Welcome to your May edition of In Focus News; designed to keep you informed about our current programs and activities.

EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM 2019

This unique professional development program is designed to provide current or aspiring leaders with a greater level of comprehension and understanding of local government. The program also teaches participants how to integrate these learnings into the workplace with increased confidence and enhanced self-awareness.

The program will take place in Launceston on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 June at QVMAG Museum at Inveresk.

Registrations closed on Friday 24 May, although with a couple of registrations still available, there is still time to secure your place. Register now!

To register online, head to our website or click here.

NATIONAL CONGRESS & BUSINESS EXPO 2019

The early bird rate is closing this Friday 31 May, so it’s time to register for Australia’s premier Local Government conference – the LG Professionals Australia, 2019 National Congress & Business Expo in Darwin from 31 July – 2 August. 

The full line-up has just been released and it is tailored to you, and tomorrow's emerging leaders. Download the registration pack for full details including the speakers and sessions.

Accommodation right by the Darwin Convention Centre and in the Darwin CBD is selling out quickly so register today for an unmissable Congress.

Click here to register for your tickets.

GROWING LEADERS

Leadership is a word that gets a lot of use. It also brings with it a lot of expectations. Communities seek strong leadership from elected representatives, whatever the level of government. Many wish our world had more political and business leaders who demonstrated compassion and empathy, particularly during times of crisis. We also want our top sports champions to be good role models - to lead by example. In local government, we need leadership to help our communities, and our organisations, to develop and grow. Yet good leadership is not always easy and it takes practice.

And the concept of leadership in today's organisations is changing; so called "soft skills" are just as if not more highly valued in leadership roles than technical competencies. At the same time, in local government as in the workforce more generally, there are significant numbers of employees fast approaching retirement age. Of course, leadership is not just about hierarchies, nor age or length of service. Leaders are found in all walks of life and at all levels within an organisational structure.

Nevertheless, the emerging workforce trends do present challenges and also opportunities for us to grow new leaders from within our organisations. This article explores some of the ways in which the local government sector can foster those future leaders.

Find the full article on our website.

By Leanne Hurst

Director Development Services, City of Launceston

LG Professionals Tasmania Board Member

MEMBER PROFILE  - CLAIRE SMITH B.Com ASA

Each newsletter we aim to feature one of our current members. In this edition we have interviewed member, Claire Smith who is the Director, Organisational Development at the Waratah-Wynyard Council.

Claire, what do you do in your role and how long have you been doing it?

Director of Organisational Performance. This role encompasses financial management and performance, strategic planning, governance, IT & Digital Innovation, special projects and economic development – it’s a key role of the organisation and executive management team. I’ve been at Waratah Wynyard Council since November 2018, next month I’ll be taking on a new role at the Cradle Coast Authority as Director of Strategic Services which will head up a new business function, internally focusing on financial and operational performance, culture and planning, while externally focusing on pursuing funding partnerships and other strategic opportunities which will benefit the business, region and member councils.

What made you want to work in Local Government?

After moving to Tasmania in 2015 from Western Australian I secured a role with Cradle Coast Authority as the Corporate Services Manager, prior to this I’d worked in the resource consulting sector as a Financial and Management Accountant and in the recruitment industry heading up a payroll and accounts department. Local Government presented an attractive opportunity to be involved in having an impact in the north west region of Tasmania – and, I could see the potential the region had. I’m passionate about the importance of Local Government and our role in public administration. Local Government is more than just Roads, Rates and Rubbish and we have many opportunities to have a positive influence within our communities. The sector has a vital role to play in ensuring our community and region is a fantastic place to live, work, visit and invest – and I’m very fortunate to be a part of this and am committed to influencing change.

What made you join LG Professionals Tasmania?

As mentioned above I’m passionate about Local Government and in particular building capacity and capabilities within the sector – this is possible through building strong networks and sharing of skills, knowledge and experiences. Being involved in professional networks such as LG Professionals is important to me as I highly value career growth opportunities and life-long learning through both formal and informal networks.

What interests do you have outside of work?

