Brimbank

Annual Report

2020-2021

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2020-2021 I

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Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2020-2021

Snapshot of Council

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Highlights of the year

10

Opportunities and challenges

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Brimbank COVID-19 relief and recovery snapshot

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The year in review

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Message from the Mayor

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Chief Executive Officer’s message

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Financial summary

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Description of operations

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Major changes

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Our Council

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About the Councillors

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Executive Management Team at 30 June 2021

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Organisation structure at 30 June 2021

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Workforce profile

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Other staff matters

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Planning and Accountability Framework

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Council Plan Goals and Strategic Objectives

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Governance and Management

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Governance and Management Checklist

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Statutory information

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Infrastructure and development contributions

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2020 Community Satisfaction Survey

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Advocacy, consultation and community engagement

77

Volunteering in Brimbank

79

Awards

80

Description of municipality

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Sustainable Capacity Indicators for the year ended 30 June 2021 84

Service Performance Indicators for the year ended 30 June 2021 85

Financial Performance Indicators for the year ended 30 June 2021 88

Retired Indicators for the year ended 30 June 2021

90

Certification of the Performance Statement

91

Independent Auditor’s Report

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Contents

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A Plain English Guide to the Annual Financial Report

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Certification of the Financial Statements

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Independent Auditor’s Report

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Financial Statements

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Acronyms

153

Index

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This page to be updated to 2019-2020

This page to be updated to 2019-2020

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2020-2021 I

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Here you’ll find our major highlights and achievements of the year, messages from our Mayor and CEO,

future initiatives we plan to roll out in 2021-2022, our recovery from COVID-19, and opportunities and

challenges now and into the future.

02

General information about Brimbank, our workforce, Executive Management Team, Councillors,

organisational structure, learning and development, and occupational health and safety.

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Details on how we are delivering our vision for Brimbank through meeting our Council Plan 2017-

2021 goals and key strategic objectives: an inclusive community, a liveable community, a prosperous

community, and an innovative and prosperous ‘community-first’ council.

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Information about governance, including council meetings, local laws, committees and audits as part

of our commitment to providing good governance and ensuring that all of our operations are open,

transparent and accountable.

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Includes our Performance Statements and the Victorian Auditor General’s (VAGO) Report on our

performance.

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Detailed account of our Financial Statement for the 2020-2021 financial year.

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Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2020-2021

Brimbank City Council is proud to present this

2020-2021 annual report to our community,

ratepayers, residents and stakeholders.

This annual report provides a comprehensive

summary of our operations and performance for

the 2020-2021 financial year.

It is set out in six different sections to help you

navigate information on how we are tracking in

meeting the goals and objectives laid out in our

key strategic document, the Council Plan 2017-

2021, as well as important details on finances,

governance and our organisation.

All Victorian councils are required to prepare

an annual report in accordance with the

, and submit it to the

Minister for Local Government.

The Brimbank City Council Annual Report

2020-2021 aims to fulfil Council’s statutory

responsibilities under the

and the

.

This report has also been prepared in

accordance with the L

, and

the Council Plan 2017-2021.

Our annual report is not just about meeting

our legislative obligations. It can also serve as

an important accountability measure for the

Brimbank community on our achievements

and highlights over the past 12 months, as well

as a space to celebrate our organisation and

community.

You will also find key information on how we

plan to continue serving our community in

2021-2022.

To obtain a copy of this document, please

contact Council’s Customer Service Centre

on

or view a copy online at

brimbank.vic.gov.au

If you have any feedback on this report, or

suggestions on what you would like to see

included in future annual reports, please

contact Council’s Customer Service Centre on

or email

info@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2020-2021 I

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Council is transparent and

accountable in reporting

to the community. The

Report of Operations

2020-2021 explains in

detail Council’s operations

and performance during

the financial year.

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 208,247

in 2020 makes it the fifth most populous

municipality in Greater Melbourne.

Where we come 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.

Brimbank City Council respectfully acknowledges

the Traditional Custodians of this land, the

Wurundjeri People, and pays our respect to Elders

past, present and emerging.

Council also recognises the diversity of

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

who contribute to our Brimbank Community. We

pay our respect to the wisdom of Elders, past,

present and emerging.

Brimbank lies within the area occupied by the

Kurung-Jang-Balluk and Marin-Balluk clans of

the Wurundjeri People (also known as the Woi

wurrung language group), who form part of the

larger Kulin Nation. Other groups who occupied

the land in the area include Yalukit-Willam and

Marpeang-Bulluk.

We also recognise the Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander community’s continuing

spiritual connection to the land and renew our

commitment to respect their beliefs, values and

customs, as we learn to share our lives and build a

future together.

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.

After the Second World War, many suburbs were

developed around the original settlements 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 west and 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.

A total of 440 registered Aboriginal

archaeological sites exist within the area with

the oldest artefacts found to be over 30,000

years old.

Our strategic position at the heart of

Melbourne’s west has been cemented with

major infrastructure commitments from the

Victorian and Commonwealth Governments that

continue to transform the region.

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 designated metropolitan activity

centre, Sunshine’s profile is rising due to its

proximity to the city and its mouth-watering

food scene. It includes a Victoria University

campus, the Brimbank Community and Civic

Centre and significant retail and commercial

activities. It is also close to the growing

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 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: A significant major activity centre

that will continue to grow and develop.

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,

Keilor North, Keilor Park and Keilor Downs, as

well as parts of Keilor East and Tullamarine.

Our people

Brimbank has a rich Aboriginal history. The

Wurundjeri People have been the custodians of

the land in the Port Phillip Bay region, including

parts of our current City of Brimbank, for more

than 40,000 years before European settlement.

Brimbank is one of the most culturally diverse

municipalities in Australia, with almost half of

our residents born outside 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.

Employment and industry

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, VicRoads

and Vistaprint have also chosen to settle

in Brimbank.

Reconciliation in Brimbank

Council acknowledges the Wurundjeri People

as the Traditional Custodians of the land and

recognises their continuing spiritual connection to

the land, and renews its commitment to respect

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander beliefs, values

and customs.

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Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2020-2021

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Brimbank City Council

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About 440 Registered Aboriginal Places exist in

the Brimbank Local Government Area. The oldest

artefacts found in the city are more than 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.

On 17 April 2012, Council endorsed a Reconciliation

Statement of Commitment which was officially

signed on 29 May 2012. The Statement committed

Council 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 its first

Reconciliation Action Plan 2013-2017, as a

framework to support the national reconciliation

movement, embrace unity and show respect

between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

people and other Australians. The second

Reconciliation Action Plan 2019-2021 was

adopted in July 2019. It builds on the strengths

and achievements of the first Reconciliation

Action Plan.

In September 2016, a Memorandum of

Understanding (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 of our Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander community.

Council has established a Brimbank Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander Consultative Committee to

provide Council with input relating to Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander issues and advice on

development and ongoing implementation of

Council’s Reconciliation Action Plan.

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 Council hosts a broad range of

activities during National Reconciliation and

NAIDOC Weeks, such as Aboriginal cultural

heritage tours, Sorry Day events, Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander art exhibitions, library

story-telling sessions and NAIDOC flag raisings.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Council has had to

change the way such events were delivered over

the past year.

Council continues to enhance its public spaces

with a diversity of contemporary art forms

which encourages reflection on unique heritage

such as Aboriginal history, culture and the

peoples, our neigbourhoods and aspirations for

our communities.

Brimbank at a glance

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Area

123 square kilometres

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Population count

208,247

(estimated resident population, June 2020)

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Males

50.0%

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Females

50.0%

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Residents aged under 18 years 22.1%

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Residents aged between

18 to 59 years

58.9%

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Residents aged 60 years and over 19.0%

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Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander population 816 (0.4%)

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Residents who speak a

non-English language at home 58.3%

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Median house price for 2020 $630,000

Vision, principles, goals, strategic

objectives and values

Brimbank’s Council Plan 2017-2021 sets out

Council’s vision, principles, goals and strategic

objectives as follows:

Vision

Brimbank – vibrant, harmonious and welcoming,

a great place to live, work and grow.

Principles

The following principles underpin the core of

Council’s work and frame the decisions made

now and into the future.

Building community resilience to survive,

adapt and grow during the fast-paced

challenges of the 21st century will be

essential to help communities prepare for

change and whatever the future holds.

Council will draw on the strengths of our

diverse communities and geographies, to

pursue our shared interests, embrace our

differences and be stronger together.

Serving the Brimbank community is why we

exist. Every decision we make and every dollar

we spend is with the aim of continually improving

the lives of the people who live in our city. In

our decision-making and the delivery of Council

business we will place our community first.

Council is committed to access, equity,

community participation and human rights for

all citizens. By working in partnerships with local

groups, community agencies and government

departments, Council aims to build upon our

existing community assets, strengths and

capabilities to achieve social change, fairness

and better outcomes for disadvantaged groups.

Council seeks to build a legacy of enabling

an engaged and resilient community that

supports a sustainable environment, containing

rich social, economic and environmental

characteristics. ‘Sustainability’ means

our actions meet current needs without

compromising the prospects of future

generations. In achieving this, Council will

incorporate environmental considerations

alongside social and economic values in our

decision-making processes and support our

community to become sustainability stewards.

Goals and strategic objectives

• Goal: An inclusive community

- Our community members are safe,

healthy and well

- People have opportunities to

participate in community life

- Services and facilities are fit-for

purpose and well-run

- Our community belongs and is proud of

where they live

• Goal: A liveable community

- Public and open spaces are safe, clean

and well-maintained

- People can get around easily on foot, by

bike, car or public transport

- Our community lives sustainably

- The natural environment supports

thriving biodiversity that is protected

and well-connected

- The urban environment

supports a growing population in

designated areas while respecting

neighbourhood character and

heritage where appropriate

• Goal: A prosperous community

- People are able to access quality

education and lifelong learning

opportunities

- People are able to find and maintain

jobs that provide income security

- The local economy is strong and

provides opportunities for the

community to thrive

- Housing is of good quality, well-located

and affordable

- Brimbank is a leading destination

for business, working, learning,

recreation and living

• Goal: An innovative and responsive

‘community first’ Council

- Council is fair, honest and transparent

- Council advocates and works in the

interests of our community

- Council manages our assets and

finances sustainably and responsibly

- Council staff are high performing and

community-focused

Values

At Brimbank all our roles impact and support the

diverse needs of our community. Our values and

behaviours demonstrate what is important to us:

We act with

I take pride in my work and commit to serving

our community.

I am honest, transparent and accountable in

all that I do.

We find

I strive to achieve the best outcomes for our

Community.

I am open and curious about new ideas and

ways of working.

We are

I value diversity, fairness and equity.

I demonstrate empathy and compassion.

We work

I support and encourage others.

I find opportunities to connect with others

and celebrate wins.

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Brimbank City Council

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Our Goal:

An Inclusive Community

Strategic objectives:

• Our community members are safe,

healthy and well

• People have opportunities to

participate in community life

• Services and facilities are fit-for

purpose and well-run

• Our community belongs and are

proud of where they live

Our Goal:

A Liveable Community

Strategic objectives:

• Public and open spaces are safe,

clean and well-maintained

• People can get around easily

on foot, by bike, car or by

public transport

• Our community lives sustainably

• The natural environment supports

thriving biodiversity that is

protected and well-connected

• The urban environment

supports a growing population in

designated areas while respecting

neighbourhood character and

heritage where appropriate

• Implementing the performance requirements

of the Brimbank Environmentally Sustainable

Design Framework on new Council facilities

and refurbishments.

• Continuing works to improve pedestrian and

vehicular access through the various road

and footpath programs in Council’s Capital

Works Program.

• Continuing to advocate to the State

Government for improved active and public

transport in line with the Brimbank Transport

Priorities Paper.

• Completing Council’s Road Rehabilitation and

Surfacing Programs as part of Council’s 2020-

2021 Capital Works Budget.

• Updating Council’s Road Management Plan.

• Adopting the Sunshine Priority Precinct 2050

Vision document which sets the strategic

direction for the Transforming Brimbank agenda

and will guide all future strategic work within

the precinct.

Future Initiatives

• Review and refresh the Brimbank Transport

Priorities Paper to reflect current Council,

State and Federal commitments, and outline

Council’s key transport priorities.

• Work in partnership to research and design

options that use plastic and glass waste for

construction of roads.

• Develop a master plan for Alfrieda Street,

St Albans as a key destination for gathering,

shopping and socialising in a vibrant space.

• Continue implementation of the Sydenham

Park Master Plan 2020, including presenting

to Council the outcomes of feasibility studies

and preliminary investigations undertaken in

2020-2021 and an updated Sydenham Park

Master Plan for Council’s consideration.

• Continue to conduct street tree planting

programs to increase Brimbank’s tree canopy

coverage as per the Urban Forest Strategy

(2016-2046).

• Finalise building works and commission the

new Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre.

• Continue to review and update Council

on State Government advice on the

implementation of Recycling Victoria - A

New Economy Policy and in particular the

Household Recycling Program (4-Bin System).

• Investigate opportunities for community

renewable energy projects such as ‘solar

gardens’ on Council owned sites such

as former landfills, and collaborate with

the Victorian Government to promote

community energy.

• Through the Creating Better Streets Program,

investigate opportunities to redesign key

streets to be walking and cycling friendly

corridors that include high levels of shade

trees, vegetation and water sensitive design

infrastructure such as raingardens.

• Develop and implement compliance initiatives

to respond to reported illegal waste dumping.

Key achievements

• Implementing the Graffiti Prevention and

Management Program to enhance the

appearance, character and experience of

Brimbank public spaces through preventing and

managing the presence of unauthorised graffiti.

• Completing lighting upgrades in the Sunshine

Town Centre (including installation of a

projection on the Brimbank Community and

Civic Centre rear wall and feature lighting in

Hampshire Road).

• Implementing the Creating Better Parks – Open

Space and Playground Policy and Plan, resulting

in all new and upgraded parks funded through

the 2020-2021 Capital Works Program being

complete.

• Completing Stage Three of the Hampshire Road

Masterplan to create a green active hub.

• Continuing to implement the Brimbank Public

Toilet Strategy (2018-2030) with upgrades at

Delahey Recreation Reserve.

• Continuing implementation of the Sydenham

Park Master Plan 2020.

• Progressing strategic network improvements

via the implementation of Year Four Actions

in the Brimbank Cycling and Walking Strategy

including the new shared user path from Davitt

Drive to Robinson Road, Deer Park.

• Continuing works on the Upper Stony Creek

Project, managed by Melbourne Water, which

are 90 per cent complete and the walking paths

are now open to the public.

• Delivering street tree planting programs to

increase Brimbank’s tree canopy coverage as

per the Urban Forest Strategy (2016-2046).

• Continuing to deliver the ‘Light Up’ program in

the Sunshine and St Albans Activity Centres

through a range of initiatives including lighting

projections, decorative and artistic lighting and

evening activation.

• Implementing the Year Two Actions of the

Brimbank Car Parking Strategy.

• Finalising the draft Aboriginal Cultural

Heritage guidelines for internal and

external stakeholders.

