Warrnambool City Council has won the 2014 Local Government Managers Australia (LGMA) Australasian Management Challenge Finals.
The Management Challenge attracted fierce competition from Australia and New Zealand’s brightest local government practitioners, who shared their ideas to tackle some of local government’s key challenges.
Warrnambool City Council Communications Manager and winning team member Nick Higgins, said participating in the Challenge had been a great professional development opportunity.
“It’s been of enormous value to see other teams in action and learn from them as well. We were very impressed with our counterparts from across Australia.”
The annual event attracts teams of local government professionals who have signed up to the yearly professional development program and have been shortlisted after completing range of projects and activities throughout the year in their State and New Zealand.
The annual event enables collaboration with local government colleagues and allows participants to hone their presentation skills by pitching their ideas to a panel of judges from the sector.
In second place was New Zealand’s’ Whakatane District Council and third place, Tasmania’s Burnie Council.
“As Australia’s baby boomers move towards retirement, we need to cultivate and support our local government professionals and ensure we are attracting and retaining skilled individuals to take charge of local government in the future”, LGMA National Acting CEO Lauren Oakey said.
“Continuing professional development is vital to nurturing aspiring local government leaders.
“The Program’s emphasis is on equipping our practitioners with leadership, analytic, communication and problem solving skills, and applying these skills in a practical setting.”
