Mr Davis said, “and further demonstration of why Mercy Hospital for Women and Mercy Health itself have such a reputation for excellence in supporting the health of women and the most vulnerable of people, very small babies.”
He said the new service would provide an important first start for hundreds of Victorian babies each year by giving them the best possible start to life.
Head of the Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank Unit, Dr Gillian Opie, said mothers of very premature babies would now have access to pasteurised donor milk, containing human specific proteins and oligosaccharides for protection against infectious diseases and to establish immunity.
“Mercy Hospital for Women each year provides care to some 1,200 babies of whom 300 are born very early and small, prior to 32 weeks gestation and less than 1500 grams birth weight,” Dr Opie said.
“For these vulnerable babies we prefer to use mothers’ own breastmilk but should their mother have insufficient milk, pasteurised donor milk makes a very real difference to their prospects in the first days of their lives.”
2 March, 2011
Premier cut up
over GST cuts
A recommendation by the Commonwealth Grants Commission that would lead to deep cuts in Victoria’s GST revenue has been strongly rejected by the Premier, Ted Baillieu.
“The recommendations of this report would see Victoria’s GST funding slashed by $500 million in the 2011/12 financial year and by an estimated $2.5 billion over the forward estimates,” Mr Baillieu said.
“This is an unprecedented cut in GST revenue to Victoria.”
He said that up to this year, the biggest ever cut in GST revenue to Victoria was less than $70 million.
“Today’s cut is around six times that amount.”
The Premier said he would be making the strongest possible representations to the Prime Minister and Federal Treasurer to ensure Victoria received its fair share of GST funding.
He said Victoria had been singled out for the biggest cut in the Grants Commission’s report.
Treasurer Kim Wells confirmed that no other State was due to suffer a reduction the size of Victoria’s in per capita terms with the State set to be worse off by $88 per person per year.
“The CGC recommendation – which still requires the Federal Treasurer’s approval – defies logic or justification,” Mr Wells said.
“We believe that the Commonwealth Grants Commission process lacks transparency.”
He said if the recommendation was adopted, Victoria’s share of GST revenue would fall to 22.5 per cent, well away from its per capita share of 25 per cent.
“Victorians currently subsidise the rest of Australia to the tune of $118 per person, and that figure will now rise to $206,” Mr Wells said.
Mr Baillieu said the cuts were a “massive, unprecedented and unjustified assault on Victoria’s finances.”
He said Victoria would oppose them.
2 March, 2011
Healthy back-up for
workers at risk
Worksafe Victoria has announced a new health coaching service for workers at risk of chronic disease.
From now on, workers found to be at risk of type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease during their WorkHealth check will be encouraged to join in a free lifestyle program to improve their health.
Medibank Health Solutions has been appointed to deliver the WorkHealth Coach program which WorkHealth Director, Pam Anders said could involve up to 66 per cent of the workers who undergo the checks.
“300,000 Victorians have already had a WorkHealth check,” Ms Anders said. “The checks are providing a valuable wake-up call for many of these people who go into their check thinking they’re in good health.”
She said many workers come out of their WorkHealth check intending to improve their lifestyles and the new WorkHealth Coach program meant they didn’t have to do it alone.
“All they need to do is agree to participate and a qualified health coach will contact them to kick things off,” Ms Anders said.
She said WorkHealth Coach would offer participants telephone support and ongoing health coaching for up to six months.
She said participants would be given phone-based coaching, face-to-face groups or email support, depending on their level of risk.
According to Ms Anders, WorkHealth Coach is the first statewide program in Australia to assist workers at risk of cardiovascular disease (which includes stroke and heart disease) to improve their lifestyles and long-term health.
Group General Manager at Medibank Health Solutions, Andrew Wilson, said the trained health coaches behind the WorkHealth Coach program would deliver far-reaching benefits to individuals, workers and the economy.
“WorkHealth checks are already doing a great job of improving the health awareness of Victorian workers,” Mr Wilson said, “and we’re excited to deliver a program that will help these people take the next step and develop sustainable healthy habits.”
More information is available from this PS News link.
2 March, 2011
Teacher exchange a
first class program
A cultural exchange program with a number of countries in Asia will see up to 200 Victorian teachers undertake study programs overseas.
Minister responsible for the Teaching Profession, Peter Hall said the program would allow the teachers who took part gain first-hand experience of some of the world’s most effective teaching methods.