• Finalising the draft Planning Policy Framework,

incorporating the new Municipal Planning

Strategy and revised Clauses.

• Implementing Year Two Actions of the

Brimbank Activity Centre Strategy including

delivery of the Local Centre Activation Program.

• Supporting households to manage their food

and garden waste through the Brimbank Home

Composting Program.

• Deploying cameras in hot spot areas to respond

to reported illegal waste dumping.

• Executing actions in the Revised Sustainable

Water Management Strategy including the

Balmoral Stormwater Harvesting Scheme which

has reached practical completion.

• Continuing to administer the Sustainable Land

Management Grant Scheme.

• Facilitating the Brimbank Youth Council to

provide opportunities for young people to

represent their peers on topics of importance,

allowing Council to better understand the

lived experience of young people.

• Applying the Brimbank Coronavirus COVID-19

Safe Plan and Service Rollback Plans to

ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of

residents and staff.

• Supporting belonging and learning through

a wide range of virtual and face to face

programs at neighbourhood houses and

community centres.

• Delivering a diverse range of activities and

performances at Bowery Theatre.

• Installing murals across Brimbank including at

Glengala Hall and the Multi-Deck Car Park in

Sunshine, at the Hunt Club in Deer Park and

a mural of two local Indigenous Elders at the

Tin Shed in St Albans.

Future Initiatives

• Create opportunities to support newly

engaged communities to engage in physical

activity via the In2Sport program.

• Complete Female Sports Facilities Upgrades

that aim to increase equity, access and

opportunities for existing and emerging

female participants and officials in sport and

active recreation.

• Facilitate the Brimbank Youth Council to

provide opportunities for young people to

represent their peers on topics of importance,

allowing Council to better understand the

lived experience of young people.

• Facilitate the delivery of Mental Health First

Aid programs to increase the capacity of

people to recognise and support peers who

may be developing a mental health problem.

• Support the development of youth friendly

spaces that support an increase in the

delivery of services for young people.

• Continue to facilitate the Brimbank Collective

Action Committee to lead and initiate Impact

Brimbank aiming to close health and social

outcomes gaps for the Brimbank community

over a ten year period.

• Partner with the health and community

sector to champion actions to address the

health impacts of climate change such as

heatwaves, and promote co-benefits such as

reduced energy bills

• Map and analyse gaps in Council’s responses

to loneliness and isolation as an escalating

mental health challenge.

• Prepare a report detailing analysis of the

mental health service provision and needs

for Brimbank residents and local strategies

to improve community mental health and

wellbeing.

Key Achievements

• Implementing a range of actions from

multiple plans and strategies that aim

to continue to enhance health and

wellbeing outcomes of the Brimbank

community, including:

- Brimbank Physical Activity Strategy –

Year Three actions

- Brimbank Children’s Strategy – Year One

actions

- Brimbank Age Friendly City Plan –

Year Three actions

- Brimbank Youth Strategy – Year One

actions

- Brimbank Disability Action Plan –

Year Four actions

- Brimbank Volunteer Strategy – Year Three

actions

- Brimbank Fairness, Equality and Respect

Strategy – Year Two actions

- Brimbank Electronic Gambling Policy –

Year Two actions

- Brimbank Settlement Action Plan – Year

Three actions

- Reconciliation Action Plan – Year Two

actions

- Brimbank Cultural Strategy 2018-2022 –

Year Three actions

- Brimbank Response and Recovery

Strategy – Stages 1 and 2

- Brimbank Social Justice Charter

• Completing upgrades to sports facilities

(including pavilions, lighting, change rooms

and sports surfaces) as determined by the

Sports Facility Development Plan 2018.

• Planning and delivery of needs-based

activities and programs that aim to support

female participation as per the Women’s

Participation in Sport and Recreation in

Melbourne’s West Project Action Plan.

• Implementing a range of facility upgrades

identified in the Community Services and

Infrastructure Plan.

• Continuing to support the community during

COVID-19 via the Community Register, staffed

by volunteers.

• Facilitating the delivery of Youth Mental

Health First Aid programs to increase the

capacity of stakeholders to recognise and

support young people who may be developing

a mental health problem.

• Developing the Safe and Inclusive Brimbank

2020-2024 strategy.

• Implementing recommendations arising from

the local homelessness research project.

• Introducing Community Impact Analysis

reports that detail the impact of COVID-19

on individuals, families and communities in

Brimbank to inform Council’s community and

service provider connections, response, social

policy and advocacy.

• Continuing building works that transition St

Albans Leisure Centre into a state-of-the-art

health and wellness centre.

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Our Goal:

A Prosperous Community

Strategic objectives:

• People are able to access quality

education and lifelong learning

opportunities

• People are able to find and maintain

jobs that provide income security

• The local economy is strong and

provides opportunities for the

community to thrive

• Housing is of good quality, well

located and affordable

• Brimbank is a leading destination

for business, working, learning,

recreation and living

Key Achievements

• Delivering Year Three of the Public Art

Strategy 2018-2023.

• Providing meaningful work experiences that

increase employment opportunities for young

people experiencing barriers to employment

as per the Year Three Actions of the Youth

Jobs Strategy (2018-2023)

• Working to transform Council’s

Neighbourhood Houses and Community

Centres into sites of belonging and learning

for people from all backgrounds and life

stages through the development of the

Neighbourhood House Strategy (2019-2024).

• Implementing Year One of the Brimbank

Library Strategy (2020-2025) and the

Strategic Framework for Library Collections

(2020-2025) collections, programs,

community engagement and online services.

• Successfully delivering the 2021 Brimbank

Writers & Readers Festival.

• Adding a new streaming platform of

eResources, giving the community access to

new collections of digital TV shows, movies,

eComics and eMusic, as well as greater access

to eBooks and eAudiobooks.

• Launching a new wellbeing kit collection

at Brimbank libraries, offering the

community access to resources designed

to support a variety of activities for

people living with cognitive impairments,

visual and dexterity challenges.

• Implementing a large variety of support

for young people and adults to gain

employment skills.

• Delivering the Learning for Earning

Festival which focused on learning

employment, skills.

• Promoting reading, literacy and

positive social connections through

the Little Libraries Community Book

Exchange with three structures located

throughout the municipality.

• Securing a $660,000 grant from the

Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions

to employ Jobs Victoria Advocates (JAs). The

JAs will help people who have lost their jobs

due to the effects of the pandemic and the

long-term unemployed to access employment

services, training opportunities and other

support.

• Implementing the Year Two Actions in

the Brimbank Heritage Strategy including

ongoing digital promotion of heritage

destinations.

• Continuing implementation of the

Brimbank Economic Development Strategy

Implementation Plan.

• Delivering the Brimbank Activation Program

‘Enjoy Local’ across Brimbank Local Activity

Centres.

• Implementing business support activities

identified in the Brimbank COVID-19

Response and Recovery Strategy including

ongoing administration of the COVID-19

Business Recovery Grants Program and the

business activation program.

• Implementing Year Two Actions identified in

the Go St Albans Action Plan 2019 including

communications and engagement, marketing

and business development, streetscape

improvements and promotion of investment

opportunities.

• Delivering a range of initiatives from the

Experience Brimbank Visitor Strategy

including the promotion of the Brimbank

Think. Shop. Buy Local campaign.

• Continuing to support and promote the

operation of iHarvest Co-working Sunshine to

provide a vibrant and affordable co-working

location for start-ups, entrepreneurs,

freelancers and business.

• Coordinating implementation of Year Three

initiatives within the Experience Brimbank

Visitor Strategy.

• Implementing life stage priority actions

identified in the Brimbank Lifelong Learning

Strategy (2018-2023) that focus on cross

sector collaboration aiming to improve

learning outcomes for children and adults

• Reviewing and developing strategic plans

and planning policies to facilitate appropriate

development in line with the Transforming

Brimbank 2020 Agenda, and the Brimbank

Response Strategy to the Western Rail

Plan including Melbourne Airport Rail and

Sunshine Super Hub.

Future Initiatives

• Prioritise digital inclusion strategies for

vulnerable groups through targeted

engagement and training programs to

improve skills and enhance wellbeing.

• Implement and evaluate the Victorian Job

Advocates program to support young people

and others facing barriers to gain access to

training and employment opportunities.

• Develop and commence implementation of

the Local Jobs for Local People Program.

• Support and promote procurement of

localised products and services via Brimbank

Localised, a business-to-business platform.

• In collaboration with partners deliver

programs and services at Brimbank Learning

Futures that support re-engagement with

education, training and employment.

Our Goal:

An Innovative and Responsive

‘Community First’ Council

Strategic objectives:

• Council is fair, honest and

transparent

• Council advocates and works in the

interests of our community

• Council manages its assets

and finances sustainably and

responsibly

• Council staff are high-performing

and community-focused

Key Achievements

• Continuing to implement the Councillor

Portfolio Program.

• Reviewing and implementing the Annual

Budget and Long Term Financial Plan in

accordance with legislative requirements.

• Implementing the Year Two Actions from the

Brimbank Innovation Framework Action Plan,

to deliver on the needs of the community

now and into the future.

• Developing and executing an implementation

plan for

amendments.

• Continuing to implement the Council General

Election 2020 Plan and induction program.

• Establishing systems and procedures

to enable Councillors to participate in

Council Meetings by electronic means

of communication (as permitted by the

during the COVID-19 pandemic,

including by providing all requisite training

and technological resources and support.

• Providing the community with increased

awareness and assistance in using both

online services including ‘Live Chat’ and self

service options to access information.

• Implementing ongoing marketing activities

through the ‘We are Brimbank’ brand to

promote People, Pride and Places in Brimbank.

• Continuing to implement a range of advocacy

initiatives identified and prioritised within the

Brimbank Advocacy Plan and Framework.

• Continuing to work in partnership with a

range of stakeholders to implement the

Brimbank Response and Recovery Strategy.

• Reporting on outcomes of annual Local

Government Community Satisfaction Survey.

• Implementing the Communication Strategy

to promote and position Council’s services,

assets and community through the

production of collateral in easy English

and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse

languages.

• Implementing the year two actions in the

Brimbank People Strategy that aim to

attract, recruit and retain highly skilled and

experienced people to work for Council.

• Developing and implementing the Community

Engagement Policy that guides best practice

and effective community engagement

.

Future Initiatives

• Implement Emergency Management Planning

Reform at municipal level.

• Implement Brimbank’s Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Response and Recovery Strategy – Stage 2.

• Continue to execute the Implementation Plan

for

amendments.

• Implement various service channels that

enable residents to seek service information,

register and track requests, update

information and make payments at a time

that suits them.

• Implement a range of advocacy initiatives

identified and priorities within the Brimbank

Advocacy Plan and Framework that help

improve community outcomes with respect to

Brimbank’s People, Places, and Prosperity.

• Deliver the We are Brimbank Awards and use

Council communication channels to celebrate

and recognise the people and places in

Brimbank that enhance community pride.

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Opportunities and challenges

Our population is evolving

The population of Melbourne’s Western

Metropolitan Region is rapidly growing, with

Brimbank positioned to be at the very heart

of its future expansion. While the Western

Metropolitan Region currently has a population

of approximately 964,000, by 2051 this is

projected to rise to 1.75 million, much of which

will occur in the growth areas directly to the

west and north of Brimbank.

The challenges of shifting demographics,

government policy and service model reforms,

and ensuring social equity and access

in a constrained fiscal environment, are

transforming the way in which services and

infrastructure are funded and delivered.

Social justice

Brimbank’s social, economic and cultural

diversity means we need to understand the

needs of different cultures and lifestyles. Council

will continue to work towards addressing

complex issues that arise from systemic

disadvantage. We have formed many multi

agency partnerships to support our work.

Cultural diversity

Brimbank prides itself on its cultural diversity,

embracing more than 160 nationalities

from around the globe. Brimbank has a rich

Indigenous history, going back to when the

Wurundjeri People first inhabited the region,

thriving in the Maribyrnong Valley.

As one of Melbourne’s most culturally diverse

communities, Brimbank has a wide range of

cultural traditions and arts practice including

dance, music and visual art. Diversity is central

to our identity – we are proudly multicultural,

embracing people from around the world and

weaving their stories into our own.

Our spaces are transforming

The $10 billion commitment towards

constructing the Melbourne Airport Rail

Project via Sunshine provides a transformative

opportunity to unlock the limitless potential of

Melbourne’s West.

Brimbank City Council is excited about the new

job, education, health and fairness opportunities

associated with the development of the

Sunshine Priority Precinct, the Sunshine Super

Hub and major transport projects associated

with the Melbourne Airport Rail Project,

Western Rail Plan and Suburban Rail Loop. This

once-in-a-generation investment provides the

opportunity to address key social challenges by

delivering fair outcomes for locals.

Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre

The Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre will

be a vibrant, welcoming multi-generational

facility, designed to become the active health

hub for not only Brimbank, but the entire

western metropolitan region.

The Centre demonstrates an innovative

approach, aimed at tackling the complex issues

of improving the health and wellbeing of the

Brimbank community. An Australian first, the

Centre will integrate aquatic/ leisure services

with social/ health support services with an

outcomes focus.

Climate change

Climate change is an immediate, real, all

encompassing threat, and an appropriate

science-based, coordinated, public policy

response is the only responsible course of

action.

Council’s declaration of a climate emergency is a

bold but necessary action that sees ‘socially just’

climate action as a necessity, to be undertaken

at scale and speed.

In Brimbank, health, equity, energy,

infrastructure, the natural environment and the

material economy are the core areas that will be

affected by climate change.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact

on the Brimbank community, compounding

existing issues of high levels of disadvantage

and vulnerability. Some people, who managed

in the short term, now confront a much longer

period without work, with reduced income,

reliance on income support, or no income at all.

For many, changing restrictions and uncertain

timelines have added to the pressures of

running a business, working from home, home

schooling and/or caring for vulnerable family

members and small children.

While restrictions protect health, the sustained

closure of business, services and networks

reinforced social isolation and, for some, reduced

access to basic material needs, including care,

support and connection to the community.

The safety, health, wellbeing and economic

welfare of our residents and staff remains

Council’s top priority. Brimbank’s COVID-19

Response and Recovery Strategy – Stage 2

outlines the important role Council plays to

assist our local businesses and residents during

the pandemic and as we recover and rebuild.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

has resulted in the most significant global

public health and economic challenge we

have faced in over a century. It has fast

become the most serious and pressing

public health, social and economic issue

facing our local community.

On 11 March 2020, the World Health

Organisation declared COVID-19 as a global

pandemic, with the Victorian Government

declaring a State of Emergency on the 14

March 2020.

Brimbank City Council adopted the

Brimbank Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Response and Recovery Strategy in April

2020 in response to these unprecedented

developments. This whole-of-council

approach helped combat the spread of

COVID-19 across Brimbank and the broader

community.

The implementation of this strategy

focused on the following pillars:

1. Health and Wellbeing Response

2. Community Support Response

(Financial Hardship and Resources)

3. Economic Development Response

4. Economic Stimulus Response

We have seen substantial health, economic and

social impacts in our municipality, as well as

innovation, adaptation and collaboration. Strict

and changing restrictions aimed at alleviating

the spread of COVID-19 have disrupted

Brimbank businesses and communities but also

highlighted the resilience and strength within

our diverse municipality.

