Parliament Day – Blinded by the library

You could be easily blinded by the library and other stunning features of the Victorian Parliament buildings and furnishings, however the 2016 Leadership Great South Coast participants took so much more away from their visit to the Victorian Parliament.

 After a tour around the Parliament buildings, the LGSC cohort were introduced to Ray Purdey, Clerk of the Parliaments, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly; plus, Committee Secretary who discussed Parliament in action, Parliament during sitting week and the operations of Parliamentary Committees. President of the Legislative Council, Honorable Bruce Atkinson provided the group with insights of his journey through local and state government and the roles of each, the Upper and Lower Houses within the Victorian Parliament.

Question time at the Legislative Council gave the LGSC participants insights into their workings, which was followed by a debrief by the Honorable Telmo Languiller, speaker of the Legislative Assembly and Senior Parliamentary Official. 

A Networking lunch saw Premier Daniel Andrews and various other MP’s and advisors who gave their time to the LGSC group to field questions and allow for networking opportunities. The group relished the opportunity to have casual conversations and discussions with the parliamentarians.

 Tanya Waterson, senior advisor to the Member for Western Victoria – James Purcell, enlightened the group with priorities for the South West Region.

LGSC would like to give thanks to Premier Daniel Andrews, Hon Bruce Atkinson, Hon Telmo Langiller, Mr. Ray Purdey, Mr. James Purcell, Ms. Gayle Tierney, Mr. Simon Ramsey, Ms. Emma Kealy, Ms. Steph Ryan, Mr. Josh Morris, Ms. Roma Britnell, and to Parliament Victoria for hosting us.

Emerging leaders from across regional Victoria join forces for learning day

Local leaders from the 2016 Leadership Great South Coast (LGSC) program met with likeminded people from across Victoria to think about how they can, as leaders, influence the future of regional Victoria. The LGSC group joined with leadership program representatives from across Victoria for a day in Melbourne to consider how they can strategically influence issues beyond their own localities.

The day began with a special address by Leigh Kennedy, Regional Director – Gippsland, who provided an overview of the challenges and opportunities faced in regional Victoria. Leigh explained the focus for regional Victoria by the State Government and invited the leaders to get involved in the Regional Partnerships, Regional Assembly – a chance for them to directly influence government decisions.

Deloitte representatives, Frank Kelloway and Dr Daniel Terrill, introduced the participants with new research undertaken by the company comparing metro, regional and rural communities in Victoria. The thought-provoking research analyzed the issues and opportunities for regional and rural communities, and outlined the importance of leadership for regional prosperity.

The participants were inspired by Jason Clarke, Director Minds at Work, in his energetic presentation on transforming an idea into reality, and the various roles within an organisation that are important to make that happen.

The afternoon session raised the noise levels in the room, as participants were taught practical advocacy conversations with Helga Svendsen. The LGSC group were visiting the Parliament of Victoria the following day and this session allowed the leaders to put their lobbying and advocacy skills into practice.

The day was not only filled with high-quality learning opportunities for the leaders, but also presented fantastic networking opportunities to meet other leaders from across regional Victoria.

Public Speaking Masterclass Alumni Feedback

We recently had the fabulous Lynne Cazaly conduct a Public Speaking Masterclass …our Alumni said…

I was in heaven!!

In one day I have overcome my fear of public speaking! Practical, no nonsense, Lynne not only made us better at the delivery but I now have skills to plan and prepare content.
First time using a mic for anything other than introducing someone else and it is fair to say I didn’t want to hand the mic back at the end of the day!!

I am forever grateful for completing the LGSC Program and the opportunities it continues to create for me. 

Ann Cunningham, 2015 Alumni

Law and Order in the Great South Coast

The LGSC participants were given the rare opportunity to spend an hour with current Victorian Magistrate John lesser at the Warrnambool Law courts. Magistrate Lesser discussed a range of topics including his career journey. This was a wonderful experience for the group with many messages and insights taken from the session.

Jodie Outtram, Alcohol and Other Drugs worker, from South West Healthcare gave brilliant insights into supporting clients with addictions. Jodie had a fantastic positive attitude and showed immense respect to her clients in understanding them and working together towards a goal.

Tony Bond shared his lived experience as a previous addict and his dealings with ICE. Tony stirred up many emotions in participants, we credit Tony on his amazing recovery and honesty.

Inspector Paul Ross provided a snapshot of Western Regions Division 2 crime stats and priority areas. Paul shared some wonderful insights into his position on the Victoria Police force. 

Nathalie Davis and Sarah McKean from Womens Health & Wellbeing, gave the LGSC participants some staggering statics of women living in domestic violence situations and highlighted that domestic violence is much more than just physical abuse.

We give thanks to the Warrnambool Magistrates Court for hosting us for the day, and to our many guest speakers, for your support to the LGSC program.

 Michael, 2016 Participant