MEDIA TO EXPLAIN NEW INFORMATION AGE ECONOMICS

20:23 Sun 18 Jun 2006						REF:VMDAGEN1

TO:	Tim				FM:	CAGE - KIRRIBILLI AU2061
	EDITOR

Tim - I appreciate it is difficult to find the bandwidth to digest these issues but 
it is important for the Media to be able to explain the changes from the Industrial 
Age to the Information Age particularly with the role IT plays in this new Economics.

On Fri 16 Jun Chris SMITH of 2GB had a number of parents contact him about their concerns
with what was happening with Local Councils and Junior Football and Swimming.

On Sun 18 Jun on 702 ABC Sydney Bishop Kevin MANNING and Sister Libby ROGERSON IBVM - Director 
of Social Justice and Caritas had a long program detailing their concerns with the 
NEW Industrial Relations Legislation and how Government hand-outs are providing "relief"
for over 40% of the population

On Sun 18 John MENADUE who was Chief of Staff for Gough WHITLAM and Rupert MURDOCH and 
the former Australian Ambassador to Japan announced a new website for business ethics and 
the need for "Hochmar"

Torah Jews have formed a very active network called "Jews United Against Zionism"
to try to raise awareness of what is happening with "New Economics" 

Hence in conjunction with other groups we are endeavouring to explain the implications 
of the move to the "Information Economy" over a number of emails.

The reason that you are copied in is so that you can understand, first as the Editor of
your Magazine and second as a Tax and Rate Payer, the issues that are taking place as 
Government (Federal, State and Local) moves from paper transaction to electronic 
transaction systems.

Please find attached a list of Council around Australia where rate payers have expressed 
an interest in CAGE - Citizens Against Government Exploitation.

A web-site that may be of interest is Mundaring in Western Australia where the Rio Tinto 
Future Fund is sponsoring the Council Volunteer Management Scheme

In 1873 the Rothschilds acquired Rio Tinto which was Europe's largest supplier of Copper.

Hence this sponsorship of Volunteer Management by Rio Tinto Future Fund is a significant 
Australian Local Government issue - what is the return ?

There will be a very wide range of increasing costs as Councils are all changing the Asset 
Management Software to include Electricity, Water, Wastewater, Trees, Plants and Volunteers

Federal and State Government Legislation requires Local Government to provide "enhanced 
Community Support Services".

An example is for people with Disabilities and in Junior Sport the Federal Government has 
passed Legislation particularly concerning Child Protection that few Volunteer Sports groups
will be able manage effectively.

The management of this may be delegated to a Sport Peak Body or probably to a Local Council.

There will be an electronic fee for this that will be added to the Subscription Fee 
particularly as Local Councils are increasing the cost of their Field Hire to cover very
expensive Indemnity Insurance.

Councils have always been one of the major users of Electricity and now with the advent of 
Electricity Deregulation, Councils have to bid electronically for Electricity usage every 
15 minutes.

An example was the tender published by Queensland University for Electricity Supply.

This is why many Councils are now providing free Community electric BBQ resources

These additional costs have been developed as part of the Future Fund Management Strategy
to ensure that the very generous Superannuation payments for Politicians and Government 
employees are all part of the "Cost" that rate payers will pay electronically.

The Issue is that when all costs and payments are electronic it is very difficult to know 
what are real costs and what are just additional figures to support another Government fund 
shortage.

This is why a number of groups like CAGE - Citizens Against Government Exploitation have 
formed to try and encourage Government at all levels to publish the Outsourced Contracts
and the Superannuation Liabilities

In North Sydney Ted MACK when he was the Mayor in the early '80 set up what was called 
Participatory Democracy to encourage the Citizens to get involved with Local Government.

He formed a number of Precincts that are still running.  

However what has happened is that Councils under the new 1993 Local Government Act now 
consider Running and Managing Committees as a way of generating Revenue for the Council.

The Council provides the rooms, Committee Secretariat and Computer Infrastructure at a 
cost for each Committee.

