A WORD FROM THE CEO

Happy end of June!

Over the past year we are thrilled to have supported local government professionals from 74 South Australian Councils and Subsidiaries who signed up for Organisation memberships with LG Professionals SA – thank you to each and every one of you for your commitment to developing your staff and providing them with a fundamental partner in their career journey.

Our membership base is currently comprised of 3,260 professionals from a range of job levels across the South Australian local government sector and as we busily plan and program for another huge year in 2024/2025, we invite you to reach out with any ideas for events, themes, topics to ensure we are meeting your needs.

As your association we are here to support you – please take the time to ensure your Member details are up to date so that we can keep you informed of relevant opportunities.

As we rush towards the end of the financial year, if you have remaining professional development budget I encourage you to register for one (or more!) of the many upcoming development opportunities available through LG Professionals SA, or consider pre-purchasing investment in your staff for the coming year.

We are excited to have worked with the
LG Professionals SA Community Managers Network Committee to review the Networks offering, considering its future strategic direction with the aim of broadening accessibility and impact to the sector. An exciting outcome of this is the re-launch of the Network under a new name, the
LG Professionals SA Community Development Network. This sees us broadening eligibility to not only those in a management role in the community space, but all local government community practitioners and subject matter experts. I encourage you to get involved. Read more in the Networks section below.

Congratulations to all who will soon be commencing their LG Professionals SA mentor or mentee journey through our Women’s Network Mentor-Mentee Connection Pilot – we look forward to supporting you.

Wishing you all time to reset, rest and reflect as we sprint into, and through July.

Keep warm and well!

Best wishes
Rhiannon

June 2024
Edition 153

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

Thank you to those who completed our recent Annual Membership Survey. Your President Kate O'Neill shares the key themes from the survey feedback below:

WORKFORCE AND GENDER EQUALITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROJECT

The project is proceeding through the research and data gathering stages and heading toward data analysis and a clearer picture of gender equality issues for the sector. The final stage of the project will be to provide strategies to address systemic drivers of gender inequality and sustainable options for ongoing monitoring of gender equality progress.

On 12 June 2024, the first meeting of the Stakeholder Group for the Gender Equality Project was held. The group provided excellent input on key Gender Equality issues in the local government sector, shared resources and some of the great Gender Equality work already being done along with opportunities for the future.

Resources

As there was a positive response to the Gender Equality resources provided in the May edition of Leaders Connect, we have provided some more this month.

Gender Pay Gap

The Gender Pay Gap is something that many people are interested in exploring. Did you know that the State Government has a Gender Pay Gap Taskforce which has been looking at the factors that contribute to the gender pay gap in South Australian workplaces? The Taskforce has released its Interim Report. You can find out more on the Office for Women website or access the interim report here.

Gender Equality – beliefs and communication

Gender Compass is an excellent report on research conducted by PLAN International in 2023. The research identified beliefs, behaviours and preferences in relation to Gender Equality and suggested ways to communicate to support and effect positive change. Read it here.

LinkedIn

If you like to receive your gender equality information and awareness updates via LinkedIn, there are a number of pages you can follow. Below are some suggestions:

This project has been supported by the Local Government Research and Development Scheme administered by the Local Government Association of SA

Please save the date for the following LG Professionals SA events for 2024/2025. If you are planning a local government event, we invite you to contact us to avoid date clashes.

Friday 1 November 2024 - LG Professionals SA Women's Network Conference

Thursday 7 November 2024 - LG Professionals SA Annual General Meeting

Friday 8 November 2024 - LG Professionals SA Economic Development Conference

Friday 21 March 2025 - LG Professionals SA Annual State Conference

Thursday 10 April 2025 - LG Professionals SA Australasian Management Challenge

Friday 9 May 2025 - LG Professionals SA 24th Annual Leadership Excellence Awards

2024 PEOPLE AND CULTURE NETWORK CONFERENCE: CONNECT INFLUENCE GROW
Friday 5 July 2024

Last chance to register to attend the 2024 LG Professionals SA People and Culture Network Conference. Join us as we unpack issues relevant to people and culture professionals in local government today, and equip you with the tools and knowledge to influence across all levels, providing the opportunity to grow your skills and expand your networks, connecting with colleagues from across the state. Register today!

We recently spoke with Sandhya Sharma, Strategic Project Lead, City of Mitcham, about being announced as winner of a Leadership Excellence Award.

