The document outlines priorities and updates for various departments at Lake Macquarie City Council for September 2019. Key points include: - Ensuring major cultural capital projects are on time and on budget and establishing excellence once opened. - Implementing actions from strategic and business plans for Arts, Culture and Tourism and continuing the team restructure program. - Clarifying team structures and roles for various departments including Development Assessment, Environmental Regulation, and Business Information Technology Solutions and addressing any skills gaps. - Working on business improvement initiatives to improve efficiencies and customer experiences across departments like Customer Experience, Asset Management and City Works.

1. September 2019

2. Arts, Culture and Tourism
1. Ensure that the major Cultural capital projects –
Art Gallery, Windale Community Centre and Library,
Wangi Library and MAP continue through the design and
construction phases on time and in budget as well as be
centre of cultural excellence once opened
2. Continue with the restructure program for the team
3. Implement actions in ACT strategic and business plans
1. With the fire damage on Awaba House , the gallery team
have had to work quickly in taking this operational and
financial back step into an opportunity by opening up the
space for a pop up bar/café, corporate hire and
increasing the accessibility of programming and events
2. Bed down the new structure
1. STEAM week was a great success with over 2500
people attending
2. Updated the LMPAC user guide and downloaded
security app that has reduced weekend call outs and
after-hours issues
3. Initiate a business plan for Rathmines Theatre and
LMPAC with MAP as part of a new citywide performing
arts program
4. RFID and Profiling tender released which will initiate
considerable business improvements and allow a
platform for self serve in our libraries
1. Present to Council International Relations Policy,
Cultural Collections Policy and Urban and Public Art
Strategy for public exhibition
2. Go Live! for the new structure was on the 2 September
with the progression through the Assessment process,
redeployments and locked in all new Position
Statements. All on track for external recruitment
(Phase 3) to start end September

3. Asset Management
1. Establish the Recreation Land Planning team within Asset
Management to combine all asset strategic planning
functions under one department
2. Establish the Asset Planning Team, to align asset
management functions across all asset classes
3. Establish the capital works management team to provide a
cross organisational view of the pipeline of all capital
works
4. Improve knowledge and awareness across the organisation
regarding the purpose and importance of asset
management functions
1. Continue to review and undertake business improvement
initiatives to improve efficiencies & effectiveness
2. Be champions for asset management, to leverage the
potential from other teams/areas to contribute to asset
management
3. Develop strong role clarity across all teams, with focus on
functional priorities
4. Build relationships with newly formed teams and
departments who align with asset management
1. Held workshops with Community Assets teams to
review team functions and align roles and
responsibilities
2. Realigned the Asset Planning team members from
central team to relevant sections (Community Assets
and Infrastructure Assets)
3. Commenced recruitment of two Project Planner
positions, to support the functions of the Capital Works
Team
4. Continued to review Position Statements for a number
of positions updated as a result of the reconfiguration
1. Continue gap analysis of resourcing needs across all
teams and identify opportunities to address these
2. Undertake RACI reviews of functions that overlap
between Assets and other teams/ departments to
clarify responsibilities and ownership of activities
3. Continue to work on alignment of functions within
Community Assets
4. Identify and work on quick wins between Assets and
City Works
5. Develop Asset Management risk profile

4. Business Information Technology Solutions
Top high-level priorities for this year:
1. Team forming workshops, confirming vision, behaviours,
priorities, services objectives, and technology objectives
2. Clarifying team structures, integrating Future Directions team,
upskill team to address any skills or knowledge gaps to enable
digital transformation, updating position statements and
delegations where needed
3. Establish appropriate business engagement and governance
models and consistent project management methodology for
Business Information & Technology Solutions Team and the rest of
the Organisation
1. Provide opportunities and capacity building for all BITS team
members to participate in working groups and projects which
promote more front-line decision making
2. Collaborate with Business Improvement and the business to
identify innovative ways to engage with a broader range of
internal/external stakeholders to enable digital transformation
3. Partner with all business areas through our module owners
network to enable continuous improvement of our core
systems to support improved customer experiences
1. Progressed recruitment of BITS Leadership team
2. Presented review of City Works P2P and Inventory
3. Completed initial deployment and configuration of (iPaas)
integration platform and completed foundation training
4. Commenced online timesheeting trial with Waste and
Leisure Services teams
5. Implemented new payroll costing solution to enable
accurate realisation of expenditure for our projects
6. Completed the deployment of a major systems patch to our
Pathway platform
7. Continue to work with BANA to improve processes in
preparation for a future field service management solution
8. Official launch of the Tech Bar at the depot
1. Move to next level recruitment for BITS team
2. Implement Kronos digital scheduling tool for Arts, Culture &
Tourism department
3. Progress iPaas to realise improved employee and customer
experience outcomes
4. Upgrading our exchange email server and increasing the
mailbox sizes for all staff
5. Initiating a trial of ‘Actus’ to allow customer requests to be
actioned in the field
6. Building a data storage library. This will provide a single storage
area and an overall view of all data stored within council
7. Replacement of council chambers microphone systems
8. Continued migration of content and functionality from our old
website

