March 2016 Profile Magazine

Quarterly magazine for Local Government Professionals Autumn 2016

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT 2016 LGPRO YOUNG ACHIEVER

2016 Annual Conference

Future Ready

2016 Social Media Conference

A full rundown of the Conference highlights

Creating the workforce of tomorrow

What’s next – beyond the cutting edge?

There are lots of reasons why it’s easy to trust us as your preferred training company Jania Warner Managing Director

PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

Connect with us at

LGProVIC

Profile is published by Local Government Professionals (Inc) LGPro Level 3/58 Lorimer Street Docklands 3008 Ph: (03) 9268 6400 Fax: (03) 9646 0469 Email: info@lgpro.com Website: www.lgpro.com DEADLINES Profile is published quarterly.

The deadline for the Winter 2016 edition is Monday 2 May 2016.

CONTRIBUTIONS Story ideas and photographs are always welcome. Please contact Vicki Amiguet, LGPro’s Manager Communication and Sponsorship on (03) 9268 6400 or via email to vickia@lgpro.com

Contents

6-7 2016 LGPro Awards for Excellence winners and finalists Photos of the nine category winners in the 2016 Awards for Excellence, plus a list of the finalists.

14-19 2016 Annual Conference round up A six page pictorial spread of this premier event which attracted more than 700 Local Government professionals.

26-27 Future Ready – a roadmap for

tomorrow’s Local Government workforce The first release of this report which will help to prepare the sector and its workforce for the future.

ADVERTISING

28-29 2016 LGPro Social Media Conference

For information or to book advertising in Profile, please call Vicki Amiguet on (03) 9268 6400 or via email to vickia@lgpro.com

See the program for this conference which will look at what’s next in the rapidly changing world of social media.

CREDITS Publisher: LGPro (03) 9268 6400 Editor – Vicki Amiguet Design: Bull Design Group (03) 9561 3313 www.bulldesigngroup.com.au Profile is printed on recycled paper.

Cover picture: Mel Jeffrey from Maroondah City Council celebrates being named LGPro’s 2016 Young Achiever.

Picture above: 2016 Annual Conference delegates set out on their walking tour of the Docklands precinct.

30-31 Beyond the HR boundaries High profile keynote speakers will be a feature of the first Local Government specific HR Conference being held in May.

59 Shaping the sector at another level Graeme Emonson talks about his new role as Executive Director of Local Government Victoria.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Paying tribute to a valued member of the Local Government community

›

The Rural City of Wangaratta and the small township of Whorouly in north east Victoria came to a standstill on Tuesday 2 February for the funeral of Council employee and mother of two Karen Chetcuti.

Karen was farewelled by an

purposes including the education,

who nominated their people,

estimated 1000 friends, family

support and welfare of Karen’s

congratulations on providing them

and Whorouly residents at the

children. Anyone who would like

with the recognition they deserve.

Whorouly Recreation Reserve.

to support the fund can make

This was extremely fitting as

a monetary contribution at:

Karen had worked tirelessly on

https://www.givenow.com.au/

the reserve committee and had

karenchetcutimemorialfund

been the treasurer since 2007.

Karen Chetcuti

She was extremely community minded and rarely missed a working bee or fundraiser and as a result was well loved and respected by the local community.

From a work perspective Karen was an ideal Council employee

I’ve always known that Local Government is full of great people but this was brought home to me by the generosity and warmth of

Speaking of deserved recognition, I would like to take the opportunity to thank and acknowledge the fantastic work done by the Annual Conference Planning Committee: • Rhys Thomas – Yarra City • Paul Gallagher – Knox

the many expressions of sympathy

• Wendy Hrynyszyn – Latrobe

and offers of support. To all of you,

• Melissa Crane – Murrindindi

thank you.

• Emmanuela Savini – Moreland • Rory Neeson – Corangamite

– professional, dependable and

New Board members

• Rebecca Hutchinson – Knox

fantastic to have in your team.

We recently welcomed two new

Her bubbly personality was

LGPro Board Members, Liana

Working together with the LGPro staff

infectious and seemed to

Thompson, Director Corporate

energise those around her.

and Community Services, Baw

Karen was considered a close friend and valued colleague by all who work at The Rural City of Wangaratta. Over her 20 years’ of service she had also developed an extensive

I look forward to catching up with

Strategic Projects Coordinator, Yarra

you at an LGPro activity soon.

Ranges Council. Their thoughtful input and commitment to the work of LGPro has added to the capacity of the Board and is greatly valued.

I know that I and my fellow

Government community.

Board members really enjoyed the opportunity of spending time with you at our recent Annual Conference. The ability and

We were all shocked and saddened

commitment on display in the

by the tragic circumstances of

Awards for Excellence was extremely

Karen’s death and there was

impressive and terrific to see.

overwhelming support for the Karen’s children. The Rural City

Congratulations to award winners and finalists

of Wangaratta has now established

To all the winners, finalists and

a fund which it will administer.

all who were nominated by their

All money contributed will form

Council, congratulations on what

part of a trust to be used for

you’ve achieved. To all the councils

establishment of a trust fund for

4 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

and highly relevant program.

Baw Shire Council and Sasha Lord,

network throughout the Local

Karen Chetcuti Memorial Fund

they created a thought provoking

BRENDAN McGRATH PRESIDENT

CEO’S MESSAGE

A call for proactive leadership and intelligent risk taking in the sector

›

International and national economic down turn, limited public sector funding, review of the Local Government Act, a spate of indiscretions by high profile public sector figures, rate capping, increasing scrutiny and constant growth in community expectation are a few issues creating significant challenges and opportunities for Local Government in Victoria.

As external pressures mount doing

LGPro’s first HR Conference to be

The external pressures have

the same things we’ve always

held in Melbourne on 19 and 20

produced an opportunity for the

done is no longer an option. There

May will use Future Ready as a

sector to take a much greater

is a need for positive proactive

framework for exploring the role

role in deciding its own destiny

leadership in the sector that

of HR in shaping the sector’s future.

by promoting positive sector

embraces intelligent risk taking.

We’ll keep you updated as Future

leadership and new thinking that

Hold that thought, I’ll be back soon.

Ready progresses.

encourages informed risk taking.

Marching with pride

Good Practice Guide for Enforcement

It’s been a terrific start to 2016 for LGPro. In January we participated

We have started work on the

in the Pride March. It was great to

development of a Good Practice

be joined by so many great people

Guide for Enforcement. This work,

who clearly enjoyed the chance

which has the involvement and

to promote that LGPro and the

support of Local Government

sector is for ALL people. Equally

Victoria, will include responsibilities

pleasing was the enthusiasm and

of Council Executive, information

the warmth of the reception we

management, a template position

received from the crowd.

description for enforcement staff

Future Ready launch We have launched the final report of the Future Ready project and have received strong support from Councils who indicated their commitment to play an active role in the priority areas identified in the report.

You’ll be hearing a lot more about Future Ready as we believe that it provides officers with the opportunity to take a significant sector leadership role in creating collaboration and innovation to improve performance in delivering services to the community.

and training for enforcement officers working in all types of Local

We think that Future Ready is a key part of this essential transition and provides a roadmap for taking the opportunities presented to us.

It was great seeing so many of you at the Annual Conference and I look forward to catching up with you again soon.

DAVID PREISS “Only the mediocre are always at their best.”

– Jean Giraudoux

Government enforcement roles.

Initiated and developed with our members’ input we have delivered numerous Caretaker Period workshops regionally and in Melbourne.

The most rewarding thing about the work mentioned above is the opportunity to create it with great people who are taking a positive and proactive role in the sector. Which brings me back to where I started; my interactions with numerous people working in the sector tells me that the leadership capabilities required are already there across many levels and locations.

David Preiss and Michelle Cox, LGPro Membership Development Manager at the Annual Conference Welcome Event.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 5

2016 LGPRO AWARDS FOR

WINNERS & FIN Congratulations to the following winners and finalists in the 2016 LGPro Awards for Excellence which were presented at the Annual Conference Dinner on Thursday 25 February.

WINNER

INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE

Greater Shepparton City Council and Strathbogie Shire Council, Goulburn Valley Regional Collaborative Alliance

HIGH COMMENDATION From left, Bronson Justus (JLT), Steve Crawcour (Strathbogie), Gavin Cator (Greater Shepparton), Phil Howard (Strathbogie), Chris Teitzel (Greater Shepparton), Roy Hetherington (Strathbogie) and Paul Skene (Zurich).

• Glenelg Shire Council & Warrnambool City Council, CONNECT Glenelg

FINALISTS • Wyndham City Council, Leisure Facilities Transition Team, Leisure Facilities Transition Project • Brimbank City Council, Asset Services, BCC & RMIT Collaborative Partnership, Triennial Footpath Condition Audit • Greater Geelong City Council, Central Geelong Marketing Team, Central Geelong Marketing (CGM)

WINNER

SERVICE DELIVERY INITIATIVE

Northern Grampians Shire Council, Infrastructure & Environment Directorate, Shared Engineering Services

Back row from left, Paul Skene (Zurich), Doug Gowan (Pyrenees), Bronson Justus (JLT) Greg Little and Warren Groves (Northern Grampians). Middle row from left, Robyn Evans (Hindmarsh), Ben Higgins, Trenton Fithall, Michael Bailey and Debbie Bach all from Northern Grampians. Front row, from left, Sharon Link, Jason Lewis, Sanjay Manivasagasivam, Nic Murphy and Justine Linley all from Northern Grampians.

FINALISTS • Mildura Rural City Council, Flexible Learning Options (FLO) Connect Team, FLO Connect • Moorabool Shire Council, Community Safety Team, Taking it to the Streets – Animal Adoption Program

WINNER

SPECIAL PROJECTS INITIATIVE

Warrnambool City Council, Tourism Services, Oddball Nature of a Regional Movie

HONOURABLE MENTION • Melton City Council, Kel Tori, Luke Shannon and Michael Tudball, Western BACE

From left, Paul Skene (Zurich), Peter Abbott, Cindy Kelly and Andrew Paton all from Warrnambool and Bronson Justus (JLT).

WINNER

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS INITIATIVE

Glenelg Shire Council, Great South Coast Beyond the Bell Team, Great South Coast Beyond the Bell

FINALISTS • Sunraysia Sustainability Network, Nardia Baker, Martin Hawson, Mark Jenkins and Robert Watson, Sunraysia Sustainability Network Project • Yarra City Council, Sustainability & Strategic Transport Team, In Your Patch: Local Sustainability in Action From left, Paul Skene (Zurich), Greg Burgoyne, David Rae, Edith Farrell all from Glenelg and Bronson Justus (JLT).

