The City of Greater Dandenong’s Finance Team comprises 25 staff covering financial accounting, management accounting and property rates and valuations. The team is led by Council’s Finance Manager, Michelle Hansen, who Director of Corporate Services Mick Jaensch said has been integral to the development of the team. The team was nominated by Councillor Peter Brown, who said Mick and his staff had over the last three years developed a long-term financial plan which had assisted with the forward planning and financing of the current construction of a new civic centre, as well as financially structuring the recently-opened Noble Park Aquatic Centre.
Mick called the Finance Team a hard working unit who understand that their work contributes significantly to providing the resources to fund future and existing infrastructure in the Council. “The team has transformed under Michelle’s leadership going from a unit which reported low levels of engagement in staff surveys to now one of the units within Council that is most engaged.”
The opportunity to make an impact on the Council’s future is paramount to the team’s enjoyment of their work. In the past seven years, the City of Greater Dandenong has expended $10 million on the establishment of the Drum Performing Arts Centre, $22 million on the development of the Noble Park Aquatic Centre, $26 million on revitalisation of the Dandenong Market and is currently completing a new $65 million Civic Centre/Community Library. The financial planning for these projects has been extensive as it has been essential to fund the projects without either raising rates unduly, reducing operational services or Council’s ability to fund the renewal of existing infrastructure. Having a carefully considered long-term financial strategy has been paramount. Council has carefully managed its budgets during the time of the above projects and has established an accumulated surplus and cash reserve which did not previously exist.
Mick said Council’s Long Term Financial Strategy was relatively unique in that it was developed from the bottom up with the input of all budget officers. “While most councils have a long term financial strategy, they are frequently developed by Finance without the ownership across the organisation. This is not the case with the City of Greater Dandenong, with a strong culture of requiring managers to fully embrace the long term financial plan and to input their forward financial forecasts.”