5. City Projects
1. Assist other Council Departments define and scope
projects. This may take the form of staff working cross
department and reverse briefing of projects
2. Review City Projects structure to efficiently deliver
projects as well as expand resources and skillsets to deliver
to current and future projects
3. Review delegations to better suit organisational objectives
4. Maintain/continually improve existing culture to ensure
teamwork is maintained and collaboration between teams
continues
1. Report submitted to executive seeking support for
revised structure; revising structure to meet Organisation
needs
2. Appoint Coordinator Project Management role
3. Review of delegations
1. Implement Approved new structure
2. Increase roll satisfaction by assigning responsibility and
authority to the appropriate level
3. Increase awareness of opportunity to get involved
4. Investigate long opportunities to assist with system
related problems, eg, contract management system
and Authority
1. Flexibility
2. Empowerment
3. Responsibility
4. Opportunity

6. City Works
1. Promote a positive culture within the Department where
customer outcomes are the priority and we have higher degrees
of engagement through mutual care, ownership, and
performance
2. Implementation of a departmental sub-structure that supports
our breadth of functions in a logical and effective manner
3. Develop and implement a Workforce Strategy that supports the
gaining and use of skills and responds to our ageing workforce
demographic
4. Facilitate the reuse of waste materials including compost, glass,
and plastics in our works
5. Improving our work delivery through better planning,
scheduling and performance monitoring
1. Review our work delivery methods in general, to look for
better ways to work, and in particular work with staff
delivering the new functions to the Department (coming from
the reconfiguration)
2. Investigate tools to support better planning and scheduling of
our maintenance and capital works delivery
1. Leadership Development Program continues into month 2 of
6 month program
2. Draft department sub-structure identified and consultation
commenced
3. Design of staff development and relief program continues
4. Continuing to work with leaders in AM and CW to bring
clarity to the roles of asset inspector staff
5. Development of preventative maintenance program for
building and park facilities
6. “precinct-based” vegetation management model
implementation has commenced on east side of lake
1. Continue implementation of our “precinct-based”
vegetation management model across the rest of the City
2. Establishment of a collaborative forum to develop culture –
building objectives
3. Support the Investigation of corporate software
applications to support works management
4. Implementing a preventative maintenance program for
building and park facilities
5. Undertake role clarity workshops for asset inspector
function
6. Continue consultation of department restructure

7. Communications and Corporate Strategy
1. Clarify team structures for the Council and Corporate
Liaison team (Governance/Council Business Support and
Corporate Planning), and Communications team
(marketing, media, social media, community engagement
functions into one team) and update position statements
as required
2. Provide opportunities for our teams to be part of Business
Improvement initiatives
3. Implement customer-focused Communications support
across the organisation – one key communications
contact per project
1. Provide opportunities and capacity building across the
organisation in advocacy, supported by Government
Relations and Policy Advisor
2. Working with Regulation and Compliance to make our
Council report templates more user-friendly
1. Reviewed our department's Voice Survey results and
developed an action plan
2. Documented all projects that Communications, Council
and Corporate Liaison teams and Government/Policy is
involved in, in one spot
3. Introduced new project workflow and implemented
integration of financial information into projects
module of Council’s corporate management system
software, Sycle
4. Trialled a new Council report template
1. Reviewing our internal Voice of the Customer feedback
and progressing options to address pain points
2. SLN workshop to assess reputational risk of non-capital
projects and initiatives

