IN THIS EDITION

• Reflections - BPIN Forum June 2026. Read more

• Spotlight - Community effort helps gardens go gazania-free. Read more

• Trending - From feedback to future planning. Read here

• In Focus - Because trust is a must. Read more

• Meet The Network Members - Learn more about your fellow Network Members.

• Working Differently - Innovation in democracy. Read more

• Connect - Events and online discussions. Read more

Welcome to The LG Innovator newsletter, brought to you by our 
LG Professionals SA Business Performance and Improvement Network Committee.

The Business Performance and Improvement Network exists to serve and support our sector in a never-ending quest for innovation and continuous improvement.

This edition was curated by our Network Committee Members, Ania Karzek, Claire Bircumshaw and Laura Kidd - thank you!

If you have any queries or are seeking support, please reach out via networks@lgprofessionalssa.org.au. Meet our current Business Performance and Improvement Network (BPIN) committee here.

LG PROFESSIONALS SA BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVEMENT NETWORK FORUM: PARTNERING FOR PROGRESS

The theme for the June LG Professionals SA Business Performance and Improvement Forum was Partnering for Progress, which showcased the power of partnership in creating vibrant, connected and resilient communities.

Case studies included a presentation about how Yorke Peninsula Council partnered with local artists, schools, Progress Associations, Traditional Owners, community groups and businesses to co-design more than 40 events across 12 townships on Guuranda (Yorke Peninsula) for the GROUNDED YP Art Festival. A great example of powerful collaboration enabling a small council to punch well above its weight.

Ania Karzek
Program Director - Target Operating Model
City of Holdfast Bay

Participants also heard about how the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters has transformed The Parade into one of South Australia’s most vibrant and resilient commercial precincts, showing how council supports businesses at every stage through strategic planning, place activation, stakeholder engagement and strong community partnerships.

Of course, collaboration requires trust, clarity and shared power. These are all themes that emerged during the Forum and are explored further in this edition of our newsletter.

Thank you again to everyone who joined us online. We are looking forward to catching up again and seeing everyone at the next Forum on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (save the date).

COMMUNITY EFFORT HELPS GARDENS GO GAZANIA-FREE

The successful Gazania Free Garden Plant Swap event in May was made possible through a strong partnership between Alexandrina Council, the City of Victor Harbor, District Council of Yankalilla, Green Adelaide, Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu and the Fleurieu Coast Community Nursery.

Working together, all stakeholders helped deliver practical, local events that encouraged residents to take action in their own gardens and support healthier coastal landscapes. Gazanias are declared a weed and can spread quickly, smother native vegetation and reduce habitat for local wildlife.

Laura Kidd
Corporate Risk Officer
Alexandrina Council

By replacing them with locally grown native plants, grown by Fleurieu Coast Community Nursery, residents are helping restore biodiversity and create gardens better suited to the south coast environment.

More than 50 households took part, removing gazanias and sharing photo evidence in exchange for more than 600 free native plants. To add to the success, eight new volunteers joined the nursery team at District Council of Yankalilla alone.

This initiative is a shining example of coordination, cross-council project management and collaboration for long-term community improvement. 

We recently spoke with Gregory Kemp, Organisational Risk and Resilience Officer at the City of Mitcham, to hear more about his role and interest in the Network.

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

I commenced with City of Mitcham in November 2024, which was my first foray into local government after many years in State Government agencies. I do enjoy the change. My role is the Organisational Risk and Resilience Officer, and I am responsible for coordinating the council’s risk management, business continuity, and emergency management frameworks.

Gregory Kemp Organisational Risk and Resilience Officer
City of Mitcham

What’s the most beneficial aspect of being a member of the Business Performance and Improvement Network?

For me, it is networking. Whilst I strongly believe in continuous improvement, I am not big on re-inventing the wheel or change for change’s sake. If I can assist another council or if another council has completed something similar to my current work, why not share information and ideas.

What’s your favourite performance or improvement work / life hack?

I have two, both are quite old, but still work well.  Firstly, I use the Eisenhower Matrix (Do, Schedule, Delegate, Delete) to prioritise tasks and avoid wasting time on the unimportant, non-urgent tasks. The second one is a variation of the old KISS model. Keep It Simple but Smart. The Smart part refers to avoiding over-simplification. To assist, I also refer to a quote from Albert Einstein: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, not simpler”.

