March 2019 Profile Magazine

Quarterly magazine for Local Government Professionals Autumn 2019

FLYING

HIGH AT THE 2019

LGPRO ANNUAL CONFERENCE Partnering with MAV

Give so others can grow

Awards season begins

Collaboration for CEO Forum

Shaping the careers of others in Local Government

Recognising excellence in the sector

CONTENTS

6-11 2019 Annual Conference round up A six page pictorial spread on this fantastic event.

16-17 2019 LGPro Awards for Excellence winners and finalists Photos of the 10 category winners in the 2019 Awards for Excellence, plus a list of the finalists.

Profile is published by Local Government Professionals (Inc)

40-41 Meet a Great Leader in Local Government

LGPro, Level 3/58 Lorimer Street Docklands 3008 Ph: (03) 9268 6400 Email: info@lgpro.com Website: www.lgpro.com

Yarra Ranges Council’s new CEO, Tammi Rose talks about her career and how we can achieve equity in the sector.

DEADLINES

44-45 Sector driven Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Profile is published quarterly.

The deadline for the Winter 2019 edition is Wednesday 1 May 2019.

See how our SIGs are meeting demand in the sector

CONTRIBUTIONS

and the value they are providing participants.

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

50 Corporate Partners making new connections Our inaugural Meet the Board Event received great support from our Corporate Partners.

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

51 See What’s Happening in Local Government Catch up with the latest news from Councils.

CREDITS Publisher: LGPro (03) 9268 6400 Editor – Vicki Amiguet Design: Bull Design Group www.bulldesigngroup.com.au

Above: Julie Andrews and Kristen Cherry from Hume City Council catch up with Adrian Murphy from Hobsons Bay City Council at the Annual Conference.

Connect with us at

LGProVIC

JOINT CEO FORUM A FIRST FOR LGPRO Welcome to autumn and to the March edition of the Profile. I, for one, am really looking forward to collaborating with the Municipal Association of Victoria on our first ever joint CEO forum on Thursday 28 March.

One of the agenda items is trends

This fundamental issue has well

in councillor conduct, with Local

and truly preceded rate capping but

Government Inspectorate Chief

has never received anywhere near

Municipal Inspector David Wolf

as much attention and effort.

providing insights and observations

It is time we, as a sector, tackle this

about councillor conduct trends

issue head on for the sake of all

since the 2016 Local Government

our communities.

Election, how the inspectorate handles these issues and how the same or similar issues are addressed in other tiers of government.

aspirations for the role and engage

who experience close scrutiny –

outcomes for their municipalities.

conduct trends, especially as we look ahead to a 2020 Local Government election, and no doubt an influx of new councillors, will be extremely beneficial so we can better prepare elected councillors for the highs and lows of municipal life.

MEETING THE NEW MINISTER

in 2010, 12 graduates have gone on to become CEOs, five of whom are women.

XLP is clearly doing the job it is designed to do which is equip and executives to expand and develop

up in the near future.

their leadership capabilities.

We will be highlighting the need for

In fact, all of the great programs

legislative protection for authorised

we offer are fantastic opportunities

officers to support their role in

to grow and develop your skills in a

enforcing local and state laws in the

whole range of Local Government

interests of the community, look

areas, so make sure you check out

to gain a commitment to a gender

our programs and events schedule

equity agenda, and get an update

for 2019.

confirm our ability and willingness

with myself and MAV CEO, Kerry

to develop guidance material.

Also coming up, we will be carrying out a review of the rules for the 2019 Annual General Meeting, along with seeking advice via the Governance Special Interest Group.

However, we would also appreciate any input on this issue from interested members.

4 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

Since the XLP program started

with Minister Somyurek coming

on the Local Government Act and

and advocating for them.

who have all been graduates

support senior Local Government

second major item on the agenda,

on developing sector wide solutions

Steve Piasente at Latrobe,

We also have our first meeting

Financial sustainability will be the

Thompson facilitating a discussion

Ali Wastie at Bass Coast and

Program (XLP).

Somyurek who will outline his

the sector can achieve better

Any insights into particular councillor

Tammi Rose at Yarra Ranges,

of LGPro’s Executive Leadership

to all CEOs and especially those

COUNCILLOR CONDUCT

three newly appointed CEOs,

Local Government Minister Adem

with the CEOs to understand how

– of their elected representatives.

I would also like to congratulate

We will have a presentation by

I’m sure this will be of great interest

be it community or media based

NEW CEOS

JUSTINE LINLEY President LGPro Board and CEO Ballarat City Council

CHANGE AT THE TOP IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT Over the last two years, we have experienced unprecedented levels of departures of CEOs from the sector. This change at the top inevitably cascades down throughout the affected Councils.

We are well aware that concerns

In a time where citizens are far more

They are:

about loss of knowledge and

able to represent their own needs,

experience are legitimate and that

this might be a chance to look at the

• Wendy Hrynyszyn,

understanding the reasons for it is

current approach to representative

important. We’ll be exploring this

democracy and to make the practice

with the CEOs and will be sharing

of it contemporary, more effective

what we learn with all of you, but

and fit for purpose.

at the same time we need to identify and maximize the benefits from the situation.

These are just some of the fundamental issues that would benefit from fresh eyes and different

GENERATIONAL CHANGE

experience and ideas reviewing them.

We are being presented with a rare

MAKING GOOD THINGS HAPPEN

opportunity for generational change where we can take a fresh look at the sector and officers’ roles, as well as work practices with a firm focus on the future.

Having just finished the 2019 LGPro Annual Conference and seeing the caliber of the people in the sector

Latrobe City Council • Rory Neeson, Corangamite Shire Council • Michael Shiell, Brimbank City Council • Steve Abbott, Greater Bendigo City Council • Chris Callahan, Banyule City Council • Carlee Vandenberg, Knox City Council • Jo George, Whitehorse City Council

on display, and more specifically

Together with the great staff at LGPro

While the performance of the sector

those from our Executive Leadership

and the support of the LGPro Board,

is strong, it has so far been unable to

and Emerging Leaders Programs,

I like to think that the conference

assist and educate the community,

we should feel confident about

shines a spotlight on much of what

and other government for that

what the renewal of sector leadership

is great about you and what you do.

matter, to understand what the

will bring.

sector’s role is and that officers, like their state and federal public servant counterparts, are required to faithfully implement the decisions taken by councillors (politicians) whether they agree with those decisions or not.

DIVERSITY OF SKILLS Despite a range of initiatives and

I look forward to catching up with I’m firmly of the belief that good

you soon.

people make good things happen, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank the 2019 Conference

DAVID PREISS

Committee, and their Councils for

"Me fail English? That's unpossible."

supporting their participation, for

– Ralph Wiggum – The Simpsons

their work in developing the program and bringing it to fruition.

effort over the years the sector has not been able to break through to achieve gender equity and diversity at the senior level and continues to struggle to attract and retain the diversity of skills and backgrounds needed in this next phase of the sector’s development.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 5

SNAPSHOT OF THE

Mary-Anne Palatsides (Glen Eira City Council) chats to other delegates.

From left, Gillian Triggs (keynote speaker), Justine Linley (LGPro President) and Anni and John McArthur (Conference Principal Sponsors).

Ian Ellet (Indigo Shire Council) with a colleague.

From left, Alicja Majer (Port Phillip City Council), Gaye Stewart (Glen Eira City Council), Penny Pavlou (Stonnington City Council) and Mary McGorry (Port Phillip City Council).

Fiona Brandscheid addresses a Wednesday workshop.

6 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

Debbie Blanford (Whittlesea City Council) at a Wednesday workshop.

From left, Glenn Menner (Brimbank City Council) and Lucas Gosling (Yarra City Council).

Sarah Jade Chung and Shanaka Perera (both from Darebin City Council).

Delegates have a discussion at a Wednesday workshop.

From left, Robyn Mansfield, Kerry Stubbings and LGPro Board Member, Celia Haddock (Maribyrnong City Council).

Caz McLean (Casey City Council) presents at a workshop.

Shelley Ware was the MC at the Annual Conference Dinner.

Guests network at the Welcome Event.

From left, David Echeverry and Zoe Thorn from Whittlesea City Council with Graham Haylock (Murrindindi Shire Council).

Nick Pearce from HoMie presents a Short Talk.

The YMCA team, from left, Catherine Lander, Fiona Kriaris and James Frazer.

Emil Emmanuel and Sam Rapke (Jeylabs) give the Welcome Event the thumbs up.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 7

SNAPSHOT OF THE

ANNUALCONFERENCE

Large numbers of delegates attended the Thursday sessions.

From left, David Preiss (LGPro CEO), Justine Linley (President LGPro) and Bronson Justus (JLT, Awards for Excellence sponsor).

Tom Mason (Whittlesea City Council) and Silke Therhaag (Local Government Victoria).

Emily Heseldell and David Sztrajt at the HR Legal stand.

Young professionals and CEOs test their knowledge at the Feature Session.

Jessica Moody and Ilana Charnelle Gelbart combined to present a Short Talk.

Aunty Irene gave the Welcome to Country.

8 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

Kon Karapanagiotidis (keynote speaker) gave a passionate presentation.

David Sztrajt and Phoebe Tolich (HR Legal) at the Welcome Event.

Ian Gibb (left) and Andrew Mason at the Welcome Event.

Jody Riordan (Latrobe City Council) asks a question.

From left, Diana McDonald (Horsham Rural City Council), Zane Gaylard (Local Government Victoria) and Anthony Boxshall (Science Into Action).

Conference delegates check out the Hunt & Hunt stand.

