7.45am
Arrival Coffee and Registration

8.30am
Opening and welcome
Ashleigh Nuttall (MLGP), Chair, LG Professionals WA Finance Professionals Network
President's Address
Anthony Vuleta (MLGP), President, LG Professionals WA

9.00am LIVE STREAM
Opening Keynote address
Bernard Salt AM - Reimagining the Australian lifestyle in the late 2020s: Implications for local government in Western Australia
Australians are reimagining what quality of life and lifestyle mean, and 2024 presents an opportunity to reimagine the way we want to live and work for the remainder of the decade and beyond. This presents a tremendous opportunity for local governments to create communities that are better nuanced to the demography that is evolving and to the values of the Australian people.

Renowned demographer Bernard Salt AM will present an insightful keynote, challenging how you think about your community, and inspiring your vision for what it might look like in the future.

Powered by data-driven insights spanning demographic, social and property trends, Bernard will present an engaging take on the challenges and exciting times likely to be faced by WA local government professionals in the future.

10.00am
Networking session 
Start the new year strong by making new and valuable connections. Join this interactive opportunity to network, connect with colleagues, explore exhibitor offerings and shake hands with sponsors.

10.45am
Morning Tea – Trade Exhibition area

11.15am LIVE STREAM
Economic Update
Stephen Halmarick, CommBank Chief Economist and Head of Global Economic & Markets Research

 Dive into the emerging themes and trends of our economy with this economic update. Explore the influences and forecasts shaping our financial landscape and discover key insights to help you anticipate challenges, seize opportunities and make informed decisions in your role within local government finance with a holistic understanding of the economic forces shaping our community's financial future.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

12.10pm
CONCURRENT SESSION 1: Dealing with expensive contract challenges
Dr Todd Hutchison
Effective engagement and management of external consultants and contractors can help manage significant financial, reputational, cost and schedule risks to local governments while achieving desired project outcomes for the organisation.

This session explores the key risks and solutions for contractor selection, sustainability, and performance management. Discover the importance of due diligence in selecting and engaging contractors, the cautions of poor scope definition, key contract clause inclusions that enable better controls, and methods to track performance and manage conflicts.

12.10pm
CONCURRENT SESSION 2: Long term financial planning
Russell Barnes
As Finance Professionals, you know long-term financial planning is essential to understand and address the strategic financial risks and goals of your local government.

This session will spark ideas through a discussion on differing approaches to the long-term financial planning process and the benefits and issues associated with each.

12.10pm
CONCURRENT SESSION 3: Industrial relations
Siarn Meyn
In 2022 changes to state employment laws were introduced by the Industrial Relations Legislation Amendment Act 2021 (IRLA Act), transitioning local government employers into the State system. Transition timelines and negotiation outcomes have the power to affect the sector greatly, from budget impacts through to the benefits offered to new candidates.

This session explores the key differences between the Australian and Western Australian industrial relations systems, discusses the possible implications of recent legal decisions, and invites and answers your questions on the "where to from here" in the transition journey.

1.00pm
Lunch - Trade Exhibition area

Finance Professionals Network AGM

2.00pm

CONCURRENT SESSION 4: Dealing with expensive contract challenges
Dr Todd Hutchison
Effective engagement and management of external consultants and contractors can help manage significant financial, reputational, cost and schedule risks to local governments while achieving desired project outcomes for the organisation.

This session explores the key risks and solutions for contractor selection, sustainability, and performance management. Discover the importance of due diligence in selecting and engaging contractors, the cautions of poor scope definition, key contract clause inclusions that enable better controls, and methods to track performance and manage conflicts.

2.00pm
CONCURRENT SESSION 5: Superannuation Guarantee for contractors and other services providers
Daniel Pegdon
Superannuation Guarantee (SG) obligations are relatively straight forward for employees, but extensions to the definitition of an employee for superannuation purposes can include contractors.

This topical and timely breakout session will cover:

• an overview of SG requirements, focusing on who is an employee for these purposes.
• SG requirements for other service providers paid via the "No ABN withholding" declarations.
• How non-wage payments can give rise to a SG liability for the payer.
• what to do for past and future payments

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2.00pm
CONCURRENT SESSION 6: ESG Unveiled: Beyond Reporting to Real Community Impact
Richard Wiles
From greater sustainability leadership and strong governance, to increased public trust and fiscal health, integrated Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and effective reporting can create a ripple effect of positive change.

Richard Wiles will lead you through an exploration of the fundamentals of ESG, unravel reporting requirements, and help you discover practical procurement applications that go beyond emission reduction. Elevate your understanding and position your community for sustainable success in a rapidly evolving landscape.

2.45pm LIVE STREAM
OAG Update
Grant Robinson, Assistant Auditor General - Financial Audit
Knowledge sharing across local governments offers rich insights and intelligence to help shape our sector. In this engaging session, we invite you to listen to Grant Robinson, Assistant Auditor General - Financial Audit, as he shares his insights from the most recent financial audits of local governments and regional councils for 2023 and his thoughts on the year ahead. This discussion is crucial for all looking to remain informed about the current and evolving issues affecting our LG sector. 

3.30pm
Afternoon Tea - Trade Exhibition area

4.00pm
Life is full of twists and turns - leadership  session conversation cafe
The path to senior leadership in local government can be different for everyone, with the variety of experiences and backgrounds making for a unique course to local government leadership.

Quick-fire presentation and Q&A will give you inspiring insights from a variety of local government leaders describing how they got where they are: the steps, sacrifices, support, motivation, and opportunities which led them to where they are today.

You'll also experience a truly unique activity with Arts@work which is proven to spark our brains to change so that we become more connected, more trusting, and more likely to collaborate!