Tony Peake OAM

Today I announced new guidance to help agencies make smarter use of taxpayer dollars through private sector strategic leasing partnerships for infrastructure. This 'PPP-lite' approach ensures New Zealanders can get the quality infrastructure they need, where and when it's needed, while retaining flexibility to changing circumstances. Strategic leasing complements our recent PPP Framework refresh, adding another tool in our infrastructure tool belt to better deliver a different class of assets. Read the guidance and the full release below.

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Are you an SME looking to get into government procurement? Read this article by The Riotact to see how SMEs can be part of commonwealth procurement and how ICN helps SMEs access project work around Australia.

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STATEMENT FROM VRCA Regional Victorian Building Industry in Crisis: Urgent Government Intervention Needed The Victorian Regional Chamber Alliance (VRCA) is calling for immediate Government action as the residential building industry throughout the State faces an unprecedented crisis. Despite the high demand for housing, regional and rural areas are witnessing a major downturn in all aspects of the housing and residential building industry. Land sales in new subdivisions have virtually stopped and agents are reporting a notable increase in land resales, where the current market value is significantly below the initial purchase price. Prospective homebuilders are therefore experiencing increased difficulty in securing bank finance to build and alarmingly, there has been an unprecedented number of defaults on land settlements. This downward spiral flows onto builders, who are unable to secure stable work which in turn impedes the commencement of much-needed dwelling construction projects across regional Victoria. Earlier this year Victoria experienced its lowest dwelling approvals in over a decade. January saw a staggering 9.8% decline in approvals compared to the previous month, illustrating a severe slowdown in construction activity. This trend underlines the financial strain faced by industry players, threatening the stability of the entire sector. Furthermore, the erosion of confidence in the building sector has led to a notable shift in consumer behaviour, with prospective buyers increasingly favouring established homes over new land and build options. The absence of first-home buyers, residential investors and upgraders in the current land market further exacerbates the challenges faced by industry stakeholders. “The Victorian Government must urgently intervene to address these pressing issues and safeguard the future of the building industry,” says the VRCA. “The Government has set a target of 80,000 new homes in Victoria in the next 10 years. Who is going to build them? Small construction companies are going out of business, looking to commercial work to survive or exiting the industry. “Supply chain issues continue to cause gaps in the construction process, and sub-contractors are stood down until materials arrive, so they too are looking for work outside of residential projects. “Immediate measures such as reassessing land tax policies, revisiting windfall-gains tax regulations, and implementing targeted financial support are essential to restore confidence and stimulate activity. “We call upon the Victorian Government to the prioritise regional and rural Victoria and take decisive action to mitigate the current crisis. Failure to act swiftly risks long term damage to the State's economy and housing market,” the VRCA said. Contact Jodie Gillett for further information

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Are you considering running for Victoria’s local government elections? The Victorian Local Governance Association has released an updated resource to help. 📖 Women Leading Change - is your campaign toolkit designed to equip you with the tools that you need when considering running in local government elections. 🚺 We need 1000 women to stand if we want to reach the state goal of 50/50 representation. That feels like a lot. But if you break it down across all Victoria’s local government areas it’s achievable. 🎤 As Cr Tina Samardzija said at the recent Women Leading Change launch, don’t focus on all the reasons why you can’t run for Council, focus on all the reasons why you CAN. #womenleadingchange #womeninleadership #localgovernment #1000women https://lnkd.in/gjkqheQ2

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Discover how the Federal Budget 2024 is steering climate action in Australia. Learn about the key allocations and initiatives designed to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable practices across industries. See how these changes can impact your business and help shape a greener future. https://bit.ly/4aBCIId #ClimateAction #FederalBudget2024 #Sustainability

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Consistently supporting a definition of ‘affordable housing’ that is linked to household income, targeted to households on low to moderate incomes (i.e. the lowest 40% of the Australian income distribution), and ensuring they spend no more than 30% of their household income on housing costs. This income group continues to miss out and it’s imperative that tax payer funds, subsidies and concessions for housing projects are used to target this group amid the wider housing challenges we currently face. #Affordable #Housing #Definition #IncomeBased #CommunityHousing #Queensland

