The AI Roadmap for Local Government

Dr. Prasanna Balasooriya is a technology and transformation leader with over 30 years of experience across the private and public sectors, including over 17 years in senior local government roles. He specialises in digital transformation, IT strategy, and complex project delivery, with a strong record of driving sector-wide innovation.

A former MAVTech Executive Committee Member and Chair of the MAVTech Data and Data Insights Group, Prasanna is also an active researcher focused on digital transformation, strategic management, emerging technologies, and AI adoption in the Australian public sector. He is a visionary collaborator between academia and industry, advocating for responsible and inclusive AI in government.

With over 20 years' experience in the community services sector at both the State level as well as five Victorian Councils, I bring a wealth of end-user experience.

I plan to apply my Local Government experience to strategically leverage AI, driving efficiency and enhancing quality outcomes for communities.

With extensive experience in emerging technologies, Justin Daly has been at the forefront of innovative solutions in local government. His expertise in AI and dedication to community-focused projects have made significant impacts in the sector.

Justin is passionate about harnessing technology to improve public services and is excited to bring his insights to the MAVlab AI Taskforce.

My career began with testing the limits of bleeding-edge technologies and jumping between technical and business roles to understand both sides of the "mysterious" divide. In the two decades since that trial-by-fire in emerging technology, my focus shifted to working with organizations that deliver meaningful and impactful change, particularly those with a global reach.

Driven by curiosity and an appetite for unique challenges, I have been fortunate to work in a vast range of locations, delivering highly impactful, innovation-focused work. This has included institutional change programs in finance, taxation, trade, customs, and health across Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia, alongside adapting to new cultures and languages.

In Australia, my focus has been on improving service outcomes for customers and communities by finding the best path to achieve high capability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in business delivery and technology provision. As a relative newcomer to the local government sector (circa 4 years), I'm motivated by the challenge of working in a fiscally constrained environment, where experimenting with new approaches is my favoured path to success.

I am an enthusiastic and active user of Artificial Intelligence with a keen interest in AI ethics and the impacts of human-AI decision making, and in how the broader strategic moves of the big AI firms are unfolding and how to align with these objectives.

Manohar Esarapu is Chief Information and Innovation Officer at the City of Port Phillip, with over 25 years' experience spanning government, smart cities, automotive, manufacturing, and startups. He has led large-scale digital transformations, AI adoption, and customer experience programs, and brings deep expertise in IoT, Industry 4.0, and data-driven urban innovation.

Manohar has driven startup engagement through Bosch's global accelerator program and Startupbootcamp Australia and is an Honorary Fellow at Deakin University's Applied AI Institute, passionate about building technology-led innovation.

Stefan is an experienced communications, engagement and CX executive who has led national and local teams, running innovative and effective communications, knowledge translation and engagement campaigns, working with diverse and complex stakeholders from all levels of Government, the corporate and NGO sectors.

At Merri-bek City Council, Stefan is leading a range of digital and AI programs aimed at improving the customer and employee experiences by making more effective and efficient use of data and systems across all of council's digital and physical platforms.

Kate Harris is the Digital and Data Transformation Lead at the City of Greater Dandenong, where she drives strategic initiatives to modernise council services through technology and data. With a strong commitment to ethical innovation, Kate champions digital capability and embeds data-driven decision-making across the organisation.

She has led enterprise-wide transformation projects and is currently guiding the development of a business case for CGD's ERP program, alongside the design of an AI-powered chatbot to enhance the Business Permit Support Service.

Kate is a member of the MAV MIA group and contributed to the MAV/CGD joint project on AI in Planning. She is known for her collaborative leadership style and her focus on delivering meaningful outcomes for communities.

Lisa leads the AI Network at Whitehorse City Council, where she's focused on making local government work smarter, faster, and more purposefully. With deep expertise in process improvement and digital transformation, she's now applying that same mindset to the possibilities of AI.

Lisa is driven to find practical, real-world applications that councils can trial, tailor, and embed. Her approach is grounded in hands-on experimentation, strong collaboration and a firm belief that AI must be used responsibly, ethically and safely, while also being accessible and tailored to the needs of the public sector.

With over 25 years of experience in local government, I bring a background in leadership, change management, and innovation.

Currently the Manager of Corporate Information and Integrity at Nillumbik Shire Council, I am interested in using AI to improve services, build staff capacity and strengthen community outcomes.

I'm committed to ensuring AI is implemented with appropriate transparency and robust governance to ensure it considers both early wins and meaningful long-term returns.

