CITY of Swan’s chief executive officer Stephen Cain presented on how to engage with local government, beautifying Midland, and working outside the role’s wheelhouse, at last week’s Swan Chamber Hour of Power.

Mr Cain said the city worked hard to engage residents and valued the chance to do so at the event.

“It was a pleasure to speak at the Swan Chamber of Commerce’s Hour of Power, where our executive team embraced the opportunity to engage directly with members of our business community,” he said.

“My presentation focused on the city’s commitment to outstanding customer service, some of the improvements we’ve made in that space, how we handle complaints and the many ways we engage and support local businesses.

“Swan is a vast local government area, and our population is growing rapidly, so it’s important we keep looking for ways to improve our customer service.”

Mr Cain spoke about the issue of abandoned trollies and the possibility of introducing fines to encourage better centre management practises to deter the frequency of stray trollies.

“The future of Swan is shaped by feedback from the community, and this event was another opportunity to keep those important conversations flowing,” Mr Cain said.

“I want to thank the Swan Chamber of Commerce for the invitation to speak at the event.

“I intend to offer to present at a future Hour of Power about key issues related to the growth of our city.”

Swan Chamber of Commerce president Mike Matich said the presentation went well with Mr Cain presenting to a “packed room”.

“Stephen told us about his own story and his own journey to where he is today and highlighted what the city was involved with and its areas of focus,” he said.

Mr Cain was the chief executive at the City of Cockburn and interim chief executive at the City of Canning before becoming chief executive at the City of Swan in December 2022, as reported in Swan CEO at Hour of Power.

“He spoke about the different focuses of the executive team and how they cover different areas and how they have to operate in a framework that’s not necessarily theirs such as Metronet,” Mr Matich said.

“He has to act on behalf of ratepayers even when they might not have authority in those cases, such as dealing with Main Roads, but still lobbying for the residents’ interests.”