Announcing a $480,000 injection of funds for the program, Mr Hall said the arrangement with the Asia Education Foundation (AEF) would enable Victorian teachers to gain a better understanding of education systems in other cultures.
“Under the program, 200 subsidised places are available for educators to participate in short-term overseas study programs in China, India, Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam,” Mr Hall said.
“To help our students succeed in an increasingly competitive and global society, it is vital for educators to teach confidently about other countries and cultures.”
Mr Hall also farewelled a group of 30 principals and teachers from 10 schools in the Eastern Metropolitan Region who have embarked on a 12-day study tour of China’s Jiangsu Province.
“This is an excellent opportunity for teachers to gain valuable cultural insights as well as promote the Victorian education system,” Mr Hall said.
“Trips such as this will ensure teachers are equipped with the skills to sharpen students’ understanding of the world and prepare them to become active global citizens.”
He said the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese Ministry of Education and Jiangsu Province for co-operation in a number of areas.
More than 3,500 Chinese students had enrolled in Victorian government and non-government schools last year.
Mr Hall said the 10 schools represented on the tour of China were Ashwood Secondary College; Balwyn North Primary; Camberwell Primary; Camberwell High; Canterbury Primary; Donburn Primary; Doncaster Gardens Primary; East Doncaster Secondary College; Mount View Primary; and Serpell Primary.
2 March, 2011
Disabled enabled by
NDIS taskforce
An expert taskforce has been established to advise the Government on setting up a new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to provide lifetime support for people with a disability.
Announced by the Premier, Ted Baillieu, the no-fault universal scheme would be similar to those operated by the Transport Accident Commission and WorkSafe and apply to people with permanent or severe disabilities.
Mr Baillieu said the Government wanted to see people living with disabilities, their families and carers, receive the effective support and care they needed.
“This especially applies to Victorians either born with a disability or acquired other than in a workplace or car accident, and who currently have no automatic access to guaranteed support and care,” Mr Baillieu said.
He said the NDIS Taskforce would be chaired by former Chief Executive of Yooralla, Bryan Woodford and would be made up of community leaders with a passion for reform, including people living with disabilities, carers, representatives of the disability sector and experts in finance, insurance, policy and government.
He said it would inform the Government’s consideration of an NDIS, including:
- responding to the Productivity Commission’s recent reports;
- assessing the NDIS’s impact on people with a disability and their families, the community and the economy; and
- evaluating options for implementing it.
Minister for Community Services, Mary Wooldridge said the Government had already arranged for the NDIS to be on the agenda of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).
“We have ensured that Federal, State and Territory Community Services Ministers will meet in April specifically to discuss NDIS,” Ms Wooldridge said.
She said that as well as Chair Bryan Woodford, membership of the taskforce would include Richard Dent from the National Disability Services (Victoria); psychologist and former regional director of Community Services Victoria, Dr Chris Fyffe; Lesley Hall from the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations; Robert Kerr from the Brotherhood of St Laurence and also a former Commissioner of the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission; Australian of the Year, Simon McKeon; former Chair of the Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission, Fiona Smith; medical practitioner Dr Jane Tracy; and former State MP Ron Wilson.
2 March, 2011
PS scholarship is
won for the money
Trish Burrows from the Regional Rail Link Authority has been awarded a Public Sector Scholarship from Chartered Secretaries Australia (CSA).
Offered for the first time this year, the scholarships were made available to talented PS staff making a difference in public sector Agencies and Departments across Australia.
CSA Chief Executive Tim Sheehy said the scholarship winners were chosen from a number of entries received from applicants in the PS.
“They were judged to have the best grasp of the importance of good governance and risk management practices in the sector, from their submitted essay and reasoned case for being awarded with the Scholarship,” Mr Sheehy said.
He said CSA was extremely pleased to receive a number of outstanding applications from a diverse range of Departments and Government agencies, including Health, Indigenous Affairs, Education and Training, Police and Infrastructure.
Mr Sheehy said the national scholarship award, valued at $12,000, incorporated studying CSA’s higher education accredited Graduate Diploma of Applied Governance, which included public sector specific subjects in Applied Administrative Law and Public Sector Accountability and Transparency.
“CSA recognises the growing importance and promotion of good governance and risk management within the public sector and has developed sector tailored offerings over the past few years,” he said.
