Minutes of Ordinary Meeting

Buloke Shire Council Ordinary Meeting Minutes Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on Wednesday, 12 March 2014 commencing at 7.00pm in the Wycheproof Supper Room, 367 Broadway, Wycheproof

PRESENT

CHAIRPERSON:

Cr Reid Mather Mallee Ward

COUNCILLORS:

Cr Ellen White Mallee Ward

Cr David Pollard Lower Avoca Ward

Cr Stuart McLean Lower Avoca Ward

Cr Graeme Milne Mount Jeffcott Ward

Cr Leo Tellefson Mount Jeffcott Ward

Cr Gail Sharp Mount Jeffcott Ward

OFFICERS:

Mr Paul Younis Acting Chief Executive Officer

Ms Gaynor Doreian Director Corporate and Community Services

Mr Anthony Judd Director Works and Technical Services

Mr Bill Keane Manager Community Services

Mr Bill Ryan Manager Finance

Mr Warren Hemopo Manager Reconstruction

AGENDA

1. COUNCIL prayer AND WELCOME

The Mayor Cr Reid Mather read the Council Prayer and welcomed members of the gallery.

We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting. We pay our respects to their Elders and to the Elders from other communities who maybe here today.

2. RECEIPT OF APOLOGIES

Nil.

3. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

Motion:

That Council adopt the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on Wednesday, 12 February 2014.

Moved: Cr Leo Tellefson

Seconded: Cr David Pollard

Carried.

4. REQUESTS FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE

Nil.

5. DECLARATION of PECUNIARY AND conflictS of interest

Cr White declared a direct interest in Item 6.6 on the basis of her ownership of the subject land for the Land Owner Consent Agreement with Buloke Shire Council that was being executed by Council.

Cr McLean declared an indirect interest in Item 7.2.2 on the basis of his membership with the Loddon Mallee Regional Development Association.

Motion:

Council resolve to alter the Order of Business for this Ordinary Meeting 12 March 2014, to include Items 6.6 Council Approval for Use of Council Seal and 7.2.9 Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment Program – Regional Road Group.

Moved: Cr Stuart McLean

Seconded: Cr Graeme Milne

Carried.

6....... Procedural Items

6.1 Report of Assembly of Councillors Meetings 6

6.2 Building Permits - Monthly Update 11

6.3 Planning Applications Received - Monthly Update 13

6.4 Planning Applications Approved By Acting Chief Executive Officer 14

6.5 Letters of Congratulations and Recognition of Achievement/Awards 16

6.6 Council Approval for use of Council Seal 17

7....... General Business

7.1 Policy Reports 18

7.1.1 Human Resources policies - Disciplinary Action, Social Media, Working from Home 18

7.2 Management Reports 38

7.2.1 Draft Buloke Aquatic Strategy 38

7.2.2 Response to 2014 Loddon Mallee Prospectus Draft 122

7.2.3 Appointment of Council Representative to the Loddon Mallee Waste and Resource Recovery Region Local Government Waste Forum - 2014/15 144

7.2.4 Contract C13 2013/14 Charlton Swimming Pool Upgrade 161

7.2.5 Contract C19 - 2013/14 - Replacement of the Watchupga Culgoa Road Bridge 164

7.2.6 Mobile Coverage Programme Response Buloke Shire Council 167

7.2.7 Sea Lake Off Road Club - Application for an Extension of Hours for the Possession and Consumption of Alcohol - Local Law No.10 178

7.2.8 Municipal Flood Emergency Plan 180

7.2.9 Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment Program - Regional Road Group 182

7.3 Financial Reports 184

7.3.1 Financial Performance As At 31 January 2014 184

8....... REPORTS FROM COUNCILLORS

8.1 Delegate Reports 196

Nil

8.2 Activity Reports 198

Nil

8.3 Report from the Mayor 200

Nil

9....... OTHER BUSINESS

9.1 Petitions 201

Nil

9.2 Notices of Motion 201

Nil

9.3 Questions from Councillors 201

Nil

9.4 Questions from the Public 201

Nil

9.5 Any Other Procedural Matter 201

Nil

9.6 Urgent Business 201

Nil

9.6.1 201

Letter of Appreciation to the Former CEO of the Birchip Cropping Group (Cr Gail Sharp) (CR/13/01) 201

9.6.2 202

Local Area Partnerships Model - Capacity for Rural Communities. (Cr Ellen White) (CS/10/11) 202

9.6.3 203

VicRoads- Request Single White Line - James Paterson Bridge to Armstrong St Intersection Charlton (Cr David Pollard) (RO/09/02) 203

10..... MATTERS THAT MAY EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC

Nil

11..... ANY OTHER BUSINESS

12..... MEETING CLOSE

NEXT MEETING

The next Ordinary Meeting of Council will be held in Wycheproof Supper Room, 367 Broadway, Wycheproof on Wednesday, 9 April 2014 at 7.00pm.

PAUL YOUNIS

ACTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Permit No.	Address	Project Description	Value	Date Approved
20140013	Noonans Road, WHIRILY	New Building: Machinery Shed/Farm Shed	$39,413	5/2/2014
20140014	Donald-Swan Hill Road, DUMOSA	New Building: Toilet Building	$110,000	5/2/2014
20140016	1-5 Main Street, CULGOA	Extension: Addition & Alteration to dwelling	$11,500	19/2/2014
20140020	427 Watchem West Road, WATCHEM WEST	New Building: Factory (Eggs Packing Shed)	$50,000	20/2/2014
20140021	8 Peel Street, CHARLTON	Demolition: Dwelling	$8,000	24/2/2014
20140022	75 Best Street, SEA LAKE	Alteration: Replacement of Verandah	$19,154	24/2/2014
20140023	63 Sproats Lane, DONALD	New Building: Farm Shed	$48,396	26/2/2014

Permit No.	Address	Project Description	Value	Date Approved
20140015	55-63 Railway Avenue, SEA LAKE	New Building: Fire Station & Motor Room	$615,000	20/1/2014
20140018	16 Peel Street, CHARLTON	Re-Stump-Dwelling	$11,000	6/02/2014
20140019	48 Education Lane, SEALAKE	New Building: Carport	$4,830	11/02/2014

Buloke Shire Council Ordinary Meeting Minutes Wednesday, 12 March 2014

7. General Business

7.1 Policy Reports

7.1.1 Human Resources policies - Disciplinary Action, Social Media, Working from Home

Author’s Title: Senior Human Resources Officer

Department: Office of the CEO File No: CM/14/14

Attachments:

1 ViewDisciplinary Action policy

2 ViewSocial Media policy

3 ViewWorking from Home policy

Relevance to Council Plan 2013 - 2017

Objective: An organisation that values and supports the development of its people and is an employer of choice.

Strategy: Continuing to improve the organisation and its people to provide our community, businesses and visitors with the best possible services.

Priority: Continue to develop a customer service culture to ensure the organisation responds to the needs of the community.

Motion:

That the Council:

1. Adopt the following policies:

a) Disciplinary Action

b) Social Media, and

c) Working from Home

2. Request the Senior Human Resources Officer to provide all staff with access to the Disciplinary Action, Social Media, and, Working from Home policy using Council’s consultative mechanisms

3. Note the removal of the Human Resources Policy No. 64 – Staff Training and Development from the Human Resources policy suite

Moved: Cr Gail Sharp

Seconded: Cr David Pollard

Carried.

1. Purpose

For Council to consider the adoption of the following policies::

(a) Disciplinary Action

(b) Social Media

The proposed new Policy statements have been attached (Attachments (a) to (c)).

2. Discussion

Council’s Human Resources policy suite clarifies the responsibilities of Council Employees, Managers and Supervisors and reinforces Council’s overall objective to be an ‘employer of choice and to address a number of legislative and regulatory requirements under which Council operates.

A summary of the principles within these policies is set out below.

(a) Disciplinary Action policy

This policy is required to comply with Federal Employment laws and seeks to set out the principles that Council will apply when managing Misconduct or Serious Misconduct of Employees.

(b) Social Media policy

The purpose of the Social Media policy is to provide guidance and clarify the existing obligations of staff under the Code of Conduct when engaging in Social Media when there is a direct or inferred relationship between the user and the Buloke Shire Council.

The Working from Home policy recognises that flexible work arrangements contribute to the attraction and retention of skilled employees and assists them to balance their work, family, health, study or other life commitments.

Redundant policies

It is proposed that the Human Resources Policy No. 64 – Staff Training and Development is removed from the Human Resources policy suite following the adoption of Human Resources Policy No. 142 – Training and Development by Council in October 2013.

The key components of the Staff Training and Development policy have been incorporated into the Training and Development policy.

3. Financial Implications

Annual operating costs associated with the Human Resources policy suite are already contained within Council’s budget provisions.

4. Community Consultation

Nil

5. Internal Consultation

Consultation with the Staff Consultative Committee and Senior Management team has been an integral part of the review process.

The review process also included consultation with Council’s Solicitors (Maddocks), Council’s Human Resources and Industrial Relations Advisors (Victorian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (VECCI)), and Consultants.

Where appropriate, discussion was also held with Human Resources professionals from other Local Government Authorities, Water Authorities and the private sector.

6. Legislative / Policy Implications

The Human Resources policies address a number of legislative requirements, regulatory requirements and industrial instruments. Reference to specific legislation, regulations or industrial instruments are made within each of the policy documents.

7. Environmental Sustainability

Nil

8. Conflict of Interest Considerations

Nil

9. Conclusion

Policies are a means for clarifying expected standards of behaviour, and, providing information and guidance in relation to Council’s core values and legislative responsibilities. They provide a framework within which Council’s objectives, processes and commitment to best value practices are articulated.

The consistent interpretation and application of the proposed Human Resources policies mitigate against workplace issues escalating into entrenched behaviours.

It is recommended that Council adopt the Human Resources policies listed in this report and remove the Human Resources Policy No. 64 – Staff Training and Development from the Human Resources policy suite:

Buloke Shire Council Ordinary Meeting Minutes Wednesday, 12 March 2014

7.1.1 Human Resources policies - Disciplinary Action, Social Media, Working from Home

Attachment 2 Social Media policy

Policy Title	Disciplinary Action policy
Responsible Directorate	Human Resources
Policy No		Date approved	12 March 2014
Revision No	1	Revision Date	12 March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to set out the principles that Council will apply when managing Misconduct or Serious Misconduct of Employees.

Scope

This policy applies to all Employees, but does not include agency staff, trainees, apprentices, contractors or volunteers.

This policy is to be read in conjunction with all Buloke Shire Council policies including, without limitation, Buloke Shire Council Code of Conduct for Staff, the Protected Disclosure policy and the Bullying/Equal Opportunity/Discrimination/Sexual Harassment policy.

Definitions

In this policy –

“Abandonment” is where an Employee abandons their duties under the contract of employment.

“Agreement” means the Buloke Shire Council Enterprise Agreement No. 5 2011, or any successor industrial instrument to the extent it contains provisions equivalent to clause 25 of Part A of the Agreement.

“Business Unit Team Leader” means a person employed in a senior management role within Council who manages or supervises the duties of a Supervisor and reports directly to a Director, as set out in Annexure A.

“CEO” means the Chief Executive Officer.

“Conduct” refers to the behaviour of an Employee when performing their duties. Conduct is unacceptable if it is not in accordance with the standards of behaviour at work, or in connection with work, as reasonably determined or expected by Council, for example through:

· Breaching policies or delegated authority;

· Breaching Council’s Code of Conduct for Staff;

· Ignoring or not complying with Occupational Health and Safety policies, procedures and requirements;

· Being absent from the workplace without appropriate explanation or approval; or

· Discriminating, vilifying, sexually harassing, bullying or victimising Workers as defined within Council’s Bullying/Equal Opportunity/Discrimination/Sexual Harassment policy.

"Council" means Buloke Shire Council.

“Director” refers to a member of the executive management team as set out in Annexure A.

"Disciplinary Action" may include a formal counselling meeting, written warning, final written warning and termination of employment with notice.

“Dismissal with Notice” is when termination occurs in accordance with the relevant Award and the Agreement by providing the Employee with the required amount of notice or payment in lieu of notice.

“Dismissal without Notice (Summary Dismissal)” is dismissal without notice given to an Employee and may be without any prior formal warnings.

"Employee" means an Employee of Council other than the Chief Executive Officer.

“Misconduct” occurs when a behavioural issue results in expectations not being met through poor conduct of the individual.

“Payment in Lieu of Notice” is an amount paid based on the ordinary time the Employee would have been expected to work over the notice period. The period of notice deemed to be reasonable depends on each individual case and is determined by:

· The nature of employment;

· The Employee’s age;

· The Employee’s length of service; and

· Any other factors considered relevant.

"Procedural Fairness" requires a fair and proper procedure to be followed when making a decision. The rules of Procedural Fairness require:

· an absence of bias, evidence to support a decision and an inquiry into matters in dispute; and

· that sufficient information be provided to any person who may be adversely affected by a decision to enable that person to respond in a manner appropriate to the circumstances.

“Serious Misconduct” is defined under the Fair Work Regulations 2009 and includes when an Employee:

· demonstrates wilful or deliberate behaviour that is inconsistent with the continuation of the contract of employment; and

· engages in conduct that causes serious and imminent risk to:

– the health or safety of a person; or

– the reputation, viability or profitability of the employer’s business.

Serious Misconduct includes an Employee, in the course of employment, engaging in theft, fraud or assault, being intoxicated at work or refusing to carry out a lawful and reasonable instruction that is consistent with their contract of employment.

"Supervisor" means a person who manages or supervises the duties of an Employee as set out in Annexure A.

"Support Person" is a person (other than a practising solicitor or barrister) nominated by an Employee to provide support on their behalf. The support person may be a family member, friend or union representative. The role of the support person is to support the Employee. The support person is not to advocate on behalf of the Employee and may be requested to leave a meeting should they hinder or disrupt the meeting.

Policy Statement

The Buloke Shire Council expects all Employees to undertake their duties and behave in accordance with organisational standards, including the Buloke Shire Council Code of Conduct for Staff.

An Employee’s failure to meet required standards of behaviour (Misconduct) should be managed differently to a failure to meet required standards of performance.

The following principles should be applied:

· Employees should be informed of, and understand, the standards of conduct expected of them;

· Employees should be given the opportunity to improve their conduct to meet expected standards, except where an Employee’s failure to meet the required standard of conduct is of such a serious or repeated nature that it warrants termination of employment;

· Any process relating to an Employee’s failure to meet expected standards of conduct should be in accordance with the policy and the principles of Procedural Fairness;

· The degree of seriousness, repetition and impact of the Misconduct will determine the appropriate course of action;

· Employees should be informed of, and understand, the potential consequences of their failure to meet expected standards of conduct;

· Employees should be given an opportunity to provide an explanation or response and have that response considered before a decision is made;

· While every matter will be dealt with on a case by case basis, consequences should be consistent across Council and be proportionate to the seriousness of the Misconduct; and

· The processes under this policy should not be used to address an issue regarding performance and Supervisors should obtain advice if the question of whether an issue is one of conduct or performance is unclear.

Guidelines

Annual Review

The Annual Review process is not to be used to address an Employee’s failure to meet expected standards of conduct, though failure to meet required standards of conduct should be identified in, and will be relevant to, the Annual Review Process.

Meeting to Discuss Misconduct

Typically, counselling will be provided prior to formal Disciplinary Action being taken. Formal Disciplinary Action would generally be taken when repeated or Serious Misconduct occurs, beyond the scope of normal supervisory action.

If a Supervisor identifies that the Employee’s conduct is not at the level required, the Supervisor should:

· Determine if the Employee has been informed of, and understands, the standard of conduct expected of them;

· Determine how serious the matter is; and

· If the conduct is unacceptable, after discussing the issue with the Business Unit Team Leader:

– Discuss the Employee’s failure to meet the expected standard of conduct with them, outline the expected standards, and tell the Employee what they need to do to meet those standards;

– If applicable, give the Employee the opportunity within a reasonable timeframe to improve their conduct and provide the Employee with any reasonable assistance to do so;

– Explain to the Employee the potential consequences of failing to improve their conduct to the required standard; and

– Ensure the Employee is being treated fairly and consistently with other direct reports.

