Profile Magazine - LGPro - 2023 Winter Edition

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The 24/7 Librarian

With the opening of nominations for 2024’s Awards for Excellence, we look back at one of this year’s big winners for inspiration.

Bayside braves the international competition

A group of high-achieving staff from Bayside take on councils from across ANZ in the Australasian Management Challenge.

Council chiefs react to the Commonwealth Games cancellation

LGPro finds out what regional and rural councils have lost (but stand to gain) from the Commonwealth Games cancellation.

Shaping up for award season

We find out how the Shaping South Gippsland project took top spot for the Corporate and Community Planning Award for South Gippsland Shire Council.

Award-winning customer-centricity

We revisit the Customer at Centre Program to find out why it won Bass Coast Shire Council the Customer Impact Award.

How LGPro is working for you

We look back to see how far we’ve come since the LGPro Board set the organisation’s new strategic direction back in 2021.

How LGPro is spearheading misconduct reform

Poor behaviour is creating poor outcomes for Councils, staff, and communities. This is what LGPro is doing about it.

Insights from Local Government’s emerging leaders

Emerging Leaders Program grads take on two issues they’re passionate about to influence change for the whole sector’s benefit.

Profile is published by Local Government Professionals (Inc)

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Above: Victorian Management Challenge champions from Bayside City Council at the 2023 LGPro Annual Conference.

From the LGPro President & CEO

Each edition of Profile magazine is a chance for our cohort of local government professionals to learn from our recent past, stay current on what is happening now, and look ahead to plan for what is to come.

This issue provides us with a moment to reflect on our achievements over the year behind us and to learn from the work of our sector’s high achievers.

Our emerging leaders lend fresh eyes to persistent problems, prompting us to rethink how we recruit into our skills-strapped workforces amid the skills shortage and feeding new ideas into how we promote our sector’s work to the communities we serve.

We meanwhile look back at the stand-out recipients of some of this year’s most prominent awards, learning from the council initiatives that took home trophies and the individuals and teams who made them happen.

This edition is also an opportunity to stay up to date on the current affairs shaking up our sector, with insights from our sector’s leaders on issues like the recent cancellation of the Commonwealth Games that has direct effects on our peers in rural Victoria and the regions.

This Winter issue is also our chance to peer over the horizon. In the pages ahead, you will find out where LGPro’s advocacy is heading after the significant milestones we have hit so far. You will also find the key dates for LGPro professional development so that you can plan out your learning and development for the year ahead.

Until we meet again at the big events coming up in the months ahead, enjoy this new edition of your member magazine, Profile.

Liana Thompson President Local Government Professionals Victoria

Jill Brown Chief Executive Officer

Reflecting, refreshing, and moving forward.

“This issue provides us with a moment to reflect on our achievements over the year behind us and to learn from the work of our sector’s high achievers.”

LGPRO AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION NOW

CLICK HERE

NOMINATIONS CLOSE STRICTLY ON MONDAY 23 OCTOBER 2023

The 24/7 Librarian

The 2023 Awards for Excellence were proudly sponsored by JLT and JMAPP.

The Awards for Excellence is our sector’s annual celebration of the individuals and teams behind the projects that reveal just how innovative local governments can be.

Nominations for the 2024 Awards are now open, with the recipients to be announced and celebrated at next year’s Annual Conference.

As you prepare the shortlist for your council’s own submission, we take a look at the legacy of one of this year’s 11 category winners.

With the opening of nominations for 2024’s Awards for Excellence, we look back at one of this year’s big winners for inspiration.

Open Libraries – a Yarra City Council initiative

When the judges were combing through the nominations in this year’s Service Delivery Initiative category, they were looking for the very best practice in delivering for Victorian communities, whether they be the broader resident group right through to specific targets within communities.

This year’s winner bridged these groups with a shake-up of a universal council service that went on to expand its user base. And the initiative has only grown since.

A radical change

Yarra City Council introduced a radical concept to the way public libraries operate in early 2022: they allowed the community to access library buildings outside of the usual opening hours, completely unstaffed.

Inspired by Europe’s public and academic libraries that offer 24/7 library access, the Open Libraries initiative had been allowing members to use two of five community libraries outside of scheduled open times when they nominated for the award.

They were looking for the very best practice in delivering for Victorian communities.