In response to the prolonged and major impact

of COVID-19 on the Brimbank community, a

Response and Recovery Strategy – Stage 2 was

adopted by Council in April 2021.

This Stage 2 strategy was developed using

multiple methods of engagement with

residents, partner organisations, the State

Government and the business sector, seeking

advice to assist Council in understanding

community and business recovery needs.

The Brimbank Response and Recovery Strategy

– Stage 2 outlines how Council can assist our

local businesses, residents and visitors to

overcome obstacles and build on strengths as

we continue to recover, rebuild and adjust to a

‘COVID normal’ through:

1. Prioritising health and wellbeing

2. Building economic resilience

3. Supporting community resilience and equity

4. Activating public space

5. Monitoring, measuring and reviewing both

the COVID-19 situation and impact on

community

This whole-of-council Strategy is designed to

ensure that Council resources, programs and

initiatives continue to assist in responding to

the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It works

to mobilise the pride, diversity and support that

exist in Brimbank to strengthen community

recovery.

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Annual Report 2020-2021 I

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I am proud of the work Council has

done over the last year to support

our community through the ongoing

pandemic, to advocate for its needs

and help build a brighter future for

Brimbank.

As a newly elected Councillor and Mayor, I am

deeply committed to working to make Brimbank

a better place for all and this commitment is

shared by my fellow Councillors.

And that is exactly what we have done!

Together, over the last 12 months we have seen

significant investment, stronger advocacy and

outcomes delivered for Brimbank more than

ever before.

The new Council that took office in November

2020 includes seven first-time Councillors and

this brought a fresh perspective and renewed

zeal for Council’s efforts to get the best

outcomes for our community.

Council’s focus has been on:

• Supporting our community through the

pandemic and advocating for government

help to support the COVID-19 recovery our

community needed in a pandemic-impacted

environment

• Advocating to get the best outcomes for our

City from the big infrastructure projects being

planned by the State and Federal Governments,

and

• Planning for the future needs of our community

and how to unlock investment, economic,

health and jobs potential across Brimbank

COVID-19 response and recovery

Supporting our community through the

prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has been a

massive focus for Council.

As part of this, Council secured almost $120

million in state and federal investment towards a

range of projects and initiatives that will provide

a pathway for economic and social recovery from

the impacts of COVID-19.

Council’s COVID-19 response and recovery work

was guided by two key plans:

• A new 19 Point Action Plan for COVID-19

Recovery and Response, adopted in August

2020, which provides government and

non-government entities with a clear

pathway to partner with Council to help

address the health, wellbeing and economic

consequences of the ongoing pandemic.

• The Stage 2 Brimbank Response and

Recovery Strategy, adopted in March 2021,

which outlines how Council can assist

local businesses, residents and visitors to

overcome obstacles and build on strengths as

we continue to recover, rebuild and adjust to a

COVID normal.

Planning and advocating

Key highlights include adopting the bold and

ambitious

Sunshine Priority Precinct Vision

2050

in April 2021, to transform the working

class area into a 21st century city through

leveraging the Melbourne Airport Rail and other

mega infrastructure investment.

This landmark document for our Council and

our community outlines a plan to help unlock

up to $8 billion of investment and development

potential and create between 20,000 and

50,000 new jobs across the precinct over the

next 30 years.

The Vision was developed after extensive

engagement with our community and key

stakeholders, and gained wide-ranging support.

Council also advocated strongly for the best

outcomes for Brimbank from the

Melbourne

Airport Rail

project, as this can be an absolute

game changer for Brimbank.

Council urged the State Government to re-affirm

its commitment to transform Sunshine Station

into a Super Hub, and reconsider plans for a

flyover through Albion as part of Melbourne

Airport Rail.

As Mayor, I also led a strong campaign calling for

the State and Federal Governments to

‘Fix the

Calder’

and had some huge wins.

This included securing $100 million from the

State and Federal Governments to fix the Calder

and getting state government commitment to

removing the

Calder Park Drive level crossing

on the Sunbury line, which addresses one of the

key asks of our campaign. These are welcome

steps towards fixing one of the most dangerous

roads in Victoria.

Council also spotlighted Brimbank at a national

level at the

Australian Local Government

Association National General Assembly

(ALGA)

in Canberra, in June 2021. This was a

crucial opportunity to influence ALGA’s federal

government advocacy, to ensure it aligns with

Brimbank priorities – such as jobs, climate

change and affordable housing.

Investing in facilities, City spaces and

reducing carbon footprint

Over the 2020-2021 year, Council invested

a significant $79.66 million to deliver new

facilities, upgrade existing ones, and upgrade

our roads, parks and open spaces. This delivered

facilities and spaces our community can enjoy

using and that meet their needs.

A key project was construction of the new

Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre

on

the site of the former St Albans Leisure Centre in

Keilor Downs. We look forward to delivering this

new centre by mid-2022.

Council also focused on protecting the environment

and building healthy and resilient communities.

Council continued powering towards its goal of

zero emissions

in its operations by 2030. In

May 2021, Council signed a contract to power

all of its buildings, sports grounds, community

venues, leisure centres and street lights by 100

per cent renewable electricity.

I’m proud to say Brimbank was one of 46

Victorian councils to form VECO, the Victorian

Energy Collaboration – the largest emissions

reduction project ever undertaken by the local

government sector in Australia.

Creating a more sustainable Brimbank is an

ongoing priority for Brimbank.

Future priorities

Our key priorities for Brimbank are boosting jobs,

health, fairness and education.

As a Council we look forward to continuing to

work with our community and other stakeholders

and advocate strongly for our community’s

needs to achieve a transformed Brimbank that is

beautiful, thriving, healthy and connected.

We will continue to work to address priority issues

for our community, support COVID-19 recovery and

make the most of opportunities available.

This includes getting the best outcome for our

community from key infrastructure projects

led by other levels of government, whether it is

building a better Calder Freeway or advocating

for the Sunshine Priority Precinct Vision 2050 to

be delivered to Brimbank’s benefit.

Thank you

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the

outgoing CEO Helen Morrissey who retired in July

after 11 years with Council, including almost four

as CEO.

Thank you also to my fellow Councillors for

working beside me with the shared vision of a

brighter future for Brimbank.

I’d also like to thank Council staff who have

worked with commitment and innovation

to serve the community and help build a

#BetterBrimbank.

Mayor, Brimbank City Council

On behalf of Brimbank City Council,

I am pleased to introduce the

2020-2021 Annual Report.

The past year has presented challenges

and uncertainties – but also opportunities.

Brimbank has responded with courage and

creativity in the way we serve our vibrant,

growing and diverse community in the heart

of Melbourne’s west.

Throughout 2020-2021, our focus has been on

helping our community, particularly vulnerable

residents, to navigate the impacts of the

pandemic, as well as on longer-term social and

economic recovery for our whole community.

Brimbank was hard-hit by the pandemic. Case

numbers were high in our community, which is

among Victoria’s most diverse with high existing

levels of disadvantage.

Throughout the year Council supported

businesses and vulnerable community members

with a range of measures including rates relief,

a zero per cent rates increase, COVID-19 support

services, grants, and supporting local cafes and

restaurants to safely prepare for outdoor dining.

Key pillars of this support included Council’s

$300,000 Community Recovery Grants

Program for innovative community-led and

community based initiatives that support

COVID-19 recovery, and the $300,000

Business Recovery Grants Program to support

local start-ups and small businesses to adapt

and respond to COVID-19.

This work was guided by the Brimbank

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response and Recovery

Strategy, and Council’s 19 Point Action Plan for

COVID-19 Recovery and Response.

I am grateful for the way our Councillors, council

officers, stakeholders, partner organisations and

staff members have responded to uncertainty

with resilience and adaptability – continuing to

put our community first. Throughout lockdowns,

we have adapted the way we work in order

to maintain essential services and important

connections for our community.

Alongside this work, Brimbank continued to

respond to the normal and expected constraints

facing councils across Victoria, including

rate capping, shifting demographics, and

government policy and service model reforms.

An ongoing challenge in local government

is to balance the provision of high-quality

services and infrastructure now and into

the future, with the fiscally constrained

environment we work in. The organisation’s

financial position remains sound. Council

achieved a surplus of $24.7 million in 2020-

2021, which compares favourably to the

budgeted surplus of $$0.897 million.

Capital works projects will be key to Brimbank’s

recovery from the pandemic, and in continuing

to meet our community’s changing needs and

population growth moving forward from this

crisis. We know that community infrastructure

helps to build community resilience, and with

that in mind, Brimbank continues to focus on

urban renewal as a driver for COVID-19 recovery.

During 2020-2021, Council delivered a healthy

$79.66 million capital works program (including

$18.38 million carried forward from 2019-2020).

This included $28.8 million for the new state-of

the-art Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre,

on the site of the old St Albans Leisure Centre,

as part of $38.54 million invested in sports

facilities upgrades across Brimbank. Council also

invested $5.03 million in the transformation of

town centres such as Sunshine and St Albans,

and $2.73 million in open space projects in parks

and gardens across Brimbank.

In August 2020, Council endorsed an ambitious

proposal to transform Brimbank into the

powerhouse of Melbourne’s west by 2050.

Leading with Vision, Transforming Brimbank

Future Priorities 2050 demonstrates a

pathway for economic and social recovery from

COVID-19 by articulating opportunities for

future investment across the city. This includes

leveraging major infrastructure projects, such

as Melbourne Airport Rail, and generating

unprecedented business, job, health, education

and social opportunities.

Brimbank’s 2020-2021 advocacy helped to

secure more than $160 million in State and

Federal Government investments in our

community, including the State and Federal

Governments each committing $50 million

for much-needed improvements to the

Calder Freeway in response to Brimbank’s

‘Fix the Calder’ campaign.

Council will continue to advocate both the

State and Federal Governments to advance our

community and future priorities for Brimbank.

The past year also saw the election of a new

Council. Eleven Councillors, including seven

first-time Councillors, were sworn in for a four

year term on Tuesday 10 November 2020. It has

been exciting and inspiring to work with a group

of people who are passionate about serving our

community. I wish to thank our Councillors for

working alongside us to represent the views

of their communities, and for the way they

have embraced their important role in decision

making and community advocacy. I’d also like to

thank the outgoing Council for their leadership

and setting a solid foundation from which we

were able to achieve positive outcomes under

exceptional circumstances.

To our community members who support,

work, volunteer and advocate with Council

led activities – thank you for your continued

support, passion and enthusiasm for Brimbank

and our work.

Chief Executive Officer

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0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

Adjusted underlying surplus / (decit) $'000

26,528

12,557

6,005

19,607

2016-17 2017-18

2018-19 2019-20

2020-21

4,626

0

50

100

150

200

250

Working capital ratio (%)

219.37

161.79

174.23

2016-17 2017-18

2018-19 2019-20

2020-21

182.94

234.55

0 5

15

25

35

45

10

20

30

40

50 60

Debt ratio (%)

42

42

40

40

52

2016-17 2017-18

2018-19 2019-20 2020-21

0 20

40 60

80 100

120

Asset renewal (%)

103

68

66

87

2016-17 2017-18

2018-19

2019-20 2020-21

107

0 10

20 30

40 50

60 70

80

Rate concentration (%)

73

69

73

78

76

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

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The 2020-2021 financial year

results reflect Council’s ongoing

commitment to financial and

infrastructure sustainability as

outlined in Council’s Long Term

Financial Plan.

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 manages over $2.4 billion in assets.

These comprise land, building and other

infrastructure assets such as roads, footpaths

and bike paths and drainage.

Operating position

Council achieved a surplus of $24.7 million in

2020-2021. This surplus compares favourably

to the budgeted surplus of $0.897 million. The

adjusted underlying surplus of Council, after

removing non-recurrent capital grants, cash

capital contributions and non-monetary capital

contributions, is $6.0 million. Sustaining an

adjusted underlying surplus is a critical financial

strategy that provides capacity to renew the

$2.4 billion in community assets under Council’s

control, and build new infrastructure to meet

the expectations of our growing community.

Liquidity

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 174.23 per cent is an indicator

of satisfactory financial position and is in line

with the expected target band of 100 per cent

to 400 per cent.

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 2020-2021 year Council’s

debt ratio, which is measured by comparing

interest bearing loans and borrowings to rate

revenue, was 52 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 107 per cent,

which was within the expected target band of

90-110 per cent.

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 78 per

cent for the 2020-2021 year, which is towards

the top end of the expected target band of

40-80 per cent. The average residential rate

per residential assessment was $1,668, 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 2020-2021 year. Brimbank City Council

increased rates by zero per cent.

State Government landfill levy

The State Government landfill levy increased by

zero per cent in 2020-2021.

Labour cost increases

Wage inflation rates for the 2020-2021 year

were as per Council Enterprise Bargaining

Agreement (EBA 8) of 2.20 per cent. The June

2021 Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate was 3.8

per cent.

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Brimbank City Council provides a

range of services and programs that

reflect the needs and expectations

of the community.

The Annual Budget 2020-2021 focused on

delivering value to the community in a rate

capped environment.

It was designed as 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.

The budget attempted to strike 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 2017-2021 (adopted in August

2017) outlines Council’s Strategic Directions,

which are supported by a number of other

Council strategies, plans and policies. This

includes the Annual Budget 2020-2021, 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 2020-2021, Council delivered a $79.66

million capital works program (including $18.38

million carried forward from 2019-2020). Major

capital works projects included:

Roads, footpaths and pedestrian facilities

and traffic management works

Council delivered a $23.93 million road works

and $1.91 million traffic management program,

which continued the implementation of the

Roads Management Plan, designed to manage

Brimbank’s road network in a safe, sustainable

and financially responsible way.

Key highlights included:

• Road pavement rehabilitation projects,

including forward design ($15.384 million)

• Road pavement asphalt overlay projects -

various locations ($5.044 million)

• Footpath rehabilitation program - various

locations ($2.195 million)

• Road works associated with the St Albans

Leisure Centre Upgrade ($661,080)

• Kerb replacement for property access

($639,931)

• Local area traffic management works in

Ardeer ($561,080)

• Deer Park local area traffic management

projects ($361,595)

Town centre works

Council progressed a range of works to the value

of $5.03 million to improve amenity, connectivity

and ambience in town centres. These projects

included:

• Sunshine Town Centre Hampshire Road -

Stage 3 upgrade ($3.285 million)

• Medium sized activity centres - place

upgrades ($491,314)

• Devonshire Road pedestrian signals

($275,064)

• Clarke Street - formalisation of footpath

eastern side ($253,029)

• Town Centre lighting strategy ($193,368)

• St Albans Town Centre - Victoria University/

McKechnie Street Link ($153,748)

Sports facilities

Council continued to invest $38.54 million

in upgrading sporting facilities across the

municipality to help improve health and

wellbeing outcomes in the community. A range

of these projects were completed, including:

• St Albans Leisure Centre, Keilor Downs -

redevelopment ($28.867 million)

• More Park Stage 1 - New Sports Pavilion and

Car Park Upgrade ($1.700 million)

• Bon Thomas Reserve Pavilion ($1.453 million)

• Rolling sports surface/ground reconstruction

program ($1.372 million)

• Delahey Reserve New Sports Pavilion -

Delahey ($1.217 million)

• Sports reserve lighting upgrade program

($1.015 million)

• Female Sports Facilities Upgrades ($677,025)

• More Park Stage 2 Sports Facility Upgrades

($396,705)

• Female SF Upgrade-Keilor Park Synth

($380,089)

• Churchill Reserve - car park construction

($315,678)

• Errington Reserve Sports Ground Lighting

Upgrade Program ($237,679)

Parks, playground and open space upgrades

Council spent $2.73 million on open space projects,

including the ongoing implementation of the

award-winning Creating Better Parks – Open

Space and Playground Policy and Plan. This

plan and policy is ensuring Council meets the

needs of existing and future communities by

creating an attractive, integrated, accessible and

comprehensive open space network for Brimbank.