Misconduct may also attract disciplinary action if evidence supports that the Employee did, or should reasonably have known, what was required and has breached this requirement.

Disciplinary Action

A Business Unit Team Leader should consult and obtain advice from the relevant Director, CEO (or his or her delegate) and Human Resources, regarding a formal warning process, if the Business Unit Team Leader:

· Determines an Employee’s failure to meet the expected standards of conduct is serious, repeated or sustained; or

· Is satisfied the Employee’s conduct has not improved following a meeting (whether formal or informal) at which the Supervisor has discussed with the Employee their concerns regarding the Employee’s conduct.

Before making any decisions on Disciplinary Action, the Business Unit Team Leader must ensure that the Employee has had the opportunity to consider the concerns raised and respond accordingly. If an Employee refuses to respond to the allegations of Misconduct, or Serious Misconduct, Council is entitled to proceed to make a decision based on the information available to Council at the relevant time.

Disciplinary Action may be sequential or steps may be skipped. For example, Council may determine that the Employee’s Misconduct warrants a first and final warning without first imposing a sanction of a first, second and further warning.

Alternatively, Council may determine that the Employee has engaged in Serious Misconduct as defined in the Fair Work Act 2009 and that the appropriate disciplinary action is termination of the Employee’s employment without notice.

First Warning

If the relevant Business Unit Team Leader, after consultation with the relevant Director, determines to commence a formal disciplinary process, the Business Unit Team Leader, in conjunction with Human Resources, should:

· Meet with the Employee and detail the concerns in relation to their conduct, including any history of previous related matters;

· Explain to the Employee the required standard of conduct, the steps the Employee needs to take to meet that standard and the timeframe in which the Employee must meet that standard;

· Give the Employee an opportunity to provide an explanation of response and have that response considered prior to determining whether the matter warrants a formal warning; and

· Explain to the Employee the potential consequences of failing to improve their conduct to the required standard; including that further Disciplinary Action may be taken, up to termination of employment.

Second and Further Warnings

The Employee’s conduct should be monitored and, if the first warning does not resolve the conduct issues, the Supervisor should refer the matter to the Business Unit Team Leader. The Business Unit Team Leader should consult and obtain advice from the relevant Director prior to issuing a second, or any further, warnings in accordance with this policy.

Final Warning

If the Director, after consultation with the CEO (or his or her delegate), determines to issue a final warning, the Director, in conjunction with Human Resources, should:

· Meet with the Employee and detail the concerns in relation to their conduct, including any previous warnings;

· Explain to the Employee what conduct issues have arisen since the previous warning;

· Give the Employee an opportunity to provide an explanation of response and have that response considered prior to determining whether the matter warrants a final warning;

· Explain to the Employee the potential consequences of failing to improve their conduct to the required standard, including that their employment may be terminated; and

· Explain to the Employee the required standard of conduct, the steps the Employee needs to take to meet that standard and the timeframe in which the Employee must meet that standard.

Termination of Employment

If the CEO, after consultation with the Director, determines to terminate the employment of an Employee due to conduct that is repeated and severe, the Director should, in conjunction with Human Resources:

· Meet with the Employee and detail the concerns in relation to their conduct, including any previous warnings;

· Explain to the Employee what conduct issues have arisen since the previous warning;

· Give the Employee an opportunity to provide an explanation or response and have that response considered prior to determining whether the matter warrants termination of employment. This may involve a further meeting to advise of the decision and outcomes based on the Employee’s response; and

The CEO has sole delegated authority for termination of employment. If the response received during the meeting is not satisfactory, the Employee will be advised in writing of the reason and decision to terminate their employment with Council.

Serious Misconduct and Summary Dismissal

An Employee who has committed Serious Misconduct may be dismissed without notice following substantiation of allegations.

Council may investigate an allegation of Serious Misconduct impartially, confidentially and in a timely manner. The investigation should be undertaken in conjunction with Human Resources and Directors are responsible for initiating an investigation into allegations of Serious Misconduct as soon as possible.

If the CEO, after consultation with the Director, determines that Serious Misconduct has occurred, the Director should, in conjunction with Human Resources:

· Immediately meet with the Employee and advise them of the allegations;

· Advise the Employee what action will be taken in response to the allegations, for example if the matter will be subject to an external investigation;

· If necessary, suspend the Employee with full pay during the investigation process;

· Give the Employee an opportunity to provide an explanation or response during the investigation;

· On completion of any investigation, meet with the Employee to discuss the findings and preliminary outcomes of the investigation; and

· Give the Employee a final opportunity to provide an explanation or response to the findings and preliminary outcomes of the investigation.

The CEO has sole delegated authority for termination of employment. If the response received following the investigation process is not satisfactory, the Employee will be advised in writing of the reason and decision to terminate their employment with Council.

Employees will be paid any outstanding wages at the time of their termination in accordance with Council’s legislative requirements.

Abandonment

Council will take all reasonable steps to confirm that an Employee’s absence is without explanation, prior authorisation, satisfactory reason, or without any intention to resume or continue their employment.

The Employee shall be contacted as soon as possible to determine the reason for the absence and whether the Employee will return to work. All reasonable attempts to contact the Employee shall be made and documented.

Where Council is unable to make contact with the Employee, Council will advise the Employee in writing on no less than two (2) separate occasions of the requirement to immediately notify the reason for the absence and intentions to return to work. The Employee is responsible for responding within the time period specified by Council.

Where the Employee does not respond to Council’s request, the Employee will be advised in writing of the reason and decision to terminate their employment with Council.

The Employee will be paid any outstanding entitlements at the time of the termination in accordance with Council’s legislative requirements.

Support

Employees may have a Support Person during the disciplinary process but are not obliged to do so. Employees may also receive assistance and support under Council’s Employee Assistance Program policy but are no obliged to do this.

Records

Council may record information in relation to Disciplinary Action on personnel files. Advice given or warnings issued may also be documented.

All documentation in relation to Disciplinary Action must be provided to Human Resources as soon as practicable.

Confidentiality

All parties are required to keep the details of disciplinary action confidential (to the extent permitted by law) and must at all times conduct themselves in a courteous and professional manner.

References

This policy was developed in accordance with the following legislation:

· Fair Work Act 2009

· Fair Work Regulations 2009

· Equal Opportunity Act 2010

· Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004

· Protected Disclosure Act 2012

This policy was developed in accordance with the following documents:

· Buloke Shire Council Code of Conduct for Staff

· Buloke Shire Council Enterprise Agreement No. 5 2011

· Buloke Shire Council Performance Management policy

· Buloke Shire Council Bullying, Equal Opportunity, Discrimination, Sexual Harassment policy

· Buloke Shire Council Protected Disclosure policy

ANNEXURE A

Directors

Director Corporate and Community Services, or equivalent

Director Works and Technical Services, or equivalent

Business Unit Team Leaders

Senior Human Resources Officer, or equivalent

Manager Finance, or equivalent

Manager Community Services, or equivalent

Senior Procurement Officer, or equivalent

Senior Planning Officer, or equivalent

Assistant Manager Road Services, or equivalent

Assistant Manager Urban Areas and Environment, or equivalent

Supervisors

Customer Service Coordinator, or equivalent

Records Management Coordinator, or equivalent

Environmental Health Officer, or equivalent

Compliance Team Leader, or equivalent

Unit Leader, Aged and Disability Services, or equivalent

Home Care Coordinators, or equivalent

Economic Development Officer, or equivalent

Superintendent Grading Maintenance, or equivalent

Superintendent Road Patrols, or equivalent

Technical Officer (Road Services), or equivalent

Superintendent Parks and Gardens, or equivalent

Superintendent Urban Infrastructure, or equivalent

Technical Officer (Urban Areas and Environment), or equivalent

Contract Administrator, or equivalent

Heavy Plant Coordinator, or equivalent

Senior Diesel Mechanic, or equivalent

Recreation Officer, or equivalent

Pool Operations Officer, or equivalent

Superintendent Buildings and Properties, or equivalent

Policy Title	Social Media policy
Responsible Directorate	Human Resources
Policy No		Date approved	12 March 2014
Revision No	1	Revision Date	12 March 2017

Purpose

Scope

This policy applies to all Employees, Volunteers and Contractors and sets the standards and requirements applicable for professional and personal interactions via social media.

Council acknowledges that individuals have a right to exercise judgement in the private use of social media for their own personal expression or activities. The scope of this policy extends only to the impact, if any, of their private choices on Council’s reputation where there is a stated or implied connection with the Buloke Shire Council, including when such use occurs outside of office hours. Therefore, this policy is not intended to cover situations where:

· Information is circulated in a staff member’s personal capacity and not on behalf of, or in connection with, Council;

And

· Use of social media in situations where there is no reference to Buloke Shire Council, its Councillors, staff, policies and decisions, services, suppliers or any other stakeholders or Council related matters;

And

· Use of social media where such use occurs outside of normal working hours.

This policy is to be read in conjunction with all Buloke Shire Council policies including, without limitation, the Buloke Shire Council Electronic Communication policy, Buloke Shire Council Information Security policy, Buloke Shire Council Code of Conduct for Staff, and, the Bullying/Equal Opportunity/Discrimination/Sexual Harassment policy.

Definitions

In this policy –

“Authorised Staff” – means staff that have received approval from the Chief Executive Officer to officially represent the Buloke Shire Council via social media technology.

“Social Media” – (also known as web 2.0 technology) refers to online or internet-based tools used for sharing and discussing information, opinions and other content with other users. Social media forums include, but are not limited to:

· Social networking sites (for example, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yammer, Twitter)

· Video and photo sharing websites (for example, Snapchat, YouTube)

· Blogs

· Podcasts

· Forums and discussion boards

· Other emerging social media and digital communication technology

“Staff” includes all Employees, Volunteers or Contractors engaged by Council.

Policy Statement

Council recognises that use of social media is increasingly becoming a common standard of communication in professional and personal activities.

Corporately, organisations utilise social media technology to engage with stakeholders and the community in a timely manner regarding key strategic projects and programs in order to supplement conventional consultation methods.

Council and its staff recognise the potential for risk to Council’s reputation and image arising from the misuse of social media in a professional or personal capacity. Accordingly, Council staff are beholden by, and recognise, the requirements and behaviours within the Buloke Shire Council Code of Conduct and Council policies when participating in social media activities in an official or private capacity to ensure that the risk of such damage is minimised.

Guidelines

General and Personal Use

1. The Human Resources team, in conjunction with Managers and Supervisors, are responsible to ensure staff are provided with information and guidance relating to acceptable use of social media.

2. Staff are responsible to familiarise themselves with, and adhere to, the requirements within this policy as amended from time to time.

3. Staff are personally responsible for any information or comments made using social media. Information published via social media is often permanently available and may be reproduced in other media.

4. Staff must not make any comments or post any material that might result in damage to Council’s reputation or otherwise bring it into disrepute.

5. Staff are responsible to ensure that all online activity complies with Council’s policies including but not limited to Information and Communication Technology policies, Bullying/Equal Opportunity/Discrimination/Sexual Harassment policy, and, the Code of Conduct, as amended from time to time.

6. Staff must not mislead users by implying they have been authorised to represent Council either through the use of a Council issued email address, use of Council’s corporate logo, use of the identity of another Council staff member, or any other action which may give the impression of Council’s support or approval of social media activities.

7. Staff are responsible to ensure that their work performance is not affected by their use of social media, including through frequent or prolonged use of social media outside of designated work breaks.

Professional Use

1. The Chief Executive Officer is solely responsible for authorising staff members to make public comment via social media. Each situation will be considered on its merits and consideration will be given to the aim or project, development of a communication plan, proposed content, information privacy implications, monitoring requirements, training and development, record keeping, documentation of a strategy for compliance with Council policies, end user licence agreement requirements, secure access requirements, and any other relevant matters.

2. Authorised staff members should seek advice from the Chief Executive Officer in relation to the application of this policy, including for any corporate strategies involving the use of social media on behalf of Council.

3. Authorised staff members must be transparent in their use of social media and must disclose their position within Council where an approved corporate account has not been provided.

4. Authorised staff members must only comment on publicly available information which is already available and within their area of authority, and, ensure that any comments are accurate and respectful of the Buloke community.

5. Authorised staff members should not express personal opinions or views, or, make statements or engage in activities of a political nature.

6. Authorised staff members are responsible for adherence with terms of use, obligations contained within end user licence agreements, and, legislative requirements including, without limitation, information privacy, bullying, discrimination, harassment, equal opportunity and copyright.

7. Authorised staff members must not post or respond to any information or comments that are offensive, defamatory, threatening, or are otherwise unlawful, in breach of Council policies or risk damaging Council’s reputation.

8. Authorised staff members must not disclose any confidential or sensitive information.

Inappropriate Use

1. Staff who identify inappropriate use, comments or conduct which may be in breach of this policy must report the use, comments or conduct to the Chief Executive Officer.

2. Where an authorised staff member comments or distributes content that breaches the requirements contained within this or any other Council policy, such comments or content shall be removed.

3. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for initiating an investigation and/or seeking legal advice as appropriate where use of social media may damage Council reputation or otherwise bring it into disrepute.

4. Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action being taken in accordance with Council policies, including consideration of termination of employment in serious cases.

References

This policy was developed in accordance with the following legislation:

· Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006

· Crimes Act 1958

· Disability Discrimination Act 1992

· Equal Opportunity Act 2010

· Fair Work Act 2009

· Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004

· Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001

· Racial Discrimination Act 1975

· Sex Discrimination Act 1984

This policy was developed in accordance with the following documents:

· Buloke Shire Council Electronic Communication policy

· Buloke Shire Council Information Security policy

· Buloke Shire Council Enterprise Agreement No. 5 2011

· Buloke Shire Council Code of Conduct

· Buloke Shire Council Performance Management policy

· Buloke Shire Council Bullying, Equal Opportunity, Discrimination, Sexual Harassment policy

· State Services Authority: Guidance for the use of Social Media in the Victorian Public Sector (18 August 2010).

Buloke Shire Council Ordinary Meeting Minutes Wednesday, 12 March 2014

7.1.1 Human Resources policies - Disciplinary Action, Social Media, Working from Home

Attachment 3 Working from Home policy

Policy Title	Working from Home policy
Responsible Directorate	Human Resources
Policy No	160	Date approved	12 March 2014
Revision No	3	Revision Date	12 March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline the approach that Council will take where an Employee requests a Working from Home arrangement.

Scope

This policy applies to Employees who request a Working from Home Arrangement (Working from Home Arrangement).

This policy does not apply to volunteers.

Definitions

In this policy –

“Agreement” means a Working from Home Agreement signed by Council and the Employee, outlining the conditions of the Working from Home Arrangement.

“CEO” refers to the Chief Executive Officer or his or her delegate.

"Council" means the Buloke Shire Council.

"Duties" means any duties performed by an Employee pursuant to his or her contact of employment and any applicable industrial instrument.

"Employee" means an employee of Council other than the CEO.

"Home Office" means that part of a home where the employee will perform his or her Duties.

"Supervisor" means a person who manages or supervises the Duties of an Employee.

“Working from Home” involves employees undertaking work related tasks away from a Council workplace under a formal agreement.

Policy Statement

Council recognises that promoting flexible working arrangements has mutual benefits in that Council stands to gain by attracting and retaining skilled employees, thereby maximising productivity.

Council anticipates that benefits of working from home arrangements may include higher productivity due to:

· fewer interruptions;

· less absenteeism; and

· increased motivation and job satisfaction.

Employees wishing to work from home must apply to the CEO, or his or her delegate. Council will endeavour to accommodate Employees' requests for Working from Home Arrangements.

The Council workplace is the primary place of work, however, and Working from Home Arrangements will only be approved in certain circumstances.

Guidelines

Application for a Working from Home Arrangement

An employee must lodge a written application for a Working from Home Arrangement with his or her supervisor.

The application should include:

· explanation of the reason for the request;

· suggested hours of work;

· details of the Home Office to be used (including photos); and

· details of the work equipment that is available, or required, for performance of the Duties.

Assessment of an application for a Working from Home Arrangement

Each Working from Home application will be considered on a case by case basis. Council will not, however, unreasonably refuse to accommodate a request for a Working from Home Arrangement.

