This month we spoke with Ben Gauld, Team Member Reserve Maintenance, City of Marion, about his role, what a typical day looks like for him, his experience participating in the Australasian Management Challenge and how he spends his weekend (lots of kids' parties and forts!).

What is your role and how long have you been in local government?

I have been working in local government for 11 years as a Horticulturalist. I spent 8 years with The City of Charles Sturt and have been with The City of Marion for 3 years.

What does a typical day look like for you as Team Member Reserve Maintenance?

A typical day consists of operating ride-on mowers, edging, brush cutting, weed control, tree pruning, hedging and planting. It is quite varied depending on the time of year. We like to do more planting in late winter and early spring.

You recently represented South Australia in the Australasian Management Challenge in Tasmania; can you share some reflections from this experience? 

It was an amazing experience heading over to Tasmania as a team. It was super busy, and the pressure was on, but we felt good about the way we navigated the tasks. The learnings we got out of the challenge will be invaluable, and although we didn’t win on the day, we gave it our best shot and embraced the challenge wholeheartedly.

What would be your advice to others thinking of participating in the Management Challenge? 

Do it! It's such a valuable opportunity to get to participate in something that is truly unique. Anyone in any role is welcome to apply. Diversity in role is so important to the team dynamics. The friendships you make with people you otherwise may never meet are really special. 

What’s next for you in your professional development journey? 

I will continue to look for opportunities to upskill within my role. I am interested in leadership but also open to any opportunity that presents. I am one level away from a Diploma in Horticulture, so that may be something I do.

What do you do with yourself in your spare time?

In my spare time, I am a family man. I spend most weekends at parks, kids' birthday parties or building forts around the house. I also love footy, golf, live music and holidays!

This month we spoke with Bryar Ostendorf, Team Leader Water Operations, Copper Coast Council, about his role, how his traineeship in local government helped him find his passion, why he put his hand up for the 2026 Ignite Program, and his family's guilty pleasure (binge-watching Grey's Anatomy).

What is your role and how long have you been in local government?

My role is Team Leader – Water Operations. I have been in local government since January 2017.

You’re currently completing our 2026 Ignite Program – what drew you to the development opportunity?

I am relatively new to my leadership position, and Copper Coast Council offered the opportunity to undertake the Ignite Program. My Coordinator and I, both being less than 12 months in our respective positions, both took up this opportunity.

You started at Copper Coast Council as a trainee and have been able to work across multiple areas of council – how important has the trainee opportunity been to you in your career so far?

I started in January 2017 as an ICT Trainee and held that role for two years before I was offered a full-time position.

The traineeship was a great foundation for a school leaver to ease into a sizeable workforce. It gave me a very good understanding of all the moving parts within local government.

I completed further studies in 2018/2019 and had the position of ICT Support Officer until January 2024.

Whilst I was working in IT, I was always a very hands-on and ‘trade’ orientated person, so I took the side-step into an entry-level Wastewater Operator position. After completing my Cert 3 in Water Industry Operations in 2024/2025, I then stepped up into the position of Team Leader for Copper Coast Council's Water Operations (CWMS+Stormwater). I found that my calling was not in fact IT after all those years, and I had become very passionate and knowledgeable about the Wastewater Industry.

What do you do with yourself in your spare time?

I have a 15-month-old daughter, Scarlet, with my partner, Shayla. We live in Kadina, and in our spare time we like to spend time with our friends and family, alongside our guilty pleasure of binge-watching Grey's Anatomy.

This month we spoke with Sophie Rawson, Team Leader Environment and Sustainability, City of Victor Harbor, about her role, what an average workday looks like for her, her participation on the Field Workforce panel at the upcoming LG Professionals SA Annual State Conference, and how you'll usually find her surfing at the beautiful Victor beaches on the weekend.

What is your role and how long have you been in local government?

I am currently acting as the Team Leader Environment and Sustainability, and my substantive role is Municipal Employee – Open Space Biodiversity and Conservation. I have been working in local government for approximately 2.5 years.

What’s an average workday look like for you?

No two days are ever the same in this role, which is part of what makes it so rewarding. I like to start the day by checking in with the team, and from there I might focus on daily operational tasks, including climate, sustainability, and conservation initiatives, or progress work on ongoing capital projects.

