1,872 research outputs found
Federal Tax Reform Act of 1985: Impacts on Local Government
No full textSummary report of the testimony received at the Special Hearing of the Senate Committee on Local Government
Assembly Bill 2223 (Moore) Permit Streamlining Act Issues
No full textThe Summary Report from the Interim Hearing of the Senate Committee on Local Government
Select Committee on Wind Turbines final report
No full textThe committee recommends the Commonwealth Government create an Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Industrial Sound responsible for providing research and advice to the Minister for the Environment on the impact on human health of audible noise (including low frequency) and infrasound from wind turbines.
Recommendation 1: final
6.5 The committee recommends that an Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Industrial Sound (IESC) be established by law, through provisions similar to those which provide for the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development.
6.6 The provisions establishing the IESC on Industrial Sound should state that the Scientific Committee must conduct \u27independent, multi-disciplinary research into the adverse impacts and risks to individual and community health and wellbeing associated with wind turbine projects and any other industrial projects which emit sound and vibration energy\u27
Out of reach? The Australian housing affordability challenge
No full textThis report argues that Australia\u27s housing market is not meeting the needs of all Australians, which is reflected in declining home ownership rates, and recommends extensive reforms.
Executive summary
In this report, the committee underscores the importance of affordable, secure and suitable housing as a vital determinant of wellbeing. But, based on the evidence, the committee finds that a significant number of Australians are not enjoying the security and comfort of affordable and appropriate housing—that currently Australia\u27s housing market is not meeting the needs of all Australians.
Sustained growth in median housing costs above the rate of median household income growth in recent decades has made it increasingly difficult for a growing proportion of Australians to afford housing that is safe, secure and appropriate to their needs. Added to the general decline in housing affordability, and indeed compounding the trend, the stock of affordable housing—that is, housing appropriate to the needs of low- to moderate-income households—has failed to keep pace with demand in recent decades. The committee does not believe the issue of housing affordability in Australia is rightly categorised as either a \u27supply-side problem\u27 or a \u27demand-side problem\u27. With this in mind, it is clearly evident that supply is currently not keeping pace with demand in the housing market. In this context, policy interventions that add to demand without addressing or at least accounting for supply-side constraints risk inflating house prices and exacerbating affordability problems.
Worsening housing affordability is reflected in declining home ownership rates. This decline is troubling for a number of reasons, not least because home ownership can be an important means for people to achieve financial and social wellbeing. Moreover, high rates of home ownership also provide broader economic and social benefits to the community. As such, while the committee believes governments should work to improve affordability outcomes for all types of housing tenure, it considers it appropriate for governments to promote home ownership.
The committee makes a range of recommendations directed primarily toward improving home purchase affordability. They include state governments phasing out conveyancing stamp duties, to be achieved through a transition to more efficient taxes, potentially including land taxation levied on a broader base than is currently the case. Other recommendations are directed at improving the efficiency, effectiveness and equity of infrastructure funding arrangements, which can have a strong influence on the cost of new housing. Similarly, a number of recommendations are made with the intention of ensuring land supply, urban planning and zoning processes have a positive effect on housing affordability
Australia’s innovation future: A report on the structure and performance of Australia's national innovation system
No full textThis Report addresses the Terms of Reference of the Senate Economics References Committee inquiry into the Australian Innovation System. The Report recommends that Government should take action, in collaboration with research organisations and business, to lift innovation performance in five Strategic Action Areas: leadership and policy direction; building enterprise capability; lifting investment in science and research; supporting local innovation ecosystems; and addressing skills formation through an integrated tertiary education system.
This report also appears as an attachment to Australia\u27s Innovation System report listed below
Public duty and private interest: report of the Committee of Inquiry established by the Prime Minister on 15 February 1978
No full textThis was the first report to set out the principles that underpin public servants\u27 and politicians\u27 obligations to disclose and manage conflicts of interest.
Tabled in 1979, this is the first time a digitised version of this report, known as the \u27Bowen report\u27, has been made publically available.
The intention to establish this inquiry was announced in a press statement issued by the then Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser on 16 December 1977. The statement mentioned the difficult position in which a Prime Minister finds himself when he is called upon to pass judgment on colleagues with whom he has worked closely, particularly as the Prime Minister must act as a judge and jury when allegations of impropriety are raised.