• Frankston City Council, On the right track

EXCELLENCE

NALISTS

THE 2016 LGPRO AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE ARE PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:

Awards for Excellence publication sponsor

WINNER

COMMUNITY ASSETS & INFRASTRUCTURE – $1.5 MILLION & UNDER

Maroondah City Council, Parkwood Team, Parkwood Community Hub

FINALISTS Back row from left, Paul Skene (Zurich), Marianne Di Giallonardo (Maroondah) and Bronson Justus (JLT). Front row from left, Andrew Taylor, Trevor Welsh, Steve Kozlowski and Phil Turner all from Maroondah.

• Banyule City Council, A Safer Mall • Hepburn Shire Council, Hepburn Community Services, Creswick Hub

WINNER

COMMUNITY ASSETS & INFRASTRUCTURE – OVER $1.5 MILLION

Maribyrnong City Council (MCC) – Braybrook Community Hub, Braybrook Community Hub Project

FINALISTS • Kingston City Council, Community Buildings Team, Parkdale Family & Children’s Centre & Community Precinct From left, Bronson Justus (JLT), Beth Luppino, Tracey Oliver, Michael Byrne, Wendy Vine, Sue Wilson (all from Maribyrnong) and Paul Skene (Zurich).

• Northern Grampians Shire Council, Infrastructure & Environment Directorate, The Halls Gap Tourism and Community Hub • Maroondah City Council, Aquanation Team, Aquanation

WINNER

SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE

Pyrenees Shire Council, Project Group, Regional Bioenergy Project

FINALISTS • Mildura Rural City Council, Community Futures Team, Mildura Eco Village Back row from left, Paul Skene (Zurich), Evan King, Douglas Gowans, Shannon Meadows (all from Pyrenees) and Bronson Justus (JLT).

Front row from left, Daryl Scherger and Jim Nolan from Pyrenees.

• Wodonga City Council, Halve Waste Kerbside Organic Team, Kerbside 3 Bin System, Food & Garden Waste • Maribyrnong City Council, Sustainability and Environment Team, Zero Carbon Maribyrnong Project

WINNER

ORGANISATIONAL DIVERSITY

Greater Shepparton City Council, Women’s Charter Advisory Committee, Greater Shepparton Women’s Charter Alliance

FINALIST • Hobsons Bay City Council, Racism. It Stops with Me team, Racism. It Stops with Me – Behind the Smile

Back row from left, Paul Skene (Zurich), Terri Cowley, Amanda Tingay and Bronson Justus (JLT). Front row from left Kate Montgomery, Emma Hofmeyer and Kaye Thomson all from Greater Shepparton.

From left, Paul Skene (Zurich), Mel Jeffrey from Maroondah City Council who won the Young Achiever Award is congratulated by Bronson Justus (JLT).

WINNER

YOUNG ACHIEVER

Mel Jeffery, Maroondah City Council

FINALISTS

(listed in alphabetical order by Council)

• John Kay, Baw Baw Shire Council

• Joy Chen, Casey City Council

• Nikita Frawley, Campaspe Shire Council

• George Ioannou, Maribyrnong City Council

• Timothy Sinnappu, Casey City Council

• Tatum Newton, Rural City of Wangaratta

• Holly de Krester, Casey City Council

PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 7

2016 LGPRO AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE

WINNERS & FINALISTS

WINNER

Greater Shepparton City Council & Strathbogie Shire Council Goulburn Valley Regional Collaborative Alliance (GVRCA)

In mid-2012, neighbouring municipalities in northern Victoria, Greater Shepparton City Council and Strathbogie Shire Council recognised that sharing services and resources offered a way to address many of the issues facing them and the wider Local Government sector, including financial pressures and community expectations.

The Councils entered into a collaborative arrangement as a pilot supported by seeded funding from the Municipal Association of Victoria. They determined a governance framework that would give them the best chance to deliver their required outcomes and in March 2013, a Statement of Intent was signed to establish the Goulburn Valley Regional Collaborative Alliance (GVRCA).

During 2014/15, after one year of project delivery, the pilot is beginning to realise tangible benefits to both Councils and their communities with $1.96 million in actual savings achieved.

The purpose of the alliance is to drive reform and lead change to ultimately support sustainable futures in the north eastern region of Victoria. The role of the alliance is to foster a culture of teamwork, innovation and best practice to increase Council efficiencies and deliver superior services for the GVRCA. A Business Plan articulates that the GVRCA collaboration aims to: • Improve economies of scale within the market for key goods and services • Identify efficiencies and cost savings within their respective organisations through the adoption of one central, best practice system • Improve economies of scale for their communities • Provide career and development opportunities for staff in regional centres • Build communities whose needs are being appropriately serviced by state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure Considerable understanding and goodwill was required to form the alliance. Identifying and agreeing on political, financial, legal

8 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2015

and resource issues was achieved after considerable discussion and outcomes and these are identified in the Statement of Intent and Strategic Alliance Agreement.

In a joint statement the Chief Executive Officers of both Councils said: “As rural and regional Councils, collaboration offers us a mechanism through which to manage declining grant allocations and maximise opportunities to achieve cost savings through improved purchasing power and shared functions, while retaining our independence.”

“We are fully committed to the future success of the alliance and are keen to build on the range of services that are shared between our respective regions for the improvement of services, efficiencies and costs for our communities.”

The Management Structure, Statement of Intent, Strategic Alliance Agreement and Business Plan have been developed to allow the organisation to grow and the vision for the alliance is to generate a level of turnover that will fund a future full time General Manager.

The project has been designed to expand and accommodate more Council participants from north east Victoria. In its first “Performance Report 13-15”, further Victorian Councils were invited to join the alliance which is driving reform and leading change through innovation, fostering team work between alliance partners and developing a culture of best practice to support sustainable futures.

HIGH COMMENDATION Glenelg Shire Council & Warrnambool City Council, CONNECT Glenelg CONNECT Glenelg is a new online meeting place that makes it easy for the community to share information, ideas, events, opportunities and to get to know each other better. It is the first of its kind in Australia.

Working at the grass roots level, Glenelg Shire Council in partnership with Warrnambool City Council, led the development of the CONNECT initiative – an interactive website and Facebook group aimed at strengthening relationships and linking people within the emergency and broader community sector to support the community to take a more active role in local emergency management.

The CONNECT idea originated when Glenelg Shire Council recognised the need for a stronger and

more resilient community in times of emergency, as part of its Municipal Emergency Management Plan. The Shire successfully applied to the State Government’s Resilient Community Program for funding to develop the system that has built community capacity to prepare for, withstand and recover from all types of hazards.

In its first two months in operation the project delivered on all outcome measures in the project plan with more than 300 community groups, clubs and organisations registered and active on the website. The Facebook group had also engaged 425 individuals/groups who connected with others to find and share information about day-to-day events, as well as disaster preparedness and recovery.

FINALISTS Wyndham City Council, Leisure Facilities Transition Team, Leisure Facilities Transition Project In April 2014, Wyndham City resolved to develop a wholly owned subsidiary company, Western Leisure Services (WLS), to run the City’s three existing leisure centres and any future planned centres. The model retains strong Council control and alignment with community needs and works for the benefit of the community, not a profit-driven company. Wyndham City is the sole shareholder and 100% owner of WLS, and the owner of the facilities.

It is financially sustainable with WLS likely to break even ahead of initial financial projections. Operating surplus is returned to asset renewal reducing the future rate burden. Improved community health outcomes are being achieved through high attendance, demonstrated via 174,362 visits in the first three months, and high membership levels – currently at 3,165 Learn to Swim members and 3,105 other members.

Brimbank City Council, Asset Services, BCC & RMIT Collaborative Partnership Triennial Footpath Condition Audit An innovative partnership between Brimbank City Council and RMIT University saw final year civil engineering students map and analyse the condition of Brimbank’s 1,600 kilometres of footpaths. Chair of Brimbank Administrators, John Watson said the partnership gave students valuable industry experience as they worked with Council, while gaining credit towards their studies. Throughout the project, Council staff trained, supervised, supported and

guided students. They gained practical experience, working alongside experienced Council staff and using world-class industry systems, while assuring that Brimbank gained a reliable picture of the state of its footpaths. The Council’s Footpath Survey is undertaken every three years and the information collected is used to prepare future maintenance and capital works programs. Two groups of 10 students each undertook a six-week placement with Council.

Greater Geelong City Council, Central Geelong Marketing Team, Central Geelong Marketing (CGM) Central Geelong Marketing (CGM) is an innovative management approach to deliver a coordinated program including professional development, networking, training, events delivery, consolidated advertising, marketing and promotions which is funded by a special rate. As an S86 Committee of Council, the program is unique in Victoria where a place marketing initiative is embedded within Council and working in alliance with Place Management.

The outcome has seen more than 200 initiatives delivered annually with five flagship activities attended by 97,830 people in 2014/15 generating $15.87 million in Total Economic Output. The program is focused on delivering economic benefit to Central Geelong business and property owners through a program to encourage increased engagement and visitation to the area.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2015 | 9

2016 LGPRO AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

SERVICE DELIVERY INITIATIVE

WINNERS & FINALISTS

WINNER

Northern Grampians Shire Council, Infrastructure & Environment Directorate Shared Engineering Services

With huge issues attracting and retaining engineering staff, Hindmarsh and West Wimmera Shire Councils in remote western Victoria were struggling to afford costly consultants to do the design work they needed. Northern Grampians Shire Council (NGSC) came up with a solution and since then all three Councils haven’t looked back.

The Northern Grampians Shared Engineering Services project now provides its own experienced design engineers for a fraction of the cost of consultants, with services supplied on an as-needed basis. With huge cost savings and the added benefit of greater staff satisfaction, the project has been a win-win for all three Councils.

Northern Grampians Chief Executive Officer, Justine Linley said her Council saw the project as a way of helping their counterparts at Hindmarsh and West Wimmera overcome staff shortages, but it also offered a great learning experience for their engineering staff who are now exposed to different work environments.

“The project not only overcomes staff shortages but it saves everyone money.

Our Council saves on staff costs as the fees it charges the two Councils help subsidise our engineering positions,” she said.

Mrs Linley said it was rare to see Council staff working across Council borders but this project encouraged it. “While sharing services between Councils does happen elsewhere in Victoria, we are not aware of any other shared engineering project.”

A lot of rural Councils use consultants to undertake their engineering design work but it is much more cost effective to conduct the work in-house with staff who have the Local Government and on-the-ground knowledge required.

highest level, but we have managed to do this through improved time management and administrative support.”

Mrs Linley said an MoU between the three Shires sustains the project and procedures and review structures have been established to ensure the project is financially sustainable. It is also sustained through the cost structure, which will continue to be affordable to the two smaller Councils and achievable resource-wise to NGSC. “This project could be adapted by any other region and service that is experiencing staff shortages. NGSC is already using a similar model with Environmental Health Services and we can see a benefit to using it in planning and building too,” she said.

This project is innovative as it:

“The project is innovative because it uses our finances extremely wisely, ensuring residents and ratepayers are provided with a value-for-money service,” Mrs Linley explained.

