Cities, Towns and Renewable Energy : Yes In My Front Yard [online]

Authors: International Energy Agency & OECD

Local governments have the power to influence the energy choices of their citizens. Many cities and towns have already encouraged energy efficiency measures. Even so, as demand for energy services continues to grow, the energy infrastructure that every city and town depends on will need to be expanded, upgraded or replaced. This provides the opportunity to increase the deployment of renewable energy technologies and decentralised energy systems, and hence gain the multi-benefits of increased energy security, climate change mitigation and sustainable development, but also the social benefits of reduced air pollution, such as improved health and employment. ...

The goals of this report are to inspire city stakeholders by showing how renewable energy systems can benefit citizens and businesses, assist national governments to better appreciate the role that local municipalities might play in meeting national and international objectives, and help accelerate the necessary transition to a sustainable energy future.

An analysis of the relative efficiency of wastewater utilities in non-metropolitan New South Wales and Victoria (journal article)
by Joel Byrnes, Lin Crase, Brian Dollery and Renato Villano
from Australasian Journal of Regional Studies, Vol. 15, No. 2, 2009
"A recent policy issue in Australian local government has centred on a so-called ‘skills shortage’ in the sector, particularly in regional jurisdictions. In this paper, we estimate the relative efficiency of non-metropolitan water utilities in New South and Victoria and consider the role of divergent governance structures in order to measure the impact of unique managerial factors upon relative efficiency in wastewater service delivery. We find that larger utilities, governed by skills based boards, are relatively more technically efficient than those operating as a business unit of local government. We argue that this is partly explained by the ability of those utilities to attract and retain relatively more skilled staff. A number of policy recommendations are advanced."
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Rethinking e-government services : user-centred approaches [online]

Author: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

"Gives a broad description of the shift in governments' focus on e-government development - from a government-centric to a user-centric approach. It gives a comprehensive overview of challenges to user take-up of e-government services in OECD countries and of the different types of approaches to improving it." - abstract.

E-government cluster boots up with $250k funding (journal article)
by Georgina Swan
from CIO Government, 10 September 2009
"A technology cluster aimed at supporting and strengthening government ICT industries in Australia will inject $150,000 into the industry in 2010, with a commitment for a further $100,000 per annum through to 2011-12.
The e-government cluster is a partnership between National ICT Australia (NICTA), the ACT government, several major international companies, ACT companies and other research organisations including the ANU.
It aims to develop technology that will enable governments to deliver better services, reduce costs and open up new opportunities for businesses. "

The Politics of climate change [book]

Author: Anthony Giddens

"Climate change differs from any other problem that, as collective humanity, we face today. If it goes unchecked, the consequences are likely to be catastrophic for human life on earth. Yet for most people, and for many policy-makers too, it tends to be a 'back of the mind' issue. ... [This book] argues controversially, we do not have a systematic politics of climate change. Politics-as-usual won't allow us to deal with the problems we face, while the recipes of the main challenger to orthodox politics, the green movement, are flawed at source." - cover.

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The Carbon Neutral Public Sector (journal article)
By Amanda Ball, Ian Mason, Suzana Grubnic and Phil Hughes
from Public Management Review Vol 11 Issue 5 Sept 2009, pp. 575 - 600
"This paper argues for research into the effectiveness of government strategies for a 'carbon neutral public sector'. We review initiatives in three OECD countries: New Zealand, Australia and the UK. In all jurisdictions, government agencies have consistently stressed 'leading by example' as a rationale for adoption. 'Direct mandate' by the Prime Minister (NZ); 'organic development' from wider central government sustainability initiatives (UK); and a more 'laissez faire' approach by Australian Federal and State Governments, were identified as the general pathways leading to implementation. Our assessment indicates: a lack of understanding of the implementation process for carbon neutrality; a need to identify and critically examine the 'offset threshold' at which mitigation efforts cease and offsetting is adopted; an absence of any evaluation of the 'leading by example' rationale; a lack of inter-country comparisons; a gap in understanding the relationship with economic and social aspects of sustainability; and a need to evaluate the utility of core government departments as the focus of carbon accounting. We urge colleagues to consider research in this area with a view to contributing to the interdisciplinary solutions which we believe are required."

The art of innovation (journal article)
By Kim Carr
From Public Administration Today, No 16 July/Sept 2008
" Importance of the disciplines of social science, arts and humanities in fostering innovation - government strategy to boost Australia's innovative performance - promoting knowledge creation and transfer."

The price of saving water (journal article)
from OECD Observer Issue 272 April 2009, pp. 19-22
"The article reports on the hesitation of investors regarding water investment amidst financial crisis. It is said that investors hesitate in investing in water because the risks stay high and the revenue from water projects comes from user fees and government subsidies. It is suggested that government must establish regulatory framework to assure investors that water offers the alternative of stable investment return."

Does E-Government Measure Up to E-Business? Comparing End User Perceptions of U.S. Federal Government and E-Business Web Sites (journal article)
By Forrest V. Morgeson III and Sunil Mithas
from Public Administration Review Vol 69 Issue 4, pp. 740 - 752.
"This paper examines the federal government's success in implementing and providing high-quality service through e-government, something that has received very little attention. We define quality from the perspective of the end users of federal agency Web sites, as measured through customer survey data. Using data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, we compare the performance of federal agency Web sites across a range of relevant variables with a private sector equivalent, e-business Web sites. Our findings suggest that federal e-government Web sites are not yet, in the aggregate, providing the same level of quality as their e-business counterparts. We also find significant variability among federal agencies. We discuss the implications of these findings for e-government performance measurement, performance benchmarking, and the market-centered theories of administrative reform that are driving e-government and similar transformations of government practice."

