SearchArchives for July 2009
30 July, 2009PS Bill in line
for wait gain
The Department of the Premier and Cabinet has advised that the new Public Sector Bill is unlikely to replace the existing law for at least another six months.On its website, DPC says the delay will allow PS management time to develop the necessary new policies and procedures it needs, formulate information and training sessions to explain the new arrangements and embark on a program of consultation in preparation for new Regulations.
“The Act will provide a modern and streamlined employment framework in support of a high performance public sector,” the Department says.
“As South Australia’s Strategic Plan and the Economic Development Board have emphasised, we need a high performance public sector to capitalise on the State’s prospects for strong economic recovery and sustained growth, as well as improving community wellbeing and environmental sustainability.”
The Department says the new Act will:
- Promote the value and use of flexible leave and working arrangements;
- Simplify movement of employees across the public sector;
- Require Departments and Agencies to adopt performance management and development systems;
- Enshrine the South Australian Executive Service in legislation; and
- Enhance protections for employees.
It says that under the new Act, Departments, Agencies and employees across the whole public sector – “not only the Public Service” - will be governed by a comprehensive set of principles with greater emphasis on 'one Government'.
“The Government's 'no forced redundancy' policy has not been affected by the passage of the Act.”
DPC says its PS Bill website will be updated in the weeks ahead to keep timeframes current and to report on progress.
It said more information was available from the Public Sector Performance Commission on 8204 9981 or by email to psbill@dpc.sa.gov.au
The Bill website could be visited at www.premcab.sa.gov.au/psbill
30 July, 2009
Performance review
is hard act to follow
The Department of Education and Children’s Services has announced it is reviewing its procedures for dealing with underperforming employees.According to the Chief Executive of DECS, Chris Robinson, the review will lead to the Department updating its procedures to ensure they are relevant in today’s changing work environment.
Mr Robinson said the Department would be speaking to Principals and preschools as part of the review.
“We will also be seeking feedback about how they want to be supported so they can get on with their jobs of managing the delivery of quality education and care in their schools and preschools,” Mr Robinson said.
He said previous changes to procedures had helped to manage underperformance more effectively.
“A case management model, adopted during 2007, has provided greater support for line managers and significantly shortened the management process of underperformance at the school level. Documentation has also been simplified,” he said.
“Additional improved coordination of specialist support services has helped to provide a more streamlined response.”
Mr Robinson said the Department had also appointed a Specialist Performance Management Officer to provide more support to schools and regional offices and the Department had provided performance and underperformance management training to 600 Education Department staff.
30 July, 2009
PSA shares thoughts
on shared services
The Public Service Association has criticised the Government’s shared services strategy saying it has achieved less than a quarter of the savings it was set up to produce.Chief Industrial Officer with the Association, Peter Christopher, said the strategy had proven to be more about reducing spending than improving services.
He said the strategy had saved only 20 per cent of what the Government had predicted and the centralisation of payroll and accounting facilities were disadvantaging businesses and residents of regional areas.
"Unfortunately the sort of changes that are necessary in South Australia are unlikely to occur unless the Government acknowledges it needs to put in the resources," Mr Christopher said.
He said the Government’s stated expectation that shared services would improve service delivery had proven not be the case.
He said the PSA had anticipated the negative impact and had warned against it before the new arrangement was put in place.
"What we're actually seeing is a significant number of people have had their lives disrupted,” Mr Christopher said.
"We're also seeing many in the business community who are now receiving their accounts paid late and the other things that were predicted by the research would occur.”
30 July, 2009
Joint seminar is
talk of the town
The inaugural seminar in a series hosted jointly by the Public Sector Performance Commission and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government has been held under the ’Challenging the Public Sector’ banner.About 400 people attended the seminar which was addressed by the Chief Executive of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Chris Eccles and Chair of the PSPC, Professor Jennifer Westacott.
Professor Westacott said in difficult times such as these, the public was looking to governments for solutions, and to ensure a bright future for South Australians the State needed to have the best government, not the biggest.
“If we think of the urgent issues of today and the future, I ask: has there ever been a time when government was more important?” Professor Westacott said.
She outlined the work of the PSPC and said that South Australia needed a high performing public sector.
She said prosperity comes when government and business work together.
“The PSPC’s purpose is to provide to Government Agencies the tools and building blocks they need to be high performing, and to be the very best they can be.”
Professor Westacott said forward looking leaders and a public sector culture that valued and rewarded high performance.
She identified four key PSPC projects needed to embed higher performance across the public sector:
- Strengthening the South Australian Executive Service;
- Developing a high performance framework for use by Agencies across the public sector;
- Developing collaboration through the PSPC action teams; and
- Reforming workforce planning and development in the public sector.
“We will be challenged by the convergence of trends such as the age profile of our public sector, population ageing across the community that leads to greater demand for public services, and the higher demand for labour expected from major projects,” she said.
Professor Westacott said at that time, the public sector would need to become more flexible, adopt new practices, and drive greater efficiency.
30 July, 2009
Work-life study finds
study is suffering
The University of South Australia’s third national Australian Work and Life Index report has found that many workers are too busy to take on any further education or training.Report co-author, Professor Barbara Pocock, said professional development was suffering as a result.
“Time constraints are a major barrier and many employees just can’t fit additional commitments to education and training into their lives already characterised by frequent work-life strains,” Professor Pocock said.
She said 67.8 per cent of employees who were not currently studying and did not anticipate doing so in the future named time constraints as their biggest barrier, while 54.9 per cent identified family and life commitments as the reason for not studying.
Professor Pocock said it was particularly important for women to improve their skills if they were to remain competitive in the work place.
“Women are more likely to identify time constraints as a barrier (72.7 per cent of women, compared to 63.6 per cent of men), and are less confident of employer support (57.5 per cent of women expect employers support, compared to 65.5 per cent of men),” she said.
Professor Pocock said there was a strong indication that women living in rural and regional areas were feeling an extra burden
“Women at all stages of their lives are feeling pressured, but in rural and regional Australia they appear to be more strained than men in the country,” she said.
She said employers should develop realistic strategies to enable workers to manage all aspects of their life.
“Options such as paid study leave or integrating education and training into paid work time need to be given serious consideration by employers who wish to encourage and support the education and training of their employees,” she said.
“Success in meeting work-life barriers to education and training is an important policy aspiration,” Professor Pocock said.
30 July, 2009
Home complaints
hit the roof
The Office of Consumer and Business Affairs has reported a 25 per cent surge in complaints about home renovation jobs so far this year compared to the same period in 2008.Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gail Gago, said the increase could reflect the cost-cutting measures of the public during the economic downturn.
“Cutting costs creates a false sense of economy because often homeowners will land themselves even bigger bills fixing inadequate work or having no recourse against an unregistered tradesperson,” Ms Gago said.
She said the excitement of renovation projects could be overshadowed if something went wrong, particularly if consumers were caught without indemnity insurance.
“OCBA has received 87 complaints about home renovations so far this year, compared with 65 complaints received over the same period last year,” she said.
Ms Gago said the majority of complaints had been relatively minor; however, there were several instances that involved thousands of dollars but no indemnity insurance for the consumer to claim against.
“Some consumers are pressing ahead with large-scale home renovation projects without first checking that the builder has taken out indemnity insurance. This insurance can be the only life-line for consumers if the builder goes broke, dies or does a runner during construction or the five year warranty period,” she said.
Ms Gago said before beginning a renovation, consumers should seek three quotes from registered builders as well as a written quote from the chosen builder.
She said consumers should also ensure they receive a copy of their builders’ indemnity insurance policy and be reminded that current legislation only allowed for progress payments for building work.
Ms Gago said any concerns about renovation projects could be directed to the OCBA on 8204 9777, or 131 882 for country callers. To find a licensed builder visit the Licensing Public Register at www.ocba.sa.gov.au
30 July, 2009
Children lap up
DEH dog book
The Department for Environment and Heritage’s Dog and Cat Management Board has published a new activity book for children covering safety behaviour around dogs and how to care for one.Entitled Kids and Dogs, the booklet was launched by the Board’s Ben Luxton who said it was filled with puzzles and games to help children learn the responsibilities that come with owning a dog.
“The booklet has been developed by the Dog and Cat Management Board in conjunction with a working group of teachers and is an engaging, activity-based resource for children aged 6 -12 years,” Mr Luxton said.
He said the booklet, an extension to the Board’s “We are Family” program, included numerous tips on how to properly socialise, train, and exercise a dog,
“A family dog is a wonderful companion to grow up with but it is important that children know how to behave around their pet to reduce dog bite incidents,” he said.
Mr Luxton said the booklet would be used as an education resource and was available from the Dog and Cat Management Board as well as local Councils.
He said copies could be obtained from the Board on 8124 4962 or by email at dcmb@saugov.sa.gov.au
30 July, 2009
Squabbling Council
rates investigation
The Minister for State/Local Government Relations has launched an investigation into the City of Burnside saying the Council had failed to satisfy serious concerns relating to its ability to meet its obligations.The investigation is the first of its type for a South Australian Council in 19 years.
The Minister, Gail Gago, has used her powers under the Local Government Act 1999 to call for the probe and has appointed former State Auditor-General, Ken MacPherson to act as independent investigator.
She said petty squabbles and factional disputes had marred the City of Burnside Council for too long
“Allegations have mounted considerably in recent months – including claims of bullying and harassment, undue influence, defamation and leaked confidential information that raise serious concerns and I need to be assured that the Council is not failing in its responsibility to the ratepayers of Burnside,” Ms Gago said.
She said the Terms of Reference for the investigation would address potential breaches of law and/or failure to meet obligations.
“The investigator’s wide ranging powers mean he will be able to demand paperwork and records from any person as well as answers from Council members and employees or they can face a fine of up to $10,000.”
“I have also insisted that members of the public will be able to have input into the investigation,” she said.
Ms Gago said Mr MacPherson was a capable investigator who would cut through any smoke screens to weed out relevant information
`“Mr MacPherson will be provided with the relevant support necessary including legal representatives, staff, office space and relevant infrastructure to allow for the recording of evidence under oath,” she said.
President of the Local Government Association, Felicity-ann Lewis said it was unusual for one government to investigate another but the Association trusted the matter would be handled with diligence.
"Mr MacPherson is a highly skilled person and I am sure that the Council will work openly to assist him reach his conclusions," Ms Lewis said.
She said the LGA would continue to provide support and advice to the Burnside Council which was one of its members.
Ms Gago said she would await the outcome of the investigation, due by the end of October, before commenting further.
30 July, 2009
Homelessness pact
finds a home
South Australia has entered a partnership agreement with the Commonwealth that will see an additional $82 million provided to the State to fight homelessness.Minister for Housing, Jennifer Rankine and her Federal counterpart, Tanya Plibersek said the initiative included three purpose built facilities for people aged between 12 and 15, 10 short term houses for domestic violence perpetrators, and funding for a Homelessness Legal and Financial Clinic.
Ms Rankine said South Australia had a good record of reducing homelessness.
“We want to build on this good work, and now through further collaboration with the Federal Government we can continue to reform and improve homelessness and mainstream services for South Australians,” Ms Rankine said.
Ms Plibersek said the Federal Government would work closely with the SA Government to introduce the initiatives.
“We want to be able to reach out to people at risk of becoming homeless,” Ms Plibersek said.
“If we get in early with intensive support we can help break the cycle,” she said.
The Ministers said other measures aimed at reducing homelessness also included 248 new social housing dwellings across the State, as well as 50,000 affordable rental properties across the country.
30 July, 2009
Sheep reports to be
rammed through
Primary Industries and Resources SA is to join with major sheep processors and livestock agents to improve industry compliance with reporting requirements.Recent audits have uncovered an unacceptable number of incomplete or inaccurate declarations from sheep vendors, vital to the State’s nation’s sheep and goat traceability system.
According to PIRSA, in the absence of individual electronic identification for sheep, National Vendor Declarations provide a crucial link back to an animal’s last property of residence.
Chief Veterinary Officer in South Australia, Dr Rob Rahaley, said PIRSA would increase its auditing of NVDs in order to promote greater produce awareness.
“From 10 August, PIRSA inspectors will be spot-auditing the NVDs delivered with every consignment at major South Australian selling centres and export abattoirs,” Dr Rahaley said.
Livestock Manager with the Tatiara Meat Company, Dale Cameron, said he was concerned with the accuracy of the NVDs when purchasing sheep and lambs, with the main problem arising from question three on the NVD.
“If producers have not bred the sheep they are selling they must answer ‘no’ to question 3 and list the Property Identification Codes printed on the ear tags of the introduced sheep.”
“Alternatively producers can apply pink transaction tags on all of the animals in the consignment,” Mr Cameron said.
President of the Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association, Gary Tapscott, has pushed for producers to take the NVD seriously.
“The NVD is vital to the welfare of Australia’s sheep industry and the information on the NVD is demanded by consumers of Australian sheep meat products,” Mr Tapscott said
Dr Rahaley said producers who produce an incomplete or inaccurate NVD would receive a warning letter or expiation from PIRSA.
“Failing to accurately answer question 3 on the NVD in particular can result in regulatory action being taken against that producer in addition to the possibility of significant commercial discounts or sheep being withdrawn from sale altogether,” Dr Rahaley said.
He said if producers were unsure of how to complete their NVD, they should contact the PIRSA’s NLIS helpline on 1800 654 688.
30 July, 2009
Tourism campaign
hits new heights
The South Australian Tourism Commission’s latest tourism campaign has been hailed a success and credited with additional holiday sales worth $28.5 million and an extra 235,000 room nights being booked.Minister for Tourism, Jane Lomax-Smith, said the Isn’t It About Time campaign, with a total value of $7.5 million, was launched in the Eastern States in February.
“The success of the campaign is a reflection of South Australia’s wonderful tourism product and a determined effort by the South Australian Tourism Commission to target the 20 per cent of Australian holidaymakers who account for 71 per cent of holiday expenditure,” Dr Lomax-Smith said.
She said the national accommodation figures for May 2009 ranked Adelaide in the top three for occupancy rates at 77 per cent.
Dr Lomax-Smith said increasing flights to Adelaide and developing the appeal of South Australia as a world-class destination were the primary aims of the State’s tourism Plan 2009-2014
“We’re well on the way in both of these areas,” she said.
“ With regard to air traffic, we’ve experienced domestic growth through Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin and Tiger, which has set up its second Australian base in Adelaide.”
She said international growth had also occurred through flights with Singapore Airlines and Air new Zealand.
“The effort to develop a more appealing SA of tomorrow is also yielding great results including the $55 million Port Lincoln Hotel development; the internationally acclaimed $16 million Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island (named one of the best hotels in the world by Conde Nast); the landmark Barossa food and wine tourism property The Louise/Appellation; the $155 million Crown Plaza hotel under construction in Hindmarsh Square; as well as major accommodation developments by the Aurora group, Intercontinental Hotels Group and Anthology,” Dr Lomax-Smith said.
30 July, 2009
Youngsters to work
for workplace safety
SafeWork SA has launched a video competition for secondary school students to show off their film-making talents while highlighting the need to keep people safe at work. Presiding Officer for the SafeWork SA Advisory Committee, Tom Phillips, said the contestants were being asked to produce a one-minute video clip about workplace harm and its impact on young workers
“We know that young people are at greater risk of being injured at work because of their relative lack of experience in the work environment,” Mr Phillips said.
He said SafeWork SA had been active in advising young people about safety at work, and determining the issues to focus on.
“Their ideas were instrumental in creating our purpose-built website, Youth@Work, but now we’re keen to harness their creative talents through this competition as well,” he said.
Mr Phillips said the winners would be showcased on the Youth@Work and Passport to Safety websites later in the year.
He said entries would close on 25 September 2009 and winning clips would be announced during Safe Work Month in October.
He said winners would take home one of several prizes including a camcorder, an eight Gb iPod, and shopping vouchers.
