BULLETIN

• MAV Board election: Nominations for the Board and Presidency are being progressively listed on the VEC website.

• Rate cap compliance: The ESC report ‘How councils set their rates’ has found that all 79 Victorian councils were compliant with the applicable rate cap in 2016-17. 

• Flora and Fauna feedback: The MAV will make a submission to the State Government’s review of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. A consultation paper was released this week and the consultation period closes on 13 March. The MAV has written to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP)  requesting that the deadline be extended to enable councils to consider and endorse their responses at a council meeting. For more information contact Claire Dunn.

• Achievements: The MAV has compiled a list of outcomes delivered for our members in 2016, including funding wins, efficiency improvements, policy influence, agreements, and more.

Six Victorians received Australia Day honours for service to local government and their communities this year:

• Robert Henry Askew - Warrnambool.
• The late Mr Donald Brian Chambers - Victoria.
• Janette Dawn Chantry - Moonee Valley.
• Susan Lewis Marstaeller - Mitchell.
• Bernard Sean Millane - Whitehorse and Timor Leste.
• Trevor Geoffrey Smith - Corangamite.

Former Moreland councillor Melanie Raymond was also awarded for service to youth, social welfare, and to the community.

You can find the full list of Australia Day honours online.

The State Government this week launched a petition urging the Federal Government to continue funding its share of 15 hours kindergarten – estimated at $100 million per annum to Victoria.

Councils are strongly urged to promote the petition with their local services and residents as part of their advocacy work.

The State Government asserts that if the funding is not continued:

• Our kids lose 5 hours of funded kinder a week at a vital stage of their development

• Families who can’t afford the extra childcare, mums especially, will find it harder to return to work

• Working families face up to $2000 extra per year per child in child care costs, even after the Child Care Rebate, if they’re forced to find an extra day of child care.

The MAV has provided campaign materials for councils on our kindergarten advocacy website.

We will keep councils and the website updated as the campaign progresses.

For further information contact Jan Barrett.

The MAV is hosting a range of Inclusive Aged and Disability Service Workshops to ensure councils’ aged and disability services (HACCPYP/CHSP) are accessible to and inclusive of all residents.

The series of workshops begins with two full-day Indigenous Inclusive Workshops on 2 March in Shepparton and 14 March in Melbourne. You can register online.

The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation is a registered training organisation and will deliver three-hour Cultural Safety Training, which aims to ensure your service provides quality health care that fits with the familiar cultural values and norms of the person accessing the service.

Following this, staff will hear about the MAV’s work, examples from councils, and from people whose role is to work with HACCPYP/CHSP agencies to build on their efforts to be inclusive of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander residents. There will be opportunity to ask speakers questions, and to network over morning tea and lunch.

Shepparton
10am – 4.15pm
Thursday 2 March
Shepparton Seniors, 132 Welsford St, Shepparton

Melbourne
9.30am – 3.45pm
Tuesday 14 March
MAV Office, Level 11, 60 Collins St, Melbourne

You can find more details and register online.

For further information contact Bianca Nutt.

The State Government has released its Climate Change Framework. The Framework sets out the Government’s vision for Victoria in 2050 and how it plans to realise that vision.

The Framework reiterates the Government’s commitment to achieving zero net emissions by 2050 outlining four pillars that will underpin the transition, namely: an increase in energy efficiency and productivity; a move to a clean electricity supply; electrifying our economy and switching to clean fuels; and reducing non-energy emissions and increasing carbon storage. 

The Framework includes a commitment to strengthen the State Government’s partnership with local government to share knowledge and experience, and ensure local government has the capacity to respond effectively to climate change.

You can find the Framework online.

The Department of Health and Human Services has released dates and locations for people interested in attending a thunderstorm asthma information session.

Ten sessions between February 6-26 are available for anyone impacted by the thunderstorm asthma event in late November 2016.

Health experts will explain what thunderstorm asthma is, and how people can prepare for the next pollen season.

You can find out more about the information sessions and register to attend online. 

• Building Better Regions Fund: This Federal Government fund will provide grants to projects in regional Victoria, either for new infrastructure or upgrades under the Infrastructure Projects Stream, or community activities with economic and social benefits under the Community Investments Stream.  Applications close 28 February.

• Disaster resilience: The National Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme offers grants between $10,000 and $250,000 for projects which contribute towards the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience. Funds must be matched dollar-for-dollar, in either cash or kind unless they are flood projects or projects submitted by volunteer organisations which may receive grants of greater than 50 per cent of total project costs. Applications close midnight Tuesday 28 February.

• Youth Crime Prevention: Applications are open for the $2 million competitive stream of the Victorian Government’s Youth Crime Prevention Grants program. Funding of up to $200,000 is available for community-led initiatives that address offending behaviour and recidivism by young people aged 10–24 years who have had contact with, or are at risk of involvement with, the criminal justice system. Not-for-profit groups and councils are eligible to apply, and applications close at 4pm on Friday 3 March.