The coffee cart provided by our Principal Sponsor, McArthur was popular with delegates.

Susan Alberti (keynote speaker) provided an insight into her life.

Delegates put their energy into blowing up balloons during the workshop session.

Banyule City Council colleagues, from left, Angela Brophy, Leanne Horvath, Cheree Hunter and Jane Nixon.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 9

SNAPSHOT OF THE

ANNUALCONFERENCE Guests at the pre-dinner drinks before the Annual Conference Dinner.

Colac Otway Shire Council colleagues, from left, Errol Lawrence, Ian Seuran and Sarah McKew.

Short Talk presenter, Dr Kerrie Shiell.

Jacqueline Goy (Bayside City Council) chats to a colleague.

LGPro Board Member, Julie Reid from Greater Dandenong City Council chats to an exhibitor.

Rakesh Bharat and Michelle Kemp from Cherry Energy Solutions.

LGPro President and CEO of Ballarat City Council, Justine Linley welcomes delegates.

From left, Mark Osborne (Mansfield Shire Council) and Shannon Di Lisio, Kate Hughes and Johann Rajaratnam (all from Borough of Queenscliffe).

The panel at the Wednesday workshop sponsored by McArthur.

Ash McIntosh (KPMG) addresses guests at the Welcome Event.

From left, Andrew Day (Manningham City Council), Oliver Vido (Glen Eira City Council) and Sally Jones (Port Phillip City Council).

Horsham City Council colleagues, from left, Diana McDonald, Kevin O'Brien and Kerrie Bell.

The team from Warner, from left, Olgar Hondar, Alison Wells, Katherine Graham and Karen Davey.

Peter Merrett presented a popular and fun workshop.

Short Talk presenter, Alon Cassuto.

Chris Callahan and LGPro Board Member, Kathy Hynes (both from Banyule City Council).

From left, Claire Ablett (Casey City Council), Jody Riordan (Latrobe City Council), Elle Dewacht (Casey City Council), Meghan Ablett (Cardinia Shire Council), Celeste Grossi (Cardinia Shire Council).

Andrew Beswick (Wyndham City Council) at a Wednesday workshop.

2018 LGPro Emerging Leaders during their presentation.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 11

ANNUALCONFERENCE

SPONSORS

LGPRO WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR 2019 ANNUAL CONFERENCE PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

MAJOR SPONSOR

SUPPORTING SPONSOR

WELCOME EVENT SPONSOR

WORKSHOP SPONSORS

MORNING TEA SPONSOR

LUNCH SPONSOR

EXHIBITORS

12 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

AFTERNOON TEA SPONSOR

MARKETING FOR MILLENNIALS – HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN LEARN FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR Prepared by the 2018 Emerging Leaders Program participants Every year participants of the LGPro Emerging Leaders Program are tasked with developing a project that explores a theme within the context of modern day Local Government. The 2018 Emerging Leaders rose to this challenge with the question of ‘What Can Local Government Learn from the Private Sector?’ with a focus on recruitment and retention.

Through a fun interactive session at

did so many of us believe the private

delivered a marketing plan and catchy

the 2019 LGPro Annual Conference

sector would have better results?

social media video to accompany

delegates had their own assumptions challenged – much like what occurred with our group during the last 12 months.

WHAT WAS SHARED? The key learning from our research was that the grass isn’t always greener

Through desktop research it was determined that the private sector was better at marketing the positive attributes of their sector than Local Government, particularly when it came to young people.

our findings report.

WHAT’S NEXT? The 2018 Emerging Leaders are encouraging everyone in Local Government to pass on the marketing plan and most importantly the video

on the other side! While some of us

This premise was strengthened after

to Communications and HR teams

may have looked lovingly over at the

we surveyed young people about their

across each Council.

private sector’s patch it wasn’t until

thoughts of Local Government as a

we dug deeper that we realised Local

place to build their career. They had

Government has comparable markers

a lack of understanding of the breadth

to the private sector when it comes

of roles and career options within the

to recruitment and retention.

sector and suggested an education

Attributes such as stability, job security, flexibility, benefits, work-life balance,

campaign as a necessary step to raise awareness.

broader scope in roles, family friendly

With our new knowledge the group

workforces, worker protection and

set out to change the way Local

variety contribute to making Local

Government markets itself as an

Government an attractive sector to

employer of choice for young people.

work in. But if that was the case why

To begin making this change the group

They are the starting point for a new approach to recruitment – particularly in younger demographics. It is also suggested to think outside the square when advertising jobs as a simple SEEK ad may not cut it anymore!

Visit the LGPro website for the 2018 Emerging Leaders Final Report, Marketing Plan and Video.

The 2018 Emerging Leaders at the Annual Conference Dinner.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 13

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It is our unparalleled experience and genuine expertise that makes sure your remuneration strategies are on the money, so to find out more, contact Mark O’Brien:

• Improve staff retention rates

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To find out more, contact Talent Architects: t: (03) 9868 6565 e: ta@mcarthur.com.au w: mcarthur.life

2019 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

WINNERS & FINALI WINNER The team from Glen Eira Council with their award.

Glen Eira City Council, imagination@work

HIGH COMMENDATION

FINALIST

> Gannawarra Shire Council, Gannawarra Shared Services

> Casey City Council, Simply Brilliant Internal Communications Campaign

WINNER From left, Yvonne Otahal, Quan Nguyen, Sandee Paterson, Paul McKeon and Foti Beratis from Maribyrnong City Council.

INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE

SERVICE DELIVERY INITIATIVE Maribyrnong City Council, Risk Based Assessment Application Process for New Food Businesses

HIGH COMMENDATION

FINALIST

> Glen Eira City Council, Digitising high priority transactions

> Mitchell Shire Council, Robotics Community Program

WINNER

SPECIAL PROJECTS INITIATIVE Greater Shepparton City Council, Shepp Square

HIGH COMMENDATION

FINALISTS

> Banyule City Council, Homefront Project

> Casey City Council, Casey Sings > Maroondah City Council, BizHub Coworking Space

Fiona La Gassick and Mat Innes-Irons from Greater Shepparton City Council.

WINNER

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS INITIATIVE Maroondah City Council, Maroondah Hoarding and Squalor Network

FINALISTS The Maroondah Council team celebrate their win.

> Greater Bendigo City Council, CityStudio > Whittlesea City Council, Whittlesea 2040 Vision Development > Warrnambool City Council, Beers + Ideas

WINNER 16

From left, Joanne Bush, Steven Lionakis and Jennifer Kelynock from Maribyrnong City Council.

COMMUNITY ASSETS & INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVE $2 MILLION & UNDER Maribyrnong City Council, Braybrook Park Playspace

HIGH COMMENDATION

FINALISTS

> Ganawarra Shire Council, Kerang CBD Upgrade

> Ballarat City Council, City Oval Redevelopment > Maroondah City Council, Ringwood Lake Park Playspace > Melton City Council, Bridge Road Regional Playspace

THE 2019 LGPRO AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE ARE PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:

ISTS

JOINT AWARDS SPONSORS

WINNER Martin Hawson (left) and Mark Jenkins from Mildura Rural City Council.

PUBLICATION SPONOSR

COMMUNITY ASSETS & INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVE OVER $2 MILLION Mildura Rural City Council, Mildura Riverfront Stage 1 Development

HIGH COMMENDATION

FINALISTS

> Casey City Council, Bunjil Place

> Hobsons Bay City Council, Activating the Western Section of Altona Beach > Melton City Council, Pride of Melton

WINNER

SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE Gannawarra Shire Council, Sustainable Gannawarra

FINALISTS From left, Geoff Rollinson, Tom O’Reilly and Stacy Williams from Gannawarra Shire Council.

> Melbourne City Council, Melbourne Renewable Energy Project > Surf Coast Shire Council, Plastic Wise Policy for Events and Markets > Wyndham City Council, Wyndham Solar City

WINNER HIGH COMMENDATION Catherine Hedley (left) and Liz Wright from Maribyrnong City Council.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Maribyrnong City Council, Bandmates Victoria FINALISTS

> Moyne Shire Council, Early Years Kindergarten Inclusion of Anaphylaxis Children

> Bayside City Council, Bluff Road Estate Community Engagement Project > Ballarat City Council, Gender Equity Strategy and Action Plan > Ballarat City Council, Active Women and Girls Strategy > Melton City Council, Interfaith Strategy

WINNER

INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE

Casey City Council, The Strong Culture; Good Health School Holiday Program

FINALISTS From left Steve Coldham, Luke Walker, Courtney Boi and Kate Sieh from Casey City Council.

> Darebin City Council, Darebin Aboriginal Maternal Child and Health Initiative > Glen Eira City Council, Relationships for Reconciliation Partnership Initiative > Horsham Rural City Council, Horsham Rural City Council Reconciliation Action Plan > Wyndham City Council, Wyndham Aboriginal Community Centre and Integrated Family Centre

WINNER

YOUNG ACHIEVER Sara Merkus, Casey City Council

FINALISTS

Sara Merkus (centre) from Casey City Council with Steve Coldham and Callum Pattie also from Casey.

> Matthew Swards, Ballarat City Council > Sarah Lyons, Casey City Council

> Kate Eichler, Maribyrnong City Council > Abby McCarthy, Knox City Council

> Bryony Davies, Knox City Council > Samantha Bender, Mitchell Shire Council > Arvind Kolluru, Yarra City Council 17

2019 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

WINNERS & FINALISTS INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE

WINNER Glen Eira City Council, imagination@work imagination@work is an ideation platform designed by Glen Eira City Council to increase engagement by empowering staff to actively influence how the organisation grows and evolves.