Mr Phillips said full details were available at www.passporttosafety.com/australia and www.safework.sa.gov.au/youth
30 July, 2009
Online tools nail
jobs for workers
Two new online tools that match workers with possible new jobs have been launched by the Government’s South Australia Works Workforce Development Fund and the Manufacturing Industry Skills Advisory Council.Emerging from the South Australian Manufacturing Skills Recognition and Matching Project, the tools are expected to link potential new employees with job vacancies in the manufacturing, engineering and automotive sector.
Minister for Employment, Training, and Further Education, Michael O’Brien, said the project arose from a need to monitor and record skills, identify trends, and support retrenched workers as well as those seeking employment.
“The industry also needed a mechanism to support business enterprises experiencing severe labour and skill shortages,” Mr O’Brien said.
He said the first tool, Skills4Jobs, would enable employers to register a skill profile for a job vacancy as well as supplying then with a list of available candidates.
Mr O’Brien said the second tool, MySkills, would help workers keep track of any relevant information, including work history, skills attained, career planning and contacts.
“These new tools create an immediate link between employers in urgent need of skills to those skilled workers who may be at risk of losing their job or are looking for alternative employment.”
“The data will also enable MISAC to determine which skills are in demand and how we can ensure that the manufacturing industry can more accurately forecast future skill needs,” Mr O’Brien said.
Mr O’Brien said the online tools were available at www.skills4jobs.net.au and www.myskills.net.au
30 July, 2009
Funds pull plug
on brain drain
A program that encourages mining professionals to work in South Australia has been boosted to prevent experts from leaving the State and contributing to a ‘brain drain.’Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Paul Holloway, announced a funds injection of $750,000 for the Geoscientist Assistance Program over the next two years to prevent the loss of mining expertise from the State in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
He said even though the global economic crisis had dampened the short-term outlook for the minerals sector, the industry’s foundations remained solid.
“Mining companies tend to take a long-term view and so does this Government,” Mr Holloway said, “which is why we are developing this industry support program to position ourselves for the next upswing.”
He said the program, developed through Primary Industry and Resources SA (PIRSA), the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy and local academics, was aimed at retaining current and future graduates within South Australia.
“The program provides short-term contracts within Government and industry for recently retrenched workers and new graduates,” he said.
“It also offers additional training and development and further study.”
Mr Holloway said this mix of short-term work within the industry, as well as training programs, would reduce the risk of potential loss of expertise from the South Australian exploration and mining industry.
30 July, 2009
SA Water taps into
Football grounds
SA Water is supporting a project that will see 40 football clubs receive giant water tanks to help with the task of keeping their football grounds playable.The project is expected to help improve some of South Australia’s driest regional football fields.
The newly established West End Community Fund will donate 22,000 litre Team Poly water tanks to 10 community football leagues with SA Water donating $1,000 per tank per site
Chief Executive for SA Water, Anne Howe, said the project allowed for not-for-profit regional football clubs to capture their own rainfall.
“SA Water is proud to be helping regional families to keep playing sport and remain active, by helping their home grounds survive the drought,” Ms Howe said.
She said SA Water’s involvement with the WECF supported their Community Connect program.
“We look forward to working with the WECF to help keep regional football alive and kicking,” she said.
Chairman of WECF, Damien Mori said the funding would give local sporting clubs a much-needed boost.
“Many sporting clubs across the state have fields that are so dried up and hard, they had to move their home games to other fields for the safety of the players,” Mr Mori said.
The Chair of the Community Football Board, David Shipway, said football was not simply suffering from low player numbers but also from the impact of the drought.
“In some communities, local footy is the only regular social engagement.”
“Losing the chance to host a home game because of the state of the local ground is particularly disheartening for clubs and their players. This initiative will provide a real boost for local sport,” Mr Shipway said.
For further information about the West End Community Fund and applying for a grant, see www.wecf.org.au
30 July, 2009
Veterans’ projects get
a shot in the arm
The Federal Department of Veterans’ Affairs is to help 18 South Australian organisations pay for projects honouring Australia’s wartime heritage.Commonwealth Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Alan Griffin, said the grants would fund local activities and initiatives that recognised the service and sacrifice of the men and women who had served Australia.
“Today, the (Federal) Government is announcing funding for a range of projects including restoring and displaying wartime memorabilia, upgrading community war memorials, purchasing association banners and holding commemorative events,” Mr Griffin said.
He said helping regional and rural communities maintain their places of remembrance was an important function of the program.
“Commemorative activities in local communities play a major role in encouraging Australians – especially younger Australians – to learn about our wartime experiences and provide an opportunity for veterans to share their stories,” he said.
Mr Griffin said the $44,703 funding for South Australia was part of $379,000 to support 152 projects across the country.
“Australia has a proud wartime history that has been part of the lives of so many Australian families. The Government remains committed to honouring those who have served and continue to serve, ensuring their legacy is remembered for generations to come,” he said.
Mr Griffin said local community and ex-service organisations interested in applying for funding should visit www.dva.gov.au or contact their nearest DVA office on 133 254 (for metropolitan callers) or 1800 555 254 (for non-metropolitan callers).
30 July, 2009
Tricks of trade are
keys to student skills
Two students from South Australian secondary schools have been recognised by the Prime Minister in his 2008 Awards for Skills Excellence in School.Jesse Passon from the Australian Technical College in Northern Adelaide took out an award in the Highest Achieving Students in Industry Groups category and Amy Michelle Fromm from Bordertown High School won an award in the Highest Achieving Students in States and Territories category.
Winners of the awards were selected from the highest achieving recipients of the Australian Vocational Student Prize, with each winner receiving a certificate from the Prime Minister and $2,000.
Mr Rudd and the Commonwealth minister for Education, Julia Gillard said the Awards promoted vocational education and training as a valuable and desirable pathway for students.
“The commitment of these students to learning exemplifies what the Council of Australian Governments' Compact with Young Australians aims to achieve,” Mr Rudd and Ms Gillard said.
They said the Compact encouraged young Australians to realise their potential by ensuring that young Australians have the skills necessary to play a productive role in Australia's economic prosperity.
More information about the Prime Minister's Award for Skills Excellence in School, the Australian Vocational Student Prize, and the full list of 2008 winners could be accessed at www.deewr.gov.au/avsp
30 July, 2009
SAES forum on PS challenge
The Public Sector Performance Commission and the Institute of Public Administration Australia are to present an SAES Forum called the Public Sector Challenge on 18 August.
The event is restricted to SA Executive Service members and will feature addresses by the Minister Assisting the Premier in Public Sector Management, Jay Weatherill; the Chief Executive of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Chris Eccles; and will be facilitated by the Chief Executive of the Public Sector Performance Commission, Lance Worrall.
The Forum will begin at 9am and be held at the Grevillea Room at the Hyatt Regency.
SSOs urged to celebrate
The Public Service Association is encouraging all School Services Officers to celebrate the National Recognition Week this week.
Established in 2001, the week highlights the contribution SSOs make to Public Education and the PSA said it hoped to hear how each school celebrated.
Nominations open for top honour
With just a month to go, more than 1,000 people have already been nominated for Australia of the Year 2010.
National Program Director for the National Australia Day Council, Tam Johnson, said well-known names nominated for the award included Former Victorian police chief Christine Nixon, Formula One driver Mark Webber, Actress and fundraiser Paula Duncan and Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham.
Ms Johnson said nominations could be made online at www.australianoftheyear.org.au or by calling 1300 655 193. Nomination forms could also be picked up at Commonwealth Bank branches.
Nominations close 31 August 2009.
Waiting lists plummet
South Australian public hospitals have reduced waiting lists by 98.5 per cent, performing almost 44,000 elective surgery procedures during 2008-09.
Minister for Health, John Hill, said average waiting times had also been reduced from 42 days in June 2008, to 36 days in June 2009.
“Working in partnership with the Commonwealth, we’ve got our surgery rates back on track,” Mr Hill said.
Anzac Day funded
Minister for Veterans´ Affairs, Michael Atkinson, said for the first time, the State Government would provide an extra $50,000 to fund next year´s ANZAC Day commemorations.
Mr Atkinson said the money would be donated to the South Australian branch of the Returned & Services League of Australia.
President of the Returned & Services League of Australia (SA branch), Jock Statton, said he was grateful for the contribution because up until now the commemorative costs had been met by the RSL.
Joeys arrive at zoo
Monarto Zoo has welcomed the first Warru joeys born in captivity as part of the Warru Recovery Project.
Minister for Environment and Conservation, Jay Weatherill, said the Warru, also known as the Black-footed Rock Wallaby, was considered South Australia´s most endangered mammal.
He said Zoos SA and the Department for Environment and Heritage had a history of successful native breeding and release programs and he hoped to secure the future of the Warru.
Park boundaries modified
Adjustments have been made to a number of provisional marine park boundaries.
Minister for Environment and Conservation, Jay Weatherill said the boundaries were released for public comment in January.
He said three working groups then formed in April and provided advice on a number of parks.
He said adjustments were then made to outer boundaries in the Far West, South East, northern Spencer Gulf and Eastern Yorke Peninsula.
New centre for Port Pirie
A new Community Correctional Centre has been opened at Port Pirie.
Minister for Correctional Services, Tom Koutsantonis, officially opened the facility saying it would manage and rehabilitate non-custodial offenders so they did not re-enter the justice system.
He said the upgraded centre, worth $400,000, would deliver six different community-based rehabilitation programs including Victim Awareness, Anger Management and drug and alcohol programs.
DANSA seeks members
The Disability Advisory Network of South Australia is seeking nominations for nine new members to their 18-member Committee.
Nominations close 24 August 2009 and more information can be found at www.dfc.sa.gov.au or by emailing Dr Siyat Abdi at siyat.abdi@dfc.sa.gov.au
Art on show
The fourth annual Our Mob exhibition will be on display at the Adelaide Festival Centre from 8 August until 20 September.
The exhibition will feature 92 works of art by 84 South Australian Aboriginal artists, and will include paintings, sculptures, and prints.
The exhibition will be officially opened on 11 August by the MP for Ashford, and more information is available from sophie.gardner@adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
23 July, 2009
New schools contract
for first class delivery
A Public Private Partnership has been signed to build six new schools in the Adelaide metropolitan area.Treasurer, Kevin Foley, said the way was now clear for construction on the first of the schools to begin shortly.
Mr Foley said Cabinet had approved Pinnacle Education as the private sector developer of the new schools.
“As a result, site works will begin for the first two schools shortly after final development approvals are given and those schools at Playford North and Taperoo will be ready to open in time for the final school term in 2010,” Mr Foley said.
He said the value of the Pinnacle deal was $323m which included the cost of construction plus the management and maintenance of the schools over a 30 year period.
“This represents a massive investment in our public school system and builds on the hundreds of millions of dollars currently being invested in partnership with the Federal Government through the Building the Education Revolution program,” he said.
Mr Foley said contract negotiations took into account the value of the project as a PPP compared to other delivery models, and although the PPP cost an additional $9.2m, it met the Government’s extremely tight timetable for delivery of the schools at a fixed price.
“Such a timetable would have proved extremely difficult to deliver under a traditional procurement method,” he said.
Mr Foley said the new schools would embrace a host of facilities.
“These schools will have modern classrooms, with features such as thermal chimneys for natural ventilation for 80 per cent of the school year, skylights for natural light, water harvesting for toilet flushing and covered areas for shade and rain protection,” he said.
Acting Minister for Education, John Hill, said school community information sessions, to be held in early Term three, would give parents, students, and teachers more information about the projects.
“The first principals have been appointed and the education department is in the process of appointing the remaining principals,” Mr Hill said.
He said the Education Department had prepared transition plans to limit student disruption and some schools and preschools would merge into their new school communities by the end of this year.
He said anyone with questions about the transition arrangements should speak to their local school principal or call the Department of Education & Children’s Services toll free 1800 088 158.
23 July, 2009
Fruit fly program
takes the cake
A comprehensive community awareness program conducted by Primary Industries and Research SA (PIRSA) since 2003-04 has been credited with keeping South Australia free of fruit fly for another year.Minister for Agriculture, Paul Caica, said this was the third year out of the last five where South Australia had achieved no outbreaks of fruit fly.
“It’s a source of national pride that SA remains the only mainland state to be fruit fly free, meaning that when we have had outbreaks, we’ve been able to successfully eradicate them,” Mr Caica said.
He said the achievement came even after significant fruit fly activity in the eastern States of Australia.
“With the average cost of eradicating an infestation being around $250,000 each time, we save significant costs from being outbreak free,” he said.
Mr Caica said the fruit fly free status gave the fruit and vegetable industry of South Australia a considerable advantage over its competitors.
“Industry sources have indicated that area freedom status returns a $3 per crate saving for exported produce, by not needing to treat produce,” he said.
He said citrus industry experts estimated that the fruit fly free status in the Riverland provided the region with valuable world market access and saved local producers roughly $4.2m each year by removing ‘cold treatment’ costs.
Mr Caica said efforts could now be shifted toward enforcement, with the new Plant Health Act to further strengthen the State’s biosecurity levels.
He said from next month, anyone travelling into Riverland with ‘fruit fly host produce’ purchased elsewhere in South Australia would face an on-the-spot fine if they did not carry an itemised shop receipt or Plant Health Certificate.
Mr Caica said details of the new Act could be found at www.pir.sa.gov.au
23 July, 2009
Fire law review in
warm-up for summer
A review of the Fire and Emergency Services Act 2005 has led to Parliament passing a series of amendments in time for this year’s fire season. Conducted by former Assistant Police Commissioner of South Australia and Deputy Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, John Murray, the review was welcomed by the Minister for Emergency Services, Michael Wright.
Mr Wright said the review proposed several recommendations, and a number of them had already been implemented.
“Communities will benefit from increased attention to the preparedness, prevention, response and recovery phases of emergency service management, and the emergency services will benefit through a much closer and more efficient working relationship,” Mr Wright said.
He said the Bill sought to increase of penalties for fire safety breaches, allow for urban fire urban bushfire risk areas to be established, change the current three-tiered bushfire management framework to a two-tiered framework that would consist of a new State Bushfire Coordination Committee and the establishment of Bushfire Management committees across the State.
Mr Wright said the Bill also sought other amendments but some only required changes in practice or administrative policy.
He said the ferocity and duration of the bushfires was frequently altered by climate change and drought.
“That is why it is crucial that we do as much as we can to reduce the risks.
“These initiatives will further ensure that communities and emergency workers are well prepared for fire and emergencies,” Mr Wright said.
23 July, 2009
Student database
to be put to the test
A new information database for TAFE SA students has been announced by the Minister for Employment, Training, and Further Education, Michael O’Brien.The $20.4 million system will be introduced over the next three years and is expected to improve the operation of TAFE SA.
Mr O’Brien said the tender to supply the system had been won by SunGard Higher Education.
“The State Government is committed to investing in a modern and flexible student information system which will ensure TAFE SA continues to meet the skills needs of the future,” Mr O’Brien said.
He said the new system would be web-based and self-service and would manage all student-related data from initial enquiries through to graduation.
“The contract with SunGard Higher Education is for 10 years, covering the maintenance and support period. The life of the project is scheduled to run three years and includes a five-month implementation planning period,” he said.
General Manager, Asia Pacific for SunGard Higher Education, Andrew Templer, said the new system would help students combine their study, work, and family commitments more seamlessly
“With the increasing demands for flexible work and study hours by students, we are committed to helping TAFE SA achieve unprecedented levels of service and enhance its position as a global leader in education services.”
“SunGard Higher Education is uniquely positioned and experienced both locally and globally to execute the core business strategies required for this project,” Mr Templer said.
23 July, 2009
Council allowances
right on the money
The allowances payable to Local Government Mayors and Councillors are to be set by the Remuneration Tribunal under a new law proposed by the Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Gail Gago.Ms Gago said the idea for the change came from the Local Government Association and would ensure that South Australians knew what Councillors were to be paid before deciding whether to stand for election or not.
She said this process would be more transparent that the current system where Councillors vote each year on their own allowances, from within a range decided by the Minister.
“The Tribunal will set allowances for each individual council once every four years and the amounts will be indexed for annual rises in the interim years,” she said.