The Council prepares all the Minutes and place them on the Council Web as pdf files which
have to be download rather than html files.

If the minutes were html files they can be accessed very quickly and linked from Meeting 
Record to Meeting Record (Minutes) so that each issue can be tracked though its Life Cycle

If you have set Agendas you can link the item in the minutes each month as part of the 
Minute Viewing process

The Councils have not developed a Framework to allow people to run meetings themselves
electronically so that people can communicate far more effectively and become more involved
with Committees without the problems of Committee Bullies and Committee Hijacks.

An example is the minutes developed for Pittwater RSL Football Club so that members can 
review what is happening electronically without having to attend meetings.

The previous minutes and meetings can be linked at the bottom of each record of meeting page

This Electronic Committee Information Management [ECIM] process is a module part of the 
Electronic Association Information Management [EAIM] suite developed and implemented by
members of the Open Interchange Consortium in 1998
 
An example of where ECIM could assist in in Local Government Agencies is with the plethora
of Committees organised by Councils.

North Sydney Council has the following Committees which meet regularly with outside 
Volunteer Participants

A	Access
B	Arts & Events
	a	Bicycle Sub-committee
C	Children's Services & Facilities
	b	Combine Bicycle & Pedestrian Sub-Committee
D	Environmental Services
E	Historical Resources
F	Legal Services
G	Library Management
H	Management Services
	a	Pedestrian Sub-Committee 12
	b	Pedestrian Sub-Committee 13
	c	Pedestrian Sub-Committee 14
I	Planning & Development
J	Property Development Committee	
K	Special Committees
	a	2 Vale Street
	b	Greythwaite
L	Traffic Committees
	a	419
	b	420
	c	421
	d	422
	e	423
	f	424
	g	425
	h	426
M	Works Inspection Committee

In addition there are 20 Precincts Committees that have regular
Committee meetings with the Council providing Secretariat Services

a	Anderson
B	Bay
C	Bennett
D	Bradfield
E	Bridgeview
F	Brightmore
G	Combined
H	Cremorne Point
I	Edward
J	Harrison
K	Hayberry
L	Hayes
M	Holtermann
N	Kurraba
O	Lavendar Bay
P	Milson
Q	Neutral
R	Parks
S	The Plateau
T	Stanton
U	Union
V	Waverton
W	Willoughby Bay
X	Wollsonecraft

North Sydney Council also has 5 Streetscape Committees

A	Cammeray
B	Cremorne
C	Crows Nest
D	Kirribilli
E	Neutral Bay
F	Wollstonecraft Village

This is just one example of the Government new Information Economy Strategy to tax people
electronically 

The Volunteers will do the work but the Council will build up the costs as part of the 
Service it provides.

This is now happening all over Australia as Councils publish their Management Plans for 
2006-2011 safe in the knowledge that nobody reads them

Please find attached a list with a few examples you may want to review

Your magazine could help by explaining what the new Government "Information Economy" 
means to the person in the street

Regards

Stephen GOULD
Co-ordinator
CAGE-KIRRIBILLI 2061


On 14 Jun 06, at 12:41, Tim wrote:

> Mr Gould,
> 
> Although, I am happy to receive information that is relevant to my
> magazine, I am at a total loss to understand why you've sent me this.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Tim 
> 
> Steve GOULD wrote:
> > 15:37 Tue 13 Jun 2006					REF:2PCAARN1
> > 								Y/R: Meeting Wed 14 Jun
> >
> > TO:	Peter SYMONDS		cc	PRSLFC 2006 Management Committee
> > 	President			Aus Sports Commission
	PITTWATER RSL FOOTBALL CLUB	Soccer NSW 
					Manly-Warringah Football Association [MWFA]
> >   
> >   		RESPONSE ALLEGATIONS BREACH OF DUTIES
> 

Revised: S: 10:08 Wed 2006/06/07 Syd 2089
F: 10:50 Wed 2006/06/07 Syd 2089
Who: aer
Authorised: sgg
Created: 10:30 Wed 2006/06/07 Syd 2089
By: sgg
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