Leading under pressure in modern local government

Why this matters now

Local government leadership is not getting any simpler. Councils are working through tighter budgets, rising scrutiny, growing community expectations and more complex reform environments, often with limited time and resources. The agenda for Local Government Focus Day South Australia puts that challenge directly on the table through the panel “Leading Under Pressure: Navigating the Challenges of Modern Local Government.”

A conversation many councils will recognise

This panel brings together:

• Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross, President, Local Government Association South Australia; 
• Rebecca Hayes, Associate Director, Governance & Strategy, City of Adelaide; 
• Darren Starr, CEO, Wakefield Regional Council; and 
• Paul Della, General Manager Corporate and Compliance, City of West Torrens. 

According to the published agenda, the discussion will focus on managing budget constraints and resource pressures, balancing community expectations with operational realities, navigating reform and collaboration, and maintaining performance, trust and community impact in challenging environments.

The pressure is constant, but how councils lead through it matters

That theme also comes through clearly in Rebecca Hayes’ recent Q&A with Public Sector Network. In the interview, she describes local government pressure as “pretty constant and pretty real,” pointing to rising scrutiny, lifted expectations around communication and engagement, and the added complexity of elections, governance reform and misinformation spreading quickly through social media. She argues that good governance, clear priorities and disciplined decision-making are what keep councils on track, but that trusted relationships matter just as much.

The interview also reinforces a practical point that will resonate with many councils: when difficult trade-offs need to be made, leaders need to anchor decisions back to strategy, risk and long-term financial sustainability, and communicate that connection clearly. Rebecca notes that this helps build confidence internally and trust externally, especially when councils are operating under pressure.

Why this panel stands out

What makes this session especially valuable is that it is not framed as an abstract leadership discussion. It is grounded in the real operating environment councils are dealing with now, from budget trade-offs and reform fatigue to community trust and collaboration under pressure. For attendees working across leadership, governance, operations, strategy, communications or change, this is likely to feel very familiar.

Why attend

For anyone leading people, services, projects or reform inside local government, this panel offers a timely chance to hear how peers are navigating constraint while maintaining performance and trust. To hear Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross, Rebecca Hayes, Darren Starr and Paul Della in conversation, join Local Government Focus Day South Australia on Tuesday 16 June 2026. The agenda lists the event at KPMG Offices, Adelaide, with registration free for government.