The transfer of eco-innovation and green tech from the developped countries to the rest of the world is certainly a central aspect of the battle against climate change and resource scarcity.

The G 77 group led by China in the international climate negotiations now pushes for ‘patent free’ green tech to tackle climate change.

The fundamental question is whether the rich countries should ease the access to the technologies and the knowledge developped in their countries, often with significant public money involved (research, innovation, support to SMEs etc…), ie. have much less restrictive Intellectual Property Rights. I would say that given the urgency and dimension of the challenge (climate change and resource scarcity are worldwide issues with needed worldwide commitment) a very large access should be given to green tech and knowledge developped in the richer countries. The risk  in terms of employement and business for our companies is certainly limited compared to the opportunities offered to the same companies and especially compared to the benefits for the environment and people’s daily life around the world.

Yekalon and Unilin are engaged in a patent dispute

Chinese building materials provider Yekalon Industry Inc says it will take legal action “at any cost” to defend its self-developed locking technology for laminate and wood floorings.

The private company, based in the southern boom city of Shenzhen adjacent to Hong Kong, was charged by its much stronger competitor Unilin, a subsidiary of the US-listed Mohawk and located in Belgium, with patent infringement at a world fair in Germany in January.

“We have hired top-notch lawyers in Germany and will appear at the court of Hamburg on Wednesday,” said Wilson He Yixin, chairman of Yekalon. “We will never surrender to these groundless allegations.”

The focus of the case lies in a glueless locking technology for laminate and wood floorings. Unilin has owned patents since 1996 for the method and duopolized the market with another European company, Valinge.

However, the Chinese company invented a new locking method in 2005 which can connect the flooring by vertically tapping in the edges of the planks instead of the established technique of angling and snapping horizontally, according to He.

“Our locking technology is completely self-developed. It works theoretically different from that of Unilin. How can we infringe its patents?” he asked, adding that Yekalon has applied for international patents for the invention under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and will soon complete the process.

It is the second big clash between Yekalon and Unilin.

In July 2006, 18 Chinese flooring exporters, including Yekalon, were put under a Section 337 investigation by the US International Trade Commission (USITC) for patent infringement by Unilin and its subsidiaries.

Yekalon was the only company in the group that was not condemned by the investigation because the USITC found that its locking technology did not infringe the patent claims asserted.

The other Chinese companies who were using Unilin’s locking technology were ordered to pay $100,000 to $120,000 in royalties and $0.65 in royalties per cubic meter to the patent owner, or they would not be allowed to export their glueless laminate flooring panels to the US market.

It’s estimated that both Unilin and Valinge could earn more than $1 billion in royalties and licensing fees from flooring companies around the world.

Source:  China Daily

S&F Law

TriGranit and IPR have opened Bonarka City Center in Kraków through their joint venture vehicle Roland Investments. With 270 units, the 91,000 sqm shopping center’s debut marks the end of the project’s €30m first phase which will eventually be extended to include office and residential components. Two thousand local under-privileged children received vouchers for Christmas gifts as part of the opening. Sources hint the two companies could be cooperating in Bratislava in a new entertainment hub being spearheaded by TriGranit.

Şapte Seri. Compilaţia

!!!!

2001, Soft Records

Dedicată revistei Şapte Seri, proaspăt lansată la Bucureşti (singurul ghid de timp liber din Bucureşti la vremea respectivă), asocierea de nume se face de către primul director al ghidului de timp liber, Levente Tofan, pentru a creşte popularitatea brandului.

Kumm, Middlefinger, Luna amară şi Renegaţii sunt alternativi, cele trei din urmă având un sound specific rockului post-decembrist, post-Nirvana. Lee Quid era un pop-rock; Nightlosers apare aici ca Headliner printre celelalte nume cu cea mai nereuşită prelucrare pop cu note tradiţionale pe care am ascultat-o vreodată. Los Embecillos promova un punk pur; IPR cântă un hardcore clasic; Cannabis şi Ricochet cântau un rock specific românesc. Având în vedere piaţa noastră, mă miră că ultimele două menţionate nu au reuşit să scoată capul din anonimat.

Această compilaţie introduce anul 2001 în RETROSPECTIVA ANILOR 2000 la CZB. În următoarele zile, oriunde vedeţi acest mic timbru cu atentatul din SUA (11.09.2001) ataşat articolului, este vorba de un eveniment sau artist din 2001.

…

Despre formaţii

La Los Embecillos recunoaştem vocea lui Albert, de la Nişte Baieţi şi Dead Ceuşescus. Aici se promova un punk accesibil şi melodios.

Marele Exod de la Lee Quid are un iz de note asemănătoare cu piesa Dacă Vrei (Celelalte Cuvinte). Amprenta trupei o dădea vocea sibiencei; este mare păcat că s-a destrămat înainte de a ieşi din Cluj.

Aici apare prima dată Folclor-ul celor de la Luna amară. Calitatea inregistrarii este compensata de dinamica si mesajul piesei, care devine mai cunoscută publicului larg de abia cu patru ani mai târziu, şi numai datorită unui act (gratuit) de cenzură într-o piaţă centrală din Cluj.

Aici găsim poate şi cea mai slabă compoziţie promovată de Nightlosers până în acel moment, Dragostea e ca şi o râie.

Înfiinţată la Iaşi, Cannabis promovează un umor mai ciudat, pe ritmuri rock progresive, combinând văitatul ciobănesc cu chitara lui Hendrix. La prima vedere pare ciudat, dar reţeta chiar funcţiona.

După cât de compact şi melodios îşi interpreta IPR muzica în 2000, ar fi trebuit să ajungă mult mai departe, doar că la vremea respectivă nu exista (cum nici acum nu există) o reţea clară de cluburi pentru muzica hardcore (în cele mai multe cluburi din ţară se promova muzica folk sau mai acustică şi soft; majoritatea patronilor refuză să primească formaţii de acest gen şi din teama – nemotivată – a publicului care l-ar putea aduna acest gen de formaţii). Şi astăzi, mulţi inconştient se feresc de adevăratul spirit rock.

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Oricât de bine s-a încercat să se masterizeze compilaţia, se simte diferenţa dintre înregistrări. Albumul devine mai şters ca mesaj şi ritm între a şaptea şi a doisprezecea piesă (din cauza asta nu putem acorda mai mult de patru semne). Ce este incredibil de fain aici este că există un mesaj sau un spirit rebel pe fiecare piesă, indiferent de gen. Acest mesaj este firul roşu care leagă piesele între ele pe această compilaţie. Totusi, datorită diversităţii de genuri, materialul este prea heterogen. Foarte puţini ar avea deschiderea şi capacitatea de a trece de la o stare la alta să poată asculta cap-coadă compilaţia fără să sară piese.

