SEGRA - Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia

The Meeting Post

If you have a success story you would like to share please let us know

Welcome to The Meeting Post - Edition 6

Welcome again to The Meeting Post, our newsletter for regional Australia.  Regional Australia and its place in Australia’s economic and social future is very much on the agenda at the moment.  The Federal Government has created a Minister for Population; the Queensland Government has just released Shaping Tomorrow’s Queensland a response to the recent Growth Summit; Victoria is well advanced in its Provincial Victoria: Directions for the Next Decade blueprint due for release in June 2010.

Regions, by their very nature can be particularly vulnerable to the tensions in public policy development. It is critical that regional Australia maintains a strong public voice.  The annual SEGRA conference has become a key opportunity for regions to ensure regional perspective is articulated in the discussions.  Recently the SEGRA Steering Committee met with the Parliamentary Secretary, The Hon Maxine McKew to discuss the Federal Government’s vision for the future and some of the key issues emerging from SEGRA 2009.

This edition of The Meeting Post highlights some key issues for the future – revisiting Dr Michael Wesley from the Lowy Institute on what Australia’s options might be over the next 30 years at an international level, the SEGRA 2009 Communiqué, the Queensland Government’s Shaping Tomorrow’s Queensland report , new approaches to resolving land use conflicts,  as well as a cornucopia of news, perspective and initiatives from around Australia that I hope will inform, and inspire you. 

Enjoy.

Kate Charters.

 

A new SEGRA Steering Committee Member

We are delighted to welcome Simon Boughey as a new member of the SEGRA Steering Committee.

Simon has worked and had an involvement in community and regional development since 1981. Simon
also has a strong interest in environmental issues and has an active involvement in Land care. Simon was the National President of Greening Australia from 2000 to 2003.

Until the recent Tasmanian elections  Simon was the Senior Adviser to the Minister for Primary Industries and Water in Tasmania. From 2004-2009 he was the Regional Director of Area Consultative Committee Tasmania.

Simon holds a BA in Geography and Psychology, a Graduate Diploma of Recreation Planning in Natural Resources Management and Graduate Diploma with Honours in Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies
and is currently and Honorary Associate at the University of Tasmania.

 

 

 

Feature Article

Australia's International Future

The Meeting Post revisits the address given by Dr Michael Wesley, Executive Director of the Lowry Institute for International Policy, one year on from his appointment. In it Dr Wesley postulates what Australia’s options might be if the United States of America devolves from its position of primacy, over
the next 30 years. Dr Wesley also points to Australia’s increasing voice and calls for greater public
debate about our international policy position and our allegiances.

Be careful what you wish for.  We’ve always wanted to be noticed by the big powers. Now we are – and it represents perhaps the most difficult diplomatic milieu we’ve ever faced.  Not only can the way in which
we manage our foreign policy affect us; it has the potential to affect the broader regional order also as suspicious great powers are increasingly inclined to suspect their rivals’ instigation of what they see as unfriendly acts by smaller countries.

Read More

 

Professional Perspectives

Regional Resilience Key to the Future

Despite the cold water the Global Financial Crisis poured on regional Australia last year, SEGRA 2009 was a high-energy melting pot of ideas and perspectives, celebrating regional resilience.

The Western Australian flagship policy, ‘Royalties for Regions’ set hearts racing and provided an inspiring centerpiece for discussion around new funding frameworks and governance paradigms to better serve regional Australia.

The impact of fly-in, fly-out operations also sparked debate, but it underlined the need for regional Australia to continue to strive for a strong political voice that truly reflects its contribution to national wealth.

Delegates discussed emerging issues such as:

The full breadth of the conference can be seen in the SEGRA 2009 Communiqué


Best Practice

National Award for Hume Council's Jobs Program

The Passport to Work program run by Hume Council in Victoria won the Strength in Diversity category at the 2009 National Awards for Local Government.

Participants undertake training, including mock interviews, resume writing and job search techniques and is followed up with 13 weeks of guidance and advice from a mentor – a key attribute of the program.

“This award is recognition of the efforts of Council and program partners, Juno Consulting, to help the community,” said current Hume Mayor Cr Geoff Porter. “Passport to Work is an inspiring program that has made such a difference to people’s lives by matching them with a mentor who provides guidance, advice and tips on how to find and secure a job.”

