Profile Magazine - LGPro - 2021 Summer Edition by LGPro VIC

Local Government Professionals six-monthly magazine

Summer 2021

LGPRO

THE PREMIER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVENT FOR VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

WEDNESDAY 23 AND THURSDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2022 MELBOURNE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

How Much Are You Worth?

Sally Isaac Awards

Where Are They Now?

See where Local Government paycheques are going

The long-awaited 2020 and 2021 joint winners revealed

Follow up with LGPro’s high-profile graduates

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To find out how Salmac21© can help you really get the best out of your talent. Contact Michael Arcella: E: michaelarcella@mcarthur.com.au T: (03) 9828 6565 talentarchitects@mcarthur.com.au

CONTENTS 6

The Annual Conference Returns The premier local government event of the year returns, live and in-person

Local Government’s Great Resignation Staff are quitting. Should councils be worried?

Above: Maroondah City Council took the Management Challenge trophy at the national level – see Page 43 for the full story.

12 Where Are They Now? Following the career paths of influential alumni of LGPro’s leadership programs

24 Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Fund Award Meet the inspiring young emerging leaders committed to improving community life

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

26 How Much Are You Worth? Find out what you’re worth to the sector in real dollar terms

Deadline for submissions to the Winter edition of Profile is Monday 2 May, 2022. The magazine will be circulated in June 2022. CONTRIBUTIONS

44 Innovating for Customer Impact How Frankston City Council took home the Customer Impact Award

47 Extracting Value from the Circular Economy Does the value of the circular economy outweigh the cost?

Story ideas and photographs are always welcome. Contact: info@lgpro.com ADVERTISING For information or to book advertising in Profile, contact: info@lgpro.com CREDITS Publisher: LGPro (03) 9268 6400 Graphic Designer: ADW Design Melbourne www.adwdesign.com.au

52 Professional Development Calendar Find your next professional growth opportunity in 2022

LGPRO PROFILE SUMMER 2021 3

From the LGPro President & CEO

At the beginning of 2020, our collective outlook was that 2021 was going to be a much less complicated year. Early 2021 however showed no signs of the pressure abating. But we quickly found that a new normal was being established and council staff responded with energy and passion. The gains that came with 2020’s crash course in change were solidified in new ways of working this year. While we are used to the frenetic pace of council life, the acceleration of this year has been unprecedented but has only fed our passion for the sector. As we take time to reflect, we are immensely proud of the resilience our sector has demonstrated and marvel at the immense achievements delivered for our communities. That is why this Summer issue of Profile is looking back at some of the big wins of the year, from award-winning projects to standout teams and individuals, and key learnings for our sector that will guide us through the new year. LGPro has been on a journey with you, our Members, every step of the way this year. We have remained agile when holding on-site functions and pragmatic when pivoting to online or hybrid delivery within a few days’ notice, but we are excited to be joining you in-person again at the Annual Conference in February 2022.

“This Summer issue of Profile is looking back at some of the big wins of the year.”

In the background, and as the leading voice for local government professionals, we made sure our collective voice was heard this year. We used our regular meetings with the Local Government Minister as a springboard for the Women Building Surveyor Program, seeing through an extension to the successful program and the proposal in progress for a similar program for Environmental Health Officers. We further held the State Government accountable to its duty to consult with Local Government on issues directly affecting our sector. As a member of the Project Control Board for changes to the new Local Government Act, we pushed for adequate guidance to be provided to assist local government professionals in conforming to the Act. Further, we partnered with Jobs Victoria to identify skill gaps in the sector and advise on projects to assist job seekers in finding employment opportunities in the sector. This is all to say it has been a busy 2021. But 2022 will be a more vocal year, as we develop a new advocacy agenda informed by your Member feedback. We look forward to developing this alongside you and the sector but, until then, enjoy this edition of Profile over what I hope is a much-deserved holiday break. Liana Thompson President Local Government Professionals Victoria Jill Brown Chief Executive Officer

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Our Board 2021 has seen movement on the LGPro Board. The current members of the Board are:

