Local Government Focus Day Auckland

Settle in, grab a coffee, and meet a few friendly faces before we begin.

A short welcome, plus a few quick tips to help you connect, share, and get real value from the day. We’ll also run a couple of quick polls to see what everyone’s interested in and what people are working on right now.

This keynote will explore how purposeful leadership, empowered teams, and thoughtful technology adoption are reshaping how councils deliver for their communities.

Key points:

• Creating a culture that embraces change, continuous improvement, and digital confidence
• Enabling the workforce through modern tools, clear priorities, and strong leadership alignment
• Strengthening organisational capability to meet rising expectations in an increasingly tech-driven environment

Practical use cases for improving efficiency, streamlining processes, and enhancing customer experiences

Panel of experts discussing real-world applications of AI, data analytics, and digital tools in council operations.

• How AI and digital tools can enhance operational efficiency, creativity, and service delivery in councils.
• The impact of technological innovation on workforce culture, engagement, and upskilling.
• Key risks and strategies for managing cybersecurity, compliance, and change during digital transformation.

Grab lunch, have a wander, and chat with industry partners and peers about practical ideas you can take back to work. Arguably the most important part of the day!

Our interactive roundtables give you space to swap notes with peers. Hosted by industry leaders, they blend lived experience with practical insights. Bring your biggest challenges, wins, and lessons, and leave with ideas you can apply straight away.

Building scalable, secure systems to support long-term growth and resilience.

• Implementing AI tools and modern digital platforms, alongside cloud migration and cybersecurity upgrades.
• Upskilling staff, embedding agile practices, and fostering a digital-first culture to support innovation.
• Driving transformation initiatives that are reshaping council operations for more efficient, responsive, and forward-thinking service delivery.

A discussion with executive leaders on the realities of leading through financial pressure, rising expectations and reform, and how councils can collaborate to maintain performance, trust and community impact.

• Managing budget constraints, cost shifting, and resource pressures
• Balancing rising community expectations with operational realities
• Shared services models that work – practical structures for shared billing, asset management, digital platforms and compliance reporting across councils.

Matt Prosser

Chief Executive Officer, Wellington City Council

Clive Manley

Chief Executive Officer, Ruapehu District Council

Hayley Worthington

General Manager Strategic Improvement, Kaipara District Council

We’ll pull out a few highlights from the day, share what’s coming next, and point you to ways to stay connected.