Highlights included the completion and/or

continuation of works at these parks:

• Suburban Park upgrade program ($551,001)

• The Lakes Reserve, Taylors Lakes - Flagship

Park upgrade ($393,258)

• Neighbourhood Park upgrade program

($379,793)

• Public toilets ($239,899)

• Fenced dog off-leash park ($200,551)

• Park playground renewal program ($172,697)

• Park and street furniture response program

($170,798)

• Local reserves upgrade program ($151,789)

Sustainability projects

Council seeks to build a legacy of sustainability

to enable an engaged and resilient community

that supports a sustainable environment

containing rich social, economic and

environmental characteristics. Council invested

$1.04 million in sustainability programs

including:

• Water security program ($658,156)

• Sunshine Energy Park, Albion and Carrington

Drive Reserve Albion ($171,427)

Bike paths and shared paths

Council completed a range of bike paths and

shared paths projects worth $0.92 million to

connect Brimbank, including the following:

• Replace poor condition shared trails

segments identified through inspection

audits and community feedback ($364,853)

• Local cycle route connection program

($238,748)

• Sydenham Rail Corridor Bicycle Track

($125,368)

Construction has also progressed for works

on the Sydenham Rail Corridor Bicycle Track

($194,362), an off-road cycling route linking

the Sydenham, St Albans and Sunshine

town centres.

Community facilities

Council invested $1.371 million in improvements

to community facilities, such as neighbourhood

houses, libraries and children’s centres,

to provide suitable spaces for community

activities. This includes improvements to

kitchens, heating/cooling systems, storage,

flooring and playgrounds.

Drainage rehabilitation

Council spent $1.160 million on drainage

rehabilitation, including underground drainage

upgrades, installation of water quality devices

and minor improvement works.

Providing services during the

COVID-19 pandemic

The continuing coronavirus (COVID-19)

pandemic, as well as frequent lockdowns

for Metropolitan Melbourne and

associated restrictions, meant Council

had to work differently to continue

providing services to the community.

Through much of the year Council

office staff worked remotely from

home, while staff delivering essential

services continued to do so in a safe

and permitted manner. Staff from

Council centres that had to shut were

redeployed to deliver essential services

as well as services to vulnerable

members of the community.

Council also continued to deliver several

services in different ways, to ensure

that while Council facilities remained

shut, community members still received

services online or in innovative ways.

Online programs and classes, services

such as Library to Your Door and Click

and Collect services, and active online

options continued to be made available

for residents.

Additional staff through State

Government’s Working for Victoria

initiative

Brimbank secured up to $8 million to

employ more than 150 local unemployed

people to deliver and work on Council

projects and initiatives in response

to COVID-19, as part of the Victorian

Government’s Working for Victoria

initiative.

The additional temporary staff worked

with Council for a six-month period,

supporting Council to maintain and

expand its grassroots services through

the COVID-19 crisis.

Resignation of CEO

On 19 May 2021 CEO Helen Morrissey

announced she would be retiring as

Council CEO effective 15 July 2021.

Following a Special Council Meeting on 6

July 2021 Warren Roberts was appointed

the interim CEO. Mr Roberts stepped out

of retirement to take up the position

while a recruitment process takes place

for the ongoing role.

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22

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Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2020-2021

Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2020-2021 I

23

HARVESTER

GRASSLANDS

HORSESHOE BEND

TAYLORS

The current Brimbank City Council

was elected on 6 November 2020.

The Council was sworn in for a

four-year term and took an oath

at an official ceremony on Tuesday

10 November 2020 that was live

streamed to the public.

Brimbank Council is comprised of 11 Councillors

elected from one two-councillor ward and three

wards that are three-councillor.

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. The Councillors are

listed on the next page.

Grasslands Ward

Cr Sarah Branton

Date elected: 6 November 2020

Cr Branton has been volunteering and

working on native grasslands in Brimbank for

over six years, and now lives locally to work

in her favourite ecosystem. She is committed

to causes including mental health support,

protection of grasslands, open green spaces

and lowering youth unemployment. Cr

Branton aims to increase Council’s connection

with the community, find ways to engage

with young people in enabling and exciting

ways, create more local job and training

opportunities, and provide mental health

support in multiple languages.

Committees

• Brimbank Disability Advisory Committee

(Co-Chair)

• Social Justice Coalition

• Brooklyn Community Representative Group

• Audit and Risk Committee (substitute)

Portfolio

#HealthyBrimbank

E CrBranton@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0407 836 064

Cr Thuy Dang

Date elected: 6 November 2020

Cr Dang happily lives in Brimbank and for

over a decade has been involved with

community events including White Ribbon

Day, Clean-Up Australia Day for Brimbank and

other health, wellbeing and safety projects.

She is interested in multiculturalism and

is excited by Brimbank’s diversity. Cr Dang

understands the limitations of language and

wants to help break down language barriers,

and is committed to bringing about change

in this area.

Committees

• Brimbank Arts Advisory Committee (Chair)

• Brimbank Community Fund Committee

• Collective Action Committee

Portfolio

#VibrantBrimbank

E CrDang@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0437 744 803

Cr Victoria Borg

Date elected: 6 November 2020 (returned,

previously 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 trust

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 improve educational services.

As a former educator she is passionate about

youth, and reaching better education, training

and employment outcomes.

Committees

• Brimbank Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Reconciliation Action Plan Consultative

Committee (Co-Chair)

• Brimbank Disability Advisory Committee

• Chief Executive Officer Employment Matters

Committee

Portfolio

#PeopleBrimbank

E CrBorg@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0429 365 527

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Annual Report 2020-2021 I

25

Harvester Ward

Cr Sam David JP

Date elected: 6 November 2020 (returned,

previously elected 22 October 2016)

Previous terms: March 1997 to September 2009

Cr David is a long-time resident of Brimbank,

former Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and active

member in 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 young people to get involved

in sport.

Committees

• Audit and Risk Committee

• Brooklyn Community Representative Group

• Chief Executive Officer Employment Matters

Committee

• Safety Roundtable

• Sunshine Town Centre Partnership Group

Portfolio

#LiveableBrimbank

E CrDavid@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0429 355 239

Cr Trung Luu

Date elected: 6 November 2020

Cr Luu is a long-time resident of Brimbank, and

has a young family. He wants to ensure that a

sustainability urban development strategy is

entrenched in the city’s future planning policy.

His greatest concern for Brimbank is that not

enough attention and investment is being

allocated to the municipality by various levels

of government. He believes in stepping up

to overcome the hurdle, and to be part of the

solution not the problem. Cr Luu loves calling

Brimbank home.

Committees

• Brooklyn Industrial Precinct Strategy

Committee (Chair)

• Metropolitan Transport Forum

Portfolio

#ConnectingBrimbank

E CrLuu@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0437 826 450

Cr Jasmine Nguyen

(Deputy Mayor

6 November 2020-30 June 2021)

Date elected: 6 November 2020

Cr Nguyen was born and bred in Brimbank and

has lived, worked and volunteered here for

all of her life. She is passionate about giving

back to the community, and her most pressing

concern is helping Brimbank to recover from

the COVID-19 pandemic. Cr Nguyen strives

to address local youth disengagement and

unemployment, and take stronger action on

issues such as climate change and mental

health. Her aims include being a voice for the

youth and vulnerable culturally and linguistically

diverse (CALD) communities and to drive better

sustainable outcomes for future generations of

Brimbank.

Committees

• Brimbank Youth Council (Co-Chair)

• Brooklyn Community Representative Group

• Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) (State

Council) (substitute)

• Brimbank Community Fund Committee

(substitute)

• Local Government Working Group on

Gambling

Portfolio

#InnovationBrimbank

#ProsperousBrimbank

E CrNguyen@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0437 740 042

Horseshoe Bend Ward

Cr Virginia Tachos

Date elected: 6 November 2020 (returned,

previously elected 22 October 2016)

Cr Tachos lives and works in Brimbank and has

a proud history of volunteering and advocating

for the community. Building strong, sustainable

communities, listening to residents’ needs and

supporting harm minimisation through strong

advocacy for stricter gambling controls are

important to Cr Tachos. The COVID-19 pandemic

and the response and recovery phase are at the

forefront of her priorities, and she would like

to advocate for more funds for this vulnerable

community, especially in mental health, family

support, skills training and digital literacy.

Committees

• Australian Local Government Women’s

Association (Victorian Branch)

• Australian Mayoral Aviation Committee

• Collective Action Committee (Co-Chair)

• LeadWest Special Committee (Alternative)

• Local Government Working Group on

Gambling

• Municipal Emergency Management Plan

Committee

• Social Justice Coalition (Chair)

• St Albans Town Centre Partnership Group

Portfolio

#BrimbankCOVID-19ResponseandRecovery

E CrTachos@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0428 915 671

Cr Jae Papalia

Date elected: 6 November 2020

Cr Papalia is a Brimbank local and has lived here

all of her life. She sees cultural diversity as

Brimbank’s strength; a place where people can

come from near or far and seize opportunities

and build a life for their families. Cr Papalia is

passionate about investing in young people

including youth education, jobs and resources.

She wants to see better tree canopy coverage in

Brimbank, which is among the lowest in Greater

Melbourne and aims to build a cleaner, greener

Brimbank as we move into the future.

Committees

• Brimbank Arts Advisory Committee

• Brimbank Youth Council

• Chief Executive Officer Employment Matters

Committee

Portfolio

#SustainableBrimbank

E CrPapalia@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0437 838 710

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Taylors Ward

Cr Ranka Rasic

(Mayor 6 November 2020-30 June 2021)

Date elected: 6 November 2020

Brimbank is special to Cr Rasic. It was her

first home when she came to Australia in the

90s, and it is the place where she sent her

children to local schools, where she gained

her first job and where she now runs her small

business. Connection to one another and being

included are stand out features of the Brimbank

community. Cr Rasic is a strong advocate and

she aims to address key issues including the

need for better local roads, improved community

and mental health services, additional parks and

creating a more sustainable and greener city,

while making sure Brimbank gets its fair share

of funding.

Committees

• Brimbank Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Reconciliation Action Plan Consultative

Committee (Co-Chair)

• Brimbank Arts Advisory Committee

• Calder Highway Improvement Committee

• Chief Executive Officer Employment Matters

Committee

• Collective Action Committee (Co-Chair)

• LeadWest Special Committee

• Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) (State

Council)

Portfolio

#ResilientBrimbank

E CrRasic@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0437 861 296

Cr Maria Kerr

Date elected: 6 November 2020

As a resident of Brimbank since 1986, Cr

Kerr is determined to make sure the western

suburbs are not neglected or overlooked, and

she is passionate about the community and

motivated to make Brimbank a better place

for all. Cr Kerr aims to attract more visitors

and investors to experience Brimbank’s rich

and diverse community and she would love

to see more open green spaces, parks with

updated equipment, and better services for

the disadvantaged, a focus on youth and the

widening of Taylors Road.

Committees

• Audit and Risk Committee

• Brimbank Disability Advisory Committee

• Western Melbourne Tourism Committee

Portfolio

#ProudBrimbank

E CrKerr@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0437 796 630

Cr Bruce Lancashire

Date elected: 6 November 2020 (returned,

previously elected 22 October 2016)

Cr Lancashire is a long term-resident of Brimbank

and he is passionate about its diverse people

and the vibrant community networks that make

it a great place to live. He has an ongoing desire

to help make the world a better place for future

generations. Disengaged youth, Aboriginal

people, health and wellbeing, the liveability

of places with population growth and low

investment, education, environment, economy

and jobs are all areas of concern and where Cr

Lancashire is determined to make a difference.

Committees:

• Heritage Advisory Committee (Chair)

• Metropolitan Local Government Waste

Management Forum

• Metropolitan Regional Landfill Community

Reference Group

Portfolios:

#ProsperousBrimbank

#InnovationBrimbank

E CrLancashire@brimbank.vic.gov.au

M 0429 637 689

02

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Aiden Mullen

Helen Morrissey

Kelvin Walsh

John Petroro

Leanne Deans

Kristen Gilbert

Matthew Aquilina

Ashley Hansen

Lynley Dumble

John MacDonagh

Christine McAllister

Ashley Fleming

Glenn Menner

Rachel Deans

Neil Whiteside

Adrian Gray

Tom Razmovski

Trent Prince

Dominic Di Martino

Adrian Ashford

Shane Marr

Shane Buckley

Andrew Brae

Sue La Greca

Pallav Ahuja

Yvette Fuller

Daniel Hogan

Aamanda Rigby

Rebecca Solomon

Julian Sakarai

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Annual Report 2020-2021 I

29

Kelvin Walsh

Director City Development

Kelvin is an experienced director, who has

worked in fields including planning, urban

design, business development and place

making in Australia and overseas. He has varied

experience in local and state government and

the private sector.

Kelvin commenced with Brimbank City

Council in May 2018 and his brief is to create

a great place where people want to live,

raise their families and participate in active

community life. Kelvin has a passion for the

west, particularly Brimbank and its exciting

transformation.

Lynley Dumble

Director Community Wellbeing

Lynley is an experienced local government

professional who has worked in

Melbourne’s west for over 20 years.

Her areas of focus have included social

policy analysis and development, public

health research, community engagement,

strategic advocacy, community

infrastructure planning, family, youth

and children services, arts and cultural

development, stakeholder management

and community capacity building programs.

Lynley commenced with Brimbank

City Council in August 2016. In April

2020, Lynley was appointed Acting

Director Community Wellbeing and was

permanently appointed in December 2020

into the role.

Helen Morrissey

CEO

With over 35 years’ experience in local

government, Helen joined Brimbank in

November 2010 as Director Corporate and

Community Relations. 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 was appointed Chief Executive

Officer at Brimbank City Council on 20

December 2017.

Neil Whiteside

Director Infrastructure and City Services

Neil is an experienced senior executive and

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 City

Services. He previously held the position of

Director Community Wellbeing from June

2012, and preceding 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.

Shane Marr

Director Organisational Excellence

Shane has over 30 years’ experience in

governance and finance roles in both local

government and the private sector.

Shane commenced with Brimbank City

Council in late 2014, and his role covers the

responsibilities of Finance, Business Support,

Projects and Innovation, and People and

Performance.