During a time of transformation, the focus was on developing an innate culture of innovation, process improvement and change. This was supported by launching a platform to encourage staff to submit, discuss and vote for ideas that aimed to improve both the employee and the customer experience.

Chief Transformation Officer, Shweta Babbar recognised a need for staff to have more input into organisational change. "A lot of different business areas were reaching out to us saying they had some great ideas but didn't know where to share them. imagination@work has addressed this and contributed to a large increase in our staff morale and subsequent service delivery," she said.

Innovation is often historically led by top levels of management, but this project opens up innovation to the entire organisation. To help drive the organisation-wide vision and imagination, Glen Eira recognised that successful leaders can help drive innovation via their people.

The result was an outcome of unexpectedly high quality ideas benefiting the individual, the organisation and the community. It is an exemplary example of cross functional collaboration and a drive to innovation and improvement.

A feature of this project is its ability to collaboratively lift the organisation vision, introducing new ways of thinking and embracing ambiguity. The platform creates dialogue and gives business units exposure to some of the hidden challenges their colleagues are facing.

Transparency was an important factor in the process. The platform includes a running tally of project progress, how ideas are being implemented, and when. Ideas were selected by a voting process that included a celebration of some of the most innovative ideas at the Greatest Hits Roadshow.

18

Phoebe Hanna won the People’s Choice Award for her idea for a Planning Activity Monitor.

“Winning the People’s Choice Award on the day was obviously a great feeling and amazing recognition of all the hard work put in by my team members. But it's fantastic that all the ideas showcased on the day have gone forward to be further developed and implemented in their own ways,” Phoebe said.

By creating an open source platform, and documenting concepts and lessons learned, Glen Eira has established a program that can be shared across other Councils to benefit communities across Victoria. Many of the ideas put forward through in the project are also sharable considering Councils often grapple with similar issues.

The initiative proved to be extremely successful with staff sharing 76 ideas that generated more than 700 votes. Of those ideas submitted, more than 95% have been assessed to be implemented.

This project is opening the door to innovation and contributing to a more community focused, inclusive and efficient organisation. The ability for this initiative to grow is part of its design. As the Council learns from its use the project can evolve it to become even more effective for its purpose.

HIGH COMMENDATION Gannawarra Shire Council, Gannawarra Shared Services The Shared Services initiative saw Gannawarra Shire Council share resources to assist Buloke Shire Council to set up the Confirm asset maintenance management system within its organisation.

This involved Gannawarra Shire’s GIS Assets Officer, Laura O’Dwyer spending two days per week for nine months on site at Buloke. Overall, the Shared Services project is an excellent example of smaller Councils working together to share resources while bringing greater benefits to their respective communities through improved processes and efficiencies.

The initiative’s objectives included: • Setting up the Confirm system for Buloke Shire Council, including re-mapping all roads and undertaking data cleansing • Setting up and customising the Confirm system to suit Buloke Shire Council’s needs • Training staff in how to use the system • Providing greater efficiencies and compliance by updating processes, including transitioning from a paper based system to a fully digitalised system.

The introduction of the Confirm system has had an immediate impact at Buloke Shire. This includes transitioning from a paper based system to a fully digitalised works management system to provide improved processes and greater efficiencies within the organisation.

For Gannawarra Shire, the initiative has further provided its GIS Assets Officer with leadership and training skills, including the ability to train Gannawarra Shire staff in the newer version of the system. When the Confirm system was first introduced to Gannawarra, the efficiencies the system provided, in terms of hours saved, is equivalent to 2.5 effective full time (EFT) staff.

The project has demonstrated how small rural Councils can work in partnership to create efficiencies and improve service delivery and gain expertise, despite limited financial and human resources.

FINALIST Casey City Council, Simply Brilliant Internal Communications Campaign Prior to the establishment of its Internal Communications Team, Casey City Council had no uniting overarching message for its 1,500 plus staff to drive communications or to provide a reference of alignment with the Council Plan.

The City of Casey Internal Communications Team delivered on objectives set by Casey’s executive leadership group and exceeded on deliverables during this eight month, two stage program to create an overarching campaign that would launch the new Casey culture of excellence for all staff across all locations.

The launch of Simply Brilliant has provided an avenue to enable a culture of recognition and acknowledgement across the organisation. Simply Brilliant has set up the organisation to deliver consistent internal messaging by demonstrating examples of the level of brilliance that can be achieved.

The Internal Communications Team outlined two core objectives of the program – to develop and implement an effective internal communications program in the five month lead up to the relocation to Bunjil Place (from June to October 2017), and to develop and implement an effective communications program beginning from the day of relocation to Bunjil Place (October 2017).

Casey’s Simply Brilliant campaign is considered inspirational from staff and innovative by visitors.

The internal communications program encompasses a multitude of organisational wide projects to enable the Casey workforce to raise capability, so the Council Plan can be implemented now and until 2021.

19

2019 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

WINNERS & FINALISTS SERVICE DELIVERY INITIATIVE

WINNER

Maribyrnong City Council, Risk Based Assessment Application Process for New Food Businesses

Maribyrnong is transforming at a rapid rate and has a strong ‘foodie’ culture. Its attraction as a restaurant/eatery hot spot created a resourcing challenge for Council’s Environmental Health Team.

To maintain the health of diners and the City’s reputation, Council reviewed its food safety compliance rates for food businesses in 2015.

It found compliance was decreasing and businesses had gaps in their food safety knowledge. This resulted in increased inspections and an increase in workload for the team. Furthermore, there was a projected increase in new food business expected to open, therefore flagging the need for improved Council support.

To increase food safety compliance rates, Council worked closely with businesses on an education campaign. The aim was to provide increased guidance on food safety matters, while assessing the applicant’s food safety knowledge from the beginning of the application process and providing a one stop shop on food safety compliance. This instilled a food safety culture that increased food safety compliance rates and reduced follow up assessments, leading to reduced food related incidences and ultimately safer food for the community.

Council encouraged businesses to take part in the process by offering applicants a free meeting and by creating a supportive and transparent environment where their proposal could be discussed at ease. Outcomes for the applicant resulted in less costly structural reworking at fit out due to upfront advice, businesses adopting a food safety culture, a reduction in food related incidences and number of inspections to achieve compliance. This all resulted in safer food for the community.

The one hour pre application meeting covers Council’s registration process – fees, processing times; structural compliance – layout, proposed equipment; food safety requirements – food hygiene training, food processing, allergens and food safety program requirements.

20

This gives applicants a comprehensive outlook of what’s required of their business across all aspects of service delivery from a food safety compliance perspective.

Applicants are provided with Council’s comprehensive New Food Premises Information Kit as a guidance document and importantly applicants have a single a point of contact to assist them throughout their application process. Once the application is submitted a comprehensive assessment report is provided to the applicant as a guide for setting up their business.

Feedback from businesses and organisations have been overwhelmingly positive. Initially, applicants were reluctant to attend a meeting due to time constraints and perceived issues the meeting may raise. However, when Council discussed how they would ultimately benefit from the meeting, applicants were more eager to attend.

No additional Council resources were available for the development and implementation of the new process and the team worked tirelessly to ensure its implementation and success.

The model of this initiative has already been duplicated as part of Council’s Concierge program and incorporated across the organisation. It can also be utilised by all Victorian Councils.

Although a new approach, it is a program that has no impact on budget, but significant impacts for customers and substantial food safety outcomes.

HIGH COMMENDATION Glen Eira City Council, Digitising high priority transactions The digitisation of Glen Eira City Council’s high priority transactions project saw the delivery of 14 transactions that were mapped, improved and available online all within 12 months and without any investment in procuring new digital systems.

It was unique as it not only transformed the front end for customers and the back end processes for staff, including system enhancements, but brought these two stages together for seamless end to end transactions.

The project successfully enhanced Council’s service delivery by providing customers with the option to complete high priority transactions online, proving it’s worth by the instant uptake of the digital offerings by the community.

The Council had a clear vision for this project, it didn’t want to translate complex paper based processes into complex digital transactions. Based on this approach the Council delved deeper into the entire process from both customer and staff experiences.

One of the high priority transactions to benefit was the Land Information Certificate process.

Processing time to administer these certificates has been reduced by more than half with the process now being made completely paperless.

Glen Eira City Council is very proud of the realisation of this project. In the last 12 months, it has received more than 38,000 transactions online and 64% of all these can be attributed to the additional 14 online processes.

The project won the Infor Public Sector 2018 Award for Innovation and Excellence and is now being trialled by other Councils showing the work on this project is both scalable and transferable.

FINALIST Mitchell Shire Council, Robotics Community Program This program builds on the model of a library as a community hub by offering programs on site to people from diverse age groups and backgrounds. The program encourages people to try new activities, to learn new skills and to interact socially with new people.

It provides an opportunity for anyone across the Shire who is interested in learning and developing technical skills in the area of robotics and coding to participate in free, user-friendly educational sessions.

The program is multi-generational but the primary users have been children, youth and people with a disability.

The program aims to promote opportunities for learning, trying new activities and engagement. Participants in the four week program not only learn new skills or continue to develop their knowledge of robotics and coding, they also have had opportunities to achieve socially.

Teenagers who participate in the program meet new people, interact in a social situation, build their interpersonal communication and to engage with others on different levels, as well as learn new skills.

The program assists people with a disability to improve their fine motor skills movement and dexterity and supports opportunities to use cognitive skills to learn and problem solve.

The impact has been a more confident and engaged community who are excited about learning new skills, who are willing to share their knowledge and experience and who are more connected to people and services.

