IN THIS EDITION
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Reflections - BPIN Forum March 2026. Read more
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In focus - Is capability the missing link in continuous improvement? Read more
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Trending - Planning for the Sports of the Future. Read here Spotlight - Administration Building Fit Out Project. Read more Meet The Member - Learn more about your fellow Network Members. Read more Connect - Events and online discussions. Read more |
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Welcome to The LG Innovator and our first edition of the newsletter for 2026, brought to you by our LG Professionals SA Business Performance and Improvement Committee.
The Business Performance and Improvement Network is keen to serve and support our sector in our never-ending quest for innovation and continuous improvement. This edition was made by our Network Committee Members, Samantha Rose, Kristy Noakes, Adrian Swiatnik,
and Amanda Fitton - thank you!
If you have any queries or are seeking support, please reach out via networks@lgprofessionalssa.org.au. Meet our current Business Performance and Improvement Network (BPIN) committee here. |
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LG PROFESSIONALS SA BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVEMENT NETWORK FORUM: PARTNERSHIPS – CHALLENGE TO OPPORTUNITY
It was great to see so many people come together for the LG Professionals SA Business Performance and Improvement Network Forum, both in person at the Brighton Sports and Social Club and online via Zoom. A huge thank you to everyone who attended. Your energy, ideas, and engagement really made the day.
This Forum focused on a topic that is front of mind for so many of us in local government: ‘partnerships’.
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Samantha Rose
Lead Continuous Improvement
City of Tea Tree Gully |
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Through practical examples, open discussion, and diverse perspectives, we explored how working collaboratively across organisations, sectors, and communities is turning complex problems into very real opportunities.
Leanne Schmidt (Manager Emergency Support, LGA South Australia) opened the Forum by sharing her journey and highlighting how the Local Government Functional Support Group is using a lessons management approach to strengthen collaboration across councils, emergency services and communities. Her presentation highlighted how passion, purpose, and strong relationships are actively improving our sector's response capability.
We then heard from Lisa O’Donoghue (Manager Economic Development, Alexandrina Council), who shared the inspiring story behind the Langhorne Creek Discovery Trail. Lisa’s session highlighted how powerful partnerships can be when there is a shared vision and trust between players, resulting in focused long‑term regional outcomes with a significant investment win for the region.
The final session, led by Aaron Schroeder (Strategic Projects and Planning Manager, City of Burnside), unpacked the broader planning environment shaping growth across Greater Adelaide. This flowed into a lively panel discussion on partnerships in housing, where leaders from City of Burnside, City of Unley, and City of Holdfast Bay councils shared their learnings, experience and honest insights into collaboration and alignment. This panel highlighted that the balancing of community expectations, while planning for future growth, is an ongoing conversation.
The Forum wrapped up with a networking session designed to turn conversations into connections, which felt very fitting given the theme of the day.
Thank you again to everyone who joined us, whether in the room or online. We are already looking forward to catching up again and seeing everyone at the next Forum on Tuesday 23 June 2026 (save the date).
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As expectations rise, AI adoption accelerates and the pressure to deliver projects in lean and efficient ways is constant, continuous improvement can be left lacking across the sector. Too often, improvement efforts fade when they are treated as a by‑product of digital transformation or led through a narrow, short‑term focus rather than embedded in everyday practice.
Across local government, we invest heavily in enablers such as technology stacks, systems and training programs focused on methodology. Once systems go live and people return from training, improvement often becomes project based, silo focused or reliant on a small number of individuals.
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Kristy Noakes
Manager, Community Engagement and Experience
City of Charles Sturt |
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Focusing on capability shifts attention to building shared organisational resilience and linking opportunities directly to strategic objectives. Capability enables people at all levels to identify a problem statement, make informed decisions and test new ideas aligned to organisational priorities. Continuous improvement becomes sustainable when it is delivered by people, supported by leaders through coaching, and clearly connected to outcomes. With increasing AI, automation and complexity, capability isn’t optional, it is a shared organisational responsibility. |
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By Kristy Noakes, Manager, Community Engagement and Experience, City of Charles Sturt Our recent Network Forum, held at the Brighton Sports and Social Club, provided the perfect backdrop to reflect on the growing pressure councils face to support an increasingly diverse mix of sports and recreational activities within limited open green spaces and competing community demands. Planning for the sports of the future requires flexible, responsive approaches and a stronger focus on identifying emerging participation trends.
