From Ambition to Action: A Practical Framework for Council Liveability

Liveability is often talked about as an aspiration, but for councils facing competing priorities, it can also be a practical decision-making framework. The City of Vincent was rated Western Australia’s most liveable location and the second most liveable in Australia in the 2025 Australian Liveability Census, which surveyed more than 27,000 Australians across more than 50 liveability markers. At Local Government Focus Day Western Australia 2026, Jay Naidoo, Executive Director Strategy & Development, City of Vincent, will explore what it takes to turn liveability from a broad goal into something councils can apply in practice to shape better planning, more targeted investment and stronger community outcomes.

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Love Where You Live: A Practical Framework to Elevate Council Liveability

For many councils, liveability is closely tied to the outcomes communities notice most: how places feel, how services connect, whether infrastructure supports daily life, and whether local decisions reflect what residents value. But while the concept is widely used, turning it into a consistent framework for action is often harder.

That is what makes this upcoming session at Local Government Focus Day Western Australia especially timely. The event overview highlights the pressures councils are navigating now, including constrained budgets, ageing infrastructure, rising expectations, productivity challenges and the need to use technology and data more effectively. In that context, liveability is not just a branding exercise. It can help councils focus effort, prioritise investment and connect long-term planning to outcomes communities actually experience.

In his keynote, Jay Naidoo will unpack how councils can move from talking about liveability as an ambition to using it as a practical framework for better planning, stronger investment decisions and more connected places. Rather than treating liveability as something abstract, the session will look at how councils can assess what matters most, prioritise action and build momentum over time.

The session will explore three key areas:

1. Applying a liveability framework in practice
   How councils can assess, prioritise and implement initiatives that deliver tangible improvements across community, place and services.
2. Balancing short, medium and long-term outcomes
   How to structure initiatives that deliver quick wins while also supporting sustained, strategic impact.
3. Designing for what communities value most
   How planning, investment and service delivery can align more closely with the real drivers of liveability to strengthen resident satisfaction and place appeal.

For councils managing multiple demands at once, this session offers a practical lens for making decisions with greater clarity. It speaks to a wider challenge across local government: how to deliver places and services that communities value, while staying realistic about resources, capability and long-term sustainability. The event itself is positioned around improving productivity, strengthening financial sustainability and using innovation and technology to deliver better outcomes for communities, which makes Jay’s session a strong fit for the broader day.

The City of Vincent’s recent liveability recognition gives this conversation added weight. But the relevance of the session extends well beyond one council. For leaders across WA local government, the value lies in understanding how liveability can be used as a practical tool, not just to shape vision, but to guide decisions, sequence priorities and support more trusted local government.

Local Government Focus Day Western Australia takes place on Thursday, 27 August 2026 in Perth, as part of Government Innovation Week Western Australia. The event overview describes it as an action-oriented forum bringing together local and state leaders to share practical strategies and real-world case studies focused on productivity, financial sustainability and better community outcomes. Registration is free for government attendees.

Event Links
Event Overview | Explore the agenda | Register Now