Liana Thompson

Sue Wilkinson

Bruce Dobson

President Chief Executive Officer Northern Grampians Shire Council

Vice President

Treasurer Chief Executive Officer Knox City Council

Chief Executive Officer Darebin City Council

Gail Gatt

Kerryn Ellis

Jen Bednar

General Manager Regional City Growth and Investment Latrobe City Council

Chief Executive Officer South Gippsland Shire Council

Director Customer and Business Transformation Casey City Council

Chris Leivers

Steve Hamilton

Sally Jones

Secretary

Director Strategy and Growth City of Greater Bendigo

General Manager Community Strengthening Moorabool Shire Council

Director City Works & Assets Yarra City Council

LGPRO PROFILE SUMMER 2021 5

202

THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE RETURNS WEDNESDAY 23 AND THURSDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2022 MELBOURNE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

We’re REIGNITING – taking the best of the last two years’ lessons while moving on and embracing a refreshed future. The Annual Conference returns in 2022 for a full in-person event over two days at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. LGPro is bringing together top leaders and forward thinkers from beyond the sector to lead the discussion, encouraging you to look at what you do from different perspectives while absorbing new ideas, fresh thinking and the best new practices. Click here for more information and to register.

CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS CEO & DIRECTOR WORKSHOP LEAD YOURSELF & OTHERS THROUGH COMPLEXITY NEXT STEPS: CAREER FUNDAMENTALS FOR GETTING AHEAD THRIVING IN THE NEW NORMAL CROSS-SILO COMMUNICATION FOR TECHNICAL EXPERTS 6 LGPRO PROFILE SUMMER 2021

YOUR 2022 KEYNOTES STEVE SAMMARTINO

HEAR AUSTRALIA'S LEADING FUTURIST, INNOVATOR AND STRATEGIST LIVE One of Australia’s most respected futurists, Steve wrote his first lines of computer code at age 10. Steve will deliver an unmissable, high-energy keynote drawing on his breadth of experience and uncanny ability to make sense of how technology is shaping society, our communities and economies. From his global experience at the executive level to his successful backlog of entrepreneurial tech investment, Steve has a unique insight into where we are and where we're going, giving local government decision makers the understanding and motivation they need to be future proof.

KATE ROFFEY

BE INSPIRED BY ONE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S MOST ACCOMPLISHED LEADERS The future of work will necessitate good, compassionate, empathetic leadership. You can embrace this organisational transformation or be left behind, and no one understands the impact of this impending change better than Kate Roffey. President of Melbourne Football Club – the first female to hold this position in the Club's more than 160-year history – Kate was an integral part of changing the club culture which led them to win the 2021 AFL Premiership. A Director at Wyndham City Council, Kate has a proven track record in infrastructure master planning, funding, financing and delivery; long-term strategic thinking; negotiating and closing complex commercial deals; organisational transformation; advocacy to governments on both sides of politics; representational leadership in public and in the media; and empowering teams to consistently exceed challenging targets. Her inspiring address will give local government professionals the leadership toolkit they need to navigate the changes ahead.

SCAN THE QR CODE TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER NOW

PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

SUPPORTING SPONSOR

LGPRO PROFILE SUMMER 2021 7

Local Government’s Great Resignation Feeling the itch to change jobs? You’re not alone. There is an impending 'Great Resignation' that will affect Victorian councils in 2022, and LGPro is exploring what council leaders can do about it. We sit down with local government HR veteran, Pauline Bennett and Public Sector People Managing Director, Tom Dumper to find out more.

The Great Resignation – a prophecy foretelling droves of workers departing in a mass exodus across the workforce. The term gained traction earlier this year, referring to the wave of pent-up resignations that were waiting for pandemic uncertainty to end, crashing into the wave of pandemic wake-up calls, making workers rethink what they really want from work and life. Reported estimates predict this affecting Victorian workforces by March 2022. Should local governments be worried? We ask 24-year veteran of the local government HR space, Pauline Bennett. “I think that local governments, their leaders and their People & Culture teams probably are not as well prepared for this as they could be, and this can be a major crisis in an organisation if they allow this to happen without some preparation,” says Pauline. And local government could be especially vulnerable. “Local Government in Victoria is quite vulnerable, in my view, because of the age profile of the workforce. Our workforce has an average age of around 47, which is quite old in comparison to other workforces. And with the imminent retirement of a lot of our employees, there is going to be not just this Great Resignation impact, but the impact of those employees’ leaving organisations.”

