Archived News for Professionals in State Government - February, 2013
Tasmania’s Tarkine region will become the 98th area protected under the National Heritage List following the Federal Government’s final ruling.
'Historic' Murray-Darling legislation passes Parliament
Legislation that locks in the additional 450 gigalitres of environmental flow for the Murray-Darling Basin has passed the Lower House, meaning that the $1.77 billion in additional funding is set to flow through to the river.
Queensland announces de-amalgamation referendum
Queensland residents in the Livingstone, Douglas and Mareeba will be able to vote on de-amalgamation in March, with a simple answer of 'yes' or 'no' on voting forms.
SA releases draft water price determination
The Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCOSA) has released its draft determination paper on water revenues in South Australia for the 2013-14 year, which the Commission claims would see a significant drop in household water prices.
South Australia announces health reform drive
The South Australian Government has announced the appointment of two senior public servants to assist in establishing the Health Reform Advisory Committee (HRAC) which will drive the Government's reform agenda of the Department of Health and Ageing.
Feds to recruit local staff to return Murray to health
The Federal Government has announced a new initiative that will see specialised local staff to work with the community to ‘restore the Murray-Darling Basin to health’.
Queensland to issue first reconstruction tenders
The Queensland Government has put industry on notice after it announced the first round of contracts to begin repairs to the state’s road and transport infrastructure are being drawn up for tender later this month.
WA schedules election
The Western Australian Government has announced the forthcoming State election will be held on March 9 after Premier Colin Barnett requested the Governor issue the necessary writs.
NSW to stick its head in the cloud
The New South Wales Government has called for expressions of interest for a ‘comprehensive trial of cloud-based computing’.
Poor evaluations compromising policy finds report
A new report prepared by the University of Melbourne shows that State and Federal Governments are continuing to form policy decisions based on incomplete information that is not subject to scrutiny.
SA announces move on electoral funding reform
South Australian Premier, Jay Weatherill, has announced plans to reform the way election-related activities are funded in a bid to ensure greater transparency and accountability.
Victoria names new Auditor-General
The Victorian Government has announced the appointment of John Doyle, currently the Auditor-General of British Columbia in Canada, as the state’s new Auditor-General.
Moreton Bay field narrows
The Federal and Queensland Governments have announced that the shortlist for the construction of the Moreton Bay Rail Link has been reduced from four to two.
WA approves multi-billion Pilbara plan
The Western Australian Government has announced it has granted approval to a number of proposals by Rio Tinto to expand its iron ore operations in the Pilbara.
Commission releases services report
The Productivity Commission has released the Report on Government Services 2013, evaluating everything from justice to health services.
Gateway WA work starts
The rollout of the $1 billion Gateway WA project has officially begun, with work beginning on the new on-ramp which will give trucks travelling from the Kewdale/Forrestfield industrial estate access to the Tonkin Highway for the first time.
Ministers agree to school funding transparency
Federal and State Education Ministers have agreed to develop ‘clear targets and better mechanisms’ for tracking school performance to achieve the 2025 national goals in a meeting in Sydney last week.
NBN goes live in ACT
The National Broadband Network (NBN) has been officially turned on in the nation’s capital, with fibre now covering over 4,000 homes and businesses in the suburbs of Gungahlin and Harrison.
NSW establishes procurement reform group
The New South Wales Government has announced the appointment of a new seven member advisory group that is tasked with providing expert advice to the procurement reform process.