8. Community Partnerships
1. Clarifying the understanding of why our teams are doing what
they’re doing and embedding transformational thinking
2. Continuing team workshops with the objective of:
a) Building on the team vision: “We believe in a community
and environment that thrive together”
b) Developing team culture
c) Team building exercises along the way
3. Identifying opportunities and developing a structure which is agile
enough to take advantage of those opportunities
4. Pinpointing continuous improvement ‘quick wins’ out of the new
structure, and also longer-term BI projects to work on
1. Volunteering across the organisation. What do we do
now? What are the inhibitors? What are new
opportunities?
2. Utilising technology in messaging (podcasts, digital story-
telling) – using these tools across the business
3. Embedding sustainability principles across the CP teams
4. Implement ‘wins’ and ‘strengths’ from self-managed
team trial throughout the rest of the organisation
5. Explore existing ‘partnerships’ with the community and
consider new ways to deliver services through different
partnership models
1. Received a third year of funding for crime prevention plan
implementation – Sarah Berry commenced
2. Had new Sustainability Policy adopted by Council
3. Media launch for the Community financed renewable energy
project with partners Pingala and Allambi Care
4. Sustainable Neighbourhood’s Waste to Art – Charlestown
display, wrapped up resulting in more than 40 registrations
for October exhibition at SEEN
5. Developed partnership with NSW Community Corrections to
bring on board for Lake Mac CityServe initiative (October)
1. Living Smart Festival preparation for expanded event (Friday
evening, Saturday festival, Sunday ‘Living Smart Sunday
sessions’) – pop ups at Glendale and Belmont
2. Presenting ‘lease equity’ process to LG Property
Professionals Conference in October
3. Landcare 20th Anniversary celebration – Sat 14 Sept
4. Chemical Clean Out Sat 21 Sept
5. Activate Sports Inclusion day (Hunter Sports High) Fri 6 Sept
6. Finalising community representation on Lead Mitigation
Grants Panelstep
7. COPA Leadership team - leadership initiatives

9. Customer Experience (CE)
1. Creating efficiencies in the way that we work so that we
utilise our workforce in the best possible way
2. Business partnering with departments to provide a value add
internal service
3. Working on business or process improvement initiatives to
improve the service we provide to our customers
4. Provide opportunities for our teams to be part of project
teams to develop skills in business improvement
5. Implementing customer satisfaction feedback mechanisms
for both internal and external customers
6. Develop a customer experience strategy
1. Building capacity in our teams through working cross
collaboratively and reducing duplication of tasks
2. Collaborate with teams outside of Customer Experience to
provide customer insights to assist with business or process
improvement initiatives
3. Partner with key departments to improve customer
experiences by understanding their requirements and
providing a value add service
4. Build capability in our teams through becoming involved in
business improvement project work
5. Provide valuable customer insights back to the business
1. Completed the Position Statement for Assistant Graphic
Designer
2. Continued to work with the BI team to finalise a
knowledge management solution for CSC
3. Participated in the Pathway upgrade project group and
assisted with testing the new patch
4. Continued to conduct the internal VOC workshops
5. CSC attended selected department meetings to present
relevant customer information/insights
6. Completed the initial Records Strategy workshop to assist
with building the services Records provide in the future
1. Updating position statements
2. Continue to conduct internal VOC workshops with teams
that participated in the survey
3. Finalising the knowledge management solution for CSC
4. Develop a Records Services vision statement to be
incorporated in the Records Strategy
5. Developing the stakeholder groups and timeframes for
the Customer Experience Strategy
6. Continue to attend internal department meetings to
present CSC information

10. Development Assessment and Certification
1. Clarify team structures, individual roles and responsibilities,
addressing any gaps, updating position statements and
delegations where needed
2. Work on business or process improvement initiatives to reduce
processing times including streamlining referral process
3. Develop and implement a marketing and promotions strategy
for the building certification services
4. Work with the development industry to ensure we are able to
attract positive economic and tourist development to the City
5. Cultivate a strong relationship with other departments within
our cluster and the organisation
1. Working with Integrated Planning and Development Contributions
to provide a better customer experience in the development
realm
2. Engaging with the development industry to meet our customers
expectations and provide a better end to end customer
experience
3. Promoting and redefining the Duty Building/Planner service
4. Developing the use of mobile technology and electronic systems in
lodgement and assessment of applications
5. Expanding the DAC Development Tour to include other teams
6. Collaborating with Environment, Regulation and Compliance to
drive innovation and identify future enhancements to mobile
inspection systems
1. Commenced process improvements in reviewing DA and
CDC condition sheets and CDC assessment sheet
2. Nearing completion of departmental staff performance
appraisals
3. Continued departmental participation on ‘quick win’
projects
4. Interviews completed for the Business Analyst (Licensing and
Applications)
5. Appointment of two permanent and two temporary
development planners
6. Implementation of subdivision work certificate to replace
current construction certificate
1. Continue working with Marketing and Communications to
implement the marketing and promotions strategy for
building certification
2. Work with Hunter Central Coast Development Corp
regarding re-development of former Pasminco smelter site
3. Conduct recruitment for Senior Development Planner and
Building Surveyor
4. Work with Integrated Planning to improve built outcomes
by reviewing DCP controls for garages and sheds
5. Investigate the option of creating a position for a Fire Safety
Officer to manage compliance of fire safety requirements in
buildings

