Why does the LGAQ have commercially focused subsidiaries?

LGAQ’s commercial activities help to subsidise the delivery of important member services and keep membership fees low.

Our subsidiaries provide valuable support and services. By operating independently they are able to better meet client needs and the scope and cost of services provided can be more fairly priced. Importantly, councils pay only for what they use.

Every time a member purchases a product or service from an LGAQ-owned subsidiary or business unit, those funds contribute to a stronger and more sustainable LGAQ.

Why assist councils with procurement via Local Buy?

It is important that councils spend community funds wisely.

All councils strive to support their local businesses, but council procurement is costly, takes time, needs to manage fraud and corruption risks and must also comply with Queensland Audit Office standards.

Local Buy helps council procurement meet legislative, reputation and compliance needs, simplifying the process by connecting councils to pre-qualified local Queensland suppliers, big and small. This saves time and money, and reduces councils’ need to tender, advertise and prepare contracts.

Councils were asking for help with procurement, which is why the LGAQ created Local Buy in 2001. Access to Local Buy is a valuable component of the LGAQ membership. The profits from Local Buy are returned each year to the LGAQ and invested to help keep council membership fees low.

Why offer professional services via Peak Services?

No one knows local government, like local government.

Peak Services was created by the LGAQ to provide professional services and products that local governments need, delivered by an expert team that knows and understands the sector well.

What makes Peak Services unique is that it tailors its offerings across areas such as recruitment, grants writing and legal services to best reflect each of its customers’ local needs.

As a profit for purpose enterprise, any profits are returned to the LGAQ to use in its advocacy, engagement and member services to benefit all Queensland councils, and which also helps keep membership fees low.

Why support councils with customer service solutions 24/7?

Local government never stops.

Created by local government for local government, the Peak 24/7 contact centre ensures seamless, all-year, round-the- clock telephone support for residents to their local councils.

Whether it’s to report a pothole, a tree down, or to get information during a natural disaster, a call to Peak 24/7 puts residents in the know – saving councils time, money and staff resources.

Peak 24/7 receives more than 100,000 calls a year and is staffed by Queenslanders who live in and understand our local communities.

Peak 24/7 was created by the LGAQ in 2011 when many councils needed this service after Cyclone Yasi. Access to Peak 24/7 is a valuable component of the LGAQ membership.

Why offer professional consultancy services?

Every Council has unique operational needs.

Peak’s Consulting team was created to support councils by using trusted advisors experienced in local government.

The team can advise on energy, procurement, grants management and other bespoke requirements that councils do not always have the local resources or expertise to deliver.

No matter their size or location, councils can rely on Peak to understand their local challenges and leverage Peak’s broad knowledge and experience to help achieve outcomes for their community.

Why offer recruitment services?

People are councils biggest asset.

Finding staff to fill critical roles helps ensure the smooth running of council operations.

Peak can assist with securing executive and interim staff, along with those hard to fill roles.

Whether its a curator for a botanical garden, an engineer to build its roads or a CEO, our trusted and experienced recruiters are invested in locating the best available talent each and every time.

Councils benefit from Peak’s local government knowledge, extensive networks and ability to tailor its service for each and every role councils need to fill.

Why provide workforce training?

Its important to invest in your people.

Training is an annual requirement in the local government sector, which is why the LGAQ created its owned Registered Training Organisation.

Councils can choose from a broad range of courses tailored to each council’s requirements, including eLearning and virtual training through to short courses and fully accredited training programs.

Peak has more than 20 years’ experience supporting local governments with their learning and development needs, and is committed to ensuring council workforces are equipped to deliver the most effective services to their community.

Why provide legal services for workforce matters?

Industrial issues often require careful stewardship.

The LGAQ established Peak’s Legal and Workforce team to provide members with support to help navigate complex IR matters.

Councils can choose from a broad range of courses tailored to each council’s requirements, including eLearning and virtual training through to short courses and fully accredited training programs.

Peak has more than 20 years’ experience supporting local governments with their learning and development needs, and is committed to ensuring council workforces are equipped to deliver the most effective services to their community.

Why facilitate cover for councils insurable risks via the LGMS mutual schemes

No one knows Queensland council risks like Queensland councils.

Local Government Mutual Services (LGMS) not only provides coverage tailored to council needs, but also provides year- round support, education, training and assessments of councils across the state to ensure insurable risks are well-managed.

Councils were asking for less volatility and more certainty in pricing for their cover of people, assets and public liability, which is why the LGAQ created LGMS in 1994. Its collective buying power ensures cover of a standard and value that individual councils could not find in the commercial insurance market.

Access to LGMS is a valuable component of the LGAQ membership. The mutual schemes are owned by councils, with any profits returned to members or invested in initiatives to benefit local government.

Why develop local government innovation via the LGAQ Lab?

Innovation helps enhance the delivery of council services.

Local Government House has rooms and facilities for all LGAQ members, including a digital solutions space to help councils find tailored outcomes for their unique needs.

The LGAQ Lab can help councils get hands-on with demonstrations of new technology. It provides a unique space to help councils collaborate with industry, with other councils and also with the LGAQ’s Data and Digital team, to achieve high- impact, low-cost solutions.

Carpentaria Shire Council’s national award-winning AI flooded-road cameras were created in the Lab, showing that – regardless of location – the LGAQ Lab can find digital solutions for council problems.

Members are encouraged to bring forward their challenges, no matter where you are in Queensland, to see how the Lab can help problem-solve using the latest available technology.

The Lab was created by the LGAQ to offer bespoke digital support and design as a valuable component of the LGAQ membership.

Why provide access to data and analytics as a service?

The LGAQ’s Data team helps members with data needs – regardless of council size, skills or resources – and partners with councils to develop data solutions.

It is about helping members to increase data maturity and make smarter business decisions that achieve efficiencies and cost savings.

The service is heavily subsidised by the LGAQ, ensuring it is cost-effective for members. There are solutions for immediate roll-out that can give councils fast and high-impact results.

Several councils are already seeing the benefits of partnering with the LGAQ’s Data team, such as Flinders Shire Council, which publishes community dashboards to help provide better transparency to its community and give council clearer insights to improve internal processes.

Other councils are benefitting from data products that help identify energy, communications, fleet and waste data anomalies and savings.

Why provide websites and other digital services?

The LGAQ’s Digital team partners with councils to deliver digital strategy, websites, intranets and other digital products.

Many councils struggle with dedicated internal digital resources or expertise, so the LGAQ’s Digital team is here to help with training, strategic workshops and modern, accessible and affordable websites.

Subject matter experts with extensive sector experience provide advice and delivery of digital services for your council and community. The team is a trusted partner to 44 Queensland councils which currently have their corporate websites designed, developed and now supported and hosted by the LGAQ Digital team, plus a further 50+ council sites including intranets, councillor sites, events and more.

Why offer a program of conferences and events?

Sharing insights, learning and networking is important.

The LGAQ’s events and engagement program is all about our members.

Our calendar of events helps inform elected members and council employees about relevant topics and connects them with subject matter experts, important stakeholders and, most importantly, with each other.

We are committed to meeting member councils in their home communities and are regular visitors to the many regions across Queensland.

These meetings allow us to understand what is important to councils and provides an important opportunity for trusted advice, support, and information to be shared.

Through individual visits, elected member updates, executive leadership updates, ROC attendance, regional forums, and workshops we are never far away.