After-hours access included internet access, borrowing and returning books, using public computers to scan, print, and copy, and the use of study spaces.

The project required an investment in security software, security cameras, and automation for lights and air conditioning, making the unstaffed locations as safe as possible for the community to access. Members were required to attend a simple induction program to upgrade their library membership, thenceforth gaining access to the libraries out of hours.

This effectively increased library opening hours by 84 hours per week without increasing staffing overheads. Rather, staff time was allocated to setting up policies and procedures, risk assessment, guidelines for membership, and the inductions which have since become a business-as-usual process. After setup costs, the only reported ongoing expenditure has been on security monitoring, cleaning of branches on public holidays, and utility bills.

An ongoing impact

At the time of their nomination, the Yarra team reported over 1,700 visits outside of usual business hours at one location and over nearly 2,000 at another, from students using the facilities to study in the times that suit them to parents using the spaces with their children before school times and on weekends.

They have since expanded the program to an additional library branch, collectively seeing over 500,000 visits to their now-more-accessible libraries over the course of a year. The goal over the coming years is to expand the all-day service to all locations.

Your turn

LGPro needs your help to promote and celebrate the outstanding work being undertaken across our sector. Nominations for the 2024 Awards are now open until Monday 23 October 2023.

Yarra City Council introduced a radical concept to the way public libraries operate in early 2022.

Bayside braves the international competition

A group of high-achieving staff from across Bayside City Council took on councils from across Australia and New Zealand as the Bayside Braves in this year’s Australasian Management Challenge.

Each year, small teams of local government staff from across council divisions come together to problem-solve their way through complex tasks based on real-world experiences – the kind that typify management in the council context.

Some teams compete for the win, some councils invest in upskilling their emerging leaders, and all of them develop their individuals and teams in the process.

The Bayside Braves took out the Victorian trophy in May, representing the state in the international competition in August.

Up against the best of nationwide and kiwi councils in Adelaide, the team took on their counterparts for the annual trophy where ultimately South Australia’s City of Marion took home the top spot.

The Management Challenge will return in 2024 to develop a new round of emerging leaders from across the sector.

The Victorian heat of the 2023 Australasian Management Challenge was proudly sponsored by JLT.

The Bayside Braves took out the Victorian trophy in May, representing the state in the international competition in August.

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Council chiefs react to the CommGames cancellation

LGPro finds out what regional and rural councils have lost (but stand to gain) from the Commonwealth Games cancellation from Greater Shepparton City Council’s Peter Harriott and Yarriambiack Shire Council’s Tammy Smith.

The Premier recently announced the Commonwealth Games would not be going ahead, claiming cost blowouts in the billions. At the same time, he announced new and redirected funding for housing, tourism, and sport to the tune of 2 billion dollars.

LGPro caught up with chief executives from both regional and rural councils to find out how this is affecting their organisations.

You can listen to this article on the LGProcast – LGPro’s podcast for local government decision makers.

Peter Harriott is the CEO of Greater Shepparton City Council, but also represents Shepparton at Regional Cities Victoria –an alliance of 10 regional Victorian cities that represent the collective interest of the regions.

The Commonwealth Games story began six years ago for Shepparton when it was marked as one of the five hubs planned to host the event. The council has been planning and investing ever since.

“We were planning for BMX events and time trial events on the road, we were putting various staff in place, we were liaising with the organising authority, we were getting facilities organised – we were all set to go,” explains Peter.

To more recent history, Peter recalled his reaction to the announcement of the cancellation.

“We were not prepared for the announcement, we didn’t expect the announcement, and we’d had recent meetings with key players, and we thought the Games was proceeding. When we received the announcement … we were most disappointed, but we’re looking at what the opportunities are going forward now.”

While regional councils course-correct following the news, the simultaneous announcement of new and redirected funding offers new opportunities.

“We were most disappointed, but we’re looking at what the opportunities are going forward now.”

Pictured: Greater Shepparton City Council CEO, Peter Harriott.

“The basis of running the Games in the region was to change the focus from large expenditure in metropolitan Melbourne to expenditure in the regions, and the 2.6 billion dollars was a fantastic announcement for that to happen,” said Peter.

“So now that the Games have been cancelled it is still so important that similar investment is made and similar opportunities are provided for regional Victoria. So a billion dollars for affordable housing – that’s critical. Per head of population, Shepparton has the largest affordable housing crisis in the state.”

