Purpose
The purpose of the Councillor Portfolio System (
Portfolios
) is to complement and support Council’s briefing and
formal decision making structure by providing an opportunity for Councillors to become more engaged with, and
develop an in depth understanding of, the issues in relation to their specific Portfolios.
Objectives
The objectives of Portfolios are:
• To provide for better understanding, visibility of issues, efficacy and accountability on the implementation
of the Council Plan and its actions.
• To facilitate the active and regular engagement of Councillors in major planning, projects and services related
to the Portfolio.
• To act as a sounding board and provide guidance and a community perspective on key issues, as per the
Portfolio work plan.
• To assist Councillors to develop the fullest possible understanding of matters being put to the Council,
through the Portfolio Councillor taking the lead and briefing other Councillors on specialist areas.
• To enable Councillors to advocate and become ‘knowledge champions’ on Portfolio issues.
Portfolios can be an effective support to Council’s formal decision making process when underpinned by the
following principles:
• Support diversity
• Explore possibilities
• Bring a community view
Portfolio members will commit themselves to functioning in an environment that creates and extends opportunities for:
• Respectful and courteous communication
• Open communication without fear of retribution
• Timely decision making
The Portfolio Chair/Facilitator will seek to ensure two way consultation and communication between members of the
Portfolio, Council officers and other key stakeholders.
Extent of Authority of Portfolios and Portfolio Councillors
• Portfolio Councillors do not hold any specific statutory responsibilities related to their Portfolio.
• The Portfolio can make recommendations, through a Portfolio Report to a Council Meeting, for Council
consideration.
• Council has not delegated any decision making authority to Portfolios and neither a Councillor nor a
Portfolio has the power to commit Council to any decision or action.
• Each Portfolio is an advisory committee of Council, and is not a Delegated Committee established by
Council under 63 of the Local Government Act.
• A Portfolio or Portfolio Councillor cannot intentionally direct or seek to direct a member of Council staff.
Councillor Portfolios
Terms of Reference
February 2021
Councillor Portfolios Terms of Reference
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Membership
Each Portfolio will be comprised of:
• Councillor/s appointed to the Portfolio
• The Executive Officer, Governance and Engagement
• Relevant Director/s
• Leading Manager/s
• Relevant Council Officers
Optional Attendees
The below attendees may attend the meeting by invitation of the Chair/Facilitator:
• Additional Council officers
• Guests from consultative bodies or specialist organisations
• Representatives from any of Council’s advisory committees that are aligned with the Portfolio.
Councillors may attend the Portfolio meeting of another Councillor without invitation and must advise the appointed
Councillor and the Executive Officer, Governance and Engagement of their intention to attend the meeting.
All optional attendees (including Councillors who attend a Portfolio meeting of another Councillor) will attend on an
item by item and an ex-officio basis unless directed by the Chair/Facilitator that they may attend in a participatory
capacity (including the presentation of a report). Ex-officio attendance is attendance in a solely observational
capacity, and not as a participator.
Allocation of Portfolios
• Councillors are appointed to Portfolios for a period of 2 years (Portfolio term) with the exception of the
Resilient Brimbank Portfolio.
• The Resilient Brimbank Portfolio is automatically allocated to the Mayor each term.
• The outgoing Mayor takes on the Portfolio of the incoming Mayor until the expiry of the Portfolio Term (2
years).
Appointments are made on a biennial basis at the February Ordinary Council Meeting.
Roles
Role of the Portfolio Councillor
The Role of the Portfolio Councillor is to:
• Receive reports and provide comment on relevant Council policies, strategies and activities as they
relate to the Portfolio.
• Provide advice and input into Council's formulation and development of relevant policies and strategies
as they relate to the Portfolio, by advocating community views on issues related to the Portfolio.
• Consider current and emerging issues related to the Portfolio, and provide advice in relation to the
implementation of relevant objectives, themes and actions.
• Act as the ‘subject matter advocate’, Portfolio Champion and spokesperson, and champion issues at
Council Meetings and in the community.
• Brief and assist fellow Councillors to develop the fullest possible understanding of matters being put
to the Council, through the Portfolio Councillor leading discussion of relevant items and briefing other
Councillors on Portfolio issues.
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• Advocate on community views on issues relating to the Portfolio and provide recommendations on
ways to better inform and engage the community on issues related to the Portfolio.
• Chair the meeting if the Portfolio Councillor elects to chair the committee.