Over 130 Hume Council residents have been through the ‘ready for work’ program since it began in 2005.

The Passport to Work program is managed by Juno Consulting and runs at the Hume Global Learning Centre in Broadmeadows.

Mentors from Hume City Council, together with Western Water, Hume Whittlesea Local Learning and Employment Network, Note Printing Australia, ANZ and Lonely Planet played a key role in the program’s success.

Another key contributor to the program’s success was the support provided by local job network providers Matchworks and AMES.

Left-Right: The Hon Minister Albanese MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government; Hume City Council former Mayor Cr Jack Oglivie; Paul Lacey for Juno Consulting; Anita Lijovic from Hume City Council; and The Hon Maxine McKew MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government.

Award Winning Weed Busting from Space

Mashing together Google Earth maps and Council property data, Liverpool Plains Shire Council in North West New South Wales has developed an award-winning weed management system.

The prestigious National Local Government Initiatives Award for Innovation in Natural Resource Management was awarded to Liverpool Plains Shire Council, last September, in recognition of the efficiency gains the program has achieved.

The Tr@ceR Mobile Mapping program was developed by Council’s IT staff and weed officers and is now used across the Namoi Catchment
Management Authority area.  Expressions of interest have since been attracted from many similar authorities.

The program provides weeds inspectors with specific information at their fingertips, enabling them to record specific data on weed infestation.

“More importantly, the integrated cadastral map also allows inspectors to determine the property’s owner details, address details, Lot/DP and global position,” said Council’s Weed inspector Mike Whitney.

“Inspectors can now print reports in the field, unlike the previous manual system, where the processing of inspection reports was a duplication of work already conducted in the field.”

This feature has delivered savings of around $13,000 per annum in administration costs and an estimated $15,000 per annum in efficiency gains.

For further information visit the Liverpool Plains Shire Council website

 

News

RIRDC funding for research into Regional Australia

Following on from a national survey last year into key issues affecting regional Australia and relevant criteria to assess and prioritise initiatives Management Solutions QLD is delighted to announce that SEGRA and the Regional Futures Institute, Southern Cross University have received joint funding from the Rural Industries Regional Development Corporation to conduct a follow-up survey to inform the development of industry-academic research into key issues for regional Australia.  Data collected from the study will inform the forthcoming SEGRA workshop Building Industry-Academic Research Collaborations being conducted on 21 October 2010 in Townsville. 

In awarding this funding the Rural Industries Research Development Corporation Senior Research Manager, Ken Moore said RIRDC was delighted to partner in this initiative to support the development of long-term partnerships between industry and academia.  “Research such as this ensures significant expertise continues to be applied to rural and regional issues and ensure a strong focus on the values of fundamental and applied research for sustainable development.  It will also provide valuable educational opportunities for higher degree research students working on issues affecting regional Australia,” he said.

 “The model of a university, government department and professional development and training company working in partnership to deliver this program is unique and delivers specific advantages over and above many research development opportunities” said Kate Charters, Convenor of SEGRA.  “It will provide substantial skills based professional development for participants” she said.

Workshop facilitator Dr Peter Vitartas, from the Regional Futures Institute said “This funding will provide critical information that will inform and foster the development of collaborative research opportunities between business, practitioners and academics. The workshop will initiate important discussions, develop networks and create links that can lead to future collaborative research initiatives on potential areas for action on issues affecting regional Australia”. 

For further information regarding this workshop please visit the SEGRA 2010 workshop page

 

Around the Regions

Blueprint for Northern Rivers Brand

The fastest growing region in New South Wales, Northern Rivers, stretches from Coffs Harbour north to the border and it is thinking big.

Following a Think Tank held in March, Northern Rivers now aspires to be a united regional brand and a sustainability success story by 2025.

Hosted by Southern Cross University’s Regional Futures Institute (SCU) the first regional Think Tank emerged with a blueprint for the Northern Rivers as an agricultural food bowl using innovative and renewable energies and agricultural practices; a region linked nationally and globally by transport and telecommunications; a key player in knowledge and technology industries with high employment for a skilled work base with opportunities to keep young people in the region.

The outcomes of the SCU Think Tank will now guide the development of the research, consultancy and training services provided by the Universities Regional Futures Institute.

“The aim of the Institute is to develop tools to ensure regional communities remain sustainable and to raise awareness of the important role these play in Australia,” said Professor Jeremy Buultjens, Director of the Regional Futures Institute at SCU.