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“45,490 people in the public sector have changed jobs in the last 12 months.”

Photo credit: Public Sector People Managing Director, Tom Dumper.

The overarching motivation behind these expected resignations could give councils clues on what they could be doing to stem the tide. Pauline explains what workers want. “Ambition is being less of a driving force in careers than other aspects of life and employees are no longer prepared to put up with the micromanagement and additional working hours that have characterised work during the pandemic,” she says. “They are digitally exhausted and want to tweak their jobs to ensure psychological safety and being seen as complex human beings with rich, full lives rather than just workers.” Managers aren’t mind readers, so how do you know if your staff are gearing up to jump ship? And what can you do to turn the ship around? “Well Dr Amanda Ferguson has done some research on this. She’s an organisational psychologist who outlines some of the warning signs leaders should be looking for in their teams. She thinks that leaders should be tracking the degree of burnout in their team members and looking to whether or not they’re able to self-regulate and take time out to refresh when it is needed.

“She also identifies that organisations need to be taking steps to lock in remote working with job redesign, and redesign performance systems for remote workers. She recognises the dangers of micromanagement and the impact this can have on psychologically safety. This relates specifically to the level of trust in an organisation and has direct benefits for employee engagement, mental health and discretionary effort.” One organisation’s loss could be another’s gain. The Great Resignation could be an opportunity for councils – especially those in more remote areas – to attract talent looking for a change. We caught up with recruitment specialist Tom Dumper, Managing Director of Public Sector People, to find out what post-pandemic changes could work in councils’ favour. “The biggest change has been the ability to work from home and what this has meant for the ability to attract talent,” says Tom.

LGPRO PROFILE SUMMER 2021 9

“We’re seeing both metro and regional organisations really get on board with this ability to hire people that don’t have to be close to their municipality that are really able to offer great insights into bringing metro ideas to regional councils and vice versa without needing to make that location change. “We had a look at some numbers recently and LinkedIn are telling us that 45,490 people in the public sector have changed jobs in the last 12 months.”

Want the full story? Listen to the full version. Scan the QR code to download this episode of the LGProcast on Apple or Spotify.

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“Ambition is being less of a driving force in careers than other aspects of life.”

The LGProcast is brought to you by

Where are they now? The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) and Executive Leadership Program (XLP) have become launching pads for some of the sector’s most influential leaders. LGPro sat down with successful alumni to find out where their careers have since taken them and how these programs influenced their journeys.

2021 Executive Leadership Program proudly supported by Camms

The ELP is a year of unique leadership-focused activities and experiences designed to develop and inspire Local Government’s emerging leaders looking to move up the ladder of their council. The XLP moves a step up that ladder, supporting senior executives like Chief Executive Officers and Directors to expand and develop their skillsets to become confident and capable leaders. To date, 19 CEOs have been through the XLP, while the program has turned 11 Directors into new CEOs since its inception. Of the 25 LGPro Board members that have served since 2011, 13 have been graduates of the XLP. Here we profile graduates of both programs to find out how it affected (and continues to impact) their careers.

2021 Emerging Leaders Program proudly supported by Camden 2022 Executive Leadership Program proudly supported by Camden

Scan the QR code to find out more about the programs

12 LGPRO PROFILE SUMMER 2021

Bradley Thomas – CEO, Hepburn Shire Council – Emerging Leaders Program Graduate Why did you take on ELP?

What key learning particularly affected your career?

“I was Manager of Finance and IT at the time and enrolled into the Emerging Leaders Program as a way of asking ‘what would be next?’ and to see if I would stay in the technical field of finance or branch out a little bit.”

“For part of the program, you visit various councils and get to hear from their CEOs. And what struck me was that every CEO was different. So I suppose I took away that you didn’t need to have one particular personality type or one background to be the CEO. That reaffirmed to me to just be yourself, and that being myself was going to be the better form of a CEO than trying to be something else.”

