The Local Leaders Series

Local governments across Victoria — and across Australia — are confronting a polycrisis: interconnected, cascading challenges that compound rather than exist in isolation. Climate risk, cost-of-living pressure, housing stress, digital disruption, community fragmentation, and political scrutiny all arrive simultaneously, yet the professional development pathways available to Mayors and Councillors have not kept pace. Existing programs address statutory obligations or offer generic governance training that does not reflect the strategic reality of contemporary local leadership.   

The Local Leaders Series: Leading through crisis and complexity  (LLS) is a professional development program co-designed by the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and Melbourne Centre for Cities (MC4C) at the University of Melbourne. It is designed specifically for serving Victorian Mayors and Councillors — equipping participants with the innovative, dynamic, reflective leadership capabilities needed to govern effectively under conditions of polycrisis: moving beyond compliance toward strategic stewardship, coalition-building, and long-term community resilience.   

The series is a deliberate first step toward a multi-year learning ecosystem — structured around five thematic sessions (August to November 2026), concluding with a Capstone Forum of Reflections on Leadership hosted by Former Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp. 

Content draws on a collaborative research project between MC4C and MA presented at the inaugural the Bloomberg Harvard Centre for Cities Research Conference November 2026, and UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose Public Capability Index research.  

Course readings will draw on is City Leaders for Sustainable Futures: Portraits of Visionary Urban Changemakers (2026); and case studies and other research by Municipal Association of Victoria’s Future is Local project, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and University of Melbourne. 

*Please note registrations for this series are limited to those who have been approved via EOI.

Key Event Details: 

This program is for current Mayors, Deputy Mayors & Councillors who successfully applied via EOI. 

Delivery Mode:  Blended (in-person, hybrid, and self-directed online learning)

Series Session Details:

• Session 1: Friday 21 August, 10am - 2pm (including lunch) - In Person at MAV Melbourne Office
• Session 2: Friday 18 September, 10am - 2pm (including lunch) – Hybrid*/MAV Melbourne Office
• Session 3: Friday 16 October, 10am - 3pm (including lunch) - Castlemaine Institute
• Session 4: Friday 13 November, 10am - 2pm (including lunch) - Hybrid* / University of Melbourne Parkville
• Capstone Presentations: Friday 20 November, 10am - 2pm (including lunch) - In Person at MAV Melbourne Office  

Cost:  $400 ex GST per participant or Council Credit points

Councillor Credit Points (CCP)

Please ensure your council has sufficient CCP when paying for registration.

For CCP enquiries please contact sedev@mav.asn.au