Introducing Bron Browning, Coordinator Corporate Services at Town of East Fremantle.
Originally from New Zealand, Bron Browning has enjoyed a long and successful career in Local Government. Read on and discover more about her career journey and why she wouldn’t want to work anywhere else!
Q. Can you tell us about your career background and what led you to this role at Town of East Fremantle in WA?
A. I actually started in local government back in 1999, working for Local Government New Zealand. Previous to that, I’d held roles in New Zealand’s central Government for the Department of Justice and Parliamentary Services, and I also worked for the NZ Army!
We then moved over to Brisbane at the end of 2000 and I commenced with the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) as the Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive in April 2021. I was also the Events Coordinator and was responsible for organising LGAQ conferences.
LGAQ put me through my University Degree, a Bachelor of Adult Education and Training and I assisted the LGAQ RTO in delivering the Diploma in Local Government, and Cert IV in Training and Assessment courses when required.
Eventually, we moved to Perth for family reasons, I have a daughter and two grandsons here in Perth. I still wanted to continue my career in local government, so when this role came up at Town of East Fremantle, I jumped at the opportunity.
Q. What are the main responsibilities of your role?
A. I am the Co-ordinator of Corporate Services reporting to the Executive Manager, I’m also the minute secretary for the Audit Committee. I look after the administration for the Town’s Rangers, as well as assisting the records services and customer services. And, as a part of my role, I’m responsible for IT, making sure everyone has the right equipment and software to do their jobs. I also manage the Town’s property leases including Mooring Pens. I also look after insurance claims.
I’ve recently been involved with the roll out of the SharePoint platform to staff. We’re using it as our meetings and agendas solution, and I’m currently assisting with the roll out of our contracts and risk registers. The opportunity to show staff a new way of doing things has been great.
So, it’s quite a varied role!
Q. Do you enjoy that variety?
A. I absolutely love it! It’s really grown organically; I’ve just taken new things on as they’ve arisen. I don’t think I’ve ever had a day doing exactly the same as the previous one. There’s always something new to do.
Q. How would you describe the workplace culture at Town of East Fremantle?
A. Oh, that’s one of the things that attracted me to the council – the culture.
Our value statement is RITE; Respect, Integrity, Team Work and Empathy. We’re reminded of RITE every day as soon as we start up our computers, it’s there as our screen background. We’re a small team and we all live by these values.
There’s a culture club who organise different activities like BBQ breakfasts, and Are You OK morning Teas – it’s just a fabulous place to work!
Q. What do you find the most rewarding about your role?
A. As a service organisation, we’re here to look after the community and that’s really important to me. In my area of Corporate Services, our ‘community’ is also our council staff. I find it really rewarding to be delivering the services that are required internally to keep the cogs going – so as an organisation, we can deliver for the community.
Q. What would you say to someone considering a career in local government?
A. If the opportunity ever arises, I’d say go for it! I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.
The support and training you get is second to none, the opportunities to work in so many different areas and advance your career, is immeasurable with Local Government. It’s just a really amazing culture of support and development.
So, are you ready to go for it? Check out the opportunities available right now in councils across Australia here.
