Public Skills Australia was proud to participate in the 2026 Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) National General Assembly (NGA), joining more than 1,000 mayors, councillors, CEOs, senior local government leaders and sector representatives from across Australia at the country’s largest annual gathering of local government. Held at the National Convention Centre in Canberra, the three-day event provides a national forum for councils to a collaborate, advocate and address the issues shaping communities across Australia.

The 2026 Assembly was centred on the theme “Stronger Together: Resilient. Productive. United.”, highlighting the importance of collaboration between local government, industry and the Australian Government to strengthen communities, improve workforce capability and respond to emerging national challenges.

Launching the Local Government Skills Audit Report

A major highlight of the Assembly was the official launch of the Local Government Skills Audit and Review of the Uptake and Utility of the LGA Local Government Training Package National Report 2025-2026, delivered in partnership with ALGA.

Developed through extensive national consultation, including participation from 280 local councils through research workshops and the National Jobs and Skills Survey, the report provides one of the most comprehensive pictures of workforce capability, occupational shortages, emerging skills needs and future workforce priorities across Australia’s local government sector.

The project also includes seven jurisdictional reports, providing valuable regional insights to support evidence-based workforce planning, training and skills development across the country.

Engaging with local government leaders

Throughout the Assembly, the Public Skills Australia team welcomed delegates to Booth 64, where conversations focused on the workforce challenges and opportunities facing councils now and into the future. Across the three days, delegates explored topics including:

• Workforce capability and future skills
• Emergency management and community resilience
• Disaster preparedness
• Community inclusion and accessibility
• Workforce planning and leadership
• Practical approaches to addressing local skills shortages

The program featured keynote addresses and panel discussions from leaders across government and local government, including ALGA CEO Amy Crawford, Governor-General Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, MPs, mayors, councillors and industry experts, all reinforcing the critical role local government plays in building resilient, connected communities.

Driving practical workforce conversations

Public Skills Australia also participated in the Listen and Action session, where the newly launched report formed the basis for practical discussions about workforce capability across local government.

Facilitated by Jason Clarke and David Speers, the session brought together mayors, councillors and CEOs to explore collaborative approaches to addressing workforce challenges and ensuring councils are equipped to meet future community needs.

The discussion reinforced the importance of partnerships between governments, industry and the vocational education and training sector in developing a skilled, adaptable and sustainable local government workforce.

Looking ahead

The 2026 National General Assembly demonstrated the value of brining local government leaders together to share ideas, develop practical solutions and strengthen national collaboration.

Public Skills Australia thanks ALGA, the State and Territory Local Government Associations, delegates and everyone who visited our booth or contributed to discussions throughout the event. We look forward to continuing work alongside the sector to support workforce capability, address emerging skills needs and help build a stronger future for local government across Australia.

Learn more about the Local Government Skills Audit project and access the reports here.