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| Community and Place News |
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| march 2021 |
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Kaya/Hello,
WALGA acknowledges the many traditional owners of the land on which we work throughout Western Australia. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
Community and Place News is a monthly publication produced by WALGA's Resilient Communities Team, part of the broader WALGA Strategy, Policy and Planning Unit.
In this issue...
Funding opportunities, resources, upcoming training and contacts:
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| Upcoming Events |
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UWA Public Policy Institute - 2021 Laki Jayasuriya Oration delivered by Nyadol Nyuon
The annual oration will be delivered by human rights advocate and writer Nyadol Nyuon who will be speaking on multiculturalism and the politics of fear and exclusion.
Date: Friday, 19 March
Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm
Venue: EY Lecture Theatre, UWA Business School
Register here.
Local Government Community Development Officer - Aboriginal Engagement Network Meeting
This network is supported by WALGA and meets quarterly to provides the opportunity for Local Government colleagues to meet up and discuss their work in reconciliation and Aboriginal projects. For more information or to register your attendance please contact Cassandra Mora.
Date: Thursday, 25 March
Venue: WALGA, West Leederville
Injury Prevention Summit 2021: Success in the West
The Injury Prevention Summit 2021 will bring together injury prevention and safety promotion practitioners and policymakers and Local Governments from across Western Australia to build injury prevention and safety promotion activities within your work. Registrations close Thursday, 18 March. To find out more, click here.
Date: Thursday, 25 March
Venue: Duxton Hotel, Perth
Webinar: Update on the Government Regional Officer Housing Program for Local Government
WALGA and the Department of Communities are hosting a webinar to outline how Local Governments can be involved in supporting the Government Regional Officers’ Housing (GROH) program.
Date: Tuesday, 30 March
Time: 10:00am - 11:00am
Register here.
SAVE THE DATE
2021 Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards Conference
Date: Tuesday, 4 May
A number of award categories have nominations currently open, including the GWN7 Top Tourism Town Awards.
Local Government Community Safety Network Event
The Community Safety Network is hosting an event focused on the topic of family and domestic violence. The program and registration will be confirmed in the coming weeks. For more information, contact WALGA's Senior Policy Advisor, Marissa MacDonald or call 9213 2074.
Date: Tuesday, 18 May
Encounters: 2021 South West Heritage Conference
The Conference provides an opportunity for professional and business development, networking and exposure to a broad range of heritage concepts and information. There will be opportunities to attend selected sessions online. For more information and for registrations, which will open later this month, click here.
Date: Thursday, 22 April and Friday, 23 April.
Local Government Professionals - Community Development Network Conference
This professional development event will showcase an educational and informative program, designed specifically for Local Government officers working in community development. The conference theme is 'Creating community impact - awareness, action, influence.' For more information click here.
Date: Thursday, 9 September and Friday, 10 September
Venue: Crown Perth
Family and Domestic Violence Conference
Early Bird tickets are now on sale for the Conference. Submissions for abstracts to be presented at the conference close Friday, 19 February. For more information and registrations, click here.
Date: Monday, 13 September - Wednesday, 15 September
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| WALGA's Networks in Community and Emergency Management |
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| The Resilient Communities Team supports a number of online networks for WA Local Governments staff to assist in peer-to-peer sharing and learning, support capacity building, facilitate collaboration between Local Governments and to coordinate events and meetings. |
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| Community Safety Network
The Community Safety Network is supported by Local Government, WA Police, WALGA and Injury Matters and supports and assists stakeholders to effectively work together to address safety and crime prevention issues in the community. The Steering Committee meets monthly to plan an annual conference and two half day events, and an online Google Group facilitates regular discussion. To join the Google group email Cassandra Mora. The next half day event for this network is on Tuesday, 18 May. For more details on this event, see our Upcoming Events section above.
WA Local Government Reconciliation NetworkThis online Network supports the Community Development Officer – Aboriginal Engagement Network, which is supported by WALGA and meets quarterly. The online Network brings together WA Local Government Officers working in reconciliation and Aboriginal projects, including experienced Aboriginal community development officers who can provide advice and guidance on Aboriginal engagement. Membership of this network is open to Local Government staff, and employees of State, Commonwealth and Not For Profit departments and organisations with shared interests. Email Cassandra Mora for more information or to join Network. The next Network meeting is on Thursday, 25 March. For more details on this event, see our Upcoming Events section above.
