In this issue of Local Government Focus we focus on what councils are doing in Administration & Management Systems, and the news is impressive. From significant advances in customer service, such as the introduction of mobile customer service centres, to the utilisation of advanced technologies for records management, councils are at the coalface in terms of increasing their efficiency and, in many cases, employee and customer satisfaction.
One of the big areas of interest, right across Australia, is in streamlining planning and building applications, in order to make the process less time consuming and more cost effective for builders and developers. Western Australian councils have recently got a big tick from an industry body for their implementation of state government reforms in the building approval process, showing that cooperation between state and local government can dramatically increase performance in administration.
A number of councils are implementing sophisticated software for staff performance management, automated records keeping, and advanced telephony systems, such as Campbelltown City Council’s transition to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Noting that this kind of significant change is often difficult for staff, most councils report a willingness to adapt and widespread acceptance amongst employees. In fact, many employees are delighted with the increase in workplace efficiency and performance that the introduction of the new systems represents.
On the news front, there is, as always, a lot happening around the country, particularly as a result of the recent elections in the Northern Territory and Queensland. Big swings against incumbents in Queensland are being attributed to the lack of cohesion at the federal level and the dramatic results of the state election. How this will impact on the many Queensland councils still coping with the fall out, both financially and physically, after the major floods of 2011 and 2012, is yet to be seen.
As part of our continuing coverage of the impact of natural disasters on councils, we look at the partnership that has been formed between Red Cross Queensland and Western Downs Regional Council, drawing on the expertise of trained emergency workers in assisting with potential future crisis situations. We also, once again, draw attention to the complexities of achieving disaster classification and how delays at the federal level are impacting on the wellbeing of towns like Ungarie in New South Wales.
The front page focuses on the barriers to women’s participation in local government, both as elected representatives and in managerial and leadership roles. While there has been a lot of effort put into overcoming these barriers from local government associations, particularly from the Australian Local Government Women’s Association (ALGWA), the downward trend continues.
To arrest this trend, Noelene Duff, CEO of the City of Whitehorse, suggests some proactive ways that councils can encourage women into managerial roles and, when family obligations interrupt their career, attract them back.
Local government could lead the way in redressing this imbalance in the Australian workplace, by implementing employment policies that take on some of the practical steps that Noelene outlines.