11. Environmental Regulation and Compliance
1. Deliver improved Regulation
2. Develop and implement a Regulation and Compliance
Policy and Strategy
3. Implementation of the department and team structures,
individual roles and responsibilities
4. Work on business process improvement initiatives to
improve efficiencies, provide opportunities, and develop
appropriate skills
1. Review the way we collect information and prioritise
tasks based on risk
2. Continue to review and undertake business improvement
initiative to improve efficiencies
3. Understand what skills and knowledge staff and teams
possess to consider multi skill and collaboration
opportunities
4. Clearly define our roles to internal and external
customers
5. Adopt new technology to enhance the way we complete
our work
1. Draft Regulation and Compliance Policy was finalised
and presented to council
2. Several new Operating procedures were reviewed and
or created to improve consistency in approach
3. All positions description have been updated into
statements
4. Provide best practice investigation training to allow for
improved investigation consistency
5. Investigate safer ways to handle large animals
6. Hosted regional council discussions on future
challenges for animal management
1. Finalise and implement the ERC structure across all
teams and their respective administration support
2. Continue to explore options to manage investigations
through a case management system
3. Providing opportunities to attend industry discussions
and workshops to continue to grow best practice
initiatives

12. Environmental Systems
1. Three Hazard reduction burns completed on Council
land
2. Ranked the biodiversity significance of Council’s
bushland areas
3. Completed consultation on draft Environmental
Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan review
4. Completed performance reviews and staff
development plans
5. Held successful community consultation workshop on
the Swansea local adaptation plan
1. Finalising recruitment of Natural Assets Coordinator
2. Consultation phase of the new Bushfire Risk
Management Plan
3. Digital mapping of foreshore revetments
4. Finalising the Environmental Sustainability Strategy
and Action Plan review
5. Updating position statements and commencing
recruitment actions to finalise temporary staffing
arrangements
6. Consulting with other departments regarding
responsibilities
1. Finalise departmental and team forming workshops, confirming
vision, stakeholders and dependencies, objectives and priority
actions. What does success look like?
2. Develop and implement prioritised action plan including activities
such as clarifying individual roles and responsibilities, address
identified risks to meet objectives, update position statements
and delegations where needed
3. Create 2019-2020 business plan that builds upon department
workshops and change management activities. Focus is on future
BAU activities and improvement initiatives
1. Explore, together, the range of opportunities, building on
past success for the Environmental Systems department to
provide improved outcomes for Council and the community
2. Explore internal circular economy opportunities across $3
billion asset base and transitioning existing team
3. Review and alignment of department functions and
activities to ensure transparency and integration of
strategic outcomes
4. Become the trusted advisor for Council

13. Financial Services
1. Continuing Financial Services’ cultural journey – building a
strong culture around customer and continuous
improvement
2. Bedding down the financial system
3. Being an agile department that is both stable and dynamic
4. Establishing the Procure to Pay team
5. Improving the way we deliver financial planning and
analysis to the organisation
6. Building empowerment and capacity within the Financial
Services leadership team and department
1. Procure to Pay process and system improvements
2. Collaboration with the organisation to streamline the
annual budget and quarterly review process
3. Continue to partner with the organisation and work on
finance system improvements
4. Developing a standard suite of financial reports at
Council, Cluster and Department level
5. Partnering with the business
1. Recruited the 2 vacant Business and Financial Partners
2. Interviewed for 2 vacant
3. Draft 2018/19 annual financial statements endorsed by
Audit Committee and Council
4. June review adopted by Council
5. Amended Investment policy presented to Audit
Committee
6. 83 per cent ($47m) of 1st quarter rates collected
1. Amended Investment policy be considered by Council
2. Collect first quarter rates instalment
3. Undertake audit of 2018/19 annual financial
statements
4. Recruit a Coordinator Financial Planning
5. Develop Procurement Strategic Plan 2019/2020 draft
6. Carry out Procurement policy and procedure review

14. Integrated Planning
1. Prepare a 4-year IP works program
2. Work with Corporate Planning and BI to prepare a register
of strategies and their actions with a view of aligning
Councils/City’s high level long term strategic plans
3. Develop project management skills and discipline for IP
planning projects. This will improve the timeliness, cost
and quality of projects IP undertakes
1. Build stronger relationships with key Government and
Industry partners to better deliver on objectives in City-
wide Strategic Planning documents
2. Improve knowledge and make full use of our GIS as a
business intelligence/analysis tool – not just for mapping
3. Work with Communications & Corporate Strategy to
identify a single name and way to fully integrate and align
our Councils/City’s high level long term strategic plans
1. Finalised our teams’ purpose (why) statement
2. Prepared a draft version of the Lake Macquarie Local
Strategic Planning Statement(LSPS) (strategic action
plan) including short, medium and long term actions
that will form part of Council suite of IP&R documents
1. Working with BITS – GIS team to run version 1 of the
Walkability model for the entire LGA. This will give
each suburb/area in the LGA a walkability rating/score
which can be used by various departments in their
decision making
2. Council decision to exhibit the LSPS
3. Smart Cities Lead to commence and begin work on
implementation of the new Innovators Support
Roadmap