“As leaders in governance, we see the public sector scholarship as an integral part of our ongoing strategy to provide tailored education, training and professional development to those with governance and risk management responsibilities in the public sector.”
Ms Sheehy said as CSA was offering two scholarships per State per year, it was looking forward to opening the invitation for entries for Semester 2, 2011 very soon.
2 March, 2011
Wild dogs put
bite on farmers
A report into the cost of wild dog attacks on farm animals has been released by the Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Peter Walsh.
Mr Walsh said the report estimated the cost to be $18 million a year.
He said the costs were calculated on the basis of last year’s livestock prices and confirmed that more needed to be done to control packs of wild dogs in Victoria’s high country.
“Landholders in the high country are suffering huge losses with some so devastated by wild dog attacks that they have given up farming altogether,” Mr Walsh said.
“The report estimates that wild dogs have reduced productivity in Gippsland by more than $6 million, the north-east by almost $5 million and the Goulburn region by about $2 million.”
He said the Government would implement a promised aerial baiting program as part of a range of measures to control the dogs.
“Aerial baiting is already used successfully in other parts of the country, including New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.”
He said aerial baiting would be introduced alongside a number of other new measures which included reinvigorating wild dog management committees; maintaining the 24 doggers already employed by the Government; lobbying the Federal Government to create a national threat abatement plan for wild dogs; and establishing a fox and wild dog bounty scheme to pay licensed shooters $50 for every wild dog killed.
Mr Walsh said the full report was available on the Department of Primary Industries website this PS News link.
2 March, 2011
Multicultural winner
in anyone’s language
The Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship has welcomed the results of a national survey that showed 90 per cent of respondents in Victoria agreed that Australia’s multicultural composition was a good thing.
The Minister, Nicholas Kotsiras, said the Challenging Racism Project, funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant, revealed that Victoria was leading other States in accepting and being at ease with cultural diversity.
“However we cannot be complacent,” Mr Kotsiras said.
“More work needs to be done.”
He said nearly 85 per cent of respondents around Australia believed there was racial prejudice in the community and that demonstrated a need to remain vigilant in combating racism in its many forms.
“Australia is one of the most religiously, culturally and linguistically diverse nations in the world,” Mr Kotsiras said.
“Australians are open-minded, welcoming and supportive of our cultural diversity.”
He said while many agreed that Australia’s cultural and religious diversity was one of its greatest strengths, some saw it as divisive and dangerous.
“Racism does not occur because Australia has embraced multiculturalism,” he said.
“Racism is nurtured in nations where governments attempt to suffocate cultural and religious diversity.”
Mr Kotsiras said Australian citizenship was the basis on which to build a strong and unified society, where individuals could learn from one another and help forge a more inclusive and harmonious society together.
He said strong and balanced multicultural policies laid the foundation to combat racism and separatism.
“A strong multicultural policy, which is understood and accepted, can be a tool to diminish racism and separatism,” he said.
“It can create the roadmap on how we can build on the strengths of having a diverse society, but it needs bipartisan support at all levels of government to succeed.
“At the end of the day, it’s the difference that makes the difference,” Mr Kotsiras said.
2 March, 2011
Heritage certificate
is top of the list
The Australian-first qualification in Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management being offered by LaTrobe University has welcomed its first 20 students.
The 20, all Aboriginal Victorians, are creating history by undertaking the Certificate IV course which is based on the success of a 2009 pilot program.
The students were congratulated by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Jeanette Powell, who described their training program as unique.
“These 20 students are the first of four groups undertaking a four-year training program which supports Aboriginal Victorians taking a lead role in Aboriginal cultural heritage,” Mrs Powell said.
“This education pathway program will ensure Aboriginal Victorians have the technical skills, knowledge and confidence they need to take control of their cultural heritage for future generations.”
She said the $2 million funding would build the capacity of the Victorian Aboriginal community to make decisions about preserving and protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage in Victoria.
She said the Certificate IV was designed and delivered in an innovative partnership between Aboriginal Affairs Victoria and LaTrobe University.
“Learning from academics, industry professionals and traditional owners provides an innovative blend of formal, industry and traditional learning that gives students both technical expertise and practical hands-on experience,” Mrs Powell said.
She said the course provided the skills and qualifications that would enable graduates to
represent their community through a Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP) and identify, manage and protect Aboriginal cultural heritage as well as work with Cultural Heritage Advisers and land developers.
