MAVLab
Innovation for the public good.
MAVlab supports and champions local government to successfully navigate the increasingly complex landscape of rapidly evolving technologies, social changes, shifting economies and environmental pressures that our sector and communities are facing.
About MAVLab
No one understands the challenges facing Victoria in the 21st Century better than local councils.
Our local communities - and the governments that represent them - are at the forefront of multiple transformations happening simultaneously. The combined pressures of rapidly evolving technologies, significant social changes, community health and wellbeing challenges, shifting economies and a variety of growing environmental pressures are creating a volatile context for local government leadership.
As the peak body for the Victorian local government sector, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) is a committed advocate and passionate champion for local government. Our 2024-27 Strategic Plan ‘Shaping Our Future’, outlines the vision for the MAV to be a nation leading thought leader, partner and resource hub for the Victorian local government sector. MAVlab will play a significant role in supporting this important work of the MAV.
MAVlab is building an innovation practice and collaborative ways of working at scale to support our network of 79 Victorian local governments in their responses to critical and increasingly complex social, environmental, economic, technological and leadership challenges.
The approach will be data informed, wilfully optimistic and wildly collaborative - both with our colleagues in council and more broadly across the sector. We will work with a rich diversity of partners and collaborators to ensure that our work reflects the needs, resources and skills of local governments, local communities and the broader sector together.
MAVlab will keep a clear gaze towards the horizon. We intend to share both our processes and our outcomes so we can learn together - and move faster and more efficiently - towards achieving better outcomes for our people, places and the planet.
Sign up to our mailing list for updates on MAVlab progress and ways to get involved.
“The future is here. It’s just not evenly distributed.”
We know that many councils are already testing bold interventions and partnerships to address some of our most significant environmental, economic and community wellbeing challenges. MAVlab will seek out and showcase this innovative work with the aim to share knowledge and accelerate impact.
Please get in touch to tell us about any innovative work that you (or your community) have underway!
Get Involved with MAVLab
As we build and mature the lab, there will be a wide range of opportunities - for councils and the sector - to get involved with MAVlab activities. We’re excited to provide a range of opportunities to directly participate in projects, to share data and lived experience on specific challenges, to host interventions, to collaborate with world renowned practitioners on some of the most important challenges facing our communities today.
Sign up to our mailing list for updates on MAVlab progress and ways to get involved.
Event Series: Innovatio pro bono publico!
Innovatio pro bono publico is a new MAVlab curated talk series that will showcase innovative and inspirational public sector work and the extraordinary practitioners leading it.
We will kick off the monthly online events in August with a collection of leading practitioners sharing work from around Victoria and the world.
Talks will focus on themes of community health & wellbeing, climate futures, future gen, connected places, tomorrow’s infrastructure, local leadership and emerging tech and data practices.
Sign up to our mailing list to be notified about the launch of the “Innovatio pro bono publico” event series.
Data Informed
In order to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing Victorian Councils, the MAV is conducting our very first sector wide Victorian Councils Survey. The survey is open to all local government officers, and elected members - we're excited to hear from you.
The data we collect through this survey will help the MAV create a baseline picture of the sector and inform an evidence base to shape our advocacy and support, training opportunities, events and programming, and investment prioritisation and decision-making.
Survey closes 11:59pm, Thursday 1 August 2025.
New Connections
Engage with us
For more information, contact mavlab@mav.asn.au