• Where appropriate and agreed by the Mayor, the Portfolio Councillor(s) will act as Council’s
spokesperson on a matter directly related to the Portfolio subject to:
– the requirement to ensure that the Councillor accurately represents the view of the whole of
Council rather than their personal view,
– current media policies and protocols, and
– the current Councillor Code of Conduct.
Role of the Executive Officer Governance and Engagement:
The Role of the Executive Officer, Governance and Engagement is to:
• Facilitate the Portfolio meeting unless the Portfolio Councillor requests to Chair the Portfolio meeting.
Only the Executive Officer Governance and Engagement, or their delegate, may chair Portfolio
meetings if the Portfolio Councillor chooses not to Chair the Portfolio Meeting.
• Oversee the actioning of items that require follow up from Portfolio meetings.
• Oversee the preparation of briefing material, draft reports, letters and other documents required for
the effective operation of the Portfolios, including quarterly Portfolio reports to Council Meetings.
• Act as Portfolio secretariat and co-ordinate administrative support.
• Provide a Record of Assembly report to Council’s Governance Department within five business days of
a Portfolio meeting.
• Provide a copy of all presentations to Portfolio meetings to the Portfolio Councillor, and make all
presentations available to all Councillors through the Councillor Portal.
Role of Relevant Director/s
The Role of the relevant Director is to:
• Act as Portfolio Sponsor for the relevant Portfolio.
• Consider any requests for the formation of advisory groups by the Portfolio Councillor and provide an
Officer report to Council to convene the advisory group for a defined purpose and period, for Council’s
consideration.
• Ensure that resources are allocated to facilitate content delivery to the relevant Portfolio.
• Ensure that Leading Managers/Relevant Council Officers present topics and engage as requested by
the Executive Officer, Governance and Engagement subject to operational requirements.
• Receive feedback from the Portfolio Councillor on issues presented at Portfolio.
• Act on items as noted by the Portfolio Councillor or Executive Officer, Governance and Engagement,
provided these do not contain directions contrary to applicable law, policy, and these terms of
reference.
• Ensure that any internal Committees that are aligned with the Portfolio submit meeting minutes to
the Executive Officer, Governance and Engagement for inclusion in the next Portfolio agenda.
Role of Leading Manager/s and Council Officers
The Role of the relevant Manager and Council Officer is to:
• Attend Portfolio meetings as invited by the Executive Officer, Governance and Engagement and
agreed by the relevant Director.
• Present issues, strategic community feedback, requested by the Executive Officer, Governance and
Engagement and agreed by the relevant Director.
• Ensure that all presentations have received prior approval from the relevant Director.
• Ensure that relevant policies and strategies, details of implementation of Council Plan Action Plan and
community feedback are provided to Portfolio’s as requested by the Relevant Director.
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Meeting Procedure
• The Portfolio Councillor must be in attendance at each Portfolio meeting for quorum.
• Portfolio members must advise the Executive Officer Governance and Engagement, if they are unable to
attend a Portfolio meeting.
• A calendar of meetings will be advised by the secretariat at the commencement of the Portfolio calendar
year, subject to change.
• Portfolio meetings will be of maximum two-hour duration.
• The Executive Officer, Governance and Engagement, will coordinate the agenda for each Portfolio meeting
in consultation with the Portfolio Councillor and Relevant Director and distribute at least one week prior to
the meeting.
Reporting
The Executive Officer, Governance and Engagement, in consultation with the Portfolio Councillor(s) will prepare a
quarterly Portfolio report for presentation to a Council Meeting.
The Portfolio will receive minutes of all aligned internal advisory Committees of Council as directed by the Chief
Executive Officer/Director Advocacy, Partnerships and Community. These minutes are included in the quarterly
Portfolio report to Council.
Reimbursement
Council must reimburse a Councillor for bona fide out-of-pocket expenses that have been reasonably incurred in
the performance of the role of Councillor, and that that are reasonably necessary for the Councillor to perform the
role. Councillors should consult the current Councillor expenses policy in regards to claiming expenses reasonably
undertaken in performance of their duties.
Conflict of Interest
All members must disclose any potential or perceived conflict of interest to the facilitator of the Portfolio meeting
as matters arise and not participate in the item at the Portfolio meeting or consideration and discussion at a Council
Meeting.
Confidentiality
All members of the Portfolio are required to comply with their relevant obligations in relation to keeping information
confidential. Members are required to refrain from discussing matters which are Confidential Information under
section 3(1) of the Local Government Act 2020. Members must not reveal confidential information in discussions with
external presenters or community representatives as part of the Portfolio meeting.
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