Pine Rivers Shire Council in south east Queensland is at the forefront of benchmarking and enterprise bargaining. Council recently received a $59,000 Federal Government grant to help it maintain its high profile in benchmarking. It also was one of the first local authorities in Australia to implement a single enterprise bargaining agreement for both inside and outside staff.
The Shire recently ran a two day interstate workshop on benchmarking processes for Councils which fall into the Urban Fringe Large category.
Delegates from Victoria, NSW and South Australia attended the workshop, as well as staff from the Commonwealth Department of Housing and Regional Development, the State Department of Housing, Local Government and Planning and the Local Government Association of Queensland. Eleven specific areas were identified for benchmarking and each participating Council has been assigned one of these areas.
The $59,000 grant contributes towards the benchmarking training costs and will also provide for a final report and manual for use by other Councils and the Local Government industry in general.
“Benchmarking is the smart work practice as we move towards the Year 2000 and beyond,” said John Matthews, Councils Chief Executive Officer. “It all boils down to better service for our customers and we are committed to that principle.”
For further information contact John Matthews, telephone (07) 3205 0560.
