Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Local governments are committed to ensuring the health and safety of their bushfire volunteers. However, safety responsibility does not fall solely on the local government – individual volunteer firefighters also have a duty to look after themselves and not put themselves or others at unreasonable risk.
Every year local governments across Western Australia invest millions of dollars in the assets that deliver vital services to their communities. Whether it’s a new roof for the recreation centre, construction of a new administration building or creating a new home for the library, LGIS members are building, renovating, extending or repairing assets. The question is, what happens if the contractors fail?
A rising awareness of psychosocial hazards and local government’s duty to actively mitigate them is causing plenty of discussion within the sector. The City of Mandurah has proactively responded to their work, health and safety obligations recently launching their new program which educates and supports individuals, teams, managers and the broader organisation.
The high-profile defamation case involving Ben Roberts-Smith shows that defamation isn’t just a concern for high-profile figures, but also for those serving their communities in less public roles.
It’s vital for local government officers and elected members to be aware of what constitutes defamation to continue navigating their roles effectively.
The CrowdStrike global incident on 19 July brought into sharp focus for many organisations around the world our reliance on a small number of suppliers and the degree of cyber vulnerability. This event served as a wake-up call, emphasising the systemic nature of cyber risk.
A recent case involving the Shire of Denmark and a tourist turned on
whether pea gravel at the bottom of some stairs was an obvious risk and
what is the extent of a local government’s duty of care in relation to obvious risks.
The relationships we build at work play a crucial role in our overall wellbeing. Social connections in the workplace can boost mental wellbeing, job contentment, and productivity of employees.
2023 set a new global record with cybercriminals making a staggering $1.1 billion from ransomware attacks, surpassing the previous year’s total of $567 million (Chainalysis).
Pyschological safety and mental health in the workplace is in the spotlight for local governments. It’s been a couple of years since the WA Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act (2020) was introduced and lifted the profile of pyschological safety.
In the last five financial years (2019-present), we have received over 700 claims relating to footpaths costing in excess of $ 1.2 mllion. At times, these claims have also resulted in significant costs associated with running defences for the member or funding compensating on the member’s behalf.
