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Agenda

Tue 17 Jun 2025

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9:30AM

Registration & Coffee

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM (30 mins)

10:00AM

Opening from Public Sector Network

10:00 AM - 10:10 AM (10 mins)

10:10AM

Welcome from the Chair and Scene Setter

10:10 AM - 10:30 AM (20 mins)

Sarah Hicks Partner and NSW Local Government Lead, KPMG
10:30AM

Future-Proofing Local Government Finances: Strategies for Financial Resilience in Uncertain Times

10:30 AM - 10:50 AM (20 mins)

Therese Cole Chief Executive Officer, North Sydney Council
10:50AM

From Ideas to Go-Live: How the Public Sector Can 'Actually' Implement AI Solutions - Presented by Accelerate Tech

10:50 AM - 11:10 AM (20 mins)

James Diekman Founder & CEO, Accelerate Tech
  1. Cut Through the Noise:
    AI is evolving rapidly — we’ll show councils how to stay ahead without getting overwhelmed by hype. Understand what’s real, what’s useful, and what’s coming next for local government.
  2. Blueprint for Action:
    We’ll walk through our proven Accelerated AI Blueprint – an 8-step method councils can adopt to identify use cases, stand up reusable platforms, and deliver value in 90-day sprints.
  3. Lessons from the Field:
    Hear real-world examples of how the public sector are using AI today — from streamlining development applications and automating recordkeeping to enhancing customer service with intelligent assistants.
11:10AM

Transforming Service Delivery in Local Government

11:10 AM - 11:30 AM (20 mins)

Dr. Tom Gao Chief Technology and Digital Services Officer, City of Sydney
  • Elevating service delivery in the City of Sydney council
  • Integrating 85 council services into one unified platform via the City Connect app
  • Simplified processes for payments, requests, and inquiries, increasing transparency, responsiveness, and user satisfaction through faster, more accessible service delivery.
11:30AM
Roundtables

Roundtable 1: Rethinking Council Meetings: How Smarter Meeting Management Drives Strategic Focus and Financial Resilience

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM (60 mins)

Matthew Pearce Director, Redman Solutions

Local government leaders face increasing pressure to deliver more with fewer resources, all while maintaining transparency, community engagement, and operational efficiency.

This roundtable will explore how Resolve helps CEOs, Corporate Services, and Finance Leaders reshape how councils run meetings. We will discuss how you can reduce administrative overheads, increase accountability, and enable faster decisions, all while maintaining strong connections with your community.

Discussion Points:

  1. The meeting challenge in Local Government
  2. What ‘effective’ meetings look like
  3. Driving financial and operational resilience
  4. Introducing Resolve Meeting Management: Purpose-Built for Local Government
11:30AM
Roundtables

Roundtable 2: Booking Brilliance: Unlocking Efficiency in Community Facility Management

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM (60 mins)

Pauline Laithwaite Business Partnerships Manager, SpacetoCo
Jeremy Hurst Co-Founder, Director & Business Partnerships Manager, SpacetoCo

As a council leader, you know that efficiency isn’t just about cutting costs, it’s about maximising impact. Facility bookings, often a surprising drain on administrative time, can pull staff away from higher-value work and community engagement. Join this strategic roundtable to explore practical solutions for streamlining booking processes, freeing up staff time, and delivering more impactful services. Walk away with actionable insights to improve your team’s efficiency and lead the way in smarter resource management.

11:30AM
Roundtables

Roundtable 3: Invisible Burdens: The Real Cost of Customer Communication in Local Government

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM (60 mins)

Carl McClure National Sales Manager, Bing Technologies
Deborah Sullivan Business Development Manager | Local Government, Bing Technologies

Resource constraints are tightening, but many councils remain tied to manual systems that drain time and divert focus from strategic priorities.

Everyday manual activities, like managing outbound customer correspondence is eroding organisational agility and consuming valuable talent. Forward‑thinking councils are reconfiguring their operations through digital innovation - driving down costs, enhancing accountability and delivering strategic capacity where it’s needed most.

Let’s discuss the financial and operational toll of manual processes and explore proven and practical digital solutions that enable smarter, faster and more transparent communication delivery - tools that empower staff, reduce expenditure and improve organisational efficiency.

11:30AM
Roundtables

Roundtable 4: Information Liberation

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM (60 mins)

Adam Gatt Manager, Local Government, Accelerate Tech
Steven Thompson IT Business Solutions Manager, Inner West Council

Explore the challenges and opportunities in unlocking your organisations data for greater strategic, operational, and community impact. Break down data silos, improve data quality, and enable secure, appropriate access for leadership, staff, external stakeholders and systems. The discussion will touch on strategies for data, system integration, governance, and cyber security, all aimed at supporting better business intelligence and data-driven decision-making. Attendees will gain insights into building a data-driven culture and practical approaches to managing and sharing information effectively to realise greater value across the organisation.

12:30PM

Brunch & Networking

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM (30 mins)

1:00PM
Keynote

AI and Automation: Empowering Local Government for the Future

1:00 PM - 1:20 PM (20 mins)

Meredith Wallace General Manager, Bayside Council
  • The adoption of AI across councils to support service
  • The need for business automation and workflow to support
1:20PM

People-First Innovation: Rethinking service delivery in councils through tech - Presented by ZOHO

1:20 PM - 1:40 PM (20 mins)

Rakesh Prabhakar General Manager, Zoho ANZ

As councils navigate evolving community needs and workforce expectations, technology is becoming a powerful enabler of people-first service design. This session explores how governments are leveraging digital tools to enhance experiences for both citizens and employees. From streamlining internal workflows to creating accessible, responsive public services, we’ll highlight real-world examples and practical approaches to adopting tech that puts people at the centre. Discover how innovative councils are rethinking service delivery to build more connected, efficient, and human-centric communities.

1:40PM

Creativity and Innovation in Local Council – How to Unleash Innovation in Your Organisation

1:40 PM - 2:15 PM (35 mins)

  • Tech efficiencies: How can local councils harness AI and innovation to foster creativity and enhance efficiency.
  • Culture: How does technological innovation influence the workforce, workplace culture and employee engagement?
  • Managing risks: What risks and threats accompany innovation, and what strategies can be employed to manage them effectively?
  • Workforce and Community: A critical lens on innovation
Steven Head
General Manager, Hornsby Shire Council
Ingrid McAlpin
Chief Digital & Information Officer, Wollongong City Council
Melissa Attia
Deputy General Manager, Cumberland City Council
Richard Sheridan
Director - City Performance, Bayside Council
Jeremy Hurst
Co-Founder, Director & Business Partnerships Manager, SpacetoCo
Sarah Hicks Facilitator
Partner and NSW Local Government Lead, KPMG
2:15PM

Closing Remarks from the Chair

2:15 PM - 2:20 PM (5 mins)

Sarah Hicks Partner and NSW Local Government Lead, KPMG
2:20PM

Event Close

2:20 PM - 2:20 PM (0 mins)

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