FINANCE
sector by a multitude of vendors, this trend will
continue to accelerate. The higher rate of change
also requires a higher level of innovation and
adjustment in what systems offer to residents. There
is an opportunity to take a fresh look at systems, and
to challenge the assumptions that local government
is highly specialised, with only limited options
available to it.
(d) Think collaboratively
Local governments can no longer afford to only
think locally. Regional partners at a local, state and
federal level are fundamental to the achievement
of better social and economic outcomes within a
fiscally constrained environment. We currently have
a Commonwealth Government with a committed
Cities agenda and a willingness to engage with
state and local governments around their priorities
through City Deals. We are also seeing heightened
collaboration with like-minded councils around
investment in IT service profiling and reviews,
operational shared services and innovative
knowledge sharing. Leveraging regional and
national partnerships is critical to ensuring local
investment can be amplified through complementary
investments from regional and national partners.
(e) Have an Innovation Agenda
Innovation is already on the agenda of most councils,
but open and effective innovation management
requires nurturing and ongoing development.
Clearly one area of innovation is what is summarized
as ‘Smart Cities’. Underpinned by emerging
technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT),
cloud computing and ubiquitous connectivity,
alongside advances in cognitive computing and
machine learning (AI), Smart Cities can enable
greater citizen engagement, improve quality of life,
provide opportunities for economic development
and unlock efficiencies in service delivery.
Whilst such Smart City initiatives can provide a
range of benefits and are not only efficient but cost-
effective, they do have accompanying challenges. To
date, many Smart City projects or pilots have been
point solutions driven by technology, rather than from
the viewpoint of the citizen. These have not proven
to be sustainable nor scalable and in fact may have
missed the mark in terms of really understanding and
addressing the core issues facing city stakeholders.
Creating a strategic framework and guiding principles
framed around a ‘citizen-centric’ view is an important
foundational component of Smart City thinking.
Smart Cities can be a very important building
block of an innovation agenda, but this requires an
appropriate approach and framework.
Does all of this seem daunting? It needn’t be.
Challenges are simply opportunities under another
guise. As we approach 2020, local councils can take
stock, re-evaluate and prepare. They have every
chance to get ready for the dramatic shifts and
changes in the years ahead.
Australian Local Government Association (2017) “Submission to the 2017-18 Federal Budget
– Investment in Tomorrow’s Communities” Available online at: http://alga.asn.au/site/misc/
alga/downloads/submissions/2017/Budget_submission_1718.pdf
Commonwealth Government (2008) “Assessing Local Government Revenue Raising Capacity”
Productivity Commission Available online at: http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/
local-government/report/localgovernment.pdf
ACELG (2015) “Service Delivery Review: A how to manual for local government” Available
online at: https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/handle/10453/42148
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