Gippsland › Latest news › Bass Coast Local News
Four Gippsland Councils Commit to Explore Shared Services
Councils to invest to maintain service levels while reducing duplication, improving efficiency and increasing savings.
Four councils across Gippsland are investing in an innovative operating model that aims to maintain service levels while reducing duplication, improving efficiency and increasing savings.
Bass Coast, East Gippsland, South Gippsland and Wellington Shire Councils have all committed to explore the potential establishment of a ‘shared services’ entity that may eventually deliver their combined back-office/corporate services and IT functions into the future. It is expected that a three-year transition period would be required to set-up the shared services entity. Over the next 12 months the four councils will explore how the new entity could operate.
To date, the councils have worked collaboratively on a high-level business case and proposed model that identifies savings to their operations and ultimately, to the community. Another benefit once established, is that the shared services entity may attract future income-generating opportunities by offering its services to other organisations.
The Municipal Association of Victoria and Local Government Victoria are supportive of councils pursuing genuine shared services, not just council collaboration, as the way forward for local government.
The four Councils will seek to take advantage of funding available through the Victorian Government’s $20 million Rural and Regional Council Transformation Program, which aims to support projects that will help make Victoria’s regional and rural councils and the services they deliver more sustainable.
It is likely that the new entity will employ fewer staff to deliver each shared service function than the four councils combined do now. The next 12 months will determine which services may be potentially included in a shared service and each Council can decide the services they wish to identify by then.
For the communities across the four Shires it will be ‘business as usual’ when it comes to their day-to-day dealings with their council. The changes that may take place will be in the back-office functions rather than direct service delivery roles.
Source: www.gippsland.com
Published by: support@gippsland.com
Latest News
East Gippsland Shire Council highlights telecommunications infrastructure when advocating over thirty goals for community resilience and developmentRussell Broadbent addresses nationwide Covid injustices-rights breaches, lockdowns, mandates and waste of $577B on vaccine and tests
Students from Orbost Community College tour East Gippsland Water facilities to learn about water safety, filtration and potential careers
Drouin wastewater treatment plant instals Australia's largest floating solar array of 644 panels as part of Gippsland Water renewable energy plan
Gippsland Water aids Wellington Mint-bush conservation through genetic research to increasing numbers and diversity
Latrobe City Council launches 'International Connections' book to celebrate 20-year anniversary of sister city agreements
Metung Bowls Club celebrates green upgrade with $200,000 grant from Sport and Recreation Victoria on 14 April 2024
Important swimming services continue through winter in Wellington Shire at West Sale Pool such as lap swimming and hydrotherapy
Bass Coast Shire Council draft 2024/25 Budget ready for community input prioritising $25M for climate-focused projects
Community feedback wanted on Wellington Shire Council draft 2024/25 budget by 6 May 2024