June 2016 Profile Magazine

Quarterly magazine for Local Government Professionals Winter 2016

2016 LGPro

Women’s Professional

Development Forum Inspire Unite Celebrate THURSDAY 21 JULY Melbourne Park Function Centre, Batman Avenue Melbourne

Advocating for officers

Around the Councils

2016 Social Media Conference

Campaign to protect Council workers in the field

Latest news from Councils across the state

See pictures from this successful event

PROFILE WINTER 2016

Connect with us at

LGProVIC

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

The deadline for Spring 2016 edition is 1 August 2016. The magazine will be published in early September 2016.

CONTRIBUTIONS Story ideas and photographs are always welcome. Please contact Vicki Amiguet, LGPro’s Manager Communication and Sponsorship on (03) 9268 6400 or via email to vickia@lgpro.com ADVERTISING For information or to book advertising in Profile, please call Vicki Amiguet on (03) 9268 6400 or via email to vickia@lgpro.com CREDITS Publisher: LGPro (03) 9268 6400 Editor – Vicki Amiguet Design: Bull Design Group (03) 9561 3313 www.bulldesigngroup.com.au

Contents

6-7 Inspire, Unite and Celebrate at LGPro Women’s events This year’s Women’s Professional Development Forum and Women’s Network Dinner will celebrate and inspire women working in the sector.

9 Addressing gender imbalance Our female Board members presented a submission to the Local Government Minister on the gender imbalance at CEO level in Local Government.

13 Future Ready – the next steps Learn about the next steps to implementing our Future Ready project which provides a roadmap to the future Local Government workforce.

21 Meet Kim Rawlings an LGPro Fellow Kim Rawlings provides an insight into her career and what has helped her to get where she is today.

22-23 Support yourself, support the sector with LGPro membership Learn how the support of LGPro members helps us to make a difference in the sector.

Profile is printed on recycled paper.

Main picture at top: From left, Tess Papanikolaou, Sarah Quick and Cameron Gray from Yarra City Council at the Social Media Conference.

27 Sharing the love through mentoring Troy Edwards talks about his involvement in our mentoring program and why he likes to give back to the sector.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The members’ organisation ›

We often refer to ourselves as a member organisation. It’s perhaps more accurate and helpful to think of LGPro as the members’ organisation.

It’s a simple proposition but it requires a fine balance between the members driving the work but not being burdened by having to do all of it.

Support yourself, support the sector You will be receiving your membership renewal this month and many of your colleagues

Our independence is key to our ability to work with and for you without compromise. Not being reliant on government or other sources of funding makes LGPro highly reliant on membership. So

The challenge for the Board and

will receive invitations to join.

staff of LGPro is to be mindful

In trying to promote the benefits

and comfortable with leading and

of LGPro membership we have

being led to ensure that our efforts

decided on support yourself,

and resources are used in a way

support the sector. We are

that you feel is reflective of your

continually striving to develop

needs and aspirations.

programs, events and services

I look forward to catching up with

that will add value for you,

you at an LGPro activity soon.

Biodiversity SIG submissions

regardless of the stage of your

A good example of this working

career and in a challenging

well is the two excellent LGPro

environment Councils more

submissions developed by the

than ever need to have people

Biodiversity Planning Network

who are encouraged and

Special Interest Group; Protecting

supported to develop the skills

Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity

and knowledge required to

2036, and Review of the Native

drive sector performance.

Vegetation Clearing Regulations.

As your members’ organisation it

On behalf of the Board I’d like to thank the members of this SIG for their efforts and for representing the sector so well.

is vital that LGPro members drive our activities and submissions that represent and support the sector.

The work to develop Future Ready

I’d also like to take this opportunity

projects, submissions in the next

to congratulate the LGPro Web

phase of the Local Government

Network SIG on developing and

Act Review and the Good Practice

delivering a high quality Social

Guide for Enforcement are just a

Media Conference. The work of

few examples of work that LGPro

the planning committee, and the

members continue to drive.

SIG more broadly, demonstrates great leadership in an area of operation that is vital to the sector.

Reduced rate for Young Professionals

Next year the Communications

We are excited about offering a

Network SIG will work together

Young Professionals membership

with the Web Network to develop

category at a significantly reduced

another outstanding Social Media

rate for those working in the sector

Conference program.

who are 36 years and under. This membership category will also tie in with the Young Professionals Network SIG.

4 | PROFILE WINTER 2016

please support yourself, support the sector by renewing your LGPro membership and encouraging your colleagues who aren’t members to consider joining.

BRENDAN McGRATH PRESIDENT

CEO’S MESSAGE

Making programs accessible

›

Accessibility is a key consideration for all of our work but in a financially constrained environment it has become more important than ever. There’s not much point in claiming to be a statewide organisation if the only way to access our programs and services is to come to Melbourne.

That’s why we are so pleased and excited with the response we’ve had to the regional programs we are offering. Our new program, Ignite for Outdoor Workers is being held in north east Victoria with each of the four days being hosted by different Councils in the region.

Representing the sector We take great care to ensure that our advocacy work, e.g. submissions on the Local Government Act Review, rate capping and legislative protection for authorised officers have direct input of our members from across Victoria and that

Another new program, Council

our view is representative of the

Report Writing, has been delivered

entire sector.

in the north east and in western Victoria at Hindmarsh, and we have the Core Financial Skills program being delivered at Warrnambool, Corangamite, Latrobe and Baw Baw.

Bendigo having signed on and discussions underway with a number of other Councils. We recognise that cost is a significant part of accessibility and with this in mind the costing for our online learning is based on an average number of users which would typically see smaller rural Councils receiving it at a lower rate.

yourself, support the sector.

DAVID PREISS “Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you.”

– Carl Jung

to provide you with simpler and easier online access and improved

disruptions (I know you’ve heard

really strong interest with Greater

and working with you to support

updating our member database

Our online learning which offers

performance appraisal is receiving

to welcoming our new members

theme, we are upgrading and

communication with our office.

compliance courses and/or online

with our ongoing members and

Continuing with the accessibility

Customised online learning Local Government customised

I look forward to catching up

We don’t expect any significant that before) but we will keep you informed of any changes that might impact on you as we progress.

Upcoming events Over the next few months we have the following events planned – the Women’s Professional Development Forum and Women’s Network Dinner incorporating the Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship, the Aged & Disability Services Seminar, Corporate Planners Conference and the first Young

We know there are a range of

Professionals Network SIG event.

activities that work best for all

All of these are great opportunities

if they are held centrally. For these

to continue your professional

we always seek input and advice

and career development, make

from our regional and rural

important connections and lead

members about timing and

the work of the sector.

format to make their attendance as convenient as possible.

PROFILE WINTER 2016 | 5

Celebrating Women July is a special month for women working in Local Government with two key LGPro events that recognise and celebrate women in our sector. These events – the Women’s Professional Development Forum and the Women’s Network Dinner – will both be held on Thursday 21 July at Melbourne Park.

The forum will be held during the day starting at 9.30am and the dinner will start with drinks at 6.30pm before dinner is served at 7pm. The number of women and men (at the dinner) attending the events have grown with many commenting that they look forward to them each year.

Forum The forum started in 2010 to celebrate the Year of Women in Local Government and in support of the national strategy to advance the important contribution made by all women in the sector.

Its objective is to focus on the issues, opportunities and challenges facing women in the sector and to support career development, personal growth strategies and shared approaches to address them. The forum targets all women regardless of their location, level or professional background and the program is developed by LGPro’s female Board members with this in mind. In recent years each forum has had a theme and this year it is –

INSPIRE, UNITE AND CELEBRATE.

The two keynote addresses, interactive concurrent sessions and facilitated panel session will be based around the theme.

Two inspirational keynote speakers, Clementine Ford and Jacqui Cooper, have been secured (see more on them below).

Keynote speakers Clementine Ford is a writer, speaker and feminist thinker. She

is a columnist for Fairfax’s Daily Life and is a regular contributor to The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. Her work has also appeared in the Guardian, Cosmopolitan, Girlfriend, CLEO, Sunday Life and The Big Issue. Clementine has been a guest on ABC’s Q&A, Channel Nine Mornings and is a frequent contributor to Channel Ten’s The Project.

She explores issues of gender inequality and pop culture. Her ability to use humour to lay bare ongoing issues affecting women has earned her a huge and loyal readership amongst both women and men. Clementine’s work has radically challenged the issues of men’s violence against women and gender warfare in Australia.

In late 2012, Clementine was voted one of Australia’s most influential female voices by Daily Life readers. In 2013 and 2014, those same readers voted her into Daily Life’s top 20 Women of the Year awards.

Clementine’s number one mission is to speak openly and honestly about the state of the world as we live in it. She hopes to give other women the language and confidence to articulate their own feelings of frustration and anger.

6 | PROFILE WINTER 2016

Jacqui Cooper is the greatest aerial skier of all time having represented

Australia in 139 World Cup events, nine World Championships and been selected in five Winter Olympic teams. She has won five world titles, 39 World Cup medals, 24 World Cup events and three major World Championship medals.

Jacqui’s sport is unforgiving; she has had knee, elbow, shoulder and hip reconstructions. In 2001 she broke her back in an attempt to win a record third World Title; she went on and won it. In 2002 at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics she injured her knee and broke her leg, just two days before the Olympic competition ending years of dreaming, willing and wanting.

