Transcript Document

www.acelg.org.au
[email protected]
“[Australia’s tradition of local democracy] is
under threat when local government tries
to cling to the irrelevant or inappropriate,
when it underestimates the significance of
its own responsibility or waits for a lead
from other spheres of government. We
have to do better as well.”
David Plumridge, ALGA President , 1995
Vision
World-class local government to meet the
challenges of 21st Century Australia
At the end of its initial five years the Centre will
have brought about enduring improvements in
local government’s capacity and performance
Overview
• NOT a research institute: practical focus
• NOT a representative body or a professional institute
• Consortium: UTS (Centre for Local Government);
University of Canberra (ANZSOG Institute); ANZSOG;
LGMA; IPWEA
• $8m federal ‘endowment’ for minimum 5-year operations
• In fact, at least another 2-3 years
• Inaugural Board meeting held 1 October
• Project (business) plan to be completed by December,
then reviewed annually
• Further consultations February-March 2010
ACELG Board
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Hon Margaret Reynolds (Chair)
Cr Geoff Lake (ALGA)
Ms Stephanie Foster (DITRDLG)
Prof Attila Brungs, Deputy VC, UTS
Prof John H Howard, Pro VC, UC
Mr Peter Allen, ANZSOG
Ms Penny Holloway, LGMA
Mr John Truman, IPWEA
The Brief
• Showcase innovation and best practice across local
government
• Encourage the adoption of innovative practices and
solutions
• Specific focus on financial planning and asset
management
• Assist local government to achieve a leading role in
policy debates
• Nationally coordinated approach to training and
development
• Local government as an employer of choice
Guiding principles
• The Centre must be grounded in and serve the local
government system: it should not be an outsider,
academic organisation
• The Centre should focus on adding value, filling gaps
and seeding new initiatives: it should not compete with
existing programs
• Given limited resources, the Centre must focus on a
limited number of strategic interventions
Some key challenges
• Financial sustainability post GFC – smaller councils
in particular
• Integrated asset management and financial planning
• Ageing population – impacts and opportunities
• Social inclusion
• Climate change and environmental management
• City planning and governance of metropolitan areas
• Regional economic development
• National productivity
The pursuit of excellence
• Local government DOES need to try harder to secure
its place in the system of government
• Greater understanding of key policy issues
• Improved strategic management and political
governance
• Creation of a much greater depth of leadership talent
• Concerted efforts to address gaps in workforce skills
and management expertise
• Willingness to explore and embrace changing
agendas: 21st Century local government is much
more than just service delivery
• Management AND elected members
Year 1 Deliverables (by 30.6.10)
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Asset and financial planning program underway
Baseline data sets for key programs
Best practice case studies
ANZSOG Executive Leadership Program design well advanced
Upgrade Management Challenge/design Emerging Leaders program
designed
Support to Year of Women in Local Government
Review of business excellence frameworks
Needs assessment of rural, remote and Indigenous councils
Gap analysis of education and training programs
Practice Unit established and workforce development projects
launched
Round 1 research projects underway
Roundtable on metro governance and seminars on key policy issues