Pearl is the Head of Smart City, Innovation, and Improvement at the City of Casey, where she drives the integration of technology and innovation to enhance sustainability and resilience. She is also the Vice President of the Australian Smart Communities Association and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Trained as an engineer at the University of Melbourne, Pearl has experience across professional services, non-profit, and government sectors. Recognised with awards including Science & Technology Australia's Superstars of STEM, she is passionate about inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders, particularly female first-generation migrants.

Eliza is the Knowledge Bank Lead at the City of Melbourne, which uses AI to aggregate community engagement feedback and provide actionable insights to the organisation.

Prior to this, Eliza delivered stakeholder management and digital platform projects at the University of Melbourne and Victorian Electoral Commission. Eliza is passionate about leveraging technology to serve the public good and strengthen the connection between institutions and the communities they serve.

Nick is the Smart City Project Officer at Maribyrnong City Council where he helps to enhance the quality of life of the local community by leveraging technology and innovation solutions to create more efficient, sustainable and liveable environments. His work involves integrating smart sensors, IoT devices and digital solutions to optimise the use of resources to support the well-being of local residents.

Nick also leads the public EV charging infrastructure rollout within the municipality. He is passionate about providing access to technology and digital resources to bridge the gap between innovation and community needs. Nick has a passion for data and a strong interest in using data analysis to identify trends and proactively implement projects to drive informed decision making.

Head of Digital and Technology with global experience in architecture, digital leadership, and solution consultancy. Passionate about future tech, AI, and driving innovation across diverse markets. A seasoned technology leader and client advocate with a strong track record in program delivery and strategic transformation. Keen traveller with a deep appreciation for cross-cultural collaboration and global impact.

John is a strategic, people-focused leader with more than 15 years' experience in planning, policy, and public sector leadership. He is driven by a belief that systems—particularly those shaping our cities—should work better for people. With a career spanning local and state government, consultancy, and governance, John brings a rare blend of planning expertise, operational insight, and strategic vision.

As Manager of Regional City Planning at Latrobe City Council, he leads place-based planning that integrates land use, infrastructure, and community needs to deliver positive change. He has also held senior roles with the Victorian Planning Authority and served as Vice President of the Planning Institute of Australia's Victorian Division.

John is passionate about improving regulatory processes, enhancing the customer experience, and helping others grow—always grounded in empathy, independent thinking, and sound judgement.

I bring over 25 years of global experience in technology consulting, program management, and data innovation, with the last six years dedicated to advancing Local Government in Australia through roles at Frankston City Council and Glen Eira City Council. Currently, I serve as Team Lead – Data and Smart Cities at Frankston, where I focus on driving digital transformation and open data initiatives.

Career highlights include the solutioning and in-house development of Frankston's Open Data Platform (the Transparency Hub), leading development of a data platform for the University of Newcastle, leading a global team for the multi-year Legacy Modernization program of Manulife Hong Kong, rearchitecting the Security valuation system for Credit Suisse in Switzerland, and developing a Fraud detection system for First Data in the US.

I am also an active contributor to knowledge sharing as a speaker at data forums for local government. Academically, I hold a Master of Technology degree in Geology. Melbourne has been my home for almost a decade, where I live with my wife and teenage daughter.

Durga A. Viswanathan is the Team Leader of Planning Services at Yarra Ranges Council, with extensive experience in peri-urban and growth area councils.

A forward-thinking planner and innovator, she is one of the original pioneers behind MyLot, which is an AI-powered self-service planning chatbot designed to help the community navigate the complexities of statutory planning, making planning more accessible and transparent for all.

Tim is Manager, Business Transformation & Technology at Banyule City Council. New to local government, he brings 15+ years of transformational change leadership across mission-driven and corporate environments.

He champions an enablement-first approach to innovation that empowers teams to experiment within common-sense guardrails — clear purpose, privacy-by-design, human-in-the-loop and risk-based governance.

His focus is on strategic, scalable AI that lifts service quality and strengthens evidence-based decision-making underpinned by good governance, robust data and ethical practice.

Amir Aryani is the Head of the Augmented Intelligence Group (AI-Group) in the Swinburne School of Business, Law and Entrepreneurship. The group applies emerging artificial intelligence technologies to enhance and amplify the unique capabilities of human experts, building tools and systems that empower Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to achieve more, discover deeper insights, and ultimately redefine the boundaries of their fields.

In addition to his leadership in the AI-Group, he leads Swinburne's node in the Centre for Information Resilience (CIRES) and the AI in Health program at Iverson Health Innovation Research Institute. His track record includes collaborations with high-profile international institutions like the British Library, ORCID (U.S.), DANS (Netherlands), and GESIS (Germany).

I'm a "digital native" with over two decades of experience in digital transformation and AI. I lead a 40-strong digital and AI consultancy called Revium and I am also the co-founder of fintech startup HelpPay.