In 2010, Jacqui competed in Vancouver after a year of intense hip and knee rehabilitation. She spent most of the months leading into the Olympics in a wheelchair, learning to walk again and gaining confidence in a sport that is brutal and cruel. She stunned her rivals, coaches and teammates when she came fifth; her best Olympic result in 20 years. In between training and competing in events Jacqui devotes much of her time to sporting committees around the world, providing a voice for her peers at a national and international level. She also works with kids to promote healthy lifestyles, smart choices, nutrition, dreaming big, being active and goal setting.

in Local Government Women’s Network Dinner

The dinner has become a key event on the Local Government calendar providing a great networking opportunity. Many Councils take the opportunity to book full tables as reward and recognition for their staff.

Highlights of the evening include the address by the keynote speaker and the announcement of the winners of the Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Fund Award which recognises women 35 years and under who have demonstrated achievements in improving community life.

Speaker Dr Susan Carland has a PhD from Monash University’s School of Social Sciences and is a lecturer and

researcher at Monash University’s National Centre for Australian Studies. Her teaching and research expertise are in gender, sociology, contemporary Australia and the modern Muslim experience.

Susan hosted the “Assumptions” series on ABC’s Radio National and in 2012 she was named on the 20 Most Influential Australian Female Voices list by The Age. She has also been listed on the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World list and as a “Muslim Leader of Tomorrow” by the UN Alliance of Civilizations. She is a regular paper reviewer and panelist on ABC TV’s News Breakfast and has also appeared on the Agony series, Q&A, Lateline, Studio Ten, The Circle, Sunrise, The Einstein Factor and Compass.

Her writing has appeared in numerous Australian print and online publications, including in the “Between Us” Women of Letters anthology published by Penguin and the “Mothermorphosis” anthology published by Melbourne University Press. She also co-authored The Research Process (6th edition), published by Oxford University Press and Melbourne University Publishing is publishing her PhD thesis, entitled Fighting Hislam (slated for publication in 2017). Susan was a co-creator and presenter of the ground-breaking television show, Salam Café and is an ambassador for the Possible Dreams International charity.

REGISTRATIONS

PHOTO BOOTH

Registrations for both events will open this month. Look out for further details and the forum program on our website at www.lgpro.com and in our fortnightly email newsletter Your Sector Your News.

The photo booth at last year’s dinner was such a success that we have booked another one this year so guests can have a bit of fun with their colleagues and friends.

It will be set up outside the dinner room.

LGPRO THANKS THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR WOMEN’S EVENTS

Women’s Professional Development Forum MAJOR SPONSOR

SUPPORTING SPONSOR

Women’s Network Dinner MAJOR SPONSOR

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

PROFILE WINTER 2016 | 7

Sally Isaac winner continues her passion The 2015 Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship fund Award winner, Emily McKie, is even more passionate about providing girls with the opportunity to participate in sport than she was when she won the award.

And all her hard work is getting results as the girl’s football competition that she started only a year ago has grown from 12 teams to an amazing 37 teams this season. Last season there were only divisions for under 12s and under 15s, but this year that has expanded to include under 16s and under 18s.

Emily is busy combining running the competition with assisting sporting teams at an Indigenous Boarding School and her Health Studies degree at Deakin University and loving every minute of it.

“It doesn’t even have to be football, I just want to see girls given the opportunity to get out there and give sport a crack.”

Emily said winning the award had gained her a lot of accolades in the sporting community and she was thrilled to be invited to speak at the International Women’s Day celebration at Yarra Ranges Council in March.

“Winning the Sally Isaac Award and the $10,000 educational scholarship that went with it allowed me to stop and really think about what direction I wanted to take my study in. So this year I started my Health Science degree majoring in diversity in the community and sport coaching,” she said.

“The scholarship has given me more motivation to study and I have been able to choose a field that I truly believe in.”

Emily says the growth of the Eastern Ranges Girl’s Football League has been phenomenal and it has been “awesome” to be a part of it. “The whole perception of girls playing football is changing and this will continue now that a national girl’s football competition is being proposed,” she said.

Emily (centre) answers a question during her appearance at Women’s Day celebrations in March.

2016 Sally Isaac nominations

Nominations for the 2016 Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Award close on Friday 10 June and the winner will be announced at the LGPro Women’s Network Dinner on Thursday 21 July.

Each year the award attracts an outstanding field of women aged 35 years and under who have demonstrated achievements in improving community life. The winner receives a $10,000 educational scholarship to undertake a component of a relevant tertiary course in Australia or overseas on an issue or area of work that will contribute to improve community life.

The Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Fund Award is in honour of Sally Elizabeth Isaac, an extraordinary woman and young leader

8 | PROFILE WINTER 2016

in the Local Government sector who passed away in early 2009.

Sally had an amazing capacity for developing people, engaging in policy debate and an absolute commitment to social justice in the community.

For further information visit 2016 Sally Isaac Award or contact LGPro on (03) 9268 6400.

ADVOCACY NEWS

Advocating to address the gender imbalance at CEO level in Local Government ›

LGPro is actively advocating to address the poor representation of women at CEO level in Local Government.

Vice president of our Board,

establishing a Ministerial Advisory

Award of an annual scholarship

Rebecca McKenzie, with the

Panel with representation from

for a female Council Director to

support of the other seven women

LGPro, ALGWA, MAV, the executive

participate in LGPro’s Executive

Board members, presented a

recruitment industry, academics

Leadership Program (XLP).

submission to the Minister for Local

with expertise in women in

Government, Natalie Hutchins

leadership and ASU or other

on International Women’s Day

relevant union representatives.

on 8 March outlining how we can

This panel should focus on the

address the glaring imbalance

establishment of targets and other

of female CEOs in the sector.

initiatives to address the existing

The submission says there are three factors which will together over

barriers to the appointment of women CEOs in the sector.

The submission contends that direct and indirect bias is a significant factor in the CEO appointment process and suggests that there would be merit in introducing mandatory training for Councillors involved in the CEO recruitment and performance

time influence the demographic

Research has shown that

management processes and in

representation of women in CEO

women, more so than their male

establishing a panel of independent

ranks in Local Government in

counterparts, will not apply for roles

advisors to sit on selection panels

Victoria. These are:

until they believe that they have the

for every CEO role. Importantly,

skills and capabilities to undertake

decision making would remain

the role. The submission says there

the power of the elected Council.

• Raising the profile of the issue and providing clear expectations by setting and measuring performance against a target • Increasing the number of

are many strategies that could be considered to increase the number of women applying for CEO roles and called on the Ministerial Panel

women in candidate pools

to explore these collaboratively

by investing in skill and

with the sector.

capability development • Improving the calibre of decision making by elected officials

A contemporary sector with strong and capable leadership is in everyone’s best interests. This will be achieved when appointment at CEO level is made on the basis of merit alone and matters of

It also recommended that the

discrimination are eliminated,

Minister establish a Minister’s

the submission concluded.

The number of women appointed to CEO roles in Local Government at any point in time since amalgamations has never been greater than 17 across the 79 Councils in Victoria. Given the large representation of women in the Local Government workforce, this figure is disappointing to say the least, the submission says.

LGPro called on the Minister to draw attention to this issue by Rebecca McKenzie presents the submission to the Minister for Local Government, Natalie Hutchins on the steps of Parliament House surrounded by other LGPro Board Members.

PROFILE WINTER 2016 | 9

Helping develop your most valuable asset‌ people.

McArthur Talent Architects is the Management Consulting division of McArthur.

Our business is simple and focused. For the last 20 years we have been helping the Australian Public and Private sectors get the best out of their people.

We deliver a range of high quality, cost-effective solutions that can be tailored to suit any specific environment or business landscape.

• Performance Management • Psychometric Assessment/Profiling • Leadership Development • Employee Engagement • Remuneration Advice To find out how Talent Architects can help you optimise your most valuable asset, contact Andrew Alford on (03) 9828 6565.

FEATURE ARTICLE

A leader driven to achieve outcomes ›

Friends of Alpine Shire CEO Dave Barry describe him as a person who is driven to achieve outcomes rather than as someone who is ambitious.

And in the two and a half years

building a $3.9 million Alpine Events

Dave has worked in Local

he has been at the helm at Alpine

Park to support outdoor events in

he has achieved some significant

Bright. These projects will create jobs

outcomes including:

during the design and construction

Government for the past 13 years. Prior to this he had a varied career starting out as an electrical engineer in the defense forces in his native Ireland, then setting up and operating a successful technology business before moving to Australia in 2003 for personal reasons.

• $4 million recurring savings in the Council budget • Setting the lowest rates in the

phase and also increase direct expenditure in the Shire each year.

Add to this a $7 million streetscape

history of the Shire last year

project which will transform the

with a rise of 2.9%

towns of Bright, Myrtleford and

• Anticipating to record the lowest rate increase of any Council in Victoria this year with a modest rise of only 2.3% • Setting a $9.3 million capital works budget for 2016/17 which is the highest in the Shire’s history The real winners in all of these outcomes has been the local community which Dave believes is how it should be. Improving

Porepunkah and the fact that fees and charges for many Council services across the Shire have dropped dramatically and there are certainly many reasons for Alpine residents to be happy.

One example of the lower fees and charges is a family pass to the swimming pool which was reduced from $300 to $99 last year and has been further reduced to $89 this year.

services to the community should

Dave admits that there have been

be at the forefront of all Council

some tough decisions made to

decisions, he says.

achieve these outcomes including

The Shire is embarking on some major capital works including a $3.8 million project to give Mt Beauty a major facelift and

reducing the Shire’s full time staff from 143 to just under 100. “Naturally this process has not been easy.