With money also set aside for committed sports infrastructure associated with the Games, Peter sees an opportunity for flexibility.

“We’d probably ask for a bit of a review of that, and say that now that infrastructure that was specifically for Games components that is not going to happen, there should be a more equitable distribution of that 550 million.”

“Now that the Games have been cancelled it is still so important that similar investment is made and similar opportunities are provided for regional Victoria.”

As a predominantly regionally-focused event, the redirection of funds from the Games is a particular opportunity now for rural councils. CEO of Yarriambiack Shire Council and Treasurer of Rural Councils Victoria, Tammy Smith gave LGPro the rural perspective.

“We really weren’t going to be benefiting, as such, from the Commonwealth Games being held in regional areas,” Tammy explains. “The big things that we were working on were the Legacy items. We were working on a regional partnership level, putting in for relocatable housing that could be redistributed out into the regions and rural areas.”

“The one billion dollar housing fund for the 1,300 new social and affordable homes in rural and regional Victoria – for us at Yarriambiack, that’s a huge benefit, and I know it’s a huge benefit for our other rural councils.

“We have effectively four sites ready to go, ready to pitch for social and affordable housing.”

And as noted earlier, flexibility is the key to getting the best bang for buck moving forward, as Tammy explains.

“Probably the key thing for the housing though, rural areas need more flexibility and ideally we need affordable housing because social housing can be quite limited with the tenants that you can put into those homes, where affordable housing has so much more flexibility for us. It potentially can be utilised for skilled workers or to attract and retain new migrants to the region.”

“I think we all need to be getting ready and planning for the opportunities that are going to arise from this.”

Social and affordable housing are some of the biggest opportunities from the announcement for both rural and regional councils.

Pictured: Yarriambiack Shire Council CEO, Tammy Smith.

“We have effectively four sites ready to go, ready to pitch for social and affordable housing.”

Funding opportunities are much broader under the changes, meaning more councils are eligible for money for a wider range of projects.

Regional councils – including those that were set to benefit from the Commonwealth Games – might also have more flexible access to funding depending on what gets deemed eligible by the State Government.

Peter pointed out sporting infrastructure projects that could have positively impacted the community but were not eligible for funding under the auspices of the Commonwealth Games. Under redirected funding, these could be given a second life, for example.

So how should councils be approaching the State Government to capitalise on this potential?

“I think we all need to be getting ready and planning for the opportunities that are going to arise from this,” Tammy said.

“But I would probably be saying to the Government that it is really important for them to … work with us as a committee because we’re in a prime position to actually help them understand ... how it can benefit regional and rural communities. It would help the Government understand some of the challenges that rural councils face.”

And Peter is optimistic: “I think we’ll be listened to, and I’m quite hopeful that will lead to some really good results, not only for our council but for many other regional and rural councils throughout Victoria.”

FOR AWARD

SEASON SHAPING UP

We find out how the Shaping South Gippsland project took top spot for the Corporate and Community Planning Award for South Gippsland Shire Council.

With a new Councillor group elected following two years of administration, South Gippsland Shire Council began rebuilding community connection and trust through a process of integrated plan development while a comprehensive transition program was underway.

At the beginning of their term, the new group of Councillors made the ambitious decision to align the plans in November 2021, with the aim of having these adopted by June the following year to maximise the outcomes of their three-year terms.

Over seven months, the organisation engaged with 3,356 people – 11 per cent of the population. Shaping South Gippsland was the Shire’s largest community engagement campaign to date, delivered in record time.

Read

Councillors and staff worked collaboratively to design and implement an extensive and proactive campaign that leveraged existing community feedback exercises while developing new approaches along the way.

A shift to cross-team collaboration was created, culminating in fortnightly group meetings that brought together staff from across the organisation together to achieve a shared objective. Councillors meanwhile took ownership of the process and identified the need to engage first-hand with the community, with two to four Councillors present at every engagement event.

The campaign was delivered largely in-house, with minimal budget, using existing resources, and with a supporting investment in long-term skills development to build the organisation’s ongoing capacity.

about 2023’s award winner, high commendation, and finalists in the 2023 Corporate and Community Planning Award Booklet.

AWARDWINNING

CUSTOMERCENTRICITy

We revisit the Customer at Centre Program to find out why it won Bass Coast Shire Council the Customer Impact Award.

