Join us for the upcoming LG Professionals SA Business Performance and Improvement Network Forum: Partnerships – Challenge to Opportunity.
Partnerships sit at the heart of modern local government, yet building and sustaining them is rarely straightforward. The Business Performance and Improvement Network Forum invites participants to explore how partnerships can transform challenges into opportunities, especially in environments characterised by complexity, cross collaboration, and community expectations.
Through case studies, facilitated discussions, and panel insights, this Forum will examine what effective partnership looks like in practice: how they emerge, how they evolve, and how we can strengthen our individual and organisational capability to lead them well.
This Forum will be held in person at Brighton Sports and Social Club, Highet Ave Hove and via Zoom on Tuesday 24 March from 9:30AM - 12:30PM.
Read more about each session below:
Turning Lessons into Opportunity
Leanne Schmidt
Manager Emergency Support
LGA South Australia
Leanne Schmidt plays a key leadership role in strengthening the Local Government Functional Support Group (LGFSG), bringing councils, emergency services, and community partners together to build capability, consistency, and preparedness across the sector. Known for her collaborative, relationship‑driven approach, she focuses on transforming long‑standing coordination challenges into opportunities for shared improvement and greater sector‑wide resilience.
In this session, Leanne will share how the Local Government Functional Support Group (LGFSG) model is evolving to better connect 68 councils and 6 Regional LGAs in delivering coordinated support during major emergencies from bushfires to storms to state‑wide responses. Leanne will explore how clear purpose, shared processes, and cross‑sector partnerships are transforming complexity into innovation, strengthening the sector’s ability to respond, recover, and continuously improve. Participants will gain insight into how partnership‑based emergency management is driving performance uplift and building a more capable, cohesive local government sector.
Langhorne Creek Discovery Trail
Lisa O’Donoughue
Manager Economic Development
Alexandrina Council
Discover the power of strategic partnerships in action with Lisa O’Donoghue, known for transforming ideas into major regional investment wins. Lisa specialises in investment attraction and collaborative economic development, working across industry, government, and community sectors to unlock regional opportunities.
In this session, Lisa will share the story behind one of South Australia’s most exciting regional successes - the Langhorne Creek Discovery Trail, recently awarded a $7.06 million Regional Precincts and Partnerships grant. Through her leadership, Lisa brought together diverse partners to champion a shared vision for the region, demonstrating how aligned purpose and strong relationships can secure truly game‑changing outcomes.
Lisa will also reflect on her broader partnership work both locally and internationally, including her contributions to South Australia’s China engagement efforts and the Northern Territory’s China Minerals Investment Attraction Strategy, initiatives that together have generated millions of dollars in new investment.
Greater Adelaide Regional Plan
Aaron Schroeder
Strategic Projects and Planning Manager
City of Burnside
In the first part of this session, Aaron Schroeder will set the scene by unpacking the broader environment in which councils plan for growth. An environment shaped by multiple decision‑makers, strategic frameworks, and long‑term plans that influence how housing and development evolve across the region. Aaron will explore how these sometimes-complex requirements can also spark alignment, innovation, and shared purpose when approached through a partnership lens.
Building on this foundation, Aaron will then lead a panel discussion on Partnerships in Planning for Housing Growth, shifting the focus to how collaboration can reshape the future of housing in Greater Adelaide. The panel will explore how state government, local government, developers, and community stakeholders can work together to meet ambitious housing targets while strengthening neighbourhoods and delivering meaningful community benefits. Together, they’ll highlight how shared challenges become shared solutions through social licence, streamlined pathways, and long‑term partnerships that support innovation, affordability, and resilient communities.
Meet the panel:
Julia Grant
Chief Executive Officer
City of Burnside
Julia Grant is the Chief Executive Officer of the City of Burnside and brings extensive experience from senior roles across local and state government. She is recognised for her strengths in driving high‑performing teams, community engagement, policy development, and sustainability‑focused city planning. Her expertise in building resilient, future‑focused cities is considered a major asset to the organisation.
Don Donaldson
Manager Planning & Development
City of Unley
Don Donaldson is a planning professional with extensive experience in strategic planning, heritage and planning policy, and development assessment. Currently the Manager Planning & Development at the City of Unley, Don is also a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia. He has served on multiple assessment panels and currently is a member of the State Commission Assessment Panel. Beyond his local government career, Don spent several years with Praxis Labs, helping commercialise innovative solar‑integrated composite technology developed by his son.
Anthony Marroncelli
Manager Development Services
City of Holdfast Bay
Anthony Marroncelli is the Manager of Development Services at the City of Holdfast Bay, a role he has held since 2008. With more than 20 years of senior experience in urban design, planning policy, development assessment, and place‑based strategy, he brings deep technical expertise and a strong understanding of coastal, heritage, and residential planning contexts.
Networking
In the spirit of this forum’s theme, Partnerships: Challenge to Opportunity, the final part of the Forum is designed to help participants transform brief encounters into meaningful professional connections. Networking opportunities across councils can be rare, and this dedicated session encourages everyone both in‑person and online to stay, mingle, and build relationships that extend well beyond the event.
Thinking about making the trip? We encourage our members to join us in-person for this forum. Reach out to your colleagues for carpooling opportunities to maximise connection and reduce your environmental footprint.
Registrations for this forum are open to Local Government Professionals Australia, SA members, council employees, employees of regional subsidiaries and Local Government Professionals Australia, SA invited guests.
By registering for this Forum, you will be subscribed to the LG Professionals SA mailing list. Should you wish to unsubscribe at any time, please email admin@lgprofessionalssa.org.au.
.png)