Emergency Management Network
This Network was developed in response to a sector-wide engagement undertaken in 2019 by WALGA that identified a network as a useful tool. The Google Group brings together people in Local Government to share information and resources with, and obtain feedback from, the sector; enable the sharing of peer to peer advice and learnings between Local Governments; support partnership and collaboration between Local Governments and coordinate meetings and events. To join this network email the WALGA Resilient Communities Team. |
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| There are a number of other networks available for Local Governments. For more information about these networks, please contact the WALGA Resilient Communities Team. |
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| Improving Community and Place Newsletter |
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| WALGA's Resilient Communities team is looking to refresh the Community & Place Newsletter and calling for suggestions from readers. |
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| In working towards ensuring that we are creating a newsletter suited to our readers, the Resilient Communities team is seeking information about its readers and what you would like to get out of this newsletter. |
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| Please complete this two-minute survey or contact the Resilient Communities team if you would like to provide feedback |
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| Expressions of Interest: National Reconciliation Week Street Banner Project Sponsorship 2021 |
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| WALGA is seeking expressions of interest from Members to be sponsored to participate in the National Reconciliation Week Street Banner Project 2021. |
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To celebrate and recognise the importance of Reconciliation Week, celebrated from 27 May to 3 June each year, the Department of Sport, Local Government and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) is coordinating the 2021 Street Banner Project across Western Australia.
WALGA has funds available to sponsor two banners and is seeking expressions of interest from Local Governments interested in participating.
Email a brief expression of interest (no more than 300 words and including the preferred banner location) to the Resilient Communities team by Monday, 22 March outlining why your Local Government would like to be sponsored and the positive contribution towards reconciliation that your Local Government is making.
Winners will be notified by Friday, 26 March. |
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| For more information, visit the Department’s website, or contact Cassandra Mora for further details about the process. |
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| Seeking Feedback on the Review of Wastewater Management in WA |
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| The Department of Health has released a discussion paper titled ‘Managing public health risks from wastewater conveyance, treatment and disposal in Western Australia’ and has commenced consultation on the future management of wastewater. |
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This review is part of the implementation of the Public Health Act 2016 which requires the Department of Health to review the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1911 and associated regulations.
Feedback on this discussion paper is due to the Department of Health by Friday, 21 May and can be provided through this survey.
Local Governments are encouraged to provide feedback or a copy of their completed survey to WALGA to inform a representative submission. Feedback can be forwarded to WALGA’s Senior Policy Advisor Community, Marissa MacDonald by Friday, 16 April.
WALGA is also planning to host a webinar with the Department of Health in April which will also be an opportunity to provide comments and feedback for the WALGA submission. These details will be confirmed. |
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| For more information, or to provide feedback, contact Senior Policy Advisor, Community, Marissa MacDonald or call 9213 2074. |
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| WA Libraries Strategy Consultation |
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| Public Libraries WA is hosting a series of events as part of their "blue sky thinking" for the development of a new shared state strategy for WA public libraries. |
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The poster for the event series can be found here. The following outlines the three iThink Challenges as part of the consultation and the professional development workshop to conclude the event series.
Digitally Inclusive Libraries - Monday, 29 March
Libraries Supporting Communities - Wednesday, 21 April
Library Led Learning - Monday, 17 May
Demonstrating the Value of Libraries - Thursday, 27 May |
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| For more information and to register, please visit the Public Libraries website here. |
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| Consultation on the Indigenous Voice Proposals |
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| Consultation has commenced on the Indigenous Voice Proposals and will assist the Indigenous Voice co-design groups to further develop and refine the proposals so that final recommendations can be made to the Federal Government. |
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In October 2019, Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP announced the co-design process to develop models to enhance local and regional decision-making and provide a voice for Indigenous Australians to the government.
There are two proposals which require feedback:
1. National Voice Proposal - a national body made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
2. Local and Regional Voice Proposal - a community designed and led governance structure at a regional level.
Face-to-face community consultations will continue through to early May with around 60 sessions across the country. The locations and dates of these sessions will be published on the Australian Government Indigenous Voice website.
Local Governments are encouraged to provide feedback through a survey which will remain open throughout the consultation and engagement period. A pdf version of the survey is available here.
