The Local Government Association of Queensland’s (LGAQ) 128th Annual Conference is set to be its biggest yet, with a focus on communities and liveability.
2024’s theme, Don’t Leave Local Communities Behind, heralds to the dedication and strength that Queensland councils put into making their towns and regions great places to live.
LGAQ has said that it knows that councils are stronger united, and with the 2024 State Government Elections on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to come together to knowledge-share and double down on advocacy issues that matter most to Queensland communities.
Here’s what to expect at the 2024 conference, taking place in Brisbane:
Council Showcases
One of the most popular sessions at the Annual Conference, these Council Showcases are a series of council case studies of an innovation or initiative from a coastal, resources, First Nations, rural and remote and SEQ council. This conference will have an extra ‘CEO’s pick’ taking the total number of showcases to six.
Council Forums
Council Forums are an opportunity to join together with council peers to discuss, share, and debate key issues. This is also an opportunity for councils to talk with each other and the LGAQ Policy Executive members about ways the LGAQ can help and support councils.
Indigenous Leaders Forum (ILF)
The ILF is an opportunity for Indigenous Leaders to gather and discuss issues of importance to their communities. This year, ILF will be finishing at 2pm so delegates attending the ILF can also attend any Monday afternoon sessions that are of interest.
State Government and Opposition updates
Attendees will hear from Queensland Premier Steven Miles and Leader of the Opposition, David Crisafulli.
Roads and Transport Forum
This year’s Roads and Transport Forum has been extended by an extra 30 minutes following last year’s feedback.
Motions
At this year’s conference, a full day will be dedicated to motions, which will enable more time for debate of A and B motions.
Awards
There will be several awards handed out over the Annual Conference, including:
Long Service Awards
Long Service Certificates will be awarded on the night of the gala dinner to acknowledge mayors and councillors for their service to the local government sector. It’s a well-deserved moment of acknowledgement in front of local government peers.
LGAQ Journalism Award
The LGAQ Regional Journalism Award is dedicated to showcasing excellence in reporting in regional Queensland. The award honours the memory of ABC journalists John Bean, Paul Lockyer and Gary Ticehurst. This year, the award aims to recognise and encourage the work of more journalists, with the first prize to worth $10,000, second place $3,000 and third place $2,000.
Alison Woolla Memorial Award for Local Leadership in Preventing DFV
The Alison Woolla Memorial Award was established to recognise domestic and family violence (DFV) leadership in Queensland, in honour of pioneering late Mayor of Aurukun Shire Council, Alison Woolla. This year there are two categories; one specifically for local government, and the other for community-based individuals.
Butch Lenton Memorial Bush Council Innovation Award
The Butch Lenton Memorial Bush Council Innovation Award, a Peak Services initiative that carries a $10,000 bursary, was created to recognise innovation in Queensland’s bush councils and celebrate the contribution the late Mayor of Winton Shire, Graham ‘Butch’ Lenton, made to his beloved community and local government in Queensland.
Gala Dinner
The Gala Dinner is always a much-anticipated event, and this year’s dinner theme is Choose Local, with an after-five wear dress code. There will be award presentations, live music and dancing as always.