21

CORPORATE PARTNERS DIRECTORY 2018/2019

2018/2019 LGPRO CORPORATE PARTNERS DIRECTORY CORPORATE PARTNERS (listed in the directory in alphabetical order) allaboutXpert Australia AssetFinda Australian Receivables Awards Online CAMMS Chandler Macleod Group Cherry Energy Solutions Community Chef Croxford Consulting CT Management Group Customer Service Benchmarking Davidson Group Eagleview Empowered to Speak E-Vis Flame Tree Media Fisher Leadership Good Talent Media Holding Redlich HORNER Recruitment HR Legal Hunt & Hunt Victoria .id (the population experts) I Platinum Infor Insync Jardine Lloyd Thompson Jeylabs Johnson Recruitment JWS Research Kernow Environmental Health & Immunisation KPMG Enterprise LG Hub Lingford Consulting Services Maddocks Lawyers McArthur Mecwacare Melbourne Water Monsido NABO Community On-Site Massage Oracle Corporation Australia Oracle Customer Management Solutions OurSay PeopleScape Pitney Bowes PM Partners Group Procurement Australia Productivity Matters Pulse Software Redman Solutions Resolve Software Group Russell Kennedy Lawyers Snap Send Solve Symphony3 The Public Land Consultancy There Communications Urban Maintenance Systems Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry VicTrack Vision Super Votar Partners Warner Group Well Done International Working Well Together YMCA Victoria Your Future Options

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PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 23

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PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 35

PROMOTING EQUITY FOR WOMEN IN THE SECTOR Two women from rural Councils have each benefited from a $2,500 Local Government Victoria (LGV) scholarship towards the cost of participating in LGPro leadership programs this year.

Hannah Yu from Buloke Shire is using the grant towards the Executive Leadership Program (XLP), while Dominique Trickey from Mount Alexander Shire is participating in the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP).

This is the third year LGV has provided a $5,000 scholarship towards LGPro leadership training for women working in rural Councils to show its commitment for increasing the number of women taking on senior roles in the sector.

This is the first year the money has been split between XLP and ELP program participants.

Hannah Yu Hannah Yu is Director of Corporate Services at

working in Local Government. “I believe Councils set

Buloke where she has worked since 2007. In that time

themselves apart in the ability to support each other,

she has worked in a number of positions including

particularly in respect to serious issues facing the sector,

Human Resources Officer and Manager Risk and

whether this is about financial sustainability, service

Human Resources.

delivery or advocating for additional support from other

She says she is grateful to see LGPro supporting women in the Local Government sector to progress their careers and the money will provide financial relief to her Council.

Hannah hopes to use her experience with XLP to build her future career in the sector. She believes it will better equip her to deal effectively with and respond to the strategic challenges and opportunities unique to an executive role within a small rural Council. She is also looking forward to meeting all the XLP participants, sharing knowledge and ideas which she can use in order to “build a better Buloke”.

Hannah considers herself fortunate to be working in an organisation which supports and encourages women in leadership roles and actively looks for opportunities to pursue short and long term opportunities for women to take on leadership roles. “I am excited to see what opportunities and strategies emerge over the next few years to support active participation in the workforce – not only for myself, but for those I work with and who work in my team and have career aspirations of their own.”

Making a difference to the lives of residents and staff and working with resilient, creative and caring community members are the key reasons Hannah loves

36 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

tiers of government to deal with topical issues facing our communities, including drought relief and mental health,” she said.

“I’ve been lucky to have worked with and for exceptional managers and CEOs for every one of my past 11 years at Council. I have learnt a great deal from all of them and continue to apply this learning on a daily basis.”

Dominique Trickey Dominique Trickey has worked at Mount Alexander

supportive professional relationships with

Shire as Coordinator Strategic Planning since 2016.

my ELP colleagues that will continue beyond

She has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Planning)

the life of the program.”

and worked in private practice before joining Local Government.

Dominique says gender equity is critical for society in general, so gender equity in leadership and senior roles

Dominique has attended the LGPro Women’s

is vitally important to ensure decisions are made

Professional Development Forum, and is also a member

with a range of perspectives and needs in

of the Activity Centres and Place Managers Special

mind. Local Government, with its broad

Interest Group. She is delighted to have won the

range of services that reach all ages

scholarship as she believes it recognises the challenges

of the community, is an ideal

faced by those living and working in a small, resource

sector to show leadership and

constrained rural Shire.

demonstrate the benefits of

“Accessing professional development is difficult working in a small rural Shire as the courses are usually held in

gender equity to current and future generations.

Melbourne, they can be expensive so it is difficult to

She enjoys working in

justify the cost, especially if overnight accommodation

Local Government with

is required, and finally, staff resources are limited so

such a broad range of

it can be challenging to allow time out."

people and the different

“I feel fortunate to be working for an organisation that sees the values of continuing professional development,” she says.

skills they bring to their roles. “I also enjoy the passion that people have for their communities and the

“By participating in ELP I hope to develop and enhance

local knowledge they bring to

my skills in leading teams to achieve great project

the work that I do, creating long

outcomes both within the organisation, and within

term strategic plans for our towns.”

the community we serve. I also hope to build strong

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 37

NEW DATA TO SUPPORT GENDER EQUITY IN THE SECTOR LGPro is continuing its push for gender equity in the sector by embarking on a major exercise to collect updated data from across the sector on the number of women working in senior roles.

We plan to survey the 79 Councils in

The information formed the basis

We have been actively

Victoria and a range of recruitment

of a presentation to the Ministerial

campaigning for:

companies that deal with employing

Women’s Roundtable. The key points

people in senior roles in Local

raised were:

Government to collect new data to determine the current state of play.

• There had been little progress

• Gender balanced selection panels, an independent chair on CEO selection panels, and Councillor

in the representation of women

training on bias, discrimination

We first collected this data in 2016.

appointed to senior management

and Equal Opportunity Act

Surveys were sent to the 79 Councils

roles in Local Government in the

obligations mandated by the

requesting information on the

past 15 years

Local Government Act.

total number of Directors/General Managers (level 2) and Managers

• There was a quality pool of

• Option of gender-blind short lists

women candidates who were not

for CEO roles via a best practice

applying for the available roles

model of executive selection.

information on the number and

LGPro has been a strong advocate

• Promotion of gender balanced

percentage of women applicants,

for increasing the number of

shortlists as best practice for all

how many were shortlisted and

women working in senior roles in

tier 1-3 roles.

placed in these roles.

the sector. We have a strong focus

(level 3) employed by their Council.

Recruiters were also asked to provide

The data showed that at that time 16% of CEOs in Councils were women. Just over 34% of Directors and General Managers were women and just over 39% of Managers

and commitment to leadership development and ensure that there is an equal or greater participation of women in all of our professional development offerings.

The new data collected will provide updated statistics on the number of women in senior roles and whether this has increased since 2016 and will also highlight any new trends and areas that need to be addressed to achieve greater gender equity.

were women.

COLLABORATING IN THE INTERESTS OF THE SECTOR We are excited that our first CEO Forum for the year is a joint event with the Municipal Association of Victoria.

This is an important milestone for

he believes the sector can achieve

discussion on financial sustainability

both organisations and is the start of

better outcomes for the communities

in the sector and approaches and

a concerted effort by both LGPro and

they serve.

solutions to address this.

Chief Municipal Inspector, Local

The forum will close with an open

Government Inspectorate, David Wolf

session led by Executive Director of

The forum will be held on Thursday

will provide insights and observations

Local Government Victoria (LGV),

28 March starting at 1.30pm followed

on the trends the Inspectorate is

Graeme Emonson.

by a dinner in the evening.

seeing in councillor conduct since the

the MAV to work more collaboratively in the interests of the sector.

The new Minister for Local Government, the Hon. Adem

2016 Local Government elections and how they handle these issues.

Somyurek, will open the forum

LGPro President and CEO of Ballarat

outlining his aspirations in his new

City Council, Justine Linley and MAV

role as Minister and how

CEO, Kerry Thompson will facilitate a

38 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

Forum Sponsor

EXPERIMENTING, EXPLORING AND EVOLVING SOCIAL MEDIA Communications staff from Councils across the state will come together for the 2019 LGPro Social Media Conference on Wednesday 8 May at CQ Functions in Melbourne.

Experimenting, exploring and evolving

Tim will be speaking about ABC

Fishbowl session where

is the theme for the conference

regional teams, their social media

delegates will discuss topics of

which is in its seventh year.

strategies and research conducted

interest and problems they would

to craft content that is appealing to

like to see solved. At the end of the

their audience.

session the facilitator will come

Delegate numbers have grown significantly as the event has

up with three key learnings from

become important for people

Interactive sessions which will

working at all levels and in all areas

focus on creating storyboards and

of communications to hear about the

videos (beginners and advanced

latest trends and learn from others

sessions); understanding social

Stay tuned for the full program

how social media is working for them.

algorithims; how to run small scale

which will be released in

advertising campaigns and Facebook

late March.

A team of people working in communications has come up with a great program that they believe will

Marketing (EDM).

Lightning Talks have become

media roles in Councils. It includes:

an important part of the program

opening keynote speaker is Tim Gerritsen who is a Content Distribution Manager with the ABC. Working in media for 18 years, Tim started his career in regional newspapers, including reporting on Local Government, before moving to radio and television. Now he’s part of

provided to conference delegates.

advertising; and Electronic Direct

add value to people working in social

Keynote speaker - This year’s

the discussions and these will be

Tim Gerritsen

where Councils present 10 minute talks on successful social media projects they have undertaken.

