Invitation to speak at local government events

City of Wodonga CEO and councillors recently attended an online briefing by the Inspectorate. Photo: City of Wodonga

Councils and other local government bodies are welcome to invite us to speak to them or speak at their events. The Inspectorate is happy to speak to councils and others in the sector about our work. Our presentation can also help councillors and senior staff understand more about good governance, local government laws and our role as an integrity agency.

Each year, we visit a number of councils to inform them about our role in monitoring local government and ensuring the integrity of elections. These presentations, which can be held in person or online, are useful to understand the complexity of roles and responsibilities in the local government and integrity sectors.

This month we presented to councillors and executive staff at the City of Wodonga to explain what we can investigate (possible offences under the Local Government Act) and what we can’t (breaches of the council’s policies).

City of Wodonga Chief Executive Officer Mark Dixon said: “Nearly 12 months into their term, it was a great opportunity to remind everyone of the roles and responsibilities of a councillor versus the roles of the CEO. We discussed how to get the best out of our briefings (and meetings) and importantly how to hold each other to account in living by the Councillor code of conduct.

“We finished with a free-flowing Q&A. I thoroughly recommend such a frank and open information exchange to all council teams.”

Meanwhile, the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) has had the CMI as a presenter to a number of professional development forums for mayors, councillors and officers, both online and face-to-face.

“Mr Stefanovic brings a unique combination including practical examples, ‘red flag’ signs of underlying problems, and prevention strategies to build understanding around governance and conduct obligations under local government legislation in Victoria,” VLGA Chief Executive Officer Kathryn Arndt said.

Mr Stefanovic added: “I would encourage councils to reach out if there are any briefings or events that they would like the Inspectorate to attend. We can give a general briefing on our work or we can brief on a specific topic, such as governance or conflicts of interest.”

Councils and stakeholder groups wishing to arrange a presentation by the Inspectorate can contact inspectorate@lgi.vic.gov.au.

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