Only the CEO (or his or her delegate) may approve a request for a Working from Home Arrangement, in consultation with the relevant Supervisor.

Where a Working from Home Arrangement has been requested, Council will consider the following factors when deciding whether to approve the request:

· whether some or all of the Duties of the position are suitable to be performed offsite;

· whether conducting some or all of the Duties of the position offsite would unreasonably disrupt the flow of work and communication (for example, research or report writing);

· the extent to which supervision and/or input is required from other staff only available on Council worksites;

· the proportion of activities which require face to face contact with other staff and the public and the potential impact (if any) on service delivery (for example, customer service);

· the ability of the employee to access relevant resources, secure/confidential information or equipment to undertake the Duties of the position when working offsite;

· the impact of the Working from Home Arrangement on other employees;

· the availability of security measures in place for equipment and documentation that an employee requires to perform the Duties offsite;

· the reasons for the employee's request for Working from Home Arrangements;

· the employee’s ability to demonstrate that he/she has a suitable and safe Home Office;

· the requirements of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), equal opportunity legislation and occupational health and safety legislation; and

· any other relevant matters.

Response to an application for a Working from Home Arrangement

Council will provide a written response to an employee's request for a Working from Home Arrangement within 21 days, stating whether Council grants or refuses the request.

Where a request for a Working from Home Arrangement is not approved, the employee shall be informed in writing of the reasons for refusal.

Without limiting the circumstances in which Council may not approve a request, working from Home Arrangements may not be suitable for positions that:

· are unsuitable having regard to the factors listed above;

· require a high degree of supervision or close scrutiny;

· require direct face to face contact with other staff or customers;

· require the employee to service public or Council facilities or assets; or

· have other characteristics which Council deems make them unsuitable for Working from Home.

Agreement – If a Working from Home Arrangement application is approved

If the CEO (or his or her delegate) approves a Working from Home Arrangement, Council and the employee must enter into an Agreement before the Working from Home Arrangement can commence.

The Agreement is a separate agreement that formalises the Working from Home Arrangement.

The Agreement must include:

· location/establishment of the Home Office;

· equipment (for example, whether it is to be provided by Council or the employee);

· hours of work and rest breaks;

· access arrangements;

· process for termination of the Working from Home Arrangement;

· arrangements to ensure communication/involvement in the workplace;

· confirmation of Council approval and the signature of Council's delegate and the employee;

· timeframe for review of the Agreement, noting that an Agreement must be reviewed by the relevant Supervisor three (3) months after it commences (to evaluate its success and ongoing suitability) and then no less than every six (6) months subsequently;

· the maximum duration of the Working from Home Arrangement and provision for the Arrangement to be varied or terminated earlier by Council or the employee upon four (4) weeks' notice by either party; and

· any other relevant matters.

Prior to the Agreement commencing:

· the relevant Supervisor, in consultation with Human Resources, must ensure that a site inspection of the Home Office is undertaken. As a result of the site inspection he/she must be satisfied that the site inspection shows the Home Office (including access and location) is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risk to health; and

· Human Resources must ensure the employee is provided with information in relation to the ergonomic assessed based at their normal worksite location in order that the employee is aware of the ergonomic set up requirements for their home office.

Responsibilities

1. Council

Council is required to provide and maintain as far as reasonably practicable a safe, healthy and secure workplace for all employees. This obligation extends to employees who are provided with approval to work from home.

Council will, so far as reasonably practicable, make available to Employees on Agreements:

· access to occupational health and safety training, advice and assistance as required; and

· the opportunity to participate in employee health and wellbeing activities.

2. Employees

When Working from Home under an Agreement, employees must:

· take all reasonable steps to ensure the home is a safe work environment and is free, to the extent practicable, from risks to health and safety;

· take all reasonable steps not to expose any person, including household members and visitors to the home or Home Office, to a risk either during or outside the time employees are performing their Duties at home;

· ensure, to the extent reasonably practicable that:

· hazards in the Home Office are eliminated or minimised;

· duties carried out do not expose the employee or a third party to a risk to their health and safety;

· a site inspection has been completed;

· ensure all work performed for Council at home is performed in the Home Office, or other authorised home workplace;

· cooperate with Council to ensure that the requirements of applicable occupational health and safety legislation and regulations and Council's policies and procedures are met. An employee must, among other things:

· implement any improvements or modifications to the Home Office where required by Council; and

· comply with all safety procedures and directions of Council;

· when asked to do so by Council, permit either a qualified person engaged by Council or appropriate officers of Council to enter the home and inspect the home and Home Office. Access may only occur within normal working hours;

· immediately notify Council of any work related accident, injury, illness or disease arising out of Duties performed when Working from Home as soon as possible;

· if a work related accident, injury, illness or disease occurs as a result of the employee's performance of the Duties, provide WorkSafe (or any other regulatory body) and Council with access to the Home Office and/or the home (including any other authorised home workplace) to enable an investigation of the incident or cause of the claim and the taking of any corrective action;

· maintain at their own cost any equipment owned by an employee used to perform the Duties, unless otherwise determined by Council;

· ensure equipment supplied by Council is used exclusively by the employee and must not be connected to a computer network outside of Council's network;

· at all times, comply with Council's policies, including (but not limited to) Council's:

· Occupational Health and Safety Policies;

· Human Resources policies, including but not restricted to: Bullying/Equal Opportunity/Discrimination/Sexual Harassment Policy, and, Performance Management policy;

· I.T. Policies;

· Code of Conduct;

· Information Privacy Policies;

· Business Continuity, Fraud Prevention and Risk Management policies; and

· Procurement policy.

· if unable to perform the Duties due to illness or carer's responsibilities while Working from Home, notify his/her supervisor in accordance with the provisions of Council’s Leave policy.

3. Other matters

The cost associated with allocation of a personal computer (PC) and/or purchase of a new PC for an employee's use to perform the Duties in the Home Office shall be borne by the relevant Council department. Claims for reimbursement of other work related expenses will be considered on a case by case basis.

Normal eligibility criteria for acceptance of a worker’s injury claim will be applied by Council’s WorkSafe Authorised Insurer for Employees who are injured in the course of performing the Duties under an Agreement.

An Agreement may be suspended if an Employee submits a worker’s injury claim and/or where a return to work arrangement is in place.

The usual terms and conditions of employment will continue to apply to the Working from Home Arrangement.

4. Termination

Either the Employee or Council may terminate the Agreement at any time upon (4) weeks' notice by either party.

Where Council terminates the Agreement, Council will provide written notice including reasons for the termination of the Agreement.

Furthermore, the Agreement may also be terminated in circumstances where:

· a workers' compensation claim made by the employee arising from work performed when Working from Home has been accepted by the relevant authority;

· a Return to Work Program in accordance with legislation is in place;

· where medical evidence indicates the Employee is unfit to work.

5. Documents

Human Resources are responsible for retaining all documentation concerned with Working from Home Arrangements, in line with the Local Government Records Management Disposal Schedule.

References

Legislation

This policy was developed in accord with the following legislation:

§ Fair Work Act 2009

§ Fair Work Regulations 2009

§ Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004

§ Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007

§ Federal and Victorian anti-discrimination legislation.

Documents

This policy was developed in accord with the following documents:

§ Buloke Shire Council Enterprise Agreement No.5 2011

§ Buloke Shire Council Code of Conduct

§ Buloke Shire Council Grievance policy

§ Buloke Shire Council Manual Handling policy

§ Buloke Shire Council Equal Opportunity policy

§ Buloke Shire Council Performance Management policy

§ Buloke Shire Council Occupational Health and Safety policy

§ Buloke Shire Council Leave policy

§ Buloke Shire Council Electronic Communication policy

§ Buloke Shire Council Information Security policy

§ Buloke Shire Council Records Management policy

§ Buloke Shire Council Return to Work policy

§ Buloke Shire Council Diversity Management policy

Project Summaries

Investing in Regional Growth	Project Cost	Funding Required	Enabling Infrastructure	Project Cost	Funding Required
Bendigo Regional Indoor Aquatic Centre	$30 million (funding committed $10 M)	$20 M	Bendigo Airport New Runway	$15 M (funding sourced and committed $10 M)	$5 M
Mildura Riverfront Development - Stage Two	$20.5 M	$20.5 M	Mildura Heavy Vehicle Bypass	$22.4 M	$22.4 M
Strengthening our Small Towns	$5.1 M (funding committed $765,000)	$1.53 M	Bendigo Growth Corridor infrastructure upgrades	$25-28 M	$25-28 M
Ongoing Development of the ‘Go Goldfields’ Approach	$2.75 M	$2 M	Echuca Moama Bridge River Crossing	$200-250 M	$200-250 M
Mobile Phone and Device Blackspots Connectivity Assessment	$200,000	$200,000	Upgrade Regional Passenger Lines Project 1) Dual track operation Project 2) Electronic signalling	$50 M $20 M	$50 M $20 M
Calder Corridor Growth Project	$150,000	$150,000	Transcontinental Rail Link Feasibility Study	$3 M	$3 M
La Trobe University Bendigo Student Residential Accommodation	$24 M (funding committed $3.3 M	$20.7 M
Investing in Tourism	Project Cost	Funding Required	Growing Food and Agriculture	Project Cost	Funding Required
Heartbeat of the Murray Experience and Swan Hill Riverfront	$3 M (funding committed $1 million)	$2 M	Mildura and North West Rail Upgrade	$40 M	$40 M
Koondrook Wharf	$2 M (funding committed $500,000)	$1.5 M	Innovative Farming Implementation Plan	$20 M	$20 M
Port of Echuca Revitalisation - Phase Two	$2 M	$2 M	Growing Mallee Farming Through Knowledge	$500,000 (funding committed $50,000)	$450,000
Hanging Rock Development - Stage Two	$8.5 M	$8.5 M	Improving Farm Profitability	$650,000	$650,000
Ride Goldfields – Redevelopment of the Goldfields Track	$220,000	$190,000	Boosting Agriculture in the Victorian Mallee With Pulses, Crops & Pastures	$1.025 M (funding committed $275,220)	$750,500

1. Investing in Regional Growth

Rounded Rectangle: An extra 80,000 people will be living in the Loddon Mallee by 2031 bringing the total population to 394,500. To realise this opportunity, we need investment in infrastructure, services and facilities to support the needs of a dynamic and prosperous population.
Investing in regional growth will sustain the standards of living in our regional cities, centres and small towns.

Bendigo and Mildura are two of Victoria’s regional cities targeted for growth. Bookending the Loddon Mallee region, they play a pivotal role in supporting the health, education and employment needs of our region’s residents. In the next 20 years, Bendigo is projected to grow to 140,000 people and Mildura is projected to grow to 64,000 people.

Investment will enhance the role of these major regional service hubs to meet the evolving needs of residents and businesses in our smaller communities across our vast catchment.

Our small towns have an important role in the region’s growth story, offering a breadth of housing, employment and lifestyle opportunities. To ensure they are positioned to realise opportunities we must support them to overcome challenges including decreasing and ageing populations. As well as expanding opportunities to deliver health, education and other key services to our small towns; telecommunications connectivity and continuity of access for mobile phone and tablet users will provide critical support for the growth of regional businesses and economies.

Pockets of regional, socio-economic disadvantage require investment in innovative programs that build work readiness through increasing positive participation in learning and employment. Addressing socio-economic disadvantage in our region will support improved health and wellbeing outcomes in our communities and underpin economic growth.

Supporting in community leadership programs, such as the Loddon Murray and Northern Mallee Leadership, is critical to enhancing community participation and advocacy.

Actively planning for the future growth of the region, we are working to secure investment in longer term projects including upgrading the Mildura Airport Runway and improving passenger services between Echuca and Bendigo.

Priority Projects

Mildura Riverfront Development – Stage Two

The Mildura Riverfront Development is a game-changing initiative for Mildura, which aims to establish Mildura as Victoria’s most significant inland river city. Stage Two of this large-scale development comprises a new Visitor Information Centre; a new riverfront park area, community and exhibition spaces; retail, food and beverage areas; initial phases for residential development; and a feasibility study and business case for a new Indigenous Interpretation Centre. Investment in Stage Two will create more than 150 EFT jobs and $22.3M in economic impact from increases in visitation and tourism. This project is identified in Victoria’s Regional Tourism Strategy 2013-2016.

Stage Two project cost: $20.5M. Funding required: $20.5M. Project Owner: Mildura Rural City Council, in partnership with RDV. Contact: Mark Henderson I 5018 8100

Ongoing Development of the Go Goldfields Approach

The Go Goldfields approach is overcoming complex, longstanding social issues in one of Victoria’s most disadvantaged communities where previous solutions have not worked. The project is an alliance of social support agencies who work together to deliver innovative early childhood development services which include speech therapy, literacy and numeracy, and maternal and child health.

Since 2011, there has been a statistically significant improvement in school attendance in primary school and reading levels of prep students and year 3 across the shire. Other areas such as requests for placement of children, the development of parenting confidence and skills, children classified as developmentally vulnerable, social competence and emotional maturity and language and literacy levels are all trending positively.

For every child who is prevented from going into care, who stays at school and develops the social, language and literacy skills to obtain employment, the public purse saves $745,000 over the course of the person’s lifetime (Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare). The Go Goldfields approach will achieve long-term economic and social savings for government.

The approach being developed is transferrable to other rural communities across Victoria and Australia, providing an evidence base on how to maximise strengths and address weaknesses, assisting those communities to strengthen families, tackle language and literacy skills, connect youth to education and training and to achieve employment as well as providing a template for tackling other social issues dependent on the needs of the community.

Total project cost: $2.74M Funding required: $2M

Owner: Central Goldfields Shire. Contact: Mark Johnston I 5461 0610

Bendigo Regional Indoor Aquatic Centre

Aquatic facilities in Greater Bendigo are outdated and inadequate for the size, age profile and health status of the region’s population. The Greater Bendigo population has a high proportion of older population and some of the highest levels of obesity and chronic disease in Victoria.

The proposed state of the art regional indoor aquatic facility will provide critically needed, affordable and accessible aquatic facilities that meet the needs of the a modern regional city. The centre provide also will drive economic activity and tourist visitation through hosting regional, state and national swimming competitions at its new FINA standard competition pool.

Total project cost: $30M Funding committed: $10M (COGB)

Funding required: $20M Owner: City of Greater Bendigo. Contact: Craig Niemann I 5434 6000

Mobile Phone and Device Blackspots Connectivity Assessment.

Continuous mobile connectivity is crucial to our region, particularly our smaller communities. It underpins resilience and growth by delivering critical health and education services, greater productivity and competitiveness for businesses, and social connection and efficient emergency management in our communities.

This project involves an independent assessment of the location and extent of black spot areas in the region, providing vital evidence to support an application to the Federal Government's Regional Backbone Blackspots Program and will strengthen the region’s position to negotiate with major mobile telco companies to increase the number of mobile towers which will strengthen the regional economy. The Loddon Mallee Regional Growth Plans recognise the importance of telecommunications to driving regional growth.

Total project cost: $200,000 Funding required: $200,000

Owner: iLoddonMallee. Contact: Bruce Winzar I 5434 1000

Strengthening our Small Towns

This suite of infrastructure projects will support the resilience and economic diversification of some of our most vulnerable communities, many of which have been impacted by the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

Focused on developing and enhancing water-based recreation and tourism infrastructure, these projects will assist communities to leverage their natural features, enhance liveability and boost tourism visitation and expenditure. These projects complement the other river-front tourism projects within the Investing in Tourism stream.

Projects costs: Cohuna Ski Run Development ($400,000), Lake Charm/ Kangaroo Lake Foreshore ($400,000) Lake Boort Tourist Precinct ($1.3M), Bridgewater Foreshore Redevelopment ($1.5M), and Mildura Rowing Club ($1.5M).

Total project cost: $5.1M. Funding committed: $765,000 (local government) Funding required: $1.53M (State Government)

Owner: Murray River Group of Councils. Contact: John McLinden I 5494 1200

La Trobe University Bendigo Student Residential Accommodation

Provision of affordable and accessible accommodation for young people leaving home to attend regional universities is a key factor in facilitating higher education participation and boosting workforce development in rural areas.

