Upul Sathurusinghe
Position - Financial Analyst
Department– Finance
Directorate - Sustainable Finance
There are a bunch of reasons which keep Upul in local government, but there are two in particular which some might think contradictory – variety and structure.
"The City of Whittlesea is the third council I have worked for, and I much prefer local government to the private sector because you deal with such a variety of processes and financial management considerations."
"Private companies usually employ accountants and financial people to deal with just one or two services or business units. Councils though, large or small, deliver many different services to the municipality, from social support to building roads."
"Each council service has its own financial planning and budgeting principles, so as a person responsible for monitoring the financial performance of the whole organisation, I enjoy working in these many areas."
"At Whittlesea, everyone is very helpful, friendly and committed, and that makes the work very enjoyable."
So what about structure?
"Local government uses public money, so it is very accountable. There are budgeting systems and accounting requirements which are unique to local government - for a financial analyst this adds to the complexity and interest in the job."
"Whittlesea City Council is also a large organisation, and fortunately we have excellent systems here which help me find, record and analyse the information I need from many sources and people."
Most councils need one of their people to handle the developer contribution scheme as well. This is where developers are required to pay into a fund which is used to service the community affected by the development. Working closely with the planning department, Upul tracks the dollars and makes sure people know when something is amiss.
And what's best about the City of Whittlesea?
"I’m also a resident, and I do think Council’s services are very good. At work, people are open-minded and friendly, and they come from many backgrounds with diverse skills and knowledge."