Ms Gago said the Remuneration Tribunal, established in 1990, already determined the allowances of parliamentarians, judges, and statutory office holders.
She said she also introduced into Parliament the Local Government (Elections) (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2009 that would enhance the conduct and promotion of Local Government elections as well as encourage voter turnout.
“Thirty-one per cent of South Australians voted in 2006 Local Government elections and South Australia’s Strategic Plan targets 50 per cent voter participation in council elections by 2014,” she said.
Ms Gago said some of the key components of the Bill included: placing responsibility for promoting elections in the hands of the Electoral Commissioner (budget to be determined by the Commissioner in consultation with Local Government); a provision for centralised publication of candidate statements on the internet providing information about each candidate and their policies; and prohibiting the withdrawal of any candidate after the close of nominations to avoid the possibility of skewing the outcome.
She said the Bill could be viewed on the ‘Legislation’ and ‘What’s New’ sections of the website www.localgovt.sa.gov.au
23 July, 2009
Forestry development
branching out
A new development board has been appointed to drive sustainable growth in the State’s forestry industry.Minister for Forests, Paul Caica, said the Forest Industry Development Board, comprising of seven members, would be chaired by Dr Lyndall Bull.
Mr Caica said the Board’s initial task was to prepare a strategy to ensure appropriate planning was undertaken.
“Over the past 15 years investment in plantations has been high and the industry has plans for a number of significant value-adding investments in regional South Australia,” he said.
He said the forest and forest products sector in the Limestone Coast accounted for 28 per cent of the Gross Regional Product and at the same time, the sector was facing several challenges including water allocation, depressed markets, carbon trading, and economic and environmental sustainability.
“The Forest Industry Strategy, that the Board has been asked to prepare, will help chart a course for growth in the sector and will identify the necessary roles for industry and Government,” he said.
Mr Caica said while the Board, supported by PIRSA Forestry, would be seeking industry views, he wanted to take the opportunity to invite anyone interested in the Strategy to become involved.
“It’s essential that industry be engaged to ensure the strategy produced is relevant to them and will allow them to commit to its recommendations,” he said.
He said the other Board members included Catherine Barnett, Chris Peterson, Lynette Pinder, Dr Robert McCormack, Shelley Dunstone, and John Fargher.
“These members have a wide range of high level skills across forest management, timber processing, business development, finance, innovation and environmental management,” Mr Caica said.
23 July, 2009
Inspectors aim high
for scaffold checks
Workplace inspectors are to step up their policing of scaffolding in the construction industry as part of a national campaign to improve safety in the workplace.The Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities mounted the campaign after several scaffolding-related incidents in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.
The HWSA said inspectors from all States would inspect residential and commercial construction sites to ensure safe work procedures were in place.
The joint body said workplace inspection in South Australia would occur in August and September.
Executive Director of SafeWork SA, Michele Patterson said the campaign would highlight the need for care when erecting, using, and dismantling scaffolding.
“The aim of the on-site advisory visits is to raise awareness of safety issues relating to scaffolding as well as improve the ability of contractors, employers and workers to identify, assess and control the hazards and risks associated with scaffolding,” Ms Patterson said.
She said the campaign would address safety issues in a coordinated national approach, as well as highlighting to states and territories the extent of compliance in the construction industry
“We also intend to increase the capability among trades linked to construction (such as form workers, bricklayers, tilers, and painters) to identify, assess and control the risks of working with scaffolding,” she said.
Ms Patterson said SafeWork SA would include up to 50 construction site visits and more details could be found on the HWSA website: www.hwsa.org.au
23 July, 2009
Reports deliver on
service delivery
Two reports on the performance of Federal Government programs in delivering services to Indigenous Australians have been released.The national Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner said the evaluation and audit reports would help the Commonwealth deliver better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“The Federal Government delivers a range of Indigenous-specific services across Australia and it is important that we regularly evaluate the progress of these in achieving outcomes,” Mr Tanner said.
He said the two reports, Evaluation of Service Delivery in Remote Indigenous Communities and Performance Audit of Australian Hearing Specialist Program for Indigenous Australians, were conducted by the Federal Government’s Office of Evaluation and Audit (Indigenous Programs).
Mr Tanner said the service delivery report examined 52 remote communities in South Australia, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland.
He said the evaluation found a number of areas required improvement and contained eight recommendations, including the need for more face-to-face contact between Department staff and service providers, improved decision making processes and cultural competency training for program delivery staff.
The audit found while the hearing specialist program was providing more flexible and culturally appropriate services for Indigenous Australians, further “refinements” were needed to ensure increased effectiveness.
The audit report made eight recommendations including that the Office of Hearing Services and Australian Hearing agree on targets and revised reporting arrangements; review the roles and effectiveness of Indigenous Liaison Officer positions; and conduct a review of the information required to prioritise hearing services for Indigenous Australians.
The reports were available at www.finance.gov.au
23 July, 2009
No shocks in
power study
The Essential Services Commission of South Australia has published its report on the performance of ETSA Utilities over the 2008-09 summer period.The Commission found that despite the trying heat wave conditions, the network “performed well.”
The Commission said there was an overall improvement in the System Average Interruption Duration Index and supply restoration when compared with the 2006-07 and 2007-08 summer periods.
It said the network managed capacity requirements during high demand periods such as the January 2009 heat wave.
The Commission said the heat wave was particularly severe and resulted in heat-related outages on the ETSA Utilities’ distribution network as well as directed load shedding by the operation of the National Electricity Market.
The Commission said it had published a separate report on ETSA Utilities’ reliability and customer service performance during the January 2009 heat wave and would continue to monitor the summer network performance of ETSA Utilities during the summer of 2009-10.
The Commission said details of the inquiry were available at www.escosa.sa.gov.au
23 July, 2009
Scientists have
winning formula
The three finalists in the 2009 South Australian Science Excellence Awards have been announced.Minister for Science and Information Economy, Michael O’Brien, said the three finalists were Professor Fran Baum from Flinders University, Professor Angel Lopez from SA Pathology and Professor Robert Norman from the University of Adelaide.
“These outstanding scientists epitomise the exceptional talent we have in South Australia and it’s through award programs such as the South Australian Science Excellence Awards that we are able to offer recognition and acknowledgement,” Mr O’Brien said.
He said science played an imperative role in industry development, encouraging international competitiveness, maintaining our environment, and creating a healthier community.
Mr O’Brien said the three Excellence in Research categories - Excellence in Research Commercialisation Award, Excellence in Research for Public Good and Excellence in Research Collaboration Award - also underlined the calibre of South Australian scientists.
He said the finalists in the Science Educator of the Year award were recognised for their contribution to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.
These were Anita Trenwith from Salisbury High School, Dr Karin Barovich, Professor Derek Leinweber and Professor Holger Maier from the University of Adelaide and Professor Joe Shapter from Flinders University.
Finalists for Community Science Educator of the Year were Professor Barry Brook, the Northern Advanced Manufacturing Industry Group and Rona Sakko.
Mr O’Brien said the 2009 winners would be announced at the Awards Gala Dinner to be held at the Hilton Adelaide on 20 August.
He said the South Australian Scientist of the Year would receive $50,000 while other category winners would receive $10,000 to use as part of their research project.
He said further information regarding the awards could be found at www.scienceawards.sa.gov.au or via email scienceawards@saugov.sa.gov.au
23 July, 2009
Aboriginal prison
is trail blazer
The first prison unit in South Australia specifically designed for Aboriginal offenders has been officially opened.Minister for Correctional Services, Tom Koutsantonis, said the unit at Port Augusta Prison was named Pakani Arangka which translated to ‘fresh starting place’ or ‘growing out of’ in Pitjantjatjara.
“It gives Aboriginal prisoners the chance to reform their lives in a culturally-appropriate environment,” Mr Koutsantonis said.
He said Pakani Arangka was designed in consultation with Aboriginal prisoners and staff and he hoped it would mark a new phase of life for the men who served time there.
Mr Koutsantonis said up to 12 medium security prisoners would reside at Pakani Arangka in five shared bedrooms and offenders would help landscape the unit as part of their prison work programs.
“This building is not luxurious by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s strong evidence that providing a culturally-appropriate facility can help the rehabilitation of Aboriginal offenders and ensure they don’t re-offend,” he said
He said he wanted prisoners to change their behaviour and not return to jail.
He said the Government was keen to reduce the number of Aboriginal people that go to jail each year.
“This new unit is one way to limit recidivism amongst Aborigines,” Mr Koutsantonis said.
23 July, 2009
Paper points way for
digital direction
A directions paper on the future of the digital economy has been released by the Federal Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.Titled Australia's Digital Economy: Future Directions, the paper examines key areas of focus for Government, industry and the community in promoting Australia's success in the digital economy.
It features case studies of 12 Australians who have successfully engaged with the digital economy.
The Commonwealth Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy said the digital economy was essential to Australia's productivity, global competitive standing and improved social well-being.
“It is the computers, the phones, our TVs, the networks and the banking systems that we use in our personal life and our business each day,” Senator Conroy said.
“In the future it will be so much more, connecting every part of our lives and providing new opportunities across society and the economy.”
He said the paper identified the benefits of maximising investment in broadband and developing a “world-class” digital economy.
“Australia needs a digitally aware and enabling Government, a digitally confident, innovative and skilled industry and a digitally literate and empowered community,” Senator Conroy said.
“The paper explores the actions we need to advance to enhance these key factors for success.”
He said the paper had been developed in consultation with industry and other stakeholders.
The Australian Computer Society – the peak body for information and communication technology professionals – welcomed the launch of the paper.
Chairman of ACS, Kumar Parakala said the Society would focus its efforts on supporting Government and industry to develop three key areas – e-security, e-health and e-learning.
Mr Parakala said unlike other traditional sectors of the economy, the digital economy had “no barriers or ceilings to its growth” and that the paper illustrated the foundations were already in place for a developing a strong sector within Australia.
Further information was available from www.dbcde.gov.au
23 July, 2009
Drugs database gets
final injection of data
The Australian Crime Commission has announced that the National Clandestine Laboratory Database now holds all State and Territory data, including that from South Australia.Chief Executive Officer of the ACC, John Lawler said the Database, part of the ACC’s Australian Criminal Intelligence Database, would make it easier for law enforcement Agencies to access information on clandestine drug manufacture activity.
Mr Lawler said it would help limit the supply of amphetamines in Australia and gave a comprehensive picture of illegal drugs manufacturing across the nation.
“Clandestine laboratories are illegal operations in which drugs such as ice and MDMA or ecstasy are manufactured in an improvised laboratory environment,” he said.
“This national criminal intelligence holding brings together vital data from the combined work and expertise of Australian law enforcement Agencies.
“There is no other system with this type of capability in the world, and Australia is leading the way in recording and analysing clandestine laboratory data.”
Mr Lawler said the system was designed to allow police and forensic officers to record data about seized clandestine laboratories at the crime scene.
He said data included information on lab locations, people engaged in manufacturing the drugs, safety, types of laboratory reactions being used, methodology, exhibit details, on-site reports and photographs.
Mr Lawler said law enforcement Agencies would also be able to use the data to monitor and analyse trends involving bikies and other criminal organisations involved in illicit drug manufacturing.
The National Clandestine Laboratory Database was funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department and developed and implemented by the ACC.
Further information was available from www.crimecommission.gov.au
23 July, 2009
Water book to
make a splash
A new picture book designed to help children understand the importance of water conservation around the home has been published by SA Water.Chief Executive of SA Water, Anne Howe, said the book Captain Plop’s Water Saving Mission was aimed at children between four and eight years of age.
She said SA Water had been working in partnership with the Department of Education and Children’s Services and the book would complement the education program
“Already for 2009 we have held a Fringe Show about wastewater in our learning centre and taken it on the road to regional areas, we have been a part of Come Out 09 with The Magic Waterhole experience and most recently we have held our Water Around the World program.”
She said the book was launched with the help of Minister for Water Security, Karlene Maywald; and the book’s author Hayley Morton.
Ms Howe said it was the first in a proposed series of books aimed at increasing the water awareness of South Australians.
“The book focuses in on the three simple messages for water conservation in the home ‐ stop leaking taps, don’t leave taps running and use dual‐flush toilet cisterns,” Ms Howe said.
She said copies of Captain Plop’s Water Saving Mission would be sent to each South Australian school, pre‐school, and public library with a web version available at www.sawater.com.au
23 July, 2009
Bar-room barring law
bars 250 from bars
New laws that can see patrons barred from licensed premises have resulted in 250 people being dealt with in their first four months.Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gail Gago, said the laws, implemented under the Liquor Licensing Act 1997, were being put to good use by the police
“Three people have been indefinitely barred from South Australia’s pubs, six for up to six months and on another 100 occasions people have been kicked out for up to three months,” Ms Gago said.
She said 138 of the offences had led to a ban of 72 hours while another four were banned for a single event.
“By giving Police the power to swoop on unsavoury behaviour they have a better chance of cleaning up angry, aggressive and loud mouth behaviour,” she said.
She said the new laws also assisted authorities in preventing the occurrence of more serious crimes.
Ms Gago said the majority of the barring orders arose from either the commission of an offence or from offensive and disorderly behaviour.
She said fines of $1,250 could be incurred if a person was found to have breached a barring order.
Ms Gago said Police Sergeants had the power to ban people for a period of three months on their first offence, six months if it was their second offence, while a third offence could result in an indefinite barring order.
23 July, 2009
New laws cut risk
of public liability
New rules governing public liability insurance for sporting and recreational clubs are expected to simplify the current system and make it more workable.Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gail Gago, said legislative changes had found a balance between the vital protection of sporting participants and streamlining the public liability insurance system.
“Changes mean that users of recreational services can sign a waiver that excludes liability for breaches of ‘due care and skill’ where that results in death or personal injury, except in cases of reckless conduct by a service provider,” Ms Gago said.
She said the reforms followed the distribution of a discussion paper late last year and would create an implied warranty that services would be rendered with due care and skill.
“Consumers need to be assured that sporting, leisure and recreational services will be provided in a way that does not expose them to unnecessary risks.”
She said under the legislation, consumers would be covered for reckless conduct and operators would be able to cut through the red tape in the current system
She said a provision in the Bill that would have prevented adults from waiving the rights of children to make a claim for personal injury as a result of a service provider failing to exercise due care and skill had been removed in the political process.
“Despite this, I reserve the right to include a warning on waiver forms that advises parents that waivers signed on behalf of their children are likely to be ineffective under the common law,” she said.
Ms Gago said the changes would replace the Recreational Services Act.
23 July, 2009
Aboriginal children’s centre
The recently opened Port Augusta Children’s Centre for Early Childhood Development and Parenting was South Australia’s first Aboriginal-focused Children’s Centre, Minister for Early Childhood Development and Aboriginal Affairs, Jay Weatherill said.
He said families have access to health checks, child care, family support and parenting programs at the Centre and more information could be obtained at the Children’s Centre Website www.childrenscentres.sa.gov.au
Three vie for RAH contract
Three consortia have been announced to bid for the contract to finance, build, and maintain the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Minister for Health, John Hill, said the three groups included the Torrens Health Partnership, comprising of Bilfinger Berger, Baulderstone, and Lendlease; SA Health Partners, which included Leighton, Hansen Yuncken, and Macquarie; and Plenary along with Grocon.
Mr Hill said a short-list would be finalised by mid-September with the preferred bidder to be picked by mid 2010 and construction to begin by late 2010.
Call for Human Rights award
The Australian Human Rights Commission has called for nominations for the 2009 Human Rights Medals and Awards which recognise extraordinary contributions to Australian society by individuals and organisations committed to the protection of human rights.
The Commission said entry forms and further information could be obtained at www.humanrights.gov.au
Learner drivers off the air
Learner and P1 plate drivers are to be banned from using any form of mobile phone function, including hands-free or Bluetooth units, whie driving.
Minister for Road Safety, Michael O’Brien, said the ban would be effective from 31 August 2009 and would affect roughly 70,000 Learner and P1 licence holders. He said they would all be informed of the ban by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
Mr O’Brien said further information was available at www.dtei.sa.gov.au/roadsafety or by calling 13 10 84.