Regional universities create an important workforce pipeline enabling rural people to train in rural areas and then continue to live and work in rural communities. Investment in the construction of 200 affordable studio apartments at the La Trobe University Bendigo campus responds to the needs of students to access affordable education and housing. Tenancy priority will be given to students with low-socio economic status, Indigenous status, or with evidence of special needs. The Loddon Mallee Regional Growth Plans recognises the importance of the development of the La Trobe University precinct.

Stage 1: 200 beds Total project cost: $24M Funding committed: $3.3M (La Trobe University) Funding required: $20.7M (Federal - $15,526,000 over 10 years; State - $5.174M upfront or subsidy per unit over 10 years) For detail on Stages 2 and 3 refer project owner. Owner: La Trobe University. Contact: Robert Stephenson I 5444 7915

Calder Corridor Growth Project

The Loddon Mallee South Regional Growth Plan identifies Harcourt as a key location to accommodate projected population growth in the region. Strategically located in the Calder Corridor, just 20 minutes from Bendigo, Harcourt has already benefited from town centre and open space improvements through implementation of the Harcourt Town Centre Master Plan (2009).

To facilitate the considerable projected population growth, further planning work is now required to identify necessary services and infrastructure.

Total Project Cost: $150,000, Funding Required: $150,000, Owner: Mount Alexander Shire. Contact: Phil Rowland I 5471 1700

2. Enabling Infrastructure

Rounded Rectangle: Moving people and goods around Victoria’s largest geographic region, which represents more than 25% of the state, presents a cost and a challenge for business and the region’s workforce. Investing in enabling infrastructure will underpin industry growth and efficiency, increase road safety and strengthen the regional economy.

The Loddon Mallee region is strategically located along important intrastate and interstate transport routes, putting it in a strong position to deliver products to port and leverage increasing global demand, particularly from Asia.

Investment in infrastructure is needed to unlock barriers to industry growth and to enhance productivity, allowing us to further grow our $6.903 billion export industry.

Targeted upgraded rail and intermodal infrastructure will enable our region to capitalise on our role as a major food and fibre centre, ensuring we remain competitive, meet the needs of industry and population, and respond to emerging global opportunities.

Our major regional cities, Bendigo and Mildura, service a growing and ageing population across a vast catchment. To meet the needs of our growing population and ensure people and businesses can get where they need to go, when they need to get there, we must improve and update our road, rail and airport infrastructure and services.

The region is also working to secure investment in longer term priorities including the Transcontinental Rail Link which will connect freight directly to east and west Australian ports, increasing exports and competitiveness. Investment in maintenance of existing rail infrastructure for reliable connectivity is fundamental to maintaining freight efficiency.

Actively planning for the sustainable growth of the region, we are working to secure investment in longer term projects including the New Swan Hill Bridge Crossing, Tooleybuc Bridge Crossing, and rollout of the program to deliver natural gas to Murray River communities.

Priority Projects

Mildura Heavy Vehicle Bypass

Bisected by the Sturt Highway, Mildura is a key food and agriculture processing hub with nationally strategic transport routes servicing freight movement to processing facilities and to markets. This project will create safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades along Mildura’s existing two-way local and state roads, reducing conflict and increasing safety in the city’s residential and tourist areas. Stage One of the project will deliver intersection treatments such as roundabouts and duplication of parts of this truck by-pass. This project is identified in the Central Murray Transport Strategy.

Stage One project cost: $22.4M Funding required: $22.4M

Owner: Mildura Rural City Council. Contact: Mark Henderson I 5018 8100

Bendigo Airport New Runway

The current runway has very restricted capacity, is in poor condition and does not adequately service the various economic, industry and transit needs of a major, expanding regional city such as Bendigo. A new Bendigo Airport runway is vital to the ongoing function and continued growth of Greater Bendigo as a major service centre for the region. The new runway will underpin increased investment and economic diversification in the city and the region; strengthen tourism; boost business productivity and competitiveness; stimulate new businesses; enable expanded commercial and passenger aircraft operations; and support the distribution of speciality health services, staff and patients to and from locations across the region. This project is noted as a key initiative in delivering the Loddon Mallee South Regional Growth Plan.

Total project cost: $15M. Funding committed: $5M (State) and $5 M (COGB). Funding required: $5M. Owner: City of Greater Bendigo. Contact: Craig Niemann I 5434 6000

Bendigo Growth Corridor Infrastructure Upgrades

The Greater Bendigo population is expected to increase by 50,000 people in the next 20 years, and currently some 51,000 people are employed in Bendigo. The urban environment is under pressure to accommodate increased transport movement.

Improvements to transport infrastructure in Bendigo’s growth corridor are needed to support the expanding population and increased transport movements.

This much needed package of sustainable works is targeted at redevelopment of the White Hills to Huntly section of the Midland Highway Corridor and planning and preliminary works for the Calder Highway Corridor to Maiden Gully which includes: road capacity improvements, safety measures to avoid conflict between freight and passenger vehicles and support for more active and public transport within Bendigo.

Total project cost: $25-30M Funding required: $25-30M

Owner: City of Greater Bendigo. Contact: Craig Niemann I 5434 6000

Echuca Moama Bridge River Crossing

Substantial increases in tourist traffic, freight and population growth as well as the increased freight load requirements of new higher mass limited trucks, has created the need for a second Echuca-Moama Bridge Crossing. Many freight vehicles are forced to either use a longer route or switch to a less efficient older-style truck.

Construction of the second Echuca Moama bridge will deliver improved efficiency and reliability for freight transport, including modern freight vehicles, and will improve safety and convenience for all road users. This project is identified in Victoria’s 2012 Priority Infrastructure Submission to Infrastructure Australia.

Total project cost: $ 200-300M. Funding has been committed by NSW State Government. Funding required: $ 200-300M

Owner: Campaspe Shire Council. Contact: Keith Baillie I 5481 2200

Transcontinental Rail Link (TCRL) Feasibility Study

The Transcontinental Rail Link feasibility study is the crucial first phase of the Rail Link, providing the evidence base for construction. The Transcontinental Rail Link will provide an alternative rail route for container traffic interstate from Melbourne to Perth and Darwin, while creating rail access for mineral resource in the Mildura-Broken Hill region. By providing substantial efficiency and productivity gains for regional and national businesses, the rail link will contribute significantly to their global competiveness. The tri-state feasibility study will assess the whole of the supply chain and include all major transport corridors both road and rail.

This project is identified in Victoria’s 2012 Priority Infrastructure Submission to Infrastructure Australia.

Total project cost: $3M Funding required: $3M

Owner: Murray River Group of Councils. Contact: Mark Henderson I 5018 8100

Upgrade Regional Passenger Lines

The patronage of the Bendigo VLine service has increased to 1.25M trips in the last 5 years. To meet economic and population demands investment in capacity improvements on the Bendigo, Swan Hill and Echuca railway lines is needed. This project reflects the significance of Bendigo as a work destination for a growing number of commuters from Gisborne, Woodend, Kyneton, Malmsbury and Castlemaine; a major health service hub; and increasingly a University destination of choice for students from Melbourne’s north-western suburbs.

This project will position the region to take advantage of the increased service opportunities presented by Regional Rail Link. A single track between Bendigo and Kyneton and outdated signalling systems prevent any increase to existing services.

This project is identified as an implementation priority in the Loddon Mallee South Regional Growth Plan.

Total project cost and funding required: $70M

Project 1: Dual track operation between Kyneton & Bendigo $50M

Project 2: Electronic signalling between Bendigo & Epsom $2M

Owner: Railing Ahead stakeholder group (auspiced by Loddon Mallee RDA). Contact: Phil Rowland I 5471 1700

3. Investing in Tourism

Rounded Rectangle: The Loddon Mallee tourism industry currently employs 6,460 people and contributes $262.026 million in salaries into the economy. To achieve sustainable industry growth we need investment in high quality visitor experiences that leverage the value of iconic natural assets and result in increased private investment.

Tourism is a key contributor to economic growth and employment in the Loddon Mallee region. In 2012-2013, tourism contributed an output of $1.034 billion to the region’s economy.

Each year, the region records some 7.7M visitor trips* to the area’s rich natural and cultural assets, including our rivers and waterways, forests and parks, food and wine and our unique heritage attractions. Our rich environmental and heritage assets provide opportunities to drive iconic and compelling tourism stories, particularly focused on the Murray River, and the internationally significant Goldfields Region.

To capitalise on our strategic advantages and recent investments, as well as to ensure continued economic benefits for our region, we must update and enhance some of our most popular tourist attractions.

Targeted new tourism infrastructure, services and planning are also needed in some locations to link into existing attractions and provide a more streamlined and enriched visitor experience.

Recognised in our Regional Strategic Plans as a significant opportunity to assist some of our more vulnerable rural towns, well-planned and resourced tourism infrastructure has the potential to deliver diversification opportunities to traditionally agriculturally dependent communities.

Actively planning to grow tourism in the region, we are working to secure investment in longer term projects including development of a conference centre for Echuca-Moama, the Murray River Adventure Trail, Gunbower Lagoons and Kerang Lakes.

*(The Loddon Mallee Region comprises Mallee, Bendigo Loddon, Central Murray, Macedon and Wimmera tourist regions. Number of visitor trips is includes domestic day, domestic overnight, international).

Priority Projects

Heartbeat of the Murray Experience and Swan Hill Riverfront

This project will deliver a world class laser and sound show at the historic Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement. A key contribution to diversifying the economy of the Swan Hill region, the project will generate economic benefits, including the attraction of an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 additional visitors per annum by 2020 and a total projected economic impact from increased visitor expenditure of some $6M per year (excluding additional private investment and job creation). This project is an identified priority in the Murray Region Product Gap Analysis and Tourism Development Plan.

Total project cost: $3M Funding committed: $1M (Swan Hill Council, industry and community) Funding required: $2M

Owner: Swan Hill Rural City Council. Contact: Dean Miller I 5036 2333

Ride Goldfields - Redevelopment of the Goldfields Track

The Goldfields Track is a unique 210 km trail travelling through diverse and scenic landscapes between Bendigo and Ballarat via the picturesque goldfield townships of Castlemaine, Hepburn, Daylesford and Creswick. In order to unlock the Track’s considerable potential as a major attraction for the growing soft adventure tourism market segment, track upgrades and enhancements are urgently needed. The suite of upgrade works will include: track surface improvements, new and enhanced signage and identification of alternative trail routes.

The Victorian Cycle Tourism Strategy 2011-2015 estimates that $362M was contributed to the Victorian economy in 2010 by cycling. The upgrade of the Goldfields Track will encourage visitors to explore the region; increase their length of stay; and leverage complementary Goldfields tourism offerings including boutique tourism along the route.

The Goldfields Track was a product development priority of the Goldfields, Australia's Premier Heritage Region Scoping Study, 2012.

Total Project Cost: $220,000 Funding Required: $190,000 Owner: Goldfields Tourism Inc. in partnership with Victorian Goldfields Tourism Executive, Bendigo Regional Tourism, Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges Tourism Board and Ballarat Regional Tourism Owners: Bendigo Tourism Board of Management and Ballarat Regional Tourism. (Lead: Mount Alexander Shire Council)

Contact: Phil Rowland I 5471 1700

Port of Echuca Revitalisation - Phase Two

The Port of Echuca is the focus of tourism in Echuca-Moama and is a core component of the Ports of the Murray River Strategic Initiative. This project will see the continued revitalisation of the Port of Echuca, including: constructing improved mooring, landscaping and viewing areas and enhancing the Port’s Discovery Centre area including establishment of the Cargo Shed on Echuca Wharf as a unique event/exhibition venue.

As well as protecting existing jobs in the area, completion of the project will create 36 ongoing jobs and 30 construction-phase jobs, injecting an additional $4M into the local economy and attracting an additional 22,000 visitors per annum. Development of river ports is identified as a priority in Victoria’s Regional Tourism Strategy 2013-2016.

Total project cost: $2M Funding required: $2 M

Owner: Campaspe Shire Council. Contact: Keith Baillie I 5481 2200

Hanging Rock Development – Stage Two

Hanging Rock, a unique and iconic tourism asset located in Macedon Ranges Shire, is a major economic and tourism driver for the region. In 2009/10, it injected $275M into the Macedon Ranges economy and currently supports an estimated 50 full-time equivalent jobs.

Stage Two of the Hanging Rock Development will deliver the essential infrastructure upgrades needed to enhance basic services and support continued attraction of visitors and large scale events. The upgrades are a critical step in strengthening potential future investments required to implement the Hanging Rock Development and Investment Plan. Works will include; upgrades to the Discovery Centre and public toilets, walking paths, conservation area improvements, car parking and storm water upgrades and enhanced pest, plant and animal management.

Total project cost: $8.5M Funding required: $8.5M

Owner: Macedon Ranges Shire. Contact: Peter Johnston I 5422 0333

Koondrook Wharf Construction

By enabling paddle steamers to berth at Koondrook and linking in with the major riverfront investments at Mildura, Swan Hill and Echuca, the construction of the Wharf will bring substantial economic and community benefits to the small rural community that has been impacted by the Murray Darling Basin Plan. The project, which is part of the Ports of the Murray River Strategy (2013), will increase visitation, economic diversification and contribute to building a thriving village. This project is an identified priority in the Murray Region Product Gap Analysis and Tourism Development Plan.

Total project cost: $2M Funding committed: $500,000 (Gannawarra Shire) Funding required: $1.5M Owner: Gannawarra Shire Council. Contact: Jason Russell I 5450 9333

4. Growing Food and Agriculture

Rounded Rectangle: Loddon Mallee is the largest contributor to regional agricultural output in the state. Contributing an industry output of $1.957 billion or 15% of the state’s output in 2012-2013, investment is needed to maintain and grow the region’s role as an important food bowl for domestic and export markets.

An established food bowl of state and national significance, the Loddon Mallee region has the highest agricultural output of Victoria’s regions. Underpinning our substantial and well-established food processing industries, agricultural production in our region spans irrigated dairy and horticulture, as well as large scale dryland cropping and grazing. Agriculture and associated food processing industries are leading contributors to our economy with an output of approximately $5.43 billion or 19.3 % of our region’s total 2012-2013 output.

Our region has significant comparative advantages focused on:

- our strategic location - enabling road travel to Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney within one day;

- the substantial ($123M) investment in our region’s irrigation infrastructure which is underpinning increased productivity in our agriculture and food processing sectors;

- our progressive, active and innovative industry extension and research groups; and

- our high number of sunlight hours.

These key competitive advantages can be further leveraged to generate significant regional benefit.

In recent years, the region has been under increasing pressure as it faces a series of unprecedented challenges including a high Australian dollar; increasing competition from low-cost overseas producers and processors; demand fluctuations; climate change; and substantial changes to water allocation. The north of the region also has considerable freight infrastructure challenges, particularly related to rail gauge incompatibility and the condition of road infrastructure.

Investment in critical freight infrastructure; in continued research, development and planning; and, in supporting our region’s farmers with timely and effective information is vital to leverage our existing comparative advantages in the agricultural and food-processing sectors and to facilitate further investment and growth.

The priority projects underpin the modernisation of agriculture across the region, and position the region for the next wave of development that will create jobs and investment by strengthening supply chains; unlocking export potential; and enhancing the resilience, knowledge-base and innovation of our agricultural sector.

Actively planning to grow the region’s export capacity and secure the future of productive agriculture, we are working on long-term priorities including: implementation of the Transcontinental Rail Link, developing an intermodal hub in the Northern Loddon Mallee, and establishing a food industry cluster.

Priority Projects

Mildura and North West Rail Upgrade

The Mildura rail line is the busiest rail freight line in north western Victoria. The Mildura and North West Rail Upgrade will strengthen and diversify the region’s economy by providing the necessary efficient transport to support the growing mineral sands sector and for agriculture exports from the Murray Basin region.

The upgrade to the existing broad gauge rail lines is urgently required to enhance reliability, speed and efficiency to and from ports and to reduce road congestion and conflict with urban vehicles. The project strongly aligns with the State government priorities to shift freight from road to rail.

Total project cost: $40M. Funding required: $40M.