For me significant change requires bringing people on a journey with you and in this case our staff have been fantastic and prepared to put the greater good above themselves.

It shows how committed they are to our community” he said.

“Reducing our staff and cutting our vehicle fleet from 22 to six has helped to put money back into ratepayers pockets through lower rates and fees and charges, and we are undertaking some major projects that benefit the local community and bring more tourism dollars into the region,” he said.

12 | PROFILE WINTER 2016

His first Council role was in economic development at Alpine Shire Council, then as a Team Leader in economic and commercial development at Albury City where he worked with a visionary General Manager who was passionate about delivering transformative projects that would benefit the community.

“Basically we bought up difficult sites, removed the barriers that prevented them from being commercially viable and sold them to developers to achieve a specific, and often varied outcome, for our community”.

“At that time Councils in NSW were cash strapped so they had to look for innovative ways to improve and it was exciting to be part of that.”

Dave then became a Director at Towong Shire Council where he was fortunate to work as part of a team that secured funding for $12 million of new community facilities in a short period of time – increasing annual competitive funding from $150,000 to $3.8 million.

Dave believes great leaders need a range of attributes and in particular maintaining a focus on what delivers outcomes and not being distracted by a never ending list. In his time in Local Government he has focused on achieving one or two projects each year that make a fundamental difference to the community.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

Future Ready moves to the next level

LGPro

Future Ready

›

LGPro’s Future Ready project, which provides a roadmap to the future Local Government workforce, has moved to the next level following a collaborative workshop of CEOs, Directors and Managers representing 19 Councils on 27 April.

Developed in partnership with

• Community focussed services

The objective is to ensure that

Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC),

• Workforce

there are priority projects which

Future Ready’s vision is to create a

• Enabling environment

have short, medium and long term

sector workforce that can adapt and respond to emerging and changing community needs while remaining financially sustainable.

deliverables. An update on progress

A steering group with two

of the project was shared with

CEO representatives from the overarching Project Control Group at the helm has been formed for

The project will drive change

each stream. The workshop on

through a range of priority projects

27 April gave each steering group the

that have a whole of sector focus.

opportunity to scope their stream’s

The projects have been collated into

priority projects and identify key

the following three project streams:

milestones, resource requirements,

the Minister for Local Government and LGV at a meeting on Thursday 19 May 2016.

risks and interdependencies.

THE MEAT IN THE SANDWICH OR SANDWICH MAKER LGPro invites Executive and Personal Assistants to this special program and lunch

Friday 24 June from 11.30am-2.30pm Maddocks, Level 6/140 William Street, Melbourne EAs and PAs are key contacts for people at all levels in the organisation including Councillors. With Council elections coming up later this year it’s easy to see how they could be the ‘meat in the sandwich’.

Learn how to deal with any tricky situations at this specialised program led by Liana Thompson and Tony De Fazio.

Liana has more than 20 years in Local Government while Tony’s career in the sector spans 39 year.

CEOs EAs & PAs and EAs and PAs who are LGPro Individual Members are FREE as a thank you for their support. Cost for other EAs and PAs is $99 incl GST.

CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER

2016 LGPRO AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

SPECIAL PROJECTS INITIATIVE

WINNER & HONOURABLE MENTION

WINNER

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

In 2013, it was announced that the movie Oddball was to commence production. The movie is based on the true story of the maremma dogs which protect a Little Penguin colony on Middle Island, off Warrnambool.

Warrnambool City Council seized an opportunity to help with the production of the film which tells an amazing story that was not well known outside the region and as a result the movie has brought with it an unprecedented promotion of Warrnambool and the Middle Island Maremma Project so that Warrnambool is now regarded as the “home of Oddball”.

Council sought to capitalise on the $7 million movie to maximise the tourism, environmental and community outcomes for their region. These aims were split over production, promotion and launch phases of the movie’s development.

The movie generated enormous community engagement. Local people feature in the film, the economic impact includes a lift in tourism and the securing for the short to medium term of funding of the maremma project through sponsorship, donations and merchandising.

Council developed an “Oddball Bed Bank” with local tourism operators donating bed nights to help the production company extend the shooting days in Warrnambool.

This resulted in two and a half weeks of filming in Warrnambool. Council was also involved in the promotional plan for the film’s launch. Outcomes included a 20-minute story on Channel 7’s Sunday Night show which reached 1.6 million viewers.

‘Meet the Maremmas’ sessions were offered in Warrnambool during the movie launch to provide people with an outlet for their immediate interest in the story behind the movie. About 2000 people participated.

Council also developed the Oddball Club, an email database to update the community on the progress of the movie. More than 100 movie extras were drawn from the club.

14 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2015

The local community was asked to participate in a Penguin Box Building Day that was filmed

by Channel 7. A total of 24 boxes were built.

Warrnambool City Council seized on the opportunity to ensure Warrnambool was central to the story told in the movie.

Although Oddball is based on a true Warrnambool story, it could have been adapted to be filmed anywhere.

The willingness of the community and Council to embrace the movie production was noted by Oddball director Stuart McDonald who said: “It was like we showed up and we said to the community ‘we want to tell your story’ – they said, ‘great because so do we, so how can we help’.”

Council harnessed the excitement in the community to develop possibly the largest promotion ever of Warrnambool. This promotion was across all areas of Council and the community.

Whilst Oddball is not the first movie to be based on a regional Australian story, it does showcase how Local Government can seize an opportunity to maximise the benefits to both community and visitor economy through a strategic all of Council approach.

It has resulted in an immediate impact of people seeing the movie and then visiting Warrnambool to see the true story.

HONOURABLE MENTION Melton City Council, Kel Tori, Luke Shannon and Michael Tudball, Western BACE The Western Business Accelerator & Centre for Excellence (Western BACE) is an innovative project that delivered a 6-star green star sustainable facility in a significant growth centre within the City of Melton.

It has also provided a direct link into local employment, emerging and new business growth whilst addressing a skill shortage within the local workforce. In addition a sustainable business model has been developed with the establishment of a skills-based Board to govern and grow the facility.

The City of Melton is within the fastest growing region in Australia and is one of Melbourne’s designated growth corridors. With an annual population growth rate at over 4.5% there is ongoing pressure to create local employment opportunities as at present 83% of residents leave the City each day to find work.

As a demonstration project the Western BACE and its location within the future Toolern Metropolitan Activity Centre has served as a pivotal point of activation within the precinct.

The facility has highlighted the need for Councils to be able provide high level and professional business centred facilities for businesses to develop and meet. The rate of engagement in the initial stages with mature businesses has demonstrated the need for such a localised space.

The Western BACE project team, where possible, has facilitated employment opportunities for local businesses from both the City of Melton and broader local region by sourcing local products, ensuring that the design and construction of the facility included opportunities for local business involvement and by working collaboratively with project partners to identify programs.

The City of Melton is working with the Western Melbourne Regional Development Authority and LeadWest to pursue the possibility of the Western BACE operating as a central support facility for a range of smaller, industry-specific business accelerators across western Melbourne, enhancing the project’s impact and supporting the growth of local employment opportunities across the broader western Melbourne region.

Nominate now for 2016 Aged & Disability Services Awards Nominations are open for the 2016 LGPro Aged & Disability Services Awards and will close at 5pm on Monday 25 July.

The awards celebrate individuals and teams working in Local Government who have made a significant contribution to Aged & Disability Services in Victoria. This year’s categories are: • Outstanding Program or Project – Grant based (funded) • Outstanding Program or Project – Non grant based (not funded) Nominations will be via an online process similar to last year.

Award winners will be announced at the LGPro Aged & Disability Services Awards Dinner on Wednesday 7 September at Bayview Eden in Melbourne. The dinner is held in conjunction with the LGPro Aged & Disability Services Seminar which will be on Thursday 8 September.

Click here for more information and to nominate

PROFILE AUTUMN 2015 | 15

2016 LGPRO AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS INITIATIVE

WINNERS & FINALISTS

WINNER

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

This is a revolutionary, community-driven response to a complex social issue. It recognises that the current system is failing the area’s young people, almost half of whom are not going on to attain Year 12 or equivalent.

In the longer-term, Beyond the Bell seeks to mobilise an entire community across a vast geographic area to ensure all local young people are supported and encouraged to achieve their full potential.

Four years in, the project has inspired a regional coalition that is now actively engaged in addressing gaps and problem areas across the life continuum, from birth through to adulthood. It has created a deeper understanding of the barriers to education attainment and how these might be addressed.

The primary goal of the Beyond the Bell initiative was to bring together all tiers of government, organisations, community groups and individuals across south west Victoria to support them to work together in a Collective Impact framework.

The long-term ambition is to create a future in which the region’s young people are encouraged and supported to achieve their full potential. Outcomes to date include: • The project is now a priority of the Great South Coast Group, Regional Development Australia and Regional Development Victoria • The formation of six Local Action Groups, each with its own action plan based on local need and culture and development of a regional strategy • Activation of around 100 volunteers across the region • Engagement with 2500 community members Unlike other approaches, Beyond the Bell is not looking to government to solve the problem. Instead, it has adopted a grass roots approach underpinned by the philosophy that it takes a village to educate a child.

The initiative has galvanised the community to take responsibility for addressing this complex and multifaceted issue.