LSG mourns passing
The Land Services Group of the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure
has reported the sad passing of staff member Tania Gudiskis on 16 July.
The Group said Ms Gudiskis had been a valued member of the LTO for almost 37 years was known to many in the conveyancing and property law industries.
She will be greatly missed.
Post drops bags
Australia Post is to gradually stop supplying clients with plastic bags at its retail outlets to
help reduce its environmental impact.
The organisation made the decision after research showed over 95 per cent of clients would be happy to bring their own bags and supported reducing the use of plastic.
To reduce the number of bags used and to ease-in the change, post office staff stopped proactively offering plastic bags to customers in April 2009.
Enquiry into TV waste
The public has been invited to comment on a national approach to dealing with computer and television waste.
As Chair of the Environment, Protection and Heritage Council, the Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett said it was important to include the public in finding a solution to unwanted televisions and computers.
The consultation will include the report on the Choice modelling study on recycling of televisions and computers, a Regulatory Impact Statement and a const benefit analysis.
Submissions close on 13 August 2009, with more information from www.ephc.gov.au
16 July, 2009
Reforms to PS Bill
a public service
An amended Public Sector Bill has been passed by the House of Assembly and is expected to be endorsed by the Upper House.According to the Public Service Association which lobbied to see changes made to the original Bill, its revised form is a significant improvement on the original.
The PSA says that among the changes made to the Bill are improved whistleblower protections; an expanded role for the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment; the retention of reclassification appeals; suspensions to be with pay in most cases; appeals to be available for transfers requiring relocation; and the reinstatement of Grievance Appeal Tribunals.
Chief Industrial Officer with the PSA, Peter Christopher welcomed the final version of the Bill but said the Association still had concerns regarding some aspects of it.
“The above changes reflect significant improvements from the Government's original proposal,” Mr Christopher said.
He said the PSA had successfully negotiated the changes with the State Opposition, the Greens, Democrats, Family First and Independents in the Upper House and the result was improved legislation.
“The PSA's position was to focus upon achieving key changes to protect members and the integrity of the Public Sector,” Mr Christopher said.
“The Bill has now passed the Lower House with a number of amendments being made.
“Notwithstanding these amendments, many of the Legislative Council changes have been adopted.”
One measure the PSA was unable to have removed from the Bill was the power of PS Chief Executives to hire and fire staff.
Minister for Public Sector Management, Jay Weatherill, said the new Bill protected PS staff from unfair dismissal.
"Instead of having to go to the Governor to terminate an employee for any misconduct, it now is in the hands of the Chief Executive," he was reported as saying.
"This is what we wanted.
“We want the Chief Executives to take responsibility for the performance of their employees, managing that performance, getting the very best they could out of the whole public sector."
Mr Christopher said the hire and fire provisions in the final Bill were also an improvement on what was originally proposed.
“We could have had situations where Chief Executives would have had an unfettered power to dismiss people,” he said.
The new Bill also includes provisions to terminate the appointment of Chief Executives although appeal rights to the Industrial Relations Commission would exist.
16 July, 2009
New Magistrate’s law
to stand up in Court
New laws that make it easier to remove Magistrates from the bench are to be introduced into Parliament by the Attorney-General.The A-G, Michael Atkinson said the move would lead to greater consistency in the way Judicial Officers are treated.
“The Bill seeks to amend section 11 of the Magistrates Act 1983 (the removal of Magistrates section) to omit the words ‘in the performance of the duties of his office’ and to replace the word ‘unlawful’ with ‘disgraceful’,” Mr Atkinson said.
He said the Bill would also attempt to insert a new section that would allow Magistrates to be removed from office on a resolution of both Houses of Parliament.
Mr Atkinson said this would bring Magistrates into line with judges of the Supreme and District courts.
“An inquiry by members of the judiciary - who are nominated by the Chief Justice - will be convened and it will report on the allegations to the Chief Justice, who will inform the Attorney-General, and thus the Parliament,” he said.
“The two Houses will then convene and determine whether the facts established in the inquiry warrant removal of the judicial officer. The judicial officer in question will have the opportunity to appear before the bar of the Houses to provide a statement in his or her defence before the matter is put to a vote.”
Mr Atkinson said this differed from the current legislation, where the Attorney-General must apply to the Full Court of the Supreme Court for a determination on the removal of the judicial officer.
He said while a quality team of judicial officers serve the State, the legislation did not provide an appropriate level of accountability.
“Some Magistrates have enjoyed protection from accountability to the Parliament of South Australia and through it to society, unlike their judicial colleagues in higher jurisdictions. This legislation creates an even playing field for all judicial officers in the State, providing better outcomes for South Australians,” Mr Atkinson said.
16 July, 2009
Adelaide survey is
capital result
A new international survey has listed Adelaide as the best place to live in Australia and among the most affordable in the Asia- Pacific region.Treasurer Kevin Foley said the results of the Mercer Consulting survey, which examined 143 cities across six continents, were further recognition of the Government’s policies.
“This Government’s policies in supporting affordable housing, a multi-billion dollar investment in our metropolitan transport network as well as bringing new industries to the State to support jobs make Adelaide a terrific place to live,” Mr Foley said.
He said it was no accident Adelaide had arrived as the top place in Australia, and residents were well aware of how lucky they were.
Mr Foley said the survey measured the comparative cost of more than 200 items in each location, including housing, household goods, transport, food, clothing, and entertainment.
He said Tokyo scored No. 1 on the list (where the higher the score the higher the cost of living), Sydney came in at 15, Melbourne 36, and Perth 53.
Adelaide had moved up 57 places from 73rd in 2008 to 130th in 2009.
“For years, the Adelaide lifestyle has been one of the region’s best kept secrets – now word is spreading fast and that ensures the future for Adelaide is a very bright one,” Mr Foley said.
16 July, 2009
New Stats website
has the numbers
Students and teachers have been given access to a new online resource to help them locate statistics on Indigenous population, education, health, housing and work.The Australian Bureau of Statistics Education Services team has launched Indigenous Statistics for Schools, a free service available from its website www.abs.gov.au
The website provides data for students and teachers, along with links to original data sources.
Director of Education Services at the ABS, Paul Taylor said the resource would prove invaluable to improving upper primary and secondary students’ ability to understand data.
“By providing this resource, we also aim to improve students’ ability to appropriately and rigorously examine numerical data,” Mr Taylor said.
“As well, teachers will be able to find current data about Indigenous Australians much more easily.”
The resource introduces statistics about Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and includes explanations of statistical terms and background information for students on factors that can impact the collection, dissemination and interpretation of data.
It aims to provide a single, easy to use source of statistics about Australia's Indigenous population for students and teachers and to build on knowledge of how to use statistics appropriately.
Mr Taylor said general issues such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification (including the history of the Census questions on ethnicity), how Indigenous statistics are collected and the importance of accurate Indigenous statistics were also available from the Indigenous Statistics for Schools webpage.
16 July, 2009
SA included in
inclusion report
Premier, Mike Rann has offered to host a meeting of all State Ministers for Social Inclusion to work through a range of priorities identified by the Commonwealth’s Australian Social Inclusion Board.The Board has released a set of indicators on disadvantage and has reported on priority areas needing long-term action.
Established as an independent body to advise the Federal Government on how to achieve better outcomes for disadvantaged people, the Board’s Compendium of Social Inclusion Indicators says social inclusion includes access to work, social support through family and friends and basic services such as health and education.
In a joint statement, the Federal Ministers for Social Inclusion, Julia Gillard and Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin said the report included data on key indicators of disadvantage, including access to work and services, health, social supports and how well local neighbourhoods were faring.
Ms Gillard and Ms Macklin said the indicators highlighted ongoing challenges.
“This report helps to clarify the nature of those challenges and support collaborative action across the whole community to further the Australian Government's Social Inclusion agenda,” the Ministers said.
“The Government, by the end of 2009, will develop a national statement on Social Inclusion to chart a long-term strategy towards making Australia a stronger, fairer society.”
Ms Gillard and Ms Macklin said the whole-of-Government strategy would help reduce homelessness, close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and create jobs and skills in local areas where unemployment and disadvantage were concentrated.
Ms Gillard said she had written to State Ministers for Social Inclusion to arrange to meet with them to “work through further action on social inclusion priorities” and Mr Rann had offered to act as host.
Ms Gillard and Ms Macklin said the Commonwealth had already begun to address problems relating to social inclusion, highlighting its social housing investment, early learning framework and parental leave scheme.
16 July, 2009
Digital plans get
thumbs up
A new plan to shape South Australia’s digital future has been released by the Minister for Science and Information Economy, Michael O’Brien.The five-year plan entitled Information Economy Agenda 2009-2014 is framed around three key elements of the information economy: connectivity, capability, and content.
According to Mr O’Brien, the plan was vital to the State’s social, economic and environmental potential.
“A healthy and functioning information economy system is essential,” Mr O’Brien said, “if we’re going to compete in global markets and maintain our levels of personal wealth.”
He said the information economy industry offered great opportunities that must be seized, and that South Australians needed to continue to embrace the latest digital technology.
“We also need to develop compelling online materials which support our social, educational and business lives, as well as fostering our local creative content and information economy industry,” he said.
“A key role for the State Government is to establish and maintain an environment where innovation in the industry can flourish through our policies and programs.”
Adelaide’s 15th Thinker in Residence, Dr Genevieve Bell, said the Information Economy Agenda was an Australian first and would allow South Australia to take full advantage of the developing National Broadband Network.
“By framing the Information Economy around the themes of connectivity, capability and content, the SA Government has set out clear terms by which we can all engage with an increasingly digital world,” Dr Bell said.
Mr O’Brien said copies of the Information Economy Agenda were available at www.informationeconomy.sa.gov.au
16 July, 2009
ASIC takes interest
in super investments
A new guidance package to help workers access cheap and simple advice on superannuation investments has been issued by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.The release of the guidance package followed a year-long study by the Federal Government’s Financial Services Working Group.
In order to facilitate simple super advice, ASIC has also released a ‘class order’ aimed at providing relief in certain circumstances for superannuation trustees from the personal advice requirements of section 945A of the Corporations Act.
The Commonwealth’s Minister for Superannuation, Chris Bowen said the move would help superannuation fund members who had been unable to get advice on basic matters such as retirement savings to get it without having to pay unnecessarily high fees.
“Superannuation is the largest area of unmet need for financial advice, and the Government is determined to change this,” Mr Bowen said.
“This innovative solution will encourage superannuation trustees to engage more with their members and help them understand their superannuation investment.”
The Federal Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner said the guidance and relief package would provide superannuation funds and financial advisers with guidance on how to respond to enquiries for factual information and advice from fund members.
Mr Tanner said the guidance package had been developed in consultation with industry and consumers.
“The package represents a practical solution that will work for industry without reducing consumer protection,” he said.
“The package will provide certainty for industry that it can confidently provide advice to its members on matters such as choosing between investment options, the best form of super contributions, or suitable levels of insurance.”
More information about the package is available at www.asic.gov.au
16 July, 2009
Baby product swoop
not kids’ stuff
Safety inspectors from the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs have launched a crackdown on baby and children’s products to check they meet the State’s strict safety regulations. The Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gail Gago, said the results would feed into a national monitoring program that involving agencies throughout Australia.
“Children’s nightwear, household cots, baby bath aids, child restraints and hot water bottles will be of particular interest to make sure that they meet the rigorous standards designed to keep our little ones safe,” Ms Gago said.
She said the nightwear needed to meet strict labelling standards and cots should be solidly constructed.
She said product safety officers would be inspecting retail outlets as well as their suppliers.
Ms Gago said if breaches were found, follow up testing would occur.
She said traders caught supplying products that did not meet safety standards could face a maximum penalty of $10,000 under the Trade Standards Act 1979.
Ms Gago said consumers could report their concerns regarding unsafe baby products to the OCBA’s safety section on 8152 0732 or 131 882. A list of banned and regulated products could be found at www.ocba.sa.gov.au
16 July, 2009
New buses are
just the ticket
The injection of 20 new buses into Adelaide’s public transport system is expected to give it a major boost according to State Premier, Mike Rann.Mr Rann said the new buses would provide 117 extra services on the busiest routes from 20 July.
“More than 180,000 Adelaide Metro bus trips are taken each weekday. Adding these extra buses means we will not only better cater for demand – we will expect it to grow to 200,000 trips per weekday,” Mr Rann said.
He said the Adelaide built Scania buses exceeded tough emissions standards and built on the Government’s commitment to create an effective transport system.
“We will also electrify our trains and extend services to Seaford, the tramline is currently being extended to the Entertainment Centre and we will provide a dedicated corridor for O-Bahn buses into the City,” he said.
Mr Rann said the injection followed the commencement of free public travel for State Seniors Card holders during off-peak periods.”
Acting Minister for Transport, Jay Weatherill, said the Government would continue to monitor where the new buses were needed most before formalising their operation in new timetables to be released in September this year.
“By 2012 we will have increased bus kilometres in Adelaide by almost 80 per cent,” Mr Weatherill said.
Mr Rann said for further information about the additional services, people should visit www.adelaidemetro.com.au or contact the Adelaide Metro Infoline on telephone 8210 1000.
16 July, 2009
Translating service
is talk of the town
The number of people accessing the national Translating and Interpreting Service has hit record highs, with one million calls made in the last financial year.Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services in the Commonwealth Government, Laurie Ferguson said TIS National was run by the Federal Department of Immigration and Citizenship to help foster communication between English and non-English speakers.
Mr Ferguson said the new figures were a milestone in the provider’s 36-year history.
“In 2008-09, TIS National has provided 17 per cent more telephone interpreting services than in the previous year,” Mr Ferguson said.
He said a growing number of non-English speakers were now more confident about using the Service.
“TIS National helps non-English speakers communicate with Government Departments, private businesses, emergency services and community-based organisations.”
“In many ways, interpreters help non-English speakers to participate more fully in Australian social and economic life,” he said.
Mr Ferguson said DIAC’s promotion of the service through its ‘I Need an Interpreter’ business-sized card, which featured an ‘I speak’ space for clients to include their native language, had raised awareness.
He also praised private enterprises for using the Service, saying they were doing the “right thing” by making efforts to help non-English speaking people.
According to Mr Ferguson, the highest demand languages were (in order): Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Korean, Persian, Turkish, Spanish, Greek and Russian.
The TIS National Contact Centre services all of Australia and provides phone interpreting in over 160 languages and dialects.
It could be contacted on 131 450 and on-site interpreting was also available by appointment.
16 July, 2009
Women to make
waves on radio
A new partnership between the Office for Women and Radio Adelaide is to lead to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women from around the State sharing their stories with the rest of the community.Minister for the Status of Women, Gail Gago, said the initiative Sistas Yarnin’ would start in October and would feature women from all walks of life.
“Sistas Yarnin’ gives us the chance to celebrate the achievements of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women,” Ms Gago said.
She said, most importantly, the women would tell their stories in their own words with their own voice.
“For some of the women, it will be about highlighting their accomplishments through work or community service. For others, it will be simply telling us about what life is like for them and their triumphs over adversity.
Ms Gago said story telling, an important element of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, would reach mainstream media through the program.
“The rich tradition of story telling and yarnin’ is how cultural knowledge is - and has been - passed on to other generations and also to non-Aboriginal people,” she said.
Ms Gago said a $6,000 contribution by the Government through the Office for Women would assist the partnership, making the stories available to other local community radio stations.
She said the stories would also be accessible on www.officeforwomen.sa.gov.au and would be available for download to use at community events.
16 July, 2009
Lexicon puts word
on terror warnings
Departments and Agencies across Australia are being urged to adopt consistent language when informing the public about terrorism and national security threats, issues and alarms.A project being led by the Victorian Police Force and a number of agencies including the Federal Attorney-General’s Department and Australian Multicultural Foundation is focusing on how State, Territory and the Commonwealth Governments use language to communicate issues relating to terrorism.
