Fran Southward

Some information was released overnight about the LNP Housing Plan, ahead of today's State Budget reply speech. While there are still many details to come, it's encouraging to see some of the proposed measures in scope, including shared equity programs and major infrastructure partnerships with local government to increase housing supply. New and innovative concepts for maximising church-owned land and utiliising vacant bedrooms make for interesting reading. And if the reports are accurate, there is a strong commitment to achieving housing targets leading up to 2046. Q Shelter is looking forward to unpacking all the details and providing useful budget analysis for the sector. This will include areas of convergence with the major parties on housing policy and differences in approaches. https://lnkd.in/g6FcR_Qh Stay tuned. #StateBudget #Housing #Homelessness #HomeMatters #BetterTogether #Queensland

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The Institute of Community Directors Australia and McKinsey & Company have prepared a week of free webinars for Leadership Week from 24 to 28 June 2024. The 2024 theme is 'Leading organisational change: Harnessing technology and workforce shifts to change the way our organisations deliver impact.' With unprecedented challenges and opportunities, not-for-profits are called upon to respond and adapt swiftly. Leadership Week will bring together leaders across the non-profit community to discuss the profound shifts facing their organisations and explore approaches that leaders can implement to navigate major change. There are webinars on: - Resetting mindsets and behaviors - Leveraging generative AI - Managing cybersecurity, and - Talent, growth and development. You can register here: https://lnkd.in/gqgFYtHH #governance #director #board #leadership

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As the Westpac-McDermott Miller survey (NZ) reveals a significant decline in employment confidence, we find ourselves reflecting on similar historical moments. The Conference Board's Employment Trends Index (ETI) provides a broader historical context, showing how employment conditions have shifted over decades. While this decline parallels the uncertainty seen during the 2008 financial crisis, it’s important to note that each economic downturn has its unique catalysts and outcomes. The recent sentiment echoes the cautious optimism and resilience observed post-pandemic, suggesting that while job confidence dips, widespread job losses are not as imminent as feared. Understanding these trends helps us navigate the present with a more informed perspective, preparing for potential shifts in the job market. #EconomicTrends #JobMarket #BusinessInsights

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There are some fascinating details in the 2024 National State of the Assets Report, put together by IPWEA in partnership with the Australian Local Government Association. For example: 1. Local Governments collectively own one-third of all Australia's public infrastructure assets, yet employ under 10% of the public workforce. 2. Local Governments are the most asset-intensive level of government in Australia. 3. Total value of assets under Local Government control is $643bn, yet amazingly, their combined revenue was just a fraction of that (around $60bn in 2022-23). Just imagine operating, maintaining and renewing all those assets on this budget - let alone funding all the other non-asset services delivered by Local Government, such as urban planning, economic development/tourism, environmental health (nobody likes dodgy takeaway), animal and pests/weeds management and so much more... It is a real challenge to balance the needs and expectations of the community with financial reality. Therefore, it's not surprising that ~8% of L.G. assets (worth $50-55 billion) are in poor condition. Take just roads... Poor to very poor roads can have significant social, safety and productivity implications at a local and national level (even people living in the big cities don't want bananas bruised from a farm=>store journey via a washed out or potholed road!). All of the above, extracted from the report below, help to emphasise the need for continual improvement to our asset management and long-term financial planning capacity. This continual improvement and, importantly, the long term financial planning and properly funding renewal and replacement of ageing assets takes strong yet delicate leadership. I do not envy any Local Government politicians who seriously engage with this challenge. If you're a local government infrastructure operator, and you'd like to understand more about your assets, we'd love to hear from you! #LocalGovernment #Assets #Planning #AssetManagement #FinancialPlanning #FinancialSustainability #Infrastructure #Australia #Queensland #NorthernTerritory Mangoesmapping GIS Mapping (Mangoesmapping)

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For those interested in pursuing a career in information management, this skillset is in demand in the health sector. Recommend following Trixie's work in this space. #awsn #acs #informationmanagement #health #infomatics