What do you do with yourself in your spare time?

I hike through Kuitpo Forest most weekends, alongside my family, who ride horses. I used to ride as well, but age and previous sporting injuries have caught up to me.

It's Annual Business Plan time again, and the strongest Annual Business Plans are shaped long before consultation begins. A key lesson for practitioners is to embed community engagement throughout the year rather than relying on the draft budget as the primary opportunity for input. Consider how your work can:

• Connect projects and budget decisions back to earlier community conversations and strategic planning.
• Be clear about what is open for influence and what has already been committed.

Claire Bircumshaw Acting Manager EPMO
City of Marion

• Offer flexible, accessible ways for people to participate and meet them where they already gather.
• Translate complex information into plain language without losing important context.
• Close the loop by showing how feedback was considered and explaining decisions, even when suggestions cannot be adopted.

Strong internal planning processes also matter. Well-defined workflows create a better foundation for meaningful consultation, clearer communication and more informed decision-making. Ultimately, trust grows when communities can see a clear link between what they told us, what council prioritised and what is delivered. Engaging with our community is an opportunity to keep strengthening the link between our community, council and our Strategic Plan. When community members feel heard and can see their insights reflected in decisions, it improves planning, strengthens trust and creates a greater sense of shared ownership in the future of the city.

It’s easy to forget that governments do not operate on authority alone. They also operate on trust.

Legal power allows governments to pass laws, issue permits, collect rates and enforce compliance. But the ability to govern effectively, to implement policy, deliver services, regulate fairly and make difficult trade-offs, depends on something less formal and far more fragile: social licence.

Social licence is the broad, ongoing acceptance by the community that an institution has the legitimacy to act. It is not granted once at an election and banked for a term of office. It is earned and renewed continuously through behaviour.

When trust is high, governments can act decisively. Communities may not agree with every decision, but they accept that processes are fair, information is reliable and intentions are legitimate. Disagreement remains within the bounds of civic debate. Compliance is largely voluntary. Engagement is possible.

When trust is low, everything becomes harder. Routine decisions are contested. Motives are questioned. Consultation is treated with suspicion. Compliance drops. Litigation increases. Political pressure intensifies. Even well-designed policies struggle because the institution implementing them lacks credibility.

Social licence is therefore not a “nice to have”, it is operational capacity. 

We recently spoke with Andrea van de Water, Learning and Development Partner at the City of Marion, to hear more about her role and interest in the Network.

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

I’m the Learning and Development Partner at the City of Marion, where I support leadership growth and organisational learning across the council. I’ve worked at the City of Marion for the past eight years, and prior to local government I worked with Zoos SA. I really enjoy the people-focused nature of local government and the opportunity to make a positive impact across the organisation. Read more...

Andrea van de Water
Learning and Development Partner
City of Marion

DEMOCRACY INNOVATION FESTIVAL: SECURING HEALTHY SOCIETIES THROUGH DEMOCRATIC RENEWAL

Are you interested in being part of a bold and timely conversation about the future of democracy?

The Democracy Innovation Festival, hosted by Adelaide University, in partnership with Democracy 2036, brings together leading Australian and international thinkers, policymakers, researchers, students, civic leaders, and community advocates to explore how democratic systems can be renewed to support healthier, more resilient, and more inclusive societies.

Designed to be free, inclusive, participatory, and action-oriented, the Festival is not just a conversation - but the beginning of ongoing collaboration and democratic renewal in South Australia and beyond.

The Democracy Innovation Festival takes place across Monday 17 to Tuesday 18 August 2026 at the Adelaide University City West Campuses and online.

SAVE THE DATE: LG PROFESSIONALS SA BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVEMENT NETWORK FORUM

Save the date for our next LG Professionals SA Business Performance and Improvement Network Forum. The Forum will be hosted on Wednesday 21 October 2026 from 9:30AM - 12:30PM.

More information to be released soon. 

LG Professionals SA | Networks and more

Did you know that the Business Performance and Improvement Network is just one of many Member Networks supported by LG Professionals SA? Alongside a range of training and development opportunities, Network events and Forums are a great way for you to connect with like-minded professionals within the sector.

LG Professionals SA  | 148 Frome Street, Adelaide SA 5000  |  Phone: 08 8224 2080
www.lgprofessionalssa.org.au

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