- Landcare group chair

Les's facilitation work For training, click here. Roadmap for 1 million Ha Global Kelp Forest Restoration Target In 2023 Les co-facilitated, with Steve Willing a global event to lay out a roadmap to drive this ambitious global restoration target. Client: Kelp Forest Alliance Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for the Hunter and Central Coast In 2021 Les facilitated around 40 regional leaders to devise a robust, action-focused, whole-of-government response to climate change in this region. Client: Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (NSW) The NSW Public Service Commission - 4 year strategy In 2021 Les facilitated the executives and senior staff of the Commission in dynamic workshops to devise their 4 year plan as the lead agency for employment transformation in the 400,000 strong NSW public sector. (Using coloured paper, scissors and sticky tape made it quite fun!). Client: The NSW Public Service Commission Generating a Water Industry Policy Platform In 2020 Les facilitated around 80 water utility executives and managers, via Zoom, over 2 lively mornings, to develop the first Victorian water industry policy platform. Here's the policy platform for the Victorian Water Industry. Client: VicWater (the industry body for Victorian water utilities) Setting a default electricity price for Victoria 2019 Les developed and facilitated a one day collaboration of 70 power utility managers and consumer representatives to answer the critical technical questions behind the ‘Best Offer’ default electricity price for Victorian consumers. Client: Essential Services Commission (Victoria) "Let's Think Links!" - inspiring 'friends of' flourishing in the City of Knox In 2019 and 2020 all the bushland conservation and 'friends' groups in The City of Knox came together for a fun and inspiring day to plan their future as a collective movement. Client: Knox City Council (Victoria) The Burnett Mary Regional Science Forum In 2019 Les facilitated an interactive conference of diverse agricultural, scientific, and community stakeholders involved in Reef-related water quality programs in the biggest reef catchment. Client: Burnett Mary Regional Group (Qld) Hacktivation: Transforming local government conferences 2017 and 2018 In 2017 and 2018 Les was honoured to be facilitator-in-chief of the annual ‘Transforming Local Government’ conferences, focusing on innovation in public sector service delivery, notably the shift to all-digital. He devised lively, varied, enjoyable events that brought together leaders from across the sector. Client: The Municipal Association of Victoria High stakes traffic planning In 2018 Les was called in to facilitate a community consultation process for a high use precinct with conflicting land uses. Client: Wollongong City Council Other examples Getting Ready for Green Square An internal, cross-disciplinary, planning workshop to prepare key business units for this massive urban project. Client: The City of Sydney One day Brains Trust - generating prototype projects to combat kerbside dumping in NSW A project design hothouse with 55 council waste managers to generate effective solutions to illegal kerbside dumping. Client: The Environment Protection Authority, NSW "Our Water Our Future" - regional water planning workshops A series of 3 multi-stakeholder workshops to develop MidCoast Water's 30 year infrastructure plan. Client: MidCoast Water, NSW A new era for the Cooks River Alliance Facilitated a single evening workshop that generated a whole new consensus on the business plan for this regional organisation. Client: The Cooks River Alliance Euroa 2047 Growth Strategy Used innovative methods and personas to generate a fun, irresistible and inclusive community consultation plan for this mid-Victorian town. Client: Strathbogie Shire Council An active engagement strategy for Joint Organisations An internal planning workshop to develop a process for rolling out this significant local government reform in NSW. Client: Office of Local Government Circulate: Industry Ecology network Facilitating the regular community of practice workshops for the Circulate facilitators. Client: The Environment Protection Authority, NSW "Projects that Kick" - innovation workshops for Landcare groups A series of 4 "hothousing" workshops guiding Landcare and industry groups through the step-by-step development of their grant application plans, to ensure clarity, innovation, realism and deliverability of their final projects. Client: South East Local Land Services, NSW Hepatitis Australia annual program review A national workshop to review and revitalise HAs communications and marketing program. Client: Hepatitis Australia NSW Fire Plans - 5 year review workshop 60 regional and head office NPWS staff developed plans to exceed their fire management targets. Client: National Parks and Wildlife Service Team building in a council planning department A series of 4 visioning, team-building and strategic alignment workshops for planning, development, strategy and compliance staff. Client: Rockdale City Council "Dawn of a New Age in HIV Testing and Treatment" workshop 40 reps of Sydney-based HIV organisations, clinicians, and researchers sat down for a one day "Rapid Program Generator" event that developed a collaborative strategy to dramatically increase rates of HIV testing and treatment amongst gay men in Sydney (to allow NSW to meet it's obligations under the recent UN HIV Declaration). Client: ACON, Positive Life NSW Community Workshop for the Rockdale Town Centre Master Plan 60 residents and business owners packed into a sizzling ideas workshop in a cold winter's night to generate concepts for the historic rededign of Rockdale's long neglected town centre. Client: Rockdale City Council Greening Public Housing Workshop An intensive one-day event that brought together multi-disciplinary teams to plan sustainable approaches for the redesign of public housing estates in NSW. The NSW Minister for Housing, David Borger, was one of the partiicpants. Client: Housing NSW Warringah Sustainability Strategy forums Series of forums with randomly selected community members to develop Warringah Council's Sustainability Strategy. Client: Warringah Council Two day Sustainable Schools summit Involving 80 principles, teachers and agency staff from across NSW. Client: Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW). Serrated Tussock Summit Involving 87 agency staff, industry reps and graziers from across NSW. Client: Department of Primary Industries (NSW). Regional road safety strategy workshop Strategic review workshop for WestRoads road safety enforcement/education program in the NSW Inner West. Client: Roads and Traffic Authority Annual conference, Professional Association of Road Safety Officers Involving 90 Road Safety Officers from councils across NSW.

CoCreate: the facilitator's guide to collaborative projects Based on the manual for the Victorian EPA's Neighbourhood Environment Improvement Program, this guide makes available to a wide audience a comprehensive methodology and tool set for facilitating multi-stakeholder projects that generate high levels of ownership (and hence action) by the participants. It's a 218 page (A5) book packed with practical techniques and tips. Download the complete guide (2.5 Mb PDF).

"All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning." - Albert Camus