16 | PROFILE AUTUMN 2015

It has engaged stakeholders and partners at every related touch point in a young person’s life, from maternal and child care to kindergartens, libraries, primary schools, secondary schools to the alternative and higher education providers, service clubs, health and welfare providers, as well as individuals and other groups.

This work has not been easy. Traditional ways of working involving competition for control, scarce resources and skilled staff has been a barrier, as has the lack of skills in adaptive leadership, action learning and working collaboratively in a Collective Impact setting. This has entailed some difficult conversations, workshops and other tools to build the necessary trust and relationships to do this work.

Beyond the Bell has engaged representatives from Local Government and the education, health and welfare sectors, including the local Aboriginal community, young people, parents and other interested community members.

There is now broad understanding of Beyond the Bell across the Great South Coast community (approximately120,000 people).

Beyond the Bell has ushered in a new spirit of collaboration, fostering regional networks and relationships and providing the tools and knowledge to be better able to work together.

FINALISTS Frankston City Council, On the Right Track On the right track was a partnership initiative between the Kokoda Youth Foundation and Frankston City Council promoting the spirit of the Anzac’s and identifying the values engraved on pillars at the Papua New Guinea war memorial as key attributes for lifelong success.

These values are: • Courage (bravery and honesty) • Endurance (strength and growth) • Mateship (loyalty and integrity) • Sacrifice (selflessness and volunteering) It provided young people aged 14-17 years with an opportunity to develop themselves mentally, physically and emotionally by participating in endurance based learning. Participants were provided

with an alternative way to express themselves in a safe and supportive environment, enhancing their ability to navigate the challenges of life.

The program was a one of a kind initiative in Victoria delivered in partnership with the Kokoda Youth Foundation and the 39th Battalion. It was made up of two components; community service and endurance based activities and was a great platform for young people to develop disciplines in relation to their social, leadership, and physical skills. Through this challenge participants were able to demonstrate to their leaders, parents, schools and themselves the leadership and team building skills they developed over the course of the program’s intensive physical and personal development sessions.

Sunraysia Sustainability Network, Nardia Baker, Martin Hawson, Mark Jenkins and Robert Watson, Sunraysia Sustainability Network Project Through ongoing community and government partnerships with Sunraysia Sustainability Network (SSN), the Mildura Eco Village (MEV) project represents a vital step towards education of the community about the challenges of regional self-sufficiency.

MEV is a multi-stage, long term, sustainable community precinct, situated on 11 acres of land next to the Mildura Landfill and Transfer Station.

The facility provides community partnerships and a focus on innovation; environmental education and activities; renewable energy and retrofitting; water conservation and recycling for business; and sustainability training, events and festivals.

Through the SSN community partnership, MEV offers a unique and innovative range of sustainability,

education and energy saving demonstrations and solutions, including: • A 9 Star energy-rated MEV Centre, the development of which was recognised ‘as an exemplar of sustainable design’, winning two design awards from the Victorian Building Designers Association Awards in 2013 • A unique Solar Distillation Demonstration project, featuring 70 solar powered desalination panels, producing up to 600 litres/day of distilled water from contaminated, stormwater, or saline water sources • An Eco House ‘retrofit’, demonstrating the ease and value of investing in domestic retrofit options • A community garden

Yarra City Council, Sustainability and Strategic Transport Team, In Your Patch: Local Sustainability in Action Yarra Council’s In Your Patch project was a successful pilot resulting in six community partnership projects including a highly successful solar bulk-buy, a new compost hub and several new and enhanced gardens and compost systems.

The objective of the project was to increase collective action for sustainability across Yarra, using a community partnership approach with a particular focus on connecting neighbours and targeting new audiences, particularly the ‘hard to reach’.

It represents a fresh approach to a long-standing aspiration of Local Government to foster effective community action for sustainability.

A community empowerment and partnership model was adopted where community members led the projects and were partnered by Council.

The results have validated the strategies used which included community empowerment, peer-to-peer engagement, group capacity building and Council driven community partnerships. It successfully reached a diverse audience and enabled new collective action.

In Your Patch has also provided learning that is now being integrated into the Yarra Annual Grants.

The project sought ideas from the community and then provided seed funding and extensive tailored support to turn the ideas into reality. It also worked at the group (rather than individual) level to facilitate collective action using a peer-to-peer engagement approach, empowering trusted community members to engage the people around them.

PROFILE AUTUMN 2015 | 17

2015 ELP PARTICIPANT’S PRESENTATION

Explore your options.

Premium Customer Service · IT Solutions · Contact Centre · Facilities Management · Social Media

1300 760 011 Speak to us today about customer service tailored to your business!

ADVOCATING FOR COUNCIL OFFICERS

Calling for more protection for authorised officers

›

LGPro is leading an advocacy campaign calling for more protection for authorised Council officers carrying out their duties following an increase in the number of officers being assaulted.

We have written to the Sentencing

with the Minister for Local

Council Victoria calling for the same

Government, Natalie Hutchins.

sentences to apply to offenders who assault Council officers in the line of duty to those that apply to emergency workers.

Authorised Council officers includes those working in the areas of domestic animal control, parking, food regulation enforcement, public

The lack of legislative protection

health and wellbeing, planning and

for Council workers was also

environment enforcement and

highlighted in our December 2015

regulation, tobacco control, building

submission to the Local Government

regulation and local laws.

Act review. Part of our submission called for “the introduction of a specific offence provision(s) within the new Local Government Act that applies to causing serious injury or the death of a Council appointed authorised officer mirroring the current offences to which section 10AA of the Sentencing Act applies using the definition of ‘serious injury’ within section 15 the Crimes Act.” LGPro has also raised our concerns on this matter in regular meetings

Our letter to the Sentencing Council Victoria said: “sadly, authorised Council officers are frequently subject to abuse and sometimes assault while carrying out legitimate duties, including enforcement of State legislation.”

The letter went on to say we are concerned that the sentences handed down to perpetrators of these assaults is inadequate and does not take into account the trauma caused to the

individual and their family and the impacts and costs imposed on their colleagues and employer.

Section 10AA of the Sentencing Act 1991 prescribes a minimum term of imprisonment for the offence of causing injury intentionally or recklessly against an emergency worker (as defined). Unfortunately the definition does not include Authorised Officers of Local Government, the letter stated.

As the peak body representing Local Government officers, LGPro believes that when a person assaults a Local Government authorised officer while in the execution of their duties, they should be subject to the same mandatory sentencing arrangements as those people who assault police, emergency workers, hospital staff and fire fighters.

Greater Bendigo signs up for online learning with LGPro Greater Bendigo City Council is the

• Equal employment opportunity

Councils to check out to see

first to sign up for the six compliance

• Fraud prevention and awareness

if they meet their requirements.

courses that LGPro has developed

• Victorian Charter of Human

LGPro and GVM are also able to

in conjunction with Global Vision Media (GVM) as part of our new specialist online learning offering.

Rights and Responsibilities The courses were developed with

and modules to meet the needs

a high level of engagement from

of individual Councils.

The compliance courses are

Council officers to ensure they

designed to support officers working

are relevant and specific Local

in Local Government to perform

Government examples will be used

their duties in the areas of:

in the delivery of the programs. Each

• Information privacy

course has been checked and signed

• OH&S • Workplace bullying & harassment

develop customised online courses

off as legally compliant by HR Legal.

Samples of the six courses are available online for other interested

Any Council wanting further information on the online compliance courses, or to discuss customised courses can contact Leanne Bickley at LGPro on (03) 9268 6400.

PROFILE WINTER 2016 | 19

SOCIAL MEDIA CONFERENCE PICTURES

What’s next in social media ›

Our 2016 Social Media Conference attracted a record number of delegates all keen to learn what’s next in the rapidly developing fields of digital media and online engagement.

Nick Williamson, a systems thinker

tools, livestreaming and how to

and shared tips on how to take social

and innovator from New Zealand

engage during a crisis. The lightning

media and online engagement to

talked about projects he had led

talks, where seven Councils each

the next level.

which had changed the relationship

provided a five minute presentation

between citizens and Councils by

on a cutting edge social media

moving the Council’s role from

project they had implement proved

arbitrator to facilitator.

popular with delegates.

The workshop sessions focused

The day finished with an on the

on digital storytelling, social media

couch session where panellists

analytics, paying for social media

answered questions from the floor

Conference delegates were busy tweeting during the day so much so that #LGProSM16 was actually trending which was great news!

Tracey Slatter, CEO of Port Phillip City Council opened the conference.

Sean Kavanagh and Heidi Taylor from Hume City Council.

A record number of delegates attended the conference.

Nate Leslie from Yarra Ranges Council presented a session called Pay to Play.

Session presenter, Leigh Price from Amicus Digital with Natasha Leary from Greater Bendigo City Council.

Marco Bass from Moreland City Council provides the secrets to successful storytelling.

Steve Fuery from Bass Coast Shire Council tweets during the conference.

Emma Lewis (left) and Vicki Daddo both from Latrobe City Council.

MEMBER NEWS

Meet LGPro Fellow – Kim Rawlings

›

Kim Rawlings, Manager City Futures at Knox City Council, is a valued LGPro Fellow Member. In this Q&A interview she shares with us some of her career background and insights.

You joined LGPro in 2008, why?

I’d recently moved back to Victoria and re-joined Local Government after 10 years working in Local Government in Queensland.