Whilst we have been involved in "old school" AI projects for over a decade (i.e. machine learning), I've spent the last four years investing heavily in upskilling myself and my business on generative AI — with over ten thousand hours of R&D learning time across the team to ensure we understand the technology and can leverage it to provide practical advice and value to our clients.

I have had the odd article published in places like the AFR, Mumbrella, and SmartCompany. I also talk at conferences on AI from time to time.

With nearly 20 years' experience in local government leadership, community development, and emerging technologies, Tim brings deep expertise in digital transformation and public sector operations. He has held senior leadership roles at both Frankston City Council (as Manager, Community Strengthening) and Kingston City Council, where he led diverse community service portfolios.

Today, Tim is Community Engagement Lead at Red Flagg, a cybersecurity company dedicated to protecting not-for-profits, and Co-Founder of Propelled Solutions, which develops software enabling local governments and other regulated organisations to harness AI advancements while safeguarding sensitive data.

Tim holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Innovation Management and a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, combining strategic business acumen with a people-centred foundation.

Claire is an urban planner and technologist with a broad professional background in local government, consulting and research.

Claire has led several initiatives with the Planning Institute of Australia, including the development of the PlanTech principles and best-practice guidelines, and currently chairs PIA's National PlanTech Advisory Committee.

They are currently undertaking post-doctoral research on AI and Urban Governance at the University of Sydney, where their work emphasises guiding the adoption of AI technologies to maximise public value and ensure good governance.

Matt is a Professor at RMIT University, and Director of RMIT's Information in Society EIP (Enabling Impact Platform). Matt's research and teaching in geospatial computing and AI spans three decades at universities across three continents.

He is also a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, including through his leadership roles at RMIT for gender equity and for addressing gender-based violence, and as a Board Director at C2A.

I'm a tech enthusiast and front-line sales strategist with a strong foundation in telco, end-user compute, procurement, and finance. I've built my career helping organizations simplify complexity and accelerate growth through partner management and crafting solutions across AI, security, and enterprise software — connecting the right people with the right tech at the right time.

Currently, as an Account Executive at Microsoft, I bridge business challenges with cutting-edge solutions, backed by an Executive MBA from RMIT (with distinction), bringing strategic thinking, commercial pragmatism, and a touch of cheek to keep things interesting.

I'm the Founder of Communiti Labs, where we design and develop AI-powered tools that help councils and consultancies streamline community engagement and reporting. My background spans civic technology, data systems, and product leadership, with a focus on applying AI responsibly to reduce administrative burden and deliver better insights for communities.

I am deeply committed to the impact that government organisations can have within their communities, especially in the local government context where being closest to the communities means changes and innovations are felt first and felt deeply.

Alongside this work, I'm actively involved in several boards and charities, including the Helping Group and its Helping Homes initiative, which connects people in urgent need with emergency housing and support in times of natural disasters.

Jennifer George is the CEO of Strategic Commercialisation Australia (SCA), an 8-year-old business development and consulting firm that evaluates, develops market entry strategies, and finds partners for AI-enabled deep tech companies — primarily in renewables, ICT and medical devices.

She is also the co-founder and Chief Commercialisation Officer for AI-native company Spero-ai, developing end-to-end AI solutions for city councils, government referral authorities and corporations to improve workflows and expedite community growth.

Jennifer is a Director at Net Zero Stack, the immediate past-Chair of IT268-Sustainable Cities and Communities for Standards Australia, sits on the board of the Churchill Club, and has been nominated for the 2025 AI Leader of the Year (Women in Digital).

Sarah Kaur is a design and strategy leader specialising in the responsible use of AI in government and public sector contexts. As Principal in Human-Centred AI at Portable, she works with organisations to shape and implement AI in ways that are ethical, impactful, and aligned with the values they want to hold.

Sarah recently partnered with the Municipal Association of Victoria to develop best-practice procurement guidance for councils using AI in statutory planning, surfacing real-world use cases and practical design considerations.

Drawing on a background at CSIRO's Data61 and a career at the intersection of technology, design and policy, she helps teams bring human-centred design into the day-to-day delivery of AI — ensuring new tools support trust, transparency and better outcomes for people and communities.

Kate Kendall is a councillor and Deputy Mayor at Macedon Ranges Shire Council, a large rural council in Victoria, Australia. She was elected to West Ward with a quota for the first time in 2024.

She has 20 years of global experience in the tech, media and startup space. She founded three companies, including The Fetch, CloudPeeps and Atto — a tech startup accelerator for women founders. She also co-founded the Aussie Founders Network in Silicon Valley.

Kate advises businesses through her consultancy Indie Labs, including Cake Equity and WILD for STEM, and volunteers as President of Business Kyneton, a local chamber of commerce.