Prior to joining Brimbank, Shane held the

position of General Manager Corporate

Services at Moorabool Shire Council.

Dan Hogan

Director Advocacy, Partnerships and Community

After starting his career in the private sector,

Dan has spent the last 13 years working

within Victorian local government in various

management roles, beginning with the peak

representative body, the Municipal Association

of Victoria.

Dan brings a marketing sensibility to Council,

looking to solve community challenges

through improved community engagement,

advocacy and strategic partnerships.

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Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2020-2021 I

31

As at 30 June 2021, Council employed 1186 people (812 full-time equivalent, or FTE), which is a decrease in FTE

staff from 2019-2020.

Overall workforce turnover increased to 14.17 per cent, a 2.15 percentage point decrease on 2019-2020. Headcount decreased in comparison to 2020, with FTE

figures decreasing by 26 overall. The average age of Council’s workforce is 46.96 years. Over 19.48 per cent of Council employees are in the 61-plus age group,

with these staff predominantly employed as school crossing supervisors and within Council’s Operations Centre.

.

Age groups

Age

group Female Male

Total

2020

< 21

6

11

17

21 - 25

46 32

78

26 - 30

46 32

78

31 - 35

64 36

100

36 - 40

84 64

148

41 - 45

69 63

132

46 - 50

79 55

134

51 - 55

86 71

157

56 - 60

68 43

111

≥ 61

106 125

231

Total

654 532

1,186

Brimbank total employment status

Status

2020-2021

Casual

202

Full-time

599

Part-time

385

Total

1,186

Employees by division and employment status

Division

Status

Female

Male

Total

CEO & Councillors

Full-time

2

0

2

Part-time

0

0

0

Casual

0

0

0

Advocacy Partnerships and Community

Engagement

Full-time

44

12

56

Part-time

25

1

26

Casual

1

0

1

Infrastructure & City Services

Full-time

27

239

266

Part-time

9

1

10

Casual

0

0

0

City Development

Full-time

43

41

84

Part-time

63

65

128

Casual

5

11

16

Community Wellbeing

Full-time

95

37

132

Part-time

179

37

216

Casual

119

64

183

Organisation Excellence

Full-time

35

24

59

Part-time

4

1

5

Casual

2

0

2

Brimbank Total

653

533

1,186

A summary of the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) Council staff by organisational structure, employment type and gender is set out below.

Division

Gender

Casual

Full-time

Part-time

Total

Advocacy, Partnerships & Community Engagement

Female

0

45

14

59

Male

0

11

1

12

CEO & Councillors

Female

0

2

0

2

Male

0

0

0

0

City Development

Female

1

42

19

62

Male

2

41

16

59

Community Wellbeing

Female

17

95

103

215

Male

9

37

20

66

Organisation Excellence

Female

0

35

3

38

Male

0

24

1

25

Infrastructure & City Services

Female

0

27

7

34

Male

0

239

1

240

Total

29

598

185

812

Note:

Casuals recorded as .14 of FTE. Council has 202 casuals that are contracted to five hours per week, which brings FTE for casuals down.

A summary of the number of FTE staff categorised by employment classification (band) and gender is set out below.

Employment classification (band)

Female FTE Male FTE

Total

Band 1

15

10

25

Band 2

21

100

121

Band 3

6

62

68

Band 4

62

18

80

Band 5

93

48

141

Band 6

87

43

130

Band 7

55

56

111

Band 8

27

32

59

Other

44

33

77

Total

410

402

812

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32

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Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2020-2021

Gender equality and the prevention of

violence against women

Council implemented the Year 2 Implementation

Plan of Brimbank City Council’s Fairness,

Equality and Respect: Brimbank Strategy for

Gender Equality, Respectful Relationships and

Prevention of Family Violence 2019-2023. The

Strategy outlines a whole-of-council approach,

in partnership with community organisations

and the broader community, to create a

respectful, gender equitable and violence-free

organisation and municipality.

Key achievements include:

• For 16 Days of Activism, Council promoted

the Respect Victoria’s Active Bystander ‘Call

It Out’ Campaign, as well as developing a

Brimbank library campaign focused on gender

equality in books. Council also supported an

active bystander workshop for young people

in partnership with cohealth’s Agents for

Change Program and developed a series of

videos for staff on male allyship.

• In partnership with Football Victoria, Council

delivered two Go Football school holiday

programs to support soccer clubs to deliver

social soccer programs for women and girls.

Four local soccer clubs were involved and two

ongoing social soccer programs have been

launched since the program was delivered.

• Council launched the Empowering Moves

Program, a weekly boxing program for young

men aged 14-25. The program aimed to

facilitate recreational sessions and personal

development discussions on important issues

such as social expectations of masculinity,

positive choices and support services to

prevent violence in the community.

• Council participated in the Preventing Violence

Together in partnership with the International

Women’s Day film festival ‘Taking the Lead’.

The film festival involved partners in the

western region screening films online and in

person about women who took the lead and

chose to challenge gender inequity.

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

our employees’ knowledge, skills, experience

and competency.

Usually, development is delivered in both face

to-face and self-paced modes or via Brimbank’s

own e-learning tool bTrain. Modules are made

available to staff to learn at their own pace and

convenience. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic

lockdowns, 97 per cent of face-to-face training

was delivered via Zoom.

Modules on bTrain include COVID-19 Safety,

Cybersecurity Awareness, Family Violence,

Equal Opportunity, Fraud and Corruption

Awareness, Code of Conduct, Privacy and

Occupational Health & Safety.

A total of 167 training sessions were

coordinated in 2020-2021 with a total of 1,895

participants attending programs. In addition,

19 online training modules were completed by

4,548 staff members.

Learning programs offered took into

consideration departmental, interpersonal and

organisational needs to help employees meet

Council’s objectives.

Occupational health and safety (OHS)

In 2020-2021, we focused on implementing

Year One of the Health and Safety Strategy

whilst continuing to support the operational

needs of the organisation.

Our key achievements in 2020-2021

include:

• Implementation of a new health, safety and

wellbeing policy that is aligned with the

organisation’s values.

• Ongoing review of the Occupational Health

and Safety Management System, to ensure

it remained responsive to the needs of the

organisation and aligned with our compliance

obligations.

• Provision of health and safety support, as

services continued to adapt and respond to

the changing COVID-19 environment, e.g.

risk assessments, safe work procedures,

ergonomic assessments for staff working

from home etc.

• Implementation of an online JSA (Job Safety

Analysis) tool, to support our higher risk

services to identify and control hazards and

risks prior to commencing work.

• Completion of dangerous goods audits at

Keilor Operations Depot, Sunshine Operations

Depot, Keilor Golf Course and Sunshine

Leisure Centre.

• Expansion of the roll out of emergency

response procedures across a number of

our facilities and the completion of warden

training and emergency exercises.

• Launch of a hazardous manual handling

program, which aims to raise awareness

of and better control of hazardous manual

handling tasks which are performed across

the organisation.

• Development of a resource library, consisting

of safety conversation topics, safety alerts

and presentations, that supervisors and

managers can utilise to raise awareness of

health and safety in their work areas.

• Development and review of a number of safe

working procedures across the organisation.

Key performance indicators and workers’ compensation

Year

Lost time

injuries

WorkCover

claims

Days lost due to

workplace injury

2020-2021

18

24

957

2019-2020

19

14

779

2018-2019

12

18

713

2017-2018

8

13

574

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

38

Community Wellbeing

124

Infrastructure & City Services

795

Advocacy, Partnerships & Community Engagement

-

Organisational Excellence

-

Total days lost

957

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Annual Report 2020-2021 I

33

03

This page to be updated to 2019-2020

This page to be updated to 2019-2020

Long-term

(10-20 years)

Medium-term

(4 years)

Short-term

(annual)

Outcome

measures:

Community

indicators

Impact

measures:

Key Performance

Indicators

Output

measures:

Annual Report

(Operations,

Financial &

Performance

Statements)

Community Vision 2040

Municipal Public Health & Wellbeing Plan

Long Term Financial Plan

Council Plan

Annual Action Plan

Annual Budget

Business Plans

An Inclusive

Community

A Liveable

Community

A Prosperous

Community

An Innovative

and Responsive

‘Community

First’ Council

Council Policies, Plans & Strategies

Municipal Strategic Statement, Sustainability Policy, Social Justice Charter

Reporting &

Measurement

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Brimbank City Council

Annual Report 2020-2021 I

35

The

requires

councils to prepare the following planning and

reporting documents:

• A Council Plan for a period of at least the next

four financial years by 31 October in the year

following a general election

• A Community Vison for at least the next 10

financial years, adopted by 31 October in the

year following a general election

• A Financial Plan for at least the next 10

financial years, adopted by 31 October in the

year following a general election

• A Budget for each financial year by 30 June

each year

• An Annual report in respect of each

financial year

Brimbank’s integrated planning

approach

Council has an integrated planning approach that

aligns our strategic, financial and operational

policies, plans and strategies with the

community’s aspirations. This ensures that all of

Council’s activity is generated towards putting the

community first, both now and into the future.

The integrated planning approach is based on

the vision and goals identified in the Brimbank

Council Plan 2017-2021 and how these will be

achieved according to the timeframe: short term

(annual), medium term (four years), and long

term (10-20 years).

The integrated planning approach provides a

basis for reporting and measuring Council activity

to demonstrate what has been achieved and

progress towards meeting the vision for Brimbank.

Brimbank Community Vision 2040

The Brimbank Community Vision 2040 (updated

2018) describes the community’s vision and

priorities for the next 20 years, centred around

three key themes: People, Place and Prosperity.

It establishes an ambitious and shared

framework for the community and partner

organisations to work towards.

These partners include:

• Community members

• Service providers

• Local organisations and groups

• State and federal government agencies

• Other Councils

The Community Vision will be reviewed in 2021

to ensure that it is continuously aligned with the

community’s aspirations.

Council Plan 2017-2021

The Council Plan is one of Brimbank’s primary

strategic documents. It is directly aligned to

the Community Vision and provides a four year

medium term outlook. The Council Plan informs the

development of Council’s Annual Plan and Budget.

The Council Plan 2017-2021 was adopted in August

2017, and sets out the agreed objectives, activities

and strategic indicators for Council to achieve its

strategic directions for: An Inclusive Community, A

Liveable Community, A Prosperous Community, and

An Innovative and Responsive ‘Community First’

Council.

It is the 2020-2021 performance that is reported in

this Annual Report.

Annual Budget and Financial Plan

The Financial Plan and Annual Budget document

the financial resources required to achieve the

goals and strategic objectives in the Council Plan

2017-2021. The Financial Plan 2021-2031 and

Annual Budget were adopted on 15 June 2021.

Municipal Strategic Statement

The Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS)

provides a strategic vision for Brimbank’s future

by setting out objectives for prospective land

use and development in Brimbank. It sets out

land use directions through policy themes,

objectives, strategies and guidelines, such as:

• Natural environment

• Built environment

• Housing

• Retailing and activity centres

• Industrial land use

• Transport and infrastructure

• Community and leisure facilities

Brimbank Sustainability Policy and

Framework

Brimbank Sustainability Policy and Framework

strategically addresses sustainability issues,

aiming to:

• Build a legacy enabling an engaged

and resilient community that supports

a sustainable environment containing

rich social, economic and environmental

characteristics

• Show that ‘Sustainability’ means our actions

meet current needs without compromising

the prospects of future generations

• Support our community in taking action

on the local impacts of resource depletion,

pollution and climate volatility

Brimbank Social Justice Charter

Council is committed to being a leader in the

area of social justice, and strives to create a

more just society where difference does not

lead to disadvantage.

Working in partnership with community,

service providers, business and other levels of

government, Council aims to build a municipality

where all residents, workers and visitors can

thrive socially and economically, regardless of

their personal circumstances or where they

were born.

The Brimbank Social Justice Charter was

updated in 2018 (after being first developed in

2008) and articulates Council’s commitment to

social justice and human rights.

It builds on the strengths and successes of the

previous Charter, while remaining relevant and

continuing to grow and shape a culture of social

justice and human rights in Brimbank.

Community engagement and consultation

Public participation in decisions that impact

people’s lives is critical to good governance

and community wellbeing. Council’s approach

to community engagement is guided by the

Community Engagement Policy 2021 which

articulates a commitment to genuine and best

practice community engagement to enable

meaningful and inclusive opportunities for the

community to be involved in and inform decision

making processes. Community engagement is

undertaken by Council to inform policy, planning

and delivery of services and infrastructure, and

advocating on behalf of the community.

The Council Plan 2017-2021 identifies a

series of goals and strategic objectives that

describe what Council is aiming for in order

to achieve the vision for Brimbank.

Each strategic objective contains a number

of strategies that describe what Council

will do over the next four years in order to

achieve the goal.

Relevant Council policies and services are

identified in support of the goal, together

with indicators or measures of progress.

Goal

Strategic Objective

01

An Inclusive

Community

• Our community members are safe, healthy and well

• People have opportunities to participate in community life

• Services and facilities are fit-for-purpose and well-run

• Our community belongs and are proud of where they live

02

A Liveable

Community

• Public and open spaces are safe, clean and well-maintained

• People can get around easily on foot, by bike, car or public transport

• Our community lives sustainably

• The natural environment supports thriving biodiversity that is protected and well

connected

• The urban environment supports a growing population in designated areas while

respecting neighbourhood character and heritage where appropriate

03

A Prosperous

Community

• People are able to access quality education and lifelong learning opportunities

• People are able to find and maintain jobs that provide income security

• The local economy is strong and provides opportunities for the community to thrive

• Housing is of good quality, well located and affordable

• Brimbank is a leading destination for business, working, learning, recreation and living

04

An Innovative

and Responsive

‘Community First’

Council

• Council is fair, honest and transparent

• Council advocates and works in the interests of our community

• Council manages its assets and finances sustainably and responsibly

• Council staff are high performing and community-focused

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Annual Report 2020-2021 I

37

Council’s performance for the 2020-2021 year has been reported against each goal to demonstrate

how Council is performing in achieving the Council Plan 2017-2021.

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

• Results against the prescribed service performance indicators and measures

Our Goal –

An Inclusive

Community

• Our community are safe, healthy and well

• People have opportunities to participate in community life

• Services and facilities are fit-for-purpose and well-run

• Our community belongs and are proud of where they live

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 Brimbank Council Plan.

Strategic indicator/measure

Result

2021 commentary

Resident perception of performance in providing

recreational facilities

71

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 6 points higher than

the score in 2020, the same score as the state average and 4 points

lower than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s performance in

providing art centres and libraries

72

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 3 points lower than the

score in 2020, 1 point lower than the state average and 1 point lower than

the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s performance in

delivering family support services

67

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 2 points higher than

the score in 2020, 1 point higher than the state average and the same

score as the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s performance in

delivering elderly support services

67

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 3 points higher than

the score in 2020, 2 points lower than the state average and 1 point

higher than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s performance in

delivering disadvantaged support services

65

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 6 points higher than

the score in 2020, 2 points higher than the state average and 1 point

higher than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s performance in

delivering community and cultural activities

67

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 1 point higher than

the score in 2020, 2 points higher than the state average and 1 point

higher than the Metro region.

