Brimbank

Annual Report

2016-2017

Brimbank City Council’s 2016-2017 Annual Report details

Council’s performance during that financial year and includes a

report against the objectives set out in Brimbank’s

.

The Brimbank City Council Annual Report 2016-2017 aims

to fulfil Council’s statutory responsibilities under the

and

.

To obtain a copy of this document, please contact Council’s

Customer Service Centre on

or view a copy

online at

About this Annual Report

2

Welcome to the Report of Operations 2016-2017

4

Snapshot of Council

5

Snapshot of service delivery

7

Highlights of the year

12

Challenges and future outlook

15

The year in review

16

Message from the Mayor

16

Chief Executive Officer’s message

18

Financial summary

20

Description of operations

22

Significant service achievements 2016-2017

24

Strategies, policies and plans adopted

28

Major changes

29

Our Council

30

About the Councillors

30

About the Council

31

Executive Management Team at 30 June 2017

35

Organisation structure at 30 June 2017

36

Workforce profile

37

Equal Opportunity

39

Other staff matters

39

Planning and Accountability Framework

43

Council Plan Strategic Objectives

44

Council and the Community Working Together

46

Community Wellbeing

49

Urban Design and Infrastructure

54

Sustainable Environments

58

Industry and Economic Development and Strategic Sites

61

Organisational Effectiveness

62

Governance and Management

64

Statutory information

73

2017 Community Satisfaction Survey

77

Advocacy, consultation and community engagement

79

Volunteering in Brimbank

82

Sustainability

84

Awards

88

Description of municipality

91

Sustainable Capacity Indicators for the year ended 30 June 2017 91

Service Performance Indicators for the year ended 30 June 2017 92

Financial Performance Indicators for the year ended 30 June 2017 94

Other Information

96

Certification of the Performance Statement

97

Independent Auditor’s Report

98

A Plain English Guide to the Annual Financial Report

102

Financial statements

104

Certification of the Financial Statements

147

Independent Auditor’s Report

148

Acronyms

150

Index

151

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01

Council is transparent

and accountable

in reporting to the

community. The Report

of Operations 2016-2017

explains in detail the

Council’s operations and

performance during the

financial year.

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

5

About Brimbank

Who we are

Brimbank is a vibrant, growing community in the

heart of Melbourne’s west. Diversity is central

to our identity – we are proudly multicultural,

embracing people from around the world and

weaving their stories into our own. Brimbank’s

estimated resident population of 202,863

in 2016 makes it the third most populous

municipality in Greater Melbourne.

Where we came from

The City of Brimbank was established in 1994,

uniting the former Keilor and Sunshine councils.

It was named after Brimbank Park in Keilor,

which gained its name from the practice of

farmers driving livestock ‘around the brim of the

bank’ of the Maribyrnong River.

The land the municipality now occupies has

a human history that began with Aboriginal

traditional custodians, the Kulin Nation, more

than 40,000 years before European settlement.

The area was originally occupied by the Kurung

Jang-Balluk and Marin-Balluk clans of the native

Wurundjeri people.

The first European settlements were

established at Keilor in the late 1840s, Sunshine

(then known as Braybrook Junction) in the mid-

1880s, and St Albans in the late 1880s. Many

suburbs grew around the original settlements

after World War II to house the influx of

migrants. More recently, areas that were once

industrial hubs have been transformed into new

residential suburbs that are continuing to grow

rapidly.

Our place

Brimbank spans an area between 11 and 23

kilometres north-west of Melbourne’s CBD.

It is bound by the City of Hume in the north, the

cities of Maribyrnong and Moonee Valley in the

east, the cities of Hobsons Bay and Wyndham in

the south, and the City of Melton in the west.

Fifteen per cent of Brimbank’s total area is

classified as open space, including natural

treasures such as Organ Pipes National Park

and Mount Derrimut Grasslands, as well as

Green Gully Reserve, Brimbank Park and Iramoo

Wildflower Grassland Reserve.

Our strategic position at the heart of

Melbourne’s west has been cemented with

major infrastructure commitments that

continue to transform the region. Sunshine’s

railway station was completely rebuilt during

the Regional Rail Link project, while the removal

of level crossings in Furlong Road and Main

Road has united the two halves of St Albans

and drastically improved safety. The Joan Kirner

Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Sunshine,

due for completion in late 2018, will offer

children’s services and enable more women to

give birth closer to home.

Our suburbs are as diverse as our people – from

the hustle and bustle of Sunshine and St Albans

to historic Keilor, each has its own flavour and

personality.

Sunshine: A major activity centre, Sunshine’s

profile is rising due to its proximity to the city

and its mouth-watering food scene. It houses

a Victoria University campus, the Brimbank

Community and Civic Centre, and Sunshine

Hospital. Sunshine services suburbs which

include Albion, Sunshine North, Sunshine West

and part of Brooklyn.

St Albans: St Albans is a designated major

activity centre that includes a Victoria University

campus, the newly developed St Albans

Community Centre and Bowery Theatre, and a

thriving restaurant and retail precinct. St Albans

services neighbouring suburbs Albanvale, Kings

Park and Kealba.

Deer Park: Servicing the nearby suburbs of

Ardeer, Derrimut and Cairnlea, Deer Park has

a rich array of restaurants and shops. Major

features of the area include the Hunt Club

Community and Arts Centre, Black Powder Mill

and Brimbank Central Shopping Centre.

Sydenham: Brimbank’s third activity centre,

Sydenham services suburbs including

Sydenham, Calder Park, Taylors Lakes, Delahey

and parts of Hillside. Watergardens Town Centre

is the jewel in its crown, while Calder Park

Motorsport Complex is another landmark.

Keilor: Keilor is set among rolling hills and national

and state parks, including Organ Pipes National

Park, Brimbank Park and Green Gully Reserve. It

services suburbs including Keilor Downs, Keilor

North, Keilor Park and Keilor Downs as well as

parts of Keilor, Keilor East and Tullamarine.

Our people

Brimbank is one of the most culturally diverse

municipalities in Australia, with almost half of

our residents born outside of Australia.

Brimbank’s suburbs boomed after World War II,

when migrants from southern Europe flowed to

the area. More recently, newly arrived Asian and

African communities have developed alongside

the more established European communities.

More than half of our residents speak a

language other than English at home, with more

than 160 languages represented. The top 10

languages other than English are Vietnamese,

Maltese, Italian, Greek, Macedonian, Filipino,

Cantonese, Arabic, Punjabi and Croatian.

Brimbank is increasingly becoming a major

employment hub for Melbourne’s west.

Manufacturing is the key employer in Brimbank,

followed by retail, health care and social

assistance.

Brimbank is home to a range of established

organisations, including Aldi, ARC, Australia Post,

Boral, Bunnings, Caterpillar, FedEx, Ferguson

Plarre, Fisher and Paykel, Hunter Leisure, John

Deere, Lombards, Schweppes, Schiavello and

Sims Metal.

In more recent times companies such as

IBM, Metronode, Digital Realty, Rand Group,

Preshafruit, Sleepyhead and Vistaprint have

also chosen to settle in Brimbank.

Reconciliation and Indigenous

information

Brimbank has a rich Indigenous history, going

back to when the Wurundjeri people first

inhabited the region, thriving in the Maribyrnong

Valley.

Council acknowledges the Kulin nation of

people as the traditional owners of the land, the

continuing spiritual connection to the land and

renews its commitment to respect Indigenous

beliefs, values and customs.

About 440 Registered Aboriginal Places exist

in the Brimbank Local Government Area. The

oldest artefacts found in the City are over

30,000 years old.

On 26 February 2008, Council adopted the

full motion passed by the Federal Government

on 13 February 2008 in saying sorry to the

Stolen Generations on behalf of the Australian

Parliament and people, and extended an

apology to those Stolen Generations on behalf

of the people of Brimbank.

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I Dynamic Centre of the West

Since July 2011, Council has flown both the

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags

alongside the Australian national flag every day

outside its Municipal Office.

Each year Brimbank City Council hosts a broad

range of activities during Reconciliation and

NAIDOC Week, such as Aboriginal cultural

heritage tours, Sorry Day events, Indigenous art

exhibitions, library story-telling sessions and

NAIDOC flag raisings.

On 17 April 2012, Council endorsed a

Reconciliation Statement of Commitment and

officially signed the Statement on 29 May 2012,

committing it to learning from the past and

seeking new ways to build relationships with the

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community,

and to developing a Reconciliation Action Plan.

It was committed that the Reconciliation Action

Plan would be developed in consultation with

internal and external stakeholders including

Council staff, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

residents and local Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander service providers and community groups.

In May 2013, Council adopted a Reconciliation

Action Plan that demonstrates its commitment

to reconciliation for all Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander people.

In September 2016, a

(MOU) between Brimbank City

Council and the Wurundjeri Tribe Land and

Compensation Cultural Heritage Council was

signed, marking an important step toward

reconciliation and reaffirming the genuine

connection, pride and belonging for our

Indigenous community.

Brimbank at a glance

u

Area

123 square kilometres

u

Population count

202,863

(estimated resident population, June 2016)

u

Males

50.0%

u

Females

50.0%

u

Residents aged under 18 years 22.1%

u

Residents aged between

18 and 59 years

58.9%

u

Residents aged 60 years and over 19.0%

u

Indigenous population

816

u

Residents who speak a

non-English language at home 58.4%

u

Median house price for 2016 $495,092

(June 2016)

Vision, Mission, Values and Statement

of Strategic Intent

sets out

Council’s Vision, Statement of Strategic Intent,

Mission and Values as follows:

Vision

Brimbank will be the dynamic centre of

Melbourne’s west. We will be a proud, diverse

and connected community.

Statement of Strategic Intent

Develop Brimbank through enhancing and

celebrating the many diverse identities,

communities and cultures within Brimbank;

creating high quality spaces and places; and

providing learning and employment opportunities.

Mission

Brimbank City Council will strive to achieve the

community’s vision by:

• Meeting the needs of our community and

those of future generations in a collaborative

and financially responsible manner

• Enhancing community wellbeing within a

strong foundation of social justice

• Creating an urban environment that is safe,

attractive, vibrant and liveable

• Demonstrating commitment to environmental

protection, sustainable development and

reducing our ecological footprint

• Promoting Brimbank as the first choice for

new industry, business and development

• Delivering best practice services that meet

the needs of the diverse and growing

Brimbank community.

Values

For Brimbank City Council employees and the

Council, to be the best at what they do and

achieve the community vision and Council

strategic intent and mission, their actions

and decisions are guided by a set of five

fundamental and unifying values:

u

we show

RESPECT

u

we act with

INTEGRITY

u

we work

TOGETHER

u

we

COMMUNICATE

openly

u

we strive for

EXCELLENCE

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

7

Council delivers a range of services for families

and young children and opportunities for young

people to develop skills and contribute to

community life.

What we delivered

• Coordinated home-based child care with 197

equivalent full-time child care places and

1203 monitoring visits to 50 active Family Day

Care Educators, contributing 357,660 hours

of care

• Supported provision of child care at nine

centres

• Maintained 30 preschool premises

• Processed 2523 four-year-old preschool

applications

• Supported playgroups with Smalltalk

intervention in 13 groups, two shopping

centre playgroups, 88 community playgroups

combining facilitated and volunteer

• Conducted 2988 Maternal and Child Health

first home visits

• Completed 23,386 Key Age Stage visits, 3067

additional appointments and 3434 telephone

consultations

• Provided Youth Support and Counselling

Services to 148 young people

• Supported a range of youth programs

attended by 1141 young people

• Coordinated 17 events attended by 440

young people

• Delivered two youth music stages attended

by 950 community members

• Supported various youth programs including

Brimbank Youth Events Committee, New

Change Creative Residency, Stir It Up and L2R

with a total engagement of 45 young people

• In partnership with Edmund Rice Community

and Refugee Service provided in-kind venue

support for 181 local young people

Council provides a range of sport and recreation opportunities for the community to engage in

healthy physical activity, sport and social activities at its leisure centres. Council also delivers

community infrastructure such as community hubs and sport and recreation facilities to strengthen

local communities.

• $100,000 of external funding from Sport

Recreation Victoria secured to complete

Dempster Park Cricket nets upgrade

• $60,000 of external funding from Sport

Recreation Victoria secured to complete

Keilor Park Soccer change rooms

• $45,000 of external funding from Sport

Recreation Victoria secured to complete a

Western Region Planning Project: Women in

Sport Action Plan

• Facilitated 300,209 visits to the Keilor

Basketball and Netball Stadium. Netball-related

attendance increased by 44 per cent to 47,601

• Facilitated 7190 games of basketball and

netball games at the Keilor Basketball and

Netball Stadium

• 34 community facilities managed available for

regular, casual and function hire

• 136 community groups managed across 26

different nationalities with 6573 regular hire

bookings at community facilities

• 19,575 attendances at functions held in

community facilities available for function

hire, 345,735 attendances at regular hire

bookings and 17,030 attendances at casual

bookings held in community facilities

• A total of 355,360 people visiting community

facilities each year

• Eight capital works community facility

improvement projects for community benefit

with a total contribution of $575,000

• Online community space bookings for

Keilor Community Hub and the Brimbank

Community and Civic Centre made available

for residents and community members

• Renewed seven leases and licences involving

scouts, guides, senior citizen clubs and

community groups

• Facilitated 576,036 visits to aquatic facilities

including 353,574 member visits

• Facilitated 55,179 group fitness visits across

4185 classes with an average of 13 people

per class

• 61,168 learn to swim lessons

• 26,596 rounds of golf played at Keilor Public

Golf Course

What we delivered

• Management of 79 sports clubs using 130

sports facilities

• Supported sports clubs to provide 12,050

children and adults with sports participation

opportunities

• Provided 411 sporting opportunities to

disadvantaged children through In2Sport

Brimbank, Council’s sports club membership

subsidy program

• $15,000 of external funding secured from

Cricket Victoria and Football Federation

Victoria for In2Sport Brimbank

• Delivered 11 Sports Club Development

network meetings to educate and inform

Brimbank sports clubs

• 230 sports clubs volunteers attended

Council-delivered volunteer training sessions

• Successfully delivered the Brimbank Cup with

32 teams competing including 14 community

teams and eight female teams. This year saw

the inclusion of a seven-a-side competition

as well as a junior clinic with Melbourne City

Football Club with 125 kids attending. The cup

was delivered in partnership with Cairnlea

Football Club, Football Federation Victoria,

Melbourne City Football Club and Victoria Police

• 5232 Brimbank residents involved in the

Active Premiers Challenge

• 15 sports-related capital works projects

completed to improve sports facilities for

community benefit

• Supported 12 Heart Foundation Walking

Groups, assisting over 150 community

members to stay active

• Developed and implemented the In2Tennis

program, providing 560 community members

an opportunity to play tennis

• Supported the continued development of the

Community Soccer Hub, providing a place for

the newly emerging communities to come

together through soccer

• 101 residents involved in the Sons of the West

Men’s Health Program run at two locations

with 67 men graduating from the program

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Council offers a range of services to the community including arts and culture, events, and community centres.

• Coordinated four Brimbank Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander Reconciliation Action

Plan Consultative Committee meetings

• Successfully applied for a federal grant

to deliver events as part of National

Reconciliation Week

• Successfully worked with Foodworks to

deliver a mentoring program for Brimbank

Carers and international corporation Miele

• Community Leadership Programs delivered

for 34 people

• Provided 18 Community Governance training

sessions to 295 participants

• Held three Brimbank Leadership Alumni

Networking events

• Provided Alumni Mentoring Program to

12 Brimbank Leadership Alumni members

• 78 children participated in nine projects as

part of the Dynamic Young Citizens project

• 100 volunteers participated in volunteer

training held during Volunteer Week

• 37 volunteers joined Brimbank City Council

increasing the total number of volunteers to

404 • Provided 21 $250 Neighbour Day Grants to

support 752 people to participate in various

activities organised by 89 neighbours across

21 locations

• Supported three Brimbank schools to take

part in a Neighbour Day artwork exhibition

between March and April 2017

• Coordinated

and Budget 2017/2018 consultations

comprising 10 public sessions where

249 people participated in face-to-face

consultations, 103 online surveys, 228

postcards and 10 submissions received

respectively

• Hosted 20 public exhibitions for the

and Draft

Budget 2017-2018 at all Brimbank libraries

between May and June 2017

• Conducted one school tour of the Brimbank

Community and Civic Centre and one school

onsite visit as part of Council’s civic education

program

What we delivered

• Officially opened Keilor Community Hub to the

community incorporating customer service,

Keilor Library and neighbourhood house

facilities

• Provided community grants funding to 73

community groups valued at about $330,000

• Delivered two grant information sessions and

two grant writing sessions to 40 people

• Conducted four Places of Worship tours

attended by 160 people

• Launched the Brimbank Maribyrnong

Interfaith Network Articles of Faith:

A Collection of Interfaith Stories video

• Partnered with key organisations to hold four

Interfaith community events – Christmas

community lunch, Buddhist Council of

Victoria’s 20th Anniversary community event,

International Women’s Day and Refugee

Week attended by more than 180 people

• Successfully delivered four ‘Living In Your

Neighbourhood’ sessions to 183 English

language students

• Coordinated 10 community events: NAIDOC

Flag raising community activities; Mullagh

Wills Foundation – Reconciliation Through

Sport initiative; Carers Week; International

Day of Persons with a Disability Expo;

Brimbank Seniors Festival and Cuckoo

Restaurant Bus Trip; Outing Disability

Exhibition and Panel Discussion as part of

Midsumma; International Women’s Day;

National Reconciliation Week – Brimbank

Reconciliation Walk; and Community Welcome

Dinner as part of Refugee Week.

• More than 70 partnerships developed and/or

maintained to deliver programs/events and

activities to more than 1000 people

• Coordinated six National Disability Insurance

Scheme presentations and information

sessions to 180 people

• Coordinated four community networks –

Brimbank Disability Network Group, Brimbank

Maribyrnong Interfaith Network, Brimbank

Active Seniors and Brimbank Seniors Forums,

attended by more than 530 people

• Conducted two Keilor listening posts to shape

the future use of the former Keilor library site

• Held more than 10 meetings with the Kororoit

Creek Neighbourhood House Association Inc.

in preparation for the Albion House transition

as a community managed Neighbourhood

House

• Chaired four Brimbank Service Provider

Network meetings

• 19,325 hours of programs run across the

seven neighbourhood houses

• 49 special events run by neighbourhood

houses

• 105 volunteers supporting the delivery of

programs at seven neighbourhood houses

• Brimbank Sustainable Living Expo attended

by more than 3000 people

• Brimbank Men’s Health Day event attended

by more than 250 people

• Officially opened the Westvale Men’s Shed

with the opening event attended by more

than 150 people

• Partnerships with more than 34 community

groups and organisations

Council provides a comprehensive waste service

to the community while striving to manage

waste sustainably.