She said students planning to undertake the course needed to complete an introductory workshop course and so far around 100 Aboriginal Victorians had done so.
“For most students, the course gives them the opportunity to build technical skills and hands-on experience to complement their existing knowledge,” Mrs Powell said.
“This investment will have long-standing positive cultural, social and economic benefits for Victoria’s Aboriginal community and will help us all have a greater appreciation of Victoria’s rich Aboriginal cultural heritage,” she said.
2 March, 2011
Volunteer charter
pays off in fires
A new Volunteer Charter for the Country Fire Authority has been signed with the State Government.
Premier, Ted Baillieu and Minister for Emergency Services, Peter Ryan signed the Charter along with the Chairman of the CFA, Kerry Murphy and President of Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV), Hans Van Hamond.
All the signatories said it formally recognised the important role volunteers played in keeping the State safe.
“The Charter acknowledges that volunteers remain the core strength of the CFA,” Mr Baillieu said.
“Signatories to the Charter are committed to ensuring volunteers are fully and fairly consulted on issues that affect them.”
He said the Government would enshrine the Charter in legislation to give “real weight” to the commitments that had been entered between the State, the CFA and VFBV.
Mr Ryan said the Charter would guarantee better working conditions for CFA volunteers.
Under the Charter’s terms, the State Government and the CFA were committed to consulting with volunteers on all matters that may affect them.
It requires the CFA and its employees to:
- nurture and encourage volunteers and help them develop skills and competencies; and
- acknowledge their contribution and needs when developing policy.
Following the signing ceremony at the Upper Ferntree Gully CFA Station, Mr Baillieu and Mr Ryan presented the Brigade with four new vehicles including a pumper tanker that could hold 2,700 litres of water and a heavy tanker with a 3,750 litre tank.
Mr Ryan said that during the Black Saturday bushfires, the Upper Ferntree Gully Brigade was involved in fighting fires on two fronts, including Nixon Road, where one of the brigade’s tankers was destroyed.
He said since 1 July 2010, the Upper Ferntree Gully Brigade had responded to 58 fires and incidents.
“Every day volunteer firefighters take enormous risks to protect Victorian communities,” Mr Ryan said.
“Today’s event is our chance to say thanks and ensure the interests and needs of volunteers are protected in the future.”
2 March, 2011
Lawyers put case for
radio appearances
Three one-hour radio programs have been produced by the ABC featuring the work of the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions and a Senior Crown Prosecutor in an effort to help educate the community about the criminal prosecution process.
Solicitor for the OPP, Craig Hyland said the Radio National Law Report documentary would go to help the community better understand the complexities and considerations involved in a criminal trial.
Mr Hyland said the programs also provided an insight into the thoughts and feelings of the victim’s family throughout the prosecution of the case, including their frustrations and gratitude.
Law Report presenter Damien Carrick interviewed Senior Crown Prosecutor Michele Williams SC, solicitors Kim Voulanas and Rose Falla, and victim specialist Anne O’Brien from the OPP’s Witness Assistance Service for the program which focused on the prosecution of motorist Leon Borthwick.
Mr Borthwick was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for driving a van on the wrong side of the road and hitting Mark Zimmer, who died of head injuries on 16 November 2008.
In December 2010, Mr Borthwick was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison.
Mr Hyland said the radio documentary followed the criminal justice system from the perspective of the victim’s family, starting from just after Mr Borthwick’s bail application through to his sentencing.
“It also shows the OPP’s and the Crown Prosecutor’s involvement and our efforts to assist the family in navigating their way through the prosecution process,” Mr Hyland said.
“I trust that by participating in this documentary, people will better understand our role in the criminal justice system.”
Podcasts of the three episodes can be accessed at this PS News link.
2 March, 2011
Councillors rated
in awards scheme
Nominations are now open for the 2011 National Awards for Local Government.
Federal Minister for Local Government, Simon Crean said there were 10 award categories including awards for regional Australia, women in local Government, innovative infrastructure and youth engagement.
He said the awards were an opportunity to highlight the important work of Local Governments contributing to the community.
“The Australian Government recognises the critical role Local Governments play in making our communities more productive, livable and sustainable,” Mr Crean said.
“I encourage all elected Councils to examine the award categories and submit entries that showcase their local initiatives.”