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Victorian councils understand the urgent need for all levels of government to address the deepening housing crisis in Australia. Because every single Victorian deserves access to affordable and suitable housing. We acknowledge that targets, as part of a range of responses, can be a useful tool in driving the creation of new homes in our State. But the road to target-driven outcomes must be paved with collaborative planning and the recognition of local realities. Today’s news that the State Government could remove planning powers from councils that fail to meet targets is worthy of discussion, but a more constructive idea is to recognise the value of partnership and collaboration.    Local governments hold invaluable local knowledge and insights that are an essential input into effective housing strategies. As the closest tier of government to the community, councils are uniquely positioned to translate housing targets into meaningful local developments that respect and enhance the character and needs of each area. We steadfastly believe the community is best served by a shared approach, where the State Government and councils work hand-in-glove to address the housing deficit together.  Stripping councils of their planning powers is not the solution. Instead, we should focus on strengthening the capabilities of local councils to work in line with the State Government’s objectives, bolstering their role in planning decisions and ensuring there is meaningful community engagement in the process. As we move forward, the MAV is committed to this partnership model as part of an approach that champions the expertise of local governments and nurtures the cooperative spirit that has always been present when we have solved big problems like this in the past. I invite the State Government to join us in ensuring a future where the creation of new housing is not just a mandated metric, but a collaborative effort between governments to get us out of the housing mess we’ve been in for far too long. #HousingCrisis #CommunityFirst #LocalGovernment #Victoria #UrbanPlanning #Collaboration

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Did you know there are a wide range of programs, initiatives and tools available to businesses in the #VisitorEconomy to uplift their #Management capability? Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) has compiled a helpful summary with links that outlines resources and initiatives for #tourism businesses nationally, as well as in individual States and Territories offered by our government and industry colleagues: https://lnkd.in/gh9YPuez Have we missed any programs? Let us know so we can keep our list up to date for the benefit of delivering the national visitor economy strategy THRIVE 2030 which has a theme of modernising. #SupportForBusiness #BuildingCapability

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Electrifying Canberra The ACT Government is investing in an all-electric, zero emissions future for Canberra with the release of a new Integrated Energy Plan, containing a range of Government commitments to support Canberrans through the transition to cheaper, cleaner energy. The Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) 2024-2030 sets out the next stage of work for the Territory’s transition to an all-electric city over the next twenty years. The plan builds on our nation leading success in moving to 100 percent renewable electricity since 2020 and prioritises a “just transition” that ensure all Canberrans benefit from the transition to a low emissions future. Electrification is the cheapest and most effective pathway to net zero emissions for the ACT and it can deliver significant energy bill savings to households. A household that swaps gas cooking, heating and hot water for efficient electric appliances can save around $735 per year – or even more with the addition of solar. While many households will be able to make these changes in coming years, we know that some households will need support to do so. The Sustainable Household Scheme has so far facilitated over $200m in loans, supporting individuals in electrifying their homes and their forms of transport for the almost 20,000 households (10% of Canberra’s households) that have participated in the Scheme. The Government will electrify all feasible community and public housing properties in the ACT by the end of 2030. This work has already started, and we will continue to prioritise the upgrades to all community and public housing properties, along with continued energy efficiency improvements to properties. To support lowest income and vulnerable homeowners, a new Community Partnership Electrification Program will also be delivered over two years to cover the up-front costs of energy efficiency upgrades and electrification for approximately 350 low-income households that need it most. The IEP will also deliver support for apartment residents, who may face additional challenges to electrification. A new Retrofit Readiness program will offer free advice and electrification planning for multi-unit buildings such as apartments. The IEP will also deliver strata reform work to identify and resolve regulatory barriers to electrification upgrades in multiunit buildings, helping to reduce barriers for apartment residents. An appropriately skilled workforce is crucial to supporting the energy transition. The IEP will also Target training subsidies to priority trades that support the energy transition, and increase subsidies for the Certificate III in Electrotechnology Technician. Australia’s first TAFE Centre of Excellence is also being hosted at the Canberra Institute of Technology, and will focus on electric vehicles. Learn more about the ACT’s Pathway to Electrification and read the first Integrated Energy Plan <https://lnkd.in/gcVaQNzX>.

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Only one week left to nominate your local government for the Minister’s Place Innovation Award! Eligibility Nominations will be accepted from WA local governments only. The nominated Place Innovation project must have been completed within the last 12 months (it may have been initiated prior to this). Projects should demonstrate one or more of the following criteria: - An innovative approach to a place-based opportunity or challenge. - Significant improvements to standard practices. - A high level of collaboration, including with external stakeholders.