We are seeking Lightning Talks presenters so if your Council is interested please email Diana Pawluk, dianap@lgpro.com or phone her on (03) 9268 6404 as soon as possible.

a team dedicated to delivering local stories to audiences across Australia on digital and social platforms.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 39

A PASSIONATE VALUES BASED LEADER Many would say that Tammi Rose has done it all in her career. She is a passionate values based leader who has spent the past 23 years working across the public, private and not for profit sectors in the areas of Local Government, health, education and petroleum.

It is her strong community values and drive to deliver efficient and effective services and infrastructure that have seen her dedicate the past 19 years working in Local Government where her heart and passion lies.

Tammi recently took on the role of Chief Executive Officer at Yarra Ranges Council. Prior to this she held senior executive, non-executive and management roles, including Director Corporate Services, Director Strategic Development and Interim CEO at Hobsons Bay City Council.

She has work across regional, interface, growth, metropolitan and coastal Councils, each providing her with a different perspective and insight into the way communities work and live together.

Starting out

Tammi always loved business studies so initially studied commerce and accounting, but not with a predetermined career in mind.

“I have been fortunate to work across a range of sectors and in each organisation I have worked I have been focussed on being best version of myself,” she said.

“I would describe myself as driven and self-motivated, so as opportunities arose I gratefully

accepted them and grew each time.”

Tammi holds strong views on the importance of education and self-development. She has taken advantage of professional development opportunities as they came along and is a proud graduate of LGPro’s two leadership programs, XLP and ELP. Over the years Tammi has taken a few roles that were out of her comfort zone. When she was managing finance she was asked to take on the role of managing the Council depot. “I was more at home talking numbers than putting on the high vis and heading out with the roads crew. To my surprise and pleasure the crews were fantastic and I learnt more over those months about the work and skill of those teams than I had over the many years spent watching from a far.”

Mentors

Tammi says mentors or role models have played an important part in her career.

She has benefited from some quite specific mentoring relationships at different points in her career, while others have been more ongoing. “I don’t think anyone should underestimate the benefit of having strong supporters and critical friends close by for those days when you need someone to bounce off.”

Balancing work and family life has been a major challenge for Tammi. “My career has always been an important part of my life. After my husband and I had our kids the challenge of fulfilling my work role and my home role collided. Our kids are now 11 and 9 and while most days we manage the juggle, there are times when you very much feel pulled in five different directions,” she said.

40 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

A good leader

Tammi believes a good leader has the ability to drive a vision and bring others along and it is important that they can articulate the why and help people see the role they play in both shaping and delivering on the vision.

“Authenticity coupled with empathy is another vital trait. If you are asking a team to trust and believe in you, it’s a pretty critical to be an authentic leader with high levels of empathy. Listen to and empower your staff. Ensure they know they’re supported for the wins as well as the ones that don’t go to plan,” she said.

“Lastly an open and curious mind. One thing we know about our sector is it is never short of a challenge that requires new ways of thinking. Bringing an open mind and willingness to consider all options is critical.”

Reflecting on her career Tammi says she has faced two main challenges being a women in the workforce.

Challenges

“The feeling, either real or perceived, of trying to be all things to all people and not quite getting there. As a working mother it is a constant juggle to blend an executive career with raising children. There is no silver bullet to this one, or at least not that I have found. So, for me it is about making the right choices for you and your family and being kind to yourself at those times when you work out you are not superhuman,” she said.

While slightly more confronting, she has encountered those who have sought to intimidate or bully, who were threatened by or dismissive of her position or simply displayed inappropriate behaviours.

“Whilst on a personal front it is something I haven’t let stand in my way, it has been personally difficult at times. This is behaviour that is totally unacceptable and something we all have a responsibility to call out if we see it. By far though this has been the exception for me as the majority of people I have worked with have been wonderful friends and colleagues and strong supporters.”

Tammi is committed to seeing more women take on senior roles in the sector and says we must continue to support prominent female leaders who act as role models for others.

More female leaders

“We need to be honest about the challenges that are faced, but do so in a positive and encouraging frame. We must encourage our women leaders to back themselves and let them know strong networks exist.”

“Women in leadership, particularly in those areas that are predominantly male dominated, should be strongly supported and the issue of gender equity and access to opportunity should remain forefront in our thinking,” she said.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 41

HITTING THE MARK WITH LEADERSHIP TRAINING Mildura is one rural Council that can see the benefit of LGPro’s range of tailored leadership programs catering for staff working at all levels of the sector.

More than 100 Mildura staff have

experienced managers which is

our staff to these programs. Staff

attended LGPro leadership programs

why our staff benefit from their

come back with new perspectives

over the past 10 years – in 2018

programs,” she said.

on problems, with new ideas on

alone 14 staff enrolled in programs including XLP, ELP, Mentoring, Mastering Management, Ignite

Kate said their staff also love the networks they create from

how to approach issues and with renewed enthusiasm for their roles.”

attending the programs. “Many of

“The benefits of sending our staff

them have developed peer-support

to LGPro programs in Melbourne

Kate McMillan, Manager

relationships that have lasted long

are clear to us. We have more

Organisational Development at

after the programs have been

engaged and thoughtful staff who

Mildura, says they choose LGPro

completed. All say the chance to

are able to meet the challenges of

programs as they provide their

interact with people from a variety

working in Local Government with

staff with relevant, industry specific

of backgrounds makes these very

professionalism and innovation,”

information and the ability to learn

valuable professional development

she said.

and grow alongside people who

opportunities,” she said.

and Ignite for Outdoor Workers.

are experiencing similar challenges.

LGPro can tailor programs and

Distance and travelling costs are

deliver them on site at individual

“Being from a regional Council, our

always a consideration for regional

Councils, or for a group of

opportunities to interact with peers

and rural Councils sending their staff

Councils. For further information

in Local Government are often

to training programs in Melbourne, but

email Suzana O’Callaghan at

limited. But LGPro provides tailored

Kate says the return on investment

suzanao@lgpro.com of phone

leadership experiences for staff at all

for them far outweighs the costs.

her on 9268 6408.

stages of their leadership journeys – from new team leaders through to

“The value of working with people outside of your own organisation is one of the main reasons we send

Mildura Rural City Council’s two representatives in our 2018 Emerging Leaders Program, Aaron Huttig and Karen Milner.

42 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

NEW VENUE FOR LGPRO WOMEN’S EVENTS We are pleased to announce that our two key women’s events – the Women’s Professional Development Forum and Women’s Network Dinner are being held at the iconic MCG this year.

Mark Thursday 25 July in your

Jamila wrote the best-selling

Jamila previously worked in

calendars for the two events

Not Just Lucky, a career manifesto

politics for the Rudd and Gillard

which always attract high numbers

for millennial women and The

Governments advising on issues

of attendees.

Motherhood, an anthology of letters

including media, women, child

about life with a newborn, both

care, and employment. She is an

published by Penguin.

Ambassador for CARE Australia

A committee of women on the LGPro Board, plus others, are about

and board member of the

to start work on putting together

She is Editor-at-Large of the Nine

the theme and program for this

Network’s Future Women and host

year’s forum.

of their podcast Future Women

Named as one of Australia’s

Weekly. She is also a regular

100 Women of Influence by

commentator on The Project,

the Australian Financial Review,

Today, The Drum, Q and A, an

Jamila lives in Melbourne with

We have already locked in

occasional host on ABC Melbourne

her husband Jeremy, son Rafi

Jamila Rizvi, an author, presenter

and co-founder of the popular

and many loads of clean but

and political commentator as

event series Tea with Jam and Clare.

regrettably unfolded washing.

WOMEN’S NETWORK DINNER SPEAKER

the speaker for the Women's

Melbourne Writers’ Festival.

Registrations for our women’s

Network Dinner.

events will open in June.

GET RETURN FOR YOUR INVESTMENT LGPro Individual Members can get an immediate return on their investment by taking up special offers around attending our events.

In addition to offering lower

Individual Membership is now offered

To access the library you need

attendance prices for Individual

for a full 12 months from your joining

to be an Individual Member,

Members at all of our activities

date, rather than on a financial year.

visit www.lgpro.com then sign

including programs and conferences, we have special one off incentives such as Members attending the Annual Conference for the first time getting a 20% discount on the Full Conference package.

We are expanding member benefits by offering a Resource Library featuring: • Audio/video from conference keynote speakers

Young Professional Members receive

• Tips to help you in your role

an especially attractive offering as they

• Interviews with experts

can attend two Young Professional events free during the year, plus a $100 discount to attend another event.

in, click on the Participation tab, then onto the ‘LGPro Member Community’.

Check out all of the LGPro Individual Membership benefits or call 9268 6403.

• Information about how LGPro can assist your career • Copies of Profile magazine

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 43

NETWORK AND LEARN FROM YOUR PEERS LGPro SIGs are sector driven and provide Local Government professionals working in similar fields with a valuable opportunity to network, share best practice, learn from each other, keep up to date with the latest developments and to improve practices and knowledge.

We ensure they are relevant to the needs of the sector and we form new SIGs in response to requests and interest from the sector. This is gauged by calling for Expressions of Interest to see if there is enough demand from people working in the field.

We have currently two new SIGs – Employee Diversity and Inclusion, and Transformation – in the pipeline following approaches from people working in Councils.

The last SIG we launched is for people working in Occupational Health and Safety roles. We received 20 EOIs from people working in 20 different Councils for this SIG. Its first official meeting is planned soon.

One of our most successful new SIGs is for people working in Governance roles. More than 177 people working in Councils are members of this community and meet regularly to discuss all things governance.

Convenors

Each SIG has one, and sometimes more than one person who acts as Convenor of the group. Their role involves planning the meetings and the agendas. LGPro staff look after the administration duties for each SIG.