Local Governments can also provide written submissions which are due by Wednesday, 31 March by emailing the Consultation Team. |
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| For more information, visit the Australian Government Indigenous Voice website. |
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| Commencement of South West Native Title Settlement |
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| On Wednesday, 27 January, the six Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) that comprise the South West Native Title Settlement were registered on the National Register of ILUAs, completing the final condition necessary for the start of the Settlement. |
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Commencement of the Settlement occurred on Thursday, 25 February, triggering certain provisions of the ILUAs, including the appointment of the initial Noongar Boodja Trustee, first State payment into the Noongar Boodja Trust and resolution of native title in the Settlement area.
The six Noongar Regional Corporations and a supporting Central Services Corporation are the major beneficiaries of the Noongar Boodja Trust and will be established in consultation with Traditional Owners later this year.
SWALSC is making contact with land users with future act matters that are currently underway to discuss their specific circumstances. Land users can also seek independent advice about their matters, including general guidance from the National Native Title Tribunal prior to Tuesday, 13 April.
The Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 also continues to apply across the Settlement area.
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| For more information, click here. |
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| Harmony Week 2021 |
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| The Department of Home Affairs has launched 2021 Harmony Week and calls for all organisations, including Local Governments, to help celebrate the event with their communities. |
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Local Governments play a key role in Harmony Week. Celebrations can include food markets, local performances from culturally diverse artists, multicultural art exhibitions, sporting events, debates, storytelling or movie screenings.
Held from Monday, 15 March to Sunday, 21 March, the theme this year is Everyone Belongs. Resources tailored specifically for Local Governments include event registration details, promotional materials and planning toolkits.
Local Governments are asked to share their events and stories with the Department of Home Affairs WA Community Engagement Team.
The WA Government Office of Multicultural Interests also provides education kit and resources - click here for details. |
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| For more information or to access the resources, visit the Department of Home Affairs website or the Office of Multicultural Interests website. |
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| Community Development Evaluation Framework and Toolkit Launched |
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| Local Government Professionals WA has launched the ‘Measuring Our Impact: Evaluation Framework for Measuring Impact of Community Development Work across Local Government in WA’. |
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The evaluation framework is a tailored response to the needs of Local Government Community Development Officers to provide a guide to evaluation basics that can be effectively used within a range of settings. This resource is a step towards creating a more systemic state-wide approach to evaluation in Local Government community development areas.
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| For more information or to access the framework and toolkit, visit the Local Government Professionals WA website. |
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| Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety |
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| The Final Report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was presented to the Governor-General on Friday, 26 February and it was tabled in Parliament on Monday, 1 March. |
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| For too long, they say, the legislation that governs aged care in Australia has focused on the funding requirements of aged care providers rather than the care needs of older people. The report includes 148 wide-ranging recommendations and calls for fundamental reform of the aged care system.
The Royal Commissioners have recommended that the Australian Government report to Parliament by Monday, 31 May its response to their recommendations.
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| To view the final report click here. |
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| Review of the Disability (Access to Premises – Building) Standards 2010 (Premises Standards) |
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| The Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources have commenced consultation on the second stage (Part 2) of the Disability (Access to Premises – Building) Standards 2010 (Premises Standards) review. |
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The Premises Standards help people living with disability, their family, carers and friends have equal access to public buildings. They also make sure building certifiers, developers and managers fulfil their responsibilities to people with disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. The Disability Premises Standards are reviewed every 5 years.
The Standards:
- apply to new public buildings
- apply to new work like renovations on existing public buildings
- could apply to an existing building
- cover common areas of apartment buildings
- don’t cover people’s homes
The National Construction Code (NCC) contains these Standards. It explains how buildings must be constructed. The states and territories adopt the NCC and enforce it.
Consultation closes on Friday, 16 April and feedback can be provided through a survey or by sending a written submission to the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. It is expected that the final report to government will be presented in mid-2021. |
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| For more information visit the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources website. |
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| Be Connected Program: Helping Older Australians Improve their Digital Skills, Confidence and Online Safety |
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| The Commonwealth Government is providing $28.3 million to extend to extend the Be Connected program in partnership with the eSafety Commissioner to offer a range of learning services. |
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| Be Connected offers a comprehensive catalogue of skills including being safe online, connecting with family and friends and accessing important government and other essential services like online banking from home.
The initiative has helped more than half a million older Australians to use Instagram and Facebook to beat loneliness and stay connected with their tech-savvy kids and grandkids and will now be rolled out further across the country.