I wanted to establish myself back in the sector in Victoria and more importantly make connections and build networks, I looked to LGPro as a great way to do this.

What has been your major involvement with LGPro and has this assisted your career?

My most significant involvement with LGPro was when I was awarded the inaugural Sally Isaac Award in 2009. This award and recognition more than anything before resonated and had a great impact on me. It really consolidated for me what and why I do what I do, I am strongly motivated by my community contribution both personally and professionally.

I have also undertaken the Executive Leadership Program (XLP) with LGPro. This fabulous program gave me the opportunity to relfect, learn, share and get clarity about my career and contribution.

Have your career goals and aspirations shifted over the years?

Yes in some ways but in others no.

I’ve always been pretty clear about what I wanted from my career, where that takes place is what has shifted over the years.

What are your thoughts on leadership skills, are they inbuilt or can they be taught?

While I think there are certain inbuilt attributes that great leaders have, I also think you continue to grow and learn always as a leader. So yes

there are leadership aspects that can be taught, however, from my experience the best leaders have a natural ease about them and are genuine and authentic.

You manage a large team at Knox, what do you do to ensure their career aspirations are met?

I don’t see it as my responsibility to meet my team’s career aspirations, however I do see it as my responsibility to create the environment and opportunities for my team to learn, grow, contribute, engage, be challenged, to do and be the best they can be in whatever work or endeavours we collectively seek to deliver.

We would like to see our Fellow members mentor our younger members, what advice would you give younger people working in the sector?

I think it’s very important to know why you do what you do, what motivates you and how that aligns with the organisation you are with. I am a big advocate for mentoring and would encourage anyone with an aspiration for a career in Local Government to establish a mentoring relationship with someone experienced in the sector, their perspective and wisdom is usually invaluable.

Have you had mentors in your career and how have they helped?

Yes absolutely both in the sector and external to the sector, when I think about the big moves I’ve made whether it’s been a new job, new location or a more significant role, my mentors have been crucial at these points in my career.

Why do you like working in Local Government sector?

I love working for Local Government, it’s not a job it’s a vocation and I know it’s very cliché but you can really make a difference. I love the work that we do, I take my role and the work we do very seriously, we affect and create a legacy in our communities and cities, this is a significant responsibility and a privilege to be part of.

What are your thoughts on the low representation of women CEOs in the sector?

This is a complex issue and has many dimensions to it. However reflecting on my own aspirations and experience, leadership in Local Government is incredibly rewarding but is not easy, the challenges are complex, large and real, the expectations are high, the hours are long. Work life balance amongst other issues is still a prevailing challenge and if I’m honest this is still a barrier for me and many other women I know in the sector.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I’ve been in Local Government for more than 20 years working to improve our cities and quality of life for communities, about eight years ago I co-founded a grassroots charitable organisation and my passion in this space is growing all the time. In five years I would like to be spending more time in community based or non for profit work.

PROFILE WINTER 2016 | 21

JOIN LGPRO AND HELP US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Support yourself, support the sector ›

LGPro is proud to be your member association and we could not operate successfully without your loyal support.

We thank all of our members

In the past 12 months our

We are committed to continue

for their valued support over the

membership has grown giving

to develop and deliver services

past year which has helped us to

us an even stronger voice and

that support people working at

provide high quality and relevant

influence. Our members have

all levels in Local Government

programs, conferences and

provided valuable input into a range

including forums and leadership

events; to celebrate excellence

of submissions to government

development for CEOs, Directors

in the sector through our award

on diverse issues including rate

and Managers through to career

programs; to advocate to other

capping, the review of the Local

advancement opportunities and

levels of government on issues

Government Act, the representation

mentoring to the growing number

affecting Local Government

of women at CEO level, protection

of young professionals working in

and to administer our 30 Special

of authorised Council officers,

the sector who want to take their

Interest Groups.

and the environment.

career to the next level.

Welcome to new Members ›

We would like to welcome the following new members who joined LGPro between 16 Feb and 11 May 2016. We look forward to working with you to shape our wonderful sector.

Melanie Birtchnell Manningham City Council

Lisa Ippolito Hume City Council

Glenn Reddick Warrnambool City Council

Renae Buckley Casey City Council

Amarita Kinnoo Glen Eira City Council

Amber Ricks Northern Grampians Shire Council

Kylie Cheal Greater Bendigo City Council

Vicki Klapsinos Moreland City Council

Siobhan Sullivan Yarra Ranges Council

Graham Haylock Whittlesea City Council

Colin McLean Mornington Peninsula Council

Waudi Tahche Cardinia Shire Council

Renee Herps Maroondah City Council

Anne McLean Mitchell Shire Council

Sainath Tavate Baw Baw Shire Council

Justin Horne Moorabool Shire Council

Vicki Millen Cardinia Shire Council

Kevin Van Boxtel Greater Dandenong City Council

Angela Hunt Ararat Rural City Council

Leah Mulcaire Borough of Queenscliffe

Melanie Williams Knox City Council

Kathy Hynes Knox City Council

Christine Priest Wagga Wagga City Council

Siobhan Wood Monash City Council

Craig Ion Maribyrnong City Council

Sarah Quick Yarra City Council

Simon Woodland Yarra Ranges Council

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

Here is more information on LGPro Individual Membership or call our office on (03) 9268 6400 and ask to speak to Michelle Cox our Membership Development Manager.

22 | PROFILE WINTER 2016

What our Members say…

Marianne Di Giallonardo, Director Corporate Services, Maroondah City Council “I have had 35 years in extensive leadership roles in Victorian Local and State Government, (former Cities of Croydon and Nunawading and current Whitehorse, Nillumbik and Maroondah City and Shire Councils as well as Departments of Human and Community Services) across a wide range of service delivery areas. I have also been involved in sector related Boards including being a member and treasurer of the LGPro Board, chair of LGPro’s Awards for Excellence sub-committee, and a mentor in the LGPro Mentoring Program.

I have maintained my LGPro membership over many years because it offers significant benefits including keeping up to date with sector changes, professional development opportunities, special interest groups and has a regular advocacy seat with the Minister for Local Government at which members can table particular viewpoints without fear or favour.

This involvement has been enormously rewarding personally and professionally as it has provided a vehicle to get to know others, learn and develop in the sector and give back to strengthen the sector to ensure we are all growing to be the best we can be when we serve the people in our various communities in our wide ranging Local Government roles. These benefits have been passed on to my organisation as we continue to grow and recognise our people.”

Kylie Sprague, Manager Communications & Customer Service, Greater Dandenong City Council “My 18 year Local Government career has been at Greater Dandenong starting as a Public Affairs Officer, being promoted to Manager Public Affairs and then to Manager Media & Communications, Customer Service and Civic Facilities which includes about 50 staff. I think it is the best job in the organisation!

“My first involvement with LGPro was through a Special Interest Group (the PR Network back then), which provided a fantastic forum to meet other people in Local Government, share information, learn from guest speakers and each other. I still attend the network meetings for all the same reasons, and to gain a better understanding of what’s happening across the sector and discuss topics of interest to us all.

“My Council is very supportive of LGPro from the CEO down. So others know that if I’m attending an LGPro meeting or event, then I’m definitely going to bring something back that will be of benefit. Furthermore, their training courses are so highly regarded that I have staff lining up to get on them and the feedback is fantastic. My favourite event is the annual Women’s Professional Development Forum, I set aside this date as soon as it’s released!

“LGPro provides opportunities for personal and professional development; the ability to network with others in the sector; and to be able to attend conferences and events that are specifically tailored to our needs as Local Government professionals. I don’t like wasting precious time, so it’s important for me to only attend things of relevance and interest.”

Joanne Turner, Economic Development Officer, Rural City of Wangaratta “I started my Local Government career in 2008 with an amazing group of people at the Greater Shepparton City Council where I managed the Learn to Swim program and ‘wet area’ at Aquamoves for two years before moving to the Event and Tourism team. Three fantastic years and many amazing events and experiences later, I moved closer to family and friends in north east Victoria and joined the events team at Wodonga Council as Grants and Sponsorship Event Coordinator. After the 12 month maternity leave position finished, I started my current role as Economic Development Officer at Wangaratta Council.

“I am a relatively new LGPro member and my membership was gifted to me by my Council as part of LGPro’s ‘Be the Bridge’ campaign. Already my membership has allowed me to access a broader range of information and resources. Being part of a rural Council, it’s often hard to attend industry events, networking and workshops so the membership is helping to bridge that gap a little.

“Networking is an important part of any job and I am confident LGPro will open up networking opportunities. It’s amazing what you can learn about what other people do and know over a coffee, or at lunchtime at a conference. Working collaboratively is something I believe is really important, so the more opportunities that LGPro, individual Councils or other organisations can provide for people to work or learn together, the better.”

PROFILE WINTER 2016 | 23

NEW LGPRO MEMBERS

LGPro membership renewals for 2016/2017 will be sent out this month.

We value the support of our members which allows us to provide representation, advocacy, networking and professional development to people working in Local Government in Victoria.

LGPRO HAS THREE TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP: Individual Members: Professionals working in Local Government who join LGPro as individuals. There are four categories of Individual Members. For further information see story below.