The 2023 Customer Impact Award was proudly sponsored by CSBA

Bass Coast Shire Council transformed a culture of passivity and avoidance into one of proactive service delivery by providing every one of their employees with the systems, skills, and support to make customers their priority. Through this overhaul – spearheaded by a transformation team of two – overdue customer request numbers reduced by 98 per cent and overall processing times dropped by more than 70 per cent.

To effect genuine, significant, and long-lasting cultural change, a multifaceted approach was required. The Customer at Centre Program was an education and process improvement initiative that saw every employee being trained in customer service excellence, participating in team workshops to develop customer improvement actions,

supported with monthly toolbox meetings to embed learnings in their service environment, and further supported through achievement tracking.

Effectiveness is measured and monitored through a CX dashboard that integrates a variety of metrics, ‘Employee Pulse’ surveys, action trackers, and open communication lines. The dashboard’s data is an enabler of good decision-making around team resourcing and prioritisation while serving as an early indicator of issues.

Like any cultural change, time is required to fully realise the benefits. The program regularly serves reminders to ensure it stays front of mind through its ongoing, sustainable activities and a regular revisiting of the program’s various components.

Read about 2023’s award winner, high commendation, and finalists in the 2023 Customer Impact Award Booklet.

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How LGPro is working for you

LGPro’s 2021-2026 strategic plan set out five strategic priorities, centred on advocacy, inclusivity, member value, connection, and engagement. We trace the milestones since the plan was laid out to find out what your member association has achieved so far.

Back in 2021, the LGPro Board set the organisation’s strategic direction for the five years to come. We look back to see how far we’ve come.

How we’re advocating for you

We’ve been influencing the decisions affecting our sector and your profession.

Ongoing consultation has been informing how we support our sector, talking to members like you, undertaking research, collecting valuable feedback at our events, and listening closely to our Special Interest Groups.

This consultation shaped our position on three key issues facing the sector and its people: Skills, Inclusion, and Culture.

Our original research into the skills shortage facing councils helped us identify pathways to employment for Victoria’s diverse communities that LGPro has since been filling with Victorian Government support. We’ve been striving for practical change to support positive workplace cultures in our councils from the administration to elected representatives in an ongoing campaign.

Our executive and Board have been meeting with the key peak bodies in our sector, Local Government Victoria, and the Local Government Minister to make sure the issues affecting council professionals are being heard.

Pictured: LGPro Treasurer Bruce Dobson.

How we’re including you (whoever and wherever you are)

We’ve been improving our professional development opportunities, embedding inclusivity into the design of everything we do.

This has meant consciously diversifying who takes the stage and what is spoken about at events to foster greater learning opportunities, from engaging speakers from LGBTIQA+ communities and people with Indigenous backgrounds to those living with disability.

We’ve proactively diversified the planning committees behind our programs to ensure they represent the interests of more of the local government workforce.

The Local Pathways project has meanwhile been addressing the sector’s skills shortage by matching entry-level council vacancies and job seekers from distinct, diverse cohorts, spanning youth to veterans, with wraparound training and support.

We introduced new workshops to meet our sector’s diverse skills needs, including two new project management courses that have been bolstered with additional, recurring sessions to meet demand.

All of these offerings have been regularly reviewed with specific consideration of the sector’s future needs, assessed through research and council staff feedback.

Pictured: LGPro President Liana Thompson.

How we’re making your membership valuable

We’ve been supporting our diverse and engaged membership through an improved member experience.

We’ve surveyed our members and non-members alike to ensure a wide range of voices are included in our understanding of what services you need, reaching out across every channel we have to find out how we can continually enhance the member experience.

Your feedback has been shaping what we deliver, from the content of webinars to the latest conferences and executive forums, and from program agendas to the format of networking opportunities.

While the Customer Service Conference became the CX Conference to support our members’ digital transformation journeys, the Aged and Disability Services Seminar was similarly rebadged and broadened as councils moved out of service provision and into wellbeing promotion.

Pictured top-left, top-right, lower-right: LGPro Secretary Chris Leivers, Board Member Gail Gatt, Board Member Kerryn Ellis.

We’ve since developed new resources in response too, from the WebinarHQ series to the member resource library.

We’ve also been listening out for what barriers are in the way of you getting the most out of being a member, introducing discounts to small rural councils and those far from the metro area to make our specialist events more accessible.

