At the Local Government Management Australia award ceremony earlier this year, the City of Burnside took home the inaugural Excellence Award for Innovative Management Initiatives.
Spearheading the initiative that earned them the gong was Burnside CEO, Paul Deb.
“The initiative related to six-monthly rotations of three General Managers to allow them to thoroughly learn all the business of Council,” Mr Deb explained.
Ward Councillor Helga Lemon nominated Mr Deb as a high achiever for his efforts in organising the program.
A town planner by trade, Mr Deb has been CEO since 2011.
He has previously held policy and statutory planning positions; team leader roles in development assessment for the Adelaide City Council; a senior planning role in private industry; and town planning roles with the City of Mt Barker.
Mr Deb joined the City of Burnside in 2003 as Manager of Development and Policy, working in various roles before becoming CEO in July 2011.
“In my current role as Chief Executive Officer, I am expected to provide the highest level of management, planning and organisational skills, and competence,” Mr Deb said.
“I work to achieve a work-life balance and to ensure that the City of Burnside is a family friendly employer.”
Located in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs, the City of Burnside is an established residential municipality located in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs.
In 2013, the estimated resident population was 44,500 and this is forecast to increase to around 45,245 by 2031.
Mr Deb takes pride in the municipality’s key assets.
“Our City is renowned for tree-lined streets and our parks and gardens.
“People come from all over Adelaide to visit our parks and our swimming centre.”
The geography of the area presents specific challenges for Burnside.
“We manage a section of the Hills Face Zone of the Adelaide Foothills that is considered one of the most bushfire-prone areas in Australia due to our Mediterranean climate and the characteristic hot summer months.
“While the threat of bushfires affects only part of the Council area, the potential consequences are large.
“Council works very closely with the residents that live in the bush fire zone, and the CFS, to reduce and manage the ‘fuel load’ and thus the risk of bushfire.”
Mr Deb said he thoroughly enjoys positively impacting the community via his role as CEO.
“The best part of my job is being able to work with a group of highly skilled employees in delivering quality services to our community.
“Being able to recognise what the community is asking for and then, working as a team, to deliver those services and functions is really rewarding.”
The pressures of financial management are a key consideration for the CEO.
“The key challenge in my role relates to managing the tension between delivering great services, with exceptional customer service and ensuring that the organisation is effective and efficient in delivering those services.
“The pressure is squarely on local government to reduce the rate burden on its ratepayers while maintaining services and quality customer services.
“Prudent financial management and an understanding of the community’s needs are crucial in this respect.”
Key projects Mr Deb is overseeing in the City of Burnside currently include: the redevelopment of social and sporting centre the Glenunga Community Hub; the preparation of Master Plans for two major reserves, Kensington Gardens and Hazelwood Park; undertaking a Council Efficiency and Effectiveness review; and participation in the regional water harvesting project, the Eastern Region Alliance (ERA) Water.