You’re joining us at our LG Professionals SA Annual State Conference Local Government Panel – Our Field Workforce. What are you hoping attendees take away from the panel?

I hope attendees walk away with a deeper appreciation for the diverse work undertaken by field staff, as well as a stronger understanding of the many career pathways and development opportunities available within the field workforce.

What do you do with yourself in your spare time?

In my spare time, you’ll usually find me at the beach either surfing, swimming, or catching the sunrise before work. When it’s not beach weather, I’ll often grab my binoculars and go birdwatching along one of the local rivers.

This month we spoke with Andrew Raine, Team Leader of Service & Response, City of Mitcham, about his involvement in the LG Professionals SA Field Workforce Working Group, his biggest takeaways from completing the Ignite Program, and his love for exploring our states hidden gems.

What is your role, and how long have you been in local government?

I’m currently the Team Leader of Service & Response at the City of Mitcham, where my team focuses on maintaining safe and clean public spaces for the community. Our responsibilities include managing traffic signs, line-marking, rapid customer response, graffiti removal, footpath sweeping, and the active identification and management of public hazards.

I started my local government career in 2019 and have since gained valuable experience across various roles at the City of Mitcham. From my initial position as a Field Worker in the Civil Team, I was fortunate to progress into leadership through the Team Leader Pool, an internal development program at City of Mitcham. This led to acting roles as Team Leader of Civil Works and, eventually, Team Leader of Service and Response.

You're a part of the LG Professionals SA Field Workforce Working Group – what led you to want to be involved?

I have a proud background as a member of the outdoor workforce, and genuinely believe that field workers are at the coal face of local government, increasing the value and safety of our roads, trees, parks, and so much more.

The work this diverse group achieves must be acknowledged and supported by professional organisations, like LG Professionals SA.

My aim is to ensure that Field workers are proud and respected for the vital work they all do.

Last month, you officially graduated from the Ignite Program after successfully completing the course. What was your biggest takeaway from the program?

The Ignite Program was tailored to the local government sector; it provided direct leadership and management training using real-world projects that not only helped us learn and develop as individuals but also benefited my council and team. It was a joy to learn, share and network with other professionals in local government. Even better, it resulted in a Certificate IV in Leadership and Management to add to the CV!

What advice would you give someone who’s considering doing the Ignite Program next year?

Allocate dedicated time to the course; it’s a commitment where you get out what you put in. Utilise and seek advice from your organisation - I was lucky to have a lot of support and help from my managers, expert staff at Mitcham and all the participating students. It was a personal journey and allowed me to reflect and grow from the feedback received throughout the course and develop as a leader.

What do you do with yourself in your spare time?

My wife and I love to go for impromptu, rambling drives along the many back and unsealed roads in the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula to find and discover the many hidden gems and sights in our state (thank you to Alexandrina Council for maintaining 800 km of unsealed roads around my home!).

We recently spoke with Doreen von Linde of The Barossa Council about her role as Barossa Bushgardens Natural Resource Centre Coordinator.

What’s your role and how long have you worked in local government?

I am the Natural Resource Centre Coordinator at the Barossa Bushgardens and have started in this role in February 2020, a few weeks before the first Covid lockdowns, making it a very interesting first few months.

My role is to manage and maintain the 7ha native display gardens as well as environmental education. My position is funded by The Barossa Council and Green Adelaide. I deliver workshops, addressing environmental and sustainability topics and work with a variety of stakeholders, including schools, landholders, other
environmental organisations, Aboriginal nations, businesses, across councils and Landscape Boards.

What does a typical day look like for you in this role?

Tuesday and Thursday are our volunteer days. Our Nursery Coordinator and I currently manage 40 volunteers that help us with site maintenance as well as nursery production. In the mornings we catch up with everyone to assign the tasks. If we get a chance, we support the teams doing the work. From Autumn until now, the site team has been able to focus on adding around 1500 native plants to the gardens as the dry weather has kept weeds from growing. That has changed over the last few weeks and we now work on weeding, pruning, irrigation and path maintenance. Often, we have visiting groups taking garden tours or Traditional Uses Trail tours, learning about
edible plants and their medicinal uses and I am glad I have some fantastic tour guides.

