The Perils of Passive Contract Management Government contracts represent significant investments of public funds, designed to deliver essential services and infrastructure. Ideally, contractual agreements should serve as catalysts for streamlined work practices and substantial savings. However, the reality often diverges sharply from this ideal. Too frequently, contracts are signed with enthusiasm and then relegated to […]

In today's ever-evolving digital world, the importance of cybersecurity cannot be overstated. While Cyber Awareness Month has been a key focus in educating individuals and organisations about best practices in cybersecurity, it is time to take a more ambitious step. It does not make sense to restrict this crucial awareness to just one month. While […]

Introduction Records management is constantly evolving, and as of February 2025, significant changes that will impact public sector agencies have come into effect. These updates, along with common challenges we observe in our audits, highlight the importance of robust and adaptable records management strategies. This blog post will guide you through the key changes and […]

Cyber security attacks pose a significant threat to local councils, compromising data integrity and citizen trust. The Australian Cyber Security Centre estimates the cost of an attack at $60,000 for medium-sized businesses, with larger attacks costing much more. On January 24, 2025, the NSW Office of Local Government updated its Cyber Security Guidelines for Councils, […]

In September 2021 the NSW Office of Local Government published guidelines for Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R), which included a new requirement to publish a program of Service Reviews. The guidelines also specified an associated new reporting requirement: 5.3 The Annual Report must include information about how the council has progressed on the delivery of […]

With Brisbane confirmed as the host city for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Queensland Government and South-East Queensland Councils are at the forefront of delivering the infrastructure and community projects that will define the state for decades. As part of the Queensland Government’s 100-day review, opportunities for improvement in planning and delivery have […]

We are proud to share that Centium has been once again assessed as having a "Low" modern slavery risk rating by Local Government Procurement (LGP). This positive outcome demonstrates our proactive approach to identifying and mitigating modern slavery risks. We will continue to strengthen our efforts to ensure ethical and sustainable practices throughout our best […]

The year 2024 saw two significant procurement scandals that exposed critical failures in probity and governance within Australian government agencies: Tourism Australia and the Australian Passport Office. Both incidents revealed troubling lapses in transparency, ethical conduct, and adherence to the Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs), raising serious concerns about how public funds are managed and the […]

Converting Dreams into Reality In our current crisis of housing affordability and availability, development approvals are under significant pressure. Rules are changing, technology and systems can be both frustrating and demanding, planners are in demand between Councils and across different sectors, and developers and citizens are often chasing multiple and sometimes conflicting outcomes. State government […]

The recent local council elections in NSW have triggered leadership transitions and will result in temporary vacancies in key leadership roles for many councils. While this is a normal part of post-election change, it can delay decision-making, disrupt the reassessment of crucial frameworks and policies, and raise serious governance challenges. Due to geographical challenges, this issue is […]

Introduction Most recently, the conversation around workplace discrimination has evolved significantly, particularly with the introduction of the Positive Duty under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth). This statutory obligation represents a fundamental shift in how Australian organisations and employers approach issues of sex discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Rather than merely responding to incidents […]