How did the program change your career trajectory? “Throughout the program, it really hit home to me that I wanted to do more than finance, and that was the point that I began looking at different opportunities, where I was in the program and where my council was as an organisation. I got the opportunity to act in a Director role for six months while they went through a recruitment process and I undertook the Council Plan. Doing the program and putting together the Council Plan put me on the pathway to applying for that Director role and ultimately being successful in a CEO role.” Tell us about your experience of the program. “It’s a fantastic program, particularly the connections and the networking that you get with the group. That was probably the bit that I got the most out of: 25 other people, different personalities, different skillsets, but commonality in our local government positions and probably our wanting to take the next step to be leaders. Through the experience, including the different approaches that people took and, ultimately, given how intense the program is too, you develop some really close friendships and bonds. I regularly catch up with a number of members of the ELP group of 2017 to this day.”

“It gave me the confidence that being who you are is okay because there were so many different personalities and approaches to it.” What did the program teach you that has stuck with you since? “It taught me to step out of my comfort zone and be prepared to give things a go. And that’s what I’ve done: I’ve put my hand up to be a Director, I’ve put my hand up to be CEO at a young age, but you know that if you give things one hundred per cent, you’re going to do a pretty good job. It gave me that confidence in myself to say, ‘Nine times out of ten it works out, and the other time you learn from it anyway.’”

LGPRO PROFILE SUMMER 2021 13

Lucy Roffey – CEO, Central Goldfields Shire Council – Executive Leadership Program Graduate What brought you to XLP? “I was a Director when I put my hand up for XLP but I got appointed as a CEO before I started. I’d heard great things about it and when I was looking at development opportunities as an executive it just made sense to do a program that was targeted at local government with other local government peers. I also thought that the networking that it would involve would be a great opportunity. I’d networked a fair bit amongst my Director of Corporate Services peers, but actually doing broader networking – not just regionally but with metro councils and also with Directors and General Managers across a range of disciplines - I thought was going to be a different approach to any of the other training I had taken on.” What was your experience of the program? “I absolutely loved that course, and I recommend people do it all the time including my current executive, and one of my executives has done it as well. My experience of the program was really positive. It was facilitated by brilliant facilitators who created a really safe space for honest conversation. I thought that the program really challenged you to think and to express yourself, so in a safe and confidential environment it meant that we had some really great discussions.

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“The other thing that I really enjoyed about the program was the mix of the content that we covered. The experience of all the presenters – the calibre is really high – and then, of course, there is always the experience you get from the other people in the program who add that richness to the conversation. There was plenty of opportunity for us to talk about things that we were hearing from the various presenters amongst ourselves. And I think the fact that we sat the program over a few different sessions is helpful too – it’s not all jammed into one and you don’t feel overwhelmed.” How did the program affect the way you work? “I had only just become a CEO and there were a few others in the course that became CEOs either then or subsequently, so it was perfect timing for me. I think all of the content was absolutely relevant to either if I had stayed in a Director role or even as a CEO – it most certainly builds on that experience, and I use the things that I learnt in it all the time. “The presentation skills section resonated with me, as did the section on advocacy that I’d get to use all the time as a Director and definitely as a CEO. The ethics session particularly resonated with me as that’s a really important part of the CEO role when helping Councillors make decisions and also leading an organisation, particularly in Local Government, to make sure that we have high levels of integrity.”

What value did the networking have for you? “The thing that I found really useful is that a couple of the participants were new CEOs around about the same time that I was, whether we were appointed around the same time we were doing the course or soon after, and it is always really helpful if you’re going into a new role that you’ve got a couple of newbies at that same time and same place and you’ve got those really strong connections with those people. Recently, another one of our peer graduates became a CEO and it’s been rewarding to have that connection with all of us congratulating another one of our graduates. You keep the friendships from that course for life across your career and that’s a really important part of it as well. They’re all people that I’ve called upon and talk to and continue to connect with which is brilliant.”

“You keep the friendships from that course for life across your career.”

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Kerryn Ellis – CEO, South Gippsland Council – Emerging Leaders Program and Executive Leadership Program Graduate Starting with ELP, what brought you to the program? “I was invited by my CEO at the time to apply; it was something that my organisation would use as a bit of a recognition and reward process, so they tended to invite people internally who they thought were emerging and potential future leaders to apply and then would nominate one or two of those people, and I was one of them. From my personal perspective, I was really attracted to applying for the program because it would have been one of the first formal programs I’d undertaken specifically around leadership and I was really excited to give that a go and see what I could learn from it. “As a coordinator back then, it was my first experience directly leading people; it was the first time I had direct reports. I’d moved through the organisation, starting out as a customer service officer and then moving into human resources and procurement before getting my first role leading people as a coordinator, and I was really then only just starting to open my mind to what was possible in terms of my future career, to leading people, to working in roles that were more strategic in their view, and to really starting to work closely with executives and Councillors. “I was very much at the start of what I would call my professional leadership journey at that point. Now it’s what feels like 10 or 20 years on and I’ve progressed all the way through to CEO."