Council Subscribers: Councils in Victoria who support the services LGPro provides to the sector and who receive a range of benefits for their subscription. These include: • Advocacy and representation to State and Federal Government and key stakeholders to ensure the Local Government officers’ perspective is heard • The opportunity to have tailored programs delivered at their Council • Five complimentary and half price Individual Memberships for nominated staff • Eligibility to nominate for the Awards for Excellence

Corporate Partners: Businesses and organisations with an interest in developing relationships with people working in Local Government. Corporate Partners also receive a range of benefits. To see these visit LGPro Corporate Partnership.

Renewal invoices will be emailed to inboxes soon so look out for these and continue to be part of something bigger with LGPro membership.

For further information on membership please visit LGPro Membership or contact LGPro on (03) 9268 6400

Individual Membership categories Fellows

Part Time Members

Those who have more than five years Local Government experience and who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution and commitment to the sector.

For professionals who are working part time (0.6 or less).

Members Those who want to further their career, grow their networks and be recognised for their contribution.

LGPro will ensure you are an integral part of the bigger picture.

Young Professionals Those who are 36 years and under, want to be connected with sector leaders and are interested in shaping the sector, this category is for you.

your membership for the time you are away so it’s there for you when you return to work.

To see the full range of Individual Membership benefits visit LGPro Membership and go to Individual Membership or contact Michelle Cox Membership Development Manager on (03) 9268 6400.

Don’t forget if you go on long service or maternity leave, let us know and we will suspend PROFILE WINTER 2016 | 25

MENTORING PROGRAM

Sharing the love through mentoring

›

We may offer a second LGPro Mentoring Program this year depending on demand. The program runs over eight months bringing together Council officers from all levels to learn from each other by sharing knowledge, expertise and skills.

Troy Edwards, Director of Corporate Services at Yarra Ranges Council, is sharing his experience and wisdom as a mentor in the program for the first time this year.

Tell us about your career and how long you have worked in Local Government?

I have been with Yarra Ranges Council since 2011 and have been in the Director Corporate Services role for the last three years. While Yarra Ranges is my first Council role, I have been working in and around the sector my whole career.

I started my working life as a graduate in the Commonwealth public service and from there I have had roles as a policy adviser in the Federal Parliament, worked with the MAV for a number of years and then worked with a wide range of Local Government clients as a director of Socom public relations.

How long have you been an LGPro member and why did you join?

I joined LGPro when I started at Yarra Ranges. LGPro plays such a central role as an advocacy voice for the sector but also as a professional development body that actively supports and develops its members.

Why did you decide to become a mentor?

The Mentoring Program is a practical and positive way I can share my professional experiences with a colleague. It’s about giving back something to the sector as well as making new contacts and stretching my own thinking.

Even today I have a couple

26 | PROFILE WINTER 2016

of mentor style relationships that I use when I need a sounding board and some independent advice.

Tell us about the mentors in your career?

At various times throughout my career I have benefited from the time and wisdom of mentors.

A good mentor helps in a number of ways – by providing different perspectives on issues, by being a sympathetic ear, by giving me that shot of confidence to back myself.

In my experience with mentors, the common thread is being able to sit down and share my issues with someone who is solely there for me. It sounds simple, but it is very important.

What do you hope to be able to provide to your mentee?

I hope through the mentoring program I can provide my mentee with a safe space to explore the professional opportunities and challenges of work and career.

I hope I can add value to the relationship through sharing my different career experiences asking the right questions at the right time. And I hope we can have a few laughs along the way.

What do you hope to gain from being part of this program?

I’m hoping that it will give me a chance to further enhance my own mentoring skills as well as stretching my thinking as a leader. There is also the value that comes from making a small contribution to the development of one of the many talented and dedicated professionals working in the sector.

Do you think being involved in the program will provide you with new skills that will assist in your role and your Council?

For sure. I think that mentoring and coaching are critical skills for leaders in the contemporary workplace.

The program is an opportunity to practice and enhance my own skills as well as giving me an insight into new and difference ways of working.

I believe there is great deal that we can learn off each other that we can apply to our own organisations.

Tell us about the charity work you are involved in outside your Council role?

I’ve had a chance to be involved in public and not for profit bodies.

This includes a number of years on the board of Museums Victoria and more recently as an advisory board member of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law at Monash University. The centre uses its human rights expertise and innovative approach to public engagement to influence legislation and government policy, promote a fairer society and to educate human rights leaders through its programs.

And funnily enough, I got involved with the Castan Centre through one of my mentors!

If you are interested in becoming a mentor or mentee phone (03) 9268 6400.

PROGRAM NEWS

Let us tailor programs to meet your needs ›

Metropolitan and rural Councils are benefiting from LGPro tailoring professional development programs for their staff and delivering them on site.

We can adapt a broad range of our programs using real life examples provided by individual Councils or develop training to suit the needs of a specific Council.

In the past two months our trainers and facilitators have led tailored programs at Whitehorse, Hindmarsh, Wangaratta and Ballarat Councils.

These have included Report Writing, How to develop a Strategic Resource Plan, Core Financial Skills and Election Caretaker Period.

Having tailored programs delivered on site is particularly important in regional Victoria so staff do not lose travel time to the city and the programs are made more relevant when using case studies from individual Councils.

We have received fantastic feedback from Councils where these programs have been delivered, some of which is featured below:

Krysten Evans, Baw Baw Shire Council “The LGPro Caretaker Period Workshop was timely and extremely informative. The facilitator delivered information in a very relaxed and relatable manner on the upcoming election in regard to the caretaker provisions that need to be considered and applied. This information, which can be quite overwhelming at times to take in, provided me, as I am sure many others who attended, with a clear and comprehensive introduction to caretaker provisions and legislation, or strengthened what we already knew. It was engaging with a mix of group work, peer led discussion and excellent presenter facilitation! For someone like me

Graduates from a recent Ignite program that was held regionally.

who is relatively new to the governance world, this was a great workshop to build my basis of understanding on caretaker period provisions and general Local Government election information.”

Taegan Salt, Hindmarsh Shire Council “Our staff required further training in report writing and after researching appropriate trainings/sessions we found that LGPro could tailor and deliver a program to ensure our staff got the most out of it. Staff provided great feedback after the session and I believe they benefited greatly from it, particularly considering the majority of them were not keen to take another day off for training.

Their feedback was that they were pleasantly surprised with the content and how they have gained a better understanding of requirements, along with report writing skills that they can take back to their positions and have appropriate content in their reports. We would most definitely encourage other Councils to take advantage of this.”

Fiona Shanks, Rural City of Wangaratta “LGPro tailored its Finance for Non-Finance Officers program for our organisation using our budget planning and reporting processes and real data from our finance system in all practical examples. Our Manager Finance and the Manager People and Performance liaised with LGPro in advance to discuss our needs and requirements and how it would work in a practical sense. Staff who attended were all very positive about the course and having it run locally and within their normal work day was far better than travelling and staying overnight in Melbourne.

The onsite cost was very competitive.

This particular course has helped improve our overall organisational financial management skills and understanding. I would certainly encourage other organisations to look towards LGPro in the first instance to address a skill gap and the tailoring process was a breeze.”

Contact Leanne Bickley at LGPro on (03) 9268 6400 to discuss how we can tailor a program to meet your needs.

PROFILE WINTER 2016 | 27

| 27

VERNE KRASTINS FEATURE ARTICLE

Workers on the move (here, there and everywhere)

› This is what the new team space looks like at the pilot site at Casey City Council.

In years gone by when working in town halls, it was touch and go to find me at my desk.

I preferred walking around, dropping in on colleagues, holding serendipitous corridor conferences, attending meetings in others’ offices or, better yet, in nearby cafes.

By and large, this was aberrant behaviour. But since my role was corporate communicator, I found having a finger on the pulse this way was critical to success, while sitting diligently in front of a computer just didn’t hack it.

Human nature has us adapt our working environment into what best suits the individual.

In bureaucracies there’s also a tendency to establish team territories – no better way to do that than inhabit walled spaces bearing department names.

Then I moved into open plan offices, a new flavour meant to equalise fiefdoms and in principle, make it easier to collaborate.

Needless to say, this suited my style, and a bonus was discovering the ability to “zone out” and ignore the organised chaos around. Others experienced open plan as quite a distraction. The principle of having personal space hadn’t changed though, it was just noisier.

Fast forward a few years, and a new form of office environment is on the scene, one that facilitates “activity based working”, or ABW. As is implicit in the name, this turns the notion of a personal workstation on its head – no longer fully owned personal meditation zones, but places for multiple users, designed for the kind of work you’re doing.

It’s an office arrangement that gets workers to move around (like I did) seeking out environments fit for the task, including hubs for collaboration, quiet rooms for concentrated work and places to simply park oneself and respond to emails.

Proponents of ABW cite a range of benefits, including cost savings, improved productivity, worker fitness and attracting those who like it that way. It’s probably a little early to say, but a couple of factors do suggest ABW might just work.

As always, one factor is technology.

Workers who are constantly on the move need to carry with them

what once sat on desks, namely mobile equipment, and to have fast and robust internet connections to documents, information and each other.

The other is more subtle. We live in a world where being remotely connected is the norm, so reproducing the modern lifestyle into a new office style is quite reasonable. But herein is the key to ABW succeeding or not. It will take much more than office refits or giving everyone a tablet and cloud computing to gain the benefits ABW hopes for.

Activity based working is first and foremost a cultural shift. Those organisations which don’t put this at the centre in the change process, and make office geography secondary, are destined to fail.

Would ABW suit me? Well, I would be fully available of course, but possibly never found.