Dave King is co-founder of Move 37, Australia's leading AI Product studio, building and managing AI experiences, systems, AI agents and tools. He has been a passionate entrepreneur and strategist in the fields of AI, innovation and emerging technology for 25 years.

Dave is a thought leader in the topics of AI, creative strategy and augmented critical thinking and has spoken at TedX, Google, SXSW, Vivid Sydney and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Deakin University.

Dave is also founder and director of award-winning Australian independent creative agency The Royals, where he worked with brands such as Mercedes Benz, Spotify, Qantas, Australian Super, and Penfolds.

Raised in Melbourne, I have been working with local governments across Australia for just over 25 years in the areas of asset management (street furniture) and, more recently, digital management systems. In an earlier life I worked in law with the South West Aboriginal Land Council, contributing to the resolution of the historic Noongar land claim.

Professionally our focus is on water and cleantech system development. Our team supports councils and communities implementing sustainable technologies, which now include patented real-time and predictive systems. We are now ready to introduce some world-first, locally developed AI to Victorian councils that will help deliver practical innovation across the State.

Scott Matheson is the Head of Planning at myLot and an experienced planning and local government leader. Scott currently heads up policy development, customer success and technical efficacy at myLot, an Australian start-up company designing AI-powered planning software.

Scott has previously led statutory planning teams in local government and guided the technical delivery of the award-winning Better Planning Approvals project that partnered with 36 planning teams across Victoria. He is passionate about delivering more accessible and equitable planning services to the Victorian community and supporting local government in a changing regulatory environment.

Stuart is an experienced urban planner, specialising in transport systems, strategy and street design. He has worked across Local and State Government agencies, within global consulting firms and with national advocacy organisations.

Through these roles, Stuart has sought to influence the built environment to better accommodate healthy lifestyles, reduce transport trauma and make our cities and towns better places for all. Stuart currently leads the TAC's LGA capability building program and contributes extensively to a variety of innovation initiatives.

With over two decades of experience across various industries, I lead strategic partnerships across government and non-government organisations to drive workforce development, growth and business transformation.

At the ACS, my focus is on aligning solutions with organisational goals—helping organisations upskill and adapt in an increasingly competitive and dynamic environment. I'm passionate about leveraging innovation and technology to create meaningful impact and sustainable growth.

Justine Resta is an experienced program manager and transformation leader with over a decade of experience in project leadership and 25 years working within the local government sector.

As the current President of ALGIM Australia, Justine brings extensive expertise in implementing governance, data management, employee and customer experience frameworks, with a passion for building partnerships and cross-collaboration initiatives across the local government sector.

Harman is the Smart Cities and Places Lead at GHD, where he works with senior stakeholders to drive digital transformations and disruptive innovations that deliver lasting community benefits. He is embedded into the Hive Innovation Program at the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority (VIDA), focusing on the operationalisation of innovations that support the authority's objectives.

Harman brings over 20 years of global experience in C-suite and management roles with technology businesses in the US, Dubai, India and Australia. Prior to joining GHD, he served as Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Brady Family of Companies in the US, where he led the organisation to be awarded "Most Innovative Workplace" in North Carolina in 2017. He also co-founded a tech start-up for smart buildings built on SAS analytics and AI.

Harman holds an MBA from London Business School and a Bachelor of Electronics Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, India. He serves on the Board of the Australian Smart Communities Association (ASCA) and sits on Standards Australia's committee for Smart City Systems.

Jan Spinder is the Managing Director of Converge IQ, which delivers tailored AI solutions, intelligent automation, fractional CIO & CISO services and secure digital capabilities to government, education and SME sectors. He is a seasoned technology and business transformation leader with over 20 years of experience across enterprise and 'for-purpose' organisations in Australia and New Zealand.

As CIO at Yarra Ranges Council, Jan led the development of the world's first AI-driven permit enquiry application for local government — now in use by multiple Victorian Councils — marking a pioneering step in AI adoption across the sector. He brings deep expertise in system architecture, digital strategy, and intelligent automation, and combines business acumen with a Master's Degree in International Law.

My career objective has always been to integrate across multiple specialties with a major emphasis on the impacts and responses of people and organisations — especially in policy-related fields. The integration of IT with ethical and cultural issues has been a fundamental building block throughout, and the value and impacts of effective data mining and utilisation of computing, ethics and data has been central since 1964.

My research in accessibility, travel demand and assessing environments and distributional impacts was later complemented by advanced study in psychology, ethics, musicology and international relations. In recent years I have expanded my focus on ethics, surveillance, identity and the uses and abuses of big data, as well as technology impacts on embedded medical and assistance devices for the elderly.