Owner: Railing Ahead stakeholder group (auspiced by Loddon Mallee RDA). Contact: David Leahy I 5036 2333

Innovative Farming Implementation Plan

This project will underpin the modernisation of agriculture across the Loddon Mallee region by assisting more than 2,000 farmers to develop enterprise business plans which will assist them to make informed decisions about connecting to the modernisation of the Goulburn-Murray Water irrigation backbone. The plans aim to assist farmers to: increase productivity; prove alternative crops, new technologies and farming practices; attract new investment and retain farmers in the region. The project is expected to deliver an estimated $50 million per year increase in gross production value and lead to the creation of an additional 250 jobs in the region.

Project total: $20M. Funding required: $20 M. ($4M per year over 5 years). Owner: North Central CMA (leading a consortium comprising give local governments, the Goulburn Broken CMA, Goulburn-Murray water, La Trobe University and other state government authorities). Contact: Damien Wells I 5440 1846

Growing Mallee Farming Through Knowledge

In today's modern farming knowledge is money. This innovative web portal will provide farmers access to up to date information about Mallee soils and farming productively, profitably and sustainably.

The website will be at the cutting edge of providing landholders with access to regionally specific and relevant information through a streamlined and user friendly portal.

Project total: $500,000. Funding committed: $50,000. Funding required: $450,000 ($150,000 per year over 3 years) Owner: Mallee CMA and farming systems groups. Contact: Jennifer Collins I 5051 4377

Improving Farm Profitability

Soil erosion and low productivity are major impediments to the profitability and sustainability of farms in the Mallee region. This project will centre on improved protection of natural resources to prevent soil erosion and loss of soil productivity; increased amount/variety of food produced in the region for domestic and export markets; and increased landholder knowledge maximising soil productivity. The project will engage landholders across the Mallee region of Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

Project total: $650,000. Funding required: $650,000. ($250,000 per year for years 1 and 2; and $150,000 for year 3) Owner: Mallee Sustainable Farming. Contact: Gemma Walker/5021 9100

Boosting Agriculture in the Mallee With Pulses, Crops and Pastures

For farmers in the Mallee region to remain economically viable into the future, they need to maximise efficiencies and grow high quality crops. Nitrogen is often the key to this, with landholders applying nitrogen fertiliser at ever increasing costs, eating into their bottom-line. Using the right pulse crops and pastures in the farming system to grow nitrogen reduces fertiliser application, making it both environmentally sustainable and an economical win for landholders.

This project will trial agronomic and management practices that grow nitrogen. This will provide dryland farmers with reliable and locally relevant information and tools to increase their soil nitrogen without spending more and more money on fertiliser. This project will also extend outside the region maximising efficiencies with landholders in both the New South Wales and South Australian Mallee regions.

Project total: $1,025,220 Funding committed $275,220 Funding required: $750,500 ($250,000 per year over 3 years) Owner: Mallee Sustainable Farming with Mallee CMA. Contact: Gemma Walker/5021 9100

Regional Planning Framework

Effective regional development strikes the balance between long term strategic planning and active implementation. To assist our region to achieve this balance, we have developed a Regional Planning Framework that allows us to develop long-term transformational strategy, while at the same time pursuing those things that will make a difference to our communities in the next two to three years. The Loddon Mallee Regional Planning Framework, which is underpinned by broad engagement with stakeholders comprises:

Regional Strategic Plans (15-20 year horizon)

The Regional Strategic Plans provide the vision and strategic directions to guide thinking and inform the allocation of effort and resources. The Plans also provide a context for monitoring regional performance against a range of indicators. Two years in development, with input from business, community and government leaders, the Plans were released in 2010.

Regional Change Strategies (5-10 year horizon)

Regional Change Strategies map strategic issues and opportunities to establish an understanding and develop and promote the levers to influence change in the region.

Investment Prospectus (1-5 year horizon)

The Investment Prospectus highlights projects that support the achievement of the Regional Strategic Plans and Regional Change Strategies. The Prospectus is updated annually to capture progress and showcase new opportunities arising from the long-term strategic planning being undertaken by the region. The Investment Prospectus has been organised around four streams: Investing in Regional Growth, Enabling Infrastructure, Investing in Tourism, and Growing Food and Agriculture. These streams are reflective of the key drivers of development and are consistent with the region's vision.

2014 Investment Prospectus - Priority Streams align with		2010 Regional Strategic Plans - Strategic Directions

Investing in Regional Growth An extra 80,000 people will be living in the region by 2031.		Strengthen our settlements and communities, especially our small towns Strengthen and diversify our economy Improve education and training outcomes Manage our population growth and settlements

Enabling Infrastructure Victoria’s largest geographic region – representing more than 25% of the state.		Improve our infrastructure Strengthen our settlements and communities, especially our small towns Resolve our cross-border issues Manage our population growth and settlements

Investing in Tourism Regional tourism currently employs 6460 people and contributes more than $262 million in salaries into the economy		Strengthen and diversify our economy Strengthen our settlements and communities, especially our small towns Protect and enhance our natural and built environment

Growing Food and Agriculture Producing an output of $1.957 billion per annum.		Balance our irrigation, amenity and environmental water needs Strengthen our settlements and communities, especially our small towns Strengthen and diversify our economy

Buloke Shire Council Ordinary Meeting Minutes Wednesday, 12 March 2014

7.2.2 Response to 2014 Loddon Mallee Prospectus Draft

Attachment 2 Buloke Shire Council Response

Comments on - Loddon Mallee Region Investment Prospectus 2014

Buloke Shire Council

We appreciate the opportunity to comment on the 2014 prospectus. We congratulate the RDA and RDV on this initiative and the work that has been done in prioritising projects that address regional needs and opportunities.

While much of the prospectus continues to focus on the larger regional centres and the Murray River corridor, agriculture and food product manufacturing continue to be key economic drivers of the region. It is notable that the previous iterations of the regional plan have focused on important issues such as transport, community wellbeing and addressing the transformations confronting our smaller rural townships. It must be said that it has taken some time to address the future of agriculture in a substantial way. The projects identified below are an excellent start but much more remains to be done.

The opportunity to focus on critical food security issues tied to the productivity and viability of the region’s broadacre primary producers and the recognition that the region’s capacity to transition from a strong reliance on irrigation to successful adaptation of dryland farming to the imperatives of a changing climate may well determine the prospects for the region.

Loddon Mallee North is about 45,000 square kilometres in size. Buloke Shire represents some 18% of this area. while the Murray River is seen as the the ‘lifeblood’ of the region, which is a major food producer for Victoria, Australia and export markets with some 12% of the state agriculture export dollars. Buloke represents some 11% of the region’s output. Buloke is a highly productive dry land broadacre Agricultural community.

In order to ensure Buloke’s ongoing contribution to the economic and strategic strength of region, the following projects represent aspects that address the challenges and opportunities identified as critical to building on the region’s strengths.

Mobile Phone and Device Blackspots Connectivity Assessment

This project involves an independent assessment of the location and extent of black spot areas in the region, providing vital evidence to support an application to the Federal Government's Regional Backbone Blackspots Program and will strengthen the region’s position to negotiate with major mobile Telco companies to increase the number of mobile towers which will strengthen the regional economy. The Loddon Mallee Regional Growth Plans recognise the importance of telecommunications to driving regional growth.

Comment:

Continuous mobile connectivity is vital to Buloke Shire residents and businesses. This connectivity underpins resilience through access to critical health, education and business services. Productivity and competitiveness are increasingly reliant on continuous mobile connectivity. The effectiveness of other projects listed in the prospectus is reliant on this aspect of continuous connectivity and the capacity of primary producers to use the information produced through these projects a in a timely fashion.

Buloke Shire council strongly advocates for this project to be implemented across the region with particular focus on the western flank of the region which is isolated from the larger regional urban centres which will have early access to the NBN.

Mildura and North West Rail Upgrade

Comment:

In view of the critical role of the rail network in moving commodities and freight throughout the region and state in a timely and safe manner, Buloke Shire Council strongly advocates for this project to remain a priority.

The utilisation of rail freight hubs through the Buloke Shire will provide primary producers with effective facilities to move grain stocks without placing unnecessary pressure on the highway corridors and adding to the risk imposed by shared roadways by heavy transports and passenger vehicles over extended stretches of isolated highways.

Growing Mallee Farming Through Knowledge

In today's modern farming knowledge is money. This innovative web portal will provide farmers access to up to date information about Mallee soils and farming productively, profitably and sustainably.

The website will be at the cutting edge of providing landholders with access to regionally specific and relevant information through a streamlined and user friendly portal.

Comment:

This project presents, in tandem with continuous mobile connectivity, a critical decision making tool for primary producers addressing challenging economic and climatic environments. Timely access to information that contributes to effective decision making continues to be a vital part of profitable and sustainable farming and business operations. Buloke Shire Council advocates for support for this project

Improving Farm Profitability

Comment:

A project that provides primary producers with the capacity to interpret data and consider “how does this information impact on my decision making this season?” is also critical to effective and timely decision making. The collaborative nature of this project, with Mallee CMA, Mallee Sustainable Farming and Birchip Cropping Group working together, highlights a critical area to be addressed through the regional planning process. It is notable that within the region there are a whole range of important initiatives and projects taking place, but they often remain isolated, not being sufficiently publicised or shared. This results in regional producers not accessing information and support critical to their viability and productivity. Buloke Shire council supports and advocates for this project and the example it sets as a collaborative initiative.

Boosting Agriculture in the Mallee with Pulses, Crops and Pastures

Comment:

This project impacts on the productivity and viability of the region’s primary producers. In view of the fact that this is the key economic driver for Buloke Shire, again we strongly support this project as addressing fundamental issues impacting on the capacity of our farmers to address the challenges facing them in the current economic and climatic environment

Buloke Shire Council Ordinary Meeting Minutes Wednesday, 12 March 2014

7.2.3 Appointment of Council Representative to the Loddon Mallee Waste and Resource Recovery Region Local Government Waste Forum - 2014/15

Attachment 2 Supplementary Information/Background on Waste and Resource Recovery Governance Reform

WASTE AND RESOURCE RECOVERY GOVERNANCE REFORM

1 General Information

New governance model for Waste and Resource Recovery Groups

The Victorian Government has accepted Ministerial Advisory Committee recommendations to strengthen the governance and administrative arrangements of regional waste management groups (RWMGs). These recommendations were provided in May 2013. The Government’s response to them is available at:

http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/environment-and-wildlife/sustainability/waste-management-and-resource-recovery/ministerial-advisory-committee-on-waste-and-resource-governance

Each future waste and resource recovery group (“WRRG”) will have a board of eight Directors, appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister for Environment and Climate Change (“the Minister”). The composition of the directors is:

· four directors collectively nominated by the local councils within its boundary, and

· four directors determined by the Minister, based on the skills they would bring to the group such as financial management, contract management, risk management, environmental policy, local government, waste management and materials efficiency.

The Minister must appoint one of the directors nominated from the councils as the Chairperson of each board.

This model provides for directors with a wider set of expertise, while retaining regional local government representation in recognition of its role in providing and funding waste and resource recovery service and infrastructure delivery.

Local Government Waste Forums

Regional Local Government Waste Forums (“Waste Forums”) are a key statutory component of the new governance model for all WRRGs.

Local Government Waste Forums will be established under the Environment Protection Act 1970 (EP Act), subject to the passage of legislation and royal assent to it being given. A Waste Forum will be established in each new waste and resource recovery region. It will consist of representatives of the councils in the waste and resource recovery region.

Each council may nominate one councillor as their representative on the Waste Forum.

The Metropolitan Local Government Waste Management Forum (MLGWMF) has been in existence since 2006. The new regional Waste Forums will replicate this successful model.

Forum Functions

Local Government Waste Forums will:

· have a statutory role to nominate to the Minister the four persons who are to be the representative of councils for the purposes of appointment as directors of the WRRG;

· develop procedures for the nominations of these persons;

· develop procedures for the nominations of a person to fill a vacancy in one of these positions, should this arise; and

· be a conduit for consultation between the new WRRG and local governments, and for advice to WRRG boards on matters and issues affecting the role of local governments in waste management and resource recovery.

Policy and Legislation

The establishment of Waste Forums was recommended by the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Waste and Resource Recovery Governance Reform (recommendation 8.2):

The Metropolitan Waste Management Group should retain its local government waste Forum and a similar Forum be established for each region to provide for nomination of the local government board members in each region.

The government supported this recommendation.

The establishment of Waste Forums and the definition of their key functions will be formalised through amendments to the EP Act. The government introduced amendments to Parliament in February 2014 (the Environment Protection and Sustainability Victoria Amendment Bill 2014). The Bill can be accessed at:

http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/static/www.legislation.vic.gov.au-bills-status.html

Operating guidelines

It is up to each Waste Forum to agree on its own operating guidelines. Draft guidelines, based on those utilised by the MLGWMF, are provided in section 3.

Final agreed guidelines are recommended to cover:

· Forum aims and functions;

· Membership and representation;

· Operations;

· Procedures for board director nominations;

· Relationships with the regional WRRG board and with local government;

· Meeting procedures; and

· The terms of tenure and re-election process for Forum members.

Supporting committees

Waste Forums may choose to establish specific purpose committees to help them operate. For example, the current MLGWMF has a Strategy and Policy Advocacy Group and a Technical Advisory Reference Group. Any supporting committees will need to be referenced in a Forum’s operating guidelines.

Establishment

As noted above, the statutory authority for the establishment of Waste Forums requires legislative amendments, and is hence subject to parliamentary agreement and royal assent.

The Department of Environment and Primary Industries will advise when and if this has occurred.

In the meantime, and given the government’s expressed policy intent, initial steps can be undertaken in each proposed waste and resource recovery region to prepare for the formal establishment of Forums.

The overall timeline is summarised below, with more detail provided in section 2 Tasks, timelines and responsibilities.

General timelines and responsibilities

February 2014:

· This information kit is completed and provided for information to Regional Steering Committees and councils.

· The Minister for Environment and Climate Change makes request of Mayors to nominate local council representatives for their relevant region’s Waste Forum.

March 2014:

· Forum representatives have been nominated or are being considered by councils.

· Initial preparation for the first meeting of the Forum, facilitated by regional steering committees.

· A preparatory meeting to be held with appropriate local council representatives^{^[1]}, to:

o agree on a date, venue and agenda for the first Waste Forum meeting;

o review, and identify any required changes to, draft Waste Forum operating procedures; and

o agree on a process for nominating the four local government director positions on the future waste and resource recovery group board.

· The outcomes of this meeting are circulated to councils for their information and, if required, appropriate endorsement.

April 2014:

· Initial Forum meeting held

Nominations and ballots

A key task of the first Waste Forum meeting will be to identify nominees for the four local government director positions on the region’s Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board.

It is up to each Waste Forum to determine, in their operating procedures, how elections will occur. Draft operating guidelines, broadly reflecting those of the Metropolitan Local Government Waste Forum, are provided in section 3.

This will assist in enabling the boards to be established by 1 August 2014, in line with government timelines.

An independent returning officer can be appointed to formally run the election, if stipulated in the operating guidelines. Their appointment will be the responsibility of the secretariat.

