Archived News for Professionals in State Government - August, 2011
Federal and State Governments have announced $195 million in joint funding for reconstruction of key road infrastructure in Queensland's north west.
Federal Minister Assisting the Attorney-General on Queensland Floods Recovery, Senator Joe Ludwig, said Queensland's road network received more damage than any other state government asset during the flooding and cyclone events, with reconstruction expected to take many years to complete.
"Many areas in Queensland's north west were severely affected by recent flooding, with more than 346 kilometres of state roads damaged and the total program of works yet to be finalised," Senator Ludwig said.
West Kimberly heritage listed
19 million square miles of the Northern Territory's West Kimberly region will be under Federal protection after Environment Minister Tony Burke announced that the area is to be formally listed under the national heritage listing laws.
WA announces new Royalties for Regions funding round
The Western Australian Government has announced the next round of funding for local communities under the state's Royalties for Regions Grants Scheme (RGS).
Victoria passes new wind farm legislation
The Victorian State Government has passed legislation which prohibits the construction of new wind turbines within certain proximity to dwellings and regional centres.
Port of Hastings board positions open
The Victorian State Government has publically called for highly skilled and experienced individuals to apply for the board of the new Port of Hastings Development Authority (PoHDA).
Queensland Major Projects Office opens
Queensland's new Major Project Office (MPO) has been opened by the State Government in a move to streamline approval processes for developers of major projects.
Ambulance Victoria board sacked
Victorian State Health Minister David Davis has announced that the board of Ambulance Victoria has been stepped down after the minister moved to reshuffle the service.
WA's Royalties for Regions scheme to be assessed
The Western Australian Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls has announced his intentions to push for an assessment of the Royalties for Regions - the Country Local Government Fund (CLGF) - scheme to ensure community projects are being properly funded and delivered effectively.
Greens call for Olympic Dam processing jobs to stay in Australia
In the wake of BHP Billiton’s record profit announcement, South Australian Greens MP Mark Parnell is calling on the South Australian government to insist that BHP process Olympic Dam ore in South Australia, not export it to China to save costs.
COAG announces logistics reform
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has announced a suite of safety and productivity reforms for the logistics sector that will aim at reducing the industry’s expenses by up to $30 billion. The reform packages cover rail, road freight and commercial shipping and are as follows:
Royalties for regions to be assessed
The Western Australian Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls has announced his intentions to push for an assessment of the Royalties for Regions - the Country Local Government Fund (CLGF) - scheme to ensure community projects are being properly funded and delivered effectively.
Juniper Networks opens Victorian headquarters
Global high performance networking solutions Juniper Networks has opened its headquarters in Melbourne, bringing with it 50 new jobs to the state’s IT sector.
Victoria to construct first water neutral suburb
A suburb of Melton, in Victoria’s south, is set to become the first water neutral built up area in the country after construction is completed.
Queensland releases carbon price impact findings
The Queensland State Treasury has released its Carbon Price Impacts for Queensland statement, in which Treasury outlines the projected affects the tax will have on the state’s economy.
Queensland announces flood response plan
The Queensland State Government will spend a total of $76 million over five years to improve disaster response and flood infrastructure management.
250,000 jobless Victorians want work
In December 2010, 41% (250,400) of Victorians not in the labour force (and not on long-term unpaid leave), indicated they would like to return to or start work, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Bligh calls for urgent education intervention
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has called for an emergency intervention by the Commonwealth to help the ‘ailing international education sector’ when the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meets.
Victoria fails to monitor biotech spending: Auditor-General
The Victorian Auditor-General, Des Pearson, has release a report into public sector investment in biotechnology in Victoria, finding that the state government had spent more than $722 million to support the biotechnology industry over the last decade without adequate performance data on whether strategic aims had been met.
Queensland urban areas off limits to mining exploration
No mining exploration will be allowed in and around urban areas of Queensland, including regional centres such as Ipswich, Toowoomba, Beaudesert, Rockhampton, Mackay and St George Queensland, after a new policy was considered by the Queensland Cabinet.
Review of NSW Livestock Health and Pest Authority
The NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, has announced the review of the NSW Livestock Health and Pest Authority (LHPA) model will be undertaken by agricultural and energy economic consultant, Terry Ryan.
Legislation sets scene for Port of Hastings
Legislation for the development of a second Victorian container port has passed through State Parliament, enabling the appointment of a Port of Hastings Development Authority.