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Royal Far West welcomes the release of the Federal Government's Early Years Strategy (7 May) which sets out a ten year roadmap for children aged 0-5 years, aimed at achieving a nationally consistent early years system. The strategy highlights many areas for reform in the sector like the need for a more coordinated approach, greater collaboration between Commonwealth, State and local governments, supporting local solutions and the need for better data. It is based on solid principles and good outcomes like improving access and disadvantage, which is especially important for country kids. We look forward to the first Action Plan from the Strategy, to be released later this year, and how funds will be allocated. Early learning is one of the best gifts we can give our children. It is in this timeframe that many building blocks are laid. For country kids experiencing developmental challenges, a lack of access to services, long wait times and cost are inhibitive factors in getting help. The combination of these factors and other social determinants are inextricably linked to poorer mental health, poorer educational outcomes and ultimately poorer life outcomes. Early intervention and preventative supports are key. It is important that any action plan recognises the importance of allied health as part of the solution for both early and preventative intervention in rural and remote areas of Australia. Where a child lives should not be a barrier to access services nor a cause for disadvantage. https://lnkd.in/gtXpbuNm #AnneAly #earlylearning #amandarishworth #auspol 

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Health organisations across NZ are struggling to align their IT systems with their business strategies - meaning more redundant, repetitive and wasteful ways of working. Our latest article delves into this issue and explores how the application of lean management principles can streamline processes and enhance efficiency. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out here ⏩ https://loom.ly/EhjycdE

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Great to be moving forward with amazing partners to bolster the First Nations ICT sector. First Nations is highly underrepresented in ICT, so we are employing novel methods by partnering with like minded organisations to expedite the human capital growth. #adaptovate #NAIDOC https://lnkd.in/gbPS6Ec4

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Jumped on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) this afternoon to discuss the LNP’s housing plan, released today. Also, considered points of convergence between the Labor and LNP plans, both in focus this state budget week. Check it out, hopefully it offers some interesting analysis. https://lnkd.in/gPiqp-RE #StateBudget #BudgetReply #Queensland #HomeMatters #BetterTogether

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The drive to thrive - City of #Ballarat! An incredibly interesting discussion on the hot topic “transport for now and into the future to match the population and economic growth predicted for #ballarat” hosted by Committee for Ballarat. The guest speaker Nick Veitch facilitated the discussion of the importance of an regional integrated transport strategy, presenting learnings from neighbouring cities. With a focus on the 2041 projections in the G21 (Geelong) integrated transport strategy. Connecting Ballarat to itself via a public transport system, and to the wider state is crucial to economic growth and development, and incredibly important to attracting and retaining local investment & new emerging industries. Which leads me to question how can Ballarat be better at positioning or planning our City to achieve this? I’d love to know your thoughts 💭…… Having a regional integrated transport strategy is the first step for obtaining funding but an important step in making a better ballarat. Consider the below 👇🏻 🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️Ballarat’s population is forecasted to grow 240,000 people in 2041, compared to 118,000 people today - just above double! With that we are predicted to need 47,000 new homes 🏠. With new homes, if we don’t plan ahead, that’s an incredible amount of increased car usage 🚗, in a city that is already very car dependent, due to lack of transport infrastructure and options available. Without an adequately designed, strategically planned & funded integrated transport strategy are we simply driving into disaster? Great session Committee for Ballarat, you do an outstanding job highlighting and showcasing topics like this 🙌 #ballarat #transport #planning #betterballarat

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Tech Council of Australia's research reveals that over two-thirds of tech leaders view AI as the definitive technology trend for Australia in 2024. Probably the most surprising result of this research is what did the other one-third of tech leaders vote for? In large we are still discovering how AI can be leveraged for organisational productivity, but we have learnt how AI can drive amazing efficiencies in many use cases of work activities. If you are a #businessanalyst #softwaretester #projectmanager SoftEd has developed a number of short courses on how you can leverage AI in your role and responsibilities. Check out: https://lnkd.in/e8YAbRWG https://lnkd.in/gRX9XzeW

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Regional Telecommunications Survey - 2 ways to have your say Rural, regional, and remote Australians have another way to give feedback on telecommunications issues with the release of the first ever Regional Telecommunications Review survey. The Review, which takes place every three years, sees the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee examine the experiences of people in regional, rural, and remote parts of Australia with telecommunications delivery, as well as considering the unique needs of First Nations communities. Previous Reviews have seen a number of major initiatives announced and delivered, such as the Mobile Black Spot Program and the National Audit of Mobile Coverage. There are two ways to have your say, face-to-face consultation in various towns or providing an online submission. Learn more - https://bit.ly/4bIcsgF Have your say - https://bit.ly/3KrPRZC

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