Local Government Focus Day Western Australia

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.

What makes a place truly liveable—and how can councils deliver measurable improvements over time? This keynote introduces a proven Liveability Framework developed through years of on-the-ground application, including its contribution to the City of Vincent being recognised among Australia’s most liveable communities. Moving beyond trends and buzzwords, the session offers a clear, adaptable approach that councils of any size can apply to drive meaningful, community-centred outcomes across the short, medium and long term.

Key Takeaways

• Applying a Liveability Framework in Practice: How to assess, prioritise and implement initiatives that deliver tangible improvements across community, place and services
• Balancing Short, Medium and Long-Term Outcomes: Structuring initiatives to achieve quick wins while building sustained, strategic impact
• Designing for What Communities Value Most: Aligning planning, investment and service delivery with the real drivers of liveability to enhance resident satisfaction and place appeal

• 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

Miriam Sanchez Blanco

Chief Technology Officer (CTO), City of Stirling

Carissa Bywater

Director Corporate and System Services, City of Cockburn

Anthony Vuleta

Chief Executive Officer, City of Kalamunda

Michael Grant Moderator

Partner, KPMG

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.

Replacing core business systems is never just a technology project. For councils, it's about improving services and processes while making sure your team can continue delivering for the community throughout the change.

In this conversation with Datacom's Datascape Director John Wiggs talks with the Shire of Augusta Margaret River, the Shire's team share their experience of modernising council systems while keeping a lean team moving together: what drove it, how they put people before the project, and the lessons from choosing progress over perfection.

A practical conversation about balancing technology, people and day-to-day operations. You'll leave with insight into planning and delivering a modernisation programme, useful for any team taking on their own journey or improving council services.

• How human centred design, anchored by technology, can deliver results
• Embedding AI to optimise processes, experiences and outcomes
• Adopting new mindsets and behaviours to transform services and organisation brand

• Strengthening financial sustainability, long-term planning and asset management
• Lifting governance, risk and compliance frameworks to meet growing expectations around transparency, audit and accountability.
• Driving organisational efficiency through better processes, procurement, and workforce management while maintaining service quality.

Glen Dougall

Chief Executive Officer, City of Fremantle

Bimsara Pathirathna

Chief Financial Officer, City of Armadale

Andrew Sharpe

Chief Executive Officer, City of Albany

Virginia Miltrup

Chief Executive Officer, City of Karratha

Lauren Duncan Moderator

Director, KPMG

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