• Provides a solution to a common problem with rural, regional and remote Councils – staff shortages, staff retention and the ability to attract experienced employees

“The biggest barrier to achieving success has been managing staff members’ workloads while servicing the other Councils to the

• Saves all three Councils money by avoiding costly consultants’ fees and subsidising NGSC’s engineering staff positions

10 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2015

• Is a win-win for all three Councils involved • Provides the West Wimmera, Hindmarsh and Northern Grampians communities with a value-for-money service • Allows West Wimmera and Hindmarsh to continue providing vital infrastructure without an inflated price tag

FINALISTS Mildura Rural City Council, Flexible Learning Options (FLO) Connect Team FLO Connect Mildura, situated in the state’s far north west, has one of the lowest rates of Year 12 completions in Victoria, with just 35.5% compared to the Victorian average of 56.6%. Over 30% of young people (350 students) are not currently participating in any paid employment, education or training.

Flexible Learning Options (FLO) Connect is a youth re-engagement centre, jointly funded by Red Cliffs Secondary College and the Mildura Rural City Council. The project targets disengaged youth aged 12-18 years who have not attended school for three months or more and cannot re-commence their education or employment pathway within a traditional setting.

It helps young people tackle the participation and retention issues from the ‘inside out’. The project grew out of the 2012/13 Youth Partnerships Project, which sought to improve retention rates of vulnerable students at school, through the provision of flexible learning options at six local secondary schools.

It began in 2014 as a valuable new addition to the Northern Mallee Victoria education system, to deliver accredited flexible learning options within a community based re-engagement setting. The delivery costs of the tailored, individualised programs are alleviated by community partner’s provision of in kind activities and programs, which contribute to student programs and skills acquisition, to meet accredited program assessment requirements.

The project is a result of, and is supported by, a strong community partnership between Mildura Rural City Council, the Victorian Department of Education, Red Cliffs Secondary College, Northern Mallee Local Learning and Employment Network (NMLLEN) and local service providers/agencies.

In its first 12 months, FLO Connect achieved well above its initial goals. The initial target was to re-engage 35 long term disconnected youth, but demand for the program quickly grew to 65 student enrolments. These enrolments included eight students who had been disengaged from school for over 12 months, 12 students who were in Out of Home Care and eight Indigenous students.

Moorabool Shire Council, Community Safety Team Taking it to the Streets – Animal Adoption Program Moorabool Shire Council runs its own domestic animal pound which is registered as a domestic animal business and operates in accordance with the Domestic Animals Act 1994.

The pound provides a safe haven for lost, abandoned and surrendered animals within the Shire, as well a very successful animal adoption program. This service is coordinated by Council’s Community Safety Unit.

Community Safety Officers, who are responsible for overseeing the day to day running of the domestic animal pound, identified the need to raise the profile of the domestic animal pound, increase adoptions and reach and target a greater audience to do this.

What better way than to take the animal adoption program to the streets and engage with the community in the heart of the main towns within the Shire. The Taking it to the Streets – Animal Adoption Program has enabled Council officers to establish a strong rapport with the community, raise the profile of their domestic animal pound and target a broader audience in the hope of finding suitable homes for pound animals.

The results have been encouraging, reducing the overpopulation of domestic pets with greater numbers of desexed pets being adopted by people in the community, thereby reducing the euthanasia rate of impounded animals.

The program also has a very successful Facebook page which has over 3,300 ‘likes’ and is utilised to post information about impounded animals, animals available for adoption and responsible pet ownership.

Community Safety officer, Shannon Walsh said: “By taking it to the street, we’ve been able to engage with our residents, those who might not have access to social media or find visiting an animal pound too emotional and traumatic.”

Moorabool Shire is the only Council in Victoria that has taken this proactive and positive approach to promoting and encouraging responsible pet ownership and educating the community that community safety is more than an enforcement role.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2015 | 11

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2016 LGPRO

ANNUAL CONFERENCE ‘Local Government is a VERB’ Conference Highlights

More than 700 delegates heard about some of the wonderful things happening in Local Government at the 2016 LGPro Annual Conference.

In line with the conference theme, some sessions focused on the fantastic work Councils were ‘doing’ for their communities, but delegates also learnt about the latest trends both here and internationally.

There were a range of high profile speakers including journalist Stan Grant, neuroscientist Professor Donna Rose Addis, digital expert Tim Lovitt and Oxfam CEO Dr Helen Szoke.

The new conference initiatives which included a Walking Tour and a series of Short Talks on

a range of topics proved popular as did the Ideas Marketplace which this year was hosted by Young Professionals. The Feature Session, Are you smarter than a CEO? attracted a large crowd.

More than 620 people attended the Conference Dinner where the winners of the 2016 LGPro Awards for Excellence were announced. See the list of winners and finalists on pages 6 and 7.

Photos by Bruce Millikan Photography

More than 620 people attended the Conference Dinner.

Keynote speaker, Stan Grant.

Cassia De Silva from Procurement Australia and Borz Shahsavand from UMS at the Feature Session.

14 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2015

LGPro President Brendan McGrath welcomes delegates to the Conference Dinner.

Four of the five members of the Young Professionals team get ready for the Feature Session, from left, Krysten Evans, Rory Neeson, Adam Cooper and Alexis Young.

Rhys Thomas had the responsibility of keeping score at the Feature Session.

Northern Grampians CEO, Justine Linley plays the Devil’s Advocate.

Pauline Gordon from Greater Bendigo City Council.

Cr Colleen Furlanetto from Strathbogie Shire puts her argument during the debate.

Safa Almarhoun from the young community leaders on the Victorian Social Cohesion and Community Resilience Advisory Group.

Tim Lovitt presented a session on moving from reactive to proactive in the digital age.

Kerryn Ellis from the Greater Bendigo City Council and Rebecca Hutchinson from Knox Council.

2015 ELP participants, from left, Katherine Thom, Robert Barr and Rosemary Sheehan during their presentation.

Keynote speaker, Professor Donna Rose Addis.

Walking Tour participants learn about the Docklands precinct.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2015 | 15

2016 LGPRO

ANNUAL CONFERENCE ‘Local Government is a VERB’

Conference Principal Sponsor John and Anni McArthur with Matthew Mullins, McArthur State Manager (right).

Wendy Hrynyszyn from LaTrobe Council and Sharon Molrrison from Greater Bendigo City Council at the Feature Session.

Conference delegates catch up during a break.

Dr Helen Szoke makes a point during her keynote address.

LGPro Board Member Sasha Lord and Cameron Gray from Yarra City Council.

Rebecca McKenzie, LGPro Vice President.

Large numbers attended the interactive sessions.

Debate moderator, Sharon Kelsey.

Three Council CEOs, from left, Keith Baillie (Surf Coast), Dennis Hovenden (Frankston) and Lenny Jenner (Queenscliffe).

Saif Hazarika from Australia Post chats with conference delegates.

David Engwicht from Creative Communities presents a Short Talk.

Simone Cilia from HR Legal and Rachel Whiting from McArthur.

One of the conversations during the Ideas Marketplace.

Ed Gannon, Weekly Times.

Delegates deep in discussion at the Ideas Marketplace.

Dr Helena Popovic makes a point during her interactive session.

Delegates get into the swing of an interactive session.

Bernadette Attwood and Shareen Han from Vision Super.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2015 | 17

2016 LGPRO

ANNUAL CONFERENCE ‘Local Government is a VERB’

Rowena Allen, Gender, Sexuality Commissioner.

Delegates enjoy the Welcome Event networking session.

Richard Day, Managing Director of Life & Business Leadership Institute during his Short Talk.

CEOs, from left, Justine Linley (Northern Grampians), Steve Crawcour (Strathbogie) and David Madden (Moyne) share a laugh.

Delegates listen intently to an interactive session.

Alexis Young asks a has been at the Feature Session.

Stephanie Cassidy from Productivity Matters speaks with a delegate.

(Far left) The Warner Institute exhibition stand.

(Left) Conference delegates visit the HR Legal stand.

A team member from the Conference Debate states her case.

Mike Preedy and Trevor Wilson from iPlatinum.

Tanya McAlpin was part of the Young Professionals team in the Feature Session.

2015 ELP graduates, from left, Marcus Forster, Joanne McNeill and Robert Barr.

Karri Hillier, CEO of One Tree Community Services with her staff at the Pre Dinner Drinks.

Dave Barry, CEO of Alpine Shire Council.

OracleCMS colleagues, from left, Cristian Rubin, Shane Swenson and Suie Koken at the Welcome Event.

Northern Grampians colleagues, from left, Trenton Fithall, Sanjay Manivasagasivam, Warren Groves and Michael Bailey.

Eric Braslis, CEO of Gannawarra Shire Council gets his point across during the debate.

Noelene Duff, CEO of Whitehorse City Council.

Trevor Greenberger from Moyne Shire Council.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2015 | 19

2016 ANNUAL CONFERENCE SPONSORS AND EXHIBITORS LGPro thanks the following sponsors and exhibitors for their support and the valuable role they played in the 2016 Annual Conference.

OracleCMS – Major Sponsor

McArthur – Principal Sponsor

PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

IDEAS MARKETPLACE SPONSOR

Aon – Major Sponsor

MAJOR SPONSORS

FEATURE SESSION SPONSOR

LUNCH SPONSOR

INTERACTIVE SESSION SPONSOR

CONFERENCE EXHIBITORS

20 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2015

MORNING TEA SPONSOR

VERNE KRASTINS FEATURE ARTICLE

Simplifying the complex Lessons learned from the 2016 LGPro Annual Conference

›

One of the many good things about LGPro’s Annual Conference is that it happens in February. The summer is still with us, winter warmers are yet to come, and we’re all possibly more receptive to new ideas and alternate perspectives thanks to this.

As a freelancer (an increasingly rare

words of keynote speaker,

smarter than their comparatively

entity in our current environment

Tim Lovitt)

cashed up counterparts, doing

I’d suggest) it’s a fantastic way to keep in touch with the sector’s latest thinking, catch up with past colleagues and meet a few new ones. This applied to everyone there I’m sure.

Reading the conference brochure in the weeks ahead, I admit that I found the conference theme “Local Government is a verb” a little obtuse. But it made sense when thinking of the converse – that Local Government is not (necessarily) a noun. The subtext here is that Local Government is about action and doing, not just planning and strategising, which we do a lot of.

Some lessons I learned from this two day brain fest were along those lines. For example: • The simplest of actions can make the biggest difference • Bettering the simplest needs of life is easier than solving the “big questions” • When you do act, “test and measure everything” (in the

• And a parallel thought to this –

more with less as we say.

of all spheres of government,

I’d also like to acknowledge keynote

the local is where you can

speaker Stan Grant’s presentation,

experiment with the lowest risk.

which kicked off the conference.

We can be laboratories for social

I doubt anyone walked away

and organisational innovation

unaffected and not wiser.