Mr Crean said the award categories were: Leading Community Climate Change Action, Youth Engagement, Promoting Reconciliation, Engaging and Strengthening Indigenous Communities, Excellence in Alcohol Management, Inspired Cities, Asset and Financial Management, Innovative Infrastructure Development, Regional Collaborations, and Women in Local Government.
He said he was looking forward to hearing about the creative solutions to local and national challenges that were being found at the local level.
Mr Crean said the awards were now in their 26th year.
He said award entries would close on 23 March and national winners would be judged by an independent panel and announced in June 2011.
Mr Crean said for more information, contact the Commonwealth Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government on free call 1800 065 113, or visit this PS News link.
2 March, 2011
Crime Stoppers
stopping crime
Figures released by Victoria Police show a drop of 6.9 per cent in the rate of recorded crime across the State in the 12 months to January.
According to the police, the fall translated to 19,395 offences not being committed.
They said the overall recorded crime rate had now fallen 32.4 per cent since 2000/01 when measured as a rate per 100,000 of the population.
“The latest statistics show that across Victoria, recorded property crime has continued to decline, with property damage dropping by 10.9 per cent (5,048 offences ), theft of motor vehicles down 8.8 per cent (1,081 offences), theft from motor vehicles down 4.9 per cent (1,455 offences) and residential burglary down by 4.8 per cent (852 offences),” the police report said.
“Robberies have also reduced by 4.6 per cent (93 offences).
“However there has been an increase in aggravated burglaries, where people break into properties when residents are at home, of 7.5 per cent (153 offences).”
It said action was being taken to address that trend.
The police also reported an increase in assaults of 0.8 per cent (904 offences) which became a drop of 2.7 per cent when family violence was excluded.
“The number of family violence incidents recorded continued to rise, up 8.1 per cent (2,796 offences),” it said.
It found that significant reductions in crime were reported in Horsham (down 22.9 per cent), Benalla (down 20.4 per cent), Boroondara (down 16.4 per cent), Maribyrnong (down 14.8 per cent) and Port Phillip (down 13.2 per cent).
Deputy Police Commissioner Sir Ken Jones said the report showed local police were delivering good results in their communities.
“We’re hitting hard with enforcement in problem areas,” Sir Ken said.
“We’ve been maintaining a visible police presence through our Safe Streets Taskforce, the Operations Response Unit, and Operations Guardian and Unite – where we work with police across Australia to target antisocial behaviour.”
He said the police would continue to run a number of targeted blitz operations, focusing on crime such as street robberies and knife crime.
More information is available from this PS News link.
2 March, 2011
Docklands land
lands land plan
Expressions of Interest in developing the last remaining parcel of land in Melbourne Docklands are soon to be called by the Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy.
Mr Guy said the two hectare site in Collins Street also has a Flinders Street frontage and air rights above Wurundjeri Way.
He said the ability to provide such an opportunity for a mixed-use development so close to the CBD was one of Melbourne’s competitive advantages over other capital cities.
According to Mr Guy, selling the last parcel of uncontracted land in Docklands was indicative of the Government’s vision for urban renewal which included redevelopment opportunities in parts of Fishermans Bend and Port Melbourne.
“Melbourne Docklands has played a crucial role in the economic resilience of this city and Victoria more generally,” Mr Guy said.
“With a growing community of around 6,500 residents and 22,000 workers, the Docklands precinct is transforming into a major commercial hub.”
He said the site for sale was adjacent to Southern Cross Station and neighbouring the Media House building. He said it would see the gap closed along Collins Street and become a gateway development linking the CBD to Docklands.
He said the Registrations of Interest (ROI) process would be advertised internationally as well as throughout Australia with the successful bidder expected to be announced early next year.
Acting Chief Executive of VicUrban, Sam Sangster joined Mr Guy to launch the ROI process saying that as the master developer of Docklands, VicUrban understood the strategic importance the development held for Melbourne.
“At present around $1.57 billion worth of commercial and residential development, totalling more than 260,000 square metres of Gross Floor Area, including more than 1,140 dwellings, is under construction in Docklands,” Mr Sangster said.
“This continued development will help see Melbourne Docklands become a world class waterfront destination.”
Mr Guy said Registrations of Interest would be accepted until 22 March 2011 and only those registered by that date would be eligible to submit an expression of interest in developing the land.
