Gannawarra Annual Report 2011 - Gannawarra Shire Council

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feedback from customer service staff
in real time or have their requests for
action input into Council’s action
system immediately. Feedback has
been positive.
Council is also committed to the
introduction of social media as a
communications tool. Social media
has been included in Council’s
Communication Strategy 2011 – 2014
and is scheduled to be introduced
within the new financial year.
The community is encouraged to
attend Council meetings which are
normally held at the Council
Chambers in Kerang but are also held
at different locations in the Shire at
intervals throughout the year. Each
Council meeting has a Public Question
Time where members of the public
can ask up to three questions each of
their Councillors, in accordance with
Council’s agreed protocol.
The community is also encouraged to
engage with Council by attending one
of the 10 Community Planning
Groups in the Shire. These Groups
meet monthly and with the assistance
of a Council facilitator actively
establish the planning priorities of
their respective communities. Council
then provides assistance for these
groups to undertake their priority
projects and seed funding to enable
greater funding from other sources to
see the projects through to fruition.
Council information is also distributed
to planning groups as another means
of informing and engaging the
Gannawarra Community.
GANNAWARRA SHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2011
A feedback form has also been
included with copies of the 2011
Annual Report and is available online
at www.gannawarra.vic.gov.au to
enable community input on any
aspect of the presentation or content
of this report. This information will be
used for the development of the 2012
Gannawarra Shire Council Annual
Report.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Councillors and senior staff are
required to declare any conflict of
interest in any matter, and the nature
of that interest, before a matter is
discussed in a Council or Committee
meeting.
All Councillors and senior staff are
required to complete a Form 26
Register of Interest Primary Return
when elected or appointed, in
accordance with the Local
Government Act 1989. The Pecuniary
Interest Register is available for
inspection at the Kerang Office of
Council.
COUNCIL AUDIT COMMITTEE
The role of Council’s Audit Committee
is to independently monitor, review
and advise the Council on matters of
accountability and internal control
affecting the operations of the
Council. The Committee exists to
assist the Council in discharging its
responsibilities for financial reporting,
maintaining a reliable system of
internal controls and fostering the
Council’s ethical environment.
The Committee makes
recommendations on the
appointment of an internal auditor
and on the adoption of the Annual
Financial and Standard Statements as
well as provides advice to Council and
senior management.
The 2010/2011 Audit Committees
were:
External members:
Mr John Campbell (Chair), Mr Ian
Taylor and Ms Kate Scarce
Council members:
Cr Lui Basile and Cr Gannon
(from December 2010)
Cr Max Fehring (to December 2010)
Internal Audit Firm:
Richmond, Sinnott Delahunty
The Internal Audit Committee met
three times during the 2010-2011
financial year as the December
meeting was cancelled as a result of
flooding.
External audit of Council’s Financial
and Standard Statements is conducted
by MDHC Audit Assurance Pty Ltd.