Fraser expressed his disatisfaction with a previous inquiry on the topic, conducted by a Parliamentary committee. He stated that he would instead he would appoint a judge or Queen\u27s Counsel, to be assisted by a businessman and an accountant, to carry out a new inquiry.
On 15 February 1978 Fraser stated that the new inquiry would be conducted by the Chief Judge of the Federal Court of Australia, the Hon. Sir Nigel Bowen, K.B.E., as well as Sir Cecil Looker, and Sir Edward Cain, C.B.E.
The terms of reference were:
1. To recommend whether a statement of principles can be drawn up on the nature of private interests, pecuniary or otherwise, which could conflict with the public duty of any or all persons holding positions of public trust in relation to the Commonwealth.
2. To recommend whether principles can be defined which would promote the avoidance and if necessary the resolution of any conflicts of interest which the Inquiry may, under paragraph (1) above, find to be possible.
3. In the event of a finding under paragraph (2) above that principles can be defined, to recommend what those principles should be.
4. Without limiting the scope of paragraph (3) above, to recommend whether or not a register under judicial or other supervision should be maintained so that, in the event of allegations of impropriety, the allegation may be open to judicial investigation and report.
5. For the purposes of paragraph(1) above, \u27persons holding positions of public trust in relation to the Commonwealth\u27 to include the following:
(a) Ministers;
(b) Senators and Members of the House of Representatives;
(c) Staff of (a) and (b);
(d) Members of the Australian Public Service; and
(e) Such other persons or classes of persons which in the opinion of the Committee ought to be included.
This is the final report of the inquiry, which has helped shaped the conduct of the public service to this day.
---------------
Part of the Policy History Collection. Digitisation of this report has been supported by the National Library of Australia.
Reproduced with permission of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
Committee Reports to the 1994 Kansas Legislature: Standing Committees, Legislative Budget Committee, and Legislative Educational Planning Committee.
No full text"December 1993.""In 1993, the Legislative Coordinating Council authorized the Standing Committees of the House and Senate to meet on four days during the interim to study topics of special interest or importance to them, to hear and act on bills already in the Committees, and to introduce new legislation resulting from their study activities. The reports of those Committees that met are contained in this publication. Additionally, the reports of the Legislative Budget Committee and the Legislative Educational Planning Committee (LEPC) are included."COMMITTEE REPORTS: AGRICULTURE, SENATE COMMITTEE ON: Structure of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture -- AGRICULTURE, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON: Structure of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture; Kansas Corporate Farming Law -- COMMERCE, SENATE COMMITTEE ON: Unemployment Compensation Employment Training -- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON -- LABOR AND INDUSTRY, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON: Workers Compensation Act; Child Care in the Workplace -- EDUCATION, SENATE AND HOUSE COMMITTEES ON: State Department of Education; Gifted Teacher Practitioners; Teacher Training Institution Faculty -- LEGISLATIVE EDUCATIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE: Planning and Coordination; Planning Activities by Governing Boards, Joint Meeting with Governing Board Members, and Consideration of Master Plan; Regents’ Early Math Testing (REMT); Kansas Postsecondary Review Board; Recommendations of the Task Force on Funding Community Colleges and the Kansas Postsecondary Vocational and Technical Training System; Off-Campus Courses Offered in Saline County; Student Tuition and Financial Assistance; Regents’ Tuition Increase; Student Financial Assistance; State College Savings and Guaranteed Tuition Plans; Requests for Funding; Regents’ Library Proposal; Regents’ Capital Improvements; Vocational Education Capital Outlay; Teacher Preparation and Retraining; Minority Faculty Recruitment; National Merit Semifinalist and Regents’ Honors; Academy Graduates; Closed Classes at Regents Institutions; Tenure at Regents Institutions; Health Insurance Benefits for State Employees; Part-Time Faculty at Community Colleges; Midwestern Higher Education Commission; Higher Education Alliance Team; Haskell Indian Nations University; Proposed Merger of Fort Hays State University and Barton County Community College; Postsecondary Education Conference; Data Collection Activities; Faculty Tenure Patterns -- ELECTIONS, CONGRESSIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE APPORTIONMENT, AND GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS, SENATE COMMITTEE ON: National Voter Registration Act; Restrictions on Gifts and Contributions—Proposed Bill
-- GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION, SENATE COMMITTEE ON: State and Local Government Technology and Management Act; Comprehensive Management Review of State Government; Reinventing Kansas Government; K-GOAL Review -- GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION AND ELECTIONS, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON: Comprehensive Review of State Agencies; State Motor Pool and State Van Pool—Operations; Licensing and Practicing of Geology; Employees of the State Corporation Commission; General Contracting Procedures for Awarding State Contracts -- ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, SENATE COMMITTEE ON: Funding of Local Conservation Districts; The Surface-Mining Land Conservation and Reclamation Act; Solid Waste Issues; Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact Issues; Expenditures of SWPF Moneys; Wildlife and Parks Manpower and Funding Issues; Incentives for Natural Gas and Other Alternative Fuels -- ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON: Revolving Loan Program for Public Water Supply Development; Condemnation of Water Rights; Establishment of a Tipping Fee to be Dedicated to Closure and Postclosure Costs; Disposal of Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator Ash; Revolving Loan Fund for Contamination Remediation; Federal Energy Policy Act—Impact on the Repayment of Bonds Issued to Purchase Water Supply Storage Capacity in Federal Reservoirs; Sandhill Crane Hunting; Goals of the State Conservation Commission and the State Water Plan; Wastewater and Freshwater Sludges; Conservation Plans of the Division of Water Resources and the Kansas Water Office; Oil Field Pollution; Minority Report -- FEDERAL AND STATE AFFAIRS, SENATE COMMITTEE ON: State Holidays; Human Rights Commission; State v. Finney; Alcohol Statutes; Parimutuel Racing Act—Proposed Amendments; Confirmation Hearing; Compliance and Control Audit—Kansas Racing Commission; Appointments and Confirmations; Buffalo Soldier Recognition; Juveniles and Guns; Qualifications for Sheriff; Use of Credit Cards to Purchase Liquor; Film Commission Regions -- FEDERAL AND STATE AFFAIRS, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON: Gambling Regulation; Alcohol Statutes; Parimutuel Racing Act—Proposed Amendments; Moneys Credited to Horse Breeding Development Fund
-- FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND INSURANCE, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON: Freedom of Choice; Automobile Glass Repair and Replacement -- PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, SENATE COMMITTEE ON: Health Care Reform; AIDS Issues; Preadmission Assessment and Referral -- PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON: Health Care Reform in Kansas; Smoking in Day Care Facilities; State Credentialing of Hospices; Additional Statement; Minority Report -- JUDICIARY, SENATE COMMITTEE ON: Sentencing Guidelines and Retroactivity; Juvenile Crime and Juvenile Justice System; Attorneys Fees in Commercial Settings; Public Forums on Crime -- JUDICIARY, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON: Uniform Anatomical Gift Act; Elective Share of Surviving Spouse; Dram Shop Laws; Kansas Standard Asset Seizure and Forfeiture Act -- LEGISLATIVE BUDGET COMMITTEE: State Finances; Mental Health Reform; Department of Corrections; Mental Retardation System; Impact of 1993 Flood; State Pay Plan and Retirement; Sentencing Guidelines; KU Medical Center Issues; Budget Reform and Economic Impact Modeling -- LOCAL GOVERNMENT, SENATE COMMITTEE ON: State Mandates; Special District Governments -- LOCAL GOVERNMENT, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON: Hazardous Materials Training; Special District Governments -- ASSESSMENT AND TAXATION, SENATE COMMITTEE ON: Post Audit Report on Kansas Appraisal System; Appraisal Cycles; Sales Ratio Study; Fund Levy Limits; Economic Development Initiatives; State Tax Policy; Inheritance Tax; Confirmation of Perl M. Bass; Mortgage Registration Tax -- TAXATION, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON: Motor Fuel Flowage Fees; Rental Car Excise Tax; Military Retirants Refunds; Sales Tax on Labor Services; Severance Tax on Natural Gas; Recreational Vehicle Tax; Assessment Level on Not-for-Profit Property; Assessed Valuation for 1993; Local Sales Taxes; Economic Development; State Assessed Communications Property; Post Audit Report on Property Tax; Income Tax Credit for Health Care