Verne Krastins Sector Connector 0411 258 455

New program for outdoor workers LGPro’s Ignite program has been tailored specifically for outdoor workers at Councils in north east Victoria and is being offered for the first time from August.

The Ignite for Outdoor Workers program has been designed for supervisors, team leaders and coordinators working in an outdoor roles to assist them to develop skills to manage and lead people.

28 | PROFILE WINTER 2016

It will be held over four days from 9am-4.30pm at Councils in the north east and participants must attend each day. The dates are: 11 August at Wangaratta, 22 September at Moira, 20 October at Murrindindi and 17 November at Alpin.

The program is designed for people who are new to, or have limited experience in a supervisory role, those with no formal leadership training or those who want to update or extend their leadership skills.

The Ignite program content and case studies have been adapted to ensure it is relevant to outdoor workers and the duties they perform.

Places will be limited to the first 18 participants who register for the program. The program can be tailored for outdoor workers in other Councils in Victoria.

For further information and to register visit Ignite program or call (03) 9268 6400.

SIG MEMBERS SPEAKING OUT

Advocating for improved biodiversity across Victoria ›

LGPro’s Biodiversity Planning Network (BPN) Special Interest Group has prepared submissions to the State Government on two key areas of interest to the group.

One submission was on the draft plan called ‘Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2036’ and the other commented on the consultation paper on the ‘Review of the Native Vegetation Clearing Regulations’.

Both were prepared with the direct input, expertise and knowledge of the SIG members who are well-placed to provide advice to the State Government on the state of the environment in Victoria and the ways in which biodiversity can be better protected. Below is an overview of both submissions.

‘Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2036’ submission key points • The plan seeks to ‘protect Victoria’s environment’ but only deals with biodiversity • The plan does not adequately consider (or engage with) the significant role of Local Government in protecting biodiversity

• A Local Government-affiliated agency should be created to implement the Biodiversity Strategy and/or environmental legislation • The State Government needs to significantly improve its leadership, funding and investment in conservation activities • Targets set during the next phase of Plan’s development need to be visionary and reflect the scale of work that is required to protect Victoria’s biodiversity

Review of the Native Vegetation Clearing Regulations submission key points • The BPN is supportive of the review of the Native Vegetation Clearing Regulations and the improvements proposed in the consultation • The proposals in the six key themes will result in much-needed improvement to the regulations

• The BPN supports a delayed implementation of any reforms if such a delay will result in native vegetation clearing regulations with improved functionality, reliability and accuracy • It is critical that the native vegetation clearing regulations interact cohesively and productively with key legislation and policies • The review of the native vegetation clearing regulations continues to reflect a greater emphasis on efficiency and cost effectiveness than on protection of Victoria’s biodiversity • The continuation of a largely economic approach to native vegetation clearing regulation does not adequately recognise that native vegetation is diverse, dynamic and not readily assessed by the lay person.

For copies of the full submissions visit http://lgpro.com/representation

Biodiversity Special Interest Group This SIG is for Local Government staff who implement biodiversity legislation and policies with the aim of assisting in the protection and enhancement of natural values within their municipality and the State. The group’s aims and objectives are to: • Discuss emerging issues with the aim of providing advice to policy makers and to advocate for the protection of biodiversity

• Share knowledge and experience to improve the implementation and outcomes of legislation and policy (e.g. Native Vegetation Framework, local policy)

There are currently 82 members representing 33 Councils but the groups is keen to expand its membership to include members from all Councils in Victoria.

• Provide an ongoing mechanism and forum for communication, consultation and liaison with other government agencies and stakeholders on biodiversity issues

For further information on joining this SIG contact Michelle Cox at LGPro on (03) 9268 6400.

• Provide opportunities for professional development, peer support and communication PROFILE WINTER 2016 | 29

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

New Young Professionals SIG ›

A new Young Professionals Special Interest Group has been established to formally connect the growing number of young professionals working in the sector.

While in the past we have

face today in the public sector.

The SIG already has a core group

offered tailored events for young

Its focus will be on designing and

of dedicated members who have

professionals, the SIG aims to

delivering professional development

helped to develop a program of

promote the positive impact

specifically tailored for professionals

events for 2016 which is outlined

young professionals working in

36 years and under to combine

below. If you are interested in

Local Government are having

learning and networking and to

joining the Young Professionals

and to address the challenges

help young professionals develop

SIG, email sig@lgpro.com

and opportunities that many

their careers.

Young Professionals Development Program for 2016 Mentoring Workshop with Kay Rundle This workshop will build your skills to develop a successful mentee/mentor relationship.

Mentoring is a personal enhancement strategy through which one person facilitates the development of another by sharing known resources, expertise, values, skills, perspectives, attitudes and proficiencies. It allows the mentee to build skills and knowledge while attaining his/her development goals. Conversely, it provides an opportunity for the mentor to further enhance their skill and knowledge areas by continuously reassessing and building upon those areas.

Kay Rundle is a former CEO with 15 years’ experience leading three Councils. As CEO, Kay was responsible for driving change within these organisations, restructuring for efficiency, strategic planning, ensuring effective governance, managing the financial responsibilities and building and maintaining key relationships within business and with community leaders. She has provided executive coaching to CEOs in Local Government, the hospital sector, private schools and senior public servants.

Date: 5 August 2016 Location: LGPro Level 3/58 Lorimer Street, Docklands Time: 9.30am-4pm

Price: LGPro Young Professional Member $265

Non Member

$365

Places are limited so register now

Effective Communications – Webinar with Matthew Gordon, Our Say This webinar will focus on developing effective digital communication strategies to engage your local community and how to measure the success of that communication. Matthew Gordon is co-founder and Director of OurSay, Australia’s largest e-democracy Platform which is revitalising Australian democracy by connecting residents with Australian leaders and decision-makers using social media and face-to-face engagement.

Date: Thursday 8 September 2016 Location: Online Time: 11am-12 noon

Price: LGPro Young Professional Member Free

Non Member

$30

Friends with Professional Benefits This Q&A session will be a great opportunity to ask a panel of CEOs questions around how Local Government is changing, how to improve your networking skills and how to find a mentor. Participants will be asked to submit their questions prior to the event, and questions will also be taken from the floor. The session will finish with a fireside chat with key Local Government executives at the Firehouse Restaurant, Ringwood at 12.30pm.

Date: Locations:

Times:

Friday 11 November 2016 Box Hill Town Hall and Firehouse Restaurant, 253-257 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood Q&A session time: 10.45am-12 noon, Firehouse session time 12.30pm

Price: LGPro Young Professional Member Free

Non Member

For further information on these events visit www.lgpro.com or call (03) 9268 6400.

30 | PROFILE WINTER 2016

$50

Communications SIG members learning from each other ›

More than 30 Local Government communications specialists crammed into the LGPro meeting room for the Communications SIG network meeting in May.

A Victorian Electoral Commission

SIG Convenors Tracey Varley

“We want to include regular

representative provided valuable

from Yarra Ranges and Michael

presentations from members to

information about the upcoming

Sinclair from Hume were thrilled

showcase work they are doing on

Council elections, including timelines

with the turnout and the valuable

particular projects – we can all learn

and VEC contact details for residents

information shared at the meeting.

from the work of others. We will

of individual Council areas.

“So many of the messages we work

also be looking for opportunities to

on in our organisations on a day to

attract guest speakers from other

day basis are things we all have in

organisations to gain insight on

common – attending SIG meetings

relevant topics,” they said.

There was also a round table discussion on the different approaches Councils were taking to communicating the rate capping message to their residents; the dos and don’ts of Council communications during

enables us to share the work we are doing, while also learning about the different approaches of other comms teams,” they said.

The next Comms Network SIG meeting is planned for Friday 19 August – so if you missed out on attending the last meeting, save

the caretaker period including

The SIG meets three to four times

this date. Tracey and Michael are

the use of social media; what

a year and Tracey and Michael are

also keen to hear from others

Councils are doing on their

keen to encourage more members

interested in joining them as

intranets plus their latest social

to join the network and to assist

convenors. For further information

media campaigns.

them to create agendas that are

email sig@lgpro.com or call

relevant and timely.

Michelle Cox on (03) 9268 6400.

PROFILE WINTER 2016 | 31

COUNCIL NEWS FROM ACROSS VICTORIA

What’s happening in Local Government Tackling youth unemployment head on

›

Yarra City Council’s Yarra Young Entrepreneur program is tackling

youth unemployment head on, supporting young people to create their own, real and viable employment opportunities.

The program’s innovative approach was recognised in the 2016 National Awards for Excellence in Local Government where it won the Youth Economic Participation category and is now in the running for the national award to be announced this month.

background, lived on the public housing estates and had limited or no connection to employers in their fields of interest.

talk about their dreams, it fires me up, encourages me to do a lot much more

They were connected to local mentors in their field of interest who provided ongoing support and facilitated connections with relevant local businesses and industry opportunities.

Of the eight participants, two have started

One of the participants said: “What I really enjoyed most was coming to a place where like-minded people came together and shared their passion, people who

Council is working with the cities of

than I was already doing.”

their own businesses, with five others becoming employed.

Due to its success, the program will be delivered again in 2016 and Yarra City Darebin and Moreland to replicate this program in the northern metropolitan region in 2016.

Yarra’s Economic Development and Youth Services teams developed the program in response to increasing youth unemployment – and requests from young people for assistance in developing their business ideas.