Number of attendees at arts and cultural activities

395,030

Approximately 395,030 individuals attended a range of arts and

cultural activities that were delivered in Brimbank. This included online

and physical performances at Bowery Theatre, exhibitions, festivals,

events and cultural development activities.

Number of applications for Neighbour Day

activities and number of people that participated

0

Due to COVID–19 lockdowns and restrictions, Neighbour Day Grants

were not offered this year. There were social media posts encouraging

neighbours to check on each other and reconnect virtually.

The Neighbour Day Grants funding was allocated

to Brimbank Community Recovery Grants Stage 2

138

A total of 138 grants were allocated to various community groups and

support offered to address priorities connected to creating an inclusive

community.

Number of community grants supported (Healthy,

Equitable and Connected Communities)

45

During 2020-2021, Council implemented Community Recovery Grants

which included two categories: partner organisations and community

organisations. This was a departure from previous grant categories

included as indicators. A total of 14 grants were allocated to various

partner organisations to support the community as part of the

Brimbank COVID–19 Response and Recovery Strategy. A total of 31

grants were allocated to Community Organisations.

Major initiatives

The following statement reviews the progress of Council in relation to major initiatives identified in the 2020-2021 budget for the year.

Major initiatives

Progress – annual action plan

Create opportunities to support newly engaged

communities to engage in physical activity via the In2Sport

Program.

The In2Sport Program is a program to help children living in Brimbank take

part in community sport, regardless of financial circumstances. There was

a total of 278 of summer and winter applications for the in2sport Program.

148 were first time applicants and 49 were female.

Implement the ‘seedlings to schools’ urban farming program to support

Brimbank schools to grow, harvest, cook and eat healthy food; and to

recycle food waste.

The ‘Seedling to Schools’ Program, via Dame Phyllis Frost Women’s Centre,

was expanded to include two rounds of vegetable seedlings in autum and

spring.

Continue to facilitate the Brimbank Collective Action Committee to

lead and initiate Impact Brimbank aiming to close health and social

outcomes gaps for the Brimbank community over a ten year period.

Key actions include:

• Complete implementation and analysis of the Community

Conversation Tool

• Identification of the key focus area/s

• Program development

Community members analysed over 700 responses to the

community conversation survey. Two workshops were held

to examine results and refine the area of focus for program

development. Funding for the Impact Brimbank Program was

received from the Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and

Regions.

Facilitate the Growing Brimbank Collaboration to improve community

outcomes through service enhancements in the areas of early years,

nutrition and physical activity.

The Collaboration’s work included supporting Victoria University in

development of the Pathways in Place Program by drawing on the

expertise and established networks of Council’s youth teams, analysis

of data about use of St Albans Leisure Centre prior to closure to support

evaluation of the future Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre, Impact

Brimbank and commencement of the World Gardens Program at Westvale.

Support the development of youth friendly spaces that support an

increase in the delivery of services for young people in Sunshine and West

Sunshine.

The Brimbank Youth Recreation Centre Co-design Study was endorsed

by Council in August. Recommendations from the report supported the

development of ‘pop-up’ initiatives in Sunshine. COVID-19 has delayed the

development and implementation of targeted youth programs in West

Sunshine and Sunshine. Information about youth programs has been

shared through Councillor portfolio briefings.

Commence building works that transition St Albans Leisure Centre into a

state of the art health and wellbeing hub.

The Australian Building Construction Company (ADCO) continue to

progress site works including the basement structure, 50 metre pool and

managing subcontractors to ensure resources are allocated to complete

critical path works. The project is currently on budget and on track for

completion mid-2022.

Continue to provide support for Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week to

celebrate our Aboriginal heritage and inform our broader community of

our Aboriginal history and the contributions made by our Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander residents.

Brimbank annual NAIDOC Week celebrations were held on 8–15 November

2020 and 29 May–4 June The theme was, ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’.

Council hosted a series of events and activities including:

• Flag raising

• Story of Who I am and Stories From the Heart

• Dance with Wilay

• Koori Homework Club

• Special First Nations Yarning Circle events

• Australian Ballet ‘Wilay-gu’

• Endangered Fauna Art at Home

• Posting positive messaging on social media

The planned Little Long Walk was cancelled due to COVID-19 lockdowns.

Facilitate youth mental health first aid programs to increase the capacity

of young people to recognise and support peers who may be developing a

mental health problem.

A total of 13 staff completed the online youth mental health first aid Zoom

training to increase capacity of young people to recognise and support

peers who may be developing a mental health problem.

Develop community impact analysis reports that detail the impact of

COVID-19 on individuals, families and communities in Brimbank to inform

Council’s community and service provider connections/engagement,

response, social policy and advocacy.

Two community impact analysis reports were completed. The reports

examine the impact of COVID-19 on individuals, families and communities

in Brimbank through each stage of the pandemic. They include a mix of

data and local observations to provide insights, not only on the impact but

also the community’s lived experience of COVID-19 in Brimbank.

Our Goal –

An Inclusive

Community

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39

Services

The following statement provides information in relation to the services funded in the 2020-2021 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 and Advocacy

Community Planning & Advocacy

work towards enhancing community health and wellbeing. This includes Connected

Communities, Community & Council Planning, and Policy Advocacy & Research.

Connected Communities

facilitates Council’s community engagement, capacity building and social inclusion through establishing

governance and consultation structures, language services, Indigenous and cultural awareness programs, community leadership

programs such as the Community Governance Training Program and delivery of Council’s Annual Community Grant Program.

Community & Council Planning

ensures Council is delivering on its commitment to the community by developing, reporting and

monitoring the Community Vision and Council Plan.

Policy Advocacy & Research

addresses key issues in the community including social justice, safety, inclusion, disability support,

addiction problems, men’s violence against women and gender equity. This is achieved by developing policies, strategies, projects

and partnerships that improve health and wellbeing in the community, while undertaking important evaluation, research and data

analysis in order to meet requirements under the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan.

2,656 2,904

248

Community Projects

Community Projects

build internal capacity through the implementation of service planning and project management frameworks,

and through the application of evidence that will improve service and project delivery across the Community Wellbeing Directorate,

resulting in better outcomes for the community.

314 491

177

Community Care

Community Care

provides a range of services that support older people, people living with a disability, children, families and youth.

Ageing & Inclusion

supports 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 in-home care

services, social support and planned activity groups, delivered meals, community transport and home maintenance to help residents

live a fulfilling and independent life.

Families & Early Years

provides a range of services for children and families in the community including Maternal and Child Health

Services, community and supported playgroups and kindergarten registration. Maternal and Child Health services are available

at eight locations, providing health and wellbeing information for parents and children aged 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 and builds partnerships with other local services to support young people.

8,845 17,724

8,879

Service/Description

Net cost

actual budget

favourable/

(unfavourable) $’000

Leisure and Community Facilities

Leisure and Community Facilities

is comprised of Sports and Recreation, Community Facilities, Leisure and Community Facilities

Planning and Major Leisure Facilities including the Sunshine and St Albans Leisure Centres, the Keilor Basketball and Netball Stadium

and Keilor Public Golf Course.

Sports and Recreation

develops and delivers sport and recreation projects, programs and events to meet the diverse needs

of the community. This includes the allocation of 49 sports pavilions, 79 playing fields, pitches, diamonds, bocce pitches and

greens, 7 indoor courts and 64 outdoor tennis 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

manages regular, casual and function bookings at Council’s 35 halls and meeting rooms. In addition they

support, guide and develop community groups such as Senior Citizens, Scouts and Girl Guides by managing venue tenancy

agreements.

Major Leisure Facilities.

The four major leisure facilities in Brimbank are the Keilor Basketball and Netball Stadium, the St Albans

Leisure Centre, the Sunshine Leisure Centre and the 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.

Leisure and Community Facilities Planning

undertake strategic work to determine the leisure and facility related needs of the

Brimbank community and the most appropriate way for Council to meet these needs now and in the future. This work informs

Council’s Capital Works Program and determines the priorities for funding based on evidence and demand.

3,944 4,444

500

Facilities and Major Projects

Facilities and Major Projects

is responsible for the delivery of Council’s Facilities Asset Management Plan and Major Projects

including the ongoing maintenance of Council’s facilities and buildings.

11,969 11,840

(129)

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. This includes enforcing the

,

, and

. It also issues and inspects building permits and manages customer requests to ensure the safety of the

built environment and health of the community within Brimbank.

979 1,156

177

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. It will also prosecute individuals or businesses

where necessary.

2,744 3,415

671

Our Goal –

An Inclusive

Community

Our Goal –

An Inclusive

Community

(continued)

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41

Service performance indicators

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

variations.

Service

indicator

2018 result

2019 result

2020 result

2021 result 2021 commentary

Cost of indoor

aquatic facilities

$3.55

$3.32

$9.49

$10.11

Brimbank City Council continues to place a high emphasis on

delivering services in a cost efficient manner. Both the closure

of the St Albans Leisure Centre (due to the planned upgrade to

the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre) and adherence to

COVID-19 restrictions resulting in facility closures has continued

to negatively impact the number of visits and, hence, income.

Despite these factors this result remains within the range

expected by Council. Find out more about our leisure centres at

www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/leisure-parks-and-facilities

Utilisation of

aquatic facilities

2.85

2.83

1.98

0.81

Brimbank City Council saw just over 170,000 visits to the

Sunshine Leisure Centre throughout the 2020-2021 financial

year. The decrease in visits when compared to previous years is

attributed to closure of the St Albans Leisure Centre on 18 March

2020 to commence construction of the new Brimbank Aquatic

and Wellness Centre. COVID-19 restrictions saw the closure of

Sunshine Leisure Centre throughout the reporting period, further

impacting utilisation of facilities. Find out more about our leisure

centres at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/leisure-parks-and-facilities

Time taken to

action food

complaints

1.36

1.13

1.14

1.15

Brimbank City Council places a strong emphasis on food safety

and public health. Reports of food complaints and related

requests continue to be promptly responded to with the majority

of complaints investigated on the day of receipt or the following

day to ensure a high level of food safety monitoring and customer

satisfaction. This result remains within the range expected by

Council. Find out more about food safety at www.brimbank.vic.

gov.au/business/types-businesses/food-premises-and-safety

Food safety

assessments

100%

101.07% 100.45%

101.19%

Brimbank City Council seeks to deliver an effective and cost

efficient food safety service for our community. Throughout

the 2020-2021 reporting period some premises received an

additional assessment as a means to assist new proprietors

with the sale of safe food. This result remains within the range

expected by Council. Find out more about food safety at www.

brimbank.vic.gov.au/business/types-businesses/food-premises

and-safety

Cost of food

safety service

$239.12 $253.93 $241.26

$260.90

Brimbank City Council seeks to deliver an effective and cost

efficient food safety service for our community. The 2020-2021

cost of service result has seen a slight increase of 8% due to the

impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic including fixed, temporary

and mobile premises closing due to COVID-19 (Stay at Home)

directions. Despite these challenges this result continues to

exceed the range expected by Council. Find out more about food

safety at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/business/types-businesses/

food-premises-and-safety

Critical and major

non-compliance

outcome

notifications

100%

100%

100%

100.00%

Brimbank City Council seeks to deliver an effective and cost

efficient food safety service for our community. This result

demonstrates the urgency with which all critical and major non

compliance notifications were followed up throughout 2020-

2021 reporting period. In addition to this, extra follow ups are

conducted prior to renewal of registration to ensure the premises

is meeting compliance. This result exceeds the range expected

by Council. Find out more about food safety at www.brimbank.vic.

gov.au/business/types-businesses/food-premises-and-safety

Service

indicator

2018 result

2019 result

2020 result

2021 result 2021 commentary

Library collection

usage

5.84

5.48

3.90

3.75

The Brimbank City Council library collection continues to be well

utilised with community members accessing both printed and

digital materials at our five library branches and through the home

library service. Due to COVID-19, our libraries were closed for

much of the year and alternative service models were introduced

including, ‘Libraries at Your Door’ and Click and Collect services.

Council saw a slight decrease in comparison to the previous year,

however a 51% overall increase in borrowing of e-resources was

noted throughout the 2020-2021 financial year. Find out more

about Brimbank libraries at www.brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au

Standard of

library collection

58.63% 64.38% 67.66%

78.54

Brimbank City Council's library collection continues to be

reflective of community needs and demands with over

78% of the collection under five years of age. This 16%

improvement when compared to the 2019-2020 result is

attributed to updated purchasing and maintenance systems

that saw 100% of customer requests for library collection

items purchased. This improved result remains in the range

expected by Council. Find out more about Brimbank libraries

at www.brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au

Cost of library

service per

population

$35.69

$36.00

$34.36

$33.38

Brimbank City Council has continued to work towards ensuring the

cost of the library service remains stable whilst modifying service

delivery to ensure residents could safely access Brimbank’s library

collections throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Examples of the

ways in which the library service continued within COVID-19 (Stay

at Home) restrictions included the non-contact home delivery

service, ‘Libraries at Your Door’ and Click and Collect services. This

result sees a 2.45% cost reduction compared to 2019-2020 and

remains within the result set by Council. Find out more about

Brimbank libraries at www.brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au

Active library

members

12.55%

12.01%

20.27%

11.97%

Brimbank City Council continues to see a steady demand for

library services irrespective of the ongoing challenges the library

service is confronted with throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite service closures, residents have continued to access

the library collection via alternative service models including,

‘Libraries at Your Door’ and Click and Collect. A technical error was

identified from the 2019-2020 reporting and auditing period that

overstated the number of active library borrowers. The actual

result for this period was 12.09% highlighting a consistent result

over the past three years that remains in the range expected

by Council. Find out more about Brimbank libraries at www.

brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au

Participation in

first maternal

and child health

(MCH) home visit

107.31% 99.55% 97.27%

98.04%

Brimbank City Council is pleased to record an attendance rate

of 98% of infants at the 4-week Key Age and Stage Visit

in the 2020-2021 financial year. This result sees a marginal

increase when compared to the 2019-2020 financial year and

remains in the range set by Council. Find out more about the

MCH Service at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/health-family-and

support/maternal-and-child-health

Infant enrolments

in the MCH

Service

100%

100%

101.42%

101.21%

Brimbank City Council has continued to achieve more than

100% infant enrolments in the MCH Service, highlighting

100% engagement over a five year period. This result

continues to remain in the range set by Council. More

information about the MCH Service can be found at www.

brimbank.vic.gov.au/health-family-and-support/maternal

and-child-health

Our Goal –

An Inclusive

Community

Our Goal –

An Inclusive

Community

(continued)

(continued)

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Our Goal –

A Liveable

Community

• Public and open spaces are safe, clean and well-maintained

• People can get around easily on foot, by bike, car or public transport

• Our community lives sustainably

• The natural environment supports thriving biodiversity that is protected and well

connected

• The urban environment supports a growing population in designated areas while

respecting neighbourhood character and heritage where appropriate

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 2021 commentary

Resident perception of Council’s

performance in enforcement of local

laws

65

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 6 points higher than the score in 2020,

1 point higher than the state average and 1 point lower than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s

performance in managing the

appearance of public areas

67

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 3 points higher than the score in 2020,

6 points lower than the state average and 7 points lower than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s

performance in managing the condition

of local streets and footpaths

63

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 5 points higher than the score in 2020,

4 points higher than the state average and 2 points lower than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s

performance in managing the condition

of sealed local roads

64

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 4 points higher than the score in 2020,

7 points higher than the state average and 4 points lower than the Metro region.

