Annual Report 2014-15

DISBANDED COMMITTEES
AND WORKING GROUPS
Anzac Day 2015 Commemorative Working Group disbanded
at the end of April 2015.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
AND DELEGATIONS
Delegations of Authority provide officers with the power
to carry out duties and make determinations. Under the
Local Government Act 1995, both Council and the Chief
Executive Officer are given certain functions and duties to
be discharged. The Council and Chief Executive Officer may
delegate authority to any other officer to perform functions
and duties under the Act or implement Council decisions.
Delegations of Authority are retained in accordance with legal
requirements for document retention and keeping of records.
CITIZENSHIP CEREMONIES
In accordance with the Australian Citizenship Act 2007,
the Mayor or Chief Executive Officer preside at Citizenship
ceremonies in the City of Wanneroo. In 2014/15, a total
of 19 ceremonies were held as the City welcomed 2060
new citizens.
Local governments conduct Citizenship ceremonies on behalf
of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection
(formerly Department of Immigration and Citizenship).
CONNECTING WITH
OUR COMMUNITY
The City strongly believes in the importance of consulting,
engaging and communicating with residents and
businesses on programmes and issues to reach the best
community outcomes. The City also sees as vital its role
as an advocate for the community to attract support from
other tiers of government.
The City strives to keep the region’s culturally and
linguistically diverse community actively involved, fully
informed and vibrantly connected to the world around
them through a range of communications and events.
The City values the importance of a sound and positive
relationship with local and metropolitan media and seeks
to maintain this relationship in a respectful and efficient
manner. In 2013/14 the City distributed 130 media releases.
In 2014/15 that figure rose to 174. The City also regularly
assisted journalists with media enquiries including growth,
advocacy, planning, environment, ageing, youth and events.
Open discussion with the community is crucial to ensure
Council can govern strategically and effectively. The City’s
communication channels include a fortnightly advertorial,
Link, in the local newspapers, a quarterly magazine What’s
Happening, Mayor’s monthly radio interviews, `Meet the
Mayor` sessions, media releases, advertising, e-newsletters,
history books, community safety guide, community events,
the City’s website, Facebook and Twitter. Each edition of
What’s Happening reaches more than 70,000 households
and gives the community a snapshot of events, programmes
and progress in their neighbourhood.
The City’s website and Facebook page provide important
information resources for the community, helping them to
connect and interact with the City and continue to attract
an increasing number of visitors each year. The City also
keeps the community up to date via Twitter where issues
including road closures, prescribed burns or events need to
be communicated quickly. Social media is a vital tool which
enables residents to share ideas and give feedback to the
City to improve overall customer service.
| ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015 | CITY OF WANNEROO | GOVERNANCE
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