December 2024
The Hon. Jeff Kennett AC
Farewell
This is my last contribution to our CT Management Group newsletter with our clients in local government, and those who may not yet be clients.
I was fortunate to have been asked in 2011, 14 years ago, to become Chairman of CT Management Group. I step down as Chairman and Director as of the 31st of December.
A lot can happen in 14 years, here in Australia and overseas.
The only thing we can be sure of is that the rate of change will continue at an ever-increasing pace. Much driven by new technology, including AI, which will increasingly be incorporated in the administration of municipalities as we better understand how it can be used.
One aspect of municipal life is the increasing difficulty in attracting qualified individuals to take up senior positions within the third tier of government.
But that also is reflected in the calibre and motivation of many individuals who stand for and are elected to Councils.
Whether it is the Councillors or the Administration, or a combination of both, the number of monitors who have been appointed over the years, particularly in Victoria has been at an all-time record, sadly.
In fact, monitoring has become an industry in Victoria. I am not saying they are not needed, but when so many, might it not indicate Victoria still has too many Councils?
I am sure Local Government as an industry does not get the priority it deserves but given the impact Councils can have on their communities, good and bad, something is clearly not right when another layer of bureaucracy is included in the mix.
What I will say as I depart the building, is how much I have enjoyed my decades now being involved with local government throughout Australia and in so many cases the characters within Councils.
I have also enjoyed my time working within the CT Management Family.
A small body of very professional employees working with up to one hundred Associates who are out in the field every day, adding value to the municipalities that require assistance with placements or to complete projects.
CT Management has over its decades of work built up a huge amount of factual information on both individual municipalities and therefore trends in the sector itself.
This is valuable information.
So, as I pack my bags and move on, to be replaced as Executive Chairman by our CEO Michael Courtney, we are also welcoming Glenn Patterson as a Director of CT Management Group.
Glenn who is currently CEO of the City of Casey will bring years of experience to our organisation and will have a very contempory understanding of the challenges facing local government today.
He will continue in his role at Casey and joins a very professional team at CT Management Group.
So, thank you all, but in particular to the team at CT Management Group. They are like family to me, and I have seen the younger members grow into vital cogs within our organisation.
To all who read this newsletter, make the most of your lives. Regardless of how long we live, it is a short time. Getting the balance right between work, family, friends and relaxation is so important.
So, I am off to do some gardening. Stay well and enjoy the festive season.
Thank you for allowing me directly or indirectly to be part of your industry and lives.
The Hon Jeff Kennett AC
Chairman
CT Management Group