Resident perception of importance

and Council’s performance in traffic

management

63

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 4 points higher than the score in

2020, 4 points higher than the state average and 4 points higher than the Metro region.

Resident perception of importance

and Council’s performance in providing

parking facilities

59

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 3 points higher than the score in

2020, 1 point higher than the state average and 1 point higher than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s

performance in waste management

69

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 3 points higher than the score in 2020,

the same score as the state average and 3 points lower than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s

performance in general town

planning policy

60

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 1 point lower than the score in 2020, 5

points higher than the state average and 4 points higher than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s

performance in planning and

building permits

59

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 1 point lower than the score in 2020, 8

points higher than the state average and 5 points higher than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s

performance in planning for

population growth

60

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 5 points higher than the score in 2020,

7 points higher than the state average and 7 points higher than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s

performance in environmental

sustainability

63

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 2 points higher than the score in 2020,

1 point higher than the state average and 1 point lower than the Metro region.

Reduction in greenhouse gas

emissions from Council operations

13,247 T

CO2-e

Greenhouse gas emissions from Council operations have been reduced by 50% since 2011.

Reduction in Council’s potable water use,

increase in alternative water use and

improvement in water quality entering

waterways in Brimbank.

Potable Water

Consumption

175.19 ML

Alternative

water use: 59.7

Potable water consumption decreased by 42% compared to the 2019-2020 result. This was

primarily a result of reduction in demand as a result of COVID-19 related restrictions, aided by

above average rainfall.

Alternative water use (stormwater harvesting) decreased by 17% compared to the 2019-

2020 result due to natural variability in rainfall patterns.

Number of community grants supported

(Our Community Living Sustainably)

45

During 2020-2021, Council implemented Community Recovery Grants which included

two categories: partner organisations and community organisations. This was a

departure from previous grant categories included as indicators. A total of 14 grants

were allocated to various partner organisations to support the community as part of

the Brimbank COVID–19 Response and Recovery Strategy. A total of 31 grants were

allocated to Community Organisations.

Service

indicator

2018 result

2019 result

2020 result

2021 result 2021 commentary

Cost of the MCH

Service

$80.53

$81.10

$82.24

$74.04

Brimbank City Council places a high emphasis on delivering

services in a cost efficient manner. The 2020-2021 cost

of service result has seen a decrease of 10% highlighting

Council’s continued commitment to delivering the MCH

Service within the expected budget and requirements. This

improved result remains within range set by Council. Find

out more about the MCH Service at www.brimbank.vic.gov.

au/health-family-and-support/maternal-and-child-health

Participation in

the MCH Service

71.5%

70.49% 68.92%

63.05%

Brimbank City Council is committed to the delivery of well

targeted MCH services. Our overall participation rate reduced

over 2020-2021 due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These service adjustments included the need to prioritise

newborn babies and Aboriginal children, increasing the length

of appointment times to allow for infection control and providing

additional support for families during this stressful time. Clients

were provided with an initial tele-health appointment and follow

up physical assessments. Due to this prioritisation, routine

appointment times were limited for older children. However,

children and families with additional or complex needs were

able to access the service when required. The result remains in

the range expected by Council. Find out more about the MCH

Service at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/health-family-and-support/

maternal-and-child-health

Participation in

the MCH Service

by Aboriginal

children

62.11%

55.26% 70.00%

71.72%

Brimbank City Council continues to embed continuous

improvement initiatives to engage indigenous families registered

in the MCH Service, including targeted engagement strategies.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic Aboriginal children were

prioritised, resulting in 71 of the 99 registered Aboriginal children

participating in the service over the 2020-2021 financial year.

This result is in the range expected by Council. Find out more

about the MCH Service at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/health

family-and-support/maternal-and-child-health

Our Goal –

An Inclusive

Community

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Major initiatives

The following statement reviews the progress of Council in relation to major initiatives identified in the 2020-2021 Budget for the year.

Major initiatives

Progress

Install feature lighting and a welcoming and inviting entrance to Sunshine

as determined by the ‘Gateway to Sunshine’ Project funded by the Victorian

Department of Justice and Community Safety’s Public Infrastructure Fund.

Lights have been installed at the ‘Gateway to Sunshine’ on Ballarat

Road/Hampshire Road as part of the MB Lynch Memorial Gardens

upgrade.

Continue to deliver the ‘Light Up’ Program in the Sunshine and St Albans

Activity Centres through a range of initiatives including lighting projections,

decorative and artistic lighting and evening activation.

Council has prepared an Activation Toolkit that identifies initiatives that

can promote visitation to Brimbank activity centres and stimulate the

local economy.

The ‘Enjoy Local’ Activation Program (Enjoy Local) was developed in

consultation with business representatives, including the Sunshine

and St Albans Business Association. Incorporating the Sunshine and St

Albans Light Up Program, Enjoy Local programmed 61 events including

musical performances, kid’s activities and entertainment across

Brimbank activity centres.

Create an attractive, integrated, accessible open space network via the

implementation of the Creating Better Parks – Open Space and Playground

Policy and Plan, including upgrades at the following parks:

Suburban Park upgrades at:

• Balmoral Park (Derrimut)

• Evergreen Avenue Reserve (Albanvale)

Neighbourhood Park upgrades at:

• Robinson Court Reserve (Delahey)

• Waterfield Reserve (Cairnlea)

• Highcombe Reserve (St Albans)

All new and upgraded parks funded through the 2020-2021 Capital

Works Program are complete.

Develop a master plan for Alfrieda Street, St Albans as a key destination for

gathering, shopping and socialising in a vibrant space.

Initial community and stakeholder consultation has been completed.

Development of a master plan will continue into 2021-2022 as

scheduled.

Develop a Creating Better Streets Strategy that aims to achieve more liveable,

resilient and sustainable streets by:

• Increasing canopy cover

• Using stormwater to create greener, cooler streets

• Supporting walking and cycling

• Creating a positive sense of place for the community

The Creating Better Streets Background Analysis Report is complete.

Consultation and the Strategy will be finalised in 2021-2022.

Seek to reduce contamination of recycling and green waste below target

levels.

Undertook targeted contamination reduction campaigns, including:

• Social media campaigns aimed at improving kerbside recycling habits

• Promoted ‘Back to Earth’ initiative aimed at reducing contamination

in the green waste recycling stream

• Promoted ‘Recycling Right’ community engagement and behaviour

change campaign

• Waste collection drivers notifying residents through sticker notices

placed on bins with bin not being collected until contamination

removed

Contamination currently: Recycling – 14.3% and Green Waste – 3.1%

Our Goal –

A Liveable

Community

Major initiatives

Progress

Implement Year One actions in the Brimbank Climate Emergency Plan (subject

to Council approval) including:

• Submit the Plan as a pledge under the

• Undertake an analysis of municipal emissions and optimal pathway to

‘decarbonise’ Brimbank to net zero emissions

• Advocate the Victorian Government to declare a climate emergency, put a

price on carbon pollution and target 100% renewable energy for Victoria

for 2030

The Year One actions in the Brimbank Climate Emergency Plan have

been completed, or are well progressed including:

• Submitting the Plan as a pledge under the

• Undertaking an analysis of municipal emissions and an optimal

pathway to ‘decarbonise’ Brimbank to net zero emissions (for

industrial and commercial emissions)

• Advocating the Victorian Government to declare a climate

emergency, put a price on carbon pollution and target 100%

renewable energy for Victoria for 2030

Continue to conduct street tree planting programs to increase Brimbank’s tree

canopy coverage as per the Urban Forest Strategy (2016–2046).

Street tree planting for 2020 was completed with around 3,680 trees

planted.

Planting for the 2021 tree planting season is ongoing and may extend

into September/October subject to extra funding received from the

State Government’s 500,000 tree planting initiative.

Complete Stage Three of the Hampshire Road Masterplan to create a green

active hub.

Hampshire Road Civic Green (Stage 3) was completed and the official

opening occurred on Friday 22 May 2021.

Implement aspects of the Sydenham Park Master Plan, including:

• Flora and Fauna Assessment Report

• Cultural Heritage Management Plan

• Sydenham Park Conservation Community Tours

• Sydenham Park Restoration Management Plan

• Robertson’s Homestead Site Feasibility Study

• Schematic design for entry landscape, walking trails, shared paths, fencing

and pedestrian destination points

• Existing gravel path upgrades to make suitable for walking and cycling

The implementation of the Sydenham Park Master Plan 2020

continued in 2020-2021 with the following investigation studies:

• Final Flora and Fauna Assessment Report is received

• Cultural Heritage Management Plan is complete and submitted to

Aboriginal Victoria for approval

• Three community tours have been conducted with one cancelled

due to COVID-19 restrictions

• Draft Restoration Management Plan received and in review

• Robertson’s Homestead Feasibility is complete

• Schematic designs are being finalised and then prepared for tender

later in 2021

• Existing gravel path upgrades have been deferred pending required

approvals

Our Goal –

A Liveable

Community

(continued)

This page to be updated to 2019-2020

This page to be updated to 2019-2020

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Services

The following statement provides information in relation to the services funded in the 2020-2021 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.

It coordinates the preparation of Council’s 10 year Capital Works Program and manages and reviews the annual Capital Works

Program reporting.

4,657 5,269

612

Environment

Environment

engages with Council and the community to work towards an environmentally sustainable city through the efficient

use of limited resources and through innovative design. We also engage with and encourage the community to value Brimbank’s

outstanding and unique natural areas.

This aim 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, waste minimisation and education,

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

waterways and rocky escarpments and managing contaminated land.

4,272 7,829

3,557

Asset and Property Services

Asset and Property Services

is responsible for developing, implementing and coordinating an enterprise system of policies,

strategies, plans, tools, information, analytics, procedures and operational practices to ensure that all infrastructure assets are

maintained, controlled and monitored across their entire life cycle. This is carried out in accordance with laws and regulations, and

pursuant to the National Asset Management Framework (NAMAF).

239 397

158

Urban Design

Urban Design

provides a landscape, architectural and urban design service delivering public realm projects that create attractive,

safe, connected and sustainable urban places which support community wellbeing, social connectedness and foster civic pride.

Project delivery includes park upgrades, streetscape upgrades, tree planting and shared user paths in addition to advocating for

good urban design outcomes for all major infrastructure projects and private developments.

3,380 3,276

(104)

Operations Group

The

Operations Group

is responsible for the collection and disposal of residential waste and recycling, maintaining the local

road network and town centres/urban villages, parks & streetscapes and Council’s plant & equipment, pedestrian facilities and

coordination of Council’s emergency management arrangements.

The

Operations Group

consists of the following Service Units: Fleet, Parks, Roads and Cleansing, Waste, Pedestrian Facility and

provides oversight of Council’s Emergency Management responsibilities.

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

Parks Services

.

Roads and drainage systems are managed by

Roads and Cleansing Services

in accordance with Council’s Road 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 the At Call Hard Waste Collection Service to residents.

Pedestrian Facilities Services

program and implement Council’s annual footpath and concrete works rehabilitation program in

accordance with Council’s Road Management Plan.

Emergency Management

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

, including coordination of a Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee and

development and maintenance of the Municipal Emergency Management Plan.

42,168 42,536

(368)

City Planning and Planning Compliance

City Planning

is responsible for administering the Brimbank Planning Scheme by providing advice and making determinations on

planning permit applications for land use, development and subdivisions, and responding to property information and demolition

requests. City Planning provides planning services to Council, the community and the development industry. This also includes

representing Council at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on planning matters.

Planning Compliance

is responsible for enforcing planning regulations and permit conditions and responding to customer requests

relating to planning matters.

(1,944) (983)

961

Our Goal –

A Liveable

Community

Service performance indicators

The following statement provides the result of the prescribed service performance indicators and measures including explanation of material variations.

Service

indicator

2018 result

2019 result

2020 result

2021 result 2021 commentary

Time taken to

action animal

management

requests

1.57

1.32

0.88 days

1.39 days

Brimbank City Council places a strong emphasis on responsible pet

ownership and community safety by responding to the majority

of animal requests within 1.5 days from when the request

is received. The Animal Management Service was presented

with challenges relating to the COVID-19 pandemic including

officers unable to carry out the same level of tasks due to State

Government directives detailing essential worker tasks as strictly

limited to risk to safety or emergency. This result continues to

demonstrate Councils responsiveness to animal management

requests and remains within the range expected by Council. Find

out more about animal management at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/

pets-and-animals

Animals

reclaimed

22.64%

22.11%

64.10%

33.61%

Brimbank City Council places a strong emphasis on responsible

pet ownership and community safety, with a primary objective of

the Brimbank Domestic Animal Plan to reduce euthanasia rate of

domestic pets. The Animal Management Service saw a significant

reduction in animals reclaimed due to the impacts of the COVID-19

pandemic. This shift was attributed to State Government (Stay at

Home) directions that saw residents unable to collect animals, as

well as the added financial impact of costs associated with animal

collection. Whilst this significant reduction of numbers of animals

reclaimed by owners occurred, the increase in animals rehomed

rose sharply seeing many of these animals adopted. The rise in pet

adoption occurred throughout the COVID-19 pandemic due to the

health and wellbeing benefits associated with pet ownership. Council

will continue to closely monitor these figures in coming years. Find

out more about animal management at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/

pets-and-animals

Cost of animal

management

service per

population

$7.88

$8.36

$6.99

$7.88

Brimbank City Council places a high emphasis on delivering services in a

cost efficient manner. The 2020-2021 cost of service result has seen a

slight increase of 12.7% due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

including price rises by suppliers and changes to work procedures

due to State Government (Stay at Home) restrictions. Despite these

challenges this result continues to remain in the range set by Council.

Find out more about animal management at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/

pets-and-animals

Animal

management

prosecutions

5.00

24.00

8.00

3.00

Brimbank City Council investigates all infringements under the

and where supportive evidence is

available actively prosecutes these matters. The achieved result

of 100% is within expected range set by Council. Find out more

about Animal Management at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/pets

and-animals

Sealed local road

requests

68.89

51.70

60.84

58.56

Brimbank City Council continues to respond to all resident

requests for sealed local roads within the approved requirements

of the Road Management Plan. Council’s commitment to

investment in the road network over previous years has resulted

in a consistent result in the 2020-2021 financial year due to the

road network being maintained to a high standard. This result

remains within the range expected by Council.

Sealed local

roads maintained

to condition

standards

84.87% 87.75% 89.22%

91.49%

Brimbank City Council has continued to fund the renewal of its

road network to ensure the overall condition of the network does

not deteriorate. This result remains within the range expected by

Council.