As always, the Conference Dinner

His theme “the weight of history”

where the winners of the 2016

did two things for me. It gave me

LGPro Awards for Excellence

a profoundly deeper appreciation

were announced was a quite a

of the indigenous perspective on

celebration, and I learned a few

Australian attitudes and society,

lessons from this too. Around 20

and that there’s much which non-

individual metro cities, rural cities

indigenous Australians are not aware

and Shires were acknowledged

of or just don’t get, to the detriment

for their good and innovative

of our governmental interventions.

work during the previous year, but the geographical distribution

The second was a chunking up

of awardees was telling.

of this – you can’t do anything or introduce change effectively

Of the nine outright category

without understanding constituents’

winners, only two were located in

historical experience of you

metropolitan Melbourne – rural cities

and your predecessors’ actions.

and Shires took out the other six in

You are not a temporal island.

equal proportion. They also made up 50% of finalists and the highly

If Local Government is a verb

commended. Notably, the metro

(not a noun), the same is surely

winners got the gong in financially

true of communities.

big ticket infrastructure categories.

Verne Ivars Krastins,

I took this as evidence that the less

Sector Connector®

well-off smaller Councils are getting

verne@sectorconnector.com.au

Tim Lovitt presents his interactive session titled: Local Government Services – moving from reactive to proactive in the digital age.

AUTUMN 2016 | 21

2015 ELP PARTICIPANT’S PRESENTATION

Building credibility: a leadership journey

›

Twenty-five of the sector’s up and coming ‘emerging leaders’ spent 2015 considering the question, ‘We are five years from 2020. Where are we now, and are we building the credibility of Local Government?’

After actively participating in

communication, solid ethics and a

Leadership

a variety of seminars, site visits,

commitment to value for money.

• Effective Leadership creates

tours and debates throughout the year, which provided insight into leadership across the sector, the Emerging Leaders of 2015 applied the learnings and inspiration gained throughout their journey, and presented their findings at the 2016 LGPro Annual Conference in February.

The group considered the past, present and future of Local Government, and how the sector can continue to build the community’s trust through effective engagement, strong

Their objective review was

positive workplace culture, which

presented at the Annual Conference

is critical to the future credibility

as a Commission Inquiry, where

of Local Government

subject experts presented research,

• Continue the transition from

data, case studies and feedback

good to great by becoming

from both stakeholders and

an Employer of Choice

the community, to a panel of commissioners.

The inquiry dissected four main pillars of impact on the credibility of Local Government, with the Emerging Leaders posing the following recommendations for

Communication • Cut the jargon • Understand who the message is for • Be clear about the message you are trying to convey

continuous improvement in

• Understand what you are asking

each of the following areas;

the community to do with the correspondence and engage with it

The 2015 Emerging Leaders following their presentation at the conference.

22 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

Emerging Leaders Lauren Rundle, Mark McMillan and Scott Hodges.

Engagement

Service Delivery

• Provide adequate resourcing

• Continue to bridge the gap between increasing customer expectations and limited resources

and employee training • Be consistent across the organisation • Close the loop with the community • Don’t be afraid to engage • Lead by example from the top down

The jury may still be out, but it was overwhelmingly determined that while Local Government has come a long way in building our credibility in our own communities, we all still have work to do.

Ultimately, the emerging leaders presented a compelling argument that undoubtedly, strong and effective leadership is, and will continue to be, paramount to building the trust of the community and in turn the credibility of local government.

You be the judge – Are we, as Local Government credible?

Prepared by the 2015 LGPro Emerging Leaders Program participants

The 2015 Emerging Leaders expresses our appreciation to LGPro, participating Councils and our mentors for investing their time, resources and knowledge to support our future leadership aspirations. We look forward to putting our learning into practice and continuing to strive for excellence as we serve our community and the Local Government sector as a whole.

2016 Emerging Leaders Program participants Congratulations to following participants who were selected for ELP in 2016.

Tania Berry, Hume City Council

Justin Horne, Moorabool Shire Council

Kylie Shrume, Greater Geelong City Council

Darren Brownscombe, Port Phillip City Council

Kathy Hyne, Knox City Council

Adam Sledge, Maroondah City Council

Renae Buckley, Casey City Council

Craig Ion, Maribyrnong City Council

Sainath Tavate, Baw Baw Shire Council

Ana Caicedo, Banyule City Council

Lisa Ippolito, Hume City Council

Angela Umback, Mildura Rural City Council

Tara Carter, Murrindindi Shire Council

Vicki Klapsinos, Moreland City Council

Annette Waters, Bass Coast Shire Council

Heidi Gajic, West Wimmera Shire Council

Colin McLean, Peninsula Shire Council

Melanie Williams, Knox City Council

Graham Haylock, Whittlesea City Council

Tony Peterson, South Gippsland Shire Council

Siobhan Wood, Monash City Council

Renee Herps, Maroondah City Council

Michael Shiell, Brimbank City Council

Simon Woodland, Yarra Ranges Council

PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 23

LOOKING FOR SOME WAYS TO SPREAD THE WORD OR GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED, BUT UNSURE WHERE TO START? ASK OUR SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERTS HOW WE CAN ASSIST YOU IN ENGAGING WITH YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

ADVOCATING FOR THE SECTOR

LGPro

Future Ready

Future Ready: a roadmap for tomorrow’s Local Government workforce ›

For the past 12 months LGPro has been working on a project to develop a vision and roadmap to help prepare the sector and its workforce for the changing roles of Local Government.

PwC was engaged to prepare a

Government CEOs and HR

future action and the future

report which identified the key

managers and workshops

Local Government workforce.

issues, opportunities and challenges

with CEOs and HR managers.

The two overarching pillars –

facing Local Government service delivery in the future, and to understand how a future Local Government workforce could best respond to meet those needs and deliver high quality services to the public.

Future Ready responds in part to criticisms levelled at the sector in the 2012 Securing Victoria’s Economy report.

It takes a sector view and puts Councils in the driving seat to achieve sector-led change in

being community focused and financially responsible – are intended to give due prominence to Local Government’s key stakeholders, the communities they serve, while recognising funding constraints.

The Future Ready: a roadmap

the biggest area of influence:

The four supporting pillars –

for the Local Government

operational effectiveness

Culture, People, Enabling

workforce of tomorrow report

and performance.

Environment and Collaboration

is now complete. The project has been supported and funded by

Vision and strategic pillars

– are intended to highlight the underlying requirements to address

66 Councils which demonstrates

A number of key themes

their commitment to planning and

emerged in the report through

implementing strategies to better

desktop research, consultations

address how the sector provides

and consideration of case studies

Sector Vision: A sector that can

services to the community.

from other industries. The themes

adapt and respond to emerging

(or strategic pillars) are important

and changing community needs

for framing future action by

in a financially sustainable manner.

About the project The process for developing

the Local Government sector

the roadmap involved desktop

to achieve the vision.

research, consultation with key stakeholders, a survey of Local

barriers and exploit opportunities.

Vision and Strategic pillars

Workforce Vision: A fully engaged and adaptable workforce that is

The report lists six strategic

focused on delivering services

pillars that should underpin

that communities need and expect.

Comments from LGPro President Brendan McGrath “The LGPro Board believes that ensuring the Local Government workforce is future ready is one of the biggest leadership challenges that we face as a sector. This was our reason for commissioning the – Future Ready: a roadmap for the Local Government workforce of tomorrow report.

Governing for local communities in Victoria is a significant undertaking.

26 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

Local Government employs around 50,000 people in the State, is the steward of $70 billion in assets and has an annual spend in excess of $9 billion. Our sector is also a key driver of local economic productivity.

Following a period of consolidation and relative stability, we are now entering an unprecedented phase of change as we respond to increased service demands, decreased external

funding, restrictions on revenue generation and increased scrutiny of performance.

Citizen and ratepayer expectations and demands of Councils continue to rise and the growing use of digital communications and media demand a rethink of organisational skills, customer relationship management, work planning and work practices.

Strategic Pillars: The diagram (right) describes the six strategic pillars with a description of each.

Summary of key findings • There are further opportunities to embrace technology to improve productivity and the way in which the sector delivers services • Big data can and should inform Local Government decision making about the priority areas for service delivery and improvements in the way services are designed and delivered.

Therefore, the Local Government workforce needs skills and capabilities to collect, manage, analyse and interpret this data • Services required within communities will likely change depending on population and demographic mix. As such, Local Government needs to understand the population and demographic profiles of its community in order to plan for these future service demands.

This also means that the skill set in Local Government needs to adapt as services change and the need for professional development to support the change • Another factor driving the need

analysis, project management,

Government priorities

strategy and policy development,

and service provision

community engagement and service facilitation • Given the limited pool of funds

• Given increasing costs and restricted income streams, Local Government needs

from State and Commonwealth

to rethink how it can deliver

Governments, access to funding

services for the community.

is likely to be more competitive

It will need to look at

and/or restricted to certain types

alternative service delivery

of expenditure. It also means

models (including collaboration

that Local Government needs to

with the community and

rethink what it can deliver (and

private sectors)

how) within funding constraints • There will be a significant change in community expectations, particularly with respect to the demand for higher quality services that are more responsive, convenient and accessible around the clock and via different modes. Accordingly, there is a need to build capability within the Local Government workforce to adopt new technologies in service delivery • Any movements toward greater accountability and outcomes based performance

for the skills and capabilities in

measurement will need strong

the Local Government workforce

leadership and an organisational

to change is the changing nature

culture willing to embrace

and responsibilities of the sector.

change. Additionally, leadership

There is likely to be greater

will be required to provide

need for skills such as data

clear direction about Local

Where to from here • Agree on an approach for advancing and implementing the roadmap • Share best practice, learnings and experiences among the Local Government sector • Prioritise the ideas to be further developed and implemented • Establish working groups to work through prioritised ideas • Appoint champions for each working group • Develop realistic specific actions/projects, as well as a plan for implementation • Implement identified actions/projects • Report back on the progress and findings of each working group

This report makes it clear that true

This will require rigorous prioritisation,

forward to supporting and

workforce transformation will only

financial investment and most of all

partnering with our members

be achieved through a far more

strong leadership from the sector.

as we work together on its

deliberate and intentional approach

Partnerships with other stakeholders,

implementation.”

by Councils to sharing knowledge,

in particular Local Government

resourcing innovative pilot projects

Victoria, will also be key.

that can be later rolled out to other sites, and leading workforce strategy with a sector rather than individual Council focus.

If you would like further information on Future Ready or

Future Ready is a tangible symbol

to make comments or provide

of the sector’s commitment to

input please contact David Preiss

collaborate in new ways for a more

at LGPro on (03) 9268 6400 or

sustainable future for Councils and

email davidp@lgpro.com

their communities. LGPro looks PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 27

If you work in social media and are constantly wanting to push the boundaries and learn about what is next in this fascinating and rapidly changing landscape, LGPro’s 2016 Social Media Conference is for you.

The one day conference program has been specifically designed for people working in the sector by people working in the sector and will focus on emerging technologies and how today’s tools can be used more effectively across Council teams.