2 Tasks, timelines and responsibilities

Task	Due date	Responsibility
Development of: · information kit on Waste Forum functions, composition and establishment tasks · draft Waste Forum operating guidelines	February 2014	Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI)
Distribution of: · preliminary information on Waste Forum functions, composition and establishment tasks · draft Waste Forum operating guidelines · request for nomination of Waste Forum representatives to Mayor of each local council in each proposed waste and resource recovery region	February 2014	DEPI
In each new waste and resource recovery region, member councils identify a Waste Forum representative from each council and advise the regional steering committee and DEPI of this nominee.	31 March 2014 or as soon as possible (dependent on council meeting dates and procedures)	Local councils
In each new waste and resource recovery region, preparatory meetings to facilitate the establishment of Waste Forums, considering: · an agenda for the first Waste Forum meeting · a date and venue for the first Waste Forum meeting · reviewing, and identifying any potential changes to, Waste Forum operating procedures · identifying a nominee/s for the Chair of the Waste Forum These meetings to be attended by nominated council representatives to a Waste Forum or, if these have not been endorsed by a council, the current RWMG board directors from councils in the proposed waste and resource recovery region. Nominated Waste Forum representatives consider whether they wish to stand as a nominee for one of the four local government director positions on future waste and resource recovery group boards	March or early April 2014	Council representatives / current RWMG directors Facilitated by Regional Steering Committees DEPI is available to provide support if required
First Waste Forum meeting to be held. The agenda should include, but not be limited to: · election of a Waste Forum Chair and Deputy Chair · endorsement of Waste Forum operating procedures · nomination of four local government board members to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change NB. Any members nominating as board directors must provide a: · completed national police check application and consent form (including certified copies of 100 points of identification) · diversity information and privacy consent form · current CV to DEPI	April 2014 (dependent upon passage of and royal assent to legislative amendments)	Regional Steering Committees (to organise logistics and provide secretariat services) Waste Forum representatives DEPI is available to provide support if required
Ongoing Waste Forums to be held as agreed in Waste Forum operating procedures. DEPI proposes these be held not less than quarterly.	As agreed	Waste Forum representatives and secretariat
Allocation of resources to provide Waste Forum secretariat and administrative services	August 2014	New waste and resource recovery group boards

3 – DRAFT WASTE FORUM OPERATING GUIDELINES

These guidelines are based on those utilised by the Metropolitan Local Government Waste Management Forum.

Prior to the initial meeting of each regional Waste Forum, a preparatory meeting of local council representatives^{^[2]} are requested to meet, review and amend these guidelines as agreed, to enable them to be presented for formal adoption at the initial meeting.

Date of Adoption: xxx

1 The [insert Name] Waste and Resource Recovery Region Local Government Waste Forum

1.1 The [insert Name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group was established under the Environment Protection Act (the Act) in 2014 to deliver waste and resource recovery planning, procurement, education and project functions in the [insert name] waste and resource recovery region.

1.2 The Act establishes a Local Government Waste Forum (the Forum) to support the effective operation of the [insert Name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group.

1.3 The Act states that the Forum is to consist of the representatives of the councils in the region. It states that each council may nominate a representative to the Forum.

1.4 The Act states that the functions of the Forum are to:

1.4.1 nominate the 4 persons who are to be the representatives of the councils for the purposes of section 50BI(2)(a) of the Act;

1.4.2 if there is a vacancy in the office of a director nominated under section 50BI(2)(a), to nominate a person to fill that vacancy;

1.4.3 advise the Board of directors of the waste and resource recovery group on matters and issues affecting the role of councils in waste management and resource recovery;

1.4.4 act as a conduit for consultation between the waste and resource recovery group and the councils in the waste and resource recovery region of that group.

DRAFT ONLY

1.5 The Act requires the Forum to develop procedures for functions 1.4.1 and 1.4.2 with the regional councils. These Operating Guidelines deliver on the requirements to develop these procedures and are the operating rules for the Forum.

1.6 [North East Waste and Resource Recovery Region only] The Environment Protection Act includes Falls Creek, Mount Hotham and Mount Buller and Mount Stirling Alpine Resort Management Boards are included as municipal districts constituting the North East Waste and Resource Recovery Region. Throughout these operating guidelines, any reference to local government or councils also refers to these Alpine Resort Management Boards.

2 Forum Aims

2.1 To develop local governments’ capacity to deliver effective, efficient and sustainable waste and resource recovery planning and management across the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Region.

2.2 To engage with industry, government and community stakeholders to improve waste and resource recovery management and planning.

2.3 To assist the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board to engage councils across the their region in the planning and management of waste.

2.4 To nominate four members to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, for appointment to the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board, in accordance with the Act.

3 Forum Functions

3.1 To provide advice to the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board on waste and resource recovery service and infrastructure planning and management, waste and resource recovery service procurement and contract management, waste and resource recovery education requirements, and waste and resource recovery project requirements, design and implementation.

3.2 To communicate across the local government sector waste management and resource recovery trends and technologies, and encourage information sharing on best practice.

3.3 To nominate four members to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, for the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board, in accordance with the Act.

3.4 To facilitate local government waste management and resource recovery initiatives.

DRAFT ONLY

4 Forum Membership

4.1 The member councils of the Forum are those defined as the municipal districts constituting the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Region in section 11 of the Act. The current members are listed below:

[name] Council

5 Forum Representatives

5.1 Each member council shall nominate a Councillor as their Representative to the Forum.

5.2 If a representative is unable to attend a Forum meeting they may nominate a Councillor or Advisory Member as proxy, in writing to the Chair of the Forum. This nomination shall be enduring if a Councillor is nominated until such time as it is revoked. If an Advisory Member is nominated, this nomination is for that specific meeting only.

5.3 Each member council may also nominate a staff member as an Advisory Member to the Forum. The Advisory Member is able to participate fully in all Forum proceedings and activities but does not hold a vote in the Forum unless acting as a proxy of the Forum Representative.

5.4 A Council may change its Representative, Proxy or Advisory Member to the Forum at any stage by letter to the Chair of the Forum.

5.5 A Council’s Representative and Advisory Member to the Forum shall be confirmed at the member Council’s Statutory meeting, then notified in writing to the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group as soon as possible, and at the latest within one month.

5.6 The Municipal Association of Victoria, the Victorian Local Governance Association and the [name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group may send an observer to the meetings of the Forum. Other external parties may attend by invitation from the Forum.

DRAFT ONLY

5.7 The list of Representatives, Proxies and Advisory Members and their attendance to the Forum shall be administered and reported by the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group in its role as secretariat to the Forum.

5.8 Representatives and Advisory Members are expected to attend each meeting. In the event that a member council is not represented by their Representative or proxy for three consecutive meetings, written notification by the secretariat shall be given to the council.

5.9 Attendance from a member council shall normally consist of the Representative and Advisory Member unless there is a particular reason for additional personnel to be invited.

6 Forum Operation

6.1 The Forum shall be an unincorporated entity of its member Councils.

6.2 The operation of the Forum shall be governed by these Operating Guidelines. These Operating Guidelines were adopted by the Forum by majority vote on the [insert date]. The Operating Guidelines shall be reviewed at least annually by the Forum at which a minimum of two thirds of representatives must support any amendment to the Operating Guidelines.

6.3 The Forum shall meet a minimum of [insert number] times a year. No normal meeting of the Forum is to be scheduled on the same night as an Ordinary meeting of any member Council.

6.4 For general business of the Forum the Quorum shall be [insert number] Representatives, or their Proxies, of the Forum.

6.5 The Forum shall nominate one of its Representatives as Chair of the Forum on an annual basis. The Chair shall convene meetings of the Forum and set the agenda in consultation with Forum Representatives.

6.6 The Forum shall establish an advisory reference group or other working groups as required to report back to the Forum. Terms of reference for each group are to be agreed by the Forum.

6.7 The [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group shall provide support to the Forum to enable it to perform its function as required by the Act.

DRAFT ONLY

7 The [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board

7.1 Following notification to the Forum that Representatives are to be nominated to the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board, or that a vacancy must be filled on the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board, the Forum will appoint an independent Returning Officer.

7.2 The Returning Officer shall run an election for the four Forum board positions.

7.3 Representatives wishing to nominate for the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Board should attend the meeting where nominations are being called for. If not, they are to provide a proxy who has been approved by their council (as per section 5.2) who will state their nomination at the meeting and vote on their behalf.

7.5 On the receipt of nominations the Returning Officer shall conduct a proportional ballot. If there are no more than four nominations then no ballot is required and the four nominations are accepted.

7.6 Should a local government member of the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board cease to be a Representative of the Forum, the Forum may request that the Minister act to remove them from the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board in accordance with statutory requirements.

7.7 Should the Forum have good reason, and [half of total councils represented plus one] votes in favour, the Forum may request that the Minister act to remove a Representative from the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board in accordance with statutory requirements. The Good Governance Code must be used to determine inappropriate behaviour which would constitute ‘good reason’ for the Forum to seek removal of a [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board member.

7.8 Where a vacancy is to be filled, the above provisions apply, adapted as necessary to the number of vacancies to be filled.

8 The Forum and the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board

8.1 The Act states that a function of a waste and resource recovery group is to support its waste and resource recovery region’s Local Government Waste Forum to enable the Forum to perform its functions.

8.2 The Act states that a function of a Forum is to advise the Board of directors of a waste and resource recovery group on matters and issues affecting the role of councils in waste management and resource recovery.

DRAFT ONLY

8.3 The Forum recognises that [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board members’ responsibilities are defined in statute. Within these responsibilities, the Forum expects its nominated members to attend Forum meetings, respond to issues raised by the Forum and take issues raised by the Forum to the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board.

8.4 If the Forum places a written proposal to the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board, a written response outlining the Board ‘s position is expected.

9 The Forum and local government

9.1 Forum Representatives are expected to communicate the activities and actions of the Forum back to their Council.

9.2 Forum Representatives are expected to inform the Forum of issues and activities of their Council that contribute to the development of the [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Region’s waste management and resource recovery arrangements, via meetings of the Forum, any working groups of the Forum or the secretariat.

9.3 Local government is expected to raise waste management and resource recovery issues through the Forum in the first instance. The [insert name] Waste and Resource Recovery Group Board will be expected to support this approach by referring approaches to the Forum when appropriate.

9.4 Minutes from each Forum meeting shall be provided to all member councils.

10 Meeting Procedures

10.1 Motions from Forum members can be put in writing prior to the meeting so that they can be circulated and considered OR from the floor.

10.1.1 Motion proposed, seconded and minuted

10.1.2 Motion discussed

10.1.3 Amendments (if any) agreed and minuted

10.1.4 Motion re-read with amendments and proposed

10.1.5 Votes for, against and abstentions minuted

4 - Key interactions between Local Government Forums and Waste and Resource Recovery Groups

Buloke Shire Council Ordinary Meeting Minutes Wednesday, 12 March 2014

7.2.6 Mobile Coverage Programme Response Buloke Shire Council

Attachment 1 Mobile Coverage Programme Response

Mobile Services: Mobile Coverage Programme Response Buloke Shire council

Continuous mobile connectivity is vital to Buloke Shire residents and businesses; this connectivity underpins resilience through access to critical health, education and business services. Productivity and competitiveness are increasingly reliant on continuous mobile connectivity.

Buloke Shire Council sees this as an extremely important issue for their LGA in line with the following excerpt from the Council Plan 2013-2017:

“1.3 Working with communities and other stakeholders to maintain and enhance a living environment where people feel safe, are connected to their community and are actively encouraged and supported to participate in community life.

Priorities

• Advocate for improvements to telecommunications infrastructure in the Shire include mobile telephone coverage, improved internet access and faster download speeds.

• Advocate to Commonwealth and State Governments for further improvements to rural addressing, including the use of contemporary technologies, to improve response times by emergency services.

• Continue to develop methods of communication and engagement with residents through the use of telecommunications, the internet and printed materials. “

The Buloke Shire is located in north-western Victoria, between 210 and 360 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, and has a population of 6,384people (ABS 2011).

Buloke Shire is a predominantly rural area. The main townships are Birchip, Charlton, Donald, Sea Lake and Wycheproof. Smaller townships include Berriwillock, Culgoa, Nandaly, Nullawil and Watchem.

Buloke Shire encompasses a total land area of approximately 8,004 square kilometres. It is approximately 140 kilometres long and 60 kilometres wide. Two main highways, the Calder Highway and the Sunraysia Highway, run north and south through the Buloke Shire.

Land is used largely for agriculture, particularly grain production and sheep grazing.

The Loddon Mallee region is about 59,000 square kilometres in size. Buloke Shire represents approximately 13% of this area. The region is a significant food producer for Victoria, with some 12% of the state agriculture export dollars. Buloke represents some 7% of the region’s agricultural output and is a productive dry land broadacre Agricultural community.

Remplan reporting shows the gross revenue generated by businesses and organisations in Buloke. The total output estimate for Buloke Shire is $578.169 million. The comparative report shows the gross revenue generated by businesses and organisations in the Loddon Mallee Region, with the total output estimate for Loddon Mallee Region at $27,833.991 million. Buloke’s percentage of the overall revenue generation is 2%.

A significant issue impacting productivity in the Buloke Shire area is that farmers and rural contractors use mobile phones as their key communication tool in a number of ways:

· A safety measure to stay in contact when working in dangerous, solitary or isolated conditions;

· as an emergency services contact device;

· as general communications device with on farm employees and contractors;

· as a business tool to conduct commercial transactions and relay commercial information and services; and

· the use of mobile internet based applications.

Whilst the obvious problem is the lack of service, there are additional problems arise from mobile phone Blackspots. For example, when calls are directed to a message bank service they are subject to a retrieval fee for the receiver of the call as well as a call connection fee to the originator of the call. As noted below, the delay in messages being picked up can be up to 36 hours. Those rural consumers in mobile phone black spot areas or areas without adequate reliable coverage are at a substantial commercial, business and uncommon disadvantage to their competitors.

Our experience corresponds with the findings of the 2011–12 Regional Telecommunications Review.
“The predominant concern raised with the committee by regional Australians is the adequacy of mobile voice and broadband services. This issue was raised in every regional consultation and in around two-thirds of the submissions received. It is clear there is strong unmet demand in regional Australia for an expansion of the mobile coverage footprint.”

Buloke farmers and other businesses, in common with more centrally based operations, are demanding broadband through mobile devices. Mobile communications are expected to play an increasingly important role in enabling participation in the digital economy.

This connectivity underpins liveability particularly community and commercial resilience through:

· Access to critical health and education services;

· Business productivity and competitiveness which are increasingly reliant on continuous mobile connectivity;

· Continuous mobile connectivity playing a greater role in social connectedness and community capacity;

· Ability to meet the requirement for more frequent emergency responses and recovery efforts due to climate change;

· Capacity to address emerging issues such as Bio security; and

· “Paddock to Plate” Quality Assurance in the livestock industry which is increasingly reliant on mobile connectivity.

Continuous mobile connectivity is playing a progressively greater role in social connectedness and community capacity. This is notable in the face of more frequent emergency responses and recovery efforts.

Mobile devices are increasingly used for social engagement and interactions, so mobile coverage is now a key factor in attracting and retaining staff in rural and remote areas, particularly younger workers

Regarding Buloke household access to information technology Data provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for 2011 (below) indicates that, while there has been an increase in the percentage of people who have access to computers at home. It is notable that the percentage of country people with access to the Internet has more than doubled since 1998, but has yet to reach the level of use in capital cities. While population decline can appear to skew the data, the increase in reliance on digital and mobile technology is clear.

Type of internet connection
Buloke Shire	2011			2006		Change
Connection type	Number	%	Regional VIC	Number	%	Regional VIC	2006 to 2011
Total internet connection	1,578	58.7	68.4	1,245	44.9	51.8	+333
Broadband connection	1,432	53.3	60.9	539	19.4	27.4	+893
Dial-up connection	81	3.0	3.6	687	24.8	23.8	-606
Other connection	65	2.4	3.9	19	0.7	0.6	+46
No internet connection	973	36.2	25.3	1,414	51.0	42.4	-441
Not stated	137	5.1	6.4	113	4.1	5.8	+24
Total households	2,688	100.0	100.0	2,772	100.0	100.0	-84

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2006 and 2011. Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id, the population experts. (Enumerated data)

As noted in A Digital Divide in Rural and Regional Australia? (August 2001) by Dr Jennifer Curtin of the Economics, Commerce and Industrial Relations Group “Looking at farms in particular it is evident that an increasing number have installed computers but significantly fewer have installed the Internet. There has however, been an increase in the percentage of farms connected to the Internet between 1997 and 1999. Recently, an Internet measurement firm found that rural and regional Australians were as likely as their city counterparts to trial an Internet service and had equally sophisticated computer set ups, albeit with slower modem speeds. They also found that while rural Australia was initially slow in taking up Internet connection, their uptake rate had since increased.(19) A similar trend is evident in the United States, where one of the most dramatic shifts that has occurred in the last three years has been the increase in Internet access by rural households which has occurred at all income levels.(20)”

These finding reflect the growing dependence on digital technology and communication in the agriculture sector. Fourteen years on, the shift to mobile application of this technology continues to reflect the sophistication and innovation evident in the approach taken by Buloke farmers and many local small to medium businesses servicing the sector.