A newly released Swinburne University report found that Be Connected had a statistically significant impact on participants’ digital skills, knowledge and confidence and promoted online safety and social connectedness. The evaluation also found that older female participants were more likely to start with very low to moderate digital skills and confidence but experienced the greatest improvement following involvement with Be Connected.
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| For more information about the program visit the Be Connected website. |
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| COVID-19 Vaccination Program - Information for Multicultural Communities |
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| The Commonwealth Department of Health and the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs have released information to assist outreach regarding the COVID-19 vaccination in multicultural communities. |
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The Commonwealth Department of Health has released the Multicultural Outreach Stakeholder Pack that contains suggestions for sharing COVID-19 vaccine information, including links to in-language audio, videos, posters and fact sheets.
The Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs have published the resource Misinformation and Truths about Coronavirus (COVID-19) which includes the facts about many common misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine. Translated versions of this information will be available shortly. |
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| For more information visit the Commonwealth Department of Health website or the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs website. |
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| The Chamber of Arts and Culture WA - Four Year Budget Framework for the Next Term of Government |
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| In December 2020, the Chamber of Arts and Culture WA released the Four Year Budget Framework for the Next Term of Government. |
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The Framework document outlines that the next term of government needs to address serious underlying issues in the sector which have become more urgent since COVID-19. As a matter of urgency, strategic investment is needed to sustain and create jobs in the arts sector.
More specifically the Framework document requests that the next State Government:
- mandate and support the development of Local Government Cultural Plans to restore arts and culture programs in the community throughout the State.
- continue to invest in the Outer Metro fund delivered in partnership with Local Government to enhance participation and engagement by outer metropolitan communities, including Indigenous and culturally diverse communities, with arts and cultural experiences. Request is for $2 million over four years.
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| To view the Four Year Budget Framework for the Next Term of Government, click here. |
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| Australian Bureau of Statistics Seeking Local Engagement Officers for 2021 Census |
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| The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will be employing Local Engagement Officers to assist with the 2021 Census of Population and Housing. |
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The Census of Population and Housing (Census) is run every five years and is one of the largest and most important collections to count the number of people and houses in Australia. The Census collects information about where we live, age, our culture, religion, income, education, living and housing arrangements. The information is used to make important decisions, such as government funding, input into policy-making and electoral boundaries.
The next Census will be held on Tuesday, 10 August.
The Local Engagement Officer (LEO) roles are critical for the ABS to deliver their commitment to improve the quality and relevance of Census date for all Australians, including diverse population groups. An LEO will represent the ABS and be its direct link with community groups and key stakeholders.
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| For more information regarding the positions click here. |
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| Research into Responses to Address the Abuse of Older People (Elder Abuse) |
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| The WA Department of Communities has engaged the UWA Social Care and Ageing Living Lab to conduct research into the abuse of older people in Western Australia. |
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| The research project will be one-year in duration and is expected to conclude in July 2021. The research team includes UWA in collaboration with the University of South Australia and Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre.
The key research objectives include understanding the ‘service journey’ of individuals and families seeing support for this issue. The aim is to map agency responses, service provision and referral pathways in Western Australia.
A series of nine online focus groups have been scheduled in March and April 2021. Participants will include staff of government agencies, service providers, community organisations and resource centres, and other relevant entities.
Focus group dates:
Monday, 22 March 12:30-14:30 (South West)
Tuesday, 23 March 09:30 – 11:30 (Goldfields-Esperance)
Wednesday, 24 March 12:30-14:30 (Pilbara)
Thursday, 25 March 09:30-11:30 (Gascoyne)
Wednesday, 31 March 13:30-15:30 (Wheatbelt)
Thursday, 1 April 10:00-12:00 (Kimberley)
Thursday, 8 April 10:00-12:00 (Mid West)
Thursday, 8 April 13:30-15:30 (Great Southern)
Friday, 9 April 13:00-15:00 (Peel)
To register for a focus group click here. |
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| For more information, UWA Social Care and Ageing Living Lab, Project Manager Dr Cat Stevens. |
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| WALGA |
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ONE70, LV1, 170 Railway Parade,
West Leederville, WA 6007
PO Box 1544, West Perth, WA 6872
Tel: (08) 9213 2000 | Fax: (08) 9213 2077
Email: info@walga.asn.au
www.walga.asn.au |
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| © Copyright Western Australian Local Government Association 2014 |
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