An interview with Steven Shepherd, Director Corporate Services, City of Palmerston, NT
Steven Shepherd is responsible for finance, rates, human resource management, records management, customer service, information technology, communications, fleet and asset management.
He believes it is imperative that finance officers look not only at the current year, but ten years ahead.
“This allows Council to identify sustainability issues through the budget process and allocate financial resources as necessary,” he said. “In a fast growing City such as Palmerston, this ensures satisfactory resources are available for capacity building to meet demands.
“Elected members should also play an active role in determining financial plans to create ownership of the strategic process.”
Steven Shepherd said that awareness of community needs and knowing the cost of meeting those needs is another essential factor to ensure responsible ongoing financial management. He said Council is relating its budget programs and expenditure to the City of Palmerston Community Plan, which is based on the results of a community survey.
“Councils must ensure they are transparent by keeping constituents informed of financial activity through Council’s reporting process,” he said. “Reports must be presented in a simple format that can be clearly understood by all members of the community.
“We must ensure that sufficient controls are in place to deliver this information accurately. Internal and external audit measures are key to this process.
“By ensuring that audit trails are in place for all financial transactions, Councils can also ensure accountability.”
Steven Shepherd said that when reporting to constituents, it is important for Council to gain feedback.
“By encouraging constituents to comment on Council’s activity through survey and reviews, they feel involved in Council decisions and processes,” he said.
Steven said the key challenges facing Council finances include the following:
- maintaining service levels demanded by the community in an environment of reducing financial assistance grants while keeping rates to a minimum
- satisfying community needs through the budget deliberations
- compliance with relevant legislation, such as the Local Government Accounting Code, Local Government Act, Local Government Accounting Regulation, International Financial Reporting Standards
- ensuring adequate operational expenditure and reserves are in place to address Council’s current and future assets
- managing growth – the City of Palmerston is currently one of the fastest growing cities in Australia.
The City of Palmerston is addressing these challenges by identifying alternative sources of funding through entrepreneurial activity and reviewing business processes to reduce cost while maintaining services.
“We have committed to yearly and ten year financial planning and are participating in professional development and government financial standards development groups, including the Northern Territory Local Government Financial Reference Group,” Steven Shepherd said.
In the future, Steven said there will be further enhancement and development of financial reporting systems, with ability to deliver abstract reporting in a timely manner.
“The role of finance officers will diversify to involve further interoperability with other functions of Council,” he said. “I also believe there will be further integration of financial systems into the various plans of Council.”