The Buloke Shire is committed in several of its strategic plans to continue to advocate for the increase in telecommunication connectivity through a range of services including internet, mobile and satellite. Whilst there have been several planning permit applications from companies such as NBN, Ericsson, Vodafone and Optus for telecommunication towers not all of these have resulted in the developments going ahead. The internet capabilities mean that promoting the shire as a telecommuting destination would be dishonest and current connectivity results in and unquantifiable amount lost productivity for existing business within the Shire.

As noted in the Broadband for the Bush Alliance, Better telecommunications for rural and remote Australians paper (June 2013) “Rural local governments undertake more community service delivery functions than metropolitan councils to give their communities as many services as possible.”

Their remoteness introduces additional challenges in order to fully assist local businesses to engage in the digital economy and to provide timely and relevant information to residents regarding services. This includes providing timely information regarding emergency response and recovery as well as referral and engagement of critical family, aged and youth related services. In view of the shift to mobile connectivity as the primary communication tool among vulnerable young people this can be a matter life and death.

Remote local governments must have digital wherewithal to participate in the digital information age. It is essential that strategies for online services and digital platforms, particularly continuous mobile connectivity are implemented to implement critical services and improve their efficiency

Issues impacting on continuous mobile connectivity are reflected in the following summations of anecdotal feedback asking for “your experience” with the current mobile service coverage. These comments mirror those made in many forums across the Shire.

While each experience has unique features and the experiences can be different for people in the same areas due to their individual equipment and set up, the common themes emerging reflect a system currently falling short of the growing dependence on mobile connectivity in the digital age.

Birchip

· My phone on Telstra and Optus is unreliable from 15 Kilometres North of Donald on the Donald Swan Hill Road until just 10 kilometres out of Birchip on the Birchip Donald Road. Optus does not work inside my house in Taverner Street Birchip and is only marginally better when you walk out on to the footpath.

· Telstra works fine at this location in Taverner Street both in and out of the house.

· Telstra only works in certain positions in both Watchem and Nullawil.

· Optus works OK in Nullawil

· Telstra cuts out from about Gil Gil east to Wooroonook on the Donald-Charlton Road. When purchasing a phone, most salespeople convey very little real knowledge to the customer about the ability of the phone to pick up a signal.

· It is also very difficult on the internet to find out the reception capabilities of a particular phone. This adds to the challenge for country people to get the best from the phone network.

Nullawil

· Extremely limited hand-held coverage in Nullawil Township.

· Key industry grain trading and value adding centre. Recently the Manager had to go out in 45 degrees Centigrade and onto the train line to get mobile service.

· No mobile coverage inside houses

· 1000 cars per day come through Nullawil on the Calder Hwy

· Impact on local garage and retail businesses

· Local fuel delivery business. When out in the farming area cannot receive call to the truck leading to lost time and fuel due to having to go back to the area

· Only connection option to stand outside on the veranda. If I move or turn my head the connection lost

· Service adversely impacted by extreme heat and windy weather

· WIFI connection regularly fails during internet banking sessions leading to further anxiety re security

· Berriwillock

· Service quality has deteriorated since December 2013

· Mobile connectivity critical to conducting business, particularly grain trading. Timely response regarding contracts is vital. Email and messages critically delayed

· Recent investment into the community of $1 million dollars for CFA fire shed and Community Centre. No mobile connectivity possible in the facility.

· Satellite connectivity remains critically slow

· Glenloth & Charlton East

· Only intermittent service

· None in the house

· Wireless internet is the only option in this area. In a recent interaction with a Telstra Technician. In the course of an hour, the technician only had remote connection to the computer for 10 minutes

· Recent fire outbreak (Thursday Feb 6^th), connection to 000 dropped out continuously throughout the call

· Smart phones are required by most businesses but are providing poorer service than older phones

· Fire on the 15^th January, fire crews could not direct neighbouring brigades due to continuous drop out

· No available ADSL2 outside rural urban areas service due to low customer numbers

· Nandaly

· Reasonable to good connectivity at the house due to relatively close tower on the Calder SE of Nandaly

· 4-5 Ks west of the town the service deteriorates

· Good coverage north to Pier Milan

· Notable deterioration of service south through the middle of the Shire

Laen

· Service good apart from the south west corner

· Due to the Donald tower service OK to the east toward Donald

· Some good Optus service due to closer tower in the Wimmera

· Massey to Watchem area very poor

Watchem

· Optus tower secured by the community has greatly improved the Optus based service

· Black spot remains between Watchem and Warraknabeal

· Telstra wireless internet no good. Good phone selection is important. “blue tick” not a useful guide

· Telstra's Blue tick is about all that's available to indicate a phones receptive capabilities and this is not always reliable

· Optus service good due to the tower in Watchem, extremely poor Telstra service which drops out all the time

· Have experienced a 36 hour lag time for messages, which then all arrive at once.

· Heavy drain on phone battery due to ongoing search for service.

· Older phone works better than the newer ones.

Charlton

· As an employer with four employees travelling across three rural shires including Buloke on a daily basis, it is of particular concern that there are quite a few areas of poor reception in which they are not able to use their phones.

· Given our current climate challenges and the general ability to enhance productivity with communications as well as ensure their ensure their safety , the North Central LLEN would like to support any submission made to the Federal Department of Communications that leads to improved mobile service provision.

· 1650 cars per day used the Calder highway in 2012 with 20% being heavy and commercial vehicles. This traffic is expected to grow at the rate of 5.3% per annum, making the black spots along this highway a significant motoring hazard.

· Stock and Station/ Real Estate Agents

· Critical to customer service. Business lost due to missed calls.

· Black spots noted across the western flank of the LGA.

· “Blue Tooth” and “Broom Stick” aerial helps, but can be expensive to set up and is a significant business cost.

· Heat and wind have an impact on service.

Buloke Shire council

· Council operations rely significantly on effective mobile connectivity.

· There are dead spots in the Shire which means our staff are often uncontactable, this has potentially serious OH&S implications.

· Council manages a 5,000 Kilometre “Local” road network in an area of 8,000 square kilometres; there continue to be significant challenges associated with mobile connectivity.

· Increasing dependence on mobile internet connectivity presents communication problems.

· Community engagement and the provision of timely information to rural residents is adversely impacted by the mobile connectivity issues evident in Buloke. This impact on the delivery of Economic and Community Development projects and programs. The delivery of key Community Service programs such as Aged Care and Youth also suffer.

· In an area where all of the key family support services are outreached from some 100 kilometres away reliable digital and mobile connectivity is critical.

Birchip Cropping Group

BCG conducts crop trials and ongoing farmer engagement. A phone call and internal email poll quickly elicited the following list of 14 ‘Black Spot’ locations within the Buloke shire:

· Gil Gil.

· Watchupga.

· Berriwillock.

· Sea Lake-Birchip Road from Marlbed to the junction with the Sea Lake Hopetoun Road.

· Dennehys Road.

· North and east of Sea Lake to swan hill, Waitchie-Chinkapook.

· Half way between Birchip and Warracknabeal.

· Also between Dumosa and Quambatook.

· Out Corack road heading South on way to Donald and the back way to Charlton to Birchip (Baneynong /Jeffcott road).

· Between Birchip Berriwillock Rd and Birchip Sea-lake road and between Culgoa and Watchupga.

· Between Wycheproof and Boort.

· Sea Lake-Swan Hill Road, about 15km out of Sea Lake most of the way to Swan Hill.

· Same for the Culgoa-Ultima Road.

· The area around the Watchupga

Map Showing Mobile Phone Coverage in the Buloke Shire

Set out below are some Telstra service maps below to show how many black spots there are in the region.

figure 1 phone coverage (hand held) figure 2 data coverage

Buloke Shire Council Ordinary Meeting Minutes Wednesday, 12 March 2014

7.2.8 Municipal Flood Emergency Plan

Author’s Title: Director Works and Technical Services

Department: Works and Technical Services File No: ES/13/07

Attachments:

1 Buloke Shire Draft Municipal Flood Emergency Plan - printed in separate document

Relevance to Council Plan 2013 - 2017

Objective: A Buloke community connected and involved in shaping decisions that affect them.

Strategy: Working with communities and other stakeholders to maintain and enhance a living environment where people feel safe, are connected to their community and are actively encouraged and supported to participate in community life.

Priority: Advocate to State Government and Victoria Police to maintain a police presence in the Shire at current levels and to improve response times to incidents in small towns and isolated communities.

Motion:

That Council:

1. Note the contents of the Draft Municipal Flood Emergency Plan (a sub plan of the Municipal Emergency Management Plan) and endorse it for public consultation.

Moved: Cr David Pollard

Seconded: Cr Leo Tellefson

Carried.

1. Purpose

This report advises Council of the development of the Draft Municipal Flood Emergency Plan, a sub plan of the Municipal Emergency Management Plan, and seeks endorsement to release the plan for community consultation.

2. Discussion

Following the wide-spread flooding of the Council in 2010 and 2011, the Victoria State Emergency Services (VicSES) re-convened the Buloke Shire Flood Emergency Planning Committee to complete a review of the Municipal Flood Emergency Plan (MFEP).

Members of this committee included VicSES staff, North Central Catchment Management Authority, Victoria Police, Mallee Catchment Authority, GWM Water, key community members, Councillors and Council staff. The committee was chaired by Cr David Pollard.

The purpose of the MFEP is to detail arrangements agreed for the planning, preparedness / prevention, response and recovery from flood incidents within the Buloke Shire. As such, the scope of the Plan is to:

· Identify the Flood Risk to the Buloke Shire;

· Support the implementation of measures to minimise the causes and impacts of flood incidents within the Buloke Shire;

· Detail Response and Recovery arrangements including preparedness, Incident Management, Command and Control;

· Identify linkages with Local, Regional and State emergency and planning arrangements with specific emphasis on those relevant to flood.

This MFEP is a sub plan to the Buloke Shire Council Municipal Emergency Management Plan and is consistent with the Emergency Management Manual Victoria (EMMV), the Victoria

Flood Management Strategy (DNRE, 1998a), the Regional Flood Emergency Plan and the State Flood Emergency Plan.

There has been a significant increase in local flood intelligence, which has been incorporated into the plan, following the completion of the Charlton, Donald and Culgoa Flood and Drainage Studies, which were developed in conjunction with the Catchment Management Authorities in 2012/13.

This intelligence has assisted in the development of a high detailed response and action plan in the identified major flooding and drainage locations in the Shire. This plan will be used in the event of future flooding events by Council and emergency services agencies as a tool for preparation and response.

This draft plan was endorsed by the Buloke Shire Council Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee, at the meeting held Friday 28^th February 2014.

The VicSES are compiling feedback on the plan, with the final plan to be endorsed by Council at the May Ordinary Meeting.

3. Financial Implications

Council has incurred minimal costs in the development of the report, aside from Council time. The ongoing management of this plan is covered in Council’s annual operational budget deliberations.

4. Community Consultation

The VicSES Community Resiliance Coordinator has commenced the community consultation for this plan, through the provision of media releases and information leaflets. The plan will be available on Council’s and the VicSES website.

Community members and key emergency services agencies have been involved in the development of this plan.

5. Internal Consultation

Councillors and Council staff have provided a substantial amount of information in the development of this plan.

6. Legislative / Policy Implications

This MFEP is a sub plan to the Buloke Shire Council Municipal Emergency Management Plan and is consistent with the Emergency Management Manual Victoria (EMMV), the Victoria

Flood Management Strategy (DNRE, 1998a), the Regional Flood Emergency Plan and the State Flood Emergency Plan.

7. Environmental Sustainability

Nil.

8. Conflict of Interest Considerations

Nil.

9. Conclusion

It is recommended that Council endorse the Draft Municipal Flood Emergency Plan, a sub plan of the Municipal Emergency Management Plan, to be released for community consultation.

7.2.9 Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment Program - Regional Road Group

Author’s Title: Director Works and Technical Services

Department: Works and Technical Services File No: RO/10/14

Attachments:

Nil

Relevance to Council Plan 2013 - 2017

Objective: A Shire where roads, drains, public spaces, community facilities, parks and other essential infrastructure are fit for purpose, well maintained and contribute to the well-being of the community.

Strategy: Improving local road and transport networks to facilitate safe and efficient transport movement within and across the Shire.

Priority: Lobby for increased allocation of grants by the Commonwealth and State Government for the maintenance and upgrade of local road networks to make it safer and easier to transport produce and for residents to travel within the Shire.

Motion:

That:

1. That Council note the changes to the Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment Program (HVCI) and align with both the Wimmera Regional Transport Group and the Central Murray Regional Transport Forum as our ‘HVCI Regional Road Groups’.

Moved: Cr Leo Tellefson

Seconded: Cr Ellen White

Carried.

1. Executive Summary

This report updates Council on the Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment Program (HVCI).

2. Discussion

The introduction of the Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment Program (HVCI) is a significant change to heavy vehicle funding.

The charges currently applied to heavy vehicles in Australia for their use of the roads are applied through fixed annual registration charges and fuel-based road-user charges.

Currently, the revenues governments receive from heavy vehicle charges are not linked to heavy vehicle road use.

At the most recent Wimmera Regional Transport Group, MAV representatives presented on the new changes and the role of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

As part of the HVCI project, governments will need to consider road agency institutional structures and funding arrangements to better fund and invest in the road network. HVCI is proposing that heavy vehicle-related investments are funded from the revenue received from heavy vehicle user charges (this will include funding for VicRoads and Councils). It is anticipated that the funding will be approximately $3billion per annum across Australia when the HVCI is introduced from 2016 onwards.

It is proposed that the HVCI provide funding through regional road groups, such as the Wimmera Regional Transport Group and Central Murray Regional Transport Forum, who will identify and establish a regional heavy freight network strategy. This strategy will develop a regional road (freight) asset management plan and a prioritised work program and expenditure estimate over a four to five year period across the region.

At the most recent Wimmera Regional Transport Group meeting it was resolved that the delegate from each member Council recommend to its Council that Wimmera Regional Transport Group be the designated Regional Road Group for this region.

The MAV representatives at the meeting outlined that Council’s were not restricted in the amount of regional road groups that they could be involved in.

Given Council’s heavy involvement in both the Wimmera Regional Transport Group and the Central Murray Regional Transport Forum, it is recommended that Council be represented in both groups as the ‘Regional Road Group’ under the HVCI.

3. Financial Implications

It is estimated that $3billion per annum will be made available for road investment (both arterial and local roads) through HVCI across Australia. More specific information on the available funds will be provided to Council as they become available.

4. Community Consultation

Nil

5. Internal Consultation

Staff have been involved with meetings with MAV and other neighbouring Councils.

6. Legislative / Policy Implications

Council’s heavy vehicle freight networks have been identified through the draft Road Management Plan.

7. Environmental Sustainability

Nil

8. Conflict of Interest Considerations

Nil

9. Conclusion

It is recommended that Council note the changes to the Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment Program (HVCI) and align with both the Wimmera Regional Transport Group and the Central Murray Regional Transport Forum as the ‘HVCI Regional Road Groups’.

Buloke Shire Council Ordinary Meeting Minutes Wednesday, 12 March 2014

8. REPORTS FROM COUNCILLORS

8.1 Delegate Reports

Cr Stuart McLean

17 Feb & 3 March Wimmera Mallee Tourism Association – Chaired Meetings. Association attended Adelaide and Melbourne Caravaning and Camping Show to promote Region and Buloke Tourism.

21 February Livestock Saleyards Association of Victoria – Chaired State Executive Meeting and Special General Meeting.

Outcomes – New model to be adopted for election to the Executive and New Articles done to support the Incorporation Rules.

A Managers Forum was also held. Very well attended with many operational type issues discussed and progressed for a solution.

Progressing the E’NVD Project.

Cr Ellen White

North West Municipalities Association

The North West Municipalities Association (NWMA) met on 28 February 2014. I was unable to attend due to another commitment. Cr Tellefson attended.

Sea Lake Community Complex

Nothing to report.

Economic Development (Buloke Shire Business Excellence Awards/Regional Victorian Living Expo)

The Buloke Shire Business Excellence Awards/Regional Victoria Living Expo Committee also discusses the development of the Economic Development Strategy, so I have used the name Economic Development to be inclusive of all the discussions.

