Weekly column from Council Courier e-newsletter by CEO Greg Hallam, Friday, 2 February 2018.
In completing a human resource capability review across both LGAQ and our wholly owned subsidiary Peak Services, we identified a total of 24 staff - accounting for 20% of our combined total workforce - that have worked in one or more councils.
The two most senior people at the LGAQ, Sarah Buckler and myself, have both held senior executive roles in councils.
Add to this mix the inimitable Mark Leyland, a 40-year local government administration veteran and legislative expert, and that’s a lot of hands-on experience running councils.
Then we have regulatory planners, building gurus, engineers, industrial relations, NRM, environment, customer services, energy experts, senior disaster management experience and communications staff, with hundreds of years of combined council service
between them.
In short – we know our potatoes.
This direct local government experience is complemented with many other staff having state and federal government experience. It means we square the circle in skill sets and experiences in understanding, representing and supporting councils across each of the two additional tiers of government.
Top that off with the equivalent of our combined staff spending five ‘whole person’ years every year visiting our members in their patch to make sure we are fully up to speed on your aspirations and concerns.
It’s our business to know your business.
We are always looking to do even better. This year, we’re sending a small number of our Advocacy staff to complete two-week placements in councils.
In other news, this week either President Mayor Mark Jamieson or I met with the Assistant Treasurer Glenn Butcher, Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Minister Anthony Lynham and the new Shadow Ministers for Local Government and Planning.
The LGAQ Board has been holding its annual, two-day strategic planning session - today and yesterday – the results of which we’ll share with members next week.
Finally, a big thank you from Sarah Buckler and I for your congratulations and kind words for the both of us being recognised in this year’s Australia Day Awards with PSM and AM honours respectively.
Congratulations also to Noel Playford and Edward Natera, CEO of Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council who also received honours or medals in the same honours list.