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Meetings
The members of the Council for the Australian Federation (CAF)
have met seven times since its inauguration in 2006.
Below is a chronological list of these meetings, along with discussion topics, meeting
outcomes and links to meeting communiqués and supplementary documents.
Next meeting
To be advised.
Past meetings
5 November 2009, Adelaide
Key topics:
- Climate change
- Health and Hospital Reform
- Taxation Reform
- FIFA World Cup
Key agreements:
- agreed to an International Partnerships Program to strengthen ties with other sub
national governments
- agreed to table a Statement of Commitment at the Climate Leaders Summit in Copenhagen
later this year
- committed to pursue a process for national climate change policy, including to agree
a list of priority areas for reform
- agreed to establish a CAF Adaptation Working Group to identify priority national
actions and develop a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities between
the three tiers of government
- collaborated with business leaders on opportunities for partnership, which will
be further discussed at a CAF workshop on joint action in the areas canvassed.
Recognising the growing pressure on Australia's health system, First Ministers agreed
to identify high priority areas in relation to health and hospital reform for discussion
at the December Council of Australian Governments meeting.
Download the CAF Communiqué, 5 November 2009,
PDF (103 KB) Word
(187 KB).
29 May 2009, Brisbane
Photo credit: AAP/Dave Hunt
Key topics:
- Commonwealth’s Henry Tax Review (Australia’s Future Tax System)
- Climate change
- Strengthening cooperative federalism
- Policy Clearing House
Key agreements:
CAF agreed to make a joint submission to the Commonwealth’s Henry Tax Review (Australia’s
Future Tax System) . The CAF submission provides a positive reform agenda that will
advance national economic reform and reorient federal finances to increase the fiscal
autonomy and revenue capacity of States and Territories.
Download the CAF submission to the Henry Tax Review
PDF (61
KB) Word
(121 KB).
State and Territory leaders committed to further advance the cause of cooperative
federalism by releasing the third paper in the Federalist Paper series.
Download Federalist Paper 3: Common Cause - Strengthening Australia’s
Cooperative Federalism by Professors John Wanna (Australian and New Zealand
School of Government), John Phillimore and Alan Fenna, and Dr Jeffrey Harwood (John
Curtin Institute of Public Policy). PDF
(740 KB)
The views expressed in this report do not represent the official views of the States
and Territories or the Council for the Australian Federation.
Premiers and Chief Ministers continued their national leadership on responses to
climate change, releasing three reports commissioned to investigate the potential
impact on States and Territories of the Commonwealth Government's proposed introduction
of a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).
Download the Access Economics reports:
- Report 1: Impact of CPRS - Fiscal Report
PDF (797 KB)
- Report 2: Impacts on Disadvantaged Regions
PDF (2.16 MB)
- Report 3: State and Regional Economic Futures Report
PDF (2 MB)
You could also download a zip file containing
all reports.
The views expressed in these reports do not represent the official views of the
States and Territories or the Council for the Australian Federation. Modelling was
based on the Commonwealth’s White Paper.
Download the CAF Communiqué, 29 May 2009,
PDF (101 KB) Word
(178 KB).
12 September 2008, Melbourne
Key topics:
- Federalism
- Climate change
- Water reform
- National standards for electric vehicles
- Harmonisation of ANZAC
Day
- Recognising the contribution of the Not-for-Profit sector
Key agreements:
CAF agreed to undertake further work on the possible impacts of the Commonwealth's
Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS)
on their communities, including identifying the potential opportunities and benefits
of the Scheme.
CAF agreed to recommend to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) the introduction
of a framework for the national reporting of urban water consumption.
Premiers and Chief Ministers committed to a national course of action to address
infrastructure and regulatory requirements to support the introduction of electric
vehicles in Australia.
States and Territories agreed in principle to take steps to harmonise arrangements
for the provision of the ANZAC
Day public holiday.
Download the CAF Communiqué, 12 September 2008,
PDF (133 KB)
Word (56 KB).
21 February 2008, Adelaide
Prior to its regular CAF meeting, Council members met with a delegation from Canadian
provinces to discuss issues of priority in Canadian and Australian states, provinces
and territories.
Australian-Canadian Premiers' meeting
South Australian Premier Mike Rann (right) welcomes
Canadian Premiers to Adelaide
Premier John Brumby (right) accepts the Interim
Report of the Garnaut Climate Change Review from
Professor Ross Garnaut
Key topics:
- Climate change
- Productivity and Innovation
- Federalism in the 21st century
Key agreements:
Australian and Canadian delegates agreed to share information and best practice
case studies on a range of issues, including clean technologies and climate change
adaptation strategies, business productivity and innovation and health care.
CAF Meeting
Key topics:
- Garnaut Climate Change Review – interim findings
- Draft principles for urban water planning
- Harmonisation of registration and licensing
- Harmonisation of travel concessions for seniors
- COAG Working Group structure
- Improvements to vehicle safety
- East Timor
Key agreements:
Premiers and Chief Ministers committed to working with the Commonwealth Government
to support Professor Garnaut's work. CAF also agreed to further investigate harmonisation
of State and Territory approaches to driver licensing and registration schemes and
senior travel concessions, and agreed on an improved approach to urban water planning
and improved vehicle safety standards.
Download the CAF Communiqué, 21 February 2008,
PDF (140 KB)
Word (194 KB)
12 April 2007, Canberra
Key topics:
- Climate change
- Collaborative ways to cut red tape
- Investment in human capital through the National Reform Agenda
- Health workforce
- National Emission's Trading Taskforce
- Assistance to East Timor
- Tsunami warning systems
Key agreements:
States and territories endorsed the National Emissions Trading Taskforce's timeline
for the implementation of a national emissions trading scheme by the end of 2010
and agreed to a uniform approach to cutting red tape by 1 July 2008 in relation
to product safety regulation.
Download the CAF Communiqué, 12 April 2007,
PDF (360 KB)
Word (359 KB).
9 February 2007, Sydney
Key topics:
- Climate change
- Water reform
- Harmonisation of regulatory regimes
- Constitutional convention
- Health
- National Reform Agenda
- Nuclear enrichment, energy generation and waste storage
- Industrial relations and employment projects
- Tax concessions for emergency service volunteers
- Airports land planning issues
Key agreements:
Premiers and Chief Ministers signed a ‘Declaration on Climate Change’ and signed
an agreement to remove impediments to the movement of skilled workers within Australia
and to help address skills shortages.
Download the CAF Communiqué, 9 February 2007,
PDF (104 KB)
Word (157 KB).
Download the Council for the Australian Federation Declaration
on Climate Change, 9 February 2007,
PDF (27 KB)
Word (48 KB).
13 October 2006, Melbourne (inaugural meeting)
Key topics:
- The National Reform Agenda
- Harmonisation of regulatory regimes
- Drought and water reform,
- Bushfire preparedness,
- Infrastructure
- Education
- Climate change
Key agreements:
Members signed an intergovernmental ‘agreement to establish the Council for the
Australian Federation’ and an ‘agreement by the states and territories on harmonisation
of workers compensation and occupational health and safety arrangements.’
Download the CAF Communiqué, 13 October 2006,
PDF (225 KB)
Word (136 KB).