Power of AI, cybersecurity challenges for Gunnedah council

Gunnedah Shire Council has the potential to streamline its processes with AI (artificial intelligence) and bolster cybersecurity protections, according to new councillor Cameron Moore.

The elected representative recently attended the Australian Local Government Association’s inaugural Tech Leadership Summit as council’s delegate.

There he was provided “valuable insights” how local governments could harness emerging technologies to enhance service delivery while addressing critical security challenges.

“The event highlighted both the transformative potential of technologies like AI and the imperative to implement robust cybersecurity measures,” Cr Moore wrote in a report to council on the summit.

“As our council continues its digital transformation journey, the lessons and recommendations from this summit offer a valuable roadmap for responsible innovation that prioritises community outcomes while managing associated risks.

“The summit also reinforced the value of collaboration across the local government sector, with numerous opportunities identified for shared learning and joint initiatives that could accelerate technology adoption while controlling costs.”

One of the event’s keynote speakers, Nick Abrahams, described how local governments worldwide are leveraging artificial intelligence to become more citizen-centric while boosting efficiency and productivity.

Mr Moore said the speaker shared several international case studies where AI had transformed service delivery, including chatbots for 24/7 citizen inquiries, predictive maintenance for infrastructure, and AI-powered analysis of community feedback.

It was highlighted how local councils in Australia are already using AI-powered community engagement platforms to analyse feedback across multiple channels for identification of emerging issues and community priorities.

In the cybersecurity field, an address by James Kay from Australian Signals Directorate highlighted that local governments are increasingly the target of cyber criminals.

Mr Kay said while the number of cyber security incidents has remained relatively stable year-on-year, the cyberattacks are becoming increasingly more sophisticated.

The speaker identified three primary threat actors targeting local government – opportunistic criminals seeking financial gain, ‘hacktivists’ aiming to damage reputation and state-sponsored actors targeting critical infrastructure.

Mr Kay recommended four fundamental actions that could mitigate up to 80 per cent of cybersecurity incidents: Enable multi-factor authentication – Set devices to update automatically – Remove unused applications – Power cycle devices daily.

Delegates were told that understanding risk ownership and response responsibilities “cannot be overestimated” in preparing for cyber incidents.

Gunnedah’s representative, Cr Moore, said the summit concluded with the release of a formal communique outlining collective priorities and commitments from the assembled local government leaders. Key points included:

– Recognition of technology as a critical enabler for improved community service delivery;

– Commitment to responsible AI adoption with appropriate governance frameworks;

– Acknowledgment of cybersecurity as a shared responsibility requiring ongoing vigilance;

– Support for continued collaboration and knowledge sharing across councils, and

– Call for increased federal support for local government digital transformation initiatives.