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LG Innovate 2026, Australia’s national summit on artificial intelligence in local government, will be held at Melbourne Town Hall on 2 and 3 September. Now in its third year, the summit is hosted by Davidson in partnership with AWS, with support from TechOne and the City of Melbourne.

Davidson senior partner Vanessa Huxley told Chris Eddy on the Local Government News Roundup that the event was designed to help the sector navigate the opportunities and risks that AI presents both now and into the future. She said the summit had grown out of a recognition that AI is “rapidly reshaping public services.”

The two-day program includes the launch of Davidson’s LG Index, now in its sixth year, which tracks the priorities and concerns of council chief executives nationally. Attendees will receive a copy of the accompanying report. The agenda also features Australian case studies on AI adoption, two international guest speakers, and practical workshops on the second day aimed at giving delegates tools they can apply in their councils immediately.

Ms Huxley said the program was structured to be relevant to councils of all sizes, from large metropolitan organisations to smaller regional and rural shires, with solutions and workshop content tailored accordingly rather than focused solely on larger-council use cases.

Asked what senior executives should take from the event, Ms Huxley pointed to the tension between embracing AI and understanding its risks, and the importance of establishing guardrails that allow councils to use the technology with confidence while managing risk.

A networking event will also be held on the evening of the first day, giving delegates the chance to connect with other technology providers working in local government, including Symphony3 and TechOne.

Local Government News Roundup listeners can purchase their tickets now with the promo code “lgnews” for 15% off before the 21st of August.