…

Implant pentru Refuz vine din alt film. IPR şi Nightlosers reprezintă extremele pe această compilaţie.

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Această compilaţie este deosebită prin faptul că documentează undergroundul alternativ autohton din diverse colţuri ale ţării şi este o retrospectivă a muzicii de contracurent la trecerea dintre milenii.

IPR, Kumm, Luna amară şi Nightlosers sunt singurele formaţii de aici care mai activează şi în ziua de azi.

This blog is focused on the NSW Integrated Planning & Reporting (IPR) reforms and associated issues. Now that the IPR legislation is finally passed and we are heading towards integrated strategic planning as the ‘real life’ framework for Local Government in NSW, it is timely to briefly review the broader Australian scene.

The State and Territory Governments have constitutional responsibility for and provide the legal basis for Local Government operations. Australia’s 565 local councils are legally agencies of the States. In the case of Canberra, Local Government functions are performed by the ACT Government. In each State over the last decade there has been a Local Government reform process and all have had some common themes, although the style has varied according to the political climate.

Today’s post will look briefly at each of the States (other than NSW and the ACT) and where they stand in terms of IPR or similar frameworks. In the next post, I will discuss the emerging role of the Commonwealth and national agreements on reform. Much of the information that follows was compiled for TechnologyOne by Monique Langley as part of the research for our series of Local Government best practice white papers.

I welcome your more expert comment and views on any of the State positions summarised below. Which arrangements are working most effectively? Has collaboration with State Government been more fruitful than reforms imposed from above?

Victoria

Technically, Victoria has not been subject to a formal Local Government review, however, major reform of the ‘slash and burn’ school was undertaken by the Kennett Government in the 1990s, with the State imposing amalgamations and structural reforms.  Since then, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has conducted an annual Trends in Local Government Finance review on the long-term sustainability of Local Government finances and developed long-term (financial) viability measures for councils.

Victoria’s Local Government Act 1989 requires councils to prepare a Council Plan, including 4-year strategic objectives, a Strategic Resources Plan, an annual budget, an annual report, and an annual performance statement outlining achievements.

Notably, this local planning and reporting is backed up by some key State-wide approaches and resources, such as the Community Indicators Victoria website. I will discuss this in more detail in a future post on community outcome measures.

Queensland

The approach to Local Government reform in Queensland was initially collaborative. The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) and the State Government developed a reform framework paper, Size, Shape and Sustainability, to investigate challenges such as shared services, regional cooperation and voluntary boundary changes with a view to improving financial sustainability. However this was controversially abandoned in 2007 when the Queensland Government established a commission to review boundaries, followed by forced amalgamation of councils (from 157 to 73) and new elections in March 2008.

The Queensland Government currently provides a six-point Plan and Deliver strategic planning template that includes reviewing the strategic direction; developing the corporate plan; consultation and feedback; developing the operational plan and budgets; implementing the plan and annual reporting and review.  It provides councils with some assistance to meet best practice standards and continuous improvement requirements.

Recent reforms to the Queensland Local Government Act which are due to come into effect next month are aimed at making Local Government more “accountable, effective, efficient and sustainable”.  These require that all councils introduce a 10-year vision and set of plans encompassing financial management, asset management and community management (incorporating a community engagement plan).  Under these 10-year plans, the framework requires a 5-year corporate plan and an annual operational plan and budget.  Performance will then be monitored through the annual report.  It is anticipated that there will be a transitional period for introducing the reforms.

South Australia

The Local Government Association of South Australia released an independent inquiry report, Rising to the Challenge: Towards Financially Sustainable Local Government in South Australia, in 2005.  The report showed that in general terms, councils had put community needs and demands for services ahead of their own financial sustainability.

Legislative reform flowing from the review process was collaborative. A Local Government (Financial Management and Rating) Amendment Act was introduced in 2005. This requires councils to have a 10-year financial plan and infrastructure and asset management plan; a 4-year strategic management plan identifying its objectives (including specific objectives for the sustainability of the council’s financial performance and infrastructure); and an annual business plan. Councils must review the long term plans within two years of each council election, as well as reviewing the financial plan annually as part of the business plan cycle.

Tasmania

The Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) commissioned Access Economics to undertake a Review of the Financial Sustainability of Local Government in 2007. The report recommended that each council develop a rolling 10-year financial plan to rehabilitate and expand infrastructure, develop and grow services, generate additional resources from revenue increases and cost savings, and comply with financial KPIs to address the renewals gap.

Councils in Tasmania are covered by the Local Government Act 1993, under which they are required to prepare a 5-year strategic plan, an annual operational plan and an annual report.  Additionally, councils are asked to participate in an annual KPI framework which is run in partnership by the State’s Local Government Department, the LGAT, and professional groups.  Much of the KPI framework is, however, based on financial indicators rather than strategic goals.

Western Australia

The WA Local Government Act 1995 requires councils to prepare an annual budget and an annual financial report.  There are also vague requirements in relation to planning for the future of Local Government areas.

In 2006, the Western Australian Local Government Association released a Systemic Sustainability Study and a task force was set up to implement the 41 recommendations. In February 2009, the WA Government announced wide-ranging Local Government reform strategies aimed at achieving better planning, management and delivery of services to communities.  Each of the 139 councils in WA have been asked to undergo a voluntary amalgamation process, reduce councillor numbers, and form regional groupings for efficiencies.  Additionally, they are being asked to adopt a longer term strategic planning framework, including asset and financial management and workforce planning.  Councils are also asked to participate in a review of current Local Government legislation to facilitate sustainability. 

Northern Territory

A reform process launched in the Northern Territory in 2008 has the goal of improving and expanding the delivery of services by establishing eight new shires with offices in major centres and the installation of unified business systems.

The Local Government Act 2009 requires the preparation of a 4-year regional plan (between interested councils for the region) and Municipal or Shire Local Government plans that must be reviewed annually.  Each council’s annual plan must contain a service delivery plan and the council budget; long-term community or strategic plans adopted by the council; a long-term financial management plan; and key performance indicators.

Interestingly, councils are also required to assess the adequacy of constitutional arrangements currently in force, opportunities and challenges in service delivery, possible changes to administrative and regulatory frameworks, and any possibilities that exist to improve services by cooperating with other councils (updated at least once in the council term).

Who has the lead?

The survey results seem to indicate that the New South Wales IPR framework could potentially elevate the State to best practice level in Australia.  However, a key threat to the success of these reforms in NSW may be the adequacy of supporting resources and templates at a State or regional level. Do you think there are opportunities to remedy this in what is flowing from the Federal level?