Known as the Lexicon of Terrorism, the project has been welcomed by the national Attorney-General, Robert McClelland who said it would help Governments frame “effective public information messages” on national security issues by strengthening community harmony and “disempowering potential violent extremists.”
“Experience has shown that the language used to describe terrorism can be counter-productive,” Mr McClelland said.
“Certain words have the potential to glorify terrorism and terrorists, while others can cause anxiety among Australians and create divisions within and between communities.”
He said the description of combatting terrorism as a “war”, and the word “jihad” to depict a struggle between religions or values were examples of language that would be examined.
“We need to use language that does not inadvertently glorify terrorism but rather describes it in terms of base criminal behaviour of the most reprehensible kind,” he said.
“We should also be conscious of not alienating broad ethnic and religious groups by labelling them in a way that causes prejudice or leads to misunderstanding.”
Mr McClelland said community focus groups would be held, along with interviews with relevant Agencies.
He said academic research and public submissions were also expected to contribute to any recommendations made following the project.
Similar studies had been in conducted in other parts of the world, including the United Kingdom.
16 July, 2009
Women score points
in sporting grants
One-hundred and thirty-two women and organisations from all parts of Australia have been awarded Sport Leadership Grants and Scholarships for Women.They will share in $500,000 worth of grants as part of an initiative of the Commonwealth’s Office for Women and the Australian Sports Commission.
The grants aim to help promote women in sports leadership.
This year, grants went to 74 individuals who received up to $5,000, 45 organisations allocated up to $10,000 and 13 scholarships of up to $30,000 over three years.
Federal Minister for the Status of Women, Tanya Plibersek said she was pleased to see an increase in applications this year.
“The response was fantastic and the grants will develop skills for a variety of leadership roles,” Ms Plibersek said.
“For the first time, the funding includes scholarships for women to gain management and other qualifications to help advance them in the upper levels of sports administration.”
Federal Minister for Sport, Kate Ellis said the grants would accelerate the careers of women in sport, saying that more women in senior positions were needed.
“These grants will equip and empower women to fill more decision-making roles and exert greater influence in the culture of sport,” Ms Ellis said.
She said the grants would support women from a variety of backgrounds, including 23 projects involving Indigenous women, 17 for women with disabilities and 24 for women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
“One example is former Paralympic swimming star Amy Winters, who is using her grant to study for a graduate marketing diploma,” Ms Ellis said.
“This will build on her expertise for the promotion and commercial development of the Australian Paralympic Committee.”
The Ministers said that in the eight years it has been running, the initiative has provided approximately $3 million in grants to almost 16,000 women.
16 July, 2009
Teaching program
is top class
A Government scholarship program being conducted with the Macquarie University in Sydney is leading to more Aboriginal students training to become early childhood teachers according to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Early Childhood Development, Jay Weatherill.Mr Weatherill said there were roughly 80 Aboriginal teachers working in South Australian public schools and preschools at the moment, with a further 10 pursuing careers in early childhood education, under the initiative.
“We know how crucial the early years are to children’s development,” Mr Weatherill said, “and training more Aboriginal early childhood teachers will mean more positive role models for Aboriginal children.”
He said the Warawara Aboriginal teaching program, a Bachelor course at the University, was a great way of encouraging Aboriginal people to consider a career in early childhood education.
Mr Weatherill said the course, delivered in four intensive blocks per year at the University, allowed students to continue working in their current jobs.
He said course work was completed at home with the program offsetting the cost of travel and accommodation, as well as covering their positions while students were away.
“This program is an innovative way for Aboriginal people to complete a teaching course at university, as they don’t need to leave their jobs to study,” he said.
Mr Weatherill said scholarships of up to $10,000 the ‘Nguttoatpandi’ Aboriginal Teacher Employment Program were available to students in the program.
He said graduates who met the Department of Education and Children’s Services eligibility criteria were guaranteed permanent employment as qualified early childhood teachers.
16 July, 2009
Bald Hill drain to
come on stream
The completion of two independent reviews into the Bald Hill drain near Kingston in the South East has resulted in a green light for the project which will reduce salinity and return waters to the Upper South East. Minister for Environment and Conservation, Jay Weatherill, said the Government would also commence construction of floodways to redirect water from the Lower South East to the Upper South East.
He said the Government announced in 2006 that construction on Bald Hill drain depended on the introduction of fresh water flows from the Lower South East to the wetlands.
“Independent scientists have advised that if no action is taken, further degradation of the watercourse is likely to occur,” Mr Weatherill said.
He said the lack of appropriate flows was the most significant risk to the watercourse. “Over 150 years this area has become a highly altered landscape and what we’re now trying to do with these new projects is replicate natural flows as best we can and remediate salinated land.”
Mr Weatherill said recent drains had been built to remove saline groundwater, manage flood risk and divert water to wetlands for environmental purposes.
“Unlike the old drains that went out to sea, the Bald Hill drain and the floodways will be designed and managed to return flows to wetlands,” he said.
“A further objective is to return water to the Coorong.”
He said the scientific report made 12 recommendations, with each of them carefully considered and addressed in the design and operation of the new system.
Mr Weatherill said that included the monitoring of surrounding floodplains, wetlands, and their ecosystems to better inform management of the networks.
He said legislation, drafted to manage the entire South East drainage network to ensure better management of flows, would be released for public consultation soon.
“I’ve asked my department to prepare further advice on how the old drains can be re-engineered or better managed to provide the best environmental outcome,” he said.
16 July, 2009
Call to fence in
land agency
The Federal Government’s Indigenous Land Corporation needs to become more accountable to overcome poor transparency and public scrutiny according to a discussion paper released by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.In Policy Change and the Indigenous Land Corporation, AIATSIS Research Fellow, Dr Patrick Sullivan called on the Federal Parliament to review the purpose of the ILC.
The ILC, established in 1995 in response to the Mabo judgment, is responsible for acquiring and granting land for the social and economic benefit of Indigenous people who cannot claim their traditional lands under Native Title.
Dr Sullivan said the ILC had moved away from its original charter and now purchased fewer properties, often retaining them for its own purposes.
“The deliberations of the Board are not transparent, and the internal operations and financial strategies of the ILC itself are not easily understood from its Annual Reports,” he said.
“The Board appears to make its own decisions on Indigenous needs, possibly in consultation with Public Servants and Ministerial Advisers, without wide public scrutiny. “This is not a robust way of ensuring the maximum benefit for Indigenous people from the considerable resources that the Government has invested.”
Dr Sullivan said the ILC’s policy making processes needed to be more transparent and inclusive of Indigenous people.
He said it would be “timely” for Parliament to reconsider the aims of the ILC almost 15 years after its inception and should reconsider the ILC’s “internal governance and its external relations” with Indigenous clients, Indigenous Public Sector Agencies and the private sector.
The discussion paper is available at www.aiatsis.gov.au
16 July, 2009
System Branch move
The Land Services Group of the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure is to relocate its Old System Branch from 39 Carrington Street to Netley Commercial Park on the corner of Marion and Richmond roads.
As a result the office will be closed on 31 July and 3 August 2009 and re-opened at the Netley complex on 4 August.
During the closure, requests for information can be made through the ground floor at 101 Grenfell Street.
Charities banned
The Minister for Gambling has warned against donating to three charities.
The Minister, Tom Koutsantonis named the Friends of the Disabled Children’s Task Force (FDCTF), the Friends of the Underprivileged Children’s Task Force (FUCTF) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease of Australia (COPD) as being refused charities licences.
The Acting Liquor and Gambling Commissioner has revoked the licences of the first two and refused one for the third.
Mr Koutsantonis said SA Police were investigating the organisations.
Police graduate
Twenty-three new members have been sworn in to the South Australian Police Force after completing 36 weeks of intense training.
All will be posted to metropolitan Local Service Areas to complete their probationary constable training with five transferred to country areas in September.
Minister for Police, Michael Wright said July 2008, 274 officers had graduated from the Fort Largs Police Academy.
Journalists to sue
Journalists serving as temporary employees at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation before 1996 are being urged to contact a law firm preparing a class action to recover superannuation payments believed to be due following a recent High Court decision.
More information may be available from Andrew Rich on (07) 3220 2555.
Youth Week vacancy
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations is encouraging young Australians to apply for a role with the National Youth Week Planning Group for 2010.
The successful applicant will help increase Indigenous participation at the event.
Candidates must be aged between 15 and 24, and be an Australian citizen. Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians are encouraged to apply.
For more information go to: www.youthweek.com/getinvolved.html
Intersections improved
Road safety improvements are to be made at seven intersections in Adelaide over the next two months with funding received from the Federal Government.
The Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure said the intersections would include Old Port Road and Tapleys Road, Port Road and Woodville Road; Grand Junction Road with Port Road and Commercial Road; North East Road, Nottage Terrace and Northcote Terraces; South Road, Ashwin Parade and West Thebarton Road; South Road, Marion Road and Flagstaff Road; and South Road and Henley Beach Road.
DTEI said speed restrictions will be in place and warned motorists to drive with care.
Farmers’ award open
Applications have opened for the Peter Olsen Fellowship for Young Farmers to be decided by the Agricultural Bureau of South Australia.
Applications for the Fellowship, sponsored by PIRSA close on 14 September with the winner to be announced at the Spirit of Excellence Awards in Agriculture on 13 October.
Copies of the guidelines and applications forms are available from the Agriculture Bureau SA’s website www.agbureau.com.au or by phoning 1800 652 258 or 8226 0351.
9 July, 2009
WorkCover scheme to
ease returns to work
WorkCover SA has unveiled a number of innovative new projects designed to help workers return to the workplace after taking time off due to injury.Minister for Industrial Relations, Paul Caica, said $2.4m had been approved for the first round of Return to Work Fund projects which would be part of the Government’s reform package of the WorkCover Scheme.
“The Fund, totalling $15m, is being used to implement a program of innovative, yet practical solutions to improve return to work outcomes in South Australia, starting with this first round of projects,” Mr Caica said.
“We’re hoping that up to 250 injured workers will benefit from these initial projects and the positive impact will be broader.”
He said returning to work can be daunting for employees who have been off
for some time, and statistics showed that the longer an employee was away from work, the more unlikely they were to return.
Mr Caica said the first round of projects commenced on 1 July and includes schemes by Business SA, SA Unions, ProActiv Life Solutions, Interwork Ltd, the State Government’s Further Education Department, DFEEST; and the Business Services Industry Skill Board.
He said these organisations will work with injured workers and their employers to help them return to the workplace and overcome any barriers that may be in the way.
“A number of these approaches to employment and training have been proven in other environments,” Mr Caica said. “But it’s the first time they’ve been adapted and applied for the workers’ compensation scheme.”
He said he was confident the new measures would make a real difference.
He said the WorkCover SA Board expected to seek further expressions of interest for more innovative ways to improve return to work outcomes.
9 July, 2009
Insurance is
best policy
The Public Service Association has assured Professional Officers that they are covered for professional indemnity while at work.The PSA said on its website that it had become aware that some Professional Officers were concerned they may not be protected, so it published a notice affirming they were indemnified from civil or criminal liability providing they acted in good faith.
According to the Association, the SA Public Sector Salaried Employees Interim Award includes the following clause:
“A person employed in an office or position under this Act incurs no civil or criminal liability for an act or omission in good faith and in the exercise or performance or the purported exercise or performance of his or her powers, functions or duties under this Act.
“A liability that would, but for subsection (1), have attached to a person employed in an office or position under this Act attaches instead to the Crown.”
“What this means is that providing an employee is acting in good faith any civil or criminal liability is transferred to the employer,” the PSA said.
“Additional professional indemnity insurance would not be necessary for SA Public Sector employees including members working in Health Agencies for the conduct of their duties.”
The PSA said Professional Officers needing more information could contact Industrial Officer, Ted Szarek on 8205 3213 or by email at tcs@cpsu.asn.au
9 July, 2009
Campaign rings bell
on emergency visits
A media campaign encouraging the community to use hospital emergency departments for genuine emergencies has been launched by the Minister for Health, John Hill.Mr Hill said each winter, hospitals see a rise in visits as people present with seasonal illnesses and this additional workload puts increased pressure on hospital staff.
“This year we're seeing a big increase in influenza cases with over 1,000 cases of seasonal flu and swine flu recorded in SA so far,” Mr Hill said.
“The Federal Government has provided $61.75 million for ED reforms in South Australia and while our hospitals are well-prepared to manage, we want to remind South Australians that EDs are meant to deal with traumas and medical emergencies.” Mr Hill said.
He said the primary message is ‘if you don’t need urgent attention, avoid the Emergency Department.’
“I know how miserable people can feel when they are suffering from flu or flu-like symptoms, but it’s really important to consider alternatives to going to an ED,” he said.
Chief Medical Officer for SA Health, Professor Paddy Phillips, said there were steps South Australians could take to protect themselves from illness.
He encouraged people to get a flu shot.
“It’s not too late to get a vaccination to protect yourself against seasonal influenza, which can make other respiratory conditions worse,” Professor Phillips said.
He also offered advice on swine flu, now that South Australia has moved to the Protect Phase.
“If you are suffering from flu-like symptoms but do not have a chronic respiratory condition, heart disease, diabetes, cancer or are immune suppressed and are not pregnant or very obese, then you should seek advice from your GP first.”
‘ However, if you or anyone you know is in an urgent or life-threatening situation, call 000 immediately or go straight to an Emergency Department,” he said.
9 July, 2009
Researchers book
safety grants
Researchers are being invited to apply for grants under the Commissioned Research Grants Program to increase knowledge about workplace health and safety in South Australia.Minister for Industrial Relations, Paul Caica, said the Program was one of three types of grant programs provided by SafeWork SA.
Mr Caica said a total of $840,000 was available from the current round of Commissioned Research Grants, with a suggested minimum of $50,000 to be allocated to each of the successful applicants.
“Under this program, which began in 2007, the grants assist university-based or independent researchers to undertake applied research aimed at preventing work-related injury and illness,” Mr Caica said.
He said there was a time limit on projects, however special consideration could be given.
“While successful applicant projects must be completed within three years, special consideration may be given to proposals for longer duration projects, for example when longitudinal research is undertaken,” he said.
Mr Caica said information on how to apply was available at the SafeWork SA website and the deadline for applications was 28 August 2009.
He said the other SafeWork SA grants programs including the Small Grants program and the Support Grants for ARC Linkage Projects also support the reduction of workplace injury and illness in South Australia.
“The State Government’s support for this research, through SafeWork SA, is part of a long term strategy to reduce workplace harm in South Australia,” he said.
“It complements the day-to-day activities of our labour inspectors, designed to improve the working lives of not just this generation of South Australians, but of those to come”.
9 July, 2009
Visitor surge makes
Museum popular
The South Australian Museum has credited the Global Financial Crisis as the reason for a surge in visitor numbers for the financial year 2008-09.According to the Museum, more than 750,000 people visited between July 2008 and June 2009, an increase of almost 60,000 from the previous financial year.
Director, Dr Suzanne Miller, said the Museum was an ideal place for families and individuals to spend their day and while other institutions charged entry fees, most of the activities at the Museum were free.
She said since the global financial crisis took hold in late 2008, the number of visitors to the museum had steadily increased, as a more affordable alternative to other social activities.
“There’s so much to see and do, and it’s constantly changing,” Dr Miller said.
She said that exhibitions such as Hatching the Past: Dinosaur Eggs & Babies held over the Christmas and New Year break saw visitor numbers rise by 36 per cent in January compared with a drop of 29 per cent the same time last year.
“It’s great to see people coming back to the museum they so loved in their childhood, not only as a place for learning but also as a place for fun,” she said.
9 July, 2009
30-year city plan on
the drawing board
Public comment has been invited on a draft 30-year development plan for Greater Adelaide.Minister for Urban Planning and Development, Paul Holloway, released the draft plan saying it was a blueprint for tackling the economic and environmental challenges that faced the current generation.
Mr Holloway said public comment was being sought on the draft because community input was critically important in the development and implementation of the final version of the document.
