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Flinders Alliance wins Excellence in Cross Council Collaboration Award at Local Government Professionals SA 2024 Annual Leadership Awards
The Flinders Alliance (District Council of Mount Remarkable, District Council of Orroroo Carrieton, District Council of Peterborough, Northern Areas Council, Port Pirie Regional Council and The Flinders Ranges Council) won the 2024 Excellence in Cross Council Collaboration Award at the Local Government Professional annual awards night held on Friday 10 May 2024.
Established in 2021 the Flinders Alliance is a group of small to medium sized regional councils collaborating to do big things. Comprising of the Port Pirie Regional Council, District Council of Mount Remarkable, District Council of Orroroo Carrieton, District Council of Peterborough, Northern Areas Council and The Flinders Ranges Council, the vision of the Flinders Alliance is to deliver better value for their communities through strategic collaboration.
Collectively, the Flinders Alliance represents an area close to 20,000 km2, greater than a combined 250+ workforce, and the combined budget resources of more than $70 million, presenting a significant opportunity to work collectively, collaboratively and efficiently to address challenges and meet community expectations.
Since inception, it is estimated that the partnership has generated savings in excess of $5 million to the combined local communities. Key activities to date have created direct cost savings for member councils whilst also improving processes to create efficiencies, ultimately resulting in stronger service delivery for the 6 council areas and the multiple regional communities that exist within each.
It is acknowledged that the councils and their staff have expertise in particular areas. The Alliance leverages these ‘centres of excellence’ and, ultimately, all communities benefit from the knowledge and skill sharing across the wider region. The participating councils meet monthly to identify mutually beneficial projects and opportunities that will benefit from economies of scale to sustain and grow the range and quality of services delivered to their collective communities.
Benefits have included cost savings, efficiencies, and improved delivery of capital expenditure through joint tenders, reduction in duplication of effort through a cost sharing shared services model and joint advocacy efforts.
Regional councils operate with finite resources, so by working together and willingly sharing information, the Flinders Alliance consistently drives identification and implementation of best practices, elevating the competence and service standards of local government throughout the region, ensures that all communities are receiving the best possible services, delivered in the most financially sustainable manner.
Further information about the Award nominees in this category is available here: 9. Excellence in Cross Council Collaboration.pdf (lgprofessionalssa.org.au).
Image : Flinders Alliance CEOs Sean Holden, Kelly Westall, Paul Simpson, Sam Johnson OAM and Mark Austin receiving the Award.
(Absent: Peter Ackland)