Forty-Four of Australia and New Zealand’s top local government leaders have convened in Canberra this week to participate in a unique week-long Excellence in Local Government Leadership Program.

The program is a joint initiative being conducted by the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG) and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG).

The Leading the Local State program saw the local leaders challenged to set an agenda for local reform by emphasising enhanced capacity in strategic leadership collaborative governance and innovative service delivery.

ACELG Chairperson Margaret Reynolds said she was pleased with the take-up from local government. “The number of councils supporting staff and elected officials to attend this year is immensely encouraging, as is the support from a number of jurisdictions in the provision of scholarships. This demonstrates that local government nationally recognises the importance of its leaders having access to the very best thinking to enhance their communities and organisations,” Ms Reynolds said.

ANZSOG Dean and CEO, Professor Gary Banks, also commented: “Local government can be an engine room of economic growth and public value creation. At ANZSOG we have created a program that provides leaders with a dynamic forum for building networks and a shared commitment to delivering world class local governance.”