What we delivered

• Introduced online services on Council’s

website to allow people to apply for a new, or

amend an existing, bin service

• Weekly domestic waste and fortnightly

recycling collection for 68,863 households

and fortnightly green waste collection for

38,207 households

• Lifted 6,365,096 bins

• Collected 43,242 tonnes of waste

• Recycled 16,362 tonnes of waste

• Collected 12,567 tonnes of green waste

• Collected and recycled 3982 tonnes of hard

waste, 273 tonnes of steel, 8915 mattresses

and 3572 tyres in the annual kerbside hard

waste collection service

• Collected 36,752 kilograms of paint, 13,900

litres of motor oil and 1300 kilograms of

household batteries

• Accepted 500 kilograms of fluorescent

tubes, 461 car batteries, 57,230 kilograms

of e-waste and 3593 gas cylinders at the

permanent Detox Your Home centre at

Stadium Drive, Keilor Park

Council has a responsibility to provide services

and information to the community in order to

protect the public from disease, provide safety

and ensure wellbeing.

What we delivered

• Conducted 1716 food premise inspections

• Administered 3458 vaccinations to infants

• Administered 8469 vaccinations to school

aged children

Council is responsible for planning permit approvals, providing building permit services, and

conducting inspections of building works and fire safety audits.

• 378 Building Notices and Orders served

• 77 illegal rooming house inspections

• 51 swimming pool barrier inspections

• 50 essential services maintenance

inspections

• 23 emergency call-outs

• 471 investigations resulting from

building-related complaints

• 312 illegal building works identified

• 11 Magistrates’ Court prosecutions for

building compliance

What we delivered

• Introduced online services on Council’s

website to allow people to apply for:

- A building permit or request a quote

- A report and consent

- Copies of building documents

- Register a Building Permit – Private

Surveyors

- Request to Vary or Extend the Time of a

Building Permit

- Property Information

• Introduced online services on Council’s

website to allow people to apply for:

- A planning permit

- A planning permit: amend

- Copies of planning permits and/or

endorsed plans

- Demolition form

- Planning – Extension of Time

- Planning advice

- Planning objection form

- Plans subject to Conditions

• 1085 planning application decisions made

• 569 planning-related property information

requests received

• 222 subdivision applications received

• 491 investigations resulting from planning

compliance complaints

• 1238 inspections resulting from planning

compliance complaints

• 28 Magistrates’ Court prosecutions for

planning compliance

• 53 Planning Infringement Notices issued

• $491.36 million total value of new building

projects requiring building permits

• 248 report and consent requests received

and processed for buildings

• 348 mandatory building inspections

• 2190 building-related property information

requests

• 288 requests for copies of plans received

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I Dynamic Centre of the West

Brimbank’s five libraries offer collections of books,

magazines, DVDs, toys and other items as well as

programs and information services for the whole

community at no charge, and cater for all ages.

A Home Library Service operates for people who

are unable to visit the library. Library programs

support lifelong learning and include weekly

story times and computer classes. All libraries

offer study facilities, Wi-Fi, Internet and computer

access and printing. Of the 220,280 items

available to borrow, 27 per cent are on loan at any

given time. The library’s online services include

e-reference, downloadable e-books and audio

books, access to hundreds of online magazines,

and newspapers in over 60 languages.

What we delivered

• 26,914 new physical items added to the collection

in English and 19 community languages

• 2,259,094 total library visits; of these visits,

1,310,805 were made to the five libraries and

948,289 to the online library

• 1,381,637 collection loans; of these, 975,895

physical items were borrowed and 405,740

electronic resources were utilised

• 200,741 catalogue searches completed

• 16,055 new library members registered

bringing the total library membership to 77,071

• 76,844 active library members

• 275,670 Internet bookings made

• 121,545 instances of IT help provided to the

community

• 13,516 video game bookings made

• 140,014 reference questions answered

• 3339 library programs delivered with 63,136

people attending:

- 1446 children’s programs with 41,886

children attending

- 96 teen programs with 1220 teens attending

- 1015 adult programs with 9767 adults

attending

- 656 IT classes with 2,806 people attending;

these included classes in languages other

than English and those aimed at seniors

• 800 people attended the Brimbank Writers

& Readers Festival

• 1291 Home Library Service visits delivered

by 34 volunteers to 78 active Home Library

Service customers in their homes

• 1100 children registered for the 1000 Books

Before School program

Council is responsible for providing education

and enforcement through relevant legislation,

local laws and Council policies, and maintains

a safe and healthy environment in which the

community can enjoy a quality of life that meets

their expectations.

What we delivered

• Introduced online services on Council’s

website to allow people to:

- Apply for an Excess Pet Permit

- Apply for a lifelong pet tag replacement form

- Register a domestic animal

• 14,936 compliance service enquiries attended

to, including 2921 for parking, 1102 for local

law, 688 for litter, 1526 for abandoned/

derelict vehicles, 2862 for condition of land,

1814 enquiries about cats, 2365 enquiries

about dogs, 202 regarding other animals

• 2853 stray animals collected by Council

(960 dogs, 1832 cats, 61 other animals)

• 13,655 pets registered (10,583 dogs and

3072 cats)

• Eight dog attack prosecutions and 489

infringements for animal-related matters

• 20,350 parking infringements and 567 local

law infringements issued

• 1500 vacant properties inspected and 850

fire hazard reduction notices issued; of

these, 240 land owners were issued with

infringements and 93 properties had to be

cut by Council’s contractor

• 81 event permits issued

• 112 school crossings supervised every

school day

• 514 individual littering investigations

conducted, 299 of these proactively

detected by Litter Officer

Council is responsible for managing the City’s

local roads, footpaths and other assets.

What we delivered

• Introduced online services on Council’s

website to allow people to apply for:

- Property Information

- A Vehicle Crossing

- An Asset Protection Permit

- Consent to Build on Land Liable to Flooding

or Designated Land

- Consent to Construct Over/In an Easement

• Introduced online forms to make it easy

for residents to report issues about roads,

footpaths, dumped rubbish or bins, and issues

at parks and reserves via Council’s website

• 1240 kilometres of underground drain

pipes managed and maintained along

with 60 kilometres of table drains

• 45,073 storm water pits, 361 litter traps

and 39 gross pollutant traps maintained

and cleaned

• 3936 drain pits inspected and cleaned

• 2069 litter traps inspected and cleaned

• 909 kilometres of local roads inspected

and maintained, including 14 kilometres

of unsealed roads

• 1490 kilometres of footpaths inspected

and maintained

• 80,000 street/road signs proactively

inspected and maintained and 5994 signs

physically maintained

• About 31,000 kilometres of residential

and commercial kerb and channel swept

• 2175 tonnes collected through street

sweeping program

• 110,300 street litter bins emptied

• 2387 tonnes of litter collected through the

street litter bin and manual litter collection

service

• 187,970 square metres of road pavement

resealed

• 266 buildings maintained on 165 sites

• 212 playgrounds maintained, of which 153 are

in open space and 59 in preschools, child care

and community centres

Council’s Ageing and Inclusion services for the

community include Home and Community Care

(HACC) and Community Aged Care Packages

(CACP), and a range of Community Programs

including Community Transport, HACC Planned

Activity Groups (PAG), volunteers and seniors.

These services support, maintain and enhance

the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of

older people and people with a disability living

in Brimbank.

What we delivered

• 72,826 meals on wheels

• 34,617 hours of domestic assistance

• 14,935 hours of personal care

• 3049 people received a Home and

Community Care service

• 10,520 hours of respite care

• 3297 hours of property maintenance

• 43,811 hours of planned activity support

services

• 5012 hours of assessment and care

management

• 29,343 passenger trips on Brimbank’s

community transport buses

Council is responsible for upgrading and maintaining local parks, creek corridors, sports grounds,

municipal reserves and street trees.

What we delivered

• Upgraded four neighbourhood parks

• Completed suburban park upgrade at

Dellbridge Drive Reserve, Sydenham, and

Delahey Drive Reserve (Stage two), Delahey

• Developed new BMX track at Ardeer

Community Park

• Planted more than 60,660 new trees as part

of One Million Trees planting initiative

• Planted 4455 trees along streets and main

roads

• Upgraded Keilor Village Shopping Village

• Extended the shared user path along Old

Calder Highway, from Cliff Harvey Lagoon

Reserve to Kennedy Street, Keilor

• Completed upgrade of Dawson Street,

Sunshine (Stage 1)

• 46 conservation sites managed to improve

habitat for indigenous flora and fauna,

covering 370 hectares

• Four ecological burns completed to reduce

biomass and increase vegetation quality,

covering two hectares

• 12,000 indigenous grasses, herbs, shrubs

and trees planted to restore habitat

• Maintained approximately 1180 hectares

of public open space, streetscapes, grassed

areas and soft landscaped areas

• Inspected and maintained approximately

200,000 trees in parks and streets including

powerline clearing works in line with Council’s

Electric Line Clearance Management Plan

• Carried out emergency tree works and

clean-up following a significant storm event

in October 2016 responding to more than

3000 customer calls for tree works during

the event

• Maintained 29 sports reserves comprising

63 playing fields

• Maintained 143 irrigation systems

• Maintained Keilor Public Golf Course

12

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Brimbank City Council is committed to working in close collaboration with the community, facilitating

a wide cross-section of community participation, including ‘hard to reach’ groups, through a variety

of forums and partnerships to better engage, develop, represent and communicate with our diverse

community. Brimbank City Council will fulfil its statutory and legal obligations to the community

and manage the municipality in a financially sustainable manner to meet the current needs of our

community and those of future generations.

Achievements:

• Opened the St Albans Community Centre

which features the Bowery Theatre

performance space. St Albans Community

Centre provides opportunities for the

community to come together to share arts,

culture, and ideas. Since opening on 18 March

2017, more than 1100 audience members

have seen a range of theatre, comedy, music,

film and dance works in the Bowery Theatre.

• Supported 73 community groups through

provision of $330,000 of community grant

funding.

• Held National Youth Week celebrations at

St Albans Community Centre featuring a

youth music stage, inflatable activities and

sports clinics attended by over 200 youth

and children.

• Supported the Dynamic Young Citizens of

Brimbank program which works with primary

aged children to build their civic pride,

community connectedness and involve them

in decision-making whilst increasing feelings

of safety in Brimbank. The program delivered

a community mural in St Albans and public

mosaic artworks in Ardeer.

• Partnered with cohealth to deliver ‘Stir It

Up’ youth project, providing opportunities

for young people with African or Pasifika

backgrounds to develop friendships and

engage in cultural exchange.

• Partnered with Joining The Dot to hold

a community welcome dinner as part

of Refugee Week. Eighty guests from

established and newly arrived communities

shared a meal together and engaged in

facilitated conversations led by Joining

The Dot volunteers.

• Facilitated the Western Youth Employment

partnership of six member councils and three

Local Learning and Employment Networks.

The partnership focuses on coordinated

action to create greater opportunity for

youth in the west to access employment.

• Delivered Council’s Community Governance

Training Program to community groups, small

not-for-profit organisations and interested

individuals across Brimbank, to support

good governance practice in community

organisations. The Community Governance

Training Program delivered 20 sessions to

335 participants.

• Delivered St Albans Community Centre

Community Showcase day which featured

community-based performances and

activities including ‘The Bowery Dance

Project’, ‘Kontiki Fashion Expo’, FReeZA youth

performances, Western Region Concert

Band, Kud Dukat (Bosnian Traditional Dance)

and Sri Lankan dances.

• Partnered with New Hope Foundation,

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Hazara

community and Horn of Africa community

members to deliver a Women’s Only

Swimming Program which supported

40 women to learn water safety skills.

• Supported 34 participants from diverse

communities to complete the Community

Leadership Program.

• Delivered the Brimbank Writers and Readers

Festival 2016, which had more than 800

participants over the length of the 10-day

festival, including a capacity filled opening

night with Clementine Ford and Dr Susan

Carland.

• Supported community members to be active

by linking six local walking groups to the

Heart Foundation Walking Program.

• Launched the 1000 Books Before School

program through Brimbank Libraries. This

three-year state-wide project, in partnership

with State Library of Victoria and the Public

Libraries Victoria network, aims to ready

pre-schoolers for school.

Brimbank City Council is committed to fostering

strong pride for residents and visitors by

creating an urban environment that is attractive,

clean and green, and which improves living

and housing, business and recreational

opportunities, demonstrates environmental

leadership and fosters a sustainable economy.

Achievements:

• Opened the Brimbank Community and Civic

Centre (BCCC), including the Sunshine Library

and Learning Centre, Sunshine Customer

Service Centre, community meeting rooms

and Council Offices, on 25 July 2016.

Since opening, the new Brimbank Community

and Civic Centre has been recognised for its

architectural excellence. The building won a

2017 Victorian Architecture Award and the

new Sunshine Library was awarded Highly

Commended in the inaugural Australian

Library Design Awards 2017.

• Planned the refurbishment and management

of the Council operated area within the Visy

Cares Hub, Sunshine, to transform it into an

innovative education and learning space.

• Opened the new Keilor Community Hub which

incorporates the Keilor Library, on 3 April

2017. There has been a significant increase in

library visitation since opening.

• Strengthened the capacity of sports clubs

through delivery of club development

network meetings and online resource

programs such as Club Spot.

• Reconstructed the soccer pitch at Larisa

Reserve, St Albans, and upgraded sportsground

lighting at Delahey and Lionheart Reserve,

Taylors Lakes, in accordance with Council’s

Sports Facility Development Plan.

• Improved access and leisure opportunities

at Selwyn Park, Albion, including path

improvements, an outdoor gym, new shelter,

play features and tree planting.

• Installed a pop-up park in Hampshire Square,

Sunshine, which operated between March

and May 2017.

• Endorsed the Road Management Plan.

• Advocated for road safety improvements and

provided design feedback regarding level

crossing removals.

• Completed neighbourhood park upgrades at

Glenmaggie Reserve, St Albans and Pioneer

Park, Sydenham.

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

13

Brimbank City Council is committed to promoting the long-term sustainable development of

the municipality. Council will do this by facilitating a dynamic and accessible environment that is

supported by a healthy and informed community that enjoys rich environmental characteristics

within the municipality. Council is committed to environmental protection, planning for sustainable

developments, improving the sustainability of our building stock, and reducing our ecological

footprint.

• Increased tree canopy and shade across

the municipality by planting nearly 500

street trees. This is part of implementation

of the Urban Forest Strategy that aims to

increase tree canopy and shade across the

municipality by planting 700,000 trees by

2030.

• Implemented the Sustainable Water

Management Strategy including Integrated

Water Cycle Management and Water Sensitive

Urban Design projects in road rehabilitation

works, car parks and improvement of

stormwater harvesting systems. Key projects

included Delahey Community Centre car park

and Deer Park Hall car park.

• Implemented energy efficient public street

lighting upgrades.

• Successfully targeted illegal dumping and

littering through the ‘Innovate to Abate’

project, co-funded with the Victorian

Government. This project resulted in a

reduced number of instances of dumped

rubbish and more targeted enforcement.

• Continued to actively participate in the

Western Alliance for Greenhouse Action

and launched the world-leading ‘How Well

Are We Adapting’ project for climate change

adaptation best practice.

Brimbank City Council is committed to providing

local employment and business development

opportunities while also ensuring that such

activities do not have a detrimental impact on

local communities. The municipality contains a

range of strategic sites (outside of town centres

or urban villages) that, due to their location, size,

environment or current or past use, can greatly

assist Council achieve its economic, social or

environmental objectives.

Achievements:

• Developed the Brimbank Economic

Development Strategy 2016-2020, which

included consultation with local industry,

businesses, partners and State Government.

The strategy was adopted by Council in

August 2016.

• Rezoned land to facilitate the development

of the former Sunshine Civic Precinct and

part of the Withers Street car park enabling

construction of the VicRoads office, and

preparing and exhibiting amendments for a

range of other sites.

• Prepared and exhibited the Brimbank Planning

Scheme Amendment C187 which proposes a

municipal development contribution plan and

overlay to help fund future infrastructure to

support growth and development in Brimbank.

• Commenced a place management program

in the St Albans Town Centre called ‘Go

St Albans’, and continued delivery of the

Sunshine Rising Program in the Sunshine

Town Centre.

• Continued support of the Sunshine and

St Albans Business Associations including

administration of the marketing and business

development special rates, and support

to establish the Keilor Village Business

Association.

• Facilitated community engagement into

the preparation of the Sunshine National

Employment and Innovation Cluster

Framework Plan, including a submission by

Council to the Victorian Planning Authority.

• Submitted an endorsed position in relation to

the draft Framework Plan for the Sunshine

National Employment and Innovation Cluster.

• Continued delivery of the Business

Development, networking and

communications program.

Achievements:

• Continued to implement the Brimbank

Walking and Cycling Strategy through

completion of the second stage of the Mount

Derrimut Road cycling path, Deer Park Station

to Village Link, and circuit paths at Selwyn

Park in Albion, and Delahey Reserve in

Delahey.

• Implemented a program of environmentally

sustainable initiatives and practices through

education programs that included Be a

Brimbank Gem recycling program, Stephanie

Alexander Kitchen Garden program at six

local schools, and a calendar to promote

engagement with the local natural

environment.

• Surveyed an additional 200 hectares of land

to identify native vegetation values. Over the

past five years Council has surveyed a total of

1200 hectares.

• Supported 170 volunteers to participate in a

National Tree Day planting at Sydenham Park.

The group planted over 1500 indigenous

trees and shrubs on the slopes of the

Maribyrnong Valley, to restore habitat for

local flora and fauna.

14

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Brimbank City Council is committed to creating an enhanced quality of healthy and active community

life where our rich cultures are celebrated, embraced and connected to the broader community.

Within a strong foundation of social justice, Council is committed to the provision of affordable

services and community infrastructure that builds healthy people and communities through

education, recreation, arts and culture, and sport.

• Opened and commenced operation at the

new Sunshine Maternal and Child Health

Centre in December 2016. The Centre is

purpose-built and provides a modern, user

friendly layout that allows provision of better

services to meet the needs of Brimbank

families.

• Provided 396 sporting opportunities to

families living in Brimbank through the

In2Sport Brimbank program. More than

200 children had never registered with the

program before, 84 were born overseas and

19 per cent were female.

• Implemented the Brimbank Children’s Plan

by increasing levels of participation in the

universal Maternal and Child Health Service

piloting outreach services in shopping centres

and implementing a Supported Playgroup

Project with the aim of improving transition to

school from kindergarten.

• Implemented the Brimbank Youth Strategy

through the C-Collective project that supports

youth entrepreneurship, and the Youth

Ambassadors program.

• Transitioned to the Commonwealth Home

Support Programme (CHSP) which required

changes to the delivery of Aged Care services

and programs.

• Supported participation in soccer through

the Community Soccer Hub, which now has

over 200 active participants. Eight community

ambassadors have been appointed to support

marginalised community access.

Brimbank City Council is committed to the

ongoing delivery of a broad range of services

that meet the needs and aspirations of the

diverse and growing Brimbank community.

Guided by the Australian Business Excellence

Framework, the ongoing development of our

staff is a critical element to our continuous

improvement of service delivery. We will

continue to benchmark services to ensure best

practice, lead by example, and implement best

practice services to the community.

Achievements:

• Eleven democratically elected Councillors

were sworn in on 8 November 2016.

Councillor representation on Advisory

Committees was finalised in November and

December 2016.

• Consulted with almost 600 community

members during February and March 2017, to

develop the new

and

the 2017-2018 Annual Budget.