“The 30-year Plan will give South Australia one of the most competitive planning systems in Australia, while ensuring it remains one of the most liveable, competitive and sustainable cities in the world,” Mr Holloway said.
He said the Plan for Greater Adelaide addresses a number of challenges including water security, energy security, biodiversity, and energy and water consumption.
“It will create a climate-change resilient city and a vibrant economy buoyed by strong housing affordability,” he said.
He said the plan is built on three primary objectives: to maintain and improve liveability; to increase competitiveness; and to drive sustainability and resilience to climate change.
Mr Holloway said that Adelaide is expected to grow by 560,000 people during the next three decades; and by planning ahead to 2039, job-generating growth can be achieved while preserving the city’s planning heritage and ensuring 80 per cent of metropolitan remains largely unchanged.
“The plan aims to ensure that the future retains the best of the State’s past,” he said.
Premier Mike Rann has called on South Australians to make their contribution to the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide.
Premier Rann said the first urban plan for Adelaide was prepared in 1837 by Colonel William Light and had stood the state in good stead for more than 100 years.
“It was visionary. Today Adelaide is regarded as one of the most liveable cities in the world with one of the best plans in the world,” Premier Rann said.
He said now is the time for an update of that vision.
“Our population and economic growth forecasts means we must plan for this boom – integrated with other changes such as climate and demographic changes,” he said.
He said South Australia was the only state to register economic growth in the March 2009 quarter and the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide will maintain the strong economic growth.
“It will ensure we have enough land for houses and jobs to remain competitive in the labour market; it will ensure Adelaide enjoys a competitive advantage in terms of energy and water consumption; and it will ensure Adelaide’s future as a vibrant, liveable, climate-change resilient city.
Premier Rann said draft copies of the document are on exhibition on the 5th Floor Roma Mitchell, 136 North Terrace and public submissions can be made at www.plan4adelaide.sa.gov.au until 30 September 2009.
“We now invite the citizens of South Australia to step up and shape the plan’s final policies and targets – to make a lasting contribution to the city in which we and future generations will live,” he said.
9 July, 2009
Doctors dig up
mistake numbers
SA Health has released details of medical errors and omissions that impacted on patients in South Australian hospitals between 2005/06 and 2007/08.Minister for Health, John Hill, tabled a report in Parliament detailing the mistakes. “Doctors and other health workers do a great job, but accidents and unforeseen events do happen,” Mr Hill said.
“It’s essential for all medical staff to identify and learn from them.”
He said the number of incidents had increased since the introduction of reporting in 2003/2004, but said that may be partly due to an increased awareness of the need to report this type of event.
The report showed that there were a total of 94 events that affected patients in South Australian hospitals in the period including wrong body parts being operated on, incorrect medication, incorrect discharge and retained instruments
Mr Hill said the majority of wrong patient or wrong body part incidents occurred with X-Ray or CT scans, when a local anaesthetic was wrongly administered, or when the wrong tooth was removed in dental surgery.
He said SA Health has undertaken work to reduce these incidents – including a state-wide correct patient, correct procedure, correct site (3Cs) audit and a ‘no I-D band, no transport to x-ray’ policy.
He said staff and patients benefitted from a culture of openness but in order to keep learning and improving, medical staff had to keep reporting.
“In a health system where nearly two million interactions occur every year, the number of the most serious errors (‘sentinel events’) amounts to 0.00126% of that total,” Mr Hill said.
He said that doctors and nurses did an amazing job and he wanted patients and relatives to feel confident that their safety was their number one priority.
9 July, 2009
Phone survey shows
tradies’ hang-ups
A two-day consumer phone-in conducted by the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs has uncovered a number of complaints and concerns about the behaviour of unlicensed builders and tradespeople.Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gail Gago, said the calls involved a number of conduct issues including a fraudulent development application, a tradesman threatening a customer, and reports of shoddy work.
“The problems reported in some calls were concerning and many callers didn’t wish to identify themselves for fear of reprisals,” Ms Gago said.
She said 30 calls were received by OCBA during the two-day phone-in including calls from concerned customers as well as reputable tradespeople alerting the office to illegal operators.
Ms Gago said the tip-offs related to tradespeople across all fields of building, plumbing, gas fitting and electrical work and had given the OCBA many leads.
“The results of this phone-in raised some areas of concern and South Australians should be commended for having the courage to report these crooks,” she said.
She said OBCA is now sorting through the recorded claims in order for them to independently verify allegations.
Ms Gago said OCBA had already sent out 374 written warnings for unlicensed contracting in the 2008/09 financial year and eight people have been prosecuted in the Courts.
She said unlicensed tradespeople can continue to be reported to OCBA’s licensing compliance team between 9am and 5pm weekdays on 8204 8100 or 131 882 for country callers.
9 July, 2009
Food suppliers get
taste of shame
An online register of food suppliers found guilty of breaching the Food Act or Food Standards Code is to be added to the SA Health website as a means of ‘naming and shaming’ restaurants or retailers who fail to meet hygiene and safety standards.Minister for Health, John Hill said details of businesses or individuals found guilty of a breach of standards would be published on the SA Health website, and would remain there for two years.
“Businesses or individuals who appear on SA Health’s online register will be those who haven’t followed advice on putting things right or who’ve consistently breached the Act,” Mr Hill said.
He said local Councils routinely inspected food business for compliance with the Food Act and Food Standards Code, and had a wide range of enforcements options at their disposal.
Mr Hill said these options varied in severity, ranging from warning letters, through to expiation notices and prohibition orders and finally to prosecution.
He said South Australia’s online Food Act Prosecutions Register was established on the SA Health website on 1 July and would be updated each time a successful prosecution took place.
9 July, 2009
Open space grants
get green light
Projects that would see unused land at the Adelaide Zoo returned to public use, a disused carpark at Royal Adelaide Hospital reclaimed and landscaped, and the Prince Henry Gardens in front of Government House upgraded, are to be carried out by Adelaide City Council with the support of the State Government.Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Paul Holloway said the open space grants from the Planning and Development Fund would help Adelaide City Council to beautify key public spaces.
“These grants highlight how the State Government and Adelaide City Council are working effectively together to add value to Adelaide's premier cultural, civic and educational precinct,” Mr Holloway said.
He said 2,000 square metres of Adelaide Zoo land would be returned to public use, 1.8 hectares of land at the rear of the Royal Adelaide Hospital would be landscaped, and stage three of the North Terrace upgrade would commence.
He said support for Stage 3 of the North Terrace upgrade would extend the streetscaping work along Adelaide’s premier boulevard to King William Street.
“Extending the North Terrace facelift further east will provide new pavement, lighting, landscaping, public art and street furniture in keeping with the work carried out in the first two stages,” he said..
Minister for the City of Adelaide, Jane Lomax-Smith welcomed the plans.
“The mix of projects supported in this latest round of grants ensure Adelaide’s major attractions, such as the Parklands, North Terrace, the Adelaide Zoo and the Botanic Park receive the care and attention they deserve to remain draw cards for our city,” Dr Lomax-Smith said.
9 July, 2009
Marine displays to
bank on the whales
A new marine parks display created by the Department for Environment and Heritage will be on show at the South Australian Whale Centre at Victor Harbor during the school holidays.DEH’s Dr Bryan McDonald has been encouraging locals and visitors alike to visit the Whale Centre and check out the new exhibits that make up the display.
“One of the front windows has been turned into an ‘underwater cave’,” Dr McDonald said, “which includes images of several iconic South Australian species like the Australian sea lion, leafy seadragon and giant cuttlefish.”
“The window gives people a taste of what is going on under the water.”
He said many people enjoy the view of the ocean from the land or in a boat but few ever learn about the life that thrives under the waves.
Dr McDonald said one part of the display asked people to consider the impact land-based activities like washing the car and erosion could have on the marine environment.
“We all have the power to help keep the marine environment clean and healthy,” he said, “by not sending pollutants like detergents or litter into drains that end up in the ocean.”
He said another exhibit reminded visitors that they will still be able to enjoy fishing, diving and boating in multiple-use marine parks and yet another, to be installed on 31 July, would focus on who eats who in the marine environment.
“The ‘predator to prey’ exhibit addresses why healthy marine habitats are essential for marine creatures to survive,” Dr McDonald said.
He said the South Australian Whale Centre could be contacted on 8551 0750 or at www.sawhalecentre.com and more information about marine parks was available from DEH’s Coast and Marine Conservation Branch - (08) 8124 4900 - or at www.marineparks.sa.gov.au
9 July, 2009
Web safety slated
for schools
Efforts to ensure the safety of school students using the internet have taken a step forward with the publication of new cyber safety guide and a requirement that students sign up to cyber safety agreements.The guide, entitled Keeping Children Safe in a Connected World, is to be distributed to all State schools and preschools this month and urges teachers to teach students about personal safety, privacy, reporting offensive behaviour, and illegal activity.
Minister for Education, Jane Lomax-Smith, said in addition to the new school guidelines, there were extra cyber safety measures including a cyber safety forum to be held on 24 August, information for parents, and a cyber safety grants program.
She said the Government was determined to address the growing issue of cyber safety.
“We were the first in Australia to put cyber bullying on the agenda for schools five years ago and since that time have introduced a number of initiatives to address the problem,¨ Dr Lomax-Smith said.
She said that although most used technology responsibly, there was a small minority who used it to harm others.
“As one expert once said, don’t put anything on the worldwide web that you wouldn’t put on the wall of a public toilet,” she said.
Dr Lomax-Smith said young people may not fully understand the consequences of their actions.
“For example, a young person might not realise that sending suggestive or sexual images of themselves or others on their mobile phones can constitute child pornography and is a crime,” she said.
Dr Lomax-Smith said technology had made bullying a 24-hour, seven day a week issue.
“Technology changes so rapidly and it’s important that we continually change our policies and practices in schools to reflect these changes,” she said.
9 July, 2009
Good report card for
school training plan
New industry-endorsed training programs are to be introduced into the State’s High Schools to improve the job skills and prospects of students planning to leave school.Minister for Education, Jane Lomax-Smith, said the move is part of the Government’s Industry Skills Program, the latest in a suite of ‘school to work’ initiatives.
“We want to prepare a workforce of young people who are ready, skilled and able to take up jobs as the global economy improves,” Dr Lomax-Smith said.
She said the four-year program would help students start work on high-level Certificate Three qualifications.
“These new programs will allow students to walk straight from school into ongoing study at TAFE or straight into employment,” she said.
Dr Lomax-Smith said 17 Industry Skills Managers would be appointed this year to work with communities to establish an Industry Pathway Program in each school.
She said programs, with specifically designed curriculum and combined with out of school training, will be developed in defence, construction, automotive, health, business services, community services, electro technology, engineering, manufacturing and primary industries.
“The program enables students to complete Year 12 and their SACE and be ready for a high-level apprenticeship or training when they leave school.”
She said that while Trade Schools had led to the completion of higher level certificates for more than 700 students, there was still more to do.
“Already more than 10,000 secondary schools students undertake vocational education and training, but only 6 per cent of these are doing higher level certificate courses,” she said.
Dr Lomax-Smith said the new Industry Skills Program will build on the achievements of the previous Futures Connect program and participating students will receive credit towards the new SACE.
9 July, 2009
Festival funding
comes to the party
South Australia’s reputation as the Festival State is to be enhanced with extra funding for more events and festivals as a way of increasing the number of tourists to visit regional areas.Minister for Tourism, Jane Lomax-Smith said the new events and festivals would attract visitors from around the State and across the border.
“Tourism directly and indirectly employs 50,000 South Australians, making tourism dollars the lifeblood of many regional South Australian economies,” Dr Lomax-Smith said.
She said many of the funded events, including the Barossa Vintage Festival and the Port Lincoln Tunarama Festival, brought thousands of visitors to regional towns.
“This latest events funding underlines the Government’s commitment to promoting events as a key hook to attract visitors and boost the State’s profile, in line with one of the key strategies set out in the South Australian Tourism Plan 2009-2014,¨ she said.
Dr Lomax-Smith said Adelaide had been announced as the host city of the 2012 World Life Saving Championships this month.
“This sporting carnival, which will bring 4,000 competitors and officials to South Australia and inject $18 million into the State’s economy, joins a growing list of tourism drawcards on our jam-packed major events calendar.”
She said other events proving popular with visitors were WOMADelaide, Tasting Australia, the International Rugby Sevens Adelaide, World Hockey Festival (Golden Oldies), the World Tennis Challenge, the Australian Mountain Bike Championships and the Special Olympics 2010 National Games.
9 July, 2009
Exercise report is
fit for discussion
The annual Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey released this month revealed that more than a million South Australians took part in physical activity for exercise, recreation, or sport in 2008.This finding was welcomed by the Minister for Recreation and Sport, Michael Wright, who said it showed people were taking note of the Government’s be active message.
“What’s most impressive though, is that the number of people who exercise three or more times per week increased by a massive 63 per cent,” Mr Wright said.
He said that in 2001, when the ERASS first monitored the trend, less than one third of South Australian adults were regularly active and that figure had now risen to half the population.
“It’s encouraging to see more South Australians involved in sport and physical activity, but we know there’s room for improvement,” he said.
Mr Wright said the study found that females were more likely to be involved in regular physical activity with South Australia´s most popular sports including aerobics/fitness, swimming, tennis, netball, AFL, basketball, golf, outdoor football and cricket.
He said the State Government was committed to improving participation levels through the be active initiative as well as other programs.
“We’ve had great success in increasing participation, from be active PlayTime for preschoolers, right through to the Wise Move program to empower and encourage inactive women to participate in regular physical activity,” Mr Wright said.
9 July, 2009
Battling students win
soldier bursaries
Five South Australian students are to receive financial support under a bursary scheme that helps the children of Vietnam veterans pursue tertiary education. Administered by the Federal Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Long Tan Bursary scheme provides the students with up to $9,000 each and is named after the legendary Battle of Long Tan in which 18 Australians lost their lives.
Federal Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Alan Griffin, said the students will receive the bursaries to ease the financial burden and assist them in achieving their long-term study goals.
“More than 250 sons and daughters of Vietnam veterans have benefitted from the bursary scheme since it was introduced in 2000,” Mr Griffin said.
He said the bursaries were available to tertiary students with good academic records, who had overcome personal challenges to successfully complete their secondary education.
“These students have proven their determination to pursue their studies and I congratulate them on their determination and perseverance to succeed in their chosen career paths,” he said.
Mr Griffin said the Long Tan Bursaries would be presented to 56 Australian students in the coming weeks including the five South Australians.
Mr Griffin said the five from South Australia were Kelly Ferenczi from Houghton who has chosen to study Interior Architecture at the University of South Australia, Lauren Hadaway of Pooraka taking on health promotion and linguistics at Flinders University, Rhys Murray of Hallett Cove who plans to do Pharmacy at the University of South Australia, Sharnee Scott from Woodside, doing Health Science at Adelaide University and a fifth student who did not want to be named.
The Minister said the Australian Government introduced two new scholarships in the 2009-10 budget aimed at lifting the aspirations of students who had not considered attending university.
¨The scholarships provide students receiving financial assistance under the Veterans’ Children Education Scheme and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme a start-up scholarship of $2,254 a year,” he said.
“A relocation scholarship, worth $4,000 in the first year and $1,000 each year after will be available for those students who have to move away from home to study.¨
Mr Griffin said more information on the Long Tan Bursary could be found at the Long Tan Bursary information page on www.dva.gov.au
9 July, 2009
Vote of confidence
in youth Parliament
Parliament House is home to the 2009 Youth Parliament this week with more than 100 young people coming together for lively debates on the big issues facing South Australia and its young people.Minister for Youth, Tom Koutsantonis said the Youth Parliament allowed young Australians to learn about the political process and provided a forum for them to speak their minds on big issues.
“There’s plenty to talk about in youth affairs. I’m eager to hear more about the issues affecting our young people and see what fresh new ideas they can bring to the table,” Mr Koutsantonis said.
He said the 16 to 25 year olds were addressing issues including compulsory immunisation, sexual health, youth alcohol abuse, human rights, classifications, nuclear power, public transport, the arts, and organised crime and drugs.