These smaller councils are now being recognised in the Small Rural Council Award, recognising the unique constraints on lessresourced teams.

We’ve been elevating our sector by celebrating the best of what our council teams do and fostering connections between you and your peers.

Pictured left to right: LGPro Vice President Sue Wilkinson and outgoing Board Member Steve Hamilton.

How we’re connecting you

We’ve been elevating our sector by celebrating the best of what our council teams do and fostering connections between you and your peers.

That celebration has been particularly important. We’ve held a diverse array of awards programs, promoting their positive outcomes as useful case studies. We’ve also invited the professionals behind these initiatives to present their findings at our events and webinars for our sector’s collective growth.

Long distances can hamper connection, so we’ve consulted with rural, regional, and remote councils to ensure offerings like these are relevant and accessible to staff, wherever they are.

Over this time, we’ve increasingly made programs accessible both in-person and online while bringing more of them in-house to your workplaces. We’ve meanwhile brought our foundational workshops to regional centres to offer rural, regional, and remote council staff the opportunity to participate in face-to-face learning.

And not just face-to-face learning, but networking. We’ve been creating more opportunities for you to meet and share knowledge through our conferences, events, and increasingly frequent executive forums.

We’ve extended this networking into programs like Local Pathways, where we’ve connected new entrants to the sector with experienced mentors to foster the newest generation of council professionals. We’ve meanwhile introduced a formal process for engaging our leadership program alumni so that they can continue their connection and learning longer-term.

For our diverse specialists, we’ve invested more into our Special Interest Group network to address the issues facing the sector as they arise. We’ve added new communities to the growing list while introducing more feature-rich meeting platforms to strengthen our participants’ connection.

Pictured: LGPro Board Member Jen Bednar.

We’ve been diversifying and improving our engagement with valuable partners to our sector who support us in delivering high quality services.

We’ve leveraged the quality partnerships we’ve developed with subject matter experts in the LGPro Corporate Partner pool to deliver timely, insightful advice to you and your peers at times of crisis, during emergent issues, and as part of our events and programs.

As part of the way we advocate for you, our Board and executive have been regularly meeting with and writing to our sector’s key stakeholders whose decisions affect you, from our fellow peak bodies right up to State and Federal Governments.

We’ve been proactively engaging with organisations that can positively impact our sector and members. We’ve been working alongside Jobs Victoria, for example, to create local government jobs for distinct, diverse cohorts, from women over 45 to those at risk of long-term unemployment.

How we’re engaging

We’ve been proactively engaging with organisations that can positively impact our sector and members.

Pictured left to right: LGPro President Liana Thompson and Board Member Sally Jones.

LGPro CORPORATE PARTNER DIRECTORY 2023

CORPORATE PARTNERS

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Billing Bureau

Camden Search

Copyright Agency

CouncilJobs

Customer Service Benchmarking

Australia (CSBA)

CT Management Group

Datacom

Davidson Group

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Happsa Group

HR Legal

Hunt & Hunt

iPlatinum

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Maddocks Lawyers

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Moray & Agnew Lawyers

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Public Sector People

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Push My Button

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TDG Environmental TechnologyOne

Teletrac Navman

Telstra

The Leadership Movement

Urban Maintenance Systems

Victorian Pride Lobby Vision Super

Votar Partners

Warner Institute

Well Done International

LGPro is grateful for the support it receives from its Corporate Partners. The following pages contain advertisements submitted by LGPro’s 2023 Corporate Partners. Please take a moment to learn about the many services, programs, and products these organisations offer to the Local Government sector.

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How LGPro is spearheading misconduct reform

Poor behaviour in extraordinary cases leads to expensive Workcover claims, dysfunction in the Councillor group, and the loss of dedicated local government professionals who leave the sector.

This is what LGPro is doing about it.

Pictured left to right: Maddocks Partner Mark Hayes, Local Government Professionals NSW CEO Vicki Mayo, Local Government Professionals WA CEO Candy Choo, Local Government Inspectorate Manager Investigations David Walker.

As representatives of all those who work in our sector, a key LGPro priority is ensuring their health and safety.

A cornerstone of our advocacy to this end is our call for State and Federal Governments to financially and legislatively invest in the improvement of relationships between elected members and council officers for the betterment of staff and community outcomes. Conduct issues span governance, culture, training, and the structures that support all the above, from legislation to practical oversight mechanisms.

