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The Local Government Act means you, as a councillor, are required to ``participate in the optimum allocation of the council's resources for the benefit of the area''.
With this in mind, what are your qualifications to properly run an organisation with an annual budget of $150 million?
Please list any educational qualifications, professional or other experience which qualifies you for this role.
My Professional Background
Metallurgist - nearly 30 years at BHP Steel, whose total budgets far exceed Wollongong Council's. I lead a team of 9 professionals/ paraprofessionals, which deals with people at all levels, suppliers and customers and have direct responsibility for my group's budget of nearly $1million pa, involved in strategic industry projects periodically and so am well familiar with corporate managment/policy processes. As well, my group influences other departments' operations, with budgets of millions of dollars. There is overlap between both my roles, in regard to Asset Management, Risk, Capital, ie relevant to council infrastructure management. I have responsibility for management of QA, OHSR, resourcing, policy deployment, training, and appraisals in my group. I also worked in the local tourism industry for some years prior to BHP.
Training & Qualifications
Metallurgy Degree, ( included technical IT & Management), postgraduate management subjects, undergraduate subjects in economics, IT 6 to 10 day BHP residential management courses (1996, 1998, 2001) - Business Skills & Organisational Leadership Short Courses - Project Management, Negotiation Skills, Decisionmaking, Management etc; Asset Management Conference; Local Government Association - Resources Management, Conflict Resolution, Accounting Reporting, Planning, Heritage, Annual LGMA Congresses covering management, policy, leadership.
Other Leadership Roles
Previously NSW President Professional Scientists Association of Australia, Director Illawarra Electricity; currently member Council of Wollongong University
Will revelations about council's costly information technology experiment impact the way in which you carry out your council duties?
I have supplied a 27 pages of issues to the GM, and I have foundoften that some information has been simply withdrawn from councillors by an officer. I fought successfully to have this reinstated over the last 10 years. Council has upgraded reporting on major projects such as IT . We need staff pursuing the right IT software for local government. I have been appalled that many major IT projects average 178% over budget, and that companies such as Adidas and Southcorp, as well as State & Federal Government Departments spent far more on SAP than planned.
Last year I had raised general concerns about SAP (my husband works in Sydney as a Project Manager in the IT industry); and when I requested the former Director Corporate/Governance brief councillors on SAP review progress, it turned from a friendly suggestion into a prickly exchange, focused on my confidence in him. It was not indicated to me that there were very serious concerns about SAP.
I am keen to see that we employ senior executive staff who are loyal to serving the City of Wollongong and its people, and who will speak their minds to the General Manager and the Councillors - rather than acquiesence or whiteanting. Last Monday I was persuaded my fellow councillors to take more time to consider the existing Delegations to the General Manager Two years ago I instituted the removal of some delegations from planning staff, in regard to development control plans, which were way out of step with other councils, and noting they didn't have the courtesy to tell us what they were doing, eg Edgewood Estate Woonona.
Authorised - Cr Kerrie Christian
Ward 1 Councillor
Wollongong City Councillor
31.5.02
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