Australian Rural Local Governments and Environmental Sustainability: An Evaluation of Progress (journal article)
By Barbara Pini
from Australian Journal of Public Administration Vol 68 Iss 2 2009, pp. 182 - 193
"Local government is often characterised as being well-placed to enact a successful agenda for environmental sustainability because of its closeness to both people and the environment. The purpose of this article is to examine the extent to which this assumption is correct in terms of local government environmental policies and programs in rural Australia. Using case studies with eight local government authorities in Queensland and New South Wales, the article documents three different positions on a continuum of environmental engagement. These are 'disengaged', 'moving towards engagement' and 'engaged'. The article concludes by arguing that the resource constraints facing rural local councils limit their capacity to engage with environmental management. "

Infrastructure Australia, a Report to the Council of Australian Governments (journal article)
a review by Henry Ergas
from Agenda: A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Vol 16 No 1
"...[the report] suffers greatly from being neither fish nor fowl: it lacks the frankness, clarity and rigour one would expect from an expert report. At the same time, it lacks the care in drafting, the appreciation of the subtleties, and the honest acknowledgement of political constraints that one hopes for in a departmental statement. The impression is of a document drafted by a committee of mixed quality, with the attempt to do ‘the right thing’ (through references to efficiency and cost-benefit analysis) frequently overridden by a ragbag of currently fashionable concerns."
Read the original report from Infrastructure Australia here.

Green initiatives begin to make business sense (article)
by David Hubler
from Washington Technology, 25 March 2009
"Spurred by the Obama administration’s call to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil by adopting alternative energy sources and increasing energy efficiency, green is rapidly becoming the color of choice across all facets of the federal contracting community. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes $4.5 billion for the General Services Administration to make federal buildings more energy efficient and $4.5 billion for the Energy Department to develop smart-grid technologies for the energy infrastructure. "

Promoting better environmental outcomes [book]

Author: Australia. Productivity Commission

Papers from roundtable held at Old Parliament House, Canberra on 19-20 August 2008.

"Sought to address two questions central to developing good environmental policy: 'Under what conditions can governments improve environmental outcomes?' and 'How should governments intervene to ensure effective and efficient results?' " - foreword.

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Tackling Big Problems Through Civic Information Technologies (journal article)
by Brian Behlendorf
from eGov Monitor, 23 March 2009
"Governments should maintain a roadmap of existing or potential CITs (Civic Information Technologies), and manage an awareness of that roadmap at senior policy levels says the author as he discusses the potential benefits."

Twitter, blogs and other Web 2.0 tools revolutionize government business (article)
by Doug Beizer
from Federal Computer Week 6 March 2009
"If you cut through all the hype about Web 2.0 tools, you’ll find government managers and elected officials who use the technology to communicate, share information and network. Web 2.0 technologies for social networking and online collaboration let people connect quickly and with a larger audience than was ever available before. "

The Future of Renewable Energy in Australia: A Test for Cooperative Federalism? (journal article)
By Stephen Jones
from Australian Journal of Public Administration Vol 68 Iss 1 Mar 2009, pp. 1 - 20
"In the context of the Australian federal system industry development will be influenced by the policies of each sphere of government. When announcing a set of policies in 1997 to develop the renewable energy industry the Australian federal government acknowledged the need for a cooperative approach between all governments and industry. The objective of this article is to analyse the government policies over the 1997–2007 period to promote the development of the renewable energy industry in Australia. The article highlights a number of factors that have served as barriers to the development of the industry. The research provides important insight into the difficulties associated with establishing cooperative national arrangements in areas of state government responsibility in the Australian federation. The lessons also inform the current debate on the policy initiatives needed to more effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions from stationary energy from the increased availability of renewable energy."

Now or never : a sustainable future for Australia? [book]

Author: Tim Flannery

Considers the philosophy behind sustainable living, and argues that Australia has a special responsibility to become a leader in the global fight against climate change.

Understanding e-government : information systems in public administration [book]

Vincent Homburg

Considers "the properties, potentials and paradoxes of 'smart machines' for governments (including an analysis of what would make machines 'smart' or 'intelligent')." - preface.

Government and Science: A Troubled, Critical Relationship and What Can Be Done about It(journal article)
By W. Henry Lambright
from Public Administration Review Volume 68 Issue 1 , JanuaryFebruary 2008 p. 5-18
"The U.S. government–science relationship, which helped win World War II, put a man on the moon, unravel the human genome, and nurture economic growth, is troubled. Money is one reason. However, far more than funding, the tensions between government and science are about politics and policy management. Many scientists and their allies argue that the Bush administration has crossed the line separating appropriate control of information from political interference. That is, there has been a "politicization of science." This essay examines the current debate about politicization in historical context; discusses the tensions among scientists, politicians, and administrators; and suggests possible ways to strengthen the government–science partnership in the future."

Politics and the environment : risk and the role of government and industry [book]

Michael Howes

"Explains how governments have developed environmental policy, and the ongoing tensions between science, industry, the state, social movements, and electoral politics." - cover.

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