• Updated Council’s Long Term Financial Plan to

reflect Victorian Government rate capping.

• Successfully pursued an extra $6.4M of

capital grant funding from external bodies

to reduce the burden of raising income from

rates.

• Launched a new website based on extensive

community research. The website includes

over 20 new online planning, building,

engineering, and city compliance services.

• Won an LGPro award for a new Electronic

Planning Application Process that enabled

Council to provide the planning permit

application process completely digitally from

start to finish, saving time and costs for both

the organisation and the applicants.

• Implemented customer call backs in April

2017. This allows customers to leave their

phone number while on hold to Council’s main

contact line, and for a Council Officer to return

their call.

Achievements:

• Completed the Brimbank Health and

Wellbeing Status Report 2017 that provides

evidence that underpins regional and local

health planning initiatives.

• Continued the partnership with the

Australian Health Policy Collaboration

(AHPC) to design programs and initiatives

that promote better health and wellbeing

outcomes for Brimbank residents.

• Supported art practice by accommodating 13

artists with disciplines such as puppeteering,

visual arts, textiles and illustrating, in Council

studios and shopfronts in Sunshine and

Deer Park, the Keilor Shed and Overnewton

Gatehouse.

• Endorsed the

.

• Supported implementation of the Working

Together with Men project that actively

engages Brimbank men in preventing violence

against women.

• Partnered with the Social Justice Coalition

to advocate for improvements to health

and wellbeing for the Brimbank Community.

Advocacy has included highlighting the

increase in rough sleeping in Brimbank and

calling for additional Victorian Government

funding for support services, and seeking

funding for services to support homelessness

from the Federal Government.

• Received Federal Government funding for

Reconciliation Week as part of the Indigenous

Advancement Strategy.

• Continued to implement and evaluate the

Brimbank Community Learning Strategy

2014-2017. Actions are driven by the

Brimbank Learning and Employment Steering

Committee (BLESC).

Challenges

As we look to the future, a number of key challenges and opportunities have been identified for Brimbank:

• Land use planning that provides the right mix of industry, commercial and residential development.

• Creating healthy places and greener spaces that will support a diverse and increasing population.

• Providing sport and community facilities to meet community need, whilst operating in a cost constrained environment.

• Waste and energy minimisation and management that is innovative and cost effective. The short-term focus includes:

- encouraging best practice sustainable development design that incorporates environmental sustainability.

- ensuring that environmentally sustainable design measures are included in higher density developments and that enforceable conditions

are placed on permits.

- investigating the most efficient and sustainable practices of waste management, particularly in relation to the kerbside organic collection

recycling service.

• Improving education and employment outcomes for our community. This will be achieved through advocacy and partnerships.

• Advocating for improved transport connections to enable travel across Brimbank and to the City.

• Maintaining financial sustainability despite rate capping and a reduction in the availability of external grants. Council will continue to seek

external funding sources to reduce the impact of rate capping on the community.

• Delivering equitable and quality community services whilst transitioning through the Aged Care and Disability Service Reform process.

• Improving health outcomes for our community through partnerships and advocacy.

The future

• Develop an Advocacy Plan and Framework.

• Prepare a new

.

• Redevelop St Albans Leisure Centre.

• Review the guiding document for the management of sport and recreation facilities, the Brimbank Sports Facility Development Plan.

• Finalise St Albans Town Centre urban design and implement the streetscape upgrade.

• Complete the Community Facilities Improvement Plan and Community Infrastructure Plan.

• Provide additional open space for the community through completion of Sunvale Community Park.

• Review the Brimbank Social Justice Charter.

• Develop a long-term road works program that is informed by recently completed video footage of road asset defects.

• Develop the Brimbank Habitat Connectivity Plan.

• Continue the next Brimbank Planning Scheme Amendment to apply the Environmental Audit Overlay to potentially contaminated land.

• Review the Brimbank Community Learning Strategy which provides strategic directions for community learning.

• Project manage rehabilitation of a 1.2-kilometre section of Upper Stony Creek in Sunshine North, on behalf of all partners.

This is a Greening The West project.

• Prepare the Brimbank Visitor and Participation Strategy.

• Review implementation of the Sustainable Water Management Strategy.

• Participate in the development of a regional Integrated Transport Strategy.

• Develop the 2018-2028 Waste Management Strategy.

• Review the Brimbank Planning Scheme and Municipal Strategic Statement.

• Progress planning for the Sunshine Health, Wellbeing and Education Precinct and Solomon Heights.

16

I Dynamic Centre of the West

This Annual Report explains

Brimbank City Council’s performance

in accomplishing the actions outlined

in the

(Year 4 – updated 2016).

Council was elected by the community in

October 2016.

The functions and powers of Council are set

out in the

.

The role of Council includes:

• Setting the strategic direction for Council

and monitoring and improving ongoing

performance

• Managing Council’s assets and resources

responsibly

• Considering the current and future needs of

the local community when making decisions

• Providing accessible, accountable and

transparent government

• Advocating the needs of the Brimbank

community to promote investment by other

spheres of government and the private sector

• Promoting civic participation and delivering

programs, which enhance community health

and wellbeing.

Highlights

The return of democratically elected Councillors

was a significant achievement for the financial

year. It was one of a number of many positive

changes in the history of the City.

We are a very diverse Council with seven women

and four men and from different backgrounds

including Maltese, Vietnamese and Greek.

Significant community building projects

included:

• The opening of the Brimbank Community and

Civic Centre and Sunshine Library

• The opening of the Bowery Theatre and

St Albans Community Centre

• The opening of the Keilor Community Hub

including a new library and customer service

centre

These three facilities are important community

places and provide access to learning, the

arts, meeting spaces and much more. They

help to bring people together and strengthen

community capacity.

Community infrastructure is incredibly

important for providing health, wellbeing,

education and employment opportunities and

outcomes. These facilities help improve the

quality of life for our community.

As a new Council, we are steadfast in our resolve

to engage the community in decision-making

and providing fair and equitable access to

Council services.

We have adopted the strong focus of being

‘Community First’. In developing our first Council

Plan and Annual Budget for 2017-2018, we set

about an extensive community engagement

program to hear from and understand the needs

of the people we represent.

This included over 600 community members

providing their big ideas for Brimbank via our

website, sending in postcards and in face-to

face sessions.

Improving access to Council services was also

a strong focus for the year and we launched

a new mobile responsive website to provide

greater access to Council services. The new

website also included 23 new planning, building,

engineering and waste transactions available

online.

During the year, Council also welcomed Man

lifting cow to Sunshine, a 4.5 metre tall bronze

sculpture by internationally renowned artist

John Kelly who grew up locally.

The sculpture is a wonderful attraction to the

area and highlights the positive transformation

that the City is experiencing.

Advocacy and engagement

Since being elected, this Council has recognised

we play a vital role in advocating the needs of

our community to other levels of government as

well as business and community organisations.

We have been active in advocating across a

range of issues, most notably the need for

community infrastructure in Brimbank. We have

also continued to be a voice for gambling reform

and we have continued our involvement in the

Social Justice Coalition.

Council continued to participate on a number of

external committees and forums to advocate

for improved services, infrastructure, transport,

regional development and sustainability as well

as improved collaboration between industry and

government.

These committees include:

• Ballarat Rail-Line Action Committee (BRAC)

• Brooklyn Community Representative Group

• Calder Highway Improvement Committee

• Community Aviation Consultation Group

• LeadWest Ltd Board

• Level Crossing Removal Project Stakeholder

Liaison Group

• Melbourne Regional Landfill Community

Reference Group

• Metropolitan Local Governments Waste

Management Forum

• Metropolitan Transport Forum

• Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV)

(State Council)

• Ravenhall Prison

• Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA)

• Western Melbourne Tourism

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

17

Council also facilitated several advisory

committees aimed at delivering value for money

services, as well as improving social, cultural and

economic opportunities for our community and

city. These committees include:

• Audit and Risk Management Committee

• Australia Day Awards Selection Committee

• Brimbank Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Reconciliation Action Plan Consultative

Committee

• Brimbank Arts Advisory Committee

• Brimbank Community Fund Committee

• Brimbank Learning and Employment Steering

Committee (BLESC)

• Brooklyn Industrial Precinct Strategy

Committee

• Chief Executive Officer Performance Review

Committee

• Errington Precinct Master Plan

Implementation (Phase One) Community

Reference Group

• Heritage Advisory Committee

• Municipal Emergency Management Plan

Committee

• Safety Roundtable

• Social Justice Coalition – Strategic

Implementation Group (SIG)

• St Albans Community Centre Consultative

Committee

• Sunshine Leisure Centre Community

Consultative Committee

• Sunshine Town Centre Partnership Group

• Waste Management Strategy Development

Steering Committee

Just as important as advocating for our

community, this Council wants to foster

strong engagement with our community.

The Council Plan and Annual Budget

consultation was a clear message to

our community that they have a voice in

decision-making.

Through our community grants program,

$330,000 is pledged to programs, activities

and events that improve community capacity.

Our In2Sports program subsidises the cost of

playing sport for young people to engage and

connect in their community. Our participation

in International Day Against Homophobia and

Transphobia, NAIDOC Week, and Refugee

Week and involvement in other key community

festivals and events all go towards our goal of

connecting people.

We are proudly diverse, and these are just a

few of the initiatives undertaken by Council

to help the people of Brimbank engage in

community and civic life.

Thank you

This is our first annual report as the new

independent and democratically elected Council

at Brimbank. We are proud to be representing

our community and the City we call home. For

us, there is no place we would rather be.

It is a real privilege to be serving as Mayor.

On behalf of myself and my fellow Councillors,

I sincerely thank the residents and ratepayers

who have elected us to serve the community.

I would also like to thank the executive and

staff at Brimbank and our many partners who

are helping to make Brimbank a thriving and

resilient community.

We have a big task ahead of us, and I am

confident that, working together, we can

make Brimbank shine.

I look forward to what lies ahead as this new

Council puts community first.

Mayor, Brimbank City Council

18

I Dynamic Centre of the West

On behalf of Brimbank City Council,

I’m pleased to introduce the

Council’s 2016-2017 Annual Report.

As the CEO, the council delegates certain powers to

this position to implement their strategic decisions.

There are also a number of responsibilities set out

in Section 94 A of the

regarding the role. These include:

• Providing an appropriate organisational

structure for the council

• Quickly implementing council decisions

• Overseeing the daily management of council

operations with respect to the Council Plan

• Implementing and embedding a code of

conduct for council staff

• Providing timely advice to the council

• Safeguarding compliance with relevant

legislation in respect to Council operations.

Highlights

2016-2017 was another year of significant

change for the organisation. Changes included:

• Relocating staff in our ageing offices in Keilor

and Sunshine to the new purpose-built

Brimbank Community and Civic Centre in the

main strip of Sunshine, Hampshire Road

• Refurbishing the former Keilor Offices and

opening the purpose redesigned space as the

Keilor Community Hub

• Opening the Bowery Theatre and St Albans

Community Centre

• Operating within the State Government’s

newly imposed rates cap

• Welcoming an elected Council in November

2017 after eight years under administration.

This Brimbank Community and Civic Centre is the

largest capital investment in the history of the

City to date. A once-in-a-generation project, the

new award-winning facility includes the new

Sunshine library, community meeting spaces, a

new Council Chamber and the consolidation of

Council offices.

Opened in July 2016, the new centre has fast

become a hive of activity and is much loved by

the community. We have also secured a number

of tenant partners which has created an income

stream for Council.

Having the majority of staff located in one

building has had a big impact on efficiency

and has provided savings with staff no longer

required to travel between offices.

The opening of the Brimbank Community and

Civic Centre also provided us the opportunity

to repurpose the former Keilor offices into a

new Community Hub. Significant refurbishment

works have resulted in a great community space

comprising a new much larger Keilor Library,

community meeting and art spaces and a new

Customer Service Centre.

The facility also opened during the year, much

to the delight of the local community. Additional

space in the site is also being fitted out and will

be leased out in the next financial year.

During the year the Bowery Theatre and St

Albans Community Centre was also opened. This

new facility is part of a number of major projects

in St Albans which are transforming the precinct.

The Bowery Theatre is the city’s first 200-seat

performing arts venue. Located within the new

St Albans Community Centre it is a place where

art can be celebrated, ideas discussed, arts

education explored and bold entertainment

experienced.

Rate-capping was introduced for this financial

year. As a Council where almost three-quarters

of our income comes from rates, this has

been an exceptional challenge. Our executive

and management have tackled this with

perseverance and rigour.

Thanks to a commitment to business

transformation and improving service delivery,

savings have been made to help lessen the

impact in this shortfall of revenue.

In August a new mobile responsive website was

launched that included 18 new transactions

across planning, building, engineering and

waste services. The new site has resulted in an

increase of traffic and the online transactions

are allowing our community and customers to

interact with us when it suits them rather than

traditional business hours. Cost to service is also

significantly reduced through this channel.

Our planning permit process is now a fully

digitised end-to-end process; the first of many

changes planned to simplify service delivery.

Projects like this provide a better, more

responsive service to our community.

In November we saw the return of elected

representatives with the formation of a new

Council. This is a significant milestone in the

history of Brimbank and wonderful for the

community.

The new Council is diverse, passionate and

enthusiastic and since being sworn in has

focused on advocacy and engagement to

improve community outcomes. This has been

evidenced by the unprecedented level of

community engagement in the development

of the Council Plan. As an organisation we look

forward to their tenure and working under

their guidance to implement the actions of

the Council Plan that is due to be adopted next

financial year.

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

19

Organisational performance

Despite the intense change environment the

organisation performed well.

The Annual Budget 2016-2017 had an operating

surplus of $14.5 million. Sustaining an adjusted

underlying surplus is a critical financial strategy

that provides capacity to build new assets and

to renew the $2.2 billion of community assets

under Council’s control.

The operating result for the financial year

ending 30 June 2017 was a surplus of

$44.4 million, against a budgeted surplus of

$14.5 million, showing a favourable variance

of $29.9 million.

The increase in operating surplus is due to:

• 50 per cent of the 2017-2018 Financial

Assistance Grants of $6.75 million, received in

advance in the 2016-2017 financial year

• $4.2 million received for Open Space Public

Initiatives in Sunshine

• $2.27 million additional monetary

contributions were also received due to

higher than expected development in the

municipality and additional capital works

contributions

• $3.5 million additional non-monetary

contributions were vested in Council due

to new subdivisions that were not initially

budgeted

• $2.1 million for net gain on sale of Council

assets over the budgeted amount.

Cash balance for the financial year ended 30

June 2017 was $60.4 million, compared to

budgeted cash balance of $30.2 million.

Business transformation projects in the

organisation included working towards a

master customer database, digitising records

and becoming a paper-independent office and

launching the new website.

Having the majority of staff under one roof

has also improved our effectiveness as an

organisation.

The continued cultural program of being

‘community first’ is working toward providing the

best possible service to our community.

There is much work to be done and the

organisation is continuing to partner with the

community to ensure our services are relevant

and responsive.

Thank you

I would like to acknowledge all the former

administrators for leaving Council in such a

strong position and the new Councillors for

their passion and enthusiasm to create a better

Brimbank.

Our new Council has hit the ground running and

from day one has demonstrated a strong focus

to making sure all Council decisions are made

with a lens of improving the health, wellbeing,

safety and opportunity for our community.

I’d also like to thank our partners, the community

and our staff for their continued commitment to

this wonderful City.

Brimbank is a proud and diverse city and a great

place to live, work and play. As an organisation

we look forward to delivering services, programs

and events that meet the needs and aspirations

of the community.

Interim Chief Executive Officer

Note: Paul Younis left Brimbank on 7 July and

Helen Morrissey took on the position as Interim CEO.

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Underlying Surplus / (Deficit) $'000

4,077

26,528

13,787

5,058

565

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

13,787

0

50

100

150

200

250

Working Capital Ratio (%)

145.44

220.1109975

200.66

93.66

117.92

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

20

I Dynamic Centre of the West

The 2016-2017 financial year

results reflect Council’s ongoing

commitment to financial and

infrastructure sustainability as

outlined in Council’s Long Term

Financial Plan.

Financial summary

Council’s financial position continues to remain

sound. Detailed information relating to Council’s

financial performance is included within

the Financial Statements and Performance

Statement sections of this Report.

Council has a healthy balance sheet with

$2.3 billion dollars in assets. These comprise

land, building and other infrastructure assets

such as roads, footpaths and bike paths and

drainage. Council’s balance sheet also shows

that Council has equity of $2.218 billion with a

portion of this allocated to specific reserves.

Operating position

Council achieved a surplus of $44.44 million in

2016-2017. This surplus compares favourably

to the budgeted surplus of $14.5 million. The

adjusted underlying surplus of Council, after

removing non-recurrent capital grants, cash

capital contributions and non-monetary capital

contributions, is a surplus of $26.52 million.

This compares favourably to the expected

target of >0 per cent. Sustaining an adjusted

underlying surplus is a critical financial strategy

that provides capacity to renew the $2.2 billion

of community assets under Council’s control,

and build new infrastructure to meet the

expectations of our growing community.

Liquidity

Cash has increased by 80 per cent from the

prior year mainly due to the Victorian Grants

Commission funding received in advance, receipt

of a capital grant, and additional proceeds of

sale of assets. The working capital ratio, which

assesses Council’s ability to meet current

commitments, is calculated by measuring

Council’s current assets as a percentage of

current liabilities. Council’s result of 219.37 per

cent is an indicator of satisfactory financial

position and exceeds the expected target band

of 100 per cent to 400 per cent.

0

10

20

30

40

50

5

15

25

35

45

Debt Ratio (%)

46

41.76

35

42

25

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

42

41.76

0

20

40

60

80

100

10

30

50

70

90

Asset Renewal

76

87

61

64

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

57

76

0 10

20 30

40 50

60 70

80

Rate Concentration (%)

76

69

76

72

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

70

76

76

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

21

Obligations

Council aims to ensure that it is able to maintain

its infrastructure assets at the expected levels,

while at the same time continuing to deliver the

services needed by the community.

At the end of the 2016-2017 year Council’s debt

ratio, which is measured by comparing interest

bearing loans and borrowings to rate revenue,

was 42 per cent, which was within the expected

target band of 20-60 per cent.

Council’s asset renewal ratio, which is measured

by comparing asset renewal expenditure to

depreciation, was 87 per cent, which is slightly

below the expected target band of 90-110 per

cent. This is a significant improvement over

the past few years where capital funding had

been diverted into constructing the Brimbank

Community and Civic Centre.

Stability and efficiency

Council raises a wide range of revenues

including rates, user fees, fines, grants and

contributions. Despite this, Council’s rates

concentration, which compares rate revenue to

adjusted underlying revenue, was 69 per cent

for the 2016-2017 year, which is towards the

top end of the expected target band of 40-80

per cent. Council has focused on broadening

its revenue base for the 2016-2017 year.

This resulted in an average residential rate

per residential assessment of $1588, which

compares favourably to similar councils in the

outer metropolitan area.

Economic factors

Rate capping

The Victorian Government imposed a rate cap

on all Victorian councils of 2.0 per cent for the

2016-2017 year. Brimbank City Council did not

seek a variation to the cap.