We really value the role the Convenors play in our SIGs. Many Convenors find the role a valuable professional development opportunity and a great way to connect and form relationships with people working in similar roles in other Councils. We currently have vacancies for Convenors in the following SIGs: Risk, Volunteering, Community Safety and Communications.

Between meetings SIG members keep in contact via the online communities on our website. Members regularly ask questions and seek feedback from others in the group these forums.

Streaming meetings

To make SIG meetings more accessible we have started streaming meetings using Zoom. This allows people who can’t physically make the meeting to stream it in real time.

LGPro Membership Manager, Michelle Cox says this has been particularly useful for people working in regional and rural Councils who don’t have the time to make the trip if SIG meetings are in Melbourne.

“We have trialled the Zoom technology at a few SIG meetings and plan to roll it out to more meetings this year,” she said.

44 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

HEAR FROM OUR SIG CONVENORS

Jenny Pemberton Webb Jenny Pemberton Webb has been part of the Activity Centres and Place Managers SIG for around eight years and has been Co-Convenor for the last three years.

She believes it is essential that Place Leaders have a professional Local Government focussed industry network where they can see real examples of place making and place management on the ground. They have a lot of experiences to share and therefore a forum to participate in discussions around key issues and trends is a healthy form of professional development.

Jenny says: “We are a group that learns a lot from seeing other’s places, feeling what makes them unique and intuitively experiencing them on foot.”

“SIGs offer a range of benefits including networking opportunities, being able to check in with professionals holding similar positions and responsibilities within Local Government settings, having access to people who might be working in your region or neighbouring Council, hearing about new ideas and approaches and being able to self-manage a meeting methodology that suits place managers.”

Libby Webster Libby Webster has been the Visitor Economy & Events Coordinator at Strathbogie Shire for the past 10 years and Convenor of LGPro’s Events Network SIG for four years.

“I have always attended SIG meetings and found them incredibly interesting, fact finding and fun! So, when the call came out to be a Convenor I jumped at the chance to help the Local Government event industry network, collaborate and grow,” she said.

“I have found the networking, being able to have the on hand resource to ask questions and find answers to the many and varied issues surrounding our industry to be really beneficial.

The chance to learn of new products, government regulations and advancements in the industry is also great.”

If you are interested in learning more visit LGPro SIGs or phone 9268 6403.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 45

GIVE SO THAT OTHERS MAY GROW LGPro Fellow and Professional Members can help to progress and shape the careers of others in their organisation by gifting them LGPro membership and all the benefits that come with it.

Fellows can gift a complimentary Professional Membership, a Young Professional Membership plus a half price membership in either the Professional or Young Professional categories.

Professional Members can gift a half price membership in either the Professional or Young Professional categories.

These complimentary and half price memberships are for colleagues who have not previously been LGPro Members.

LGPro Membership Manager, Michelle Cox encourages all Fellow and Professional Members to take advantage of this opportunity to upskill members of their team or others working in their Council.

“Our members have access to a professional community that support and inspire them, as well as being able to develop a network to help them grow and develop their career. It is wonderful to see many of our members wanting to invest in others working in their organisation to ensure they enjoy the same opportunities,” she said.

HOW OUR MEMBERS HAVE BENEFITTED Julie Reid, Director Engineering Services at Greater Dandenong City Council and has gifted a membership to her colleague, Charles Taveira who is the Manager Infrastructure Services and Planning.

Julie has been an LGPro member since 2005 and has participated in XLP, been a mentor in the Mentoring Program and has attended many conferences and other events. “The networks I have built through LGPro have been invaluable and enabled me to grow and develop my skills.

Last year I was elected to the LGPro Board which has helped me give back to the sector and have a say in shaping professional development for Local Government employees,” she said.

Julie saw gifting Charles a membership as a way of assisting and contributing to adding value to someone who has great potential and deserves recognition. “Charles has shown a great deal of interest in networking across the sector and building his skills through the excellent professional development programs LGPro has to offer. I am sure he will get good use of the membership and I hope he will continue to support LGPro in years to come.”

Charles has attended the Annual Conference and Customer Service Conference in the past two years and is keen to get involved in some Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and also to participate in XLP. “I hope my membership will provide networking opportunities with others in the sector, keep me informed on issues affecting the industry and my Council and allow me to positively contribute to the outcomes of special working groups,” he said.

46 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

Frank Joyce, Manager Corporate Accountability & Performance at Whittlesea gifted a membership to Corporate Planner, Zoe Thorn. He has been an LGPro Member for 10 years and has participated in ELP, XLP and has attended many conferences and SIGs. He regards gifting memberships as a great opportunity to promote LGPro and encourage professional development for staff. “LGPro provides an excellent range of conferences, Special Interest Groups, mentoring, training and opportunities to network and learn from others within and outside of the sector.”

Frank says he was keen to support Zoe’s development as she has passion, integrity, great insight and a commitment to learn. Zoe is a member of the IPAA Victoria’s Women’s Network Advisory Committee and will contribute significantly to the program whilst building networks and expanding her Local Government leadership and knowledge through her LGPro membership.

Zoe has been an active participant in various LGPro SIGs over the years, but more recently the Corporate Planners Network, as well as conferences and attending specialist training hosted at the LGPro offices. She fully intends to make the most of her gifted membership by attending more LGPro events, conferences and training and by participating in a joint project with IPAA Victoria to be a member of their Women’s Network Advisory Committee.

Julie-Anne Houghton, a Technical Administrative Officer, Projects and Infrastructure at Glen Eira City Council has worked in the sector for 15 years and was gifted a membership by her former Manager, Mark Judge late last year. Mark has since left the sector.

She is already using her membership having attended the recent Annual Conference Dinner and she is hoping to be involved in other activities. “I have worked in the sector for 15 years so thought it would be fitting to be a member so I can network, attend events, participate in training and workshops and generally be part of the bigger picture.”

Visit LGPro Membership to learn more about gifting memberships, or call 9268 6403.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 47

MASTERING HOW TO MANAGE

LGP MASTERING MANAGEMENT

“It was the time and space to slow down and reflect, something I did not even know I needed.”

“This was the experience you can’t get on any job.” ”The program provided me with a range of knowledge that will position me better for a career in Local Government.”

These are a few of the insights from last year’s graduates of LGPro’s Mastering Management program which is designed to challenge and extend the thinking of Managers working in the sector.

Mastering Management is not a skills training program, instead it aims to help participants to actually master managing and develop their leadership capability by collaborating on real time challenges.

The 2019 program begins in May and will run through until November with sessions held each month.

To enrol in the program visit Mastering Management or phone 9268 6408.

HEAR FROM LAST YEAR’S PARTICIPANTS

Zhanna Sichivitsa

Manager Asset Management Boroondara City Council enrolled in Mastering Management about a year after stepping up to a Manager’s position. She was hoping to get some theoretical and practical knowledge on how to manage her busy team and to deliver on improving customer services, while becoming more efficient.

“Instead the program delved deep into the self-awareness aspect of leadership, which I found to be one of the most helpful aspects, along with sharing ideas with my group members. One of the unexpected and very positive outcomes was seeing how another, very busy, participant manages her time with Outlook and One Note skills. It prompted me to get training in both for myself and my team and I was finally able to move to a completely digital workflow management model. The course gave me the time and space to slow down and reflect, something I did not even know I needed.”

Mark Patterson

Executive Manager Sport & Active Living, Ballarat City Council was relatively new to the sector when he enrolled in the program. He was interested in being exposed to a broad base of experiences and hearing from experienced professionals in the sector.

“The program provided a very practical opportunity to not only hear from the best in the industry, but also to learn more about myself and how best to become a more productive leader within my organisation. It has enabled me to self-assess how I was leading and managing in my own environment, to develop a career plan to meet my personal goals and has provided me with an additional set of tools to enable me to lead better. It broadened my network of colleagues in the industry and exposed me to real life situations and live examples of problem solving within the Local Government environment that can be transferred to my every day work.”

48 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

Kamal Singh

Principal Corporate Planner, Boroondara City Council was impressed by the structure of the course where industry leaders, CEO and Directors openly talked about challenges they faced and solutions they put in place to deal with those challenges.

“This was experience you can’t get on any job. It has given me a very different prospective in work as well as personal life by firstly getting to know myself, my strengths, weaknesses and where I want to head. Management of staff and managing up has been a key learning. I have developed a real calm and resilience to deal with unknown - that has been a real change for me. The course was a very hands on with real life challenges faced

by Local Government management teams every day. I learnt to problem solve at a different level. Learning from industry leaders and their view on how organisations allocate their resources to meet community priorities was very useful. I know myself better now, and will take the next step with full confidence.”

2019 LGPRO AWARDS Nominations open on Wednesday 20 March for our first award on offer for 2019 – the Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Fund Award. They will close on Monday 6 May. This $10,000 educational scholarship

a Graduate Certificate of Sustainable

Our Aged & Disability Services

honours the work of women 35 years

Regional Development to immerse

Awards recognise and celebrate

and under who have demonstrated

herself in current academic

excellence in the following

achievements and a commitment to

perspectives on climate adaptation

categories:

improving community life through:

planning and policy, as well as

• Local Government • Social justice • Aboriginal affairs and reconciliation • Arts and music

broaden her depth of knowledge in Natural Resource Management and regional development.

The winner of this year’s award will be announced at the 2019

• Community health

LGPro Women’s Network Dinner

• Culturally and linguistically diverse

on Thursday 25 July at the MCG.

communities • Urban planning

For information visit: 2019 Sally Isaac Award.