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What did being hand-selected by your managers mean to you? “It was terrific to be identified and tapped on the shoulder by our executive. What being tapped on the shoulder for the program really said to me was that my work and my commitment had been noticed and recognised, and that they saw me as someone with talent who could grow, develop, and potentially move up, either through the organisation or elsewhere.” What was your experience of the program? “I absolutely loved it. Up until then, I’d had a job that happened to be in Local Government, but the Emerging Leaders Program was the thing that converted my career to being about the sector rather than about any particular council. I became really passionate about and committed to the sector as a whole. “Because the program had a mix of professions but also a mixture of locations, I got the opportunity to learn about how Local Government works in different settings – in regional and rural environments or in metro versus outermetro. It really opened my eyes to the different kinds of work that councils do in different contexts.”

“I really credit that program in being the start of that journey of thinking about what good leadership looks like for our sector.”

All these years on, what still sticks with you? “The main thing that I reflect on as a CEO now is the importance of recognising the good work of staff and those that go over and above. I also recognise the importance of creating career pathways for people and giving them the opportunity to participate in something that they otherwise may not have considered.” Having participated in both the ELP and XLP, how would you compare the two? “ELP, as the title suggests, is very much about emerging leaders, so it’s really that first foray into leadership for people who might have had a technical background – they might be an Environmental Health Officer or a local laws officer or an engineer – but they’re starting to think, ‘Instead of just being really good at my profession, how might I think about leadership with more of a cross-organisational perspective?’ That is exactly where I was in my career, so the ELP was perfect for me at the time. “The difference with the XLP is that it’s at another level again, so it’s really designed to support people that have already gotten to the Director level who might be thinking of a future as a CEO to again take that next step up where they’re not just thinking about ‘my portfolio,’ ‘my work,’ but thinking whole-of-community, political interface, advocacy, strategic stakeholder engagement – much more at the whole-of-organisation, leadership level.”

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"It has helped to consolidate my thoughts on what good leadership is."

Gail Gatt – General Manager Community Health & Wellbeing, Latrobe City Council – Emerging Leaders Program and Executive Leadership Program Graduate What brought you to the ELP? “Around 10 years ago, I was at a senior officer or coordinator level whereas now I’m a General Manager. I was identified by my executive at the time, so obviously I thought they saw something in me in terms of being a future leader at the organisation. It’s a nice feeling to have other leaders identify something in you. And the program itself had a good reputation, so I wanted to be part of that and see what I had to offer.” What was your experience of the program? “In a word: it was ‘awesome.’ And that’s actually one of the reasons I was keen to later do the XLP, because I felt like I hadn’t done any leadership training for a while and I actually felt like I needed to get back amongst that feeling. I actually remember the feeling when I was part of XLP of having that opportunity to connect with colleagues that are in the same place in their career as you are, just like in ELP – that’s been really valuable in helping shape my career.”

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What were the key takeaways of these programs for you? “One of the things that I particularly remember was the access to CEOs, people like Noelene Duff or Glenn Patterson. I remember getting good takeaways from them in terms of leadership in Local Government, working with Councillors, and managing challenging situations. The other thing that stayed with me were the residentials. Apart from the great content, they’re a fun, memorable way of getting to know your peers a bit deeper. “But there was also a session at the Victorian Parliament that has stuck with me. We had ex-politicians and the Minister for Local Government there at the time, and the whole atmosphere while participating in those sessions at that venue hit home to me about the importance of good governance. Back then, it started to open my mind to the influence of politics and what part that plays in our roles in Local Government. You’re never really removed from it, so then it’s about having the tools to navigate it.”