The conference will be held on Wednesday 20 April from 9am until 4.45pm at Bayview Eden, 6 Queens Road, Melbourne. It targets anyone working in the digital media space including communications, PR, community engagement and economic development professionals.

The program includes a keynote speaker, workshops, a series of lightning talks, an on the couch session and an informal debrief with colleagues over drinks and canapes.

Keynote Speaker Nick Williamson, a Systems Thinker and Innovator from MashMatix, New Zealand believes most Local Government processes are about as tedious as watching paint dry. Yet, he says thousands of people tune in to watch paint dry on reality TV shows. Nick will talk about what we can learn from reality television programs like The Block, about how to engage audiences and how can we apply those lessons to the way Councils engage their communities. He poses the question: instead of looking around the Local Government sector for examples of best practice, why are we not looking at those industries that know how to make your business go viral? Nick says when you do take the time to explore how digital communication is evolving, you might be surprised to know that Local Government has some unique opportunities to excel in the digital communication and social media sectors.

28 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

Workshop Sessions Story telling via digital media – Marco Bass, Manager Communications Moreland City Council and Associate Communications Director, OurSay will share how to build a digital audience via social media platforms to tell a story directly to the community. He will explain why content is the key to this process and how Councils can tell their own story using digital media in an affordable and sustainable way.

Social Media Analytics and Real Time Insights – Leigh Price, a Social Media Analyst at Amicus Digital will discuss how to use social media analytics to achieve valuable and actionable insights. He will help delegates understand how large Australian brands are using analytics for improved customer experience, real time marketing and market intelligence.

The Age of Ubiquitous Livestreaming – Emma Webster, Media Adviser to Andrew Barr MLA (ACT Chief Minister). They say a picture is worth a thousand words but Twitter’s Periscope can actually help you discover the world through someone else’s eyes. The age of ubiquitous livestreaming is truly here and in this session Emma will provide an introduction to Twitter’s Periscope and explore the process behind the world’s first “periscoped” Cabinet meeting.

Engaging During a Crisis – Nicole Matejic, Author of Social Media Rules of Engagement and CEO, Info Ops HQ. When your social media streams descend into public outrage anarchy, most organisation’s natural reaction is to stop communicating at the very time they need to engage most. Nicole’s presentation will cover building organisational resilience to negative social media posts, communicating with influence for positive effect, managing a social media crisis professionally and re-establishing audience trust quickly and authentically.

Lightning talks of a Cutting Edge Nature This new session is for those who are interested in learning about what other Councils are doing in terms of cutting edge initiatives

On the Couch Session This session will be led by the facilitator of the conference, Dan Hogan, Customer Engagement Manager at Melton City Council.

Guests on the couch will include: • Nick Williamson, Systems Thinker and Innovator, MashMatix, New Zealand • Marco Bass, Manager Communications Moreland City Council and Associate Communications Director, OurSay • Nicole Matejic, Author – Social Media Rules of Engagement and CEO, Info Ops HQ

in the digital/social media domain.

Delegates will participate in an informal conversation with three of

Multiple speakers will provide a five

the conference presenters going beyond the content discussed in the

minute presentation on their project

program as they share their best insider tips in regards to upskilling and

highlighting the main features and

keeping up with it all.

how it has benefited both their Council and their communities.

For further information and to register visit http://lgpro.com/ events-activites/conferences/social_media_conference or call (03) 9268 6400

THE 2016 LGPRO SOCIAL MEDIA CONFERENCE IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:

PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 29

BEYOND THE HR BOUNDARIES DATES: Thursday 19 May 12.45pm-6.30pm followed by dinner

Friday 20 May 9am-12.30pm followed by lunch VENUE: Melbourne Park Function Centre High calibre keynote speakers will be a feature of our first Local Government specific HR Conference being held for HR, L&D and OD professionals working in the sector.

Phil Ruthven, one of Australia’s most highly respected social and economic commentators and futurists; Paul Taylor, an accredited and practicing Exercise Physiologist and Nutritionist; and Dr Peter Hayward, an expert in strategic foresight who is a program director and senior lecturer at Swinburne University will be the major keynote speakers.

The conference will also use outcomes from the Future Ready project (see feature article on pages 26 and 27) as a basis to consider the role of HR practitioners in creating the Local Government workforce of tomorrow.

Specialised workshops will cover flexible workforce options, organisational design and peer assessment and the future way of working.

ABOUT THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Phil Ruthven is founder and non-executive chairman of IBISWorld, Australia’s premier provider of online information and forecasting, covering industries, enterprises and the business environment. His reputation in Australia’s business community as a strategic thinker is second to none. He contributes regularly to radio, TV, newspapers, magazines and documentaries on business, economic and social issues.

Paul Taylor combines his university education with an enthusiasm for neuroscience, quantum physics and positive psychology. He has developed a system which he describes as ‘Scientific Holism’, a holistic approach to health and wellbeing and also runs ‘Lifestyle and Stress Management’ programs.

Peter Hayward commenced doctoral research into the development of individual and social foresight in 2002. He has consulted to a range of organisations in the use of foresight methods, he teaches in the Masters program and specialises in the use of systems thinking and applying foresight in organisational environments.

30 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

CONFERENCE FEATURES Facilitated plenary session – Led by Dr Nita Cherry, Professor of Leadership, Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology.

Future Ready – Conference delegates will learn about the strategic priorities and actions in LGPro’s Future Ready: a roadmap for tomorrow’s Local Government workforce report which provides a vision and roadmap to help prepare the sector and its workforce for the changing roles of Local Government.

Conference Dinner – A feature of the dinner will be a panel discussion where three CEOs will be interviewed on their thoughts on how to leverage the HR role.

Marketplace to meet sponsors – During pre-dinner drinks, delegates will have the opportunity to chat to businesses and organisations with an interest in human resources, organisational development and learning and development to hear about the latest programs, services and offerings.

For further information and to register for this conference visit www.lgpro.com or phone (03) 9268 6400

CONFERENCE SPONSORS We thank the following Conference sponsors:

Note: There are still opportunities for LGPro Corporate Partners to take up sponsorship of this conference.

For further information contact LGPro on (03) 9268 6400.

LGPro is the member association and leading voice for Local Government professionals in Victoria.

If you are interested in shaping the sector, furthering your career, growing your network and being recognised for your contribution to the sector, LGPro Membership will help you achieve this through: Representation & Advocacy ensuring your voice is heard Learning & Development progressing your career Networking & Peer Support sharing best practice and collaborating across the sector Awards & Recognition rewarding your contribution to Local Government For more information on membership or to join lgpro.com/lgpro-membership Contact Michelle Cox at michellec@lgpro.com or phone (03) 9268 6400 PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 31

CORPORATE PARTNERS DIRECTORY 2015/2016

2015/2016 LGPro Corporate Partners Directory Corporate Partners (Listed in the directory in alphabetical order)

McArthur Acresta Aon Risk Services Australia Australia Post Australian Institute of Management Bang the Table Bendigo Bank Breon Enterprises Cambron Integrated Business Planning and Governance Software CAMMS Change Edge Consulting Clear Horizon Consulting Community Chef Council Dashboard CT Management Group Cube Group Customer Service Benchmarking Australia Datacom Solutions eAwards fmconsult Garland Hawthorn Brahe Lawyers Horner Recruitment HR Legal/CIE Legal HWL Ebsworth Lawyers id – the population experts Insight SRC iPlatinum Jardine Lloyd Thompson Jo Fisher Executive JWS Research Kernow Environmental Services Lingford Consulting Services LMH Consulting/Outside the Square Local Government Software Solutions Maddocks Lawyers Market Solutions MAV Insurance, Liability Mutual Insurance Mecwacare Microsoft National Australia Bank One Tree Community Services Oracle Customers Management Solutions Our Say Page Seager Lawyers Point Ahead Procurement Australia Productivity Matters Promapp Solutions Promethean HR Partners Russell Kennedy Lawyers SACS Consulting Pty Ltd Scopic Learning SDS Group Skills Training Australia Symphony 3 The Management Edge Urban Maintenance Systems Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry VicTrack Vision Super Votar Partners Warner Group Well Done International Working Three Zurich Financial Services Australia

32 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

LGPro is grateful for the support it receives from its Corporate Partners. The following pages contain advertisements submitted by our 2015/2016 Corporate Partners.

Please take a moment to learn about the many services, programs and products these organisations offer to the Local Government sector.

2016 LGPro Annual Conference Principal Sponsor Note: All financial 2015/2016 LGPro Corporate Partners were invited to participate in this directory. Not all of our Corporate Partners took up the opportunity.

CORPORATE PARTNERS DIRECTORY 2015/2016

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PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 33

CORPORATE PARTNERS DIRECTORY 2015/2016

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info@cambron.com.au I www.cambron.com.au I 03 5243 9484 34 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

CORPORATE PARTNERS DIRECTORY 2015/2016

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PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 35

CORPORATE PARTNERS DIRECTORY 2015/2016

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36 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

CORPORATE PARTNERS DIRECTORY 2015/2016

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PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 37

CORPORATE PARTNERS DIRECTORY 2015/2016

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We offer real innovation and accountability in delivering legal services to meet broad commercial objectives.

Our services include:

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Our innovative and interactive training modules including moot courts and mock critical incidents provide effective training to a large number of employees at one time and in one place.

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CORPORATE PARTNERS DIRECTORY 2015/2016

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Local government is in for some turbulent times with increasing pressure to perform and demonstrate value. We have done some good and exciting work to assist Victorian Councils this year and would like to take this further. Why not give us a call to discuss your needs and our services and see if there is a service we offer that would be of benefit to your organisation?

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REPRESENTING THE SECTOR

Putting an officer perspective on the Local Government Act review

›

LGPro put forward a submission on a discussion paper provided by the State Government as the initial step in the first formal review of the Victorian Local Government Act in 25 years.

Our submission was from an

• Perhaps the largest area requiring

• Delegations

officer perspective and we

review is the communication

• Resolution of the Council

thank LGPro Individual Members

and consultation requirements

• Disclosures

including CEOs, governance staff

which are out-dated and do

and corporate planners for their

not acknowledge changing

• Planning, budgeting

valuable input. LGPro’s was one

communication technologies.

of almost 200 submissions received

Rather than identifying specific

by the Government.

forms of communication as

Below are some key points from our submission: • Changes in the Act should

in the current Act, we believe that a general statement which identifies the need for communication, consultation

recognise that while Local

and engagement should

Government is a creature of

be included with Councils

a State Act it is not an agent of

empowered to choose the

the State and should maintain

most appropriate means at their

appropriate independence to

disposal at any point in time

act as it sees fit, in the interests of its community

• There is currently limited ability

and reporting • Procurement • Caretaker Provisions • Council Appointed Authorised Officers Visit http://lgpro.com/ representation to see the recommendations we made in each of the above areas and the full submission.

