Key WHS challenges facing local government in 2026

Published on 25 June 2026

The LGW People and Safety Conference in Brisbane brought together local government professionals from across Queensland to discuss the evolving workplace health, safety and workforce challenges facing councils today.

Throughout the event, several key themes emerged consistently across presentations, discussions and networking sessions. From managing psychosocial risks to supporting injured workers and handling difficult workplace interactions, councils continue to navigate increasingly complex people and safety issues while maintaining service delivery to their communities.

Our General Manager - Legal and Workforce, Troy Wild, presented about HR processes being a system of work and that it carries work health and safety risk, including psychosocial risk... not just legal compliance.

Based on the key themes discussed, Peak Services can support your organisation through accredited and non-accredited training, legal and workforce workshops, and recruitment services tailored to the local government sector.

Key challenges we heard about:

• Managing psychosocial risks
• Managing ill or injured employees
• Conducting effective workplace investigations
• Dealing with confrontational people

Workforce & Legal Workshops

Delivered in-house by our experienced workforce and legal specialists, these workshops provide practical guidance and tools that can be applied immediately in the workplace.

• Managing Ill or Injured Employees - designed for practitioners/Managers to upskill their knowledge on managing complex cases relating to ill or injured employees, including how to direct an employee to attend independent medical examinations through to termination of employment on medical grounds.
• Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards - designed for front line supervisors and middle managers to build capability in understanding and managing psychosocial hazards under workplace health and safety legislation.
• Workplace Investigations - designed for Human Resources or Industrial Relations practitioners and senior managers responsible for People and Culture or Governance.

Accredited training, short courses and workshops:

One of the most common challenges raised at the conference was managing difficult interactions with customers, stakeholders and colleagues.

Our Dealing with Confrontational People course equips participants with practical techniques to:

• Manage aggressive and challenging behaviour
• De-escalate conflict confidently
• Maintain professionalism under pressure
• Improve communication outcomes

Accredited Training (RTO 30003)

• Certificate IV in Government Investigations (Regulatory Compliance) - Build specialist investigation skills aligned to government regulatory environments.
• Government Investigations Skill Set - Develop core investigative competencies through targeted skill development.

Short Courses

Enhance capability across your workforce with practical, targeted training:

• Conflict Resolution
• Difficult Conversations
• WHS Risk Management
• WHS Due Diligence for Supervisors and Senior Managers

Safety and Technical

Peak Services delivers a broad range of safety and technical training programs designed specifically for local government environments.

Ready to continue the conversation?

If you'd like to discuss any of these programs or explore a tailored solution for your organisation, we'd welcome the opportunity to help. Contact Jodi Cannon via email