“These potential politicians will propose and debate Bills and at the end of Youth Parliament their legislation will be sent to relevant Government agencies to consider,” he said.
Mr Koutsantonis said the YMCA run Youth Parliament includes three days of training on public speaking, debating, Bill writing and Parliamentary processes.
Chief Executive of the YMCA, Peter Schwarz, said the event encouraged future leaders into action.
“This year’s young politicians come from different cultural, religious, economic and political backgrounds and just like the real Parliament they bring a range of perspectives to the chamber,” Mr Schwarz said.
Youth Governor, Andrew Roff welcomed the lively and passionate debate among the youth.
“When you put more than 100 passionate and intelligent young people together in Parliament House to debate the issues of the day there’s sure to be fireworks,” Mr Roff said.
Mr Koutsantonis said a copy of the legislative schedule and public viewing times were available at www.ypsa.org.au
9 July, 2009
Procurement reports due
The State Procurement Board has reminded Departments and Agencies that their reports are due with the Board by 15 August.
It said reporting templates would be sent out shortly.
The SPB said its Procurement Reporting Policy applied to public authorities with a procurement authority of $1.1m or greater and its Base Level Procurement Reporting Guideline applied to those with a procurement authority of $110,000.
Kangaroo study under way
The Department for Environment and Heritage has begun its annual aerial kangaroo survey.
One of the longest continuing wildlife surveys anywhere in the world, the survey ahs been having been conducted annually since 1978 with the aim of estimating the number of kangaroos in pastoral and agricultural regions throughout the State.
The two-week survey begins in the eastern sections of the State before moving north and west the following week.
DEH said landholders should not be concerned if they see a light aircraft flying at 250 feet.
Highway Inn comment called
Public comment has been invited on the $75 million Highway Inn project
The Palmer Group is proposing a “transit oriented development” on the corner of Anzac Highway and Marion Road incorporating a range of uses including residential apartments, supermarket and retail outlets, cafes and restaurants, private and public car parking.
Minister for Urban Planning and Development, Paul Holloway said that due to the high level of community interest in the project, the usual consultation period had been doubled to six weeks and would include a public meeting.
He said te Department of Planning and Local Government would accept comment until 14 August 2009 and the public meeting would be held at 7pm on 20 July 2009 in the George Robertson Room of the West Torrens Civic Centre.
New station for Paradise
A state-of-the-art Metropolitan Fire Service station has been officially opened at Paradise.
The complex, at 57 Darley Road, is staffed by 22 full-time officers, 24 hours a day, 7-days a week to assist the community through fire prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
Emergency Services Minister, Michael Wright, said the facility had been specifically designed to cater for future growth and could adequately accommodate all the operational and training needs of MFS officers.
Chief Officer of the MFS, Grant Lupton, said the new fire station was designed to enhance service delivery in the east and north eastern suburbs and would last 50 years.
Donors protected
A discussion paper has been released proposing amendments to the law to protect a range of charitable donors from legal threats.
Attorney-General Michael Atkinson released the paper saying it was prompted by an Act that came into operation last December protecting food donors from liability unless they know that the food they donated was unsafe or the donor was reckless about its condition.
He said the proposal now was to extend that same protection to the donors of any type of goods and services to charity.
The paper is on the Attorney-General’s Department website at www.agd.sa.gov.au and comments would be received until 31 August 2009.
Hoon clampers busy
SA Police have revealed they are impounding or clamping hoons’ cars at a rate of over eight per day.
They said 3,156 vehicles had been seized for a total of 5,040 offences across the State in the last financial year.
Police Minister, Michael Wright, welcomed the figures, saying it was clear some people were still not heeding the message.
“These individuals give little or no thought to their own safety and that of other drivers,” Mr Wright said.
“We are hitting them where it hurts by taking their pride and joy off the road.”
He said the anti-hoon legislation covered a host of offences enabling police to clamp or confiscate cars including vandalism, graffiti, driving unlicensed or uninsured and driving disqualified or without due care.
Metering amendments
The Essential Services Commission of SA is seeking comment on proposed amendments to the Electricity Metering Code
ESCOSA says the amendments would ensure the EMC was consistent with the (national) Metrology Procedure and defined the requirements of customers not part of the national electricity market while retaining South Australian specific requirements.
More details can be obtained from www.escosa.sa.gov.au
Burnside to explain
The City of Burnside has been asked to explain its actions before the Minister for State/Local Government Relations appoints an investigator to explore matters of concern.
The Minister, Gail Gago, said preliminary enquiries by the Office of State and Local Government Relations had caused her to believe an investigation may be warranted
Ms Gago said she was concerned at reports of harassment and bullying at the Council, possible adverse affects on decision making from in-fighting and conflict that may affect open, responsive and accountable government.
She said if the Council was investigated, it would be the first under the Local Government Act in 15 years.
Crime proceeds hit $4.6M
The Police Minister has reported that more than $4.6 million in cash and property have been seized under the Criminal Assets Confiscation Act since April 2006.
The Minister, Michael Wright said proceeds of the seizures would go directly to victims of crime.
In 2008/09, he said, restraining orders had been placed on $8.8 million worth of property, which was being held until legal proceedings were finalised.
“These results send a strong message that if you engage in criminal behaviour, we will hit you where it hurts and you’ll lose your house, your cars and your boats as well as facing a jail term,” Mr Wright said.
2 July, 2009
Rental arithmetic
backs green office
Plans to rent office space for Public Service Departments and Agencies in the environmentally friendly World Park 1 development at Keswick have been announced by the Minister for the Environment, Jay Weatherill.Mr Weatherill said a range of public sector services could be housed in the proposed development, which focuses strongly on sustainability and water efficiency.
“A major feature of the World Park 1 development is its emphasis on environmental sustainable development and its commitment to achieving outstanding green-building outcomes,” Mr Weatherill said.
“In particular it will set new standards for the conservation and management of water.”
He said the Park would be set in a carefully landscaped environment with an on-site stormwater detention basin to assist with water recycling and on-site water harvesting and storage.
He said the Park’s developers, Axiom Properties, estimate that a conventional building uses 77,100 litres a day whilst the World Park 1 office complex would use only 7,500 litres.
“Not a drop is wasted, resulting in a 90% reduction in the reliance of mains water as compared with traditional buildings,” Mr Weatherill said.
He said the landscaping of the Park would also help to encourage native fauna and flora to inhabit the site.
“This government has set itself very challenging targets where sustainability and environmental measures are concerned and projects like this one are fundamental to us achieving them,” he said.
“I’m delighted to extend a commitment to environmentally responsible developers and to back them by forging an on-going relationship when the project comes to fruition.”
Mr Weatherill said the proposed development would be based around three five-star ‘green’ rated office buildings set in a landscaped environment linked to a central plaza.
Stage one of the project would offer 11,333m² of office space in a five-storey building, 180 car parks, the construction of an on-site stormwater detention pond, a common plaza fronting Richmond Road, an internal ring road and site landscaping.
The development was expected to begin in July and be completed by the end of 2010.
2 July, 2009
PS training to be
first class act
The Public Sector Performance Commission has announced a collaborative program of PS development with the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG). The PSPC said the program would give public sector employees access to leading thinkers and international research in public administration.
ANZSOG said on its website that the program would be trialled for one year and aim to inspire new ways of working, expand understanding and develop leadership capabilities in the public sector.
According to ANZSOG, the program would provide the South Australian public sector with innovative, State-relevant ideas on public administration and would help utilise pre-eminent thinkers in the field.
It said the collaborative program would include a series of knowledge sharing seminars, workshops, and papers on public administration.
The PSPC invited all public sector staff to attend one such seminar to be held on 16 July in Adelaide.
The seminar, titled The Future of Government, would launch the collaborative program and feature the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister, Tom Bentley and the Chief Executive of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Chris Eccles.
The Dean of ANZSOG, Professor Allan Fels, is to moderate the event.
The PSPC aims to increase the performance of the public sector by promoting collaboration and solving problems through practical projects.
2 July, 2009
State dives in to
40 year water plan
A 40-year plan to guarantee water security for South Australia has been launched by State Premier, Mike Rann and the Minister for Water Security, Karlene Maywald.Mr Rann said the plan, entitled Water for Good, outlined more than 90 strategies to ensure water security for both the short and long term.
“Our number one priority is ensuring South Australia has sufficient water supplies for future economic and population growth,” Mr Rann said. “Our plan guarantees this.”
He said South Australia already led the nation in stormwater harvesting, wastewater recycling, irrigation practices and rainwater tank ownership and the Government planned to substantially increase the level of stormwater recycling to around 75 billion litres a year.
Mr Rann said independent regulator would be appointed to oversee monopoly water and wastewater suppliers, and legislation would be introduced to foster a competitive water industry and allow third-party access to Government water infrastructure.
He said new rebates for water saving devices would be introduced, and a State-wide desalination policy created to manage better the increasingly important role desalination is playing in water security.
“Our first step to this goal has been Adelaide’s expanded 100 GL desalination plant, currently under construction at Port Stanvac,” he said.
“The $1.83b plant will provide up to half of Adelaide’s drinking water and does not rely on rainfall, giving us the insurance we need against future climate variability.”
Mr Rann said stormwater would begin to play a larger role in diversifying water supplies and said the State would apply for Commonwealth funding to assist in its utilisation.
Ms Maywald said the Stormwater Management Authority had appointed independent consultants to determine the feasibility of the levels of stormwater capture and reuse identified in the plan.
“These investigations found in the metropolitan area it is technically feasible to capture 60 billion litres of stormwater,” Ms Maywald said.
“The plan also targets up to 15 billion litres in regional SA in the longer term,” she said.
Ms Maywald said she expected around 20 billion litres of stormwater to be harvested by 2013.
She said the Government would begin offering rebates to encourage water efficiency from September this year, including $150 for hot water recirculators and $200 for covers for existing swimming pools.
She said the rebate would increase from $50 to $100 for garden goods such as rainwater diverters.
The Government would also work with industry to modernise the State’s water legislation and ensure a highly competitive water industry.
“The first step will be the release of a detailed issues paper for consultation, which will drive the direction for new legislation, to be introduced to Parliament next year,” Ms Maywald said.
2 July, 2009
EasyData to have
hard facts
A new internet-based information service offering up-to-the-minute data on local communities in South Australia has been set up by the Department of Trade and Economic Development.Chief Executive of DTED, Brian Cunningham said the EasyData service was a result of collaboration between DTED, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Local Government Association (LGA).
"EasyData is a consolidation of publicly available data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics as well as some previously unavailable information which will benefit a wide variety of organisations," Mr Cunningham said.
"It will help bodies such as regional development organisations write grant applications, reports and strategic plans and will provide up to the minute information for Local Government, employment and skills networks.”
Executive Director of the LGA, Wendy Campana said the program showed how effectively the three spheres of Government could collaborate to create effective resources.
"Every Council in South Australia is represented on EasyData with up to date demographic information which will be of tremendous help to Councils when making grant applications to the State and Federal Governments as well as a raft of other useful data sources,” Ms Campana said.
"We are delighted to have been involved in this useful research and information tool which can be used by people either looking to invest in or move to South Australia and will provide important regional information about industry, populations, housing prices and other important data,” she said.
Mr Cunningham said the EasyData service was designed for use by people who were unfamiliar with statistics.
He said it provided access to pre-selected print-outs, graphs and images which could be lifted and dropped into other documents.
It was available at www.southaustralia.biz/EasyData
2 July, 2009
Food labelling plan
is best recipe
A campaign by SA Health to enforce country of origin labelling on food in South Australia has seen non-compliance levels plummet.
Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gail Gago said 284 food businesses checked in the second half of last year failed to meet Country of Origin labelling requirements but recent repeat visits showed that almost 90 per cent now did.
“The message is getting through to food businesses, better helping South Australians who want to make a conscientious choice to buy Australian produced or manufactured foods, supporting local producers and in turn our nation’s jobs and economy,” Ms Gago said.
“Sometimes consumers also want the confidence of knowing what goes in their mouth is prepared under Australia’s quality food standards; or they choose to discriminate against a country’s activities,” she said.
Ms Gago said food businesses were required to identify whether the contents of packaged and unpackaged foods were imported or a mix of local and imported produce.
She said the final phase of these requirements was introduced in December 2007 for supermarkets, butchers, fruit and vegetable stores, seafood stores and delicatessens.
“Consumers widely welcome Country of Origin labelling which provides them with information on the country or countries where the food is grown, manufactured or packaged,” she said.
“More of our State’s food businesses are lifting their game to deliver these labelling requirements and I applaud SA Health’s efforts to promote greater compliance for the benefit of consumers.”
Ms Gago said SA Health had initiated further action against food businesses that failed to comply during the follow up inspections.
2 July, 2009
Digital radio hits
the charts
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has switched on its digital radio service for Adelaide.Managing Director of the ABC, Mark Scott, said the ABC would offer simulcasts of its existing ABC Radio services in Adelaide along with three new music stations - ABC Dig Music, ABC Jazz and ABC Country.
"The ABC sees digital radio as an opportunity to provide Australians with new content and more content, and to further enrich the media experience ABC audiences enjoy,” Mr Scott said.
“With the success of iView and ABC Mobile behind us, with digital radio starting today and the new kids channel ABC3 ahead at Christmas, the ABC is continuing to reach more Australians in more ways than ever before,” he said.
Mr Scott said the ABC had also launched digital radio stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.
He said the Federal Government was considering extending digital radio to other metropolitan centres and regional areas by 2011.
Director of ABC Radio, Kate Dundas said digital radio would allow the ABC to extend and deepen the amount of content it could provide.
"Digital Radio affords us the opportunity to deliver a greater variety of content and to present special event broadcasts, like our planned ball-by-ball uninterrupted coverage of the 2009 Ashes series," Ms Dundas said.
"We foresee that our digital stations will offer many value-add opportunities for our listeners.”
She said for example that cricket fans would be able to listen to full Ashes coverage on a special ABC Grandstand digital radio channel and that alternative programming choices would be offered on networks such as ABC NewsRadio during Parliamentary session broadcasts, and special event concert broadcasts from triple j and ABC Classic FM.
“With our new music services on digital radio joining the ABC broadcast family, we're pleased to commence the Digital Radio roll-out today,” she said.
“It’s the next exciting move in the ABC delivering audiences the high quality content they seek from us,” Ms Dundas said.
2 July, 2009
New law lets
brass shine
A new law coming into effect this week gives more powers to undercover police to investigate and break up organised crime from the inside.Attorney-General, Michael Atkinson said the Criminal Investigation (Covert Operations) Act 2009 would give police the power to use false identities by creating fake identity documents, such as driver’s licenses and birth certificates.
“We’re giving police the tools to fight organised crime from the inside,” Mr Atkinson said.
“These laws will assist police expose drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal weapons trading and gang violence – including murder,” he said.
Mr Atkinson said the new laws would detail how false identity documents could be applied for and the grounds on which they could be granted.
He said the laws would also allow covert operatives to give evidence in Court without disclosing their true identities and potentially exposing themselves and their families to harm.
But he said the Act also set out punishments for the misuse of false identities.
“Covert operatives and agencies involved in undercover operations can enjoy greater legal certainty and the laws also deliver better police accountability than previous arrangements,” he said.
“The work of undercover police officers is critical to stopping some of the most dangerous criminal activity, which threatens public safety in this State.”
Mr Atkinson said under the new laws false identities would be recognised by interstate law enforcement agencies and cross-border recognition of witness protection certificates would be possible.
He said the new laws were not restricted to police and could also be used by Australian Crime Commission officers.
“Cross-border recognition of South Australian undercover operations will make life easier for police and harder for criminals,” he said.
“Recent events have shown us organised criminal gangs don’t behave themselves once they’ve crossed a State border.”
Mr Atkinson said the protection of front-line police in the war against organised criminal gangs was paramount.
“These brave and dedicated operatives need protection so that they can carry out dangerous but important investigations in the safest possible way,” he said.