15. People, Culture and Risk
1. Team forming workshops, confirming vision, priorities, objectives
and measures
2. Clarifying team structures, or team and individual roles and
responsibilities, and addressing any gaps, updating position
statements and delegations where needed
3. Working with the Future Directions team to optimise our
processes
4. Understanding the needs of our customers and involving our
customers in the design of our services and supporting processes
1. Put the customer at the centre of service and process design
2. Empower frontline decision-making in our department by building
coaching capability, improving communication, stabilising process
and closely connecting to our customers
3. Review our service catalogue and adopt new best practice services
where there is clear value to the organisation
4. Drive innovation and improvement within the organisation
through the BI Capability-Building Program and the BI program of
works
5. Leading efforts to humanise risk at Lake Mac with the
development and rollout of training and the provision of increased
support through our new Risk Partnering structure
1. Risk Management and Employee Support structure changes
implementation commenced and recruitment process
conducted for a number of positions
2. Business Analyst position created to transition Module
Ownership from Future Directions into PCR
3. Customer journey mapping of the Recruitment Process
continued with improvements identified – focus on pain
points for customers and team
4. Enterprise Risk Management Framework draft finalised
ready for SLN consultation
1. Implementation of structure adjustments in Employee
Support and recruitment of new positions including
additional Business Partner positions
2. Recruiting for remaining Risk Management Team positions
3. Enterprise Risk Management Framework going to SLN for
endorsement, followed by release and rollout of Risk
Management eLearning to support capability build across
the organisation
4. PCR team volunteering initiative – Living Smart and
EcoAngels
5. Visioning workshop for Workforce Planning function and
team

16. Property and Business Development
1. Increase role satisfaction and engaged workforce:
• Support front line decision making
• Collaboratively develop metrics of our performance
• Celebrate our wins!
2. Provide opportunities for our teams to be part of Business
Improvement initiatives
3. Identify our opportunities and risks:
• Honestly assess our team capability gaps and develop
solutions
• Develop our ‘Ideas & Opportunities Safe Space’ where all
the blue sky ideas can be floated
1. Promote capacity building by providing cross team
opportunities
2. Grow our community/industry recognition and
knowledge base by participating in Peak Industry Body
events and forums
3. Managing our information: Develop a monthly dashboard
reporting system that measures progress against targets
1. Progressed our General Fund
Contribution Review and
developed initial industry
benchmark values
2. Implemented the uniform
update for our hospitability
team
3. Commenced our Property
Portfolio Review
4. Acknowledged 2 Length of
Service Awards
1. Initiating a BI process around Council Report drafting
and consultation with departments
2. Documenting our internal department “Ideas &
Opportunities” capture strategy
3. Developing our information and reporting metrics
including finance reporting and forecast management

17. Waste Services
1. Team workshops, confirming vision, priorities, objectives and
measures
2. Clarifying team structure, individual roles and responsibilities,
address gaps, update position statements and delegations
3. Build a structure that allows improved resource recovery
through collection streams
4. Align operational and strategic initiatives
5. Progression and development for the expansion of the Awaba
Waste Management Facility
1. Redefining Waste Services
2. Investigating and implementing improved technology to aid in
waste collection and service improvement
3. Have strategic waste ideology influence operational waste
collection
4. Improve the quality of Waste Management plans for all
developments
5. Focus attention to enhance the parks and commercial
collection services
6. Business Improvement initiatives to improve customer
awareness and communication, review of applications and
policing for specific service types
1. Cross-skill operational and strategic waste administration
functions
2. Staff Performance reviews
3. Consultation commenced with DAC Assessment Planners on the
implementation of waste-related changes to the development
control plan and waste management guidelines
4. Commenced waste service restructure
1. The Waste Service restructure – next step recruitment of
two Co-ordinator roles
2. Health check of what we do. Process map core functions
and look to streamline or improve how new team deliver
best service
3. Focus on our parks and commercial services to improve
service efficiencies and customer experience
4. Relocate landfill staff and community recycling centre (CRC)
operation to new administration and CRC buildings at the
Awaba Waste Management Facility
5. Community Compost giveaway – October 2019
6. Summer waste management planning