Archived News for Professionals in State Government - December, 2013
Australia punches well above its weight in terms of research outcomes, a habit highlighted by the release of the Ten of the Best Research Projects 2013 report.
Old ways revived in truant officer trial
The Federal Government has unveiled a $28 million scheme to provide 400 truancy officers to schools across remote parts of Australia.
Talks planned to ease axing in NT
Discussions are planned which may yield a deal for the future of the town of Nhulunbuy, which will have its economy decimated when a nearby Rio Tinto refinery is closed.
Border meetings help councils on both sides
A rare moment of cross-border collaboration has arisen from a meeting on the Queensland-New South Wales divide.
Plan shoved ahead to fight ailing employment
The Federal Government has bumped forward a program in response to the high unemployment rate in Tasmania.
State slow to pay out for amalgamation ideas
A parliamentary committee has heard Perth councils were pretty severely short-changed by the WA state government’s push for metro council amalgamations.
Survey finds QLD Gov staff about half happy
Queensland public servants are feeling the sting of a thousand cuts, with a recent survey finding more than a third believe their workplace is less efficient following the year of downsizing.
Farmers continue push to high-level pastures
Scientists and environmental authorities are standing against plans to allow cattle grazing in Victoria’s High Country.
People want EPA back on their side, survey says
The New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority has to move away from industry-favouring and do more regulating if it is to gain more public trust, a recent survey found.
Old mistakes patched-over with big road spend
The Federal Government has announced just under $1 billion in funds for road projects it says were left in planning purgatory by Labor.
Tasmanian trucking review slammed for inaction
Leaked copies of a Freight Logistics Co-ordination Team’s (FLCT) final report to the Tasmanian Government have caused concern among transporters and taxpayers.
Doctors caught short by quick shift to 'contemporary' pay
Thousands of Queensland doctors have been angered by changes in their employment conditions, after doctors at public hospitals were moved to individual contracts rather than collective bargaining.
Blaze prompts bid to build Green Star school
A resplendent green phoenix is rising from the ashes of a Tasmanian primary school.
Gun-toting school cops defend line of duty
The Australian Education Union (AEU) has raised concerns after Northern Territory Police suddenly armed its school-based police officers.
DHS cuts require clear view from at least three offices
A local report has accused Centrelink’s national boss of racking up excess costs, while the department sacks hundreds of workers.
Local Government group says ICT wants to help
All councils will be looking to save a few dollars at the moment, and the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) has urged its members to think of technological ways to tighten the belt.
Long-standing wall falls to give QLD workers fair rise
About 48,000 Queensland public servants have earned a “fair and reasonable” salary increase of 2.2 per cent per year over three years, ending more than 18 months of negotiations.
Pleas to save NT town from closure, federal neglect
Regional Development Australia says the Federal Government is neglecting one of its most vulnerable communities by ignoring the closure of a Northern Territory refinery, and the likely ruination of nearby residents.
Pledge sought for more useful port
The Council region within which a contentious port expansion has been approved is looking to ensure it can be used for something other than coal.
Public sector's internal watchdog unleashed
There has long been a perception that the public sector enjoys a bit of regulation, but a recent speech from Dr Ian Watt says the opposite is now the way.
Stats show slippage on equality drive
Statistics show one bureaucratic base is a fair way from hitting its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment targets, and may be filling low-level jobs just to boost numbers.