Leave a comment

By Ross Kingsley, Senior Consultant Performance Planning, TechnologyOne

Today I had a random conversation about ebooks in general and the Kindle in particular at the most unlikely place – a random security check at Copenhagen airport. I’ve been taken out for these extra, thorough checks a couple of times, and they really do go over everything – turning on and checking each bit of electronics, looking through the items in your carry-on bag, etc. This takes time, and so there’s time for a chat. And as has happened frequently of late, the Kindle was what spurred the conversation.

Both security officers were interested in ebooks, intrigued by the possibilities, and quite well-informed. They wanted to know all about how I liked the Kindle – usability, how it is as a travel companion, the selection of books, the feel of it compared to a “real” book and compared to other devices, etc. They were impressed with all that. However, their concern was Amazon – or, rather, the Amazon business model even if that was not the words they used. They checked if I could buy books elsewhere than Amazon, about Amazon being able to delete my books. They were clearly skeptical about the Kindle and worried about the level of control Amazon has. They expressed interest in new, more open devices coming out.

This is good. It is good to hear that caution about single-vendor control and focus on open platforms has hold outside the geek community. It is also a sign that Amazon need to worry about this. Amazon still has a whopping lead and a chance to make good on first-mover advantage; However, if this kind of Kindle skepticism takes hold in the public, the advantage of the Kindle might erode so fast it ends up a millstone around Amazons neck.

I just recently got an iPhone.  Its pretty sweet for a variety of reasons, maybe the most hyped, talked about, and coveted piece of tech Ive ever owned.  I’m not much of a gadget junkie.  In general I’m pretty indifferent to the swaying affect stuff like this has over my friends.  But when my work provided blackberry started to show its age I decided to request an phone.  So far its been pretty fun.  Really just having a camera-phone again is nice but there are so many benefits I didn’t realize.  The exchange support alone is worth the price of admission.  I’m not a huge fan of touch screen interfaces in general but I can put up with the bs touch keyboard for the large screen.  Anyways I don’t want to review the iPhone, I just want to mention that I’m more pleased than I thought I would be.  And now that Ive “jail broken” my buddy, I think I’m more pleased.

I got a Kindle when the international version came out in October. I like it. Or, lets be more precise – I like the reading experience. I find reading books off the Kindle very agreeable. It just mostly does not get in the way of reading. But it comes with a license agreement, and my reaction when I saw that was “there goes book sharing”.

I other have gripes. The “international” part isn’t very international when it comes to it (more about that another day, maybe). Putting my own documents on the Kindle is way too complicated. There’s privacy concerns, and Amazon potentially deleting my books. And so on.

Cory Doctorow wrote about the license issue on BoingBoing yesterday. Apart from DRM being fundamentally broken, there’s a problem here that, at least for me, there’s a huge disconnect between how I usually treat books, and what the license allows. Back when I first ran into these licenses, it was about software, and that was not too bad. Software I will get, use, and eventually scrap. Passing it on is rare. Then digital music came along, and there was a problem. Music I usually buy and keep – and use many times. But I also let people borrow my CD’s, and I get inspiration from things I borrowed, and that doesn’t fit with DRM.

Books are different. Many books I buy and read, and put on a shelf not to be read by me again. Some of these I will lend to friends, sometimes many times. Some I give away. A book I buy may be used many times, but unlike a CD, a book will be mostly used by others. Likewise, friends plop books down on my desk, to read and keep, or give back, or pass on.

Books are shared. The format, the physical package, the way I read all make books sharing items. The license for the Kindle books go right against that. I just finished reading Carr’s “Does IT matter”, but I can’t pass it on to people I think would like it. That’s a serious problem – and one that’s hard to solve without abolishing DRM altogether. I don’t want Amazon to break the culture that surrounds books for me. I don’t want Amazon to destroy the intellectual sharing of passing books around – just because they are trying to turn what is for me a sharing item into a service, and a personal service at that.

I realize most ebooks come with some sort of shared account option. It’s possible to establish a shared bookshelf, so that at least I can share my books with my family. But that does not solve the problem of not being able to circulate books freely.

För ungefär två dagar sedan läckte ytterligare ett dokument om handelsavtalet “Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement” ut, vilket är den enda nuvarande möjligheten för medborgare att få insikt i de pågående förhandlingarna mellan de anslutna länderna. Med anledning av detta tänker jag skriva ned några korta punkter om avtalet.

• I oktober 2007 meddelade USA, Europeiska Unionen, Schweiz och Japan att de inledde förhandlingar rörande ACTA. Efter detta har Australien, Sydkorea, Nya Zeeland, Mexico, Jordanien, Marocko, Singapore, Saudiarabien och Kanada anslutit sig till förhandlingarna.
• Dokumenten som berör “Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement” är sekretessbelagda och det första läckta dokumentet kom den 22:a Maj 2008 när ett styrdokument om avtalet laddades upp på Wikileaks.
• Förhandlingarna har dragit ut på tiden, men den sjätte omgången av förhandlingarna hölls nyligen i Sydkorea. Enligt rykten vill de anslutna länderna avsluta förhandlingarna så snart som möjligt under 2010.
• Enligt Nya Zeeland kommer avtalet att etablera “a new international legal framework” och målet är “to set a new, higher benchmark for intellectual property rights enforcement that countries can join on a voluntary basis.” I praktiken kan detta mycket väl innebära att de berörda länderna och privata aktörerna kommer att stänga ute de länder och organisationer som väljer att stå utanför avtalet.
• Enligt det nyligen läckta dokumentet håller USTR (Huvudförhandlare om ACTA) på att ta fram ett utkast på “the future Internet Chapter of ACTA” som i stort sett är klart bara det att det förs interna diskussioner inom Vita Huset, Kongressen, på myndighetsnivå och med “private stakeholders” samt “supporters of internet “freedom”. Att få ta del av dokumenten innebär att man måste skriva under papper på strikt konfidentialitet. I min förra post om statens svårigheter med interorganisationell förändring tog jag hjälp av Manuel DeLanda för att beskriva hur förhandlingar försenas av att många olika aktörer ska ta del av utkast eller policy. I dokumentet nämns det att dokumentet har hållits tillbaka, eller i alla fall relaterat till “internal EU discussions”, vilket skulle kunna handla om exempelvis telekompaketet. Här kan den som vill gräva lite och se vad Rådet skulle besluta om några veckor innan den femte och den sjätte omgången av förhandlingarna. Kanske kan man även hålla utkik efter vad man diskuterar inom Rådet innan den sjunde omgången som går av stapeln någon gång i början av 2010 i Mexico.
• Utkastet är på tre sidor i sin enklare, kortare samt läckta form och innehåller följande sektioner:

