Tue 19 Aug 2025
View event detailsRegistration & Coffee
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM (30 mins)
Welcome from the Chair and Scene Setter
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM (20 mins)
Strategic Asset Management: Safeguarding Public Assets and Financial Sustainability
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM (20 mins)
- Proactive Maintenance for Long-Term Value: Implement just-in-time maintenance strategies to preserve the condition and performance of $26 billion in council assets, reducing costly repairs and extending asset lifespans.
- Integrating Financial and Asset Management Systems: Leverage asset management systems to align financial planning with asset upkeep, ensuring timely fund allocation for maintenance and upgrades.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Develop a comprehensive understanding of asset conditions and lifecycle needs to inform smarter funding strategies and maintain financial resilience.
Simplicity of Experience = Trust. How Can We Deliver a Personalised, Relevant Service to Build Citizen Confidence in Local Government? - Presented by Datacom
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM (20 mins)
We’ll be centering the keynote on real-world AI in practice within local government, drawing from active pilot examples of AI frameworks across Australian councils. Rather than speaking in abstract terms, the talk will focus on:
- Tangible outcomes from early-stage AI adoption (e.g. case triage, digital co-pilot workflows)
- Insights learned across different council sizes and contexts
- What “responsible AI” looks like in local government – governance, guardrails, and community trust
We’ll ground this in recent examples, and share what we’re seeing as most effective in driving both internal adoption and community-facing value.
Transforming Service Delivery in Local Government
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM (20 mins)
Elevating service delivery through maturity modelling, strategic planning and innovation.
Roundtable 1: From pilots to platforms: Turning AI experiments into scalable council capability
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM (60 mins)
- How councils are navigating the jump from experimentation to operationalisation
- What executive teams need in terms of change management, tooling, and ROI
- The blockers that stall momentum – and what’s actually working to overcome them
Roundtable 2: The Digital Spend Shift: AI and FlexiPay as Tools for Sustainable Council Finances
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM (60 mins)
“With councils under growing pressure to do more with less, the challenge of meeting rising ratepayer expectations amid tightening budgets is more pressing than ever. As the cost of living crisis deepens, collection rates are falling, and traditional debt recovery tools face increasing limitations. At the same time, hiring more staff simply isn’t an option for many councils.
This 60-minute roundtable will explore the financial and operational pain points councils face today, and how smart technology can bridge the gap. We'll open the floor to shared experiences and innovative solutions attendees have encountered in their own councils, fostering peer-driven insights and collaboration.
We'll then introduce FlexiPay, a flexible payment solution designed to ease the burden on staff, offer better options to customers, and improve collection rates with minimal friction. In parallel, meet Cassie — an AI-powered phone service designed to serve previously underserved customer segments who still rely on calling in, bringing automation and efficiency to a channel long resistant to digital transformation.
Join us to reimagine how your council can adopt scalable, sustainable tools to future-proof your services, enhance citizen experience, and make every dollar go further.
Brunch & Networking
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM (30 mins)
Unified Digital Access: Transforming Local Government Services
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM (30 mins)
Discover how local governments can revolutionise service delivery by adopting a unified digital identity and central self-service platform. Drawing insights from successful models like the Danish Citizen Portal that have enhanced efficiency and citizen engagement. This session will inspire councils to collaborate and leverage existing state platforms to streamline citizen access to services.
Enhancing Employee and Citizen Services: Exploring AI Adoption in Local Councils
1:30 PM - 1:50 PM (20 mins)
- The adoption of AI across councils to support service
- The need for business automation and workflow to support
- Facing the challenge of “doing more with less” while meeting community expectations for sound governance and agility
Panel Discussion: AI and Innovation in Local Councils: Harnessing Creativity and Technology for Better Public Services
1:50 PM - 2:25 PM (35 mins)
- How AI can drive innovative solutions to improve public services, problem-solving, and citizen engagement.
- Culture: How does technological innovation influence the workforce, workplace culture and employee engagement?
- Balancing innovation with data privacy, transparency, and fairness to ensure AI aligns with public trust and values.
Closing Remarks from the Chair
2:25 PM - 2:30 PM (5 mins)
Event Close
2:30 PM - 2:30 PM (0 mins)
