By: Darlene Irvine, Executive Officer...

Welcome to our July update.  We know June and July is a busy time for you all so we have tried to leave officers alone as much as possible.

Bitumen Reseal Tender

I am pleased to advise that after a lot of hard work the FNQ Regional Bitumen Tender was assessed in June.  The appropriate reports soon will go to Councils.  Steven Cosatto will give a full report of the benefits in next month's newsletter.  The indirect benefits are intangible as this new arrangement (a) transfers risk and liability from member Councils to the supplier allowing Councils to focus on their core activities, and (b) mitigates conflict between Councils for suppliers to complete their program.  This saves Councils time (the supplier is responsible for aligning ordering of product/services) and ensures annual programs are delivered efficiently.

I'm especially pleased with the maturity of the Project Steering Committee which listened to the market regarding the inclusion of the DTMR rise and fall clause and have agreed to share this risk on a prorata basis across all Councils should the need arise.  Rise and fall is not new to Councils, at least one supplier to the region has this standard in their tender to Councils and the others while ‘fixed’ do consistently apply for an increase with mixed results.

We also have secured 50% funding for a program superintendent to manage the delivery of these works.  The matching 50% will come from the FNQROC through the 15% of savings.  

Board level discussions

We held FNQROC and FNQRRG Board meetings on 3 June 2013.  The major items to come out of these two meetings were:

• An update on the investigations into regional recycling.

• An update on the progress of the Woobadda Creek Crossing.

• Our 100% spend on Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDS) funding.

• LGMA-supported Angel Flight Charity Fundraising / Awareness raising program.

• Upcoming Federal election and policy statements for the region.

• Emergency Management, Fire and Rescue Levy.

• LGAQ Policy Executive update with discussion around constitutional recognition and wildlife management issues.

Other news

In July I will present at the Local Government Strategic Alliance Showcase.  I hope to bring back many new ideas to explore or enhance our current activities.

We also will work on a briefing paper for the Regional Round Table on the 'double depreciation' issue.  It is my intent to get a draft (it should only be 1-2 pages) for review by the finance managers before the next FNQROC Board meeting which will be held in Cooktown on 12 August 2013.

This month I will work from:

Innisfail – Tuesday 16 July (either in the long room or upstairs in the Mayor/Cr meeting room)

Atherton – Tuesday 30 July (Matt Hydes office?) 

By: Regional Projects Coordinator, Daniela Gambotto...

I am pleased to have returned to the organisation to a slightly altered role after 12 months' maternity leave.

Street Lighting and Sustainability

The street lighting issue is still smouldering away here at FNQROC and I am pleased to be able to take up the reigns again on this one.  Following further investigations and discussions with key Ergon Energy staff it has become apparent that the replacement of luminaires less than 20 years old is not possible due to a complex web of state and federal legislation.  Until those regulations change and allow us to replace infrastructure less than 20 years old, we are restricted as to what we can do on a region-wide basis.

However, Ergon Energy has indicated it is keen to try out new LED technology within a tropical context and is looking for sample sites to undertake such trials.  Following the completion of Ergon Energy's street lighting audit last year, we now have the ability to identify where street lighting exists which has exceeded its 20 year life expectancy and is therefore eligible for replacement.  Put 2 and 2 together and we are able to identify discreet suburbs/townships where Ergon Energy LED trials might be possible.  Over the coming months we will undertake further analysis of the street light audit data to determine which locations might benefit from an LED trial and begin negotiating with Ergon Energy on that basis.

Additionally, I will be working with the FNQROC Sustainability Group to advance the development of a Regional Level of Service Agreement with Ergon Energy.  This will allow us to put into place an official agreement which stipulates greater accountability for the provision of street lighting in our region.  In other words, it will seek to ensure we get what we pay for in terms of service provision, maintenance, replacements programs and the reporting back to the region on these matters.

In the meantime, we will continue a high level push for broader regulatory changes which will enable the regional retrofit of street lights which will provide the bigger cost and emission savings which we are seeking.  We will continue to identify opportunities to keep this issue on the state and federal agenda for the FNQ region.

Regional Events

The FNQROC Regional Events Group has convened a few times over the past 12 months.  I'm hoping to get the group together again in the coming weeks to refine the direction for this project.  Key issues for consideration include an analysis of the return on investment for Councils sponsoring regional events and the consideration of facilities provision. 

By: Regional Infrastructure Projects Coordinator, Scott Britton...

Regional Road Group

Over the past few newsletters we have commented on the high levels of TIDS expenditure.  As at the end of May, the Roads Alliance reports on TIDS expenditure for the 2012/13 financial year showed FNQRRG at 103%.  With additional claims lodged with TMR during the month, it is estimated that program expenditure for the 2012/13 year will be somewhere close to 130% - we will know where this ends up in the coming weeks.  This result builds upon the 93% expenditure achieved during the 2011/12 year, where the expenditure target was set at 85%.

With the expenditure target revised upwards for the 2012/13 year, we have again stepped up to the plate and exceeded the 100% target set by the Roads Alliance Board.  This is a fantastic result, given the 'use it or lose it' mantra pushed by the Roads Alliance in recent times.  Well done to everyone involved!

While we need to celebrate our success during the 2012/13 year, we must not lose sight of the fact that we need to maintain these high levels of expenditure as we turn our attention to the delivery of the 2013/14 program.

Asset Management and Regional Recycling Opportunities 

By: Natural Asset Management Coordinator, Travis Sydes...

It has been another busy month across the region in natural asset management.  On a resourcing level the Commonwealth has gone eerily quiet after certain political manoeuvres in Canberra which are proving to be a bit of a rough come down and anti-climax for stakeholders following the frenzied funding applications of May.  Hopefully we will have some word on the fate of our submissions soon...

Please read on for details of the Feral Animal Summit, Pond Apple Working Group and other projects.