• Sektion 1: Baseline obligations inspired by article 41 TRIPs, imposing adequate and effective legal remedies, as provided in relevant sections of ACTA (civil, penal), for internet infringements.
• Sektion 2: ACTA members have to provide for third-party liability.
• Sektion 3: Safe-harbours for liability regarding ISPs, based on Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)2, including a preamble about the balance between the interests of internet service providers (ISPs) and right-holders. [...] ISPs are defined as in Section 512 (k) of DMCA3 On the limitations from 3rd party liability: to benefit from safe-harbours, ISPs need to put in place policies to deter unauthorised storage and transmission of IP infringing content (ex: clauses in customers’ contracts allowing, inter alia, a graduated response). From what we understood, the US will not propose that authorities need to create such systems. Instead they require some self-regulation by ISPs. This Section 3 should also contain “broad” provisions regarding notice-and-take down mechanisms.
• Sektion 4: Will focus on technical protection measures (TPMs). [...] Parties to provide adequate civil and criminal remedies that are specific to TPM infringements, i.e. treat these as separate offenses form “general” copyright infringements.- TPM infringements would be: (i) prohibition of circumvention of access controls and; (ii) prohibition of manufacture and trafficking of circumventing DRM devices.- There will be exceptions to these prohibitions available to ACTA members.- “Fair use” will not be circumscribed.- There will be no obligation for hardware manufacturers to ensure interoperability of TPMs.
• Sektion 5: Will focus on Rights’ Management.
  

• Det svenska ordförandeskapet i EU släppte nyligen “The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) – Summary of Key Elements Under Discussion”, som är ett ganska omfattande dokument om bakgrunden till ACTA, dess struktur samt innehåll och vad handelsavtalet omfattar. Det borde vara självklar läsning för alla som vill sätta sig in i ACTA framöver.
• Faran med ett avtal av den här magnituden är förutom själva innehållet även det att förhandlingarna kommer att dra ut på tiden, vilket gör att ramverket för detta handelsavtal kommer att vara än mer ur fas med resten av samhällsutvecklingen när det väl är på plats. Är det inte så att de anslutna länderna samtidigt skapar som ett sorts “antihandelsavtal” där de kan diktera villkoren för hur andra länder ska bedriva handel med de länder som förhandlar om ACTA? Det innebär väl en handelsmässig inlåsning att ta fram ett regelverk med ett fåtal länder samtidigt som man exkluderar resten av världen. Och hur blir det med laissez faire? Jag är ingen ekonom, men det vore bra om någon som är ekonom började analysera konsekvenser av implementeringen av ett handelsavtal av den här storleken som samtidigt är exklusiv snarare än inklusiv.
• ACTA-avtalet ämnar att ta fram internationella standarder för IPRs.
• ACTA-avtalet ska öka samarbetet mellan de anslutna länderna och tillsammans upprätthålla ramverket för de praktiska lösningar som ska skydda IPRs.
• Det sägs att avtalet inte ska rikta in sig på vanliga medborgare, utan kommer att angripa “piratkopiering” och “pirataktiviteter”. Det återstår att se hur de anslutna länderna kommer att förhålla sig till detta.
• ACTA is not intended to interfere with a signatory’s ability to respect its citizens’ fundamental rights and civil liberties, and will be consistent with the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) and will respect the Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health.
• ACTA kan komma att fungera tillsammans med TRIPS-överenskommelsen.

Listan skulle kunna göras mycket längre om vi bara fick se dokumenten. Vad ska vi göra nu? Vi borde först och främst sluta upp bakom Europas ISPs och förklara att de varken kan eller vill hållas ansvariga för vad vi nätanvändare skickar mellan varandra. ISPs vill inte agera polis eller avlyssna sina kunder – de vill kunna bedriva sin verksamhet utan att trafiken skadar nätet och utan betyngande extrajobb för att vissa aktörer kräver det.

Vi borde dessutom i större omfattning argumentera för att de anslutna länderna ska öppna upp avtalet. Jag är skeptiskt till att ett handelsavtal som involverar copyright och immaterialrättsliga frågor ska ha sekretess av det här slaget. Det gäller ju knappast rikets säkerhet eller annan känslig information. Jag menar, det är väl knappast nationers representanter som sitter och skriver dessa utkast och avtal? Det är väl lobbyister? Jag önskar att journalister kunde gräva mer och ta reda på vilka det egentligen är som sitter och skriver ihop avtalet.

Till sist, missa inte Michael Geists intervju i programmet “As It Happens” (CBC) där han besvarar frågor om ACTA-avtalet.

Implant pentru refuz s-a transformat in Implant for Denial si s-a lansat pe piata internationala, o data cu aparitia noului album “Otheroot”.  Lansarea albumului “Otheroot” a avut loc pe 5 noiembrie, in clubul Fabrica din Bucuresti. Alaturi de timisorenii de la Implant au urcat pe scena formatiile D’Aia si Blister Blue.

Blister Blue

Blister Blue

Blister Blue

Implant for Denial

Poveste incepe de aseara, eram de tura si, dupa ce-mi pleaca clientii gasim in bar un tub cu spuma poli-chestie, stiti voi, chestie d-aia cu care izolezi chestii ce nu se potrivesc perfect in anumite gauri. Cum, desigur, nici eu si nici ospatarul minune nu prea avem ocazia sa ne jucam cu astfel de obiecte am inceput sa facem experimente dubioase, ignorand complet principiul de functionare a spumeni magice, am vrut sa vedem daca dezvolta suficienta presiune incat sa sparga o sticla. Si cum sticlele de sticla se sparg mult mai interesant decat omoloagele lor de plastic am umplut o sticla de bere cu spuma in cauza. Evident ca nu s-a crapat nimic…dar spuma a inceput sa erupa din sticla. Sigur, a fost amuzant dar, eventual m-a mancat in gaura acoperita de un par ceva mai rar ca cel din jurul gurii sa pun mana pe spuma neuscata. Ca sa fiu idiot pana la capat am inceput sa ma joc cu spuma gelificata… fara sa ma gandesc vreunpic ca e ceva mai complicat s-o dau jos de pe maini.

Drept urmare, cand am inceput sa-mi dau seama ca degetele se impreuneaza si raman impreunate am incercat sa ma spal pe maini. Apa nu ajuta… Pur nu ajuta, sapunul lichid nu ajuta, diluantul nu prea ajuta (dar arata foarte misto cand arde pe mana), a ajutat o apa-crema de la nivea pentru curatarea porilor (evident ca am gasit-o prin carciuma). Toate ca toate am rezolvat problema cu “lipiciozitatea” mainilor dar se pare ca le-am futut (altfel ca de obicei) temporar, cred ca spuma aia a atacat ceva din piele, imi simt mainile ca si cum as purta manusi chirurgicale, imi aluneca chestii…le simt mereu murdare…e aiurea.

