President’s Welcome
As a person who jokes about the joy of using carrier pigeons to deliver messages, I am amazed by the pace of technological change and the growth in human knowledge over recent years. It is particularly important for me—a CEO tasked with leading a local government—to think strategically about how we should be positioning our organisation to respond to the changing environment that technology and new research findings are creating.
With so much talk of the impacts of ‘disruptive’ technology, I find myself wondering whether change in our sector will steady or be exponential into the future. If it is exponential, will it really be much more challenging in the future—and sooner than we think?
As I ponder these questions, I think it’s important for us to define how we use technology—let’s not let technology define us.
To stay ahead and in control, we need to know and understand what’s coming.
That’s why this conference is so important. It is challenging us to think about the future of local government. It is daring us to change.
The strong emphasis on technology in this program and its impact on communities and our lives is tempered by opportunities to be self-reflective—how big can our dreams be, and can we dare to follow them?
So please join me at this thought-provoking, future‑peeking conference. It will stretch our brain cells and bring us together to share friendship and ideas.
Ian Cowie, MLGP
State President