At the 2010 Local Government Managers Australia National Congress in Adelaide, Local Government FOCUS invited delegates to nominate individuals or teams from their councils who are
improving operations or enhancing service delivery for their local community.
In this edition, we showcase the next two of our high achievers for 2010.
Chantal Husk, City of South Perth, WA
For Chantal Husk, Perth is the third capital city she has called home, but she thinks it will be the last one for a while.
When she began working for the City of South Perth early in 2009, it was the first time she had taken on a Local Government position. But with the diversity and opportunities her current role offers, she is keen to stay.
Chantal is Council’s Communications Coordinator, responsible for responding to media enquiries and promoting the City through newsletters, local papers and Council’s website.
City of South Perth CEO Cliff Frewing nominated Chantal to appear in Local Government FOCUS, saying she has done an excellent job in bringing fresh ideas to Council.
“Chantal arrived at the City of South Perth in January 2009 from Victoria, where she previously worked in the water industry,” he said. “She took on the challenging role of Communications Coordinator and has been instrumental in introducing many positive initiatives.
“She initiated and drove the successful restructure and expansion of the City’s 2008/09 Annual Report. A leap above the City’s previous annual reporting, this was a feat in innovation and best practice.
“With an unwavering passion for online communications, Chantal was also a key player in the development of Council’s new cutting edge website and growing the City’s presence online.
“With a positive attitude and desire for continual improvement and quality, Chantal has been a tremendous acquisition to the City. Victoria’s loss but WA’s gain!”
Chantal is proud of many of her achievements at Council, but considers the Annual Report project a significant accomplishment.
“I worked on the report with Council’s inhouse Graphic Designer and entered it into the Australasian Reporting Awards,” she said. “Although we didn’t win, the City of South Perth was one of only two Western Australian councils to enter the Awards in 2010, and I am looking forward to entering again next year.”
Cliff Frewing said that Chantal was also instrumental in the City undertaking its first communications survey, with Council subsequently rebranding some of its external communications.
The survey results showed that Council is doing really well in keeping residents informed, and that its newsletter in particular is well read and regarded. Chantal most enjoys this project work aspect of her role.
“Juggling deadlines and tasks is always a challenge, and it can be frustrating working on a project when a local story breaks or another urgent communications task pops up,” she said. “You have your day planned, something unexpected pops up, your workday changes and you might not be able to get back to that project for a couple of weeks.
“I’ve had to learn to be more flexible and just roll with it, as eventually everything pans out.”
Chantal Husk is grateful for every opportunity she has had and for the support she receives from her Communications team.
“It is an exciting time to be part of our team, as there are so many changes taking place,” she said. “When I began with Council, there was only a graphic designer and me. Now we have a new Marketing Officer who specialises in online communications, reflecting our commitment to continually improve the City’s communications and maintaining the best possible standards we can.”
Chantal enjoys the Local Government atmosphere and said its diverse functions mean there is never a shortage of things to write about and there is always an opportunity to be involved in something exciting.
“I am continually presented with opportunities to try and develop new things, and I have had the good fortune to be involved in a range of Council projects,” Chantal said.
“Senior management encourage staff to take part in different things and they readily accept ideas and suggestions for improvement.
“It is a fantastic culture to be part of, as it has so many positive opportunities and challenges.”
Human Resources Unit, Alice Springs Town Council, Northern Territory
Located in Central Australia, Alice Springs is on the Adelaide to Darwin railway line, with the Ghan passenger train passing regularly through the town. Australia’s best known natural icon, Uluru, is 450 kilometres southwest of the town.
Industries of Central Australia include tourism, cattle, mining, defence and government services. These industries and 260 remote communities throughout inland Australia rely on Alice Springs for their essential services.
Formed in 1971, Alice Springs Town Council covers 410 square kilometres, serves a population of approximately 30,000 people and employs some 60 administration staff, 70 outdoor staff, 14 library staff and eight Solar City staff.
The main challenges for Council include staff retention, affordable accommodation, and isolation, with the closest State/Territory capital city to Alice Springs over 1,500 kilometres away. To help combat this issue of isolation, Council has developed an employment campaign – www.alicegetalife.com.au – designed to attract workers to the region.
Council’s Human Resources team currently has three members – Tony Jennison is the Manager, Biggi Gosling is the Training and Recruitment Officer, and Alan Riley is the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare (OHS&W), Workers Compensation and Injury Management Officer.
Some of the recent projects that the team has initiated include the formulation of the new Alice Springs Town Council Enterprise Agreement, the adoption of an Indigenous Employment Action plan and the implementation of a range of staff retention strategies.
The Alice Springs Town Council Enterprise Agreement was developed using a consultative committee that met regularly for over eight months to formulate a clear, concise agreement that reflectes modern workplaces practices. The final agreement was overwhelmingly supported by Council staff and has delivered improved workplace conditions.
The Indigenous Employment Action Plan was developed to increase Council’s Indigenous employment rate to 20 per cent to reflect the proportion of Indigenous people in Alice Springs.
The plan includes specific steps, such as:
- including the byline ‘Indigenous people
are encouraged to apply’ in all positions vacant advertisements - modifying position descriptions to ensure they
are easy to understand - providing on the job mentoring to Indigenous
employees - promoting employee success stories
- developing easy to complete Council mployment application forms
- broadcasting Alice Springs Town Council
workplace information on the local Indigenous
radio station CAAMA.
The plan has been successful, with Council’s current Indigenous employment rate rising to 17 per cent from 13 per cent. In addition, Council is now considered by the local Indigenous community and Job Search agencies as an Indigenous employer of choice.
“The Human Resources team has a diverse range of skills, experience and working styles that complement each other well,” he said. “We all enjoy working in an organisation that supports the vibrant, varied and active Alice Springs community.
“We also enjoy working in a supportive, interactive workplace, and assisting both managers and employees to develop their workplace skills.”
One reason the Human Resources team works successfully together is because the members come from a range of diverse backgrounds.
Tony, who is involved in a range of community services activities, has a solid background in Human Resources and steers the team in the right direction when it comes to policies and regulations.
Alan’s background lies within the Union movement and he is experienced in Industrial Relations. His passion is workplace safety, and he is dedicated to making the Alice Springs Town Council a safe workplace for employees, contractors and visitors alike.
Biggi, originally from Germany, has worked with people all her life as a tour guide and in retail, and enjoys the daily interaction with the staff.
“The Human Resources team meets regularly to proactively set new goals relevant to the Council projects,” Tony Jennison said. “Many lively discussions occur during our meetings and it helps that we all have a good sense
of humour, enjoy our jobs and love living in Alice Springs.”