The full communiqué from the Think Tank is available here.

 

Going Bush for the Break

Over 100 city-based students will be heading to the regions for the June/July semester break this year, in an innovative campaign designed to attract young professionals to rural communities.

Campaign 100 has been an intensive push by The Brolga Project, to give students a regional experience in an effort to redress the ongoing drift of young people away from country areas.

The Brolga Project has been running for just under two years, but has adopted a short, sharp, high-energy focus for these holidays to build the momentum of the project.

More than 600 students registered, ranging from younger under-graduates to mature aged students looking to relocate their families. Students will be placed with regional businesses, non-government agencies or local councils for work experience. The initiative aims to give metropolitan-based students an opportunity to experience the unique lifestyle and career choices offered in regional communities before they graduate, expecting many will return.

More details are available here

For more information contact:

Richard Cowley, Manager, The Brolga Project
P: 07 3366 1005 M: 0412 189 787 or
Richard@brolgaproject.com.au

Lorena Ocrospoma, Campaign 100 Manager
P: 07 3366 1005 M: 0422 677 181 or
lorena@brolgaproject.com.au

 

The Australian RIRDC Rural Women's Award

The Australian RIRDC Rural Women's Award celebrates rural women and their contributions to primary industries and rural communities. It gives rural women the chance to discover their leadership strengths and build their capacity to contribute to primary industries and rural Australia.

The Award opens up a positive and powerful network of liked-minded women across the country who are passionate about primary industries and rural Australia. Read the inspirational stories of the 2010 Australian RIRDC Rural Woman of the Year, Sue Middleton, the Runner-up, Alana Johnson, and the other State and Territory winners and runners-up.                                             

For more details, please visit the Rural Women’s Award website

Investing in Young Desert Leaders

Ten Aboriginal and nine non-Aboriginal participants have been selected for the inaugural Alice Springs Desert Leadership program, run by Desert Knowledge Australia.

This is a highly innovative approach; up-skilling emerging leaders and building capacity within the community.  The ultimate aim is to empower the community so it can chart its own course into the future.

“The participants represent a broad cross-section of the Alice Springs’ community and were selected based on the potential for leadership they have already shown and their commitment to the future of the town,” said John Huigen, CEO Desert Knowledge Australia.

The group, all aged from their late 20s to late 30s, includes a Police Officer, the Co-Artistic Director of Red Dust Theater, a Library Manager, Community Advocates and a Life Skills Worker – among others.

The 18-month program includes mentoring, an East-Coast retreat and group projects. It will focus on developing an understanding of place, context, ethics and values and adaptive leadership in the young leaders.

Alice Springs is a diverse community, which demands particular skills in leaders, which the program hopes to foster.  Developing personal skills such as public speaking and media skills will also be part of the journey.

Desert Knowledge Australia is a national organization committed to building harmony,

sustainability and prosperity for all Australian desert people, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal alike.

The Australian and Northern Territory Governments are program partners along with the National Australia Bank.

A number of local businesses and organizations are also sponsoring the program.

More information about Desert Knowledge can be found here

Front row from l to r: Sam Osborne, James Nolan, Kellie Tranter, Barbara Shaw, Lynda Lechleitner, Kristy Bloomfield, Donna Lemon, Nichole Kerslake, Mark Lockyer, Jade Kudrenko, Thomas Newsome.
Back row from l to r: Joe Clarke, Lyndon Frearson, Ian McAdam, Fionn Muster, Skye Thompson, Georgina Davison and David Quan.

Publications

The Premier flags a new era of growth management in Queensland

Premier Anna Bligh has recently released a report for managing growth in Queensland in response to the Queensland Growth Management Summit.

‘Shaping Tomorrow’s Queensland’ focuses on shaping Queensland’s future, strengthening its regions, promoting livable and affordable communities, delivering infrastructure, protecting Queenslanders’ lifestyle and environment and connecting communities.

These themes are supported by 22 new initiatives and 25 new supporting actions to manage growth across the whole state.