2 March, 2011
Planned burns
to flare up
The Department of Sustainability and Environment has announced a program of planned burns across the State in anticipation of dry weather.
State Duty Officer with DSE, Caroline Douglass said she expected conditions to be conducive for burning if the weather created a ‘drying cycle’ which would see parts of the State drying out and thereby allowing the burns to go ahead.
“This may be the best window of opportunity we have had for burning since last spring,” Ms Douglass said.
She said opportunities were expected to arise in East Gippsland, greater Melbourne, south west Victoria, West Gippsland and the Wimmera.
“Elevated areas in particular are drying out, and we will take the opportunity to conduct burns wherever the conditions are suitable.”
She said firefighting crews would be moved around the state to ensure burning was maximised while conditions were suitable.
Three taskforces of fire fighters from the north east, where it is too wet for burning, had been deployed to East Gippsland and Colac and others were sent to Orbost and Swifts Creek.
In addition to planned burns in regional parts of Victoria, Ms Douglass said there could be burning close to Melbourne.
“We are planning to conduct grassland burns in Melbourne’s outer western suburbs,” she said.
She advised road users to take extra care due to low visibility from smoke.
Information on fires and planned burns was available from the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on freecall 1800 240 667 or from this PS News link.
Information about fire restrictions, fire bans and fires on private land was available from this PS News link.
2 March, 2011
Institute breakfast
The Institute of Public Administration Australia, (Victoria) is to host a breakfast with the Attorney general, Robert Clark.
The breakfast will be held on 25 March and Mr Clark will speak on the establishment of Victoria’s new independent Courts Executive Service.
More information from this PS News link.
Jobs book out
Dr Ann Villiers has published the fifth edition of her book How to Write and Talk to Selection Criteria.
Written specifically with the public sector in mind the, book is available online from this PS News link or at most bookstores.
Nominations open
Nominations are now open for the Ricci Marks Aboriginal Young Achiever award for 2011.
The award recognises individual achievements and aspirations and is provided by the Government to acknowledge the challenges many young Indigenous people must overcome to realise their true potential.
More information and nomination forms are available at this PS News link.
Information day
The Department of Sustainability and Environment is to hold an information day on the history and ecology of Westernport at Grantville this Saturday, 5 March.
Coasts and Biodiversity Project Officer from DSE, Leanne Khan, said that the day was to inform residents about foreshore management at Grantville.
Anyone wishing to attend is asked to RSVP to Ms Khan for catering purposes by Friday on (03) 5662 9900 or email leanne.khan@dse.vic.gov.au
New plaza
A new public plaza and street is to be built in Dandenong to link the railway station with the city centre.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy said the project would deliver a safer, better-lit and pedestrian-friendly connection that encourages people to use public transport and walk to Dandenong’s main retail and commercial office area
Construction updates are available at this PS News link.
Recovery service opens
A new 10-bed short-stay residential prevention and recovery service for people with a mental illness has been opened in Monash.
The $3.3 million Monash Prevention and Recovery Care (PARC) service is to be run by Southern Health and Eastern Regions Mental Health Association.
The Monash PARC offers 24-hour, seven-days-a-week supervised care for a maximum stay of four weeks.
Handguns for 600
More than 600 police across the State have been issued with semi-automatic pistols as part of Victoria Police’s firearms rollout.
Up to 800 members are to be trained each month at 22 different venues across the state.
The roll-out of the semi-automatic pistols is due to be complete by mid 2012.
Privacy night
A free community information evening on privacy rights is to be held on Wednesday 23 March in Preston.
Part of Cultural Diversity Week, the evening will be addressed by Victoria’s Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner, Helen Szoke and feature rap and dance performances by the Anti Racism Action Band (A.R.A.B).
More information is available at this PS News link.
Building booms
Victoria’s building industry has posted the highest January building permit activity on record.
The value of building permits issued in January 2011 was $1.5 billion, 10 per cent higher than for the same month in 2010.
Building Commissioner Tony Arnel said growth in January 2011 included Commercial (up 40 per cent), Retail (up 65 per cent) and Industrial (up 9 per cent) categories when compared with January 2010.
Planning scheme amended
The Latrobe Planning Scheme has been amended to create a potential 3,500 building blocks which will address a critical shortage of residential land in the Latrobe Valley.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy has approved key residential rezoning for Churchill, Moe/Newborough, Morwell and Traralgon.
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