Next phase The next phase of the review

for the sector to form regional

involved a series of community

collaborations, apart from

forums in metropolitan and

enabling rather than prescriptive,

Regional Libraries. If there is a

regional areas of Victoria where

acknowledge the autonomous

genuine desire to support and

people were informed about

nature of Local Government,

encourage greater collaboration

what was happening and why,

reflect the increasing role the

and shared services, including

and were invited to contribute

sector plays as a facilitator of

procurement, the new Act

ideas for reform.

service provision and should

will require significant review

promote the principles of good

and revision of Councils’

governance and articulate the

Entrepreneurial powers

• The new Act should therefore be

roles and relationships between the elected representatives and the administration • The new Act needs to focus

Our submission referenced specific areas of the Act that affects the work of Council officers and where appropriate offered what

on achieving greater clarity

recommendations we believe

on the roles and responsibilities

should be included in the new

of the State, Councils, Mayors,

Act. The areas covered were:

Councillors and CEO’s. Much of the tension in the current

There will be further opportunities to make a submission on the directions paper and get involved in the review throughout 2016.

Visit http://www.yourcouncil yourcommunity.vic.gov.au/ for further information on the review of the Local Government Act.

• Role of the Mayor

system can be attributed to

• Position of the CEO

role confusion or ambiguity

• Council staff

PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 49

REPRESENTING THE SECTOR

Supporting our GLBTIQ community with pride ›

Local Government officers marched with pride for the second year in the annual Gay and Lesbian Pride March on 31 January.

The number of marchers under

walking under our Celebrating

was humbling to say the least –

the Celebrating ALL people working

ALL banner. The Pride March is

so this year I just had to do it!”

in Local Government banner

such an important and fun event

increased from the previous year

and we are already planning to

and all agreed that it was an

be involved in 2017.

amazing experience.

LGPro and the VLGA joined forces in this year’s march and were grouped with Banyule, Darebin, Greater Geelong, Maroondah,

Hear from our marchers Nigel Smith, Executive Officer Strategic Planning at Yarra Ranges Council decided to participate

Nigel said he enjoyed yelling out “LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROFESSIONALS!” at the top of his lungs to cheers and applause and seeing the crowds recognise that the marchers were all proud participants in our community and government.

in the march as he is impressed

“It triggers deeper thinking about

with his Council’s culture of

who’s who in our community.

inclusion and empowerment

For me, the value is looking forward

in the workplace – and more

to a new Australian culture where

It was also so encouraging to have

broadly the deep professionalism

all people are respected and Local

LGPro Board Members, Individual

of Local Government in Victoria.

Government is seen as a major

Melton and Moreland City Councils.

It was wonderful to see so many in the sector marching en masse.

Members, friends of LGPro and members from other Councils

50 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

“As a gay employee, watching my straight colleagues march last year

contributor to community building.

Having LGPro in the march is a

visible act of creating this positive

and this was and still is a human

Sasha Lord, who is the Strategic

future, but doing it today,” Nigel said.

rights issue. I want to belong to a

Projects Coordinator at Yarra

community that values difference

Ranges Council and an LGPro

and where my GLBTIQ friends have

Board Member said she was very

the same opportunities as I do,”

moved by the inclusion of the day.

Participating in the Pride March is something very dear to the heart of Liana Thompson who is the Director of Corporate

Liana said.

“It was for everyone and it was

and Community Services at

She said participating in the event

great to feel part of the continued

Baw Baw Shire Council and

makes her feel uplifted, inspired

nationwide movement to equity.”

an LGPro Board Member.

and re-energised and that she is

Liana first marched in 1997 – actually she led the parade on her red fluffy Vespa as she was the Mayor of Port Phillip at the time and had negotiated a five year deal to hold

standing up for someone who may not feel able to. “I am proud that LGPro is involved in this event as we need to stand up and be counted. If you think about

She said LGPro participating in the march promotes a positive Local Government culture that is built on foundation of respect, equity and diversity.

Local Government being its own

“It is a wonderful to celebrate

community – participating in the

Victoria’s gay, lesbian, bisexual,

“This was the start of a great union

Pride March is such a public way

intersex and transgender community

between the City of Port Phillip and

that we acknowledge our GLBTIQ

while remembering the journey

the GLBTIQ community. Why all

colleagues, stand shoulder to

already travelled to equity.”

those years ago did I think it was

shoulder and celebrate the diversity

important? I believe in equality

of our sector and communities.”

the parade in Fitzroy Street, St Kilda.

Award to recognise achievements to improve community life Nominations open on Monday

This award is not restricted to

For further information visit

18 April for the 2016 Sally Isaac

Local Government employees

http://lgpro.com/awards/sally-

Memorial Scholarship Fund

and offers a $10,000 education

isaac-memorial-scholarship-

Award for all women aged

scholarship. Nominations close

fund-award or contact the

35 years and under who have

on Friday 10 June and the winner

LGPro office on (03) 9268 6400.

demonstrated achievements that

will be announced at the 2016

have improved community life.

LGPro Women’s Network Dinner on Thursday 21 July.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 51

PROGRAM NEWS

Executive Leadership Program scholarship recipients

›

Two female Directors from rural Councils have received scholarships from Local Government Victoria towards the cost of participating in LGPro’s Executive Leadership Program (XLP) in 2016.

Caroline Wallis, Executive

them to become confident and

“I believe the program will give

Manager Corporate and

capable leaders in the sector.

me a unique opportunity to

Community at Strathbogie Shire and Colleen White, Director Corporate Strategy, Risk and Governance from Ararat Rural City Council each received a $2,500 scholarship.

Local Government Victoria provided the scholarships to further promote and support the representation of more

The group meets from March until September and each participant is assigned to a mentor outside of Local Government.

thrilled to have received the

and innovative ways of delivering

scholarship which has allowed

services to our community. Local

them to participate in the program

Government is such an exciting

and further develop their careers.

industry to be a part of and I’m

to her to have been selected for

leadership training development.

the program. “It’s a real honour and

senior executives in Local Government to expand and develop their skills and knowledge to assist

so glad I fell into it eight years ago. I really love my job and the people I work with,” Caroline said.

I feel very grateful that LGPro is

Caroline said it was often difficult

providing practical support for the

for people working in smaller rural

development of female leaders and

Councils to attend professional

is delivering such a well-regarded

development programs. “Those of

program. I hope to encourage other

us who choose to live in rural areas

women to participate in the future

have to accept the often enormous

as a result of my participation.”

distances that we must travel for

Caroline Wallis

Colleen White

52 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

learn from others and build a strong forward to developing new ideas

Government by offering

is designed to equip and support

Strathbogie Shire community, to network for the future. I’m looking

Caroline said it meant a great deal

in XLP in 2016. The program

increase my contribution to the

Both Caroline and Colleen are

women CEOs in Local

There are a total of 24 participants

contribute and share my skills, to

work and professional development.

Colleen is honoured to be part

and changing environment of

Backfill often can’t be resourced so

of XLP as “I’ve heard great reports

Local Government,” she said.

we manage without our staff whilst

about the program and I’m

they are away on training and absorb

looking forward to meeting

the additional costs that come with

all of the participants and sharing

providing accommodation.

the knowledge gained with

As a sector I believe we need

my colleagues at Ararat.”

While Colleen agrees that these scholarships will provide more opportunity for women working in rural Councils, she said in her organisation women are given

to invest more in technology to

She was encouraged to apply

every opportunity to succeed.

reduce the tyranny of distance,”

for the scholarship by her CEO

“Flexible working arrangements

she said.

as she is always looking for a

and attention to work/life balance

new challenge to expand her

from employers are initiatives that

professional skills and knowledge.

have come to the fore over the

Colleen has worked at Ararat Rural City Council for 25 years starting as a computer officer, accounts officer

“I am hoping to gain valuable

and finance officer and since 2007

information on leadership skills

she has been in management roles

and attributes and most importantly

including Manager Organisational

to connect with other professionals

Development, Manager People and

from the sector and learn from

Culture. In 2011 she was appointed

their experiences. These skills,

to her current role and she is also

attributes and networks can then

a Director on the Willaura/Lake

be brought back to our organisation

Bolac Financial Services Ltd Board.

to assist in the always challenging

last 10 years and there is no doubt they have positively contributed to the sector being responsive to all employees. Opportunities are always ‘out there’, sometimes you just have to have the courage to take the leap,” she said.

Congratulations to the 2016 XLP participants Fiona Banks, Boroondara City Council

Fee Harrison, Monash City Council

Glenn Reddick, Warnambool City Council

Kath Brackett, Brimbank City Council

Kim Jaensch, Frankston City Council

Robyn Stevens, Surf Coast Shire

Janelle Bryce, Port Phillip City Council

Ilias Kostopoulos, Whitehorse City Council

Waudi Tahche, Cardinia Shire Council

Chris Leivers, Yarra City Council

Kevin van Boxtel, Greater Dandenong City Council

Lisa Davis, Port Phillip City Council

Sanjay Manivasagasivam, Northern Grampians Shire Council

Caroline Wallis, Strathbogie Shire Council

Ian Ellett, Indigo Shire Council

Mary-Anne Palatsides, Knox City Council

Colleen White, Ararat Rural City Council

Kerryn Ellis, Greater Bendigo City Council

Penny Pavlou, Stonnington City Council

Vaughan Williams, Northern Grampians Shire Council

Phillip Priest, Moreland City Council

Elaine Wyatt, Murrindindi Shire Council

Jaime Carroll, Rural City of Wangaratta

Daniel Freer, Kingston City Council

PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 53

NEW LGPRO MEMBERS

Welcome to new Members

›

We would like to welcome the following new members who joined LGPro between 17 November 2015 and 15 February 2016. We look forward to working with you to shape our wonderful sector.

Roberta Baker Indigo Shire Council

Jessie Holmes Buloke Shire Council

Mark Osborne Rural City of Wangaratta

Tania Barry Hume City Council

Kathy Hynes Knox City Council

Simon Osborne Yarra City Council

Samantha Bell Baw Baw Shire Council

George Ioannou Maribyrnong City Council

Lindall Palour Corangamite Shire Council

Emma Bird Yarra City Council

Leah Johnston Moyne Shire Council

Penny Pavlou Stonnington City Council

Andrew Bond Murrindindi Shire Council

Yvonne Keane Buloke Shire Council

Kyle Pearson Greater Shepparton City Council

Nigel Brown Whitehorse City Council

Paula Kelly Hobsons Bay City Council

Isaac Poole Murrindindi Shire Council

Leonie De Jong Moreland City Council

Birgit King Yarra Ranges Council

Christina Priest Wagga Wagga City Council

Karen Doyle Swan Hill Rural City Council

Kim Le Cerf Melbourne City Council

Michael Riseley Ballarat City Council

Lorrae Dukes Latrobe City Council

Chris Leivers Yarra City Council

Chris Rowlands Swan Hill Rural City Council

Laurie Ellis Mitchell Shire Council

David Lenton Swan Hill Rural City Council

Lucy Saaroni Yarra City Council

Jaala Freer Mitchell Shire Council

Caroline Lintott Murrindindi Shire Council

Anthea Slone Rural City of Wangaratta

Gail Gatt Latrobe City Council

Penny MacDonald Corangamite Shire Council

Jenny Smith Yarra City Council

Andrew George Maribyrnong City Council

Kate McCluskey Melton City Council

Emily Stone Rural City of Wangaratta

Vicky Guglielmo Darebin City Council

Shannon Meadows Pyrenees Shire Council

Glenn Townsend Moorabool Shire Council

Vishal Gupta Baw Baw Shire Council

Helen Morris Swan Hill Rural City Council

Marita Turner Central Goldfields Shire Council

Carla Hanlon Indigo Shire Council

Ronan Murphy Greater Shepparton City Council

Angela Umback Mildura Rural City Council

Sue Harrison Greater Bendigo City Council

Clare Murrell Yarra City Council

Sarah Van Meurs, Greater Shepparton City Council

Doreen Hastas Whitehorse City Council

Michelle Nichols Casey City Council

Kasey Williamson Campaspe Shire Council

Talia Holloway-Roden Ballarat City Council

Eliza Ogden Corangamite Shire Council

Elaine Wyatt Murrindindi Shire Council Gary Van Driel Latrobe City Council

This is not a full list of new members. Some members requested not to be listed.