Cu palmele alterate mi-am indeplinit diversele indatoriri pe care le aveam de indeplinit azi urmand ca, pe seara, sa ma intalnesc cu oamenii ce aveau sa ma acompanieze la concertul celor de la IPR. Pe drum insa era sa compromit toata seara, complet fara a-mi dori asta am deranjat pe cineva cu prezenta, evident, imi pare rau, dar chiar nu am intetionat sa fiu naspa, conjunctura evenimentelor a facut in asa fel incat sa iasa naspa, eu chiar n-am vrut. Cum nu vroiam sa-mi stric bunastarea psihic-emotionala am ales sa rezolv problema retragandu-ma din problema, desigur, cand nu muncesc, bunastarea celor din jur nu este responsabilitatea mea (e aiurea sa pretinzi asta de la cineva) si momentan nici nu vreau sa fie.

Trecand peste, si dupa un mic detour ajungem in Fabrica. Nu pot spune ca-mi doream neaaparat sa vad trupele din deschidere, dar daca tot nu aveam ce face am decis sa le acord o sansa. Cand am ajuns pe scena erau cei de la D’aia, niste tipi pe care nu-i mai vazusem niciodata dar chiar nu mi-au displacut. Desi nu prea aveau public, si oameni care erau, erau total indiferenti, baietii chiar au cantat misto. Deloc deranjant, placut chiar, nu epic… dar ok pentru ceva acolo, pe fundal. Ce-i drept, am prin doar cateva piese si eram acolo pentru IPR dar baietii chiar au cantat ok.

Dupa o scurta pauza pentru redecorarea scenei au urcat baietii de la Blister Blue…  am avut treaba cu multe concerte pana acum deci imi place sa cred ca am posibilitatea de a realiza inca de pe vremea probelor de sunet daca o trupa imi va provoca placere sau nu. Cu Blister Blue se pare ca am “ghicit” corect… Baietii canta un alternativ…alternativa a bunastarii simturillor. Au cantat vreo 40 (dar timpul era oricum relativ) de minute dar cred ca doar vreo 3 pise mi s-au parut ascultabilie. Cel putin primele piese ale recitalului erau brutale de-a dreptul, instrumentele erau fiecare in lumea lor, nu era deloc inchegat, vocalul avea momente in care imi imaginam ca-i vreun animal ranit care tipa dupa alinare sau exterminare. Tobarul parca usor usor mai prindea ceva dar cum credeai ca poate poate… colegii sai de trupa il sabotau drastic. Usor usor ne-am retras din fata scenei, vrand sa-i scutim pe baieti de expresiile noastre pline de sentimentul ala ciudat, amestecul de mila cu frica, disconfort si uimire.  Ce-i drept, mi-a placut o piesa, singura piesa in romana (sau singura piesa in care am inteles ce spuneau oamenii aia), nu mai tin minte alt element descriptiv, dar a fost pe la sfarsit, poate chiar ultima. Suna ceva mai decent, vocea era mult mai ok, fara zbiarate de agonie. Vocalul a spus o chestie cu care eu cel putin sunt complet de acord “Blister Blue este un nume pe care ai sa-l uiti in curand”, are dreptate, eu cel putin sper sa-l uit.

In timpul pauzei dintre Blister Blue si Implant Pentru Refuz am escaladat cu succes tribuna si am discutat despre schimbarea, comercializarea (nu-i un lucru negativ) numelui grupului din Timisoara. Din “Implant pentru Refuz” in “Implant for Denial”, nu is nici “pro” nici “contra”, nu am motive pentru o parere in directia asta, tot IPR raman pentru mine, inteleg ca vor sa atinga mai multi oameni “din mai multe orase ale Europei, nu doar Bucuresti, Timisoara si Cluj” (genial), au si de ce,  mesajul trebuie transmis si ei o fac bine, nu vad de ce totusi numele era o problema in aceasta directie. “Implant pentru Refuz” suna mult mai melodios, mai puternic .

In aceasta seara de 5 Noiembrie avea sa gazduiasca un concert cu totul si cu totul special marca Implant pentru Refuz, era lansarea atat a noului lor album/digipack “Otheroot” cat si videoclipul versiunii in engleza a unei piese de pe Monolith, redenumita Nemesis. Un concert cu multe premiere si experiente noi.

S-a tot scris despre “Otheroot” dar am sa reiau si eu putin subiectul, este un album cu piese in 2 limbi, unele noi dar si 9 piese de pe Monolith traduse si adaptate in engleza. Iar din cate am azuzit suna bine, desigur, este o schimbare radicala, dar nu suna rau, imi plac mai mult piesele pre-Monolith dar si Otheroot este de ascultat.

Concertul a inceput in forta, s-a adunat si publicul (imi plac concertele IPR ca-s mereu aceasi oameni, ii vad atat de des incat aproape-mi vine sa-i salut) si a inceput show-ul. Baietii canta cu acelasi chef si aceasi energie cu care cantau si acum multi ani cand i-am vazut prima oara si m-au facut sa nu vrea sa ratez vreun concert de-al lor. Sunt una din putinele trupe care schimba atmosfera in sala inca de la primul acord, emana atata energie si canta cu atata pathos incat aproape este imposibil sa nu te manifesti, sunt cat se poate de reali, de “acolo”, au o relatie incredibila cu fanii, parasind scena pentru a canta din centrul multimii, pasand microfoane in public si chiar urcarea unui spectator pe scena pentru ca-i lua locul lui Vita la microfon.

Publicul a fost super ok, evident ca am avut parte si de pustii care pareau mai interesati de mosh decat de concert in sine dar macar s-au exprimat in limita decentei si n-au deranjat excesiv. De apreciat a fost o tipa micuta, imbracata in roz, ce, in ciuda inaltimii de maxim 1.60 si a caracteristicilor feminine (chiar nu-s misogin dar femeile nu-s construite pentru asa ceva) s-a exprimat cat se poate de agresiv si a fost acolo, in centrul actiunii, ignorand duritatea contactului. Am avut parte de un circle pit destul de sec dar si de un wall of death incredibil de misto, oponentul meu fiind un tip destul de ok si fara colturi dureroase. Paza iarasi a fost de exceptie, baietii de la (doamne ce lapsus am) sunt perfecti pentru manifestarile de gen, stiu cand si mai ales cum sa intervina daca este cazul.

Ma oftic ca nu pot scrie mai mult despre concertul in sine a celor de la IPR, a fost efectiv incredibil, epic, ca de fiecare data, o ciorba de emotii si o explozie de energie, un concert a timisorenilor este mai presus de cuvinte, este o experienta ce trebuie traita (daca-ti place genu’). Au cantat piese gen “Plastic”, “Messages to God”, “Strike”, nelipsitele “Rezist” si “…in interior”, “Sidef”, neuitatul “Killing in the name of”  a lor RATM, “Relativ” (performed quite incredibly), o pauza pentru vizionarea videoclipului Nemesis (trippy) si, ca tot se apropie alegerile: “Voteaza”. Intre piese s-a vorbit despre fotbal, fifa pe xbox… si, desigur, despre eternele probleme sociale despre care canta (ma scuzati) si pe care am sa vreau si eu sa le reiau in niste posturi urmatoare.