Financial Assistance Grants

A freeze on indexation from the Commonwealth

Government’s financial assistance grants

program to local government resulted in a

reduction of $0.35 million per annum over the

period from 2013-2014 to 2017-2018.

State Government landfill levy

The Victorian Government landfill levy increased

by 2.5 per cent in 2016-2017.

Labour cost increases

Wage inflation rates as per Council Enterprise

Bargaining Agreement (EBA 7) of 2.4 per cent

is currently higher than current Consumer Price

Index (CPI) rate of 1.9 per cent.

Brimbank City Council provides a

range of services and programs that

reflect the needs and expectations

of the community.

The Annual Budget 2016-2017 focused on

delivering value to the community in a rate

capped environment.

It was a financially responsible budget that

aimed at minimising the impact of the constraint

on revenue raising while continuing to deliver

quality projects and services for the Brimbank

community.

Council found further efficiencies of $6.5 million

to meet the Victorian Government’s imposed

2.5 per cent rate cap.

The budget struck a balance between

maintaining current levels of service, reducing

operational costs and reviewing the way some

programs are delivered.

Council’s operations are broad ranging and

include managing roads and infrastructure,

waste and environment services, public

facilities, the community’s wellbeing, and other

services and programs. Community take-up

of the services and programs shows the

importance of these Council functions.

The Council Plan 2013-2017 outlines Council’s

Strategic Directions, which are supported by

a number of other Council strategies, plans

and policies. This includes the Annual Budget

2016-2017, which highlights project priorities

and spending.

Council’s Strategic Objectives are monitored

by a set of service performance indicators and

measures. They offer a corporate framework

for the delivery of services, facilities, support

and advocacy, and for achieving the vision and

objectives outlined in the Brimbank Community

Plan. The Council Plan sets out Council’s key

strategic directions and actions for a four-year

period.

Council’s actions are guided by Victorian and

Australian legislation which supports good

governance and enables Council to responsibly

deliver a community first approach.

Major capital works

During 2016-2017 Council delivered a capital

works program of $57.3 million (including

$4.8 million carried forward from 2015-2016).

Major capital work projects included the

following:

Brimbank Community and Civic Centre

The new $52 million Brimbank Community and

Civic Centre opened its doors on 25 July 2016.

The purpose-built building includes a new

Sunshine Library over two levels, a new

Sunshine Customer Service Centre, a range

of community meeting spaces, and exhibition

spaces.

The Centre also provides new offices for Council

staff previously located across various office

locations around Sunshine and Keilor, as well

as tenant spaces for other businesses.

Construction began in November 2014 and

the centre opened on 25 July 2016, with a

community open day and official opening

on 14 August.

Brimbank Multi-Deck Car Park

The new Brimbank Multi-Deck Car Park,

constructed between George and Dawson

streets in Sunshine, opened for use on 21

September 2016, offering additional, affordable

car parking in the busy Sunshine Town Centre.

The 361 space car park offers 250+ public car

spaces, with the remaining spaces used by

Council staff and tenant partners.

Parking is free for the first two hours. The car

park rate is $2 for 2-4 hours, and $4 for four

hours and more. The car park is open from

5.30am to 10pm, seven days a week.

The car park uses a fully cashless payment

system that requires all payments to be

made by debit card/credit card (payWave).

St Albans Community Centre and the

Bowery Theatre

The new $8.9 million St Albans Community

Centre (STACC) featuring the exciting Bowery

Theatre, was opened to the public on 18 March

2017. The project included a civic entry plaza,

landscaping and site improvements to integrate

the newly refurbished and expanded facility

within the wider, cohesive Errington Precinct.

STACC includes the Bowery Theatre – a

new 200-seat performing arts theatre with

the tagline “Be bold”, named in honour of

internationally recognised performance artist

and designer, the late Leigh Bowery.

The centre’s Atrium was named after former

Mayor and Councillor of Keilor, the late Jack

Sheridan. Through Mr Sheridan’s leadership

as President of the St Albans Community

Cooperative Ltd, the Cooperative contributed

$2.5 million to the redevelopment of STACC.

The Centre was designed after extensive

consultation with key stakeholders and

funded by Council ($5.9 million), the St Albans

Community Co-op ($2.5 million) and the

Victorian Government ($500,000).

Keilor Community Hub

Council completed an upgrade of the former

Keilor Office Building, transforming it into a

mixed-use facility that meets the needs of the

local community.

Works to convert the Keilor Office building to its

new use commenced after Council staff were

relocated to the new Brimbank Community and

Civic Centre in Sunshine in late July 2016. The

new Keilor Hub opened its doors in April 2017.

The refurbished building offers a relocated and

expanded Keilor Library, a customer service

centre, and more and improved community

space, and tenant partner space.

The uses were decided following consultation

in recent years with the Keilor community, local

traders and key stakeholder groups.

The Keilor Community Hub project cost

$2.7 million (excluding GST) and was funded

through Council’s 2016-2017 capital works

budget.

22

I Dynamic Centre of the West

July 2016

• Council opened the new Brimbank Community

and Civic Centre to the public on 25 July.

A community open day was held to officially

open the Brimbank Community and Civic

Centre on 14 August.

• Brimbank City Council was awarded the

inaugural Supporting Tennis – Local

Government Recognition award at the

2016 Victorian Tennis Awards. The award

recognises the Local Government Authority

judged to be the most engaged with, and

supportive of, tennis in their community.

The award category was open to all

Victorian Councils.

August 2016

• Brimbank City Council adopted a planning

scheme amendment C150 that will help guide

the future development of the St Albans

Activity Centre as an attractive, vibrant, safe

area that provides great opportunities for

business, retail, entertainment and housing.

• Council adopted a strategy that will

guide its drive to cement Brimbank as

the economic hub of Melbourne’s west.

The Brimbank Economic Development

Strategy (2016-2020) plays a vital role in

positioning Brimbank for further growth

and development.

• Council launched a new mobile responsive

website with over 20 additional online

transactions for planning, building,

engineering, waste and city compliance

services. The new website was developed

with extensive stakeholder input and can

be updated easily based on community

feedback.

September 2016

• The new Brimbank Multi-Deck Car Park in

Sunshine opened for use on 21 September

2016, providing 361 spaces and affordable

car parking within the Sunshine Town Centre

with free parking for the first two hours.

Council has made sure the car park rates are

affordable.

• The largest energy and greenhouse reduction

project ever undertaken in Brimbank was

completed – with more than 11,600 new

energy efficient lights now in place across

the municipality. This was done as part of

the three-year, $7 million Powering Down

project. The energy efficient lights will cut

energy use by more than 3.5 million kWh and

reduce CO

2

emissions by 3800 tonnes each

year resulting in a saving to ratepayers of

more than $500,000 in electricity costs each

year. Powering Down was funded through a

partnership between Brimbank City Council

and the Australian Government Department

of Industry, Innovation and Science to deliver

environmental benefits and savings to the

Brimbank community.

• Brimbank City Council unveiled a 6-metre

Man lifting cow bronze sculpture on

Hampshire Road, Sunshine, created by

renowned Sunshine-raised international

artist John Kelly who donated his time to this

project to leave a legacy in his home-town.

24

I Dynamic Centre of the West

February 2017

• Works started on a brand new $1.3 million

soccer pavilion at Ardeer Reserve that would

have two change rooms, a social room,

associated amenities, umpires room, a first

aid room, storage rooms and public amenities.

The need for this facility upgrade was

identified in the Sports Facility Development

Plan, which contains a comprehensive

strategy for the management and

development of sport and recreation

facilities in Brimbank.

• Brimbank Council asked the local community

to have their say about what they would like

to see Council focus on to keep improving

Brimbank through 10 Big Ideas community

consultation sessions from 7 February to

7 March. The feedback will inform Council’s

long-term community plan, the next four

year Council plan as well as budget for next

year.

• Brimbank Council acquired land at 21 McIvor

Road, St Albans, in the heart of the St Albans

Town Centre, to provide additional parking

in the bustling shopping destination. Council

placed a Public Acquisition Overlay (PAO)

on the land in 1989 recognising it was of

strategic importance to the town centre.

• Council teamed up with health promotion

foundation VicHealth to encourage local

residents to sign up for the H30 Challenge

and improve their health. VicHealth’s H30

Challenge encourages Victorians to make a

simple 30-day pledge to replace every sugary

drink they would normally drink, with water.

• Council welcomed a $100,000 Community

Sport Infrastructure Funding announcement

from Cricket Victoria and Sport and

Recreation Victoria. Council will upgrade

the cricket nets at Dempster Park Reserve

in Sunshine North to deliver an innovative

multi-purpose training facility to respond to

community sporting needs.

• The Brimbank Sustainable Living Expo was

held 18 February 2017 with this year’s theme

being social, economic and environmental

sustainability, providing tips and advice on

practical ways to incorporate a sustainable

approach to living.

• Council began to advocate strongly with

the Victorian Government and Federal

government to raise its serious concerns

over the proposed sale of five school sites

in Brimbank as the sites could be used for

education purposes – or they could be used

for sport and active recreation, to get more

people into sport and support our community

to get healthier.

• The 2017 Brimbank Cup was held at Kevin

Flint Memorial Reserve in Cairnlea on 17

and 18 February. A free junior football clinic

hosted by Melbourne City Football Club was

the highlight for kids at the two-day event.

Now in its sixth year, the award-winning

community football event was hosted by

Cairnlea Football Club in 2017, and delivered

in partnership with Brimbank City Council,

Victoria Police, Football Federation Victoria

and Melbourne City Football Club.

• Council began its campaign to stop the

expansion of the Ravenhall tip. On behalf of

the community and the west, Council called

on the Victorian Government to do the right

thing and reject a plan that would triple the

size of a rubbish tip that already has existing

problems.

March 2017

• The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

returned to Sunshine with the inaugural

Sunshine FOOD Fever held on 31 March.

The event took people on a food journey

that celebrates and reflects the successive

waves of Asian, African and Pacific Island

immigration that make Sunshine one of the

most culturally diverse places in Australia.

• The new $8.9 million St Albans Community

Centre (STACC), featuring the exciting new

Bowery Theatre, opened on 18 March.

The Centre was designed after extensive

consultation with key stakeholders and

funded by Council ($5.9 million), the St

Albans Community Co-op ($2.5 million) and

the Victorian Government ($500,000). The

centre is wholly owned and operated by

Council.

• Council opened the $2.6 million Stage 1

upgrade to the Dawson Street Precinct in

Sunshine on 14 March. The upgrade of the

precinct is a significant, positive impact on the

area.

• Cultural Diversity Week was held from

18 to 26 March with events taking place

at locations across Brimbank, particularly

children’s activities including after school

craft activities and Multilingual Storytimes at

Brimbank Libraries – as well as short films, art

exhibitions and cooking demonstrations.

• Brimbank City Council hosted the

International Women’s Day event in

collaboration with the Brimbank Maribyrnong

Interfaith Network on 8 March. Council’s

vision is to create a gender equitable city

where women live free from violence – we are

committed to building a community where

women and men are equal and respected.

26

I Dynamic Centre of the West

28

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Council adopted the following strategies, policies and plans in 2016-2017.

2016

Creating Better Parks Policy and Plan

Update 2016 (July 2016)

Council’s award winning Creating Better Parks

Policy and Plan was updated to provide a

framework for the ongoing improvement of the

City’s already impressive park network. The plan

identifies a further 156 parks to be upgraded

in future capital works programs subject to

budget considerations.

Road Management Plan Review 2016

(July 2016)

Following a review of the Road Management

Plan (RMP), a revised plan was adopted that

reflected changes to service level standards.

The response and intervention standards set

out in the revised RMP brings Council more into

line with VicRoads standards. The standards

assist in ensuring Council complies with its RMP,

in line with resource allocation and community

expectations.

Brimbank Cycling And Walking Strategy

Update 2016 (August 2016)

The updated strategy takes a fresh look at

improving the City’s cycling and walking network.

The strategy outlines strategic network

improvements that have been indicatively

costed to provide Council with a clear plan for

implementation, and an updated framework,

to guide investment over the next five to seven

years, subject to budget consideration.

Economic Development Strategy 2016-2020

(August 2016)

Building on years of sustained economic

development work by Council the strategy will

play a vital role in positioning Brimbank for

further growth and development and guide

Council’s drive to cement Brimbank as the

economic hub of Melbourne’s west.

Facilities Capital Development Major Policy

(September 2016)

The policy is a transparent and consistent policy

that clearly defines Council and community

group responsibilities towards the capital

development of Council owned or managed

community facilities. It also ensures efficient

and effective use of Council and community

resources to maximise the capital development

and use of Council community facilities.

Community Facilities Hire, Licences

and Leases Agreement Major Policy

(September 2016)

The policy provides direction for the ongoing

allocation and management of community

facilities and ensures fair and equitable access

and use of community facilities to community

groups and residents within Brimbank, in line

with the Community Plan and Council Plan.

It also ensures optimal use of community

facilities to meet community needs.

2017

Councillor Code of Conduct (February 2017)

The Councillor Code of Conduct was reviewed

and adopted by resolution of the Brimbank

City Council on 14 February 2017 and is in

accordance with Section 76C of the

.

Disability Action Plan (February 2017)

Council adopted a Disability Action Plan to guide

its work to support people with a disability,

along with their families and carers, and to

improve access and inclusion in Brimbank.

To view these documents or other Council

plans, strategies, policies or guidelines, visit

brimbank.vic.gov.au

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

29

Return to elected representatives

The new Brimbank City Council was elected

by a postal vote held on 22 October 2016.

The Council was sworn in and took an oath of

office at a Special Council Meeting on Tuesday

8 November 2016.

Prior to the 2016 election, Brimbank Council

had been under a period of State-legislated

Administration since November 2009.

Organisational realignment

In November 2016, Council introduced a new

organisational structure aimed at ensuring the

organisation continued to remain agile, flexible

and well placed to respond to the community’s

needs in a changing environment.

The realigned structure will help Council keep

pace with the local community and with what is

happening through the local government sector.

The new and improved services that Council

was introducing during the 2016-2017 year,

in particular the new Brimbank Community

and Civic Centre in Sunshine and the new

St Albans Community Centre to provide

enhanced contemporary service offerings to

the community, also influenced the change in

structure.

The realignment was guided by the following

principles:

• be a

community first

organisation and focus

our attention on things that matter to the

community

• ensure customer interaction is seamless and

it is easy for our customers to work with us

• be financially and ethically responsible

with community funds

• embrace working together and actively

work towards removing organisational silos

• be accountable to the community and to

each other

• minimise risk

• fulfil our legislative and civic responsibilities

• provide opportunities for change and

innovation

• provide flexibility to service delivery

• allow for the inclusion of the new service

offerings of the Brimbank Community and

Civic Centre and St Albans Centre.

The organisational realignment was an

adjustment to reflect changing priorities and

organisational needs and minimise risk. It was

another incremental step in Council’s continuous

improvement journey.

After a process of staff consultation that

commenced in August 2016, the realignment

took place in November 2016.

Reconciliation of adopted budget with restructure

Adopted

budget

Restructure

(June 2016) (November 2016)

Net Cost

Net Cost

$’000

$’000

Council and Community Working together

16,846

16,175

Community Wellbeing

33,298

33,092

Urban Design & Infrastructure

80,171

72,930

Sustainable Environments

3,340

3,097

Industry, Economic Development and Strategic Sites

2,398

2,584

Organisational Effectiveness

12,390

12,399

Total services and initiatives

148,443

140,277

Other non-attributable

(16,958)

(8,792)

Deficit before funding sources

131,485

131,485

Funding sources:

Rates & charges

(145,397)

(145,397)

Capital grants

(595)

(595)

Total funding sources

(145,992)

(145,992)

Surplus for the year

(14,507)

(14,507)

For more information on the Council and councillors see page 30.

Resignation of CEO

On 31 May 2017 Brimbank City Council Chief

Executive Officer Paul Younis announced

his resignation in order to take up the role

of Deputy Secretary Asset and Network

Development at Transport for Victoria. He left

the Council’s senior position on 7 July after seven

years at Brimbank City Council. Helen Morrissey,

Director Corporate and Community Relations,

was appointed Interim CEO until a permanent

appointment is made.

HARVESTER

GRASSLANDS

HORSESHOE BEND

TAYLORS

30

I Dynamic Centre of the West

The new Brimbank City Council was

elected by a postal vote held on

22 October 2016. The Council was

sworn in and took an oath of office

at a Special Council Meeting on

Tuesday 8 November 2016.

Prior to the 2016 election, Brimbank Council

had been under a period of State-legislated

Administration since November 2009.

The newly elected Council is comprised of 11

Councillors elected from one, two-councillor

ward and three, three-councillor wards.

The 11 Councillors are the elected

representatives of all residents and ratepayers

across Brimbank. They have responsibility

for setting the strategic direction for the

municipality, policy development, identifying

service standards and monitoring performance

across the organisation.

Grasslands Ward

Cr Lucinda Congreve

Date elected: 22 October 2016

Cr Congreve is an active member of the

community and happy to be raising her family

in Brimbank. She believes Brimbank’s greatest

strength is its rich and diverse mix of cultures.

Cr Congreve was motivated to run for Council

by her experience of having her first child in

2015 and her determination to ensure adequate

services are available to families, along with

family friendly spaces, transport, infrastructure

and public safety.

Committees

• Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV)

State Council

• Audit and Risk Management Committee

E CrCongreve@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0428 887 195

Cr Victoria Borg

Date elected: 22 October 2016

Cr Borg is proud to have grown up in Brimbank,

having lived here since emigrating from Malta in

1972. She is committed to building strong and

trusting relationships between Council and the

community and to representing the people of

Brimbank with fairness and integrity.

Cr Borg aims to increase community involvement

with Council, to support mental health and

educational services and increased research

into youth disengagement and acculturation.

Committees

• Brimbank Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Reconciliation Action Plan Consultative

Committee

• Brimbank Learning and Employment Steering

Committee (BLESC)

• Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) State

Council (alternate)

• St Albans Community Centre Consultative

Committee

E CrBorg@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0429 365 527

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

31

Cr Duyen Anh Pham

Date elected: 22 October 2016

Cr Pham was motivated to run for Council

because of her passion for the Brimbank

community.

She believes Brimbank’s greatest strength

is its multicultural diversity. Cr Pham enjoys

volunteering and wants to support local residents

and community groups. Her aims include

increasing multicultural events in Brimbank,

encouraging participation and striving for greater

community involvement in decision-making.

Committees

• Metropolitan Transport Forum

• Errington Precinct Master Plan

Implementation (Phase One) Community

Reference Group

E CrPham@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0429 657 643

Harvester Ward

Cr John Hedditch (Mayor)

Date elected: 22 October 2016

Cr Hedditch believes Brimbank’s greatest

strengths are its people and the vibrant

community networks that make it such a great

place to live. As a resident of Sunshine for more

than 30 years, Cr Hedditch was driven to run

for Council by his desire to help make the world

a better place for future generations. His aims

are to foster a Community First Council that is

collaborative, fair and in favour of a greener,

more sustainable approach to development.