For more information please contact

BRONSON JUSTUS M: 0421 615 778 E: bronson.justus@jlta.com.au www.jltpublicsector.com

How did this new awareness affect your career? “I think I have a lot more political awareness now than I’d had, but that also comes from taking on more responsibility in an organisation and working a lot more closely with elected representatives. The ELP was the beginning of that awareness, but at the XLP level, it’s now central to everything. I think I’ve developed an even greater respect for CEOs than I had back then, because you begin to realise the complexities of being a leader of a local government organisation and the pressure they’re under and what it takes to be a really good one.” What have been the lasting impacts on you now as your career has developed?

You’re currently wrapping up with the most recent XLP cohort. How do you think it will affect you moving forward? “Given the last two years that we’ve all endured, I think it’s now a good time to reconnect with programs like this. This year, it has helped to consolidate my thoughts on what good leadership is, giving me motivation and confidence, reinforcing what I need to be a good leader, refreshing the tools I need to make changes in my career. I’ve been at my organisation for many years now and it’s always good to refresh with external ideas, and that will either make me more of an asset to this organisation or even if I were to move to another one.”

“I’ve developed a greater sense of community connection. Which is interesting because you might think that moving from a more junior level to a more senior level in an organisation would make you less hands-on or less connected to the community, but it’s been the opposite for me. You realise how important it is to understand your community and know what they need so that you can lead your organisation to respond to that. I’ve probably also got a few more grey hairs since then – it’s just under 10 years on since I started the two programs. I’d like to think I’m also a bit smarter and wiser.”

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Camden. Executive Recruitment Interview coaching Psychometric Assessment Emotional Intelligence coaching

camdensearch.com.au LGPRO PROFILE SUMMER 2021

The Tech Saving Local Government Fleets LGPro caught up with Teletrac Navman’s National Manager of Local Government, Lou Boyle to discuss what issues are holding back local government vehicle fleets and what smart tech is here to help.

With a background as Head of Corporate Affairs at Telstra and Innovation Executive at the Local Government Association up in Queensland, Lou Boyle has a history of working with councils to better understand what they are (or should be) doing within the technology space. According to Lou, there are new technologies increasing efficiency, reducing costs and environmental impacts, and allowing councils to deliver high levels of service despite budgetary pressures when it comes to managing their fleets, but these have not all been adopted yet across the board. He points out three key issues currently facing local governments: financial sustainability, environmental sustainability, and digital skills. “Considering the current economic climate, especially the effects of COVID-19, councils have been reluctant to increase rates or to push hard in claiming unpaid rates. At the same time, requirements for services haven't diminished,” he says.

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Lou Boyle - National Manager of Local Government, Teletrac Navman.

“Secondly, pressure from the community to operate in an environmentally considerate manner is increasing. The recent United Nations IPCC report made clear the need for all levels of government to consider how they can contribute to a sustainable future. “Finally, there’s an issue with digital skills. Local Government is an ageing workforce – it’s above all the industry standards in age demographics, particularly for regional councils. Ensuring that councils are staffed with digitally skilled workers is a significant hurdle.” Seemingly disparate issues across finance, environment, and tech literacy, they converge to impact heavily on local government fleets. Lou explains how, but also how data is stepping in to help: “Councils under financial pressure are still expected to deliver on services, and vehicle and asset utilisation is more important than ever as a result. Telematics and fleet management software help councils deploy their assets in the most efficient way possible, saving time and keeping costs down. “When it comes to managing environmental responsibilities, many councils are investigating the adoption of electric vehicles to replace carbon-producing vehicles. Data is helping to tell them what vehicles can be replaced by EVs, and where the best points for installing recharging stations are.

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“For council fleet management to be effective, staff need to adapt to new fleet management technology that can help them allocate assets more efficiently.”

“The switch to a paperless workforce is imminent.” What then does the future realistically look like for fleet managers and tech-savvy councils? “Councils are moving toward a digital future at a rapid rate, and cloud technology has been accepted quickly by many councils across Victoria. The scalability, accessibility, security, and cost savings associated with adopting cloudbased fleet management solutions and telematics make them attractive to councils. “Councils are getting better at analysing and applying the data they collect to make better informed decisions in realtime and improve services by uncovering hidden insights while increasing the speed and efficiency of operations.” And the web to collect all this data? The Internet of Things. “Then there is IoT, which is how we connect fleets and assets, collect the data mentioned above to deliver insights, improve worker safety, and drive efficiency.”