Un concert foarte foarte misto, efectiv mi-a placut exagerat de mult, si abea-l astept pe urmatorul, daca n-ati fost dar ati fi vrut sa mergeti, credeti-ma, ati pierdut ceva mare. Cumparati “Otheroot” ca merita.

Si, ca sa termin intr-un mod ce-mi satisface toti cititorii, seara a fost condimentata cu WEED Kannah, un amestec legal destul de interesant, chill dar cam slabut pentru mine. Ca buzz fizic seamana putin cu o combinatie intre Sencation Vanilla si Skunk, e ok la gust, fiind printre putinele blenduri legale ce nu au gust de balegar, desi se simte un gust ciudat gen pastile arse. Intra usor pe gat si efectele se fac simtite imediat dar te duce destul de lin, nu simti nici o “caramida care te retardeaza”. Esti perfect functional si coerent, arati ok, deloc alterat si fumul nu miroase ciudat, efectele, chiar si asa slabute se fac simtite destul de putin, cam 1.5 ore, asta nu-mi place la produsele WEED, efectu-i net inferior fata de “rivalii” de la AM-HI-CO taticii mult laudatelor Spicey XX si Ex-Ses Platinum.  Kannah poate fi ok pentru incepatori… sau oameni cu rezistenta ori pretentii mai mici, eu personal am sa-i dau doar un 6.

E bine din cand in cand sa iti aduci de the good old times. Si azi am un chef nebun sa ascult toate cretinitatile care inca imi plac. Un playlist de duminica la pranz format din nume precum:

• Sum 41, Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Busted, Son of Dork, Crize, Veritasaga, Coma, EMIL, OCS, PCC, Green Day, IPR, Kaos Urbano, Lustra, McFly, Ombladon, Vita de Vie, Vama Veche, The Offspring, Placebo, Protex, Rancid, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Simple Plan, Silverstein, SS3, SOAD, The Kooks, The Ramones, Sex Pistols, Travka, Varukers

astea fiind doar cele de care imi amintesc acum.

Si acum o melodie mai mult decat foarte tare si aproape perfecta pentru o duminica asa de anapoda:

De două luni, s-a filmat un videoclip la piesa Nemesis, care nu este încă difuzat nicăieri.

Se pregăteşte lansarea albumului Other şi relansarea albumului Monolith, cu aceleaşi piese, doar că sunt remixate, remasterizate şi poartă titlul Roots. Ambele versiuni sunt lansate împreună de câtre casa de discuri germană EMG. Înţelegi? E vorba de Otheroots, în sensul că cei de la IPR consideră că acesta este un nou început pentru ei…

Cu această ocazie, am povestit prin email cu membri formaţiei timişorene în preajma primului lor turneu european.

…

INDUSTRIE

CZB: În ce măsură consideraţi că a evoluat industria românească de muzică, faţă de anii ‘90 cand v-aţi lansat?

IPR: Evoluţia industriei muzicale este un fapt, nu se poate contesta, cu mica diferenţă a decalajului de ani între a noastră şi a lor. De discutat este însă direcţia pieţei muzicale româneşti.

…

ALBUM

CZB: Aţi terminat înregistrarea noului album … pentru nemţi? E ceva modificat faţă de Monolith?

IPR: Modificările sunt vocile care sunt complet reînregistrate, mixajul care a trebuit reconfigurat de la 0 şi mastering-ul realizat în Germania de data asta. Structura pieselor rămâne în principiu aceeaşi, suferind puţine modificări. Un album complet nou este în lucru în acest moment, două piese noi nouţe putând fi auzite la următoarele noastre concerte.

…

VIDEOCLIP

CZB: Aţi terminat de filmat un videoclip pentru promovarea albumului nou. Care este echipa de producţie, care este povestea, unde s-a filmat?

IPR: Videoclipul este realizat de Daniel Dorobanţu, cel care a făcut pentru noi şi videoclipul de la Sidef (Dedicat). Filmările au avut loc pe ogoarele patriei. Câteva poze se găsesc pe blogul lui Daniel Dorobanţu: dorobantu.blogspot.com/2009/09/nemesis.html

…

CZB: Acest videoclip unde se va încerca sa fie promovat/ dat pentru difuzare?

IPR: Acest clip va fi dat partenerilor noştri din Germania (casa de discuri EMG), care îl vor folosi în promovarea albumului acolo, dar probabil va fi promovat şi aici … pe YouTube

…

TURNEUL

CZB: Turneul internaţional când începe? Se cunosc datele şi cluburile?

IPR: Se lucrează la ultimele detalii. Vom posta zilele următoare programul complet al turneului şi toate informaţiile adiacente care ar putea sa te intereseze.

…

CZB: Ce emoţii aveţi?

IPR: De nici un fel. Suntem încrezători în forţa acestui album şi sperăm să facem o impresie bună “afară”

…

Lansarea de album la Timişoara are loc vineri 6 noiembrie, pe Strada Pestalozzi 22, de la orele 22.00

Din MySpace aflăm de concertul lor la Bucureşti, în Fabrica, joi 5 noiembrie, care nu este explicat în scris, iar afişul este prea mic să îţi dai seama de detalii.

…

MySpace: www.myspace.com/implantfordenial

…

În MySpace românesc nu sunt trecute datele de concerte, doar pe MySpace-ul în engleză.

…

Aici descoperim că se lucrează la confirmarea unui turneu de cluburi prin Ungaria, Austria, Germania. Foarte probabil săptămâna de pauză între 14 şi 21 noiembrie va fi folosită pentru PR în Germania (interviuri pentru reviste de specialitate, posturi radio şi TV).

• mi10.11 Garabonciasborozo Szeged (HU)
• jo 12.11 TBA. Graz, Steiermark (A)
• vi 13.11 TBA. Graz, Steiermark (A)
• sâ 14.11 TBA. Linz, Oberösterreich (A)
• sâ 21.11 TBA. Lahr, Baden-Württemberg (D)
• vi 27.11 Club Taboo, Arad (RO)

FOTO. Videoclip Nemesis

Se pare că s-a lucrat foarte mult la acest videoclip, care pare să fie compus din imagini. Urmează să vedem rezultatele. Nemţii de la EMG le compară muzica cu Korn, Sepultura şi Linkin Park.

