The 2013 LGPro Annual Conference, held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd February, was an overwhelming success.
A total of 753 delegates registered for the Conference and heard a fantastic line up of keynote speakers, including:
• The Hon. Michael Kirby, AC CMG, former High Court Judge, who spoke about the proposal to include a reference to local government in the Australian Constitution and also about how digital technology is likely to impact on the delivery of services in the sector
• Jan Owen, AM, CEO of the Foundation for Young Australians, who examined the role of innovation in keeping young people safe and providing them with the opportunity to succeed
• Dr Helena Popovic, MBBS, an expert in the field of neuroplasticity who provided practical and implementable suggestions on how to improve the functioning of the brain and reduce the risk of developing dementia
• Dr Nicholas Gruen, who spoke about public goods, regulation and innovation in the age of the Internet.
Eight interactive sessions were held over the two days, based around the theme of the Conference — ‘Inspiration, Innovation, Regulation’. The sessions focused on how people working in the sector can be both inspirational and innovative, while still working within the confines of regulation. The sessions covered:
• superior people performance
• local government procurement
• employee engagement
• art in public places
• opportunities and risks of the new age of information technology and transparency
• place managers — who are they and do we need them?
• leadership development
• managing volunteers in local government.
The ‘Ideas Marketplace’, where 10 local government chief executive officers led conversations discussing some of the hot topics facing the sector, proved popular with Conference delegates, as did the ‘Local Government’s Got Talent’ feature session, which was won by Shelley Rodrigues and Gary Farrugia from the City of Melbourne.
The Conference concluded with a debate that tackled the question: ‘Innovation is not in my position description. Does local government have a culture of innovation?’
Winners of the 2013 LGPro Awards for Excellence
A record number of around 630 people attended the Annual Conference Dinner on Thursday 21st February where the winners of the 2013 LGPro Awards for Excellence were announced.
Congratulations to the following winners of the eight major award categories:
• Innovative Management Initiative: Northern Grampians Shire Council, Flood Recovery Project
• Service Delivery Initiative: Kingston City Council, Circle of Life Playgroup
• Specials Projects Initiative: Northern Grampians Shire Council, Farm Fencing Restoration Project
• Community Partnerships Initiative: Moonee Valley City Council. Sustainable Employment and Economic Development (SEED) Project
• Community Assets and Infrastructure Initiative ($1 million and under): City of Greater Dandenong, Noble Park Civic Space
• Community Assets and Infrastructure Initiative (over $1 million): Mansfield Shire Council, Goulburn River High Country Rail Trail Infrastructure
• Sustainability Initiative: Warrnambool City Council, Great South Coast Street Smart Lighting Program
• Young Achiever: Ben Morrissey, Maribyrnong City Council
