As CEO of City of Perth Council, Michelle Reynolds was tasked with getting the newly elected Council back on track two years after the previous one was suspended in 2018, follow a state government-ordered inquiry that made more than 340 recommendations.

GN asked Ms Reynolds about the challenges of 2022, her hopes for 2023 and how Council is responding to changes in the LGA.

At a glance:

• Glad to see the end of: suspensions and inquiries
• Projects for 2023: Implementing the Strategic Community Plan 2022-32
• Excited about: boosting Perth’s City of Lights brand
• Biggest change affecting LGA: tight labour market, supply chain disruptions and escalating construction costs

GN: How did 2022 treat your council and what did you learn from it?

MR: As we came out of the 2018 inquiry and, of course, the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, the City developed our Evolution to Excellence strategy to provide a roadmap for our reform journey.

It’s our roadmap for becoming the kind of organisation that works, delivers and advocates on behalf of the community and partners with stakeholders to ensure our City grows into the organisation we want it to be.

I am proud to say our response to the inquiry recommendations has been outstanding – with 178, or 83 per cent – completed by 30 June 2022.

How is your financial outlook for the coming year, and do you have any major projects planned?

The upcoming year will be an economically challenging one, but the City of Perth has strategies within our Long-Term Financial Plan as our well-considered financial blueprint for a financially sustainable future.

In 2022 we developed the Strategic Community Plan 2022-32. This is our blueprint for delivering projects on behalf of the community to shape the City of Perth over the next decade and beyond informed by community.

In terms of specific projects we’ll be changing the face of our city through lighting projects , improved community safety, our Public Open Space Strategy and upgrading our major street precincts.

We’ll also be improving connectivity through transport projects that prioritise cycling and pedestrian movements, working on activating the city to encouraging visitation, and building sustainable day and night-time economies.

What are you most looking forward to in 2023?

I am excited to see what’s next for our City of Light brand. In October, we launched our first marketing
campaign under the new brand. This is the first City campaign in a while and amplifies our City of Light
brand, showcases all the unique things on offer and encourages people from the Perth metro area to
get excited about coming into the City.

What do you expect the biggest challenges will be for you in 2023

We see the tight labour market, supply chain disruptions and construction cost escalations as the key issues we need to manage.

How is your LGA changing and what are you doing to adapt?

The Local Planning Scheme Framework went before Council in December. The Framework pulls a lot of our existing Plans/Schemes/Frameworks into one document and demonstrates the City’s drive to boost our population and make the city a great place to be, in a very considered way.

The framework includes the Northbridge Special Entertainment Precinct Plan that ensures the area keeps its unique vibe. It also incorporates input from the community on neighbourhood planning and defines goals for each suburb.

This plan lets businesses know that Perth is open for business and that we want to know what ideas developers/businesses have and so we can make it simpler for businesses to bring their ideas to life and invest in our City. It’s part of our commitment to our future over the next 10-15 years.

*Michelle Reynolds took up the role of Chief Executive Officer of the City of Perth in August 2020. Prior to this, she held the positions of Executive Director at Rottnest Island Authority and Chief Executive Officer at WorkCover WA.

She has also held roles in numerous state government organisations across public administration and governance; environmental land management; cultural heritage; infrastructure and land development; tourism and commercial partnerships; strategic planning and financial management.