At the meeting in late February, we discussed the development of the Economic Development Strategy and how this will be implemented through Council. A report will be submitted to the May Council Meeting.

Central Murray Regional Transport Forum (formally Murray Mallee Regional Transport Strategy Study)

The first meeting of this year will be held next week and will include a tour of the Intermodal facility at Dooen. Cr Pollard will attend as I have a prior commitment.

Alliance of Councils for Rail Freight Development

The Alliance held its Annual General Meeting and General Meeting on 21 February 2014. The main points from this meeting were:

· Cr Mark Byatt from Wodonga was elected as the Chairperson

· Membership fees are to remain unchanged

· Funding has been made available to fix the railway lines that have recently experienced derailments (Hopetoun and Mildura line)

· Inglewood line is not currently used as this line goes to Melbourne, but most freight from the North goes to Geelong

· Regional cities need to be better linked and the Local Government Areas around Bendigo should help each other to have better passenger and freight rail services

· Planning for the conference is underway, and will take place in Melbourne in July or August.

Motion:

Council to receive the Councillor Delegate Reports as presented.

Moved: Cr Stuart McLean

Seconded: Cr David Pollard

Carried.

8.2 Activity Reports

Cr Stuart McLean

14 February 2014 Wycheproof Vision/Powercor/Vemco Meeting – Discussions on an acceptable outcome for tree trimming near powerlines (plan being done)

17 February Wimmera Mallee Tourism Board Meeting – Chaired

18 February Wycheproof Vision Meeting

Charlton Forum Meeting

21 February Livestock Saleyards Association of Victoria State Executive Meeting and Managers Forum – Chaired

26 February Assembly of Council

Regional Victorian Living Expo – Business Excellence Awards Meeting

3 March Buloke Tourism Board Meeting – well on the way to producing an official Visitor’s Guide for Buloke

9 March Caravan and Camping Show – Melbourne – Worked on stand for Wimmera Mallee Tourism

11 March Assembly of Council

12 March Ordinary Meeting of Council

Cr Ellen White

Highlights

Launch of the Loddon Murray Community Leadership Program

The launch took place at the Rex in Charlton. It was very well attended, with Ed Gannon as the Guest Speaker.

The Regional Prevention of Violence Against Women Meeting

1. Prevention of Violence Against Women in Our Community

Representatives of Local Governments in the Loddon Mallee were invited to this meeting in Bendigo to hear about the benefits of the Prevention of Violence Against Women in Our Community Project being conducted by Mt Alexander, Macedon Ranges and City of Greater Bendigo. This cluster of Councils has been funded through the State Government to implement gender equity in Council and awareness raising within the community. The aim is to have a gender lens in all Council Plans and have some priority actions to promote gender equity. The City of Greater Bendigo have developed and implemented the following initiatives:

· The Arts Officer is collecting Sex Aggregated Data on exhibitions, workshops, consultations etc. a Gender Equity Statement has been included in all Arts Curating Briefs and the Council are supporting the production of a play;

· Prevention of Violence Against Women is now a grants category in the Community Grants Program;

· The local radio station is making a promo of women’s voices;

· Pre wrapped sweets are being covered with another wrapper that contains information about stats about women, equity, family violence etc. ;

· White ribbon events and presentations to service clubs and outdoor staff at the depots. The staff also suggested and voted on slogans that go on magnets attached to Shire vehicles.

Cr Ellen White cont.

2. Loddon Mallee Takes a Stand

This program is being run by Women’s Health Loddon Mallee. It aims to create social norms where violence is not tolerated or accepted. This involves policy development, safety planning, listing support services etc in workplaces designed to reduce absenteeism, distractions at work, improve communication and conflict between employees, and is based on the VicHealth Model.

Loddon Mallee Takes a Stand has been rolled out in the City of Greater Bendigo. Training is delivered by service providers who have experience in the family violence sector and includes:

· The causes of violence

· Scenario planning

· Tools available

· Challenging values and beliefs

This is a good program for larger businesses, but smaller businesses and groups of businesses can also benefit from the training. Be great to do this in the Buloke Shire, East Wimmera Health Service etc.

Do we have a Family Violence Clause in our Enterprise Bargaining Agreement?

3. Violence Prevention: Its Everybody’s Business Conference

This Conference is part of Loddon Mallee Takes a Stand, and will be about the primary prevention of violence, and how it is everybody’s business to prevent it and stop it. The Conference will be held on October 7^th and 8^th, with several master classes being held on the 9^th to assist people to further develop skills and knowledge about violence prevention. Guest Speakers are not all confirmed yet but will include Ken Lay (Police Commissioner) and Phil Cleary (ex-Politician and prevention of Family Violence Advocate). Would be great to encourage appropriate staff, other businesses, and residents to attend the conference.

4. Municipal Association of Victoria - Preventing Violence Against Women

The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) have a Policy Adviser working with Local Governments across Victoria to provide leadership in preventing violence against women through:

· Advocacy to other levels of government to increase the resources in clarifying, enhancing and implementing legislation, should influence social norms for more equal relationships between men and women

· Building capacity within the sector to understand the prevalence, seriousness and preventable nature of the problem

· Promoting local governments role, achievements and best practice in preventing violence against women, as well as championing whole of community approaches to raising awareness and responding to opportunities to promote respectful relationships

· Supporting local councils in their community leadership roles by facilitating the provision of resources including advice, expertise, networks and policy support.

This project is only funded to the end of June this year.

Agrisummit in Bendigo

LaTrobe University and Agrifood Skills Australia held a Summit in Bendigo to identify the education and training needs of the Agricultural Industry and how the educational sector can

Cr Ellen White cont.

meet those needs. The Summit included a keynote address by Nigel McGuckian, two panel discussions and a breakout session.

Representatives from the farming sector, the agricultural industry and the rural economic sector identified skills shortages and emerging educational needs. An outcomes paper will be developed and sent to participants in due course. The paper will include a map of the needs and opportunities across a range of disciplines, including business, community development, sciences, and economics that will inform a collaborative approach to the development of future skills and qualifications relevant to agriculture in regional Australia.

14 February 2014 Launch of Loddon Murray Community Leadership Program at The Rex in Charlton

17 February Women’s Health Loddon Mallee Board Meeting (Online)

20 February Agrisummit in Bendigo

21 February Alliance of Councils for Rail Freight Development (Melbourne)

24 February Chances for Children Southern Mallee Working Group (Swan Hill)

25 February North Central Local Learning and Employment Network Board Meeting (Charlton)

26 February Regional Victorian Living Expo/Business Excellence Awards Meeting in Donald

Assembly of Council Meeting – Donald Office

3 March Regional Prevention of Violence Against Women Meeting (Bendigo)

7 March International Women’s Day Morning Tea – Wycheproof

9 March Maitreya Festival Volunteering

11 March Loddon Mallee Regional Council of ACFE Meeting in Bendigo

Assembly of Council Meeting – Wycheproof

12 March Ordinary Meeting of Council

Motion:

Council to receive the Councillor Activity Reports as presented.

Moved: Cr Ellen White

Seconded: Cr Gail Sharp

Carried.

8.3 Report from the Mayor

A verbal Activity Report was presented by the Mayor.

Buloke Shire Council Ordinary Meeting Minutes Wednesday, 12 March 2014

9. OTHER BUSINESS

9.1 Petitions

Nil

9.2 Notices of Motion

Nil

9.3 Questions from Councillors

Nil

9.4 Questions from the Public

Nil

9.5 Any Other Procedural Matter

Nil

9.6 Urgent Business

Motion:

Council resolved to hear the Urgent Business Items from Cr White and Cr Sharp.

Moved: Cr David Pollard

Seconded: Cr Stuart McLean

Carried.

9.6.1

Letter of Appreciation to the Former CEO of the Birchip Cropping Group (Cr Gail Sharp) (CR/13/01)

Motion:

Council to write a Letter of Appreciation to David Chamberlain former Chief Executive Officer of the Birchip Cropping Group for his support to the Buloke Shire Council and broader community.

Moved: Cr Gail Sharp

Seconded: Cr Graeme Milne

Carried.

9.6.2

Local Area Partnerships Model - Capacity for Rural Communities. (Cr Ellen White) (CS/10/11)

Background

The State Government is investing significant resources into designing and developing systems improvements and reforms seeking to more adequately support young people across multiple sectors including education, health and justice.

The new system will include a governance structure, currently being called Local Area Networks. These will be established in 2014, with the Vulnerable Children Reform Unit being the Lead Agent. The focus will be vulnerable children and young people. It is not yet confirmed, but the vulnerable children will be those that are exposed to family violence, neglected, and in out of home care.

The Local Area Networks will align with the 17 DHS areas across the State. Each varies in size (from 813 to 57,000km2) and population (89,000 to 89,000) and large variations in predicated growth rate within each region.

Concerns have been raised by the North Central Local Learning and Employment Network (NCLLEN) that the reforms, while welcome as it may be the first time in many years (possibly ever) that the focus is to ensure that in addition to local community based partnerships and collaborations, the system itself at the highest levels within government departments develops the capacity and internal structures to share resources and avoid duplication.

The NCLLEN supports the current objective of the government, however is also very concerned that the decision making processes and current proposals may not fully take into account the specific needs that exist in rural and regional communities.

The NCLLEN has worked with communities in Buloke, Northern Grampians and the Loddon Shires during the last 12 years to build capacity and networks that support young people in the transition from school to employment, and to address the challenges and opportunities in supporting vulnerable young people and their families.

Information available about the new regions suggest that there may not be a place based function supporting the continuation of this, but rather an area based network making strategic decisions that might support place based planning.

The evidence is clear around ‘rurality’ being a significant contributor to vulnerability, as is the evidence that a community with capacity can positively support a young person to achieve outstanding education, training and employment outcomes. Given the current findings and recommendations by the Regional Policy Advisory Committee on ‘Research into Education Aspiration for Regional Victoria’ it is clear there remains significant gaps and opportunities for developing creative interventions and opportunities for young people and their families.

One of the most important findings in almost all recent research both around vulnerability and aspirations is that we must start at the earliest possible stages in working with both the young person and their families. This work can only take place within communities and requires a clear understanding of relationships, community context and available resources and potential for improved shared approaches among the agencies and individuals living, working in and servicing any one community.

It is very clear that there is a real opportunity to review the roles, functions and opportunities that exist during this time of ‘systems reform’, including what improvements could and should take place in relation to LLENs and place-based planning.

Motion:

The Buloke Shire Council writes to both the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development Martin Dixon and the Minister for Health, Mary Wooldridge, to request that the proposed Local Area Partnerships Model include the capacity for rural communities have access to both resources and strategic support for vulnerable young people and families at a localised level.

Moved: Cr Ellen White

Seconded: Cr Leo Tellefson

Carried.

Motion:

Council resolve to hear the Urgent Business item from Cr Pollard.

Moved: Cr Stuart mclean

Seconded: Cr graeme milne

Carried.

9.6.3

VicRoads- Request Single White Line - James Paterson Bridge to Armstrong St Intersection Charlton (Cr David Pollard) (RO/09/02)

Motion:

Council to write a letter to VicRoads to install a single white line from the James Paterson Bridge to Armstrong Street intersection to prevent vehicles crossing the centre of the Highway with heavy commercial vehicles coming blind around the monument corner, then to engage in an education programme with support of the Charlton Police.

Moved: Cr David Pollard

Seconded: Cr Gail Sharp

Carried.

10. MATTERS THAT MAY EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC

Nil

11. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Nil.

12. MEETING CLOSE

Meeting closed at 8.27pm.

[1] expected to be either nominated council representatives to a waste forum or, if these have not been endorsed by a council, the current RWMG board directors from councils in the proposed waste and resource recovery region

[2] expected to be either nominated council representatives to a waste forum or, if these have not been endorsed by a council, the current RWMG board directors from councils in the proposed waste and resource recovery region

Date and Time:	10 February 2014	Time: 5.00pm to 8.00pm
Location:	Birchip District Office
Attendees:	Cr Reid Mather – Mayor Cr Ellen White Cr David Pollard Cr Stuart McLean Cr Leo Tellefson Cr Gail Sharp Cr Graeme Milne Paul Younis – Acting Chief Executive Officer Tom O’Reilly – Acting Manager Finance Anthony Judd – Director of Works and Technical Services Gaynor Doreian – Director of Corporate and Community Services Bill Keane – Manager Community Services Warren Hemopo – Manager Reconstruction
Apologies:	Nil

NO.	TOPIC		PURPOSE
1.	Declarations of Conflicts of Interest
2.	Presentations
2.	2.1	Karen Evans (Insynch Consultancy Group)	Presented the Draft Aquatic Strategy.
	2.2	Paula Clark (Wimmera Regional Library Corporation)	Discussed the Library Agreement and Service and Funding Agreement and performance of the library in Buloke Shire.
3.	Items for Discussion
	3.1	Council Reports	Council reviewed Council Business Items being tabled at Ordinary Meeting 12 February 2014
	3.2	Calder Regional Waste Management Group – Waste and Resource Recovery Governance Reform	Briefing Paper Tabled and discussed.
	3.3	Calder Highway Improvement Committee – Priorities for Improvements	Letter and List of Priorities tabled and discussed.
4.	CEO Updates
5.	Councillor Matters

Date and Time:	26 February 2014	Time: 5.00pm to 8.00pm
Location:	Meeting Room, Donald District Office

NO.	TOPIC		PURPOSE
1.	Declarations of Conflicts of Interest		Cr Sharp declared an interest in Item 3.3 due to a family member being employed by the Contractor appointed to undertake the works for Contract C06 2011/2012.
2.	Presentations
3.	Items for Discussion
	3.1	Australian Local Government Association – Call for Motions
	3.2	Road Management Plan – Consultation Plan
	3.3	Contract C 06 – 2011/12 Progress Report	Cr Sharp vacated the Council Chamber prior to the discussion of this item at 5.40pm. Cr Sharp returned to the Council Chamber prior to the discussion of Item 4.
4.	CEO Updates		2014/2015 Budget Discussion Community Sports/Grants Program
5.	Councillor Matters

Date and Time:	11 March 2014	Time: 5.00pm to 8.00pm
Location:	Wycheproof Supper Room

Application No	Applicant	Address	Date Rec	Summary of Proposal	Status
535/14	Acciona	Gap Road, Nine Mile	20/12/13	Use and development of a Wind Energy Facility and works	Referral & Objections
536/14	Adrian Cummins & Associates	27 Golf Links Road, Charlton	13/12/13	Two Lot Subdivision	Notice of Application
540/14	Norman Lipp	96 Birchip- Sea Lake Road, Birchip	11/02/14	Warehouse	Notice of Application
541/14	CFA	Warracknabeal-Birchip Road, Warmur	05/02/14	Emergency Service Facility	Referral

Date	Permit No.	Applicant	Address and Project
24.2.14	542/14	Country Fire Authority	CA 90 Section A Parish of Warmur Pty No: 186226501 Known as Warracknabeal – Birchip Road, Warmur Use & development of Emergency Services Facility
24.2.14	538/14	Country Fire Authority	Part Lot 1 of Title Plan 244770X Pty No: 382227404 Known as Donald –Swan Hill Road, Dumosa Use & development of Emergency Services Facility
24.2.14	541/14	Ms Fiona Best 15 Corack Road Birchip VIC 3483	Lot 1 of TP97046 and Lot 2 of TP621352 Pty No: 231000801 15 Corack Road, Birchip Use and development of an Outbuilding
Date	Permit No.	Applicant	Address and Project
24.2.14	539/14	Ms Amanda Bomphery 3504 Creswick-Newstead Rd Smeaton Vic 3364	28 Camp Street, Watchem Pty No: 120201703 Buildings and Works to a Hotel ( demolition of front facade section)
24.2.14	519/13	G & A Padgett 35 Risdon Drive Charlton VIC 3527	Lot 1 of Title Plan 6659895 Pty No: 364804002 Known as 2-4 Mildura Way, Charlton Buildings & works to dwelling in Urban Floodway Zone

Provider	Recipient	Date	Purpose for Recognition
Nil.