Improving Risk Management and Resilience — Virtual LGRMFG meeting 12 March 2021

Author: Paul Bright, Regional Risk Coordinator, LGMS

Over 60 participants from 35 different councils right across Queensland virtually participated in the first Local Government Risk Management Focus Group of 2021.  The theme was: Improving Risk Management and Resilience in 2021.

After a warm welcome from Craig Hinchliffe, the day was kicked off by Nicholas Rossmann, Senior Risk Consultant, JLT Public Sector with a presentation that looked beyond Australia to the global risk landscape and how that will directly impact Queensland Local Government and our communities. He highlighted the following definition of organisational resilience, “Ability of an organisation to absorb and adapt in a changing environment” (ISO 22301:2019), which was extremely relevant for the remaining presentations throughout the day.

While we are often unable to directly change and shape the risk landscape we operate within, we can certainly improve our ability to respond and adapt to it to achieve the best possible outcomes for the communities Councils’ serve. The second presenter of the day, Peter Deans, from Not Without Risk Consulting, provided the group with 15 exceptionally innovative and practical ways to reinvigorate risk management within their organisation. We encourage readers to get in contact with their LGMS Regional Risk Coordinator to discuss these opportunities further, and how LGMS can continue to support your organisation on its enterprise risk management journey.

The second and third part of the day saw the focus shift towards local government risks with separate sessions on Liability for Road Risk Management (Goondiwindi Regional Council v Tait Case), Managing the Human Rights Act 2019 implications and risks for local government, and LGW Workcare performance, assurance and support update 2021. The presentations from the day will be made available on the LGMS Member Centre.

We are pleased to confirm that the two remaining LGRMFG meetings for 2021 will be run as live events. The next event will be run over two days in North Queensland in August, and the final event for the year at a South East Queensland location in early November. If you have any ideas for future agendas or wish to present at a future meeting, please get in contact with Paul Bright, Regional Risk Coordinator.