54 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

MEMBER NEWS

You are never alone as an LGPro Member

›

LGPro values the support of our members for without this support we could not provide quality professional development, representation and advocacy, awards and our Special Interest Groups that offer networking to hundreds of people working in the sector.

Membership is taken up by people

Best of all you get to meet

how the sector deals with the

working at all levels in Local

amazing people and build

difficult challenges it faces to

Government, some may have just

a professional network who

be innovative and proactive in

joined the sector, others may be

are supportive and passionate

the face of decreasing funding.

looking to go to the next level, or

about Local Government

There are many other benefits

are within senior leadership teams.

and community.”

including the training, however

No matter what level you are at,

Chris Leivers, Director

through LGPro you are able to gain

Community Wellbeing, Yarra

another perspective of the sector

City Council has been actively

as a whole and consider the role

involved in LGPro by attending

and where Local Government is

several Annual Conferences, as

Frank Joyce, Manager

heading. Through our extensive

a mentor in the 2015 Emerging

Human Resources, OHS &

networks you are never alone in

Leaders Program and a participant

Risk, Moreland City Council

your job, there is always a member

in this year’s XLP. “I have attended

has been a member for eight

in another Council who is dealing

a number of LGPro functions

years and says: “I have enjoyed

with similar issues that you can

and events and have found these

excellent networking, attending

always refer to.

to be worthwhile, and liked the

the Aged and Disability Special

idea of being part of this Local

Interest Group and conferences.

Government focused body, so

Participating in the recent Future

I decided to become a member.

Ready project and planning for

Below some of our members talk about what they get out of being part of the LGPro family…

I believe LGPro membership allows you to gain a sharper insight into the context in which Local Government operates.

Already I have accessed some

the inaugural LGPro HR Conference

Fleur Cousins, Manager

fantastic professional development

in May has provided great food for

Governance & Innovation,

opportunities and met some

thought. The Profile magazine is

Knox City Council has been

wonderful people, all of which

always informative and interesting

a member since 2004 and has

have assisted my development.

and the discounted conference

participated in a range of programs

I am looking forward to being part

and training fees is also a plus.

and events including conferences,

of this sector focused group and

Being a member has provided

the Emerging Leaders Program

connecting with others facing

me with excellent professional

and most recently the Executive

similar challenges and willing to

development opportunities to

Leadership Program. “LGPro

share their skills and experiences.”

gain relevant information, network

membership has provided me with the opportunity to expand my networks and working knowledge of Local Government. Interacting with officers at all levels has provided diverse perspectives enabling me to reflect on what I want to contribute to the sector.

The support and programs offered

by LGPro are of a high quality and remain contemporary to the changing environment in which Local Government is operating.

Roberta Baker, Manager Communications, Indigo She has completed the Mastering

discuss how LGPro Membership

Management program, attended

can benefit you, please call

the Social Media Conference

Michelle Cox, Membership

several times and this year is on

Development Manager on

the organising committee. She is

(03) 9268 6400.

“I hope taking up membership

Roberta Baker

of Local Government.”

If you would like to further

Special Interest Group. She says:

Chris Leivers,

and broaden my understanding

Shire Council, is a new member.

a member of the Communications

Fleur Cousins

To join LGPro go to: www.lgpro. com/lgpro-membership

will help me to develop a broader

Frank Joyce

view of Local Government and

PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 55

PROGRAM AND LEARNING NEWS

Councils show interest in LGPro’s online learning

›

A number of metropolitan and rural Councils have registered interest in the six compliance courses that LGPro has developed in conjunction with Global Vision Media as part of our new specialist online learning offering.

currently available are:

Customised online learning

enhance their understanding of the Council’s work.

• Information privacy

As part of our online learning

• OH&S

offering we have the capacity to develop customised courses and modules to meet the specific needs of Councils. The first Council to take up this aspect of the offering is Whitehorse.

The face to face induction program at Whitehorse is scheduled every two months and for some employees this is quite some weeks after they have commenced.

There is also a large casual staff group who were previously unable to attend the face to face corporate induction. The Council is not replacing face to face induction, but taking a blended approach. Going online means that every employee will be able to access induction from their first day with the Council.

The customised courses

• Bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment • Equal employment opportunity • Fraud prevention and awareness • Victorian Charter of Human Rights The courses have been checked and signed off by HR Legal to ensure references to legislation and commentary are accurate and up-to-date.

Samples of the six modules are available online for interested Councils to check out to see if they meet their requirements.

Two customised online employee induction modules are being developed for Whitehorse to fill a gap in their current induction program. One module is a general corporate induction, while the second will focus on Council’s departments and the services they deliver. This will enable Whitehorse employees to gain additional information about particular departments and

Anyone wanting to discuss their Council’s specific online learning requirements is welcome to contact David Preiss on (03) 9268 6400.

Good Practice Guide for Council enforcement responsibility LGPro is producing a whole of Council guide to delivering high quality enforcement.

The work started following

consultation we undertook that

officers working in all types of

an approach by members of

enforcement needed to be better

Local Government enforcement

LGPro’s Statutory Services Special

integrated and supported for it to

roles; responsibilities of the

Interest Group who said there

be effective. With funding support

Council executive; information

was a need for standardised, sector

and the involvement of Local

management; and the development

wide training for enforcement

Government Victoria work has

of a template position description

officers working in Councils. LGPro

commenced on the Good Practice

for enforcement staff.

approached Local Government

Guide which will be incorporated

Victoria for funding for the

into the enforcement training

project and was successful.

we initially set out to develop.

While the work was being done to

Key features of the guide will

website at www.lgpro.com

develop training materials it became

include training modules and face

for further details.

apparent through the extensive

to face training for enforcement

56 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

LGPro aims to have the guide completed by July 2016. Keep checking our

Preparing for this year’s Council elections ›

With Local Government elections set down for Saturday 22 October this year, Councils are already busy ensuring they are well prepared.

LGPro has assisted Councils

Councillors, candidates, CEOs,

with this planning by staging

directors, managers and staff

a series of workshops between

with responsibilities for the

January and March focusing

Mayor and Councillors.

on the requirements of the Election (or ‘Caretaker’) Period which comes into effect on Tuesday 20 September.

The workshops were a huge success with more than 150 people, including CEOs, directors, managers and staff with responsibilities for Councillor interactions, attending the nine sessions in Melbourne, Benalla,

Steve said the key learnings from the workshops related to role clarity and communication at this unusually tense time. These included the importance of:• Developing an Election Period policy which has broad buy in and is capable of effective implementation • The impacts of Councillor and

Corangamite and LaTrobe.

officer conduct before and

Another customised session

during the election period on

was organised for the City

the prospects for a successful

of Whitehorse and this was

working relationship amongst

attended by more than 20 staff.

the newly elected Council

LGPro was asked to put together a workshop in the lead up to the elections so a planning group comprising Sheena Frost (Casey), Anthony Smith (Moonee Valley), Gina Burden (Banyule), Allison Down (Baw Baw) and Tony De Fazio (Whitehorse) was formed to develop a program to meet the needs of the sector.

The three hour workshops were facilitated by Steve Cooper from Civic Mind and covered the impact of the recent Local Government Act amendments

• Staff awareness, in every pocket of the organisation to the changes in context associated with the election period A number of Councils have booked workshops at executive and management level to assist in policy implementation.

A further round of customised workshops targeted at frontline staff will be available for interested Councils closer to the election period.

for Council business and

For further information

interactions with the Mayor

contact Leanne Bickley at

and Councillors leading up to

LGPro at leanneb@lgpro.com

the election. It also looked at

or phone (03) 9268 6400.

the roles and responsibilities for

Tips for coping with the Caretaker Period • Articulate and promote a clear policy purpose that relates to public trust in the Council and the conduct of the election • Provide leadership by communicating early and often – internally and externally • This is not just a topic for governance staff, so obtain commitment and hold all senior management accountable for staff awareness, ensuring compliance and sharing information • Act early on the schedule of Council reports to avoid the unnecessary activity around the election period • Ensure provision of information and guidance to Councillors and candidates in a fair and consistent manner • Consider the rapid advance of social media, and implications for CEO certification of publications • Make sure that Council resources, including publicity and events, do not become part of the election campaign • Be clear on the meaning of ‘business as usual’, and be alert to the nuances of a campaign and election period

PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 57

COUNCIL NEWS

Presenting a positive portrait

›

”Positive portraits are so powerful.” These words from one Victorian GLBTIQ activist are why Yarra City Council decided to become the first LGA to feature a trans person on its Annual Report.

The Council’s 2014/15 Annual

organisation’s GLBTIQ Working

The Telling Tree, an innovative

Report features 2016 Young

Group, said: “Yarra City Council has

new project that empowers

Australian of the Year finalist

a long history of promoting equal

same sex attracted and gender

and trans woman Margot

rights and social diversity has long

diverse young people to artistically

Fink and GLBTIQ activist Tim

been fundamental to Yarra’s identity

explore issues important to

Christodoulou on its cover.

and history – but it’s another thing

Yarra’s GLBTIQ community.

Cameron Gray, Coordinator Communications – Digital and Brand at Yarra and member of the

entirely for an organisation to put this diversity front and centre and in such a prominent corporate position.

Tim and Margot congratulated Yarra for its annual report cover.

Tim said: “This is a Council that’s

“We need to not only accept sexual

been setting the standards for

and gender diversity but celebrate it.”

almost every other jurisdiction in

Vijaya Vaidyanath, Yarra’s CEO, said: “We want to create a culture that welcomes and includes everyone.