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Concerned about additional costs when employing people with workplace adjustment needs? Don’t be! As I explained at yesterday’s Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) #VisionSummit on the #VisitorEconomy - the Australian Government ‘s JobAccess “Employment Assistance Fund” gives financial help to eligible people with disability and mental health conditions and employers to buy work related modifications, equipment, Auslan services and workplace assistance and support services. The EAF is available to eligible people with disability who are about to start a job, are self-employed or who are currently working. It is also available to people with disability who need Auslan assistance or special work equipment to look for and prepare for a job. With the #WorkforceShortage currently facing #TourismBusinesses, are you looking at the local workers available? Check out https://lnkd.in/gnNYEX2D for information for employers about how to get help finding workers and the EAF here: https://lnkd.in/g-bjMQa3 Diverse teams are also more productive and efficient with less absenteeism and lower turnover - win win for everyone!! This information is part of our #ChooseTourism program to help workers choose tourism and employers to find local workforces run by Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) https://lnkd.in/gnrZvV_J Thanks for having me at your sell out event Felicia Mariani (GAICD) and VTIC Board :) #Tourism #Workers #Recruitment #Disability #Diversity #DiversityAndInclusion #Leadership #Australia

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What is the government going to do to bring excessively high public service remuneration packages into line with community expectations? AND What can the government do to stop excessively overpaid elites lecturing us about disadvantage?

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As a Strategy & Policy Designer it is great to see the keynote from Catherine Livingstone on the value of design thinking for strategy and for boards to approach in this new way at the AICD Governance Summit 2024. “Design thinking is hard, but pays enormous dividends and with the increasing velocity of change, as a capability, will be a critical success factor. It drives simplicity from complexity, providing a rigour, which enables more resilient strategic thinking.” Highlighting examples from Tesla to Apple, and her own executive career at Cochlear, she stressed the transformative power of design thinking in strategic disruption, challenging the notion that its application is limited to product or fashion design. However, for the philosophy to work it requires a communicable strategy and a linked business plan.” I will write more about this in my newsletter (660 in a week and growing) - Theory for the Business in the coming weeks. Subscribe if you not already done - here on LinkedIn (https://lnkd.in/geCqNC23 ) or Substack (https://lnkd.in/gTV_MmCq).

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Social Enterprise Australia fosters a vibrant and connected Australian social enterprise sector that provides environmental care, people-centered services, access to decent work, and community-led innovation. They work with state and territory peak bodies to plan, act, and learn together, create a shared national strategy and voice, and develop new ways of building social and environmental wellbeing. 🙌 Social Enterprise Australia commissions research to support federal advocacy. Their Business for Good report shows there are more than 12,000 social enterprises in Australia. The sector employs 1.6 percent of the Australian workforce and contributes 21.3 billion dollars to the economy each year. 👏 Social Enterprise Australia is registered as a not-for-profit organization and reinvests all surplus towards their purpose.❤️ Social Enterprise Australia Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia https://lnkd.in/gTGaDFgr

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It feels like only a couple of months ago that we ran #WEAll's first #EconomyForPublicGood conference in Aotearoa (it was actually last August!). Now it's almost time for our second! Come join us. And join the very active and important conversation about how to evolve our economy to one that provides for #PublicGood by design and by default. It #SoldOut last year, so don't miss out. 💚 🌏 👫 #WellbeingEconomy #Wellbeing #Economics

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Bill Shorten Media Release: New NDIS providers receive grants to co-design new payment options The Albanese Government is trialling a new approach to paying for disability supports to ensure National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants receive high quality supports that produce meaningful outcomes. As part of the 2023-24 Budget, the Australian Government committed $24.6 million over four years to work with participants and providers to trial blended payments which will test if there is a better payment option than the current fee-for-service model. Since then, the Albanese Government has been working closely with participants, providers and representative groups to design the best way forward on the trial.  The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) today announced 31 providers would share in $330,000 and take part in the co-design of blended payment options to explore how they might work. Minister for the NDIS the Hon. Bill Shorten MP said the Blended Payments trial is an opportunity to test different ways providers can be paid which encourage them to deliver better quality supports and achieve outcomes for participants.  “Under the current fee-for-service model, a participant pays a provider for their services and often that’s the end of it. The idea of a blended payment method will test if there might be a better option – where both participants and providers are clearer from the start on the desired outcome and thereby work more effectively towards that,” Minister Shorten said. From next year, following the co-design process, the NDIA and Department of Social Services (DSS) will begin trialling blended payment methods (among small groups of voluntary participants) to test their effectiveness. The trial will involve combining two types of payment. The first is an enrolment payment, where providers are paid for providing supports over a period of time (for example 1 or 2 years). The second is an outcome-based payment where a provider is paid when a participant’s goal is achieved. By trialling the blended payment method, we are testing if changing the payment approach can achieve better outcomes for participants. The fee-for-service payments currently used can narrow the focus to be on the amount of support delivered, rather than whether the supports are achieving results for participants. “This is a necessary innovation in shaping how payments could work differently in the NDIS in the long-term. We need to give participants more options in the future on how they engage providers and how they may pay them.” “To ensure we get this right, we’re co-designing the payment model with participants, Disability Representative and Carer Organisations (DRCOs), providers and peak bodies.” Full story:

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