In February, Local Government Professionals had more than 800 attendees at their annual conference in Melbourne.
Attendees heard from a long list of speakers addressing topics such as courageous leadership, empowering communities and optimising performance.
LGPro reported fantastic feedback and a positive energy among the delegates.
The turn out was excellent, and shows that there is a strong willingness to learn and improve among council staff.
It is one of many courses, conferences and workshops offered by local government associations nation wide.
Opportunities also exist for staff to compete in events such as the Australasian Management Challenge organised by the Local Government Managers Australia.
Over 100 teams from across Australia and New Zealand entered the 2014 challenge.
It’s a win-win for everyone involved; council staff professionally develop, and councils gain more qualified staff.
However staff development could be undermined by some of the many pressures currently being placed on local government.
Financial pressure from the indexation of Financial Assistance Grants will limit the money councils are able to spend on professional development, and
Victorian councils have an additional challenge with the looming threat of rate capping.
Amalgamations and mergers are also placing a pressure on councils.High quality staff are perhaps a council’s most valuable asset, and continuing to invest in them shouldn’t be overlooked when cuts are made.