Congratulations! You and your team recently won the Excellence in Environmental Leadership and Sustainability Award at the
LG Professionals SA 23rd Annual Leadership Excellence Awards. Can you tell us about your project?

We’ve been developing a community-centred model to deliver on council’s commitment to accelerate the uptake of renewables in the community and across council’s own operations. Essentially, we’ve run a series of projects that utilise the latest renewable energy technologies, including community bulk buys that over 900 residents have signed up for, procuring a 100% renewable energy retail plan for council, and partnering with SAPN to run a trial for EV chargers on stobie poles. The benefits have been significant, resulting in cost savings for all stakeholders, emission reductions, and collectively placing local government at the forefront of the shift to a clean energy system.

What does winning this award mean to you, your council, and your community?

It’s been a real honour to be recognised by peers in the sector and validates the leadership position council has taken in responding to the climate emergency.

What advice would you give to someone considering nominating for an award in the future?

Take the time to reflect on the achievements of your work, and make sure to capture data points as your project progresses. The process was also really valuable internally as it brought key stakeholders in the organisation together to align on our purpose and the story that we wanted to showcase.

Sandhya Sharma
Strategic Project Lead
City of Mitcham

Are you interested in nominating for an Award? Nominations for the 24th Annual Leadership Excellence Awards will open in October 2024.

City of Mitcham Project Team - Community Renewables Program
Left to right: Jess De Campo (Community Innovator), Dr Heather Holmes-Ross (Mayor, City of Mitcham), Paul Hill (Strategic Projects and Contracts Specialist), Sandhya Sharma (Strategic Project Lead), Matthew Romaine (Group Manager), Matthew Pears (CEO).

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

It's membership renewal time! We look forward to continuing to support all staff in local government on their leadership journey in 2024-2025 and beyond. All organisations with expiring subscriptions have been contacted, we look forward to receiving your renewal forms. As your membership association, we are so grateful for your ongoing support, and investment in your teams.

YOUR NEEDS, YOUR MEMBERSHIP

3. BE INSPIRED AND MOTIVATED

From small discussion groups to international keynote presentations, our programs are developed reflecting current and future priorities, needs and issues, with members offered a discount for each event.

Learn more about what LG Professionals SA Membership offers you.

Find out more

NEW MEMBERS

Welcome to our 45 new members! Click here to see the list.

We look forward to providing support and professional development and networking opportunities through every stage of your local government career.

Member Profile -
Proudly sponsored by

Andrew Hall
This month we spoke with Andrew Hall, Arborist, Tree Maintenance, City of Port Adelaide Enfield, about his role, professional development and what's next for him.

What is your role and how long have you been in local government?

I have worked in local government for four and a half years. In my current role as an arborist, I lead and participate in the maintenance of our city’s trees within our parks, gardens, and sporting grounds. I also contribute to the community by making our city cleaner, safer, and a better place to live and work. Read more...

UPCOMING SHORT COURSES

CUSTOMER SERVICE IN A COMPLIANCE ENVIRONMENT
Wednesday 17 July 2024

This course enables you to identify the dynamics at play where there is tension between needing to meet compliance requirements, meeting strategic objectives and maintaining strong customer relations within the community. You’ll learn the approaches, skills and behaviours that you can use on a daily basis to navigate this situation and be known for providing excellent customer service and improved performance, while meeting required levels of regulation.

Suitable for:
Any staff providing internal or external customer service within a compliance/regulatory framework - eg. Customer Service Officers, General Inspectors, Regulatory Officers, Planning and Development Officers, Records Officers, IT Officers, HR Officer, Procurement Officers.

Facilitated by Gary Edwards
As a lawyer, magician, negotiator, comedian and speaker, Gary is an expert in the art and science of influence – the key ability that businesses will need to navigate a future where nothing is quite as it seems. Gary has been a facilitator with LG Professionals SA for many years and delivers numerous short courses, with exceptional feedback from participants.

MANAGING YOUR TIME, ENERGY & PRIORITIES
Monday 5 August 2024

This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills to improve your time management approach to your daily and weekly workload—work smarter, not harder! You’ll dive into issues that are preventing you from reaching optimum effectiveness and develop a range of techniques and strategies to better manage your time and get more out of your day.

Suitable for: Officers at all levels

We caught up with one of this year's Emerging Leaders Program participants, Kim Gregory, WHS Coordinator, District Council of Grant to find out how she is enjoying the program so far.

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?