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2 0 TWO YEARS 2 1 SOFAINSPIRING LLY YOUNG WOMEN ISAAC 2020 - WINNER

MEMO FUND* RIAL SCHO LARSH AWAR D IP

NICOLA PARKES

Youth Services Team Leader Port Phillip City Council

Nicola’s prized attributes are her work ethic, her passion for youth empowerment and commitment to providing

meaningful services that work for young people and families on their terms. Nicola values empowerment of young

people, people of colour, and women, in every aspect of her role. Nicola incorporates young people in the consultation and implementation of events, including recruiting young people requiring ongoing social support during lockdown to participate in the committees and advocating for employment and support.

Nicola’s work ethic is best highlighted by what she has delivered on behalf of Port Phillip during the pandemic.

With the St Kilda Film Festival’s youth component moved online with very short notice, Nicola coordinated Port Phillip’s festivals team, her FReeZA committee, and a panel of young judges to deliver a professional, widely-watched festival to audiences Australia-wide.

Nicola is a force multiplier for the Youth Services team whose contribution far exceeds her initial part-time status.

In addition to her work, Nicola would case manage vulnerable young people and their families, creating innovative ways

to engage these young people online during pandemic lockdowns, facilitating WebEx graffiti lessons, online story book creations and video game conversation sessions to ensure her clients would all continue engaging.

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In a unique dual-year celebration, the 2020 and 2021 recipients of the Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Fund Award were announced together at the Women's Virtual Event in November. We revisit the inspiring stories of these community leaders under 35 who have demonstrated their commitment to improving community life across Victoria.

Want to be inspired? Scan the QR code to read the full profiles of 20 community changemakers

2021 - WINNER

CARLY JORDAN

Acting Service Manager Community Support Warrnambool City Council

Carly brought a unique skillset and global perspective to her region and used her skills and experience to contribute to the improving of the lives of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in south-west Victoria.

Innovation and strategic thinking are clear attributes that Carly exerts. Carly initiated the Great South Coast Economic

Migration Project and successfully took action to lead change in her community. She was able to visualise and act upon the opportunity that regional migration could bring to increase population and economic growth in rural towns while

also supporting migrants and refugees to create better lives in Australia. Her project has affected social change and created momentum for regional settlement in south-west Victoria.

The replicable project has since seen similar endeavours rolled out to other local government areas across Victoria including Moyne Shire Council with new project partner, Jesuit Social Services. Key to this success has been a

collaborative, whole-of-community and intercultural approach, including partnerships with local government, business and community groups.

Carly’s high-level communication and advocacy skills played a key part in her success here, requiring active listening and insightful questioning with the confidence to provide constructive, independent advice in a respectful manner while gaining buy-in for the migration project.

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How Much Are You Worth?

It has been 20 years since the first McArthur National Remuneration Survey was published, giving local government professionals in-depth insights into what they’re worth to the sector in real dollar terms.

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On the twentieth anniversary of what has become the most authoritative indication of the state of local government remuneration, it’s time to ask: what data-driven story do over 9,500 positions from over 450 councils since the first report was published tell today? LGPro spoke to the experienced team behind the upcoming report at McArthur Talent Architects to find out. Every year, the survey provides information on individual positions from chief executives to team leaders but then more broadly reports on trends that draw on Victoriaspecific data. We spoke to Dr Michael Arcella and Mark O’Brien for their expert commentary on what has changed over the last 20 years for local government professionals and what to expect in the year ahead.

“Salaries have skyrocketed over the last four or five years particularly at the executive level, they’ve really gone up.”

The big question is how the pandemic has affected local governments and professionals moving through the sector. Over this last year, council revenue generation has taken a significant hit. In employment terms, conventual wisdom would hint at an expected cut in salary increases, but Mark O’Brien says that is less likely for local government. While McArthur’s research indicates an almost definite slowdown in the private sector, local government is not expected to feel the same sluggishness, nor any change of pace in the movement of professionals between councils. While mobility isn’t slowing down and wages aren’t dipping, the rate of salary increases may be dwindling, particularly on the back of the pandemic.

“Salaries have skyrocketed over the last four or five years - particularly at the executive level, they’ve really gone up. The CEO or General Manager salary in New South Wales has particularly gone up at 10 per cent higher than the rest of the country,” says Mark.

