Elected representatives gather to learn how to increase resilience, create a positive space on social media and be better meeting participants

Last weekend we were thrilled to bring together elected representatives from across Tasmania for a professional development day. Held in Devonport, the event kicked off on Friday night with an opportunity to learn more about the Tasmanian Local Government Climate Capability Program. Program Manager, Hannah Snape, gave a progress update and asked elected representatives to nominate what the program should prioritise moving forward and to share their ideas. This feedback helps us understand where we should focus our efforts as we continue to progress the Program. Mayor Leigh Gray and Mayor Mary Duniam also spoke about what climate change actions their respective councils have been undertaking.

On Saturday morning, attendees first heard from Dr Neryl East as she spoke about positive social media practices. With people getting more information from digital platforms like Facebook instead of traditional media, she highlighted the importance of ensuring your presence on social media is credible and consistent. Dr East asked elected representatives to consider key questions before they hit ‘post’, such as:

• Could this damage the reputation of your council?
• Are you disclosing information you’re not authorised to share?
• Are you behaving in line with the Code of Conduct?
• Would you be comfortable saying it to a stranger at a bus stop?

With the rise in bullying behaviour experienced by elected representatives, Dr East gave them advice on how to react to being confronted and tools they can utilise in their responses.

David Morris from Simmons Wolfhagen provided training on meeting procedures to help elected representatives be better participants around the table. He reinforced how decisions are made at councils, including how to raise motions, the process of amending motions and what might trigger a motion being refused.

David also provided advice on managing conflicts of interest and highlighted various emerging issues such as the judicial review of council decisions, councillor conduct and inappropriate behaviour in the chamber. Attendees were able to ask David questions specific to their individual experiences during council meetings.

After lunch, Dr Emma Richardson and Jessica Forward from Well Minds Work provided tools for elected representatives to utilise when managing stress and how to increase resilience. They highlighted the signs and symptoms of stress and asked attendees to consider how they might eliminate stress from their ‘buckets’. This might include problem-solving, creating boundaries and reducing unhealthy coping strategies.

They also shared how elected representatives can build resilience through visualisation, giving a name to unhelpful thoughts and maintaining boundaries. Emma and Jessica reminded attendees that building resilience will take time and needs to be done intentionally.

To close the day, Amanda Aitken from the Mental Health Council of Tasmania gave elected representatives an overview of the Take a Minute mental health and wellbeing literacy campaign. She shared the aims of the campaign, which include decreasing stigma and raising mental wellbeing literacy across the whole population of Tasmania.

Amanda revealed the early results of the 7 Minute Challenge which forms part of the campaign. The Challenge asks participants to ‘take a minute’ to reflect on the people, places and activities that are important to them. The initial results showed evidence of improved literacy, increased awareness of the aspects of life that help the wellbeing of individuals and enjoyment of participating in the Challenge.

Providing learning and development opportunities like the above is a key priority for LGAT. We hope that attendees gained additional knowledge and tools to help them undertake their duties and represent their communities to the best of their ability. If you missed this event or would like to reflect on the learnings, elected representatives can access the presentations on our Member Portal.