The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has announced the formation of its ‘Future is Local’ taskforce to co-design a sector-wide response to major forces of change rapidly reshaping the nature of local government.
The establishment of the taskforce follows the publication of MAV’s The Future is Local Report which identifies key forces of change for the local government sector including climate volatility, democratic shifts, the proliferation of digital technologies and social instability and fragmentation.
MAV chief executive Kelly Grigsby said in such a fast-changing world, councils had the capacity to help communities navigate the challenges and opportunities of the future.
“The taskforce is about bringing optimistic scenarios to life and finding the most powerful opportunities to support councils and communities through shared interventions, mitigations and solutions that allow councils and communities to shape the future – rather than be shaped by it,” Ms Grigsby said.
Maribyrnong council chief executive Celia Haddock has been named as one of the taskforce’s 22 founding members, alongside other past and present leaders from the local government sector.
“I’m excited to work with such a diverse group of talented experts on The Future is Local Taskforce to build the future-fitness of our sector,” said Ms Grigsby.
The work of the taskforce will be on the agenda at the MAV’s The Future is Local Conference to be held on October 9.
MAV’s The Future is Local report can be found at: https://www.mav.asn.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/43115/MAVLab-x-Arup_The-Future-is-Local_BS-Edit.pdf
