What's New

New local government policy information service launching in Australia

Posted December 16, 2019

Author(s):

Merle Zierke

Experts in this area:

Types:

Local government

SGS Economics and Planning L Gi U Australia

Local councils are operating in a climate of tighter finances and more responsibility. At the same time, local resident's expectations have never been greater.

One way to help local councils meet these challenges is through access to new ways of thinking, sharing best practice and information sharing.

Enter LGiU Australia. The Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) is a long-standing local democracy think tank and provider of information and policy support to local government in the UK. SGS Economics and Planning has now partnered with LGiU to bring LGiU to Australia.

Launching in February 2020, LGiU Australia is a policy information membership service dedicated to local councils across Australia.

With notable experience in the local government sector, SGS Principal and Partner, Luke Nicholls, was quick to recognise the value of LGiU to Australian local councils.

LGiU is a great tool for local councils to tap into new thinking and practical intelligence quickly and easily. We knew straight away this service would be valuable to local government staff, chief executive officers and councillors across Australia.
— SGS Principal & Partner Luke Nicholls

LGiU Australia provides practical, up-to-the-minute intelligence on policy issues pertinent to local government in Australia. The service draws on information and good practice from all over Australia and around the world to help public servants make policy, support residents and work more effectively with colleagues. LGiU Australia members receive:

Daily news bulletin summarising what the papers are saying about local government across Australia.
Briefings, reports and other content written by sector experts in Australia supplemented by international insights on relevant local government issues from our global network of associates.
Interesting and insightful guest blog posts and podcasts from around the world.
Workshops, roundtables and other events (coming soon).

LGiU CEO Jonathan Carr-West says LGiU is for councillors and local government leaders looking for innovative solutions and relevant ideas to operate effectively.

Our members value being connected to new ideas and given the intellectual tools to operate effectively. Our daily news service informs members what's happening in local government, our briefings help decision-makers grasp policy issues quickly, and our podcasts introduce new thinking and innovations. Put simply, LGiU is a hub for local government best thinking.

For LGiU, the decision to broaden its international reach reflects a recognition of the value of shared experiences. When it comes to the complex, global challenges, councils face local implications and the impacts of these challenges. Complex challenges require innovative solutions. Local councils have a unique opportunity to innovate at the local level.

LGiU recognises that local councils in the UK and Australia are better equipped to respond to these challenges if they tap into best thinking from around the world. A global network of local councils sharing and learning is very powerful, particularly when supported by strong local connections.

About LGiU

During the 2000s, a decrease in central government expenditure in the UK meant that local government closed the groups and think tanks that were instrumental in developing new ideas, creating a vacuum - just when innovation was most needed central government support and funding collapsed.

Having started in 1993 as a campaigning organisation, it was at this time that LGiU became a registered charity with an explicit focus on building its role as a think tank making a case for localism, stronger local government and more effective local democracy.

Fast forward to today and LGiU has further evolved into a local government membership service, connecting members and delivering practical intelligence to councils that have limited time to innovate.

In the words of LGiU CEO Jonathon Carr-West LGiU is an organisation “that is interested in helping local government work differently in order to achieve some of those wider societal aims”.

Register for your free trial

Join 30,000+ members and register for your free three-month trial. From February 2020, you'll receive daily bulletins, policy briefings, guest blog posts and access to member-only content tailored to the needs of Australian local councils on the LGiU global website.

After your three-month trial, contact us to continue your membership. We'll organise an annual membership for your council, including unlimited access to LGiU content for every council employee. Annual membership fees vary depending on council size.