2 July, 2009
Tenancy program to
boost rental health
New tenancy services provided by the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs are expected to help keep renters, landlords and agents out of the Residential Tenancies Tribunal.Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gail Gago said rental tenants would now be provided with education, advocacy, and financial counseling services to help them meet their legal obligations.
“Many tenants, struggling to manage their rent and finances as well as understanding their rights and responsibilities, end up in dispute with landlords or agents,” Ms Gago said.
“This service can provide a win win solution by helping tenants and landlords find an orderly resolution before things reach the Residential Tenancies Tribunal.”
She said such a resolution could involve negotiating with landlords and tenants, or independently advising them about their rights and legal responsibilities.
She said the services would also encourage tenants to improve their household management or get financial counseling to help meet rent payments.
“This will be even more important for South Australians enduring greater financial pressures amid the current economic climate.”
She said an education program for landlords and tenants was also anticipated as part of the initiative to try and head off disputes before they occur.
Ms Gago said a $35 application fee for lodging matters before the Residential Tenancies Tribunal would be introduced from January 2010 to help fund the new services but the fee was conservative compared to other States and exemptions would be given to concession card holders and those who met hardship criteria.
She said the Residential Tenancies Tribunal had conducted 11,222 hearings in 2008, with the OCBA’s Tenancies Branch assisting in 3,841 disputes during the year.
Tenants and landlords could seek advice from OCBA on (08) 8204 9544 and further information about tenancy seminars was available from www.ocba.sa.gov.au
2 July, 2009
Consumer checks
measure up
Recent measurement checks on businesses in the Eyre Peninsula by the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs uncovered just three instances of inaccurate instruments from 79 tested.Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gail Gago said OCBA had checked devices such as petrol pumps, weighbridges, and retail and post office scales to make sure consumers were being charged according to correct weights.
“The monitoring has returned some great results and the big winners here are shoppers in the local community,” Ms Gago said.
“Consumers are entitled to receive the correct weight, volume or measure of goods when making a purchase, which is what these inspections aim to uphold.”
She said however that the three instances of inaccuracies were found to be in favour of the consumers.
The largest error was a deviation of 1.6 kilograms on a set of scales, with two petrol pumps also found to be giving more fuel than required, she said.
Ms Gago said the scales and petrol pumps had been rejected for trade until they were repaired and certified.
“Traders need to have their measuring instruments checked regularly, otherwise they may end up losing out themselves or short changing customers and incurring action from OCBA,” she said.
Ms Gago said she was happy with the high rates of compliance in regional areas which would reinforce consumer confidence in rural traders.
She said it was important that all traders continued to ensure accurate and regularly calibrated scales because any found using defective scales or petrol pumps in follow up checks could be subject to penalties of up to $20,000 under the Trade Measurement Act 1993.
She urged consumers to report any concerns they had by calling OCBA on 8234 2036 (131 882 for regional callers) or by visiting the website at www.ocba.sa.gov.au
2 July, 2009
Long arm of the law
reaches overseas
Australians travelling abroad will find it easier to enforce their legal rights following the tabling in Parliament of a convention making serving documents in foreign countries quicker and cheaper.Attorney General, Robert McClelland said the Hague Convention on Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Matters 1965 would help avoid confusion and delay by enabling documents to be provided to a designated Central Authority in participating countries.
Mr McClelland said it was often difficult for Australian litigants to determine how documents should be served in another country and to prove they had been properly served.
“Australia's accession to the Convention will particularly benefit the increasing number of Australian companies conducting business overseas by giving them greater certainty in being able to enforce their legal rights,” he said.
“Some of Australia's key trading partners are already parties to the Hague Service Convention, including the United States, China, the United Kingdom and a number of other European nations.”
Mr McClelland said the Government also tabled a National Interest Analysis proposing Australia become a party to the Convention.
“This represents the first step in the formal process for Australia's accession to the Convention and represents the culmination of considerable efforts by the Standing Committee of Attorneys General,” he said.
2 July, 2009
Regional planning
comes to town
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by the three levels of Government to establish a new regional consultative body to ensure projects proposed for regional areas in South Australia are responsive to local communities’ needs.Minister for Regional Development, Paul Caica said Regional Development Australia (RDA SA) would provide advice to governments about regional issues, provide input into government programs, provide information to regional communities about government programs, and help coordinate regional planning and development initiatives.
He said by focusing the collective efforts of all spheres of Government, RDA SA would help better prioritise and strengthen Government projects in regional areas.
He said seven regional RDAs and an RDA Adelaide advisory committee would be created to align with South Australia’s Government Regions.
“The most important task of the new RDAs will be to work with all levels of government on the best way to build jobs and investment in their communities and meet the objectives of the South Australian Strategic Plan,” Mr Caica said.
“We want to fill the new RDAs with local community leaders who can strongly represent grass-roots views and who bring with them a renewed commitment to the social and economic development of their regions,” he said.
He said the new RDAs would carry on the work of the previous Area Consultative Committees (ACCs) and Regional Development Boards.
Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Local Government, Maxine McKew said RDA SA would collect and communicate information about regional areas in a much more effective way.
“RDA SA will work across all three spheres of government to help ensure regional projects remain responsive to local communities’ needs,” Ms McKew said.
“I am confident that RDA SA will build on the success of the previous ACCs and RDBs and become a stronger voice for regional development,” she said.
President of the South Australian Local Government Association, Felicity-Ann Lewis said she recognised local communities wanted their elected leaders to work together to deliver results in regional areas.
“We believe Regional Development Australia will significantly improve co-operation across all levels of government by better aligning our efforts and resources to deliver programs and services to local communities,” Ms Lewis said.
A call for expressions of interest for RDA SA members including chairs and deputy chairs is to be advertised in metropolitan and regional newspapers shortly.
2 July, 2009
Beautification grants
are little beauties
Fifteen local Councils have received grants from the State Government to complete projects aimed at beautifying their local open spaces.Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Paul Holloway said $2.95 million would be provided to metropolitan and regional Councils for a range of open space development projects.
“These latest Open Space and Places 4 People grants sourced from the Planning and Development Fund will assist these Councils to invest in local projects worth a total of more than $7.26 million,” Mr Holloway said.
These Open Space and Places 4 People grants are creating a lasting legacy of upgraded community facilities such as bikeways, picnic areas, bridges and play equipment for South Australian families,” he said.
Mr Holloway said the $7.26 million invested in the community projects would create jobs for landscapers, designers and tradespeople.
He said the Government had invested more than $54 million over the past seven years from the Planning and Development Fund to support the development of public spaces.
According to Mr Holloway, the City of Mount Barker had received $1 million to assist with the purchase of about 37 hectares of open space, while the City of Unley received $400,000 to provide lighting for sections of the Tramway Park.
He said the City of Whyalla had received $333,650 to undertake the second stage of the Whyalla Foreshore redevelopment, while the City of Charles Sturt received $262,500 for the construction of a shared-use bridge under Findon Road in the River Torrens Linear Park.
The city of Tea Tree Gully received $180,000 for the first stage of the Goldenfields Reserve redevelopment, and the Tatiara District Council received $171,000 to upgrade the main street of Keith.
Other recipients of the Open Space and Places 4 People grants include the District Council of Yankalilla, the District Council of Mount Barker, the city of Mitcham, the Wattle Range Council, the Barossa council, the City of Playford and the Flinders Ranges Council.
2 July, 2009
Online access is
on right track
Nominated people who conduct business with Centrelink on behalf of clients will now be able to access the Agency’s online services.Minister for Human Services, Chris Bowen said nominees were able to register to deal with Centrelink using Centrelink’s eServices.
Mr Bowen said carers, many of whom acted as a nominee for the person they cared for, would benefit from the changes.
“The Australian Government recognises that caring for someone can be a full-time job and a vital part of that role is dealing with Centrelink about payments and services,” Mr Bowen said.
“Carers often act as nominees for Centrelink customers who, for a variety of reasons, may not be able to conduct Centrelink business for themselves.”
Mr Bowen said over 2,000 nominees had registered to use the eService since it became available in March.
“These improvements mean nominees can now update contact details and view payment details online, without having to visit a Centrelink Customer Service Centre,” he said.
“eServices were previously unavailable to nominees, but feedback from the community has led to its development.”
Mr Bowen said having access to online services meant nominees could conduct business with Centrelink at a time that suited them.
Centrelink clients seeking more information can visit www.centrelink.gov.au or phone 13 27 17.
2 July, 2009
Belair park plans
are trees bon
The Department for Environment and Heritage has completed its public consultation on the Belair National Park Entry Precinct upgrade and has announced some minor changes to the plan as a result.District Ranger with DEH for the Southern Lofty District, James Crocker said the community reacted positively to the proposed upgrades.
“Overall, most of the feedback DEH received was positive,” Mr Crocker said.
“Some respondents did have some questions about the design, but most of these were able to be answered through the ‘open house’ meetings, written responses and individual conversations.”
He said the consultations had produced a number of constructive suggestions, which had all been considered by the project team and the majority of the feedback was concerned with having a single Park entry/exit road with two-way traffic.
“We are aware that many people would prefer to see a separate entry and exit road, with a one-way loop for traffic, instead of the proposed single entry/exit road with two-way traffic,” he said.
“Given the number of suggestions we received about this issue, we have now amended the plans accordingly.”
Mr Crocker said he would like to thank all the members of the community who took the time to provide the Department with feedback regarding the proposed upgrades.
He said the Department was now in the process of finalising documentation for the project and would be looking to commencing work early in the 2009-2010 financial year.
2 July, 2009
Force is with new
police complex
Construction work on the $6.5 million redevelopment of the Christies Beach police complex has begun.Minister for Police, Michael Wright said the construction would give the facility an upgraded cell complex, new training and Emergency Zone Centre facilities, expanded administration area and extra secure parking.
“Features will also include an exercise room; a new property storage facility; a refit of workstations and offices to integrate the extension into the main complex; demolition and removal of a transportable building in Blyth Street, and construction of a car park in its place to securely store 49 vehicles,” Mr Wright said.
“We’re determined to provide our police with the most up to date resources and enable our officers to carry out their work efficiently and effectively in an environment that caters for modern policing needs,” he said.
Mr Wright said the redeveloped station was due for completion in April/May 2010 and would provide a professional and modern working environment to support officers in their everyday work.
He said the Government had invested hundreds of millions of dollars in new police infrastructure for the South Australian community.
He said new police stations had been built at Golden Grove, Aldinga, Gawler, Mount Barker, Victor Harbor, Berri, Port Lincoln. Newton, Blakeview, Hallett Cove and Pooraka.
“Under the previous Liberal Government, funding for police operations suffered years of neglect,” he said.
Mr Wright said more than $115 million had since been provided towards new building works including a brand new state-of-the-art police academy, a new police headquarters in the city along with new police facilities at Roxby Downs, Murray Bridge and Yalata.
He said the current Government had trained around 550 police officers since 2002.
“This commitment has helped make South Australia a safer place to be, with crime falling across the state by a massive 26.8 per cent since 2002,” he said.
2 July, 2009
Easier water trading
in the pipeline
Changes to water trading laws that came into effect this week are expected to make it easier and more efficient for land holders along the River Murray to trade their water entitlements.Minister for the River Murray, Karlene Maywald said changes to the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 would separate the numerous rights and permissions included in water licences to allow flexibility in water trading.
“The key benefits for water licence holders is that no site and technical assessments are required for trade of permanent or temporary water entitlements so trades can occur within days, not weeks as has been the case previously,” Ms Maywald said.
“This legislative change is important to achieve consistency across Australia in how water licences are used and managed as well as ensuring there are no impediments to water trade.”
She said under the existing system, approvals were often tied to technical and site assessments, which took several weeks to complete.
She said there would not be any changes to individual water entitlements or approvals but licensees would notice changes in how the Department of Water, Land, and Biodiversity Conservation conducted water transfers.
Minister for Environment and Conservation, Jay Weatherill said the new system would start with River Murray licensees in 2009-10, and would then be expanded to include the other 25 prescribed water resource areas by 2014.
“While timeframes for implementation across the State have not yet been finalised, licence holders outside of the River Murray area will receive more information before their region transitions to the new system,” Mr Weatherill said.
“This legislative change is important to create national uniformity given Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland have already moved to an ‘unbundled’ administrative system,” he said.
2 July, 2009
Natural history art
prize in the frame
A record number of entries has been received for 2009 Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize whose finalists are to be displayed at the South Australian Museum next month.The Public Programs Coordinator of the South Australian Museum, Alice Bonnin said 837 entries had been received for the prestigious award, topping last year by almost 150 entries.
Ms Bonnin said 101 finalists had been named, and would have the opportunity to share in a prize pool of $114,500.
She said there were 31 finalists from South Australia including Jason Codero from Tea Tree Gully for his painting What will tomorrow bring.
She said the judges would select the $50,000 overall winner and first, second and third prize winners in each category and there would also be a $5,000 People’s Choice Award to be selected by visitors to the exhibition.
Judge and Head Curator of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of NSW, Barry Pearce said this year’s Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize was the best art competition he had ever judged.
Ms Bonnin said the competition was now in its seventh year and remained the richest art prize in Australia.
She said this year a new Waterhouse Youth Art Prize had been established for artists between 16 and 25 years and there were a diverse range of themes including climate change and Australian landscape and wildlife.
Ms Bonnin said that as well as Mr Pearce, the judges of the Prize would be Australian artist, Garry Shead, the Director of Public Programs at the National Archives of Australia, Zoe D’Arcy and the Director of the South Australian Museum, Dr Suzanna Miller.
2 July, 2009
Records fees up
State Records of South Australia has announced an increase in fees and charges for services under the State Records Act 1997 and the Freedom of Information Act 1991.
State Records said the increases are in line with changes to the Consumer Price Index.
The increases took effect from 1 July and details can be accessed through the South Australian Government Gazette No 41, 4 June 2009.
New medical units
Acute Medical Units have been introduced into the State’s health system to streamline and speed up the emergency and acute responses.
The AMUs are to consist of specialist staff and equipment who will work alongside emergency department staff to help cut the time it takes to get an acute patient seen and treated.
The AMU system will resemble a similar model already in use at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and those used overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom.
IPAA vacancies
The Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA SA) is looking to hire an Events and Administration Assistant and an Administration Coordinator.
IPAA SA says both positions would report directly to the CEO and help organise major events, networking forums and professional development programs.
Both positions are offered as 3 days per week and the IPAA SA says they would suit a working parent or someone looking for flexibility in their work arrangements.
Applications are open until COB Friday 10 July 2009 and more information is available from www.sa.ipaa.org.au
LGA MoU planned
The Valuer-General, Land Services Group, and the Local Government Association have called for comment from Councils on a planned Memorandum of Understanding with Local Government.
The MOU would define service and performance expectations for the provision of valuation information and services from the Valuer-General to all Councils with the exception of the City of Adelaide.
Comments would be reciieved until COB Thursday 6 August 2009 and can be directed to Bethany Loates at bethany.loates@lga.sa.gov.au
Science awards up
Nominations for the South Australian Science Excellence Awards have risen 50 per cent.
Science and Information Economy Minister, Michael O’Brien said he is happy to see such a large increase in quantity, as well as quality of the nominations.
“One of the most striking features of the 45 entries this year is the breadth of nominees across all areas of science, highlighting the depth of skills we have in our state,” Mr O’Brien said.
The winners of this year’s awards are to be announced at the Awards Gala Dinner to be held at the Hilton Adelaide on 20 August.
Upgrade for TAFE
TAFE SA campuses around the State are to be upgraded to address the changing training needs of students and employers.
Around $12.6 million is to be provided to 21 TAFE SA campuses, with the Whyalla and Mount Gambier campuses sharing in around $10 million.
The remaining $2.6 million is to be used for building works, machinery and equipment in Port Pirie, Mount Gambier, Berri, Murray Bridge, Port Lincoln, Roxby Downs and other smaller sites.
A further $700,000 is to be used to install energy efficient lights, energy efficient air conditioning and other improvements at the Mount Barker and Mount Gambier campuses.