In light of our investigation into the University’s IPR policy we have noted a few things that we need to consider. In brief summary, the policy indicates that work derived from scholarly activities is the intellectual property of the author. Copyright of materials produced as curriculum design and development, including e-learning, resides with the University. All this is clearly articulated in staff contracts. Students and staff are treated equally by the policy, and so it would seem that this is a fairly straightforward clarification.

However, it might not be quite as simple as all that. In the supporting IPR guidance document, the term ‘safeguard potential for exploitation’ is used in reference to the commercial value of IP. In fact, on several occasions the IP of the University is mentioned as needing to be safeguarded, implying a protective stance towards content. Clearly there are no direct commercial benefits to the open release of learning materials, but there is long-term value.

The most recently updated IPR policy (April 09) does articulate the need to widely disseminate IP, describing it as ‘fundamental to the work and idea of a Higher Education Institution’. We feel, therefore, that the idea of OER does fit into the existing policy, but it raises a couple of key things:

1) Does the policy need to be explicit about the use of open content for commercial exploitation (and does it need to acknowledge the inherent myriad values of OER)?

2) How can we raise awareness of these values needs in order to permeate our teaching staff body, and ensure the support of policy-makers and management that can drive sharing.

Stretching 48,700 hectares across Victoria’s Great Dividing Range, the Thomson dam supplies Melbourne with over 60 percent of its water and at maximum capacity has the potential to hold 1,068,000 mega litres. From above, the sparkling water, surrounded by a blanket of gum trees, looks plentiful and rich. But in reality, as of the 14^th of October this year, the dam levels measured in at only 19.4 percent.

Thomson Dam, Victoria- Soure: yewenyi

Melbourne’s water crisis has been a hot topic of debate since 2006 when rainfall levels in Victoria hit an all time low. As a result the Victorian Government chose to construct a desalination plant and the North-South Pipeline, running from the Goulburn River to the Sugarloaf Reservoir, to supply Melbourne with extra water by 2012. But most in the water industry still say an extra source of water will still be needed within the next 20 years.

For water experts and scientists alike, indirect potable reuse (IRP), or recycled water, is the source of choice, being the cheapest to run and the most environmentally friendly out of the choices available. So it has come as a surprise to many that the Victorian Government still refuses to even discuss the topic.

“They (Victorian Government) just said no and they’re not going to change their mind,” says CSIRO water expert Professor Tony Priestly.

He says the Government only had three options when they had to find a solution: to upgrade the north-south pipeline, to build a desalination plant and to introduce indirect potable reuse.

“And essentially they had to make some decisions pretty quickly because you can not take the risk of a city running out of water.

They said no, we won’t do indirect potable reuse because of their policy. So what are they left with?” he says. 

The Government’s strict “no discussion” policy was further emphasised with its submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Melbourne’s Future Water Supply, through the Department of Sustainability and Environment, which only discussed recycled water for half a page and failed to mention IPR at all.

 Lesley Thomas from DSE confirms that recycled water is not a part of the current Victorian Government’s policy.

She says, however, that it has not been completely ruled out for the future.

“Given the long term vision of the Central Region Sustainable Water Strategy, the use of recycled water for drinking has been assessed as a potential future option to deal with water shortages, subject to future investigations ensuring no adverse public health effects and consistent with requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act 2003.”

From Toilet to Tap: a 7-step treatment process

There are some out there that see this reluctance by the Government to recommend recycled water as a purely politically motivated policy.

Gippsland Independent minister Craig Ingram has described the situation as sad and disappointing, and says if the Government and the Opposition didn’t “play” politics there would be no issue.

“Both sides are too scared to advocate it in case it might be used against them by the other side. At the end of the day we have a government saying we’re not going to be the ones to tell people they’re going to be drinking sewerage.”

Mr Ingram says that not only will it happen eventually but that it’s already occurring, without the knowledge of the wider community.

“It’s already occurring but no one is saying it is. It’s discharging into the Yarra (River) above the Sugargum outfall.”

Others say, however, that until a major stakeholder takes on the task of publicising and promoting the case for recycled water to the public, the government will not risk discussing such a controversial topic.

Chief Executive Officer of Sustainability Victoria, Anita Roper, says that it will take a community group or a private enterprise to push the debate into the public consciousness before politicians will risk any electoral votes.

“I can’t see the Government going down that road. It’s a perception thing,” she says.

Ms Roper says that there is still too much political game playing in parliament for both parties to have a rational sensible debate about the issue.

“We’re not yet at a stage where we can work together.”

Recycled water was set to go ahead in Queensland- Source: abc.net.au

The power of the community has, in many cases, been influential enough for governments to do entire back-flips on issues like recycled water.

In 2008 the Queensland Government had just finished constructing a $3 billion water recycling plant in South East Queensland that was to be used to supply Brisbane with drinking water. However, persistent protests by groups such as the Citizens Against Drinking Sewerage, said the Government should build more dams rather than make people drink the “dangerous” water.

This kind of pressure from the citizens of Queensland resulted in the Government retracting its support for the plant, just before the state election and now billions of dollars of public money sits unused.

Luckily for Queensland, it rained.

It is governmental decisions such as this that has caused all other governments to go running scared from making such commitments without the full support of the community.

“Brisbane has really put a spanner in the work big time,” says Professor Priestly.

He says that it is the Government’s responsibility to educate the community and allow for all questions and concerns to be addressed.

“We (the CSIRO) basically told the Queensland Government you’ve got to get out there and engage with the community and tell them all this stuff. And they didn’t, and look what happened.”

According to Environment Victoria, indirect potable reuse has the potential to supply Melbourne with an extra 100 gigalitres of water. Spokesperson Leonie Duncan says its time for the Brumby Government to lift their policy ban and start a dialogue with the people of Melbourne.

“It is impossible for Melbournians to understand the potential pros and cons of such an option without full analysis of the relevant economic, social and environmental implications,” Duncan says.

Recycled water’s image plays perhaps that most important role in this debate; the thought of drinking what was once our own waste can stimulate the reflex gag like nothing else.

Cheryl Parker, a childcare worker from Endeavour Hills, says the thought of drinking sewage repulses her.

“I just can’t get past the disgusting image in my head! We shouldn’t need to drink it in this day and age.”

Researchers, environmentalists and advocates alike say that in most cases, all it takes is an explanation and a chance to ask questions to get people to a level of acceptance.

“People do not yet understand, the way water is treated in a recycled system, is to the highest quality,” says Geoffrey Brown of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability. He suggests that its name alone is off-putting enough for some to even think about investigating it further.

“The term ‘ecosystem services’ could be used to remind people that water is recycled and provided by the natural environment, via the ‘water cycle’.”