In my role as WHS Coordinator I am required to work with every person across the organisation, from trainees to the CEO, along with many external stakeholders. I really wanted to develop my ability to work with diverse groups of people and understand how my personality can work with other types of personalities to achieve effective and positive outcomes.

Increasing my understanding of leadership concepts and practices and integrating them into my workplace would also help me provide a positive approach to WHS. I was very excited read the ELP Prospectus for 2024. It will provide confidence and professional development in all areas of leadership, all relevant in my role.

What was your biggest takeaway from the opening retreat?

The first thing I noticed was what an amazing group of local government professionals I am undertaking this program with! I really enjoyed the sessions and information delivered by the presenters. The activities really were fun and left me with the revelation that we have a lot more in common with people than we realise.

What are you most looking forward to as the program progresses?

I am really looking forward to developing my confidence, knowledge, and professional development through this program. I am already inspired and learning so much from the Emerging Leaders Program and Participants.

Kim Gregory
WHS Coordinator
District Council of Grant

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL: THE ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN TRANSFORMATIVE MAJOR PROJECTS

Local government play a crucial role in driving economic outcomes and shaping our communities' future through their involvement in major construction and urban renewal projects.

Join Norman Waterhouse Lawyers at the Local Government Conference on 11 October 2024 to explore collaboration strategies, best practices, and industry trends in the Property & Major Projects stream, “Unlocking Potential: Transformative Major Projects”.

We will provide recent case studies and explore the entire lifecycle of these projects, from concept and planning to delivery and contract management. Learn how Councils collaborate with various government tiers and the private sector on major projects.

We will share approaches on how to design and initiate projects to:

Control and masterplan outcomes linked to Council’s strategic objectives;
Manage financial exposure and development risk;
Ensure rigorous governance, prudential and probity approach.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from and challenge our presenters and industry experts about applying these models in their local contexts. Discover how proactive leadership and strategic partnerships can unlock transformative potential and innovative solutions.

NETWORK NEWS

LG Professionals SA Members are invited to join one of our many Networks.

Networks are groups of professionals who share a common interest or experience. We run a comprehensive range of Network meetings and forums throughout the year, offering staff the opportunity to learn and develop whilst sharing and networking with peers from their own and other councils and subsidiaries, across the state.

Our Networks include:

Join a Network today

If you would like to know more about our Network offerings, or have a suggestion for a new Network, please contact Melissa Davis-Bishop, Manager - Professional Networks Engagement at melissa@lgprofessionalssa.org.au.

AN EXCITING NEW DIRECTION FOR THE COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT SPACE

The LG Professionals SA Community Managers Network Committee has recently undertaken a review of the Networks offering, considering its future strategic direction with the aim of broadening accessibility and impact to the sector. An exciting outcome of this is the re-launch of the Network under a new name, the LG Professionals SA Community Development Network.

The aims of the freshly re-branded LG Professionals SA Community Development Network are:

To lead, drive and celebrate the practice of community development
To understand and respond to trends, opportunities, and challenges in the community sector, and provide feedback to relevant stakeholders
To provide a trusted platform for peer support and networking for the sector and strategic partners
To offer timely, engaging, topical and relevant opportunities for professional development
To position and prepare the community development sector for future changes
To enhance the network’s visibility with impactful and engaging marketing and branding.

There are exciting engagement opportunities planned for 2024, delivering important content on key topics relevant to those working in the Community space in the local government sector in South Australia.

Should you work for local government in SA and wish to join the Network, please click here to express your interest.

Find out more

BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVEMENT NETWORK FORUM
Thursday 25 July 2024

Join us for the upcoming LG Professionals SA Business Performance and Improvement Network Forum: Translating big dreams into strategies, plans and daily operations. Alice Smith and Dan Jellings will share strategic leadership lessons from the City of Mitcham and its novel approach to its community plan review, followed by an interactive session, facilitated by Ania Karzek, to explore the big audacious goals.

This Forum will be held in person and via Zoom on Thursday 25 July 2024 from
1:15PM – 4:15PM, followed by networking drinks (pay your own way) at Kauri Community and Sports Centre, Lipson Ave, Seacliff.

GENERAL MANAGERS AND DIRECTORS NETWORK FORUM

To be held late July / early August 2024. Registration and further information coming soon.

Join us for an enlightening forum that delves into the transformative world of Generative AI and its profound implications for your organisation. As we embrace digital transformation, understanding the Risks, Rewards, and Reality of Generative AI is more crucial than ever.

NETWORK OFFERINGS