Key new initiatives forming par of Shaping Tomorrow’s Queensland include:

For more information view the pdf

 

Finding Solutions for Environment Conflicts: Power and Negotiation - Dr Edward Christie

Finding Solutions For Environmental Conflicts: Power and Negotiation — Dr Edward Christie

"If this book is read, and its contents are heeded, as widely as is justified, then the days of the application of traditional dispute-resolution procedures to environmental disputes should be over in the 21st century”. - From the Foreword by Justice Peter Gray, Federal Court of Australia

Environmental conflicts over sustainability, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), biodiversity, biotechnology and risk, chemicals and public health, are not necessarily legalistic problems but land use problems. Edward Christie shows how solutions for these conflicts can be found via consensual agreement using an approach that integrates law, science and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and reframes the role of law and science.

This book assesses the key unifying principles of environmental and administrative law in Australia, the UK/EU and USA, together with accepted scientific concepts for environmental management and protection. By doing so it provides a cross-disciplinary approach to collaborative problem-solving and decision-making, using ADR processes to resolve environmental conflicts, and will be valuable to environmental professionals.

The book has been written to meet the requirements of any environmental professional – lawyer, scientist, engineer, planner – who directly, or indirectly, may be involved in development or planning conflicts when the environment is an issue.

Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., Cheltenham UK (New Horizons in Environmental Law Series). New Paperback Edition, December 2009.

 

Events

CALL FOR PAPERS NOW OPEN
Regions delivering a big Australia - SEGRA 2010, Townsville, Qld - 19-21 October

SEGRA 2010 call for papers and registration is now open.

The last 12-18 months have seen dramatic changes in the forces and fortunes impacting on regional Australia. The current debate around Australia’s long term population in terms of sustainability, composition and location has put regional Australia at the forefront of much policy discussion.  Growth management has included discussions of

strategic growth nodes, major cities programs and regional incentives packages. SEGRA 2010, being conducted in Townsville, Queensland with the  most decentralized city state in Australia, is well located for the debate. 

Cutting edge papers are now being sought from practitioners, researchers, business and government that highlight key initiatives and actions to advance regions and regional Australia.

Key action agendas for SEGRA 2010 include:

For more information please follow the links:

Segra home page
Call for papers
Registration and call for papers brochure

Papers must be submitted with the required documentation by 30 June 2010

For more information or other enquiries please contact Jessica Shelton on 07 32310 0021 or email info@segra.com.au

 

Aircruise - The Future of Luxury Travel

What does ‘once in a lifetime’ mean for people who have experienced so much already?

Delegates attending the Eighth National Conference on Tourism Futures 2010 will be wowed by the revolutionary hotel design concept ‘Aircruise’ and many other ground-breaking tourism innovations.

Nick Talbot, Design Director at Seymourpowell - one of the world’s leading design and innovation companies, will discuss how tourism organisations must plan with an eye on the very long term or otherwise face the prospect of falling behind and being driven out of their market.

During his time with Seymourpowell, Nick has developed the company’s presence in transportation design, notably heading up the largest industrial design project they have ever undertaken – the £3m interior and exterior development of Midland Mainline / Bombardier’s Meridian class 222 trains.
On a more stellar note, Nick has also worked on the interiors of the world’s first private spaceship, to be launched by Virgin Galactic.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear leading advice on how your organsation can become forward thinking and innovative.

Register now at www.tourismfutures.com.au
Eighth National Conference on Tourism Futures
5 – 7 July 2010, Brisbane, Australia
P: +61 7 3012 9575
W: www.tourismfutures.com.au
E: info@managementsolutions.net.au

Sustainable tourism issues are on the agenda at Global Eco 2010

Ecotourism Australia is currently organising the eighteenth annual Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference.

The 2010 Global Eco Conference will be held on the 25-27 October at Noosa, Queensland, Australia and is themed
Experience is Everything!

Global Eco brings together leading players from across the globe to examine best practice across sustainability, ecotourism and climate change response. Critical new research, policy and best practice case studies feature at Global Eco.

The conference aims to bring together sectors that have a direct and indirect role in delivering sustainable tourism and ecotourism, providing delegates with an excellent opportunity to examine and debate emerging issues and opportunities, review current best practices and collectively take a forward perspective on the industry.

The 2010 Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference will be held at the Outrigger Little Hastings Street Resort & Spa, Noosa.

More information about Global Eco 2010 can be found at the Global Eco website

 

 

 

About this newsletter

To receive a copy or subscribe to The Meeting Post please contact us

Reproduction of any items from The Meeting Post is welcome, with acknowledgment of the source.