Recycled Water Pump

While other states such as the ACT and Western Australia are currently in talks about IPR, for most in Victoria there is little need or want to discuss such an issue when the near future seems taken care of. However, if Melbourne is to face another water crisis in the next 20 years, as predicted by most in the water industry, community discussion may be necessary.

“Education has to be done in a way that addresses any of the issues raised by fear mongering campaigns,” says Mr Priestly.

“So what we’re saying is let there be a program, hopefully funded by the Federal Government, to actually demonstrate to the community that indirect potable reuse is safe and can be managed.”

Mr Ingram however thinks the public is not ignorant to the issue but it is more about taking the plunge and actually putting it out into the community.

“I think the public is there. The public of Melbourne are pretty smart; it’s not an issue that people are too concerned about. The vast majority would be accepting of it as it is a good source, and the future source, of water.”

He says that getting the Government to be so accepting may be a little more difficult. At the end of the day Mr Ingram puts the sewerage debate down to “pure, raw politics.”

“It’s a lack of political will because it’s not based on the right ethical or scientific reasons.”

The developed world is learning that the legal framework supporting and honouring the western IPR regime in a developing country cannot be taken for granted.


Brazil has been permitted by the WTO to retaliate against the injustice done to their cotton farmers by the generous subsidies doled out by the US to their cotton farmers, making it possible for them to undercut and underprice the cotton. And what form is this retaliation taking? Not new anti-dumping on US imports, or trade embargoes. 


Brazil has been permitted to allow their country’s pharmaceutical companies to manufacture medicines in Brazil in deliberate violation of patents held by US companies. This one is a below-the-belt hit for the vibrant US pharma industry. Brazil is a huge market, and very lucrative too. All the lucre will disappear overnight in their Brazilian operations, if this were allowed.


This is very unfair, or very fair, depending on your point of view. 


For US companies, it will seem very unfair, because, for no fault of theirs, they are losing patent protection in a lucrative, large market (there aren’t too many of those nowadays!). 


However, Brazil, and most of sub-Saharan Africa, which includes really poor countries like Chad, Mali, Liberia and Burkina Faso, will be cheering. They have cotton they cannot sell thanks to under-priced US cotton flooding international markets; they don’t have factories that can add value to the cotton; and they have huge AIDS affected populations. Their cotton farmers and the AIDS patients will like the prospect of better times ahead.

Please see my article in Business Line on Geographical Indications, a form of Intellectual Property Protection, published in the Opinion Section in the Issue dated 3rd October, 2009.

The NSW Local Government Amendment (Planning and Reporting) Bill 2009 was passed by both houses of Parliament last week, without any amendments and has now been signed into law by the Governor.

Now it gets real! Three years after the reform discussion papers were first issued (and a couple of Ministers later), local government in NSW has a new statutory basis for strategic and operational planning and reporting.

Each of our 152 councils will need to determine whether they wish to be placed in ‘Group 1’ (all requirements in place by 30 June 2010), ‘Group 2’ (2011) or ‘Group 3’ (2012).

The challenges of being ‘Group 1 ready’ are considerable, as a council “must endorse a community strategic plan and adopt a resourcing strategy, delivery program and first operational plan” within the next nine months. Most councils that have this intention still need to put some of the key planning pieces in place, together with supporting change to systems and procedures – and perhaps even to organisational structure.

Focus on the Delivery Program

In this post, I want to focus on one key aspect of IPR, the four-year Delivery Program.

The choice of the term ‘Program’ not ‘Plan’ for this component by the Department of Local Government (DLG) was quite deliberate. According to the Guidelines:

This is the point where the community’s strategic goals are systematically translated into actions. The Delivery Program is a statement of commitment to the community from each newly elected council. In preparing the program, Council is accounting for its stewardship of the community’s long-term goals, outlining what it intends to do towards achieving these goals during its term of office and what its priorities will be.

The Delivery Program replaces the former Management Plan requirements. It is designed as the single point of reference for all activities undertaken by Council during each term of office. All plans, projects, activities and funding allocations must be directly linked to this Program.

Each new council should have real ownership of this program, as well as an understanding of the longer term strategy behind it.

I have expressed the opinion previously that the Delivery Program is the core of the planning and reporting reform. It forms the ‘bridge’ between long term strategic planning (a well-established discipline) and annual operational/budget planning (which all councils do). But there are a wide range of interpretations among council managers of the Delivery Program requirements. Is this is a radical innovation or just the old Management Plan requirements rebadged?

The Requirements                   

The IPR legislation and guidelines provide no template for what the Delivery Program ‘looks like’. The relevant section of the draft supporting Manual states the intention of the Delivery Program very well, but is quite scanty on practical detail.

In summary, the ‘Essential Elements’ for the Delivery Program are as follows. It must:

• Be adopted by 30 June following a council election
• Directly address the objectives and strategies of the Community Strategic Plan and identify specific actions that council will undertake in response
• Inform, and be informed by, the Resourcing Strategy as developed by the council
• Address the full range of council operations
• Allocate responsibilities for each action or set of actions
• Include detailed financial estimates for the four year period
• Consider priorities and expected levels of service expressed by the community (during the engagement process for the Community Strategic Plan)
• Be exhibited for 28 days for public comment before adoption
• Be reviewed annually when preparing the Operational Plan
• Be re-exhibited where an amendment deemed (by the Council) to be ‘significant’ is proposed
• Include a method of assessment to determine the effectiveness of each ‘activity’

A progress report to council is required at least every six months.

Developing a Model

What is new and challenging about this? In terms of completeness, accountability and financial planning it goes above and beyond the previous Management Plan statute. No doubt councils can comply readily enough, but to go beyond compliance, the Delivery Program must be about comprehensive alignment and planning to ensure community outcomes flow from council operations.

How many government bodies in the world really do this well? In the English-speaking world, we will certainly be looking to the experience of local government in the UK and New Zealand for examples.

How will the Delivery Program balance the legitimate roles of council as both a ‘steward’ of the Community Strategic Plan and a major local service provider? How best to measure and report these very different types of results?

The Manual also posits the need for councils to review existing activities to decide whether they should be revised or discontinued where they “do not appear to align with the Community Strategic Plan’s objectives and strategies”. This is logically obvious but challenging and even threatening – it is not easy to turn the Titanic!

Getting Hands-On

TechnologyOne will soon host a workshop on the Delivery Program requirements for the NSW councils who use our Performance Planning solution. Resolving an approach to the Delivery Program is of course particularly urgent for those councils who are nominating for Group 1. Our workshop will be part of our efforts to encourage frank and practical information sharing on IPR.

None of us has all the answers and as we work towards good practice in each area of IPR, we need to share the best ideas and models we can find. Please feel free to suggest any useful examples and links on the Delivery Program or other priority aspects of IPR.

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By Ross Kingsley, Senior Consultant Performance Planning, TechnologyOne