Wednesday and Friday are the days where we have team and management meetings or workshops. These can cover a wide range of topics, including (but not limited to) frogs, native bees, habitat gardening, bird ID, edible weeds, mushrooms, wicking beds, composting and worm farming. Most workshops are held on site and I love to make them hands-on to support learning and information retention. I understand that it can be challenging for some schools to organise transport and at times we visit schools as far away as Clare and Gawler to run workshops with Aboriginal students and children with different abilities.

What important lessons have you learnt over the years?

Having a great team around you and being supported by the other departments within council makes my job amazing. Here at the BBG we are a great team with our direct line manager being super supportive. Going further up, management is challenging our thinking in a good way, broadening our horizon and pushing us to learn and adapt.

Our volunteers are the most important people and without them the Bushgardens simply would not exist. I find it very important to listen to their ideas and make sure they are involved in any new developments and changes. Our teams are very passionate and having them involved ensures they are dedicated and take
ownership. 

What is your proudest career moment?

There is not only one, but probably about five! I will only go into two of them though. The first is the development of our Food for the Soul Community Garden. We organise activities for people with different disabilities as well as dementia and during the lockdowns in 2020, these were suspended. As a result, and to do something about this in case it ever happens again, I invited five local disability and mental health support groups to help develop an inclusive and accessible
community garden. We now have 8 wicking beds of which four are wheelchair accessible and four large enough for people to plant or harvest standing up. The garden has a shelter and wheelchair-friendly table setting and is used by the community regularly.

The second thing I am proud of is the organising of our first ever Barossa Bushgardens Bush School sessions during the last school holidays. We invited up to 10 kids from 8 to 12 years of age to learn about fire and food, including fire safety, fire starting methods and native food plants in the first session, and birds, traditional
shelters and tools in the second session. On both days we had the children for 4 - 5 hours gaining knowledge and skills in different survival techniques, including orienteering and having a better understanding about how Aboriginal people managed to thrive in the Australian environment.

What do you like to do outside of work?  

After work I’ll usually have a play with my children and finish the night with a book. Weekends are three days long for me and our family either spends it hiking, at the beach, with friends or in our own garden, which has grown into a beautiful little paradise since we started planting ten years ago. My husband and I home school and we use all the above mentioned activities and other opportunities to instil a deep love of the environment and learning into our children. My six-year-old is not great in math but knows a few scientific names of plants and can name most native animals without hesitation!

This month we spoke with Andrew Hall, Arborist, Tree Maintenance, City of Port Adelaide Enfield, about his role, professional development and what's next for him. 

What is your role and how long have you been in local government?

I have worked in local government for four and a half years. In my current role as an arborist, I lead and participate in the maintenance of our city’s trees within our parks, gardens, and sporting grounds. I also contribute to the community by making our city cleaner, safer, and a better place to live and work.

You are part of the recently formed LG Professionals SA Field Services Development Working Group. Can you share with us the aim of this working group and why you wanted to be involved?

The Field Services Development Working Group aims to provide guidance, advice, and support to LG Professionals SA in communicating with and curating relevant opportunities for field staff employees. I joined this working group because I am passionate about improving field staff knowledge and skills. If we can help and support field staff by providing a wider variety of training and exposing them to a broader scope of local government, it will benefit them in their current positions and future roles they aspire to. This would be advantageous for both the field staff and the council they work for.

You participated in the Australasian Management Challenge this year. How would you describe your experience? What was your biggest takeaway?

When I applied and was accepted into the management challenge team for my council, I didn’t know what to expect. However, after completing the event, I realised it was the best decision. It helped me build confidence, gain knowledge, and meet other people to learn from. The experience on the day was a significant learning curve, with the pressure of completing tasks in short time frames, the excellent teamwork among all teams, and the support everyone provided to each other. It felt like a safe place to step out of your comfort zone.

The biggest takeaway from the management challenge is the confidence, knowledge, and further opportunities it has given me, such as participating in the Field Services Development Working Group.

What’s next for you in your professional development journey?