We want to support people to be

Australia, so it’s incredibly humbling to be on the front cover. It sends a very clear message to everyone else in the community.”

out and proud, and feel they can

Margot said: “It’s incredibly

come to Council and relate to us

exciting to see GLBTIQ young

as who they are, which will

people on the cover. For people

hopefully reduce any barriers for

in the community, they see

people to access our services.”

that they will be included and

Margot and Tim work with Minus18,

accepted and celebrated.”

an organisation based in Yarra that

The Yarra City Council

provides mental health and peer

2014-15 Annual Report

mentoring support to thousands

is available online at:

of same sex attracted and gender diverse young people from all over Australia. Last year the Council teamed with Minus18 to launch

T ’ N DO S

S I M T! OU

http://www.yarracity.vic.gov. au/DownloadDocument. ashx?DocumentID=13962

LGPRO’S TWO WOMEN’S EVENTS 2016 Women’s Professional Development Forum and Women’s Network Dinner When: Thursday 21 July Where: Melbourne Park

Function Centre

Save these dates in your diary now and stay tuned for further information on our website www.lgpro.com

FEATURE STORY

Shaping the sector at another level

›

Graeme Emonson, former LGPro Board President and CEO of Knox City Council for 14 years took up the position of Executive Director Local Government Victoria in February. Below he answers questions about the highlights of his time in the Local Government sector and what he hopes to achieve in his new role.

What did you enjoy most about working in Local Government including highlights and major achievements?

The most enjoyable thing about working in the sector has been the opportunity to work alongside many great people who are deeply and genuinely committed to the communities they serve.

I hope to be able to bring my previous experience in working within the sector to shape and influence the sector’s future directions through my role with Local Government Victoria.

What are you most looking forward to in your new role and what do you hope to achieve?

Victorian Local Government

This extends to Mayors and

is facing a time of change,

Councillors, staff and community

and with that, considerable

leaders. The opportunity to

opportunity.

directly influence the wellbeing of communities has been most

I am really looking forward to

rewarding aspect of my time

working closely with the sector

in Local Government.

to help shape and influence the way it will function and

Do you see moving to State Government as a natural progression to get involved in another level of government and do you think your Local Government background will assist in the new role?

be governed in the future.

I am excited by the opportunity

strengthens the sector’s relevance

to continue to work with Local

and value to communities.

Government, albeit in a different and broader capacity. I have a strong belief in the value that Local Government brings to all communities in Victoria, and

The comprehensive review of the Local Government Act presents a significant opportunity to re-design a system of Local Government in Victoria that best meets modern needs and expectations, and importantly,

I am excited by the opportunity to work with the sector to shape and influence Local Government’s future.

Achievements at Knox and within the sector As CEO at Knox, Graeme was involved in a number significant outcomes including: • Leading a turnaround in the Council’s fiscal leadership to address the organisation’s long term financial sustainability which has positioned the Council as a leader in the sector • Strong executive leadership to deliver a major community assets including the State Basketball Centre and Knox Regional Sports Park in 2012 • Leading a highly engaged workforce that consistently rates well above industry benchmarks across successive years Other sector achievements included: • Being appointed in 2010 to the Victorian Bushfire Recovery and Reconstruction Authority (VBRRA) as the Local Government representative • Being an LGPro Board Member from 2010 to 2013 and President in 2012

PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 59

Risk Report

Australian Local Government 2016 More than 100 local councils have participated in Aon’s benchmarking survey to reveal the changing landscape of local government risk management. In presenting the findings, this report examines the drivers of top risk concerns, looks at emerging risk issues, and provides a snapshot of risk management practices and emerging trends in risk transfer strategies.

Download the free report at:

connect-aon.com.au

COM0285 0216

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

Taking an active role in the health and wellbeing of Local Government employees

›

As Councils put more emphasis on the health and wellbeing of their staff, LGPro’s Health and Wellbeing for Employees Special Interest Group is stepping up and taking a more active role in the sector.

All officers with responsibility for health and wellbeing programs are invited to attend the next meeting of the SIG on Wednesday 13 April from 10am-noon at the LGPro office at level 3/58 Lorimer Street, Docklands to discuss the aims and objectives and future direction of the group.

Co-Convenors, Rebekah Hughes from the City of Greater Geelong and Jaala Freer from Mitchell Shire Council said the current focus of the SIG was to share experiences, network with like-minded people and to assist with planning of Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plans, as well as sharing learning experiences along the way.

However, they are happy to receive input from the group if they would

like to change or extend these aims and objectives. “The plan for the April meeting is to start with a ‘meet-and-greet’ where we discuss our roles and responsibilities, share the types of activities and events we offer and discuss the challenges we face. Then moving forward we propose to have three or four workshops a year but that format is up for discussion. We want to hear ideas and suggestions from members of the SIG,” they said.

“We understand that some members will have a focus on the workplace and some will have a focus on the community, we encourage members with either focus to join us.”

Jaala said as the only health and wellbeing officer in a

small Council she was looking forward to meeting others in similar roles, working on similar portfolios to be able to learn from them, as well as share both her successes and challenges.

Rebekah believes Local Government is uniquely placed to support the health and wellbeing of its workforce, and in turn, the wider community. She is also looking forward to meeting people in similar roles and facilitating opportunities to learn from each other.

Visit http://lgpro.com/sigs/ health-wellbeing-for-employees for further information on the Health and Wellbeing for Employees SIG or contact Michelle Cox at LGPro on (03) 9268 6400.

New LGPro team member ›

LGPro’s professional development team has a new member, Lisa Confoy who has started in the role of Professional Development Coordinator last month.

Lisa joins the team after working

Delivery and a Bachelor of

“Being part of a dynamic team and

in the education sector for more

Education and Training.

network will be an exciting part of

than 20 years, in various roles from teaching, to strategic planning, delivery centre management and her last job was Manager of Teaching & Learning Quality at a large metropolitan TAFE. She has a Master of Educational Management, Graduate Certificate in Flexible

She says she was attracted to LGPro because of the organisation’s guiding principles and values, most notably being a member association and leading voice for Local Government

my role, along with coordinating professional development activities.

I look forward to meeting our members at all of our upcoming programs and events.”

professionals in Victoria and

Lisa replaces Violeta Madireddi who

providing leadership, professional

was in the role for three years and

development and representation in

has left to pursue new adventures.

the pursuit of excellence.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2016 | 61

Lisa Confoy

In this 5 Minutes With we introduce our two newest Board members, Liana Thompson and Sasha Lord Liana Thompson

›

Liana is the Director Corporate and Community Services at Baw Baw Shire Council and describes herself as a Local Government tragic – I have been involved since 1993! I was an elected representative and have the honour of being the last Mayor of the City of Port Melbourne and the first Mayor of the City of Port Phillip. I got bitten by the Local Government bug and knew that I wanted to work in the sector. Working with people is the common theme throughout my career – whether in a community development capacity or an organisational capacity. I believe that organisations are communities and I am passionate about enabling people to make a difference in their community.

Amusing situations you have faced at work?

Something about yourself that may surprise people?

Oh, so many… I once had to escort a ‘cow’ out of the Council Chamber… it was someone dressed up as a cow and they were protesting against an abattoir development. Another chamber moment was when a guy broke out the guitar and sang a song about a train clickety clack down the track – not sure why. Then there was the time that we received a whip cracking lesson – invaluable. I have a lot of funny chamber stories.

I played ice hockey. I also love anything tacky, tap dancing, bad singing…

What really annoys you?

Surprises – I have a no surprises policy. I also dislike prejudice, disloyalty and foolish people.

Three famous people you would like to invite to dinner and why?

Hillary Clinton – I think she is so clever, composed, compassionate and owns her own power.

Joan Kirner – she was a mentor to me in the early 90s, she was a woman with vision and believed in public service at the highest level, she was also really funny.

Then two of my friends – Anne Dunn, former CEO City of Port Phillip and Gail Donovan, owner of Donovans Restaurant. These two women are stars in their own fields – brainy, funny and the conversation would never stop.

Your dream holiday and why?

Anywhere that has Art Deco architecture and an espresso martini.

Sasha Lord

›

Sasha is the Strategic Projects Coordinator at Yarra Ranges Council where she has worked for the past four and a half years. She enjoys working in Local Government and has quickly connected with being able to implement business improvements that would have immediate positive impacts for the community.

What you enjoy outside of work?

Travel, galleries, eating out, hanging out with my friends, family and my dog. And, I’m sure my colleagues will attest for my penchant for a shopping spree!

What would your last meal comprise?

Carbs.

62 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2016

Your last holiday destination and did you enjoy it?

Your favourite film this year and why?

I was invited to Koh Samui for a wedding, mojitos were dangerously priced at $1.00 each.

I’m going to lose street cred for this one, but I loved the documentary ‘Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict’.

Peggy was a trailblazer in fashion, art and an inspirational feminist.

What makes you laugh?

People falling over (in a non dangerous way), animals, comedian Louis CK.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CALENDAR

Diary Dates PROGRAMS

PROGRAMS

LGP MASTERING MANAGEMENT

Connect with us at

LGProVIC

DATE

INFORMATION

The 2016 program has commenced.

Nominations for the 2017 program open in September

To equip and support senior executives in Local Government

The 2016 program has commenced.

Nominations for the 2017 program open in September

For those who aspire to positions of leadership and to those who aspire to provide leadership in a particular area of interest in Local Government in Victoria

Commences on Tuesday 12 April

For Local Government managers wanting to further develop their skills

Series One commences on Thursday 5 May

Program to help people develop the competencies required to manage and lead people

Wednesday 27 April, LGPro office Wednesday 25 May, regional, location to be advised Wednesday 8 June, LGPro office

Designed for those who are new or recently appointed to the sector

Tuesday 31 May

To help Local Government staff use new communication technologies to better engage with residents and communities

Thursday 9 June

Designed to provide anyone writing Council reports with a better understanding of what makes a good report

Tuesday 19 April Tuesday 24 May, regional

To support non-finance staff to perform their financial planning and reporting responsibilities

Thursday 17 March and Friday 18 March

For CEOs to discuss issues of common interest

Thursday 21 July, Melbourne Park Function Centre

A networking dinner for women and men working in Local Government

EVENTS

EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

2016 LGPro Women’s Network Dinner

HR Conference (NEW in 2016)

2016 LGPro Women’s Professional Development Forum

Wednesday 20 April, Bayview Eden, Queens Road, Melbourne

For people working in Local Government who want to learn more about social media

Thursday 19 May and Friday 20 May, Melbourne Park Function Centre

Targeting all staff responsible for HR, L&D and Organisational Development

Thursday 21 July, Melbourne Park Function Centre

This forum addresses the issues, opportunities and challenges facing women in the sector

Nominations open on Monday 18 April and close on Friday 10 June

A $10,000 educational scholarship open to all women aged 35 years and under who have demonstrated achievements in improving community life

AWARDS

For further information regarding these or any LGPro event visit www.lgpro.com or contact LGPro on (03) 9268 6400

36112

AWARDS

CONFERENCES / SEMINARS

CONFERENCES/SEMINARS