Misconduct has been borne out in the media over the last year through high profile investigations, damning reports, and unfortunate – but ultimately preventable – outcomes.

LGPro has been striving for practical change to support positive workplace cultures and best practice governance in our councils from the administration to elected representatives in an ongoing campaign.

LGPro has been pursuing legislative reform to support positive workplace cultures in our councils.

What we’ve done so far

LGPro has spent almost two years engaged with our counterparts across the sector representing both council officers and Councillors, our members, professionals across Victorian councils, and two successive Local Government Ministers to address the issue of Councillor misconduct.

18 months of work culminated in LGPro’s submission of considered, specific recommendations for legal reform to address the rare but harmful cases of Councillor misconduct that slip through the cracks of the current system.

LGPro’s case for legislative reform methodically but clearly articulates what is currently in place, the flaws in this system, and how to fix it.

What’s happened since

This last month has seen IBAC table its special report on Operation Sandon, identifying broad, systemic misconduct and corruption vulnerabilities at both the state and local government levels.

While officers were given a clean bill of health in the investigation into allegations of corrupt conduct, the report highlighted the urgent need for Victorian Government-led reform for our sector.

Many of the recommended governance reforms echoed the sensible changes LGPro has been calling for, articulated in submissions to the Local Government Minister and the Local Government Inspectorate (LGI).

What’s next

The LGI has since begun its own investigation into how Councillor misconduct is managed, conducting an examination into the efficacy of the Councillor conduct framework in the Local Government Act (2020).

This process began in April, with a tentative December timeframe for a report to be made ready.

LGPro is now liaising with our sector and State Government counterparts to help shape legislation, drawing on these recent reports and those to come, as well as our own recommendations for reform, to enact positive change with meaningful outcomes for the sector and those who work in it.

18 months of work culminated in LGPro’s submission of considered, specific recommendations for legal reform.

Pictured: Maddocks Partner Mark Hayes.

Insights from Local Government’s emerging leaders

A core component of LGPro’s Emerging Leaders Program is its action-learning group project. The last cohort took on two issues they were passionate about for their projects and sought to influence change for the whole sector’s benefit.

The Role of Government – A Community Awareness Campaign

The role of Local Government is complex and often misunderstood by the communities it serves. This issue is compounded by the ambiguous definition and purpose of Local Government codified in the Local Government Act (2020).

As many councils have begun developing voting options for the allocation of financial resources during annual budget discussions based on community needs, the issue is all the more pertinent.

In order for the community to vote on their preferred project (or projects), they must first understand the role of Local Government. Specifically, they must understand what their local government can and cannot deliver.

This project looked at building capacity within local communities through an information campaign; it sought to enhance community understanding of what Local Government does so that they can proactively and confidently participate in decision making on matters impacting them.

The campaign produced is ‘un-badged’ and can be tailored to suit the service delivery specifics of any council and the needs of each community. A communications plan has been developed, along with a short video which can be amended to suit more specific circumstances particular to each council and local government area.

LEARN MORE HERE

The role of Local Government is complex and often misunderstood by the communities it serves.

Agile Recruitment

Councils face challenges in attracting suitable staff for the roles they are offering. Rather than a universal workforce issue, it may come down to recruitment processes.

This project investigated the benefits of agile recruitment practices across local governments to remedy the issue.

Specifically, it explored how a flexible approach to recruiting can strengthen organisations, creating more diverse workforces that represent the council’s community and ultimately achieve better outcomes for them.

Through their project’s deliverables, the team of emerging leaders hoped to help the sector attract a more diverse pool of applicants while creating better hiring outcomes and more inclusive workplace cultures.

The 2023 program is now underway, with a new group of emerging leaders getting ready to contribute their unique perspectives to the issues facing them and the sector at large.

LGPro thanks Telstra for sponsoring the 2023 scholarship, empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professionals through the program.

Councils face challenges in attracting suitable staff for the roles they are offering. Rather than a universal workforce issue, it may come down to recruitment processes.

The 2023 Emerging Leaders Program is proudly sponsored by HR Legal.

Uniting one of Queensland’s most iconic regional hubs

Longreach Regional Council now boasts faster speeds, robust redundancy and complete network visibility.