I am currently pursuing a Diploma in Leadership Management to enhance my leadership skills and assist in applying for future leadership roles within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield Council. Additionally, I plan to undertake a Diploma in Arboriculture to further my knowledge of the arboriculture industry.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

The most important thing I enjoy is spending time with my kids and my partner. I also have a passion for toy collecting, especially Star Wars, MOTU, Wrestling, and Hot Wheels. I like to go to toy fairs, swap meets, and hunt for that piece I am looking to add to my collection. You could call me a bit of a nerd.

This month we spoke with Dayton Tahuri, Arboriculture and Biodiversity Field Supervisor at City of Marion, about his role, winning the Australasian Management Challenge and what's next for him. 

How long have you been in local government and what is your role?

I started my first role in local government at City of Marion three years ago, starting as a Tree Maintenance Team Member and have recently moved into the Arboriculture and Biodiversity Field Supervisor role.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Commencing at 6:30 am, my day kicks off, with the primary task being to inspect for any emergency work due to after-hours calls, ensuring no trees or branches have fallen overnight. Additionally, I sift through emails, pinpointing tasks that require immediate attention.

Following this, it's time for a team briefing. These gatherings involve two Tree Teams, each consisting of three crew members and a Biodiversity Team with three members as well. This interaction bridges the gap before they begin their daily tasks.

Having wrapped up the briefing, I venture into the field to handle customer requests. I initiate general tree inspections that encompass a range of duties including tree pruning, root pruning, tree removals, and clearing fallen branches and trees. Throughout the day, I remain available for any sudden emergency works that arise.

While City of Marion generally relishes pleasant weather, occasional storms catch us by surprise. These unruly tempests disrupt some of our 60,000 trees, giving rise to an incessant clean-up challenge, spanning from gathering small branches scattered in reserves to disentangling sizable trees enmeshed with others.

The unique nature of each tree infuses every day with a fresh, invigorating challenge.

You participated in the Local Government Management Challenge this year. After winning the State Challenge your team ‘Marion at First Sight’ represented SA at the Australasian Management Challenge Final earlier this month, where you were crowned Australasian Champions! Congratulations on the win, can you share some reflections from this experience?

Entering the Challenge, I was completely in the dark about what awaited. A fellow outdoor colleague, casually assured me, "You'll do fine mate, it’s just occasional meetups and training." What he didn't mention was the daunting aspect of completing 9 tasks demanding strategic thinking, planning, and execution, all within strict time constraints and alongside an unfamiliar group.

In our initial team meeting, I quickly realised that I stood as the lone outdoor worker among colleagues who leaned toward administrative roles. This dynamic felt overwhelming as my expertise revolves around executing procedures rather than orchestrating plans. I grappled with deciphering where exactly I fit into the broader team context.

As the team progressed through the forming, storming and norming phases, we swiftly embraced each other's diverse perspectives, establishing a secure environment that encouraged me to dive deeper into grasping the challenge at hand. My colleagues warmly welcomed my input from the perspective of an outdoor workforce, and my practical thinking played a role in guiding some of our decisions.

The opportunity to collaborate with my indoor team members was a privilege, granting me valuable insights into the meticulous groundwork preceding council projects. This newfound understanding heightened my appreciation for the behind-the-scenes efforts before they reach the outdoor open spaces. While I'm well-versed in the art of rigorous physical work, understanding the mental weight of dissecting tasks, comprehending our deliverables, gathering a wealth of information to support our choices, and then moulding this into a report subject to review and amendments by multiple parties, the Challenge revealed some of the most intricate and challenging dynamics I've ever encountered.

While the State and National finals proved to be a whirlwind, we managed to instil mutual trust and stand united as a team. I consider myself incredibly fortunate for the chance to be part of this Challenge. It sets the standard of commitment and development needed in all teams across local government to ‘REACH NEW HEIGHTS’.

What would be your advice to others thinking of participating in the Management Challenge?

Trust yourself, trust the process and be open to learning from your mentors, teammates and others you meet along the way.

If you are an outdoor worker who may have reservations about signing up for the Challenge, I highly recommend it, as it gives you a higher level of understanding about council and breaks down the barriers that sometimes arise between outdoor and indoor staff.

What’s next for you in your professional development journey?

I am focusing on my new role as a Field Supervisor and developing my leadership skills. This includes moving from a mate to a manager and developing that next level of thinking needed as a People Leader.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I’ve just started playing the guitar again and keeping in touch with my cultural side, I like to sing traditional songs. Spending time with my family at my daughter’s Sunday footy games is also a winner. 