Committees

• Australia Day Awards Selection Committee

• Chief Executive Officer Performance Review

Committee

• Brooklyn Community Representative Group

• LeadWest Ltd Board

• Social Justice Coalition – Strategic

Implementation Group (SIG)

• Sunshine Leisure Centre Community

Consultative Committee

E CrHedditch@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0428 811 580

Cr Sam David JP

Date elected: 22 October 2016

Previous terms: March 1997 to September 2009

Cr David is a long-time resident of Brimbank,

former Councillor and Mayor, and active member

of many several community groups. He believes

Brimbank’s greatest strength is its rich diversity.

Cr David is concerned about housing availability,

affordability and employment; and is committed

to assisting senior citizens groups and

supporting kids to get involved in sport.

Committees

• Brooklyn Community Representative Group

• Brimbank Community Fund Committee

• Sunshine Town Centre Partnership Group

E CrDavid@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0429 355 239

Councillors act as members of Council and govern on behalf of the citizens of Brimbank.

Brimbank City Council operates under the

requirements of the

. Brimbank City Council has an obligation to

achieve best value for its community and

stakeholders and to ensure the community

receives the most benefit from available

resources.

The Council Plan guides future planning in

Brimbank and establishes priorities for action.

Council’s annual planning process involves:

• Engaging with and seeking input from the

community

• Analysing social, political, economic and

natural environment factors and influences

setting the strategic objectives of the Council

• Developing strategies to achieve the

objectives

• Establishing strategic indicators for

monitoring the achievement of the objectives

• Determining financial and non-financial

resource requirements

• Coordinating the implementation of

strategies, and

• Monitoring, reporting, evaluating and

improving performance.

The Councillors are guided in their decision

making by legislation and a range of Council

policies, including, but not limited to:

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Council plans, strategies and policies

are available to view on the website,

brimbank.vic.gov.au

32

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Cr Kim Thien Truong

Date elected: 22 October 2016

Cr Truong is a proud resident of Brimbank with

a history of volunteering in the local community

and fundraising to support children in need.

She believes Brimbank’s strengths lie in the

community’s diversity and ability of people from

different cultures to live harmoniously together.

Cr Truong is motivated to speak on behalf of the

community. She hopes to raise awareness about

important issues such as the environment,

family violence, housing affordability, transport,

productivity, sustainability and liveability.

Committees

• Brooklyn Community Representative Group

• Brooklyn Industrial Precinct Strategy

Committee

• Safety Roundtable

• Victorian Local Governance Association

(VLGA)

E CrTruong@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0429 637 601

Harvester Ward (continued)

Horseshoe Bend Ward

Cr Virginia Tachos

Date elected: 22 October 2016

A proud history of working in the local

community and advocacy led Cr Tachos to

run for Council. She believes Brimbank is a

destination for many young families to start

their dreams and aspirations. Cr Tachos’

priorities include building strong, sustainable

communities and listening to the needs of the

community. She hopes to achieve a focus on

people, improved services, and efficiencies, as

well as improving inclusion, reviewing planning

schemes, and promoting healthy outcomes of

the community.

Committees

• Community Aviation Consultation Group

• Former Keilor Library Community Consultative

Committee

• LeadWest Ltd Board (alternate)

• Melbourne Regional Landfill Community

Reference Group (December 2016-February

2017)

• Waste Management Strategy Development

Steering Committee

E CrTachos@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0428 915 671

Cr Daniel Allan

Date elected: 22 October 2016

Cr Allan has lived in Kealba for 20 years. He

believes Brimbank’s greatest strength is the

community’s vibrancy and willingness to come

together. Cr Allan has been an active volunteer

and involved with community events for many

years. He was motivated to run for Council by

his passion to help make Brimbank the best

it can be. He is particularly passionate about

encouraging young people to be more active in

the community.

Committees

• Western Melbourne Tourism

• Brimbank Arts Advisory Committee

• Former Keilor Library Community Consultative

Committee

• Keilor Interim Artefacts Committee

E CrAllan@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0429 857 339

Taylors Ward

Cr Margaret Giudice

Date elected: 22 October 2016

Previous terms: March 2000 to September 2009

Cr Giudice believes the fact that more than 160

different languages are spoken in Brimbank

and that the community lives harmoniously

within such cultural diversity, is an example

to the world. Cr Giudice was born in Brimbank

and has raised her family here, and maintains

strong connections. Her past experience as a

Councillor of Brimbank has given her a strong

understanding of community needs. She was

motivated to run for Council by her drive to help

people. Her aim is to pave the way for future

generations to enjoy living and working in

Brimbank, as much as she does.

Committees

• Audit and Risk Management Committee

• Chief Executive Officer Performance Review

Committee

• Level Crossing Removal Project Stakeholder

Liaison Group

• Waste Management Strategy Development

Steering Committee

E CrGiudice@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0428 846 647

Cr Bruce Lancashire

Date elected: 22 October 2016

Cr Lancashire believes Brimbank’s rich

cultural and linguistic diversity is not just

a significant social asset but an important

economic benefit in a world that is becoming

increasingly interconnected. He has been a

long-term resident of Brimbank, having raised

his three sons here, and has a strong belief that

Brimbank’s youth will ensure our community’s

future is in good hands. He is determined to

make the most of Brimbank’s assets to benefit

its residents.

Committees

• Ballarat Rail-Line Action Committee (BRAC)

• Calder Highway Improvement Committee

• Heritage Advisory Committee

• Melbourne Regional Landfill Community

Reference Group (February-June 2017)

• Metropolitan Local Governments Waste

Management Forum

• Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV)

Planning Committee

• Waste Management Strategy Development

Steering Committee (Chair)

E CrLancashire@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0429 637 689

Cr Georgina Papafotiou (Deputy Mayor)

Date elected: 22 October 2016

Cr Papafotiou believes Brimbank is a wonderful

city in which to live, work, study and invest.

As a resident of Taylors Ward for more than

36 years, Cr Papafotiou was motivated to

run for Council by her passion for making a

difference in her community and celebrating

its successes. Her aim is to build connections

across Brimbank’s diverse community and to

encourage opportunities for growth and a

sustainable future. As a dedicated advocate for

Victims of Crime, she would like to work with the

State Government to review current policies and

legislation to support victims.

Committees

• Chief Executive Officer Performance Review

Committee

• Former Keilor Library Community Consultative

Committee

• Municipal Emergency Management Plan

Committee

• Ravenhall Prison

E CrPapafotiou@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0429 727 192

34

I Dynamic Centre of the West

02

Stuart Menzies

Director City Development

Stuart Menzies is an urban planner with over

20 years’ experience. Stuart joined Brimbank

City Council in 2005 and was appointed to the

position of Director City Development in June

2013. Prior to working with Brimbank, Stuart

held management roles at Yarra Ranges Shire

Council and Nillumbik Shire Council, and has

worked in China with Australian Volunteers

International advising on sustainability policy

and social impact assessment.

Stuart is a Vice President – Local Government

of the Planning Institute of Australia’s Victorian

Committee.

Kath Brackett

Director Community Wellbeing

Kath is an experienced senior manager who has

worked in a variety of roles in local government

for the past 20 years. Prior to this, she worked

in the not-for-profit and peak NGO sectors. She

is also an experienced non-executive board

director.

Kath has a strong commitment to social justice

and a passion for local democracy and engaging

local communities.

Helen Morrissey

Director Corporate and Community Relations

With over 30 years’ experience in local

government Helen joined Brimbank in November

2010. Previously Helen was the General

Manager of Corporate Services at Maribyrnong

City Council. Helen has worked in a variety of

management roles in both community services

and corporate areas at Darebin City Council.

Helen has been in the position of Interim Chief

Executive Officer of Brimbank City Council since

7 July 2017 and has been appointed until a

permanent appointment is made.

Neil Whiteside

Director Infrastructure and City Services

Neil Whiteside has worked in local government

for over 20 years in various management roles.

In October 2015 Neil was appointed to

the position of Director Infrastructure and

Environment (now Infrastructure and City

Services). He previously held the position of

Director Community Wellbeing from June 2012,

and prior to that held the position of Group

Manager Operations at Council from January

2008. Prior to joining Brimbank, Neil held several

management positions at Whittlesea City

Council.

Paul Younis

CEO

Paul Younis was appointed Chief Executive

Officer of Brimbank City Council in 2015. He has

over 20 years of experience in a range of senior

management positions within local government

and the private sector.

Paul commenced with the City of Brimbank

in 2010 as Director Infrastructure and

Environment. During this time Paul was

seconded for six months as Acting Chief

Executive Officer of Buloke Shire Council in

Western Victoria. Before joining Brimbank, Paul

was Chief Executive Officer of Corangamite

Shire Council, where he had previously held

the position of Director Infrastructure and

Development. Along with experience in the

water sector, Paul has also worked at consulting

engineering companies based in Frankston and

Mornington.

,

.

Achievements:

Council continued to support the following

strategic alliances and partnerships aimed

to prevent violence against women and

children and advance gender equity: the

Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV)

Preventing Violence Against Women Network,

the Western Integrated Family Violence

Committee (WIFVC) and Preventing Violence

Together (PVT) partnership.

Youth Services participated in the Partners

in Prevention State-wide Network and

the Respectful Relationships Education

Sub-Group both run by Domestic Violence

Resource Centre.

Leisure Services participated in the

Preventing Violence Together (PVT) Gender

Equity and Sports Practice Group.

Council’s Policy, Advocacy and Research Unit

staff collected and interpreted data on family

violence for evidence-based planning.

Council’s Policy, Advocacy and Research Unit

staff provided sex disaggregated data to

inform community indicators.

Youth Services established two young

mums’ groups after consultation with 90

young mothers. The groups have supported

members to become linked to the community,

and with one another, and supported the

development of how other services, such

as Maternal and Child Health, support the

specific needs of young mothers.

Youth Services team commenced meetings

with the Gender Equity Intern at Maribyrnong

City Council to scope opportunity to complete

a gender diversity access audit of the Visy

Cares Hub.

Youth Services reviewed the Brimbank Online

Youth Directory and updated information

about specialist services for young women

living in Brimbank.

The Maternal and Child Health Service made

assessment in relation to family violence at

each consultation and provided information

and advice to support each client based on

their needs. Staff members also referred

clients to specialist family violence services.

Library Services organised three Robogals

sessions to encourage girls to get interested

in Science, Technology, Engineering and

Mathematics courses. 36 participants

attended these sessions.

Library Services organised Coderdojo

sessions once every fortnight at Sunshine

Library to encourage girls to get interested

in Science, Technology, and Engineering

and Mathematics courses. Approximately

14 participants attended each session.

Council, in partnership with Brotherhood

of St Laurence and Small Business Victoria,

implemented the Stepping Stones Small

Business Program for refugee, asylum seeker

and migrant women. The program aims to

educate participants about money, and build

their understanding of how to start a small

business in Australia. It also aims to teach

business and government leaders about how

micro-businesses help refugee and migrant

women, and why communities need more of

these small businesses. A total of 20 Brimbank

women received support and assistance.

Council provided support to Sunshine

Business Association (SBA) and Maurice

Blackburn Lawyers to organise the healthy

relationship breakfast aimed to promote

awareness of violence against women among

local business leaders in Brimbank.

Cairnlea Community Hub, in partnership

with Kangna Indian Women’s Network,

delivered Creating Happy and Healthy Family

Relationships program sessions once every

month. The program aims to break cycles

of isolation and loneliness within families

disrupted by violence, to support happy

and healthy relationships, and to promote

wellbeing and lifelong learning. Approximately

10-12 people attended each session.

Council hosted the Elder Abuse Awareness

Day morning tea as part of the senior’s forum.

Council, in partnership with Brimbank

Maribyrnong Interfaith Network and

CommUnity Plus, hosted the International

Women’s Day forum to celebrate women’s

leadership and explore the role faith plays

for women in leadership. Approximately 70

community members attended the event.

Council, in partnership with Joining the Dots,

Brimbank Maribyrnong Interfaith Network

and New Hope Foundation, supported female

community members to coordinate and

facilitate a community welcome dinner as

part of Refugee Week.

Sydenham Neighbourhood House, in

partnership with Kangna Indian Women’s

Network, ran a monthly session as part of the

healthy relationships program for men from

the sub-continent of India. The program aims

to raise awareness and prevent family violence.

Approximately 15 men attended each session.

Council, through its community grants

program, provided funding to 12 local

organisations to implement initiatives aimed

to prevent violence against women and

advance gender equity.

Youth Services, in partnership with South

Sudanese Association of Victoria and Victoria

University, implemented the New Change

program that provided support for South

Sudanese young women to work through

issues impacting on their lives including

domestic violence.

40

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Youth Services continued to provide support

and counselling services for young women

experiencing gender-based violence.

Youth Services, in partnership with

Copperfield College, implemented the Girls

Making Change program that aims to enhance

health and wellbeing literacy for young

women in Brimbank.

Youth Services worked in partnership with

the Department of Education and Training

staff to assist in the local roll-out of the

Respectful Relationships in Schools program

– a recommendation of the Royal Commission

into Family Violence.

Council, in partnership with cohealth,

Maribyrnong City Council, Hobsons Bay City

Council, Moonee Valley City Council and CASA

West, delivered respectful relationships

sessions. The sessions adopted the human

rights strength-based approach to inform

people with an intellectual disability about

respectful relationships and to train them to

deliver similar trainings to other people with

disabilities.

Maternal Child Health Service partnered with

Grace – Western Melbourne Families Against

Domestic Violence, to provide care packages

for women experiencing family violence.

Council, in partnership with HealthWest, IPC

Health, cohealth and Women’s Health West,

implemented the Working Together with

Men project that aims to engage men living in

Brimbank to take an active role in preventing

violence against women and advancing

gender equity.

Leisure Services, in partnership with Women’s

Health West, Melton, Wyndham, Maribyrnong,

Moonee Valley, Hobsons Bay and Melbourne

councils, was successful in the Sport and

Recreation Victoria’s regional planning

grants for a project aimed to increase female

participation in sports.

Council implemented the Brimbank

Community Leadership Program that aims

to provide an opportunity for community

members to build and strengthen their

capacity in community leadership and

participation. Thirty-four community

members participated in the program with

equal representation of female and male

participants.

Youth Services and the Arts and Culture

Unit provided support to the young women

participating in the New Change program to

develop their skills in program management.

14 women applied for the Council’s Neighbour

Day Grants and hosted successful events at

their respective local areas.

Council implemented the community

governance training program that aims to

build the capacity of community groups in

planning, operations and decision-making. 335

people participated in the program with equal

representation of female and male participants.

Council implemented the Dynamic

Young Citizens of Brimbank project that

aims to increase the opportunities for

children in Brimbank to participate in the

local community, increase their social

connectedness and sense of pride, and allow

them to have meaningful input into local

decisions that affect them. Eighty-eight

children from four local primary schools

participated in the project.

Council took part in the Local Government

Victoria Listen, Learn and Lead Gender Equity

Program. The project provided an opportunity

for the Chief Executive Officer to develop a

deeper level of insight into the workplace

barriers for women that need to be tackled to

improve gender equity in the workplace.

Council continues to provide support to staff

members who are victims of family violence

through provision of leave and the Employee

Assistance Program.

Leisure Services completed a female facilities

audit of sport facilities across Brimbank. The

audit information will be used to develop an

implementation plan to improve the facilities

in order to provide greater opportunities for

females to participate in sports.

Council continues to facilitate gender balance

of council-led committees and reference

groups.

Brimbank White Ribbon Working Group

organised a White Ribbon Forum for staff

and community members with guest

speakers who presented on the role of men

in preventing violence against women and

advancing gender equity. The forum was

attended by approximately 40 people.

Brimbank White Ribbon Working Group, in

partnership with Brimbank Social Club, hosted a

White Ribbon lunch for staff. The guest speaker

presented on the role of men in preventing

violence against women. The lunch was

attended by approximately 50 staff members.

Neighbourhood House staff and volunteers

attended training on identifying family

violence and providing appropriate support

to victims. The training was coordinated by

Network West.

Council staff and community members

participated in the One Million Stars project

aimed to end violence against women.

Approximately 3,500 stars were woven. The

stars will contribute toward the One Million

Stars project that will be installed during

2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.

Council ran a communication campaign to

promote the Preventing Violence Together

(PVT) 16 days Activist Challenge internally

and across the municipality.

Library Services displayed Safe Steps posters

in all Council libraries and neighbourhood

houses. Safe Steps is a 24/7 state-wide

family violence response centre for

intervention, support and advocacy.

Council distributed over 1000 men’s and

women’s family violence help cards at

community events.

Youth Services and the Arts and Culture Unit

provided support to South Sudanese young

women participating in the New Change

program to create a spoken word video

titled “Breaking News” aimed at addressing

misrepresentation of Sudanese-Australians

in the media.

Learning and development

Employee development is a key focus for

Council, with a suite of programs offered

across the organisation to meet behavioural,

technical and compliance obligations as well as

enhance the knowledge, skill, experience and

competency of our employees.

Development is delivered formally, self-paced

or via Brimbank’s own e-learning tool bTrain.

Modules are made available to staff to learn at

their own pace, at their convenience.

Modules on bTrain include Equal Opportunity,

Fraud and Corruption Awareness, Code of

Conduct and Privacy.

A total of 96 corporate training calendar courses

were coordinated in 2016-2017 with 228

sessions and a total of 2,806 participants.

Learning programs offered took into

consideration departmental, interpersonal and

organisational needs to help employees meet

Council’s objectives.

Some of the key programs included:

• Front Line Adaptive Communication – Dealing

with Aggressive Customers

• PRINCE2 Project Management

• Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

• Communicating with Others – the PEDO Model

• Corporate Induction

• Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

• Effective Time Management

• Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)

• Emotional Intelligence

• Crucial Conversations

• Records Manager

• Business Writing Skills

• Diversity @ Work

• Team Management Profiling

• Conducting Annual Discussions

Council recognises the importance of all new

staff receiving a comprehensive induction to

Council on commencement, ensuring they

understand:

• Council functions, processes and policies

• The requirements of their role and the

functions of the directorate where they work

• The policies and procedures that apply to

their behaviour and performance in the

workplace.

To assist with this, all staff must complete a

three-step Brimbank Induction Program. This

includes the commencement kit provided with

the letter of offer, the first day departmental

induction checklist and attendance to

Brimbank’s formal corporate induction.

As part of the on boarding process, new

employees were given access to ‘Welcome to

Brimbank’ — an interactive program designed

to provide newly recruited employees with

information on Brimbank City Council, our

community first culture and the benefits of

working at Brimbank.

The formal, one-day Corporate Induction

Program continued to run on a bi-monthly

basis and was revamped to ensure a more

interactive, informative and engaging session

to formally welcome new employees to Council.

The corporate induction, coupled with Council’s

eLearning modules, aims to pass on vital

information to new employees as well as meet

statutory compliance obligations.

Leadership Essentials

The Brimbank Leadership Essentials program

is targeted at new or aspirational leaders,

and has been designed to have an immediate

impact on individuals as it brings theory and

work related experience together. It is practical,

contemporary and focuses on both personal and

professional development.

The program looks at the real issues occurring

in the workplace and assists participants

in discovering relevant solutions to these

issues. The program confirms the need for

a professional and productive workplace

and aims to provide ways to create a more

positive culture. It also assists participants in

establishing strategies for the implementation

of their learning back into their workplaces.