“In the last seven or eight years, some roles have had 25 to 30 per cent increases.”

“We expect that the increases over the last two years will have subsided substantially [when the 2020/21 report is published]. A lot of councils had no increase for the year, so that will probably reverse the trend of the last few years where increases have been generally at two to five per cent across the board,” says Mark. Even if salaries plateau, competitiveness is only set to grow. McArthur sees a lot of movement and high competition in Victoria and neighbouring states, particularly in senior executive roles.

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Over the 20-year history of the National Remuneration Survey, positive trends have emerged. While LGPro has pushed for gender equality over the years, there are measurable signs that the sector has come a long way. In the last five years alone, the McArthur team has found an uptick in women in executive roles that continues to grow. They credit the sector’s broadly adopted values on equal opportunity, tangible steps taken to affect change, and an increase in female Councillors across the state. Deeper insight will be available when the 2020/21 National Remuneration Survey releases in February 2022. The full report will allow councils to benchmark their current salary packages against similar organisations across the country and review their remuneration levels to aid in talent management and retention strategies, according to Dr Michael Arcella. “If councils want to run a remuneration review of their positions - from CEOs and Directors to managers and coordinators – against similar sized councils, both within Victoria or even on a national basis, the [Remuneration Survey] report would let them do that,” says Michael. Mark adds: “I think the biggest advantage is that managers – particularly HR managers and Chief Executives – can get a pretty clear snapshot of where they’re at in terms of meeting industry standards based on their current expenditure budget.”

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To reserve a copy, contact Dr Michael Arcella at michael.arcella@mcarthur.com.au or on (03) 9828 6565. To view extracts from previous reports, visit mcarthur.com.au/insights/reports/

Local Government Remuneration Services

We will help make sure your remuneration strategies are on the money.

For more than 20 years McArthur has researched and published national remuneration surveys for the Local Government, providing councils with vital insight to support remuneration and wider business decision-making.

With unparalleled inside and experience, our consultants deliver relevant and up-to-date advice tailored to specific organisational specifications that helps Local Government employers to:

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

• Improve staff retention rates

T: (03) 9828 6565

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talentarchitects@mcarthur.com.au

E: michael.arcella@mcarthur.com.au

• Ensure competitive advantage • Optimise recruitment LGPRO PROFILE SUMMER 2021 29

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LGPro is grateful for the support it receives from its Corporate Partners. The following pages contain advertisements submitted by our 2021-2022 Corporate Partners. Please take a moment to learn about the many services, programs and products these organisations offer to the Local Government sector.

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27/11/2017 9:38:54 AM

Maroondah Takes National Management Challenge Trophy

Congratulations to Maroondah City Council, winners of the 2021 Australasian Management Challenge.

The Maroondah team – Realm Collective – took the trophy after first winning the Victorian event, representing Victoria against their local government peers from across Australia and New Zealand at the final earlier this year. LGPro congratulates the hard work of Daniel Clements, Laura Crebbin, Kate Klep, Aman Mehta, Michelle Wang, Samuel Wearne, and their team mentor, Amie Graham. “We’ve learned so much from the Challenge experience that is directly applicable to our work at Council.”

The National Management Challenge is proudly sponsored by:

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Think Fast: How Frankston Set Up Remote Customer Service in 48 Hours We revisit this year’s Customer Impact Award, recognising the outstanding achievements of Local Government’s customer service teams. This year’s trophy went to the team at Frankston City Council who personified the sector’s agility in responding to the pandemic.

With impending stage four COVID restrictions, Frankston City Council urgently needed a channel to communicate with its community while its Customer Service staff were required to work remotely. The traditional phone channel was not an option and Council had only 48 hours to deploy a workable solution that would positively impact the customer experience. A fully functional Live Chat solution that would have typically taken 6-12 months to implement was successfully deployed with full record-keeping compliance within the 48 hours. After a successful launch that saw a 95 per cent customer satisfaction rating compared to 58 per cent across all channels, it was extended to libraries and the City’s Art Centre and grew to include an after-hour chat bot. The project has since improved Council’s reputation and improved communication by giving the community a quicker, seamless experience when interacting with Council, highlighting the benefit of digital transformation when delivered effectively.

Want more innovation? Scan the QR code to see how councils mastered Customer Experience with best-in-class case studies.

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