• The environment

• Outstanding Program or Project – Grant based (funded) program or project • Outstanding Program or Project – Non grant based program or project Nominations open on Monday 20 May and close on Monday 29 July.

Our final specialist award, the Corporate and Community Planning Award, opens on Monday

OTHER AWARDS

15 July and closes on Monday 2

online submission process from both

We have a range of other specialist

and teams working in community

women 35 years and under working

awards on offer during the year.

planning who have worked

Nominations for the 2019 Customer

on initiatives that demonstrate

Nominations are invited via an

in Local Government and from the general community. The successful

September. It is open to individuals

Service Award will open on Monday

excellence.

29 April and close on Friday 14 June.

Nominations for all of our awards

This award recognises individuals and

are only accepted via an online

teams working in customer service

process. More information on

Lauren Watt, Coordinator of

who have implemented innovative

the awards can be found at

Sustainability at Surf Coast Shire,

improvements to customer service in

LGPro Awards.

won the scholarship in 2018 and

their Council.

recipient must use the scholarship money for research or study in Australia and overseas.

plans to use the money to undertake

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 49

CORPORATE PARTNERS MEET THE LGPRO BOARD Around 50 of our valued Corporate Partners attended our inaugural Meet the Board Event late last month.

The event was designed to provide our Corporate Partners with the opportunity to meet and further develop relationships with senior people working in the sector.

Justine Linley, LGPro President and CEO of Ballarat City Council welcomed the corporates and, along with Rebecca McKenzie, CEO of Glen Eira City Council, provided an overview of the sector and the issue and challenges faced both from a metro and rural perspective.

Other LGPro Board Members outlined Councils tendering and procurement procedures and answered questions from the floor.

The feedback from corporates on the event has been really positive.

We welcome input on how this event could be improved in the future.

Please email vickia@lgpro.com with any suggestions.

LGPro Corporate Partners at our inaugural Meet the Board Event.

MARCHING WITH PRIDE LGPro proudly led the Cities of Glen Eira, Darebin, Yarra, Moreland, Banyule, Melbourne, Kingston, Whittlesea, Western Region Councils and Cardinia Shire down Fitzroy Street at the 2019 Midsumma Pride March in late January.

It was a sweltering day, but the heat couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of everyone who marched behind the LGPro banner. LGPro values diversity and is committed to celebrating all people in Local Government and treating all members with equality, dignity and respect.

Our Rainbow Network SIG Co Convenor, Suzi Hayes said the Pride March was important as it was an opportunity for LGBTIQ+ people and their allies to come together as a community.

“It’s a celebration of our diversity, a chance to take up space and an excellent reason to sing and dance in the street! It’s a show of solidarity to those who’re not yet safe to march and sends a message that being LGBTIQ+ is something to be proud of,” she said.

Local Government staff march with pride in support of the LGBTIQ+ community.

50 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

COUNCIL NEWS FROM ACROSS VICTORIA

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

REVIEW GETS GREAT RESULTS Staff in Glen Eira Council’s Urban Planning team have achieved great results following an evaluation of their services and how they engage with their customers.

The team undertook a wing to wing review in partnership with the Innovation and Continuous Improvement team undertaking customer journey mapping to understand customers’ experiences and LEAN process mapping to identify gaps and opportunities.

An extensive action plan was developed and both teams demonstrated passion and commitment to ensuring positive outcomes for customers and staff.

REDUCTION IN PAPER USAGE A review of the planning process application saw the team cut its paper usage by 1,168,856 pages in one year.

Glen Eira averages close to 2,500 applications a year so from lodgement, to the notification of decision, the process consumed a small forest.

Manager Urban Planning, Paul Wood said developing a ‘digital by default’ approach to planning applications helped the team to reduce its reliance on paper as part of the submission and administration process. It has eradicated the time it takes for an application to start being assessed.

“Planning’s customers have seen a major shift in how they do business with Council. Not only are they now saving paper and money as they no longer need to provide three copies of large scale drawings just to lodge, but they also expend less effort by not having to visit the town hall just to lodge these plans,” he said.

REVIEW OF COMMUNICATIONS As part of the review the team also looked at every letter they produced for their customers with the aim of making them more readable and inclusive.

The team wanted to use warmer language and terms that could be easily understood by a seasoned developer or a first-time subdivider.

The new approach has been well received as can be seen by this customer’s comments: Just love the improvements to the town planning dept. The letters from Council are easy to understand, the signs to put up on site are great now that they are mostly filled out, processing time appears to be much quicker than ever before and the online portal has a couple of glitches but will be fantastic when they are ironed out. Thank you!

THINKING BEYOND THE SURFACE Yarra City Council is putting an innovative spin on road resurfacing, giving plastic and glass recycling a new life as asphalt in local streets.

Already road resurfacing works in two streets in Richmond have resulted in 7,300 plastic bottles and 55,000 glass bottles being recycled.

This is the equivalent of 1,500 wheelie bins of plastic and glass, or the annual kerbside recycling collection for every household in one of the streets.

Peter Moran, Principle Infrastructure Engineer at Yarra, said: “We want to integrate sustainability into all areas of Council life, including those where such considerations aren’t traditionally thought about in service delivery.

We’ve been working with our contractors throughout the year to make this happen.

Chris Leivers, Yarra’s Director of City Works and Assets, said: “Through this innovative and sustainable project, our City Works team is not only providing quality infrastructure, but doing so in a way that protects the environment.”

The success of this program means Yarra Council is planning to use more sustainable asphalt products in the future, as well as proactively engaging the community in ways to minimise plastic use in the first place.

The Yarra City Works team that is making road resurfacing sustainable.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 51

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS We would like to welcome the following new members who joined LGPro between 14 November 2018 and 25 February 2019. We look forward to working with you to shape our wonderful sector.

Rebecca Aldridge, Executive Manager People & Strategy, Bayside City Council Clare Allen, Communications Coordinator, Strathbogie Shire Council Clint Allsop, Casey City Council Annie Armstrong, Ararat Rural City Council Chitra Ashok, Manager, Enterprise Data & Integration, Boroondara City Council Jessica Baillie, Aquatics Planning Officer, Yarra Ranges Council Rosalie Baylor, Administration Officer, Stonnington City Council Jade Bitar, Regional Exhibitions Officer, Yarra Ranges Council

Angela Cesarec, Property Management Officer, Mansfield Shire Council Kristian Cook, Coordinator Urban Planning, Glen Eira City Council Chelsea Cooper, EA Corporate & Community Care, Baw Baw Shire Council Alan Corcoran, Operations & Presentation Officer, Wyndham City Council Bryce Lawrence Craggs, Director Community & Customer Experience, Bayside City Council Georgina Curtis, Manager Executive Services, Towong Shire Council Amy Dainton, Communications Coordinator, Murrindindi Shire Council Eric Dessoulavy, IT Enterprise Architect, Boroondara City Council

Felicity Bolitho, Connected Communities Team Leader, Golden Plains Shire Council

Stephanie Deveson, Human Resources Advisor, Maroondah City Council

Sally Bowler, Strategic Engagement Coordinator, Wangaratta Rural City Council

Rebecca Dewar, Senior Property Management Officer, Boroondara City Council

Sarah Brindley, Director Corporate Services, Wangaratta Rural City Council

Patrick Dillon, Digital Program Coordinator, Glen Eira City Council

Charmaine Calis, Governance & Risk Coordinator, Mildura Rural City Council

Leah D'Mello, Change Analyst, Knox City Council

Nadine Callan, Wangaratta Rural City Council Simon Carson, Development Assessment Engineer, Moira Shire Council

Michael Dugina, Director Finance & Strategy, Greater Geelong City Council Lisa Dunne, Project Officer, Alpine Shire Council Mark Dupe, Director Corporate & Community Services, Baw Baw Shire Council

52 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

Michael Evans, Acting General Manager of Organisational Performance, Yarriambiack Shire Council Mel Fleer, Manager Governance, Brimbank City Council Kate Fox, Greater Bendigo City Council Janette Maree Fritsch, Hindmarsh Shire Council Alexandra Fry, Councillor Business Officer, Glen Eira City Council Suzanne Gambin, Governance Support Officer, Mitchell Shire Council Chris Gardner, Senior Advisor Infrastructure, Ballarat City Council Ruth Gardner, Project Management Lead, Glen Eira City Council Bayley Geiger, Economic Development Officer, Mansfield Shire Council Heath Gillett, Team Leader, Mornington Peninsula Shire Katie Gleisner, Manager Planning & Development, Pyrenees Shire Council Amie Graham, Human Resources Advisor, Maroondah City Council Emma Gray, Head of Active Communities, Northern Grampians Shire Council Leanne Green, Golden Plains Shire Council Tracey Habron, Senior Business Analyst, Knox City Council

Emily Hanekroot, Project Officer, Alpine Shire Council Phoebe Hanna, Urban Planner, Glen Eira City Council Margie Hanrahan, Manager Access Care, Kingston City Council Stuart Hansen, Special Projects Officer, Borough of Queenscliffe James Hartigan, Business Performance Analyst, Nillumbik Shire Council Deborah Harvey, Aged & Disability Service Delivery Coordinator, Baw Baw Shire Council Medhi Hasan, Coordinator Customer Focus & Innovation, Hobsons Bay City Council Teala Hawkis, Wangaratta Rural City Council Alana Hazelager, Business Improvement Officer, Casey City Council Cathy Henderson, General Manager, Community, Darebin City Council Tanja Herrmann, Wangaratta Rural City Council Bernadette Hetherington, Manager Community Wellbeing, Moreland City Council Genene Hickey, Property Officer, Glen Eira City Council Rebecca Hickey, Health & Wellbeing Team Leader, Golden Plains Shire Council Kaylea Ingham-McQuade, Leisure Planner, Whittlesea City Council