The first eight young people to complete the program took part in a series of training workshops to discuss and develop their business ideas. All were from a culturally and linguistically diverse Participants in the Young Entrepreneur program with Yarra Mayor Cr Robert Colanzi.

Championing the cause of international students

›

Gary Lee, the International Student & Youth Project Officer at the City of Melbourne, has been named the 2016 New Australian of the Year’ by the Australia Day Council for his work in empowering CALD communities, particularly international students.

His energy and innovative ideas are highly recognised in the sector and his ability to build instant rapport with students is exceptional.

Gary has been involved in championing countless award-winning programs for the City of Melbourne including the Essendon Football Club GLoBALL Program, the Salvation Army 614 – The Couch and the EDGE International Student Leaders’ Program (now the Melbourne International Student Conference).

He was also responsible for the Lord Mayor’s Student Welcome (LMSW), and recently organised his sixteenth LMSW event. In 2009 this event was awarded the International Education Association Australia (IEAA) best practice/innovation in international education award.

Gary Lee with some international dancers.

Outside work, Gary is a volunteer and ambassador for Melbourne Victory, the AFL Multicultural Community Program, Welcome to Australia and Bully Zero Australia Foundation. He is also plays a lead role for the Moroccan Children’s Appeal, a not for profit organisation dedicated to helping underprivileged children with severe medical conditions.

As the Chief Choreographer and Director of dance crews PoisE’n and PoisE’n Bollypop, Gary has used them as platforms to connect international students with the Australian community through performing arts and volunteering for more than a decade.

When asked why he does the things he does, he says: “I get the biggest thrill in seeing people succeed but more importantly, that no one gets left behind. I don’t see myself as someone who is defined by one thing.”

COUNCIL NEWS FROM ACROSS VICTORIA

What’s happening in Local Government Cardinia’s ‘glowing’ budget consultation

›

With rate capping firmly on the agenda and a continuing focus on doing more with less, Cardinia Shire Council faced an even bigger challenge when releasing its draft 2016/17 budget.

Council wanted more community feedback than ever and to achieve this, community consultation had to be modern, easy and importantly, relevant to residents who would not engage with Council normally.

Engagement from residents through Council’s existing online channels, particularly via mobile and tablet devices, was booming so Council decided to take advantage of this by partnering with a company called Glow to launch an online engagement platform tailored specifically for these devices.

Casey workers enjoying their new flexible work environment.

Casey staff use pilot site to test flexible working

›

Casey Council has introduced a pilot site at its Works Centre in Narre Warren for its staff to test flexible working ahead of the move to its $125 million Bunjil Place community precinct in 2017.

The Council is seeking increased efficiency, cost-effective space utilisation, improved collaboration and innovation and a renewed customer focus by adopting flexible working.

This allows staff to choose the most appropriate workspace to increase their productivity,” he said.

“Improved technology, such as smart mobile devices, headsets and a web-based phone system also provide increased opportunities for staff to work more efficiently and collaborate across office locations.”

CEO Mike Tyler said that as the needs and expectations of the community change, Council must be ready to adapt. Flexible working allows us to better align our work processes and customer needs to ensure we continue to deliver for our community.

Mr Tyler said many financial and sustainability benefits are already being realised at the pilot site, including a decrease in the costs associated with traditional offices due to a 41 percent reduction in storage and a 24 percent decrease in desk space. A decrease in paper and stationery use will also deliver year-on-year reductions.

“The flexible approach being tested at the pilot site provides a range of workspaces, including meeting rooms, training rooms and breakout spaces and they are provided at almost three times the amount seen in traditional offices.

“Feedback from staff will help shape the Bunjil Place work environment. The early adoption of flexible working will also ensure that when Bunjil Place opens staff will be ready to hit the ground running!” he added.

The platform allowed residents to complete one or two surveys: • Your say in 30 seconds, tell us what you want?

• We’re investing in your local area, please help us get it right.

Residents were able to give feedback via a number of tick box options, smiley faces and an optional feedback box for an official budget submission.

Council was delighted by the level of engagement with Survey 1 receiving 1,381 responses and Survey 2, 569 responses. Almost half of respondents indicated they were generally happy with the services and facilities Council provided. They were particularly happy with libraries, garbage and waste and community and family services, as well as how Council consulted online. In addition, Council donated the cash equivalent of one meal to charity SecondBite for each response received.

PROFILE SUMMER 2015 | 33

In this 5 minutes with we profile LGPro Board Member, Celia Haddock and Individual Member, Justin Hinch

›

Celia Haddock Celia has been Director Corporate Services at Maribyrnong City Council since 2013.

Before that she was Community Services Director at Manningham City Council (2007-13) and Manager Family Youth and Children’s Services at Yarra City Council (2003-07).

As the LGPro Board Treasurer can you provide three simple tips for Councils to save money?

• Don’t rush to replace staff. Take time to review the position and minimise acting arrangements • Don’t be afraid of raising fees and charges. If you are providing a quality service, people don’t mind paying for it • Being flippant – experience has taught me to tread carefully when it comes to parking meters!

What you enjoy outside of work?

My favourite thing has to be spending time with my family – my husband Wayne and our two daughters, Emily, 18 and Sophie, 15. We’re all

›

Justin with his daughter.

foodies and love mini breaks away whenever we can find the time – between rowing season and VCE commitments. I also enjoy swimming, walks along the beach and spending time with my fabulous book club friends – there’s nothing like a lively discussion on politics or world events!

Something about yourself that may surprise people?

My great grandmother was Jamaican.

Amusing situations you have faced at work?

We spend a lot of our time at work so you have to enjoy it, and you have to have some fun. But I think I should err on the side of diplomacy and not tell tales!

Justin Hinch

Your last holiday destination and why you chose it?

I’m a Kiwi. Since it was three years from our last trip back, we spent a lot of time visiting family which was wonderful. And finally, after 20 years of travelling to NZ, I enjoyed good coffee across the country. I’ve been spoilt by years of great coffee in Melbourne.

Your favourite film and why?

The Big Chill. It’s a dark(ish) comedy about friends who reunite. Apart from the amazing soundtrack (Creedence Clearwater Revival, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Rolling Stones and Three Dog Night) – the film is filled with terrific performances from William Hurt, Glenn Close and Kevin Kline. I saw it for the first time when I was in uni and it’s been my favourite ever since.

Justin has been Manager Infrastructure Development & Projects at Warrnambool City Council for the past three years. Prior to this he was a Senior Civil Engineer at Mansfield Shire for four years and a Design Engineer at Horsham Rural City Council for nine years.

All of his roles in Local Government have been very broad in an engineering sense, from asset management to contract management to design. One of the things he likes best about working in rural and regional Victoria is the ability to have a diverse role.

What’s the worst job you have ever had?

What are your favourite sports to watch and to play?

and what he does outside of music.

I’d say a very unlikely occurrence.

In Local Government surveying in Spring after a series of magpie attacks which left me both sore and embarrassed.

I’m a bit of a cricket tragic, having gone to a number of World Cup matches over the years. I’ve never been any good at playing it, but that didn’t stop my involvement.

Swimming is also something I enjoy.

Any hidden talents you may have?

What makes you laugh?

My daughter, it’s amazing at two years old how much trouble she can get into – most of which I find amusing – not so much to her mother.

34 | PROFILE WINTER 2016

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

Rock and rolls Mr. Nice Guy, Dave Grohl. Big fan of his music, his character

If I do, they are also hidden from me.

If you could take three things to a desert island what would they be and why?

My family – they’d love a holiday My guitar – to help pass the time My tent – it’s quite luxurious.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CALENDAR

Diary Dates

PROGRAMS

PROGRAMS

Connect with us at

LGProVIC

DATE

INFORMATION

Nominations open in September for the 2017 program

To equip and support senior executives in Local Government

Nominations open in September for the 2017 program

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 Victoria

Nominations now open for Series 2 which starts on Thursday 15 September

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

Wednesday 10 August

A program for non-specialist governance staff to help them better understand appropriate decision making models for Local Government

Wednesday 17 August

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

Thursday 9 June

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

Wednesday 19 August, LGPro office

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

Thursday 6 August and Friday 7 August

For CEOs to discuss issues of common interest

Thursday 21 July, Melbourne Park Function Centre

A forum to address the issues, opportunities and challenges facing women in the sector

Thursday 21 July, Melbourne Park Function Centre

Great networking opportunity for women working in Local Government

Wednesday 5 August, LGPro office, level 3/58 Lorimer Street, Docklands

Targeting, but not exclusive to Local Government professionals under 36, irrespective of their position, discipline, band, level and status

CONFERENCES

EVENTS

EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

CONFERENCES/SEMINARS 2016 Aged & Disability Services Awards Seminar

Thursday 8 September

A one day seminar for all Local Government staff working in the areas of aged and disability services

2016 Corporate Planners Network Conference

Friday 21 October

For Local Government staff working in the areas of corporate, community and social planning

Nominations close on Friday 10 June

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

Nominations now open and close on Monday 25 July

Open to individuals and teams working in the aged & disability services sector in Local Government

Nominations open on Monday 1 August and close on Monday 10 October

Acknowledging the excellent work being undertaken in the Local Government sector

Nominations open Monday 11 July and close on Friday 2 September

Open to individuals and teams working in corporate and community planning in Local Government

LGPro Awards for Excellence LGPro Corporate and Community Planning Award

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

| 35

36271

AWARDS

AWARDS