Devonport City Council claims national win

Devonport City Council brought home silver from the Australasian Local Government Professionals Management Challenge held in Adelaide this week.

After recently claiming the Tasmanian State Management Challenge title, the Council team, known as the PARANAPLE PIONEERS, came runners up against winning Western Australian Council City of Wanneroo.

Council General Manager Matthew Atkins congratulated the team members Dami Barnes, Maree Brodzinski, Geoff Dobson, Emma Pieniak, Amy Smith and Luke Walder, plus mentor Kylie Lunson, who put in a lot of work outside of their day jobs, in readiness for the national championship.

Mr Atkins said the entire Council was proud of the PARANAPLE PIONEERS who deserved their placing after months of preparation and dedication.

“This is the first time that Devonport City Council has claimed a national placing in the

Management Challenge and we are extremely proud of their efforts,” Mr Atkins said.

“Many of the competing councils are much larger than Devonport, with this year’s winning team having more than a 1000 staff.

“Our success is not only testament to the great talent we have at DCC but also a reminder that Tassie can more than hold its own on the national stage.”

Mr Atkins said the Management Challenge attracts over 100 teams each year from across Australia and New Zealand and is regarded as the premier professional development opportunity for future local government leaders.

“The challenge is a highly regarded simulation-based professional development, team building program using real local government themes and tackling issues that a council would most likely face,” Mr Atkins said.

“The teams respond to a series of tasks in a ‘pressure cooker’ environment. Some tasks will require written responses, such as a council report, while some will have to role play or make a presentation.

“They are also scored on observations of how well they display energy, synergy, effectiveness, and creative thinking.

“The challenge provides an opportunity for our staff to develop their skills and become more effective in the roles – it’s also a positive team-building experience and we are proud to support them.”

Photo: Devonport City Council’s PARANPLE PIONEERS team members (front from left) Maree Brodzinski, Amy Smith and Emma Pieniak, (back) Kylie Lunson (mentor), Dami Barnes, Luke Walder and Geoff Dobson.