Alexandra Josic, Project Support Officer, Glen Eira City Council Linda Keenahan, Seniors Support Officer, Knox City Council Emma Kennedy-Menzies, Baw Baw Shire Council Jonathan Knape, Coordinator Landfill, Hume City Council Holly De Kretser, Manager Governance, Casey City Council Joanna Lewandowska, Litter Prevention Officer, Greater Dandenong City Council Jenny Lovick, Mansfield Shire Council Alicja Majer, Coordinator Community Support, Port Phillip City Council Kymbat Mavlianova, Operational Support Officer, Knox City Council Shannon Maynard, Acting Manager – Development and Compliance Services, Cardinia Shire Council Diarmuid McAlary, Director Corporate, Business & Finance, Yarra City Council Abby McCarthy, Marketing Officer, Knox City Council Melisa McDonald, Councillor Liaison Officer, Melbourne City Council Shannah Mcdonald, Festivals & Events Officer, Stonnington City Council Tim McDougall, Media & Communications Team, Ararat Rural City Council

Peter McKinnon, Manager Environment & Sustainability, Wyndham City Council

Mark Patterson, Executive Manager Sport & Active Living, Ballarat City Council

Jonathan McNally, Manager Community Safety and Amenity, Nillumbik Shire Council

Helen Pavlidis, Governance Projects Officer, Boroondara City Council

Harriet Stone, Wangaratta Rural City Council

Svetla Petkova, Director Infrastructure, Swan Hill Rural City Council

Roberta Styles-Wood, Campaigns and Engagement Advisor, Knox City Council

Peter Philp, Manager Service Planning & Improvement, Cardinia Shire Council

Debbie Summerfield, Wangaratta Rural City Council

Lara McPherson, Senior Communications Officer, Towong Shire Council Linda Merlino, Coordinator Social & Community Infrastructure Project Coordinator, Knox City Council Emily Mignot, Greater Dandenong City Council Scott Morrow, Senior Data Analyst, Glen Eira City Council Will Morton, Production Officer, Stonnington City Council Lisha Murphy, Health Planning & Policy Officer, Maribyrnong City Council Duke Nanayakkara, Financial Analyst, Moira Shire Council Ian Nash, Records & Information Management Technical Officer, Banyule City Council Sue Noble, Customer Service Officer, Borough of Queenscliffe Natalie O'Brien, Greater Shepparton City Council Shannon O'Brien, Statutory Planner, Wodonga City Council Delwyn Pannett, IT Operations Manager, Boroondara City Council

Adrian Pratt, Finance Officer, Indigo Shire Council Leanne Rajakariar, Business Improvement Officer, Casey City Council

Siobhan Short, Executive Assistant To the Director Partnerships, Planning & Engagement, Whittlesea City Council

Teneille Summers, Acting Coordinator Community Wellbeing, Darebin City Council Kellie Sutherland, Wangaratta Rural City Council

Ed Riley, Planner, Ararat Rural City Council

Andrea Szymanski, Coordinator Open Space and Landscape Design, Knox City Council

James Roscoe, Coordinator Recycling & Waste, Glen Eira City Council

Abbey Tatterson, Administrative Assistant, Borough of Queenscliffe

Neda Ross, People & Culture Support Officer, Glen Eira City Council

Amy Taylor, Yarra Ranges Council

Robert Rowe, Manager Assets & Engineering, Pyrenees Shire Council Handy Salim, Project Officer Customer Focus & Innovation, Hobsons Bay City Council Robert Sampson, IT Group Leader, Maroondah City Council Ian Seuren, General Manager Development & Community Services, Colac Otway Shire Council

David Tun, Technical Support Office Libraries, Hobsons Bay City Council Ros Twycross, Supported Playgroups Officer, Indigo Shire Council Sunita Valarmos, Glen Eira City Council Jaye Williams, Accounts Receivable Team Leader, Banyule City Council Belinda Wong, People & Culture Project Officer, Glen Eira City Council

Dana Sharp, Community Development Officer, Moira Shire Council

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

Click here for information on LGPro Individual Membership or phone 9268 6403.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2019 | 53

LIANA THOMPSON & DAVID ECHEVERRY Liana Thompson, Director Partnerships, Planning and Engagement at the City of Whittlesea and LGPro Board Vice President is a self-confessed Local Government tragic. With more than 25 years in the sector, she knows Local Government from both sides of the fence having been a former Mayor and inaugural President of the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA).

Liana Thompson Her favourite film this year Sadly, I have not been to the flicks at all this year. My secret shame … As a people watcher, “I'm a Celebrity Get me out of here” and Gogglebox… I know! I feel your disapproval. Fun fact, Keith works in our depot, a fabulous bloke

What her your last meal comprise and why Roast pork with crispy crackling and apple sauce. It’s so indulgent and requires great cooking skills to produce moist and tender meat with that marvellous ear-shattering crunch of the crackle.

Who she would you like to sit next to on public transport

Three famous people she would like to invite to dinner and why

Joan Kirner. I miss her wisdom and her clarity about the connection between community and politics.

Julia Gillard, Maria Shriver and Craig Harper. Each person is passionate about making a difference. Julia, our first and only woman Prime Minister. Maria Shriver who

investigated why and how so many women in the USA are on the brink of poverty and an unlikely choice, Craig Harper, who has a no-nonsense approach to health, leadership and getting stuff done that I just adore.

What she enjoys most about her job I am part of a team who is focussed on doing great work for the community. I also love the complexity of my job.

David Echeverry is a Business Partner in Corporate Planning and Improvement at Whittlesea City Council. He has worked in Local Government for the last three years and describes it as a fantastic experience. His background is in HR but a couple of years ago he moved to Corporate Planning where is currently working on an exciting project to align inputs and outputs in services, projects, strategies and plans to the outcomes identified in the Whittlesea 2040 vision.

David Echeverry What he enjoys outside of work I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. From having a simple BBQ in the backyard to exploring restaurants or doing day trips to rural towns across Victoria.

Amusing situations he has faced at work Back in my retail days at Georg Jensen and Christian Dior, the number of times I made sales to Australian celebrities without even knowing. I was new in the country so had no idea who Lindsay Fox or Lleyton and Bec Hewitt were!

54 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2019

What AFL football team he barracks for and why

What he enjoys most about his job

Coming from Spain where I had never heard of AFL it took me a while to get into it. After several years I finally made a decision…

Richmond as they play quite well!

100% the people I work with because no matter where we work, we all know what we’re here for.

I am very lucky to be in a role where I liaise with people at all levels of the organisation. Getting things done together is simply energising. From my colleagues to managers, directors and the CEO, it is honestly like a big family.

I have noticed that more in Local Government than in other sectors.

His last holiday destination I went to North and South America for about five weeks.

It was amazing! From driving across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to horse riding through coffee plantations in the high mountains of Colombia where I had some of the best steaks ever.

DIARY DATES PROGRAMS

PROGRAMS

LGP MASTERING MANAGEMENT

CONFERENCES

Introduction to Local Government for Corporate Partners

Connect with us at

LGProVIC

DATE

INFORMATION

The 2019 program has commenced.

Nominations for the 2020 program open in September

To equip and support senior executives in Local Government.

To learn more visit XLP

The 2019 program has commenced.

Nominations for the 2020 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. To learn more visit ELP

Series 1 starts on Thursday 28 March

Program for people working in outdoor roles to develop the competencies required to manage and lead people. To learn more visit Ignite

Starts on Wednesday 15 May

For Local Government Managers wanting to further develop their skills.

To learn more visit Mastering Management

Wednesday 20 March, Rural City of Wangaratta Tuesday 7 May, LGPro office Tuesday 28 May, Greater Geelong City Council

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

To learn more visit Induction to Local Government

Wednesday 3 April, LGPro office

To help Local Government staff use new communication technologies to better engage with residents and communities. To learn more visit Engaging Citizens

Thursday 14 March 2019, LGPro office

Designed to provide anyone writing Council reports with a better understanding of what makes a good report. To learn more visit Local Government Report Writing

Tuesday 19 March, LGPro office

To provide people working in non governance roles with a better understanding of governance and its importance to Councils.

To learn more visit Good Decision Making

Tuesday 14 May, LGPro office

This program introduces career thinking and planning and management skills to Executive/Personal Assistants, Administrative Support Officers and Customer Service staff. To learn more visit Thinking Career and Leadership

Thursday 23 May

To provide LGPro Corporate Partners with a greater understanding of how Local Government operates

CONFERENCES/SEMINARS Wednesday 8 May, CQ Functions, 113 Queen Street, Melbourne.

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

Nominations open on Wednesday 20 March and close on Monday 6 May

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

Customer Service Award

Nominations open on Monday 29 April and close on Friday 14 June

This biennial award recognises an individual or team initiative that has improved customer service within a Council

Aged & Disability Services Awards

Nominations open on Monday 20 May and close on Monday 29 July

These awards celebrate the success of individuals and teams working in the aged and disability services sector in Local Government

Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 May

A team development program that produces real, relevant and enduring outcomes for people and teams working in Local Government

AWARDS

OTHER EVENTS Australasian Management Challenge

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OTHER

AWARDS

Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Fund Award

The publication is produced by: Local Government Professionals Inc Level 3/58 Lorimer Street Docklands VIC 3008 Tel: (03) 9268 6400 Fax: (03) 9646 0469 info@lgpro.com www.lgpro.com