The program provides an opportunity to gain

in-depth knowledge of business functions

and build foundational skills to integrate these

functions into the organisation, examine new

techniques and technologies for driving results,

identifying problems and formulating solutions,

and adapting to change and expand capacity to

lead cross-functional initiatives.

The program has been aligned so that upon

completion, participating staff gain a Diploma

of Leadership Management through Victoria

University. Base units are facilitated formally

and core electives are completed using

Recognition of Prior Learning.

Upon commencement of the program in March

2014, 77 employees have completed the

program and 76 employees have successfully

obtained the Diploma of Management. The

Leadership Essentials Program underwent a

realignment to adhere to new government

standards and a group of 14 coordinators

participated in the new program in March 2017.

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)

Council is committed to a positive and safe

work culture and the 2016-2017 year has

seen noteworthy improvements. Particular

improvement has been made across several

areas which include the OHS Management

System (OHSMS), training, governance and

strategic planning.

The OHS Strategic plan is now in its second year,

and we continue to achieve targets. The strategic

direction for OHS was organised to deliver safe,

precise and predictable outcomes that our

stakeholders and the community demand.

Significant achievements have included:

• Completion of the core OHS Management

System.

• Revised quarterly and annual reporting

delivering accurate streamlined data.

• Exhaustive completion of the organisation’s

OHS Training Needs Analysis. This has served

to provide accurate training requirements,

which has included capturing all compliance

training.

• Completion of risk registers.

• Consolidation of the Executive Safety Council

as the key body providing corporate oversight

of OHS.

Key performance indicators and workers’ compensation

Year

Lost time

injuries

WorkCover

claims

Days lost due to

workplace injury

2016 - 2017

13

14

1163

2015-2016

15

27

1443

2014-2015

21

34

986

2013-2014

24

37

973

2012-2013

18

30

1568

2011-2012

31

46

1346

2010-2011

21

34

1302

2009-2010

28

53

1481

2008-2009

25

36

1942

Days lost by division

City Development

287

Community Wellbeing

244

Infrastructure & Environment

632

Corporate & Community Relations

0

Total days lost

1163

The total number of days lost is made up of the

following:

• New claims in the reporting period 2016-2017

• Days lost to existing claims

There has been a steady improvement in

the reduction of Lost Time Injuries (LTIs) and

their effects from the previous year, i.e. a 20

per cent reduction in actual LTIs, 51 per cent

reduction in claims and 20 per cent reduction

in the number of days lost to claims. This has

arisen due to Council’s continued efforts and

hard work with its early intervention initiatives

of onsite physiotherapy consultancy, off-site

physiotherapy treatment, and working closely

with managers to facilitate immediate return to

work programs

42

I Dynamic Centre of the West

03

The

requires councils to prepare the

following planning and reporting

documents:

• A Council Plan within the six months

after each general election or by 30 June,

whichever is later

• A Strategic Resource Plan for a period of

at least four years and include this in the

Council Plan

• A Budget for each financial year

• An Annual Report in respect of each

financial year.

The diagram shows the relationships between

the key planning and reporting documents

that make up the planning and accountability

framework for Local Government. It also shows

that there are opportunities for community and

stakeholder input and feedback at each stage of

the planning and reporting cycle.

Brimbank’s integrated planning framework

ensures that strategic and financial resources

are aligned in order to deliver the Council Plan.

Engaging with and consulting the community is

a vital element of this process.

Brimbank’s planning framework

Brimbank Community Plan

The

(updated 2013) describes the community’s

vision and priorities for the next 20 years and

establishes a shared basis for joint planning,

service delivery and advocacy.

The Community Plan was first endorsed by

Council in 2009. The Community Plan is Council’s

primary planning document and all other Council

plans and activities relate to this document.

The plan has been shaped by a community

consultation process that explored the

community’s understanding of the strengths

within the community and the opportunities for

improvement, and came up with a vision for the

future.

The Council Plan is one of Brimbank’s primary

strategic documents. It is directly aligned to the

Community Plan and provides a four-year medium

term outlook. The Council Plan informs the

development of Council’s Annual Plan and Budget.

The

(updated 2016)

outlines Council’s strategic directions and

focus for the next four years. It also details

the objectives and key actions that are to be

completed over the financial year in order to

achieve these directions, and the measures to

monitor performance in delivering services to

the community and fulfill Council’s commitment

to ongoing improvement.

It is the 2016-2017 performance that is reported

in this Annual Report.

Council Budget

The Annual Budget documents the financial

resources required to implement the key

activities identified in the Council Plan, which

will be undertaken in order to achieve Council’s

strategic objectives.

Community engagement and

consultation

The community’s involvement in planning

and policy development, service delivery and

advocacy is supported by increasing community

awareness and education and opportunities

for community members to be consulted and

involved in all aspects of community life. The

information gathered is also used to develop the

strategies and commitments in the Council Plan.

44

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Council Plan

The

includes strategic objectives, strategies for achieving these for the four-year period, strategic indicators for monitoring

achievement of the strategic objectives and a strategic resource plan. The following are the six strategic objectives as detailed in the Council Plan.

01

Council and the

Community Working

Together

Brimbank City Council

is committed to working in close

collaboration with the community

Council facilitates a wide cross-section of community participation, including ‘hard to reach’ groups, through a variety of forums and partnerships to

better engage, develop, represent, and communicate with our diverse community. Brimbank City Council will fulfil its statutory and legal obligations to the

community and manage the municipality in a financially sustainable manner to meet the current needs of our community and those of future generations.

• Developing leadership in the community

• Governing responsibly and community advocacy

• Keeping the community informed and involved

• Working in partnership

• Responsible financial management.

02

Community

Wellbeing

Brimbank City Council is committed

to creating an enhanced quality of

healthy and active community life

Our rich cultures are celebrated, embraced and connected to the broader community. Within a strong foundation of social justice, Council is committed

to the provision of affordable services and community infrastructure that builds healthy people and communities through education, recreation, arts

and culture, and sport.

• Creating connected, supported and welcoming communities

• Celebrating our history, creativity and diversity

• Creating healthy, safe communities

• Creating a community of lifelong learners

• Building economically sustainable communities.

03

Urban Design and

Infrastructure

Brimbank City Council

is committed to fostering strong

pride for residents and visitors

Council creates an urban environment that is attractive, clean and green and which improves living and housing, business and recreational

opportunities, demonstrates environmental leadership and fosters a sustainable economy.

Council is also committed to developing its five town centres and its many smaller urban villages, across the municipality, as a network of safe, attractive,

vibrant, liveable and prosperous places that provide accessible retail, business, community, social activities, employment and residential opportunities.

• Contributing to an accessible, connected city

• Enhancing the character and identity of our city

• Providing a range of places for people to play, relax and meet

• Ensure that there are sustainable plans for the management of Brimbank’s physical assets.

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

45

04

Sustainable

Environments

Brimbank City Council is committed to

promoting the long-term sustainable

development of the municipality

Council will do this by facilitating a dynamic and accessible environment that is supported by a healthy and informed community that enjoys rich

environmental characteristics within the municipality. Council is committed to environmental protection, planning for sustainable developments,

improving the sustainability of our building stock, and reducing our ecological footprint.

• Reducing the city’s ecological footprint

• Protecting and enhancing our natural environment

• Fostering sustainable urban development.

05

Industry and

Economic Development

and Strategic Sites

Brimbank City Council is committed to

providing local employment and business

development opportunities whilst also

ensuring that such activities do not have a

detrimental impact on local communities

The municipality contains a range of strategic sites (outside of town centres or urban villages) that, due to their location, size, environment or current

or past use, can greatly assist Council achieve its economic, social or environmental objectives.

• Promoting and advocating for appropriate recognition, development and use of Brimbank’s strategic sites

• Increasing local employment, business, office and economic development

• Facilitating future industrial, commercial or residential development at strategic sites.

06

Organisational

Effectiveness

Brimbank City Council is committed to

the ongoing delivery of a broad range

of services that meet the needs

and aspirations of the diverse and

growing Brimbank community

Guided by the Australian Business Excellence Framework, the ongoing development of our staff is a critical element to our continuous improvement

of service delivery. We will continue to benchmark services to ensure best practice, lead by example, and implement best practice services to the

community.

• Developing our people

• Creating a high performance organisation through continuous improvement.

46

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Council’s performance for the 2016-2017 year has been reported against each strategic objective to demonstrate

how Council is performing in achieving the

.

Performance has been measured as follows:

• Results achieved in relation to the strategic indicators in the Council Plan

• Progress in relation to the major initiatives identified in the Budget

• Services funded in the Budget and the persons or sections of the community who are provided those services

• Results against the prescribed service performance indicators and measures.

Strategic Objective 1:

Council and the Community Working Together

Strategic indicators

The following statement reviews the performance of Council against the Council Plan including results achieved in relation to the strategic

indicators included in the Council Plan.

Strategic indicator/measure

Result

Comments

Developing leadership in the community

Actively promote the roles and skills of Community Resource

Members across relevant Council work areas to ensure their

participation in local projects.

-

The Community Resource Member model has been reviewed

and alternative opportunities for civic participation will be

explored in 2017-2018.

Governing responsibly and community advocacy

Resident perception of Council performance on lobbying on

the behalf of the community.

54

This is 3 points lower than 2015-2016 and equal to the state

average.

Resident perception that Council is generally heading in the

right direction.

59

This is 2 points lower than 2015-2016, though significantly

higher (6 points) than the state average.

Keeping the community informed and involved

Resident perception of Council performance on community

consultation and engagement.

55

This is 1 point higher than 2015-2016 and equal to the state

average.

Resident perception of Council performance on informing

the community.

56

This is 2 points lower than 2015-2016, and 3 points lower

than the state average.

Working in partnership

Number of meetings with the Sunshine, Sydenham and

St Albans Town Centre Partnership Groups.

2

Meeting numbers are lower as the St Albans Partnership

Group dissolved in June 2016 and the Sydenham Partnership

Group in 2015. Work is underway to re-establish the St Albans

Partnership Group.

Responsible financial management

Debt servicing ratio.

1.20%

Target achieved.

Adjusted Working Capital Ratio.

315.66%

Target achieved.

The following statement reviews the progress of Council in relation to major initiatives identified in the 2016-2017 Budget for the year.

Major Initiatives

Progress

Deliver Council’s Community Governance training program to community groups,

small not-for-profit organisations and interested individuals across Brimbank to

support good governance practice in community organisations.

Council delivered 20 Community Governance training

sessions to 335 participants.

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

47

The following statement provides information in relation to the services funded in the 2016-2017 Budget and the persons or sections of the

community who are provided the service.

Service

Description

Net Cost

Actual Budget

Favourable/

(Unfavourable) $’000

Governance Governance

supports Council’s formal decision-making processes and structures, including

coordination of the Council Meeting cycle and delegations, with oversight and coordination of

legislative governance for Council, including requirements of the

,

privacy, Freedom of Information and geographic place naming.

Governance provides strategic and operational risk services, in-house legal services, insurance

and claims management, and coordinates business continuity planning and reviews.

It delivers a fraud awareness program for the organisation and is responsible for protected

disclosure reporting. The department also facilitates Council’s internal audit function and

supports the Audit and Risk Management Committee.

5,050 4,518

(532)

Media and

Communications

Media and Communications

gather and communicate information through a variety of channels

to reach all corners of the community.

These channels include mainstream and local media, corporate publications and posters, advice

and consultation, website and social media, advertising, speeches and events.

By promoting Brimbank through various channels the community is kept up-to-date with

information relating to where they live, work and socialis.

2,339 2,576

237

Financial

Services

Financial Services

provides a fully integrated financial service and support function across

Council. It is supported by two core units – Finance and Business Support.

Finance

is responsible for calculating and collecting annual rates and charges as well as

valuing every property within the municipality; and for coordinating the preparation of the

annual financial statements, monitoring Council’s cash and investments to maximise interest

earnings, paying suppliers and ensure compliance with legislation, and accounting standards.

Business Support

coordinates the Annual Budget and long-term financial plan. It also

provides financial analysis of Council’s business to help support decisions, maintains and

support Council’s financial systems and provides training to staff, and maintains policies and

procedures.

Management of strategic policies, procedures and guidelines for Council’s purchases of

goods and services, providing a centralised process for all public tenders, and assistance

with procurement matters across all service units providing procurement advice, governance

on procurement activities and where required conduct procurement activities on behalf of

Council.

5,393 5,182

(211)

Customer

Support

Customer Support

provides professional services through a number of contact channels including

over the phone, face-to-face and written communications to best meet the needs of customers at

the initial point of contact.

Seeking out, monitoring and analysing customer feedback to better understand the customer

experience and to drive service delivery improvement programs.

Information management

services are also provided which includes the registration,

management, storage and retrieval of all information received by Council in accordance with

legislative requirements.

All service processes are designed around optimal use of digital practices and consideration of

technology opportunities.

3,845 3,899

54

48

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Service indicator/measure

Results

Material Variations

2015

2016

2017

Governance

[Number of Council resolutions made at ordinary or special

meetings of Council, or at meetings of a special committee

consisting only of Councillors, closed to the public/number of

Council resolutions made at ordinary or special meetings of

Council or at meetings of a special committee consisting only

of Councillors ] x100

.63%

.34%

1.83% This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Community satisfaction rating out of 100 with how Council has

performed on community consultation and engagement]

58

54

55 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[The sum of the number of Councillors who attended each

ordinary and special Council meeting/(number of ordinary and

special Council meetings) × (number of Councillors elected at

the last Council general election)] x100

94.20% 93.65% 98.53% This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Direct cost of the governance service/number of

Councillors elected at the last Council general election]

$161,679.00 $172,219.55 $98,521.38 The decrease in the cost of

governance result reflects the

new governance arrangements in

2016-2017; the end of the period

of administration and the swearing

in of 11 Councillors on 8 November

2016. In addition, there were no

CEO recruitment or performance

costs in 2016-2017.

[Community satisfaction rating out of 100 with how Council has

performed in making decisions in the interest of the community]

55

57

56 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

49

Strategic indicators

The following statement reviews the performance of Council against the Council Plan including results achieved in relation to the strategic

indicators included in the Council Plan.

Strategic indicator/measure

Result

Comments

Creating connected, supported and welcoming

communities

Resident perception about Council’s general town planning

policy.

58

This is 2 points higher than 2015-2016 and 5 points higher

than the state average.

Celebrating our history, creativity and diversity

Resident perception about Council performance on

community and cultural activities.

64

This is 3 points lower than 2015-2016 and 5 points lower

than the state average.

Creating a community of lifelong learners

Resident perception about Council performance on art

centres and libraries.

72

This is 4 points higher than 2015-2016 with 66% of

residents rating performance ‘good’ or ‘very good.’ The score

is 3 points higher than the state average.

Building economically sustainable communities

Resident perception about Council performance on business

and community development and tourism.

58

This is 1 point higher than 2015-2016 and 3 points lower

than the state average.

The following statement reviews the progress of Council in relation to major initiatives identified in the 2016-2017 budget for the year.

Major Initiatives

Progress

Develop a new Brimbank Community and Civic Centre in Sunshine including a new

library.

The Brimbank Community and Civic Centre and Library were

opened on 25 July 2017.

Start construction of the St Albans Community and Performing Arts Centre.

The St Albans Community Centre, which features the Bowery

Theatre performance space, opened on 18 March 2017.

Conduct Community Leadership Training.

Thirty-four participants from diverse communities

completed the Community Leadership Training Program.

Develop and operate the Brimbank Education Development Centre.

The Education Development Centre will be established at

Visy Hub in Sunshine in 2017-2018.

Develop and operate a new Keilor Library as part of the Keilor Office redevelopment

project.

The Keilor Community Hub, which incorporates the Keilor

Library, opened in April 2017.

Tender and implement a new Library Management System.

Tender process has been completed. The Library

Management System will be implemented in 2017-2018.

Strategic Objective 2:

Community Wellbeing

50

I Dynamic Centre of the West

The following statement provides information in relation to the services funded in the 2016-2017 Budget and the persons or sections of the

community who are provided the service.

Service

Description

Net Cost

Actual Budget

Favourable/

(Unfavourable) $’000

Community

Planning,

Culture and

Development

Community Planning

, Culture and Development undertakes a range of initiatives, partnerships, policy

and strategy development to enhance community health and wellbeing and promote cultural development

across the following four department units. The department is responsible for the preparation of the Council

Plan, Community Plan and reporting.

Arts & Cultural Development

unit manages our two main arts centres – St Albans Community Centre and

Bowery Theatre. It commissions public and visual artworks, and creates arts spaces within the municipality

by developing and managing exhibition venues, studios, shop fronts, performance and rehearsal spaces.

Brimbank is proud to own an art collection that has grown over the years, and partners with the local arts

community in creative projects that are accessible and enjoyable for people living in Brimbank and beyond.

This unit also develops policy positions and strategies around arts and cultural development.

Diversity & Inclusion

promotes social inclusion and access through the delivery of the Metro Access

program, language services, seniors development, Indigenous and cultural awareness programs, and delivery

of Council’s Annual Community Grant Program.

Connected Communities

facilitates Council’s community engagement, capacity building and social

inclusion through establishing governance and consultation structures and builds community capacity

through community leadership programs such as the Community Governance Training Program.

Policy Advocacy and Research

monitor and analyse data and research to understand the community

demographic profile as well as emerging social issues and trends impacting the community. The unit

develops health and social policy and strategy and convenes the Brimbank Social Justice Coalition.

5,674 6,055

382

Lifelong

Learning &

Community

Participation

Lifelong Learning & Community Participation

ensure lifelong learning is accessible to all age groups and

abilities through a diverse range of library services and a network of community centres and neighbourhood

houses.

Library services

operate in five libraries as well as an online library and home library service. The service

includes quality collections, computers and wireless internet. It supports customers with research, study and

information, and provides places for study, reading and socialising. Library programs support lifelong learning

and help foster a culture of reading and literacy.

Council’s five

Neighbourhood Houses

provides community meeting spaces, capacity building activities and

programs for the community such as volunteering opportunities and community lunches, delivers programs

that include short courses and workshops, coordinates the Brimbank Neighbourhood Houses Strategic

Partnership Agreement and enters into Collaborative Partnership Agreements with community groups and

organisations.

9,960 9,769

(192)

Community Care Community Care

provides a wide range of services that support older people, people living with a disability,

families and youth.

Ageing & Inclusion

supports and encourages older people, and people with a disability, to maintain and

enhance their physical, social and emotional well-being by accessing in-home and community-based services

provided by Council. Services such as domestic assistance, personal and respite care, social support and

planned activity groups, delivered meals, community transport and maintenance help older residents live a

fulfilling life, independently.

Families & Early Years

provides a range of services for children and families in the community through the

Early Education & Care and Maternal & Child Health teams. Families’ health and wellbeing is well supported

with playgroups, kindergartens, family day care and other child care services operating throughout the

municipality. Maternal and Child Health services are available at eight locations, providing health and

wellbeing information for parents and children aged from 0-5 years, and intensive support for vulnerable

families experiencing parenting difficulties.