This month we caught up with Matthew Sexton, Workgroup Leader, Cityscapes Horticulture at City of Adelaide about his role and being named emerging leader of the year. 

What is your role and what does it entail? 

I have the best role in local government! My day-to-day tasks vary significantly, I work with the Greenwaste & Nursery, Squares, Streetscapes and Biodiversity teams to manage our horticultural spaces in and around the city.

Some tasks include scheduling works, allocating resources, monitoring, planning and prioritising our staff’s health, safety and wellbeing. I strive to develop staff through training and development opportunities, closely working with the city operations leadership team.

We love to promote our horticulture work and engage with residents and visitors to the city. The Community Gardening Program has given our teams a chance to share their knowledge and experiences in sessions at our libraries and community centres.

We also have lots of fun working with the marketing team in showcasing city operations teams efforts and achievements on social media!

What is your career background? 

After finishing up at Adelaide High School (the best school around) I continued my study at the University of Adelaide completing a Bachelor of Economics. After many exams and late night shifts working in the Advertiser’s printing department, I was keen to pursue a new opportunity working outdoors!

I started my Horticulture apprenticeship through Maxima and spent time at City of Salisbury and City of Burnside learning about reserve maintenance, irrigation, parks and gardens and arboriculture before finding my way to the City of Adelaide to finish my third year at the Nursery.

In 2018 I became a Horticultural Tradesperson with the City of Adelaide and in 2021 I was given the chance to act in the Workgroup Leader role for 6 months. I was successful in applying for my current position last June - how time flies!

Nothing beats working in the CBD and North Adelaide, there's always a great feeling in the city and we are surrounded by the magnificent parklands!

You were awarded Emerging Leader of the Year at the 21^st Annual Leadership Excellence Awards earlier this year – what advice would you give to someone thinking of nominating for a leadership excellence award? 

Recognise and celebrate success! Local Government is full of people who display so much pride and passion delivering day in and day out, driving improvement with innovations and providing a great customer experience! Nominating for a Leadership Excellence Award is about sharing your work with colleagues to continue inspiring fellow LG Professionals.

LG Professionals SA sure know how to put on a great night out.. the leg muscles were sore from the dance floor for many days after.. so stay well hydrated!  

Can you share with us any exciting projects you’re currently working on? 

We are currently renewing streetscapes in partnership with our asset management and design teams. When driving around the city streets you will notice garden beds in our median strips and verges being replenished.

This year we worked with our regulatory services team to increase and support outdoor dining areas for businesses in the city as part of the City of Adelaide’s Reignite Program. We provided planter boxes to enhance the dining experience, with our team seeing the spaces they created enjoyed by all and the positive feedback received showed the impact it had.

You’ve previously participated in the Management Challenge and more recently our Ignite Leadership Program – why do you think it is important to expand your networks and invest in professional development?

I expressed my interest to do the challenge after a colleague mentioned the fun he had trying something completely different to the norm and embracing being uncomfortable. 

The Management Challenge helped me understand the big picture of local government. I learnt about our critical functions within the City of Adelaide in a great team environment, establishing connections that I now get to collaborate with and learn from every day in the workplace.

Ignite is a stern test of what I have learnt so far and how I can continue developing my leadership style, amongst a diverse group of talented local government professionals all willing to share their knowledge. We love to support each other so we can help our colleagues at work and those in the community enjoy everything local government has to offer!

Choosing to utilise these fantastic programs on offer from LG Professionals SA is something every person who is motivated by achieving great outcomes within the community should take up and you will see your network expand.

Finally, what do you like to do in your leisure time? 

Lawn Bowls! I started playing 5 years ago at the marvellous Adelaide Bowling Club, located at Rymill Park. Such a great sport where you meet people from all walks of life and build great friendships whilst having the competitive outlet... and the odd beer.

There is an underdog lawn bowls story I have from last year, we put a team together involving a few friends I had made through bowls for a tournament including; a division 7 bowler, a 13 year old and a retiree. We ended up winning the South Australian State 4’s title - it was quite surreal and still hard to believe - it was almost bradbury-esque!

And yes, I watch Crackerjack often!