Pickleball is a clear example. The sport is growing rapidly, inclusive, social and easy to learn. Councils like the City of Charles Sturt are responding by introducing multi‑use court markings at local reserves and reducing barriers to participation through initiatives such as free equipment loans from libraries. These low‑cost, adaptable solutions create immediate community value while testing emerging demand.
Participation patterns continue to shift, with traditional sports such as lawn bowls experiencing a decline in formal playing memberships. While sports like soccer continue to grow, with football now the most popular team sport in Australia. The recent State Government announcement regarding opening school land for sporting and community use outside of school hours also provides new opportunities for sporting clubs to access playing surfaces, with careful management to ensure school use isn’t compromised.
Looking ahead, councils can stay prepared by monitoring participation data, trialling shared infrastructure and designing spaces that adapt over time. Strategic planning, community insight and data will be critical to ensuring open spaces meet evolving community needs, now and into the future. |
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SPOTLIGHT: CITY OF MARION ADMINISTRATION BUILDING OFFICE FIT OUT PROJECT
Across the South Australian local government sector, many of our business areas are doing great things for our community and our organisations.
The recently completed Administration Building transformation project by the City of Marion is a good example of excellence in stakeholder engagement, fostering strong relationships, and business process improvement in construction project management. |
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Adrian Swiatnik
Project Manager - Strategic Projects
City of Marion |
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A proactive and transparent communication strategy led by our Change Manager and LG Professionals SA Network Committee Member, Claire Bircumshaw, who was embedded as part of the project team, ensured staff remained informed and supported throughout the journey, with regular staff updates being delivered through multiple channels and reinforced by visible leadership.
Strong relationships were central to success, with cross-functional collaboration across facilities, technology, customer experience and governance enabling well-informed decision-making and seamless delivery. Partnerships with external contractors and consultants were equally effective, having been built on clear expectations and shared goals.
From a business process improvement perspective, the decision by our CEO to relocate all staff to a temporary office and deliver the project in a single stage streamlined construction significantly reduced timeframes, and improved staff efficiency and wellbeing during the build phase. |
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We recently spoke with Reagan Shanmugam, Graduate Business Support Officer at the City of Charles Sturt, to hear more about his role and interest in the Network.
What is your role and how long have you been in local government?
I have been working with the City of Charles Sturt since May 2025, so it's coming up to a year now. My role as a Graduate Business Support officer within the Performance, Business Intelligence and Improvement Team is in the PMO Space, prioritising and managing the council's projects throughout their lifecycles. |
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Reagan Shanmugam
Graduate Business Support Officer
City of Charles Sturt |
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What’s the most beneficial aspect of being a member of the Business Performance and Improvement Network?
To me, it's a bit of networking and learning from peers; I call it cross-pollination, where I share my experiences and learn from others. There is always room for learning and improvement.
What’s your favourite performance or improvement work / life hack?
To feel productive, I finish small tasks first to have quick wins before I return to larger and more complex tasks. Sticking to basics like written notes, reminders/alarms and being keen to learn by asking questions.
Tell us something about you that we don’t know OR What do you do with yourself in your spare time?
I fill my spare time by volunteering. Currently, I am training to be a member of a CFS Brigade. |
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SAVE THE DATE: LG PROFESSIONALS SA BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVEMENT NETWORK FORUM
Save the date for our next LG Professionals SA Business Performance and Improvement Network Forum, hosted by City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters at the Don Pyatt Hall and held virtually via Zoom. The Forum will be hosted on Tuesday 23 June 2026 from 9:30AM - 12:30PM. More information to be released soon. |
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LG Professionals SA | Networks and more Did you know that the
Business Performance and Improvement Network is just one of many Member Networks supported by LG Professionals SA? Alongside a range of training and
development opportunities, Network events and Forums are a great way for you to
connect with like-minded professionals within the sector.
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