Youth Services

offers a number of services to guide young people through their personal development

and encourages them to participate positively in community life through support, counselling and youth

programs that strengthen and build resilience in young people The unit also fosters partnerships with other

local services that support young people.

10,679 12,030

1,351

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

51

Service

Description

Net Cost

Actual Budget

Favourable/

(Unfavourable) $’000

Leisure and

Community

Facilities

Leisure and Community Facilities

manage Sport & Recreation, Community Facilities, Leisure & Community

Facilities Planning & Policy and major leisure facilities including the Sunshine and St Albans Leisure Centres,

the Keilor Basketball & Netball Stadium and Keilor Public Golf Course.

Sports & Recreation

develops and deliver leisure, sport and recreation projects and programs to meet the

diverse needs of the community.

This includes more than 180 outdoor sports areas including 46 sports pavilions, 95 playing fields, pitches

and greens and over 40 outdoor courts. The team supports clubs in capacity building, business planning and

funding applications, and takes regular bookings for the Keilor Park Synthetic Sports Fields and Synthetic

Athletics Track.

Community Facilities

supports, guides and develops community groups such as Scouts, Girl Guides and

Senior Citizens by managing venue tenancy agreements and bookings at Council’s 35 halls and meeting

rooms available for regular hire, casual events and functions.

Leisure & Community Facilities Planning & Policy

manages the four major leisure facilities in Brimbank

– Keilor Basketball and Netball Stadium, St Albans Leisure Centre, Sunshine Leisure Centre and Keilor Public

Golf Course. These centres provide a diverse and affordable range of health, fitness and community activities

and programs that offer the community opportunities to participate in physical activity and a safe place for

social interaction.

Research and analyses trends are undertaken to detect issues and barriers that may impact the local leisure

industry in Brimbank, and identifies Capital Works Projects that provide continuous improvements in leisure

and recreation services and facilities.

5,023 5,238

216

The following statement provides the results of the prescribed service performance indicators and measures including explanation of

material variations.

Service indicator/measure

Results

Material Variations

2015

2016

2017

Aquatic Facilities

[Number of authorised officer inspections of Council aquatic

facilities/ number of Council aquatic facilities]

4.00

4.00

4.00 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Number of WorkSafe reportable aquatic facility safety

incidents]

0

0

0

This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Direct cost of indoor aquatic facilities less income received/

number of visits to indoor aquatic facilities]

$4.83

$3.86

$4.11 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Number of visits to aquatic facilities/ municipal population]

2.78

2.85

2.80 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

52

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Service indicator/measure

Results

Material Variations

2015

2016

2017

Home and Community Care

[Number of days between the referral of a new client and

commencement of HACC service/Number of new clients who

have received a HACC service]

NA

13.57 days

NA Reporting on HACC ceased on 1 July

2016 due to the introduction of the

Commonwealth Government’s NDIS

and CHSP programs.

[Community satisfaction rating out of 100 with how Council has

performed on community consultation and engagement]

100.00% 100.00%

NA Reporting on HACC ceased on 1 July

2016 due to the introduction of the

Commonwealth Government’s NDIS

and CHSP programs.

[Cost of the domestic care service/Hours of domestic care

service delivered]

NA

$56.08

NA Reporting on HACC ceased on 1 July

2016 due to the introduction of the

Commonwealth Government’s NDIS

and CHSP programs.

[Cost of the personal care service/Hours of personal care

service delivered]

NA

$56.08

NA Reporting on HACC ceased on 1 July

2016 due to the introduction of the

Commonwealth Government’s NDIS

and CHSP programs.

[Cost of the respite care service/Hours of respite care service

delivered]

NA

$56.08

NA Reporting on HACC ceased on 1 July

2016 due to the introduction of the

Commonwealth Government’s NDIS

and CHSP programs.

[Number of people that received a HACC service/Municipal

target population for HACC services] x100

12.81%

5.41%

NA Reporting on HACC ceased on 1 July

2016 due to the introduction of the

Commonwealth Government’s NDIS

and CHSP programs.

[Number of CALD people who receive a HACC service/Municipal

target population in relation to CALD people for HACC services] x100

12.20%

4.95%

NA Reporting on HACC ceased on 1 July

2016 due to the introduction of the

Commonwealth Government’s NDIS

and CHSP programs.

Libraries

[Number of library collection item loans/Number of library

collection items]

4.96

13.57 days

4.34 Library collection usage increased

in 2016-17; this reflects increased

borrowing, particularly at the newly

rebuilt Sunshine library.

[Number of library collection items purchased in the last 5

years/Number of library collection items] x100

73.60% 69.43% 72.32% This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Direct cost of the library service/Number of visits]

$5.91

$6.39

$5.64 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Number of active library members/Municipal population] x100] 16.54%

14.07%

15.61% This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

53

Service indicator/measure

Results

Material Variations

2015

2016

2017

Maternal and Child Health (MCH

{Number of first MCH home visits/Number of birth notifications

received] x100

100.30% 107.06% 109.31% This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Number of infants enrolled in the MCH service (from birth

notifications received)/Number of birth notifications received]

x100

94.20% 100.00% 100.00% This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

NA

$83.69

$86.79 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Number of children who attend the MCH service at least once (in

the year)/Number of children enrolled in the MCH service] x100

72.46% 72.90% 69.82% This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Number of Aboriginal children who attend the MCH service at

least once (in the year)/Number of Aboriginal children enrolled

in the MCH service] x100

68.29% 53.76% 58.33% The level of participation for this

community increased during this

period.

54

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Strategic indicators

The following statement reviews the performance of Council against the Council Plan including results achieved in relation to the strategic

indicators included in the Council Plan.

Strategic indicator/measure

Result

Comments

Enhancing the character and identity of our city

Resident perception of Council performance around

condition of local streets and footpaths.

Resident perception of Council performance on the

appearance of public areas.

55 61

This is 1 point higher than 2015-2016 and 2 points lower

than the state average.

This is the same result as 2015-2016 and 2 points above

target.

Providing a range of places for people to play,

relax and meet

Resident perception of Council performance on

recreational facilities

64

This is 1 point higher than 2015-2016 and 1 point below

target.

The following statement reviews the progress of Council in relation to major initiatives identified in the 2016-2017 budget for the year.

Major Initiatives

Progress

Implement the Road Asset Management Plan through the delivery of a $18.4

million road rehabilitation and upgrade program.

The Road Rehabilitation and Upgrade Program was delivered

to 94.6% completion rate.

Strategic Objective 3:

Urban Design and Infrastructure

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

55

The following statement provides information in relation to the services funded in the 2016-2017 Budget and the persons or sections of the

community who are provided the service.

Service

Description

Net Cost

Actual Budget

Favourable/

(Unfavourable) $’000

Engineering

Services

Engineering Services

ensures that Brimbank is a safe, liveable and attractive place to live and work. This is

achieved through planning, design, construction, maintenance and renewal/disposal of local roads, drainage

systems and other vital infrastructure.

2,986 3,129

143

Environment Environment

engages and encourages the community to value Brimbank’s natural areas and understand

local environmental impacts in an effort to becoming a more environmentally sustainable city.

This is achieved by providing leadership and education while providing direction and coordination in resource

efficiency measures including integrated water management, climate change mitigation and adaptation; and

community engagement in the conservation, management and restoration of Brimbank’s natural areas including

grasslands, waterways and rocky escarpments and manages issues associated with former landfill sites.

2,313 2,551

238

Asset and

Property

Services

Asset and Property Services

provides a comprehensive range of services to improve the operational

performance of Council’s infrastructure assets. This includes providing information, support and strategic

advice to the community; coordinating Council’s annual Capital Works Program; and keeping up-to-date with

spatial mapping, analysis and predictive modelling innovations.

1,510 1,451

(59)

Urban Design

Urban Design

undertakes tree planting in streets and main roads, along with landscaping and other amenity

improvements projects for parks, activity centres, and off-road and on-road shared user trails. This work

ensures Brimbank’s community spaces are well designed and cared for.

3,202 3,415

213

Operations

Operations

oversee Fleet Services, Park Services, Roads and Cleansing, Waste Services, Pedestrian Facility

Services and Emergency Management.

Truck, plant and vehicle fleets are purchased responsibly and maintained through

Fleet Services

, which

ensures they are compliant with all legislative requirements.

Parks, sportsgrounds and the outdoor spaces surrounding Council-owned facilities are maintained by

Park Services

.

Road and drainage is managed by

Roads and Cleansing

in accordance with Council’s Road Asset

Management Plan, and are responsible for the overall cleanliness of Council land.

Waste Services

organises the community’s weekly kerbside waste collection and fortnightly recycling and

green waste collections. It also manages Council’s Resource Recovery Centre and delivers an annual hard

waste collection service to residents.

Pedestrian Facilities Services

program and implement Council’s annual footpath and concrete works

rehabilitation program.

Emergency Management

coordinates the use of Council resources for emergency response and recovery in

accordance with

&

, including coordination of a Municipal Emergency

Management Planning Committee; and development and maintenance of the Municipal Emergency

Management Plan.

45,932 47,034

1,102

Facilities &

Major Projects

Facilities & Major Projects

manages Council’s vast property portfolio, with activities that includes fire

services, heating and cooling, electrical, plumbing, vandalism and graffiti removal, and security and hall

keeping requirements on Council facilities; the Facilities Asset Management Program within Council’s Capital

Works Program; and lease negotiations with tenants.

13,197 13,748

551

Building

Services and

Environmental

Health

Building Services and Environmental Health

implements legislation through education, advice and

enforcement to ensure a safe and high standard of public health is maintained across the City of Brimbank.

This includes enforcing the

,

,

, and

&

. It also issues and inspects building permits and

manages customer requests to ensure the safety of the built environment within Brimbank.

1,186 1,601

415

56

I Dynamic Centre of the West

The following statement provides the results of the prescribed service performance indicators and measures including explanation of

material variations.

Service indicator/measure

Results

Material Variations

2015

2016

2017

Roads

[Number of sealed local road requests/Kilometres of sealed

local roads ] x100

56.29

42.62

49.70 Brimbank City Council endeavours

to respond to all residents’ requests

for sealed local roads within the

approved requirements of the

Road Asset Management Plan. The

number of requests for 2016/2017

is very similar with that of the

previous 12 months (2015/2016).

[Number of kilometres of sealed local roads below the renewal

intervention level set by Council/Kilometres of sealed local

roads] x100

89.63% 81.91% 83.38% This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

$94.66

$85.83

$87.24 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Direct cost of sealed local road resealing/Square metres of

sealed local roads resealed]

$28.91

$25.29

$25.08 Brimbank City Council undertakes

all road resealing works via

contracts, which are awarded

following a competitive public

tender process. The cost is

indicative of continued competitive

market conditions in the road

construction industry.

[Community satisfaction rating out of 100 with how Council has

performed on the condition of sealed local roads]

60.00

58.00

58.00 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

Waste Collection

[Number of kerbside garbage and recycling bin collection

requests/Number of kerbside bin collection households] x1000

239.86

202.62

194.34 Brimbank City Council endeavours to

deliver an effective, cost efficient bin

collection service for the community.

The bin collection service includes

replacement of damaged bins, repair

of broken bins, and the collection

and disposal of missed bins from

residential properties within the

municipality. There was a significant

reduction in ‘bin not emptied’

requests resulting in an improved

result this financial year.

Quality

[Number of kerbside garbage and recycling collection bins

missed/Number of scheduled kerbside garbage and recycling

collection bin lifts] x10,000

12.16

10.62

11.92 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

57

Service indicator/measure

Results

Material Variations

2015

2016

2017

Cost

[Direct cost of the kerbside garbage bin collection service/

Number of kerbside garbage collection bins]

$104.18 $106.17 $105.89 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Direct cost of the kerbside recyclables bin collection service/

Number of kerbside recyclables collection bins]

$29.05

$11.54

$7.97 Brimbank City Council endeavours

to deliver an effective, cost efficient

kerbside recyclables collection

service for our community. The

kerbside recyclables collection

service provided includes the

collection and processing of

recyclable material collected from

residential properties within

the municipality. There was a

significant reduction in cost for the

service this financial year due to an

increase in the rebate for recyclable

material provided by our processing

contractor.

[Weight of recyclables and green organics collected from

kerbside bins/Weight of garbage, recyclables and green

organics collected from kerbside bins] x100

37.98% 38.80% 40.08% This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

58

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Strategic indicators

The following statement reviews the performance of Council against the Council Plan including results achieved in relation to the strategic

indicators included in the Council Plan.

Strategic indicator/measure

Result

Comments

Reducing the city’s ecological footprint

Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Council

operations.

25%

25% below 2011 baseline figure and trending positively.

Protecting and enhancing our natural environment

Resident perception of Council performance on

environmental sustainability.

62

This is 5 points higher than 2015-2016 and 2 points lower

than the state average and target.

Fostering sustainable urban development

Resident perception of Council performance on planning and

population growth in the area.

52

This is 3 points lower than 2015-2016 and equal to the state

average.

The following statement reviews the progress of Council in relation to major initiatives identified in the 2016-2017 budget for the year.

Major Initiatives

Progress

Pursue implementation of the Sunshine Town Centre Structure Plan, St Albans

Structure Plan and Keilor Village Vision.

Sunshine Town Centre Structure Plan and the Keilor Village

Vision are complete. The St Albans Structure Plan was

updated in 2015 and was the basis to Amendment C150

which Council adopted 27 June 2016. Council is awaiting

approval of the amendment by the Minister of Planning.

The following statement provides information in relation to the services funded in the 2016-2017 budget and the persons or sections of the

community who are provided the service.

Service

Description

Net Cost

Actual Budget

Favourable/

(Unfavourable) $’000

City Planning

and Planning

Compliance

Planning permit applications for land use, development and subdivisions are administered by the City

Planning Department, which also responds to property information and demolition requests and provides

planning services to Council, the community and the development industry.

Services include providing advice and making determinations on planning permit applications for land use,

development and subdivisions, and responding to property information and demolition requests.

Administration of the Brimbank Planning Scheme and representation at the Victorian Civil and Administrative

Tribunal on planning matters.

Planning Compliance

is responsible for enforcing planning regulations and responds to customer requests

relating to planning matters.

(932) 1,125

2057

City Compliance City Compliance

enforces local laws, which are important for residents and businesses to enjoy a safe, clean,

well-functioning living and working environment. Council provides community information and education

around parking controls, fire mitigation, litter control, event approvals, animal management and school crossing

supervision.

2,286 1,972

(314)

Strategic Objective 4:

Sustainable Environments

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

59

The following statement provides the results of the prescribed service performance indicators and measures including explanation of

material variations.

Service indicator/measure

Results

Material Variations

2015

2016

2017

Animal Management

[Number of days between receipt and first response action

for all animal management requests/Number of animal

management requests]

NA

1.21

1.32 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Number of animals reclaimed/Number of animals collected]

x100

34.39% 33.53%

30.27% This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Direct cost of the animal management service/Number of

registered animals]

$55.29

$58.80

$112.22 Brimbank City Council places a high

emphasis on delivering services

in a cost efficient manner. The

increase in the cost of animal

management services is primarily

due to increased costs by the

external provider for impounding

and rehousing services.

[Number of successful animal management prosecutions]

6.00

7.00

8.00 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

Food Safety

[Number of days between receipt and first response action for

all food complaints/Number of food complaints]

NA

1.40

1.34 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Number of registered class 1 food premises and class 2 food

premises that receive an annual food safety assessment in

accordance with the

/Number of registered

class 1 food premises and class 2 food premises that require an

annual food safety assessment in accordance with the

] x100

100.00% 100.00% 100.00% This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Direct cost of the food safety service/Number of food premises

registered or notified in accordance with the

]

$262.10 $257.20 $248.56 This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

[Number of critical non-compliance outcome notifications and

major non-compliance notifications about a food premises

followed up/Number of critical non-compliance outcome

notifications and major non-compliance notifications about a

food premises] x100

100.00% 100.00% 100.00% This result falls within the range

expected by Council.

60

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Service indicator/measure

Results

Material Variations

2015

2016

2017

Statutory Planning

[The median number of days between receipt of a planning

application and a decision on the application]

92.00

112.00

125.00 Brimbank City Council places

an emphasis on working with

applicants and objectors to achieve

good outcomes in planning

determinations, and so additional

time may be taken in negotiating

land use and development issues.

The continuous changes in

planning provisions relating to

residential zones has delayed a

number of applications and the

high volume and complexity of

applications being received mean

that at times applications are taking

longer to deal with than desired.

[Number of planning application decisions made within 60

days/Number of planning application decisions made] x100

65.00% 55.00% 45.35%

Brimbank City Council places an

emphasis on working with applicants

and objectors to achieve good

outcomes in planning determinations,

and so additional time may be

taken in negotiating land use and

development issues. The continuous

changes in planning provisions

relating to residential zones has

delayed a number of applications

and the high volume and complexity

of applications being received mean

that at times applications are taking

longer to deal with than desired.

From 1 July 2016 this indicator will

be updated to include VicSmart

planning applications which should

be assessed within 10 days. This may

result in some variances year on year.

[Direct cost of the statutory planning service/Number of

planning applications received]

$1,868.98 $3308.90 $3,399.42 Brimbank City Council has a strong

commitment to providing an efficient

and cost-effective statutory planning

service. Result remains within range

expected by Council.

[Number of VCAT decisions that did not set aside Council’s

decision in relation to a planning application/Number of VCAT

decisions in relation to planning applications] x100

71.43% 80.95% 61.54% Brimbank City Council’s success

rate at VCAT can be attributed in

part to the effort Council makes

in negotiating and consulting

with applicants and objectors to

achieve good land use planning

and development outcomes. In

2016/2017 five Council decisions

were set aside at VCAT; this is

consistent with the previous

financial year where four Council

decisions were set aside. Variation

in percentage is due to numbers of

decisions being considered at VCAT,

13 in 2016/2017 financial year as

opposed to 21 in the 2015/2016

financial year.

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

61

Strategic indicators

The following statement reviews the performance of Council against the Council Plan including results achieved in relation to the strategic

indicators included in the Council Plan.

Strategic indicator/measure

Result

Comments

Promoting and advocating for the appropriate

recognition, development and use of Brimbank’s

strategic sites

Level of website and social media presence for strategic

sites.

2033

Website hits related to Strategic Sites.

Increasing local employment, business, office and

economic development

Resident perception of Council performance on business and

community development and tourism.

58

This is 1 point higher than 2015-2016 and the target.

Facilitating future industrial, commercial or residential

development at strategic sites

Number of facilitation meetings held with proponents for

major industrial, commercial or residential development

projects on strategic sites.

25

Twenty-five facilitation meetings were held for major

industrial, commercial or residential development projects

on strategic sites.

The following statement reviews the progress of Council in relation to major initiatives identified in the 2016-2017 budget for the year.

Major Initiatives

Progress

Promote local tourism attractions through local and regional networks and

initiatives.

Council is an active member on the Western Tourism Board

and has commenced preparation of the Brimbank Visitor and

Participation Strategy.

The following statement provides information in relation to the services funded in the 2016-2017 budget and the persons or sections of the

community who are provided the service.

