Striking the balance was the theme of 2004 LGPro conference held at the Melbourne Park Conference Centre in February. The conference opened by looking at the theme of balance from several different viewpoints.
The keynote address was presented by Lillian Holt who is the Vice Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Melbourne. She placed the theme of ‘striking the balance’ in the context of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Lillian Holt said that sometimes we have to get a bit ‘wobbly’ to produce balance. She talked about the need for jokes and that some people were well balanced with ‘chips on both their shoulders’.
Lillian Holt discussed the needs for a storytelling culture to enable people to share their ideas, hopes and dreams.
The Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Pru Goward, spoke about the declining fertility rate in Australian society and the serious implications it had for the future. She said many women had to make very difficult decisions about children and careers. For some women finding that success in their careers often meant not having children altogether – even if they wanted children at the start of their careers.
Pru Goward called for paid maternity leave and active inducements to assist women in balancing home and families. In particular, she asked for greater support for lower income families who simply could not afford to take time off work.
In a session on creating work/life balance, Ian Hutchinson from Life by Design, talked about striking the right balance between life, work and money. He took the audience of councillors and officers through a simple exercise to determine life’s priorities. He asked people to look at the three main areas affecting their life and to work out strategies to get more out of life.
“By setting up clear goals, we can enjoy the journey…we cannot choose when we are going to die, but we can choose how we are going to live,” he said.
The 2004 LGPro awards were announced at the conference dinner. The winners were:
- Innovative Management Initiative – Bill Jaboor, Peter Harriott, Tony Tranter and the Aquamoves Team from Greater Shepparton City Council for the Aquamoves- Lakeside Shepparton Project.
- Service Delivery Initiative – the Executive Management Team from Darebin City Council for the Cultural Diversity Management Project.
- Special Projects Initiative – Community Safety Team from Frankston City Council for the Safer City Centre Project.
- Advocacy Initiative – Lydia Wilson, Craig Kenny, Nick Matteo, Caroline Butterworth, and Councillor Sue Corby from Yarra City Council for the East Timorese Asylum Seeker Campaign Project.