I have many interests outside of work, although a lot of my time is spent in volunteer roles such as The Coasters which I co-founded in 2017. The Coasters is a group of like-minded aspirational young people who wish to influence the region’s future, we support the sharing of skills, knowledge and experiences to raise aspirations through improving access to career development and mentoring opportunities. A key priority for The Coasters is to retain our best and brightest and increase engagement, the future of our region and state is dependent on young people from diverse background, choosing to build their careers and lives here.

Aside from this, I am also an active member of CPA Australia and the Deputy Chair of the north west regional member network.

If I’m not working or learning you’ll find me in the kitchen cooking up a storm or baking - I’m a massive *foodie*, I also enjoy bushwalking, soaking up some sunshine and travelling.

If you could give your 12-year-old self one piece of advice what would it be?

Dream big, ANYTHING is possible.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I went to more than 15 schools while growing up, ranging from 10-20 students to over 1,000 in my year group! I was born in Sydney, spent 10 years growing up in New Zealand and I’ve lived in NSW, VIC, TAS and WA.

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges facing the sector at the moment?

Recently, I’ve been involved in the Local Government Act Legislative Review Reference Group which has been a great experience and I hope this will deliver a great outcome for Local Government and the community. Although this won’t necessarily address the challenges facing the sector it will go some way to support the sector to evolve, do things differently and meet the ever increasing expectations of the community.

One of the biggest challenges facing Tasmania is attracting and retaining young people, this is ever-present within the sector with a fast ageing workforce profile. The Cradle Coast Regional Futures Plan, developed by the Cradle Coast Authority with and on behalf of our region’s nine councils draws attention to skills and workforce challenges we face while our population is ageing and plateauing. Retaining young appropriately educated people is vital to ensure economic growth and I hope my work in Local Government will go some way to addressing this to ensure we have a dynamic, capable, skilled workforce

Biggest regret outside of work in the past 10 years? 

Not learning to fly a plane! Yet.

TELSTRA BUSINESS WOMEN'S AWARDS 2019

Our warmest congratulations are extended to Dr Katrena Stephenson, CEO, LGAT and Observer on the Board of LG Professionals Tas for winning the Tasmanian Telstra Business Women’s Awards 2019 in the category of Telstra Public Sector & Academia Award.

CEO of the Local Government Association of Tasmania, Katrena Stephenson represents all 29 of the Tasmanian local councils. Dedicated to building the capability and effectiveness of those councils, she manages a skilled team to keep councils informed on policy, research and other developments, while developing strategic approaches and practical solutions to a range of issues.

 “I have a diverse range of strategic and adaptive skills, which allow me to support Tasmanian councils to be more effective in their roles of providing safe, sustainable and livable communities.”

For further information, visit the Telstra Business Women's Awards website.

LG REVIEW NEWS

The May edition of Tasmania's Local Government Legislation Review Newsletter – LG Review News is available. Click here to view or download it.

JLT PUBLIC SECTOR

JLT is proud to continue our long-term partnership of LG Professionals Tasmania.

Having supported LG Professionals in Tasmania since our office first opened in 2013, we understand how important it is to deliver tangible value and services to local governments and associated organisations nationally.

JLT Public Sector is committed to supporting Local Government to deliver services to the community by helping to identify and innovatively provide risk solutions. Risks continue to emerge as does our deep-seated knowledge and relationships within the Local Government sector.

JLT is continuing to build upon our ongoing legacy of 45 years of risk-based solutions to Local Government, partnering with over 450 councils across Australia, including 17 Councils in Tasmania & the Local Government Association of Tasmania; engaging a team of 350+ dedicated local government specialists and consistently providing value and outcomes through their relationships with Local Government.

For more information, please visit the JLT website.

LG Professionals Tasmania is proudly sponsored by JLT Public Sector

JLT Public Sector

We are very interested to know if you have any ideas or requests for activities, programs or services you wish to have on offer during the next financial year.

You are welcome to call or send me an email if you have any specific requests or ideas.

Kind regards,

Mary Frost