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Mayor’s Message

By South Gippsland Shire Council - 5th November 2004 - Back to News

Last week I, along with other Gippsland Mayors, met with the Best Value Commission to review the way Councils are managing their community consultation processes in relation to the services that we deliver to the community, and how we are achieving continuous improvement in these services.

Community consultation is a critical role for local government: if we are not delivering services that residents want, then we are not doing our job properly. The challenging part is to provide these services within a budget that is also fair, equitable and affordable to ratepayers.

Open briefings and accessibility to Councillors is a vital part of this process so that we can all share ideas and make informed decisions, but there are also other ways of engaging with communities and we must always be looking for innovative processes that enable staff and Councillors to listen to all sectors of the community.

As well as continual improvement on the services we deliver to the community, Council has a strong commitment to an internal Business Excellence program that is being integrated into each department, to ensure that all processes and relationships are clearly defined and improved, intellectual property is captured and that all officers are empowered to take responsibility for their area of expertise.

Over 200 staff members plus Councillors have taken part in this training over the past month to accelerate the integration of these systems for the mutual benefit of both the organisation and the ratepayer.

The training has been well received by staff, with those at the ‘coal face’ often best equipped to provide solutions as they bear the consequences of inefficiencies.

Our Councillors, management and staff all share a passion for their community and a commitment to providing the best possible services.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com