-- TRANSPORTATION AND UTILITIES, SENATE COMMITTEE ON: Vehicle Salvage Yards and Vehicle Salvage Pool; Total Loss Vehicles; Small Airport Development; Drivers’ Licenses; Opposition to Federal Legislation Relating to Driver’s Licenses Suspension; Motorcycle Helmets; Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act; Driving Privileges—Suspension; Compressed Natural Gas—Exemption from Motor Fuel Tax; Natural Gas Production in Kansas—Regulation; Public Utilities and Common Carriers—Investigations or Appraisals; Citizens’ Utility Ratepayers Board; Railroad Crossings—K.S.A. 66-227; TRANSPORTATION, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON; Vehicle Salvage Dealers and Vehicle Salvage Pools; Driving Privileges—Restrictions; Small Airport Development; Alternative Fuel Vehicles; Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards; Sales Taxes on Highway Construction Projects; Highway Guardrails; Left Turn on Red Signal; Noise Pollution Abatement; Drivers’ Licenses—Suspension; Motorcvcle Helmets Law; State Highway Program -- WAYS AND MEANS, SENATE COMMITTEE ON: Mental Health; Youth Center; Mental Retardation; Prison Violence and FY 1994 Community Corrections Funding; Impact of Sentencing Guidelines Act on the Mental Health System -- APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON: Mental Retardation; Prison Violence and FY 1994 Community Corrections Funding; Alternative Dispute Resolution—Mediation Services; State General Fund Consensus Estimate; Budget Process Reform
Local Government and Regional Development Australia Committees: Understanding the Relationship and Responding to the Opportunities
No full textRegional Development Australia (RDA) has been described as an Australian Government initiative creating a partnership between the federal, state, territory and local governments to develop and strengthen the regional communities of Australia to have a pivotal role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of Australia's regions (Regional Development Australia 2009, p. 246). Former RDA Minister Crean championed the importance of regional development in unlocking the potential of the regions through local empowerment, and entrenching regionalism and localism so that they 'could not be unpicked' (Crean 2010a, 2011, 2010b). He argued that the challenge for regions was to embrace productivity and efficiency improvements, to demonstrate that regionalism was not 'on the margin' or about struggling regions, but rather concerned with contributing to greater economic efficiency and productivity (Crean 2011b, p. 5). Under a Commonwealth-local partnership arrangement, the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) was established to support the infrastructure needs of regional communities. Nearly one billion dollars has been allocated to the RDAF program to assist provision of regional capital infrastructure projects that have alignment to RDA plans prepared by RDA committees and endorsed by the Commonwealth. Since establishment of the RDA committee structure, little research has been undertaken concerning the nature of the role and activities of the committees, or their relationship with local government. This research report considers these matters and the extent to which the relationship between RDA committees (referred to in this report as RDAs) and local government is effective and aligned with the RDA Charter and the needs and expectations of the local government sector. Since the author is chairperson of the Northern Rivers (NSW) RDA Committee the report is focused on the operation of RDA committees in NSW with a closer examination of the Northern Rivers Committee. Opportunities for relationship improvement, policy changes and RDAF program refinements are addressed
Public Hearing before Senate Energy and Environment Committee on Senate Bill 1762 and Assembly Bill 1778 (Imposing taxes on the disposal of solid waste at landfills, and authorizing local government units to enter into long-term contracts with private firms for the financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of resource recovery facilities)
No full textTranscript of a public hearing before the Senate Energy and Environment Committee on Senate Bill 1762 and Assembly Bill 1778 (Imposing taxes on the disposal of solid waste at landfills, and authorizing local government units to enter into long-term contracts with private firms for the financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of resource recovery facilities)
Other title: Testimony on House Bill 2299
No full textapplication/pdf
"March 07, 2001."
Testimony before the Kansas Legislature, Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government, by John Badger, Legal Division, Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.Written testimony concerning House Bill 2299. SRS "has several concerns with HB 2299. This bill would appear to make all advisory committee meetings open to the public in the same manner as under the Kansas Open Public Meetings law. SRS works with numerous advisory groups, both formal and informal, on a regular basis and meetings with these groups are generally open to the public. However, we do on occasion use groups involving agency clients, patients, foster parents, and others, to assist us in working through various issues. In meeting with groups such as these, confidentiality becomes a significant concern. Since we are required by law to protect the privacy of many of these individuals, as well as much of the information discussed at these meetings, allowing the public to attend could create serious problems with privacy and confidentiality.
- …