Service

Description

Net Cost

Actual Budget

Favourable/

(Unfavourable) $’000

City Strategy

City Strategy is responsible for attracting investment into the municipality, business development, marketing and

promotion, strategic site management and place management for the Sunshine and St Albans Town Centres.

Strategies for preparing land use and development are undertaken, including the Municipal Strategic

Statement, and amendments to the Brimbank Planning Scheme are also prepared and processed.

It is also delivering the Sunshine Rising, the St Albans Place Management and the Brooklyn Evolution programs.

2,055 2,584

529

Strategic Objective 5:

Industry and Economic Development and Strategic Sites

62

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Strategic indicators

The following statement reviews the performance of Council against the Council Plan including results achieved in relation to the strategic

indicators included in the Council Plan.

Strategic indicator/measure

Result

Comments

Developing our people

Separation of low tenure (less than one year) employees as

a percentage of total hires.

5.81%

Target achieved.

Review and improve Council’s organisational

capabilities within a best practice framework

Resident perception of Council performance in relation to

customer service.

70

This is 3 points lower than 2015-2016 and 1 point higher

than the state average. 28% of respondents rate Council’s

customer service as ‘very good.’

The following statement reviews the progress of Council in relation to major initiatives identified in the 2016-2017 budget for the year.

Major Initiatives

Progress

Extend quarterly reporting on adherence to Customer Service Standards.

Ongoing reports to Council.

Report quarterly on the progress of the Business Transformation Project.

Ongoing internal reporting completed

The following statement provides information in relation to the services funded in the 2016-2017 budget and the persons or sections of the

community who are provided the service.

Service

Description

Net Cost

Actual Budget

Favourable/

(Unfavourable) $’000

People and

Performance

People and Performance

drives positive performance by implementing learning and development programs

such as leadership and management development, technical training while promoting positive organisational

values and behaviours, change management and human resources.

Staff health and wellbeing is managed with the implementation of occupational health and safety programs

and injury prevention.

Council’s recruitment, payroll and workforce planning are also key tasks for this team.

3,126 3,173

46

Information

Technology

Information Communication Technology (ICT)

provides a consistent level of support and service to all

Council departments and community centres.

It offers support with specialist systems, project manages existing software and hardware as outlined in

the corporate strategic objectives, and manages new and existing ICT hardware and infrastructure.

ICT is responsible for maintaining a consistent service across Council to ensure continuity and efficiency.

6,717 9,226

2,509

Strategic Objective 6:

Organisational Effectiveness

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

63

04

Brimbank City Council derives its

power, role, purpose and functions

from the

(the Act).

Representative Governance

A Panel of three Administrators formed the

Brimbank City Council from 1 July-8 November

2016. Following a municipal general election

held on 22 October 2016, 11 Councillors were

sworn in on 8 November 2016, to form the new

Brimbank City Council.

Governance framework

Council’s Governance Framework sets out

the principles and structures to achieve best

practice governance, as well as ensuring

compliance with the Act.

Governance at Brimbank is defined as the

process of decision-making, and the process

by which decisions are implemented. This

translates into how Council operates as a

decision-making body, and its relationship

with the organisation (that provides advice to

Council and implements its decisions). It also

includes the ways that Council engages with its

community in this process.

Council meetings

Council makes its decisions at meetings open to

the public.

At

Ordinary Council Meetings

, Council

considered a range of matters, and aimed

to make decisions in relation to Council’s

responsibilities in the best interests of the

community.

On 20 December 2016, the schedule for

Ordinary Council Meetings for 2017, comprising

monthly meetings, was adopted. The meetings

were held on the third Tuesday of the month, at

the Brimbank Community and Civic Centre.

Special Council Meetings

are convened for a

specific purpose. Only matters advertised and

listed on the agenda for the meeting may be

dealt with (except via resolution).

Council conducted five Special Council Meetings

in 2016-2017. The first Special Council Meeting

was to consider the End of Administration

Report 2016. The second was to swear in

Councillors and elect a Mayor. The third was

to consider a report relating to the acquisition

of land. The fourth was to consider and adopt

the reviewed Councillor Code of Conduct. The

final Special Council Meeting was to consider

endorsing the draft

and

draft

(including draft

and draft

) for community

consultation.

Council agendas

The business to be considered by Council is set

out in the Council Meeting agenda. The agenda

was available on Council’s website five days

prior to a Council Meeting. Hard copy agendas

were available in Chamber on the night of the

Council Meeting, and at Council’s customer

service centres and libraries, on the day before

the meeting. From February 2017, iPads were

available at Council Meetings for members of

the gallery to access the agenda electronically.

Members of the gallery were also encouraged

to use their own electronic device to connect

to Council’s Wi-Fi and access the agenda

electronically.

Council minutes

Council records the decisions made at each

Council Meeting. Minutes of Council meetings

were available at the Council offices and on

Council’s website for all meetings held during the

current calendar year (and preceding 12 month

period), as required by the

Regulation 12 (b).

In October 2016, Council also commenced the

practice of displaying live minutes to the public

gallery at Council Meetings.

Questions to Council

Community members had the opportunity to

raise questions in writing before an Ordinary

Council Meeting, which were then answered at

the meeting, or taken on notice with a written

response sent to the questioner.

Members of the public were also able to petition

Council, in accordance with the

.

In 2016/2017, a total of five petitions were

presented to the Council for receipt and

response, and 46 questions were put to

the Council and answered at the meeting or

responded to in writing.

Administrators’ remuneration and

expenses

The Minister for Local Government sets the

remuneration paid to Council’s Administrators.

Expenses incurred by the Administrators in

undertaking their duties for Brimbank were

reported quarterly in a Governance Report

presented at an Ordinary Council Meeting, in

accordance with their Code of Conduct. The total

expenses reported for travel, communications

and other support expenses for 2016-2017 was

$5,151.45.

Councillors’ allowances and expenses

Section 47A(2) of the

(the Act) provides for payment of annual

allowances to the Mayor and Councillors.

In representing and serving the community,

the Mayor and Councillors make a significant

time commitment, often after normal business

hours, in attending meetings, functions and

responding to community members. They are

also responsible for considering diverse and

complex policies and strategies, and social and

advocacy issues in Brimbank, and determining

a significant annual budget and capital works

program.

Allowance levels are determined within the

category ranges set by the State Government.

Victorian councils are divided into three

categories, based on budget and population.

Brimbank is determined to be a Category 3

Council. Allowance levels are subject to annual

adjustments by the Minister for

Local Government.

The current Category 3 allowance ranges are:

• Councillors – $12,367 to $29,630 per annum

• Mayor – up to $94,641 per annum

Mayoral and Councillor allowances are also

subject to the addition of the equivalent of

the superannuation guarantee contribution

(9.5 per cent).

At the Special Council Meeting on 8 November

2016, Council resolved to set the Mayoral

allowance at $92,333 per annum, and

the Councillor allowance at $28,907 per

annum (plus an amount equivalent to the

superannuation guarantee contribution).

Under section 74 of the Act, Council was also

required to review and determine allowance

levels by 30 June 2017. The allowance levels

determined remain in effect for the full term of

the Council (four years). The review includes

community consultation under 223 of the Act,

allowing community members the opportunity

to make a written submission, and be heard in

support of their submission by a Committee of

Council.

At the Ordinary Council Meeting on 18 April

2017, Council resolved to give notice of the

review of Mayoral and Councillor allowances.

Notices were published in the

newspaper and on Council’s website, inviting

written submissions until 24 May 2017. No

submissions were received.

At the Ordinary Council Meeting on 20 June

2017, Council resolved to set the Mayoral

allowance at $94,641 per annum, and

the Councillor allowance at $29,630 per

annum (plus an amount equivalent to the

superannuation guarantee contribution

(currently 9.5 per cent), for the next four

financial years, subject to any adjustments

by the Minister for Local Government.

Expenses incurred by the Councillors in

undertaking their duties for Brimbank were

reported quarterly in a Governance Report

presented at an Ordinary Council Meeting, in

accordance with their Code of Conduct. The total

expenses reported for travel, communications

and other support expenses for 2016-2017 was

$20,659.99.

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2016-2017 I

65

Councillor Code of Conduct

Councillors are entrusted to represent, and

make decisions in the best interests of, the

entire Brimbank community. A Councillor Code

of Conduct is a commitment by Councillors on

how they agree to work together, and conduct

themselves, in all aspects of their duties.

Local Government Act 1989

The

(the Act) sets

out standards of conduct for Councillors. Section

76C of the Act requires a council to have a Code

of Conduct for Councillors. The Act also requires

a Councillor to make a written declaration they

will abide by the Councillor Code of Conduct,

witnessed by the Chief Executive Officer, within

one month of any amendments to the Code of

Conduct being adopted.

Under Section 75B of the Act, a council

must also adopt a reimbursement policy for

Councillors. Section 75C of the Act requires a

council to make available prescribed minimum

resources for Councillors to carry out their

duties.

Swearing In and Review of the Code

Brimbank Councillors originally signed the

Councillor Code of Conduct Major Policy (Code

of Conduct) following their swearing in, at the

Special Council Meeting on 8 November 2016,

fulfilling the requirements of Sections 63, 64

and 76C of the Act.

Council also reviewed the Code of Conduct at a

Special Council Meeting on 14 February 2017, as

it is required under Section 76C(2) of the Act for

Council to review the Councillor Code of Conduct

within four months of a municipal general

election (by 22 February 2017). All Councillors

made a declaration in writing stating they will

be abide by the Code of Conduct, witnessed by

the Chief Executive Officer, within one month of

the reviewed Code of Conduct being adopted.

A copy of the Code of Conduct was given to

each Councillor, and made available on Council’s

website.

Structure of the Code

The aim of the Code of Conduct was to provide

Councillors with a centralised document

covering all aspects of conduct and support

relating to their role. The Code of Conduct is

structured into two parts:

Part One: Conduct

- includes:

• The

Commitment, Values and Principles

to

be demonstrated by Councillors

• The

Roles and Relationships

of Councillors

and Council officers

• How Councillors will

Conduct

themselves

• Protocols for

Civic Representation

including

with media, social media and events

•

Internal Resolution Procedure

for an

alleged breach of the Code.

Part Two: Support

- includes:

• The

Resources Support

available to a

Councillor to conduct their duties

• The support to be provided for

Professional

Development and Civic Representation

• The

Legal and Insurance

coverage available

•

Reimbursement of Expenses and

Exclusions

• The requirements for public

reporting

of

support expenses.

The Code of Conduct includes a Schedule of

Documents Incorporated by Reference (relevant

Council policies and organisational policies and

protocols that relate to Councillors).

Local laws

Brimbank has three local laws: the

, which came into effect on 1 January

2008; the

, which came into effect on

19 June 2015; and the

which came into

effect on 18 July 2014.

Local laws apply within the area of the City of

Brimbank and act as subordinate legislation to

State and Federal laws.

General Local Law 2008

Brimbank’s

was

adopted on 27 November 2007 and became

operational on 1 January 2008. The objectives of

the local law are to provide for the:

• Administration of Council’s powers and

functions

• Protection, safe and fair use and enjoyment

of Council property

• Safe and fair use of streets, roads and

footpaths

• Protection, maintenance and enhancement of

the amenity of the municipality to a standard

that meets the general expectations of the

community

• Keeping and control of animals on land and on

Council property, and

• Uniform and fair administration and

enforcement of the local law.

The

was available for

viewing on Council’s website. A review of the

Local Law commenced in May 2016, to inform a

new General Local Law 2018 (on sunset of the

current Local Law on 1 January 2018).

Governance (Meeting Procedure)

Local Law No. 1 2015

Brimbank’s

was gazetted on 18 June

2015, and became operational on 19 June 2015.

The primary purposes of the local law are to:

• Provide for the procedures governing the

conduct of Council Meetings and Committee

Meetings

• Set the rules of behaviour for those

participating in and attending meetings, and

• Regulate the use of Council’s common seal.

The

was available for viewing on Council’s

website.

Governance (Major Policy Consultation)

Local Law No. 3 2014

Brimbank’s

was gazetted on

17 July 2014, and became operational on 18 July

2014. It enables Council to determine whether a

policy is, or is not, a ‘major policy’, and prescribes

a public consultation process to be followed

when the Council proposes to make, amend,

modify or revoke a ‘major policy’. The purpose

of the local law is to:

• Provide for some policies of Council to be

designated as major policies

• Prescribe the procedure to be followed before

making, amending, modifying or revoking a

major policy

• Promote transparency of decision-making

• Promote best practice in governance

processes, and

• Provide for the peace, order and good

government of the municipal district.

The following policies were made as major

policies in 2016-2017:

• Community Facilities Capital Development

Major Policy 2016

• Community Facilities Hire, Licenses and

Leases Agreement Major Policy 2016

The Councillor Code of Conduct Major Policy was

reviewed in February 2017. No amendments

were proposed that required consultation under

the

.

The

was available for viewing

on Council’s website.

66

I Dynamic Centre of the West

Attendance at Council Meetings by Councillors/Administrators

– 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017

1 July -8 November 2016

Name

Ordinary Council Meetings

(4 held)

Special Council Meetings

(1 held)

John Watson

4

1

Jane Nathan

4

1

John Tanner AM

4

1

8 November 2016-30 June 2017

Name

Ordinary Council Meetings

(7 held)

Special Council Meetings

(4 held)

Cr Daniel Allan

7

4

Cr Victoria Borg

6

4

Cr Lucinda Congreve

7

4

Cr Sam David JP

7

4

Cr Margaret Giudice

7

4

Cr John Hedditch

7

4

Cr Bruce Lancashire

7

4

Cr Georgina Papafotiou

7

4

Cr Duyen Anh Pham

7

4

Cr Virginia Tachos

7

4

Cr Kim Thien Truong

6

4

Internal Committees/External Committees

Councillor/Administrator representation on Committees

At the end of each year, Councillors/Administrators are nominated to represent Council on a range of Committees for the following year. Council

Committees comprise Council-formed Advisory Committees (with external representation), and External Committees (where a Councillor/Administrator

acts as a delegate).

In 2016-2017, the representatives/delegates to Council Committees were:

Council Advisory

Committees

Role of Committee

Administrator

Representative

July-November 2016

Councillor

Representative

December 2016-

June 2017

Audit and Risk Management

Committee

Advisory Committee to Council established in accordance with

section 139 of the

, to provide

oversight of internal and external audit activities.

John Watson

John Tanner AM

Cr Lucinda Congreve

Cr Margaret Giudice

(all Councillors

ex-officio)

Australia Day Awards

Selection Committee

To select Australia Day Award recipients.

John Watson

Cr John Hedditch

Brimbank Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander

Reconciliation Action Plan

Consultative Committee

To provide Council with advice on Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander issues and the ongoing implementation of the

Reconciliation Action Plan.

N/A

Cr Victoria Borg

Brimbank Arts Advisory

Committee

To oversee the operational aspects of the Brimbank Arts

Collection Policy Guidelines.

Jane Nathan

Cr Daniel Allan

Brimbank Community Fund

Committee

To provide guidance on the administration of the Brimbank

Charitable Fund.

John Tanner AM

Cr Sam David JP

Brimbank Learning and

Employment Steering

Committee

Strategic and collaborative partnership of organisations and

individuals to lead and advocate on learning and employment

in Brimbank.

N/A

Cr Victoria Borg

Brooklyn Industrial Precinct

Strategy Committee

To provide advice and recommendations to Council on the

implementation of the Brooklyn Evolution Strategy in Brooklyn.

Jane Nathan Cr Kim Thien Truong

Council Advisory

Committees

Role of Committee

Administrator

Representative

July-November 2016

Councillor

Representative

December 2016-

June 2017

Chief Executive Officer

Performance Review

Committee

To provide guidance on the role of the CEO Performance and

purpose of the CEO performance Review.

John Watson Mayor, Cr John Hedditch,

Cr Georgina Papafotiou,

Cr Margaret Giudice

Errington Precinct Master Plan

Implementation (Phase One)

Community Reference Group

To provide for community input into the implementation of

Phase One of the Errington Precinct Master Plan.

John Tanner AM Cr Duyen Anh Pham

Former Keilor Library

Community Consultative

Committee

To provide a direct communication channel for gaining

valuable and meaningful input and feedback from community

representatives during the development of future use options

for the Keilor Library at Kennedy Street, Keilor.

N/A

Cr Daniel Allan

Cr Virginia Tachos

Cr Georgina Papafotiou

Heritage Advisory Committee To provide a forum for Council to work with the local

community, historical societies and Indigenous representatives

to promote the retention, protection and enhancement of

Brimbank’s heritage.

Jane Nathan Cr Bruce Lancashire

Keilor Interim Artefacts

Committee

To make recommendations to Council, consistent with the

Brimbank Art Collection Policy, specifically in relation to the

return of Keilor related items in the Civic and Ceremonial

Collection to the Keilor Community Hub.

N/A

Cr Daniel Allan

Municipal Emergency

Management Plan Committee

To ensure all agencies are involved in emergency planning for

the municipality.

John Watson Cr Georgina Papafotiou

Safety Roundtable

To bring together strategic safety partners to collaborate

and coordinate efforts to achieve greater community safety

outcomes in Brimbank.

N/A Cr Kim Thien Truong

Social Justice Coalition –

Strategic Implementation

Group

To bring together Council and a broad cross-section of

community agencies and groups in a collaborative, strategic

partnership to plan, lead and advocate on priority social justice

issues in Brimbank.

N/A

Cr John Hedditch

St Albans Community Centre

Consultative Committee

To provide advice and feedback regarding programs and

activities offered through the Centre.

N/A

Cr Victoria Borg

St Albans Connect Strategic

Partnership Group

To provide governance for the St Albans Connect Project, a

Council initiative to coordinate the social, community and

physical infrastructure in the St Albans area.

John Tanner AM

Jane Nathan

(substitute)

N/A – ceased

Sunshine Leisure Centre

Community Consultative

Committee

To provide a direct communication channel for providing input

and feedback from community representatives and industry

experts during the development of the Sunshine Leisure

Centre Business Case (based on the Sunshine Leisure Centre

Community Recommendations report).

N/A

Cr John Hedditch

Sunshine Town Centre

Partnership Group

To assist in the implementation of the Sunshine Rising

program, and to assist Council to realise the vision for Sunshine

Town Centre.

Jane Nathan

Cr Sam David JP

Waste Management Strategy

Development Steering

Committee

To provide input into the development of a new Brimbank

Waste Management Strategy.

N/A Cr Lancashire (Chair),

Cr Giudice,

Cr Tachos

68

I Dynamic Centre of the West

In 2016-2017, the representatives/delegates to External Committees were:

External Committees

(Council Delegates)

Role of Committee

Administrator

Representative

July-November

2016

Councillor

Representative

December 2016-

June 2017

Ballarat Rail-Line Action

Committee

To advocate for key improvements in access to public transport

for the broader region. Member Councils include Brimbank

City Council, Ararat Rural City Council, Ballarat City Council,

Moorabool Shire Council and Pyrenees Shire Council.

John Watson Cr Bruce Lancashire

Brooklyn Community

Representative Group

External group, independently facilitated with support from

the Environment Protection Authority, and Brimbank, Hobsons

Bay and Maribyrnong City Councils, to foster collaboration

between community, industry and government, to ensure

ongoing environmental management in the Brooklyn area.