The Institute of Municipal Management’s 1996 National Congress was staged in Canberra on 19-22 May. Using the theme ‘Sailing the ‘Cs’ of Challenge’ keynote speakers and workshops covered the issues of Change, Commitment, Competitiveness, Communication, Creativity, Capacity, Continuous improvement, Culture and Courage.
“We must all recognise that the one thing more certain than death and taxes is change,” said Congress Convenor Robert Gray, General Manager, Lake Macquarie City Council.
“For Australia to survive in the global economy, all enterprises, whether public or private sector, must reassess and modify how they carry out their various tasks.”
A range of speakers over the three day event, addressed the ‘Cs’ by challenging the beliefs, values and thought processes of some 600 delegates from Councils around the nation. Quoting Thomas Jefferson, Robert Gray said you can change your circumstances by changing your attitude of mind. He urged delegates to look for creative solutions to take back and value add to their communities.
“For many years, Local Government has actively pursued the concepts of efficiency, effectiveness and increased productivity,” said Michael Llewellyn-Smith, Federal President, IMM. “Local Government is excellent at focusing its skills on problem solving and challenges but it does not always use the creativity and innovation within us all to provide for better outcomes.”