See how

PROFILE WINTER 2023

CONFERENCES

Annual Conference May 2024

Social Media Conference March 2024

2023 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

MORE INFO

The premier professional development and networking event of the Victorian Local Government calendar.

A full-day specialist conference for officers working across digital communications disciplines.

FORUMS MORE INFO

2023 Women’s Professional Development Forum 16 November 2023

Joint CEO and Director Forum 23 November 2023

A forum addressing the issues, opportunities, and challenges facing women in the sector.

A forum for CEOs and Directors/General Managers from councils across Victoria to come together to collaborate, network, and participate in professional development opportunities.

AWARDS MORE INFO

2023 Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Fund Award Nominations close 24 July 2023

2023 Positive Ageing & Wellbeing Awards Nominations close 14 August 2023

2024 Corporate & Community Planning Award Nominations open August 2023

2024 Customer Impact Award Nominations open August 2023

2024 Awards for Excellence Nominations close 23 October 2023

OTHER EVENTS

2023 Women’s Network Dinner 16 November 2023

Member Event and AGM 23 November 2023

A scholarship opportunity open to women 35 years and under who have demonstrated achievement and commitment to improving community life.

Reflecting the sector’s focus on building an age-friendly society, these awards recognise those that have made significant contributions to positive ageing and wellbeing.

Celebrating the success of individuals and teams working in the Local Government Corporate and Community Planning sector in Victoria.

Recognising innovative initiatives which have assisted in delivering more engaging, meaningful, and relevant customer experiences.

Celebrating the success of individuals and teams working in Local Government in Victoria. The winners will be announced at the 2024 Annual Conference.

MORE INFO

An evening of inspiration and networking for women of the sector, celebrated annually.

LGPro’s Annual General Meeting, bookended with a celebratory congregation of LGPro members.

2023 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CALENDAR

Ignite enables those without formal experience in managing and leading people to develop the competencies required to be successful in their role.

Targeted to outdoor workers without formal experience in managing and leading people to develop skills required to be successful in their role.

Unique leadership-focused activities and experiences designed to develop and inspire emerging leaders.

Designed exclusively to expand and develop the skills of senior executives to become confident and capable leaders.

Designed to equip managers with the skills and knowledge they require to further develop their career.

A cross-council program bringing together officers from all levels and locations to learn from each other by sharing knowledge, expertise, and skills.

Registrations for Series 3 now open. Program commences

14 September 2023

Expressions of interest for 2024 now open

Nominations for 2024 program open October 2023

Nominations for 2024 program open October 2023

Expressions of interest for 2024 now open

Expressions of interest for 2024 now open

Thought-provoking ideas and sector insights from highly regarded presenters in regular lunchtime learning opportunities.

Six core units fully accredited by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

11 core units fully accredited by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

Nine core units fully accredited by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

Webinars are held weekly from January onwards (excl. school holidays and conference weeks)

Online: 8-10 August

Self-Paced Distance: Anytime

Online: 2 blocks: 8-10 and 29-30 August

Self-Paced Distance: Anytime

In-person: 21-25 August

Online: 3 blocks: 4-6 and 24-26

October, 15-16 November

Self-Paced Distance: Anytime

PROGRAM INFORMATION

An overview to Local Government and the important role it plays for newcomers to the sector.

Providing anyone creating Council reports with the nuance behind writing a good report.

Supporting non-finance staff in performing their financial planning and reporting responsibilities.

An introduction to project management covering the basic principles of managing projects to ensure successful project delivery.

Building on the fundamental skills and underlying theory of project management, this is the next stage of learning for those who have begun managing projects.

Helping frontline local government workers manage their most challenging customer conversations.

A two-part workshop exploring the roles of the Council and executive in the context of the Integrated Strategic Planning and Reporting Framework and the Local Government Act 2020.

A practical short-course on the importance of correctly defining problems and creating step-by-step processes for overcoming challenges.

A best practice workshop on governance and decision making in the local government context for managers, new governance officers, and those aspiring to governance positions.

Online: 19 October, 5 December

In-Person: 12 September, 15 November

Regional: Wangaratta –6, 7 September

Self-Paced: Anytime

Online: 1 November

In-Person: 6 September

TBA

Online: 6+12 September and 16+23 November

In-Person: 29 August, 21 November

Online: 18 October

TBA

Online: running across three dates from 16 August

In-Person: 12 October