Faced with imminent challenges, the 96th Tasmanian Local Government Conference has provided councils with an opportunity to transform new questions into concrete strategies.

Over two hundred elected members, general managers and officers from councils across the state have congregated in Launceston for the three-day annual conference, coordinated by the Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT).

Under the theme Waves of Change, the delegates explored and sought new models for a wide range of issues including water and sewerage reforms, ageing populations, climate change, commodity prices and housing affordability.

LGAT president Mayor Mike Gaffney said where the state is confronted with new demands, the conference aimed to invigorate participants as a whole to devise efficient responses and actions.

“While the changing tide remains inevitable, so does the ongoing impact of increased benchmarks and compliance on our strategies, actions and budgets,” he said.

“Indeed Waves of Change implies that each municipality cannot be viewed as an isolated pool and the ripple effect of new thoughts and innovation has the capacity to assist, alter and influence all council areas.”

Managing director of the Sydney-based Neville Freeman Agency, Oliver Freeman, told the conference that planning for the future requires new competencies and novel methodologies.

“In a fact and dynamically changing world, in order for councils to exhaust their social responsibilities, they need to embrace methodologies such as scenario planning to help them stay relevant in real time to the challenges of the future,” he said.

Along with Mr Freeman, other keynote speakers and presenters included social researcher Dr Ian Plowman, chair of the Tasmanian Environment Industry Council Dr Kate Crowley and Michael Small from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.