(continued)

Our Goal –

A Liveable

Community

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Service

indicator

2018 result

2019 result

2020 result

2021 result 2021 commentary

Cost of sealed

local road

reconstruction

$83.70

$100.17

$92.80

$106.32

Brimbank City Council undertakes all road reconstruction via

contracts, which are awarded following a competitive public tender

process. This variation in result is due to a higher proportion of

road area being entirely reconstructed with full depth pavement

treatment as well as following environmentally friendly water

sensitive design. The result remains in the range set by Council.

Cost of sealed

local road

resealing

$27.40

$25.31 $19.80

$25.16

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 and continues

to remain within the range set by Council.

Kerbside bin

collection

requests

169.66

129.24 135.88

135.16

Brimbank City Council continues to endeavour 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. This result continues to

be in the range set by Council. Find out more about waste services at

www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/rubbish-recycling-and-waste

Kerbside

collection bins

missed

10.64

10.53 11.50

11.07

Brimbank City Council continues to endeavour to deliver an

effective, cost efficient bin collection service for the community and

has seen a minimal decrease in the numbers of kerbside collection

bins missed. This result continues to be in the range set by Council.

Find out more about waste services at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/

rubbish-recycling-and-waste

Cost of kerbside

garbage bin

collection service

$115.25

$112.34 $115.75

$111.46

Brimbank City Council endeavours to deliver an effective, cost

efficient kerbside garbage collection service for our community

with this result continuing to remain within the range expected

by Council. Find out more about waste services at www.brimbank.

vic.gov.au/rubbish-recycling-and-waste

Cost of kerbside

recyclables

collection service

$23.98

$42.36

$49.50

$43.43

Brimbank City Council endeavours to deliver an effective, cost

efficient kerbside recyclables collection service for our community.

Brimbank entered into a medium term recycling services

agreement with external provider Cleanaway until 1 July 2021.

Brimbank executed the extension option for the Cleanaway

contract until 30 June 2022 and is working on a collective

procurement process with other metropolitan councils to secure

a long term recycling processing contract that is anticipated to

further reduce processing costs. A decrease in the cost of the

kerbside recyclables collection is evident when compared to the

previous year. This improved result remains in the range set by

Council. Find out more about waste services at www.brimbank.vic.

gov.au/rubbish-recycling-and-waste

Kerbside

collection waste

diverted from

landfill

39.27% 38.01% 41.41%

40.60%

Brimbank City Council endeavours to deliver an effective, cost

efficient kerbside recyclables collection service for our community,

with Council’s waste diversion rate from landfill decreasing slightly

when compared to 2019-2020. This result remains in the range

expected by Council. Find out more about waste services at www.

brimbank.vic.gov.au/rubbish-recycling-and-waste

Our Goal –

A Liveable

Community

Service performance indicators (continued)

Service

indicator

2018 result

2019 result

2020 result

2021 result 2021 commentary

Time taken to

decide planning

applications

123.00

120.00

126.00

91.50

Brimbank City Council places strong emphasis on working with

applicants and objectors to achieve good outcomes in planning

determinations. Council continues to balance time taken to

negotiate land use and development issues with the need to

ensure efficient processing of applications. The 2020-2021

result saw a 27% improvement in processing times, achieving a

significant reduction of 34.5 days when compared to processing

times in 2019-2020. Find out more about Brimbank’s statutory

planning service at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/building-and

planning/planning

Planning

applications

decided within

60 days

52.82% 61.77%

64.97%

70.55%

Brimbank City Council places an emphasis on working with

applicants and objectors to achieve good outcomes in planning

determinations, so additional time may be taken in negotiating

land use and development issues. An 8.59% increase in

performance can be seen in the 2020-2021 financial year against

this indicator when compared to 2019-2020. The result falls

within the range set by Council. Find out more about Brimbank's

statutory planning service at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/building

and-planning

Cost of statutory

planning service

$3,072.92 $2808.12 $2882.36

$2,642.31

Brimbank City Council has a strong commitment to providing

an efficient and cost effective statutory planning service. This

result has seen costs of planning applications decrease by 8.33%

when compared to the 2019/20 reporting period. This improved

result continues to remain within the range set by Council. Find

out more about Brimbank’s statutory planning service at www.

brimbank.vic.gov.au/building-and-planning/planning

Council planning

decisions upheld

at VCAT

66.67% 52.63% 55.56%

60.87%

The number of decisions on applications upheld at VCAT remains

in favour of Brimbank City Council, highlighting the work that

Council does to support decisions in the best interest of the

community. This result remains in the range expected by Council.

Find out more about Brimbank’s statutory planning service at

www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/building-and-planning/planning

Expenses per

head of municipal

population

$918.98 $920.43 $970.77

986.30

The result is within the range expected by Council.

Infrastructure per

head of municipal

population

$7,411.23 $7,714.16 $7,823.67

8,071.55

The result is within the range expected by Council.

Own-source

revenue per head

of municipal

population

$835.02 $879.81 $864.74

863.39

The result is within the range expected by Council.

Recurrent

grants per head

of municipal

population

$138.53 $132.07 $121.18

124.30

The result is within the range expected by Council.

(continued)

Our Goal –

A Liveable

Community

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Our Goal –

A Prosperous

Community

• People are able to access quality education and lifelong learning opportunities

• People are able to find and maintain jobs that provide income security

• The local economy is strong and provides opportunities for the community to thrive

• Housing is of good quality, well located and affordable

• Brimbank is a leading destination for business, working, learning, recreation and living

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

2021 commentary

Number of attendees at libraries and

neighbourhood houses to access services,

programs and activities

1,003,468

In 2020-2021 there were 260,429 physical visits to Brimbank’s five

libraries, 552,900 visits to the Online Library and 7,694 Library to Your

Door visits. There were also 9,503 attendees at physical programs and

122,980 attendees/ views on online programs across the Libraries Unit.

This equates to a total of 953,506 attendees across libraries.

Resident perception of Council’s performance

in providing art centres and libraries

72

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 3 points lower than

the score in 2020, 1 point lower than the state average and 1 point

lower than the Metro region.

Number of community grants supported

(Lifelong Learning, Destination Brimbank)

45

During 2020-2021, Council implemented Community Recovery Grants

which included two categories: partner organisations and community

organisations. This was a departure from previous grant categories

included as indicators. A total of 14 grants were allocated to various

partner organisations to support the community as part of the

Brimbank COVID–19 Response and Recovery Strategy. A total of 31

grants were allocated to Community Organisations.

Major Initiatives

The following statement reviews the progress of Council in relation to major initiatives identified in the 2020-2021 Budget for the year.

Major initiatives

Progress

Promote reading, literacy and positive social connections

through the Little Libraries Community Book Exchange

with three structures located throughout the municipality.

Initial designs have been submitted and a draft community consultation strategy has been

completed. The process for managing the street libraries has been developed.

Continue to support and promote the operation of

iHarvest Co-working Sunshine to provide a vibrant

and affordable co-working location for start-ups,

entrepreneurs, freelancers and business.

iHarvest continued to operate under COVID-19 restrictions with closures throughout

a large period of the financial year. Council continues to promote its online business

development program to all members.

Establish an Experience Brimbank tourism website to

promote visitation to Brimbank and its destinations.

Planning and design of a new Brimbank tourism website was completed, with preparations

for a launch currently underway.

Review and develop strategic plans and planning policies

to facilitate appropriate development in line with the

Transforming Brimbank 2020 Agenda, and the Brimbank

Response Strategy to the Western Rail Plan including

Melbourne Airport Rail and Sunshine Super Hub.

Council adopted the Sunshine Priority Precinct 2050 Vision;

: A

City Ready to Shine at the 6 April Council Meeting. This future vision sets the strategic

direction for the Transforming Brimbank agenda and will guide all future strategic work

within the precinct.

Implement business support activities identified in the

Brimbank COVID-19 Response and Recovery Strategy

including delivery of:

• COVID-19 business communications

• Business Grants Program

• Business Activation Program

Council delivered the business support and information initiatives identified in the

Brimbank COVID-19 Response and Recovery Strategy including:

• Bi-weekly meetings of the COVID-19 Business Taskforce to inform Council’s ongoing

business response and recovery program

• Establishment and implementation of the Brimbank Business Recovery Grants program

• Establishment of the Brimbank business website brimbankbusinesslink.com.au

• Regular business e-bulletins promoting the range of business grants, information and

assistance available

• Brimbank Activation Program which included 61 events, including 28 across Brimbank

Local Activity Centres

(continued)

Major initiatives

Progress

Implement recommendations arising from the local

homelessness research project.

Work commenced on a number of actions identified in the Homelessness Implementation Plan

which included:

• Wrote to Federal and State Housing Ministers, as well as local Members of Parliament,

forwarding a copy of the Research Report and offered to brief on key findings

• Published a new homelessness webpage on Council’s website, including support

services, up-to-date emergency relief, and Council’s research and Homelessness

Implementation Plan

• Provided support, information and referrals for people experiencing homelessness in

Brimbank

• Co-hosted (with Darebin City Council) the Inter Council Affordable Housing Forum

Implement education and employment advocacy

initiatives identified and prioritised within the Brimbank

Advocacy Plan and Framework, including the Transforming

Brimbank 2020 Jobs and Education Agendas.

• Brimbank City Council and Victoria University signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

• Council received $8 million from the Working for Victoria scheme to hire up to 165 local

workers

• A Jobs and Skills Taskforce for the Western Metropolitan Melbourne Region is

established.

• Council received a $660,000 State Grant to engage up to four local Job Advocates across

community facilities, to assist disadvantaged jobseekers to connect with employment,

skill and learning opportunities.

Services

The following statement provides information in relation to the services funded in the 2020-2021 Budget and the persons or sections of the

community who are provided the service.

Service/Description

Net cost

actual budget

favourable/

(unfavourable) $’000

Community Learning and Community Participation

Community Learning and Participation

delivers a diverse range of library, learning, arts and culture and community

strengthening services and programs through Brimbank’s five libraries, seven neighbourhood houses, the St Albans Community

Centre, the Bowery Theatre and Brimbank Learning Futures.

Library Services

include quality collections and computer and wireless internet access. Libraries support customers with research

and information and provide places for study, reading and socialising. Library programs support lifelong learning and help foster a

culture of reading and literacy. The Online library and home library service ensure lifelong learning is accessible to all age groups and

abilities.

Council’s seven

Neighbourhood Houses

provide community strengthening activities and programs that meet the needs and

aspirations of the local community. They bring people together to connect, learn, create and contribute to their local community.

They offer rooms for hire, capacity building activities such as volunteering as well as deliver short courses and workshops. They

coordinate the Brimbank Neighbourhood Houses Strategic Partnership Agreement and enter into Collaborative Partnership

Agreements with community groups and organisations to deliver programs and services to the community.

The

Arts and Culture Unit

operates the St Albans Community Centre and the Bowery Theatre. It supports artists and fosters local

creativity, commissions and manages public art and spaces, manages and curates Council’s visual art collection and exhibitions

and manages the Festival and Arts Grants Program. The Arts and Culture Unit works within a community cultural development

framework to engage with vulnerable community members through arts and cultural based activities.

Learning

implements the Brimbank Lifelong Learning Strategy and the Brimbank Youth Jobs Strategy, facilitates partnerships to

increase local learning opportunities and promotes lifelong learning. Brimbank Learning Futures facilitates pathways for young

people and others into training or employment

9,333 12,625

3,292

Our Goal –

A Prosperous

Community

Major initiatives (continued)

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City Strategy

City Strategy

is responsible for strategic planning, economic development and place management.

Strategic Planning

prepares strategies for land use planning and development including Housing, Heritage, Activity Centres

and Industrial Precincts, and also maintains the Brimbank Planning Scheme. The Strategic Planning Unit is also responsible for

amendments to the Brimbank Planning Scheme.

Economic Development

provide a range of support to businesses to promote growth and development. The Economic

Development Unit delivers Council’s Business Development and Networking Program, manages iHarvest Coworking Sunshine,

and coordinates delivery of the Brimbank Economic Development Strategy and Experience Brimbank Visitor Strategy. The

Economic Development Unit is also a key contact for business and investment inquiries, and has a key role in promoting Brimbank’s

development potential.

The

Sunshine Rising and Go St Albans Place Management Programs

include the administration of the Sunshine and St Albans

Marketing and Business Development Special Rate Programs, Sunshine and St Albans Partnership Groups and coordinating the

delivery of the Actions Plans associated with both centres to promote their growth and development.

2,991 3,405

414

Service performance indicators

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

variations.

Service

indicator

2018 result

2019 result

2020 result

2021 result 2021 commentary

Library collection

usage

5.84

5.48

3.90

3.75

Brimbank City Council library collection continues to be well

utilised with community members accessing both printed and

digital materials at our five library branches and through the home

library service. Due to COVID-19, our libraries were closed for

much of the year and alternative service models were introduced

including, ‘Libraries at Your Door’ and Click and Collect services.

Council saw a slight decrease in comparison to the previous year,

however a 51% overall increase in borrowing of e-resources was

noted throughout the 2020-2021 financial year. Find out more

about Brimbank libraries at www.brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au

Standard of

library collection

58.63% 64.38% 67.66%

78.54%

Brimbank City Council's library collection continues to be

reflective of community needs and demands with over 78% of

the collection under five years of age. This 16% improvement

when compared to the 2019-20 result is attributed to updated

purchasing and maintenance systems that saw a 100% of

customer requests for library collection items purchased. This

improved result remains in the range expected by Council. Find

out more about Brimbank libraries at www.brimbanklibraries.vic.

gov.au

Cost of library

service per

population

$35.69

$36.00

$34.36

$33.38

Brimbank City Council has continued to work towards ensuring the

cost of the library service remains stable whilst modifying service

delivery to ensure residents could safely access Brimbank’s library

collections throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Examples of the

ways in which the library service continued within COVID-19 (Stay

at Home) restrictions included the non-contact home delivery

service, ‘Libraries at Your Door’ and Click and Collect services. This

result sees a 2.45% cost reduction compared to 2019-20 and

remains within the result set by Council. Find out more about

Brimbank libraries at www.brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au

Active library

members

12.55%

12.01%

20.27%

11.97%

Brimbank City Council continues to see a steady demand for

library services irrespective of the ongoing challenges the library

service is confronted with throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite service closures, residents have continued to access

the library collection via alternative service models including,

‘Libraries at Your Door’ and Click and Collect. A technical error was

identified from the 2019-2020 reporting and auditing period that

overstated the number of active library borrowers. The actual

result for this period was 12.09% highlighting a consistent result

over the past three years that remains in the range expected

by Council. Find out more about Brimbank libraries at www.

brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au

Our Goal –

A Prosperous

Community

Our Goal –

An Innovative

and Responsive

‘Community First’

Council

• Council is fair, honest and transparent

• Council advocates and works in the interests of our community

• Council manages its assets and finances sustainably and responsibly

• Council staff are high performing and community-focused

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

2021 commentary

Resident perception of Council’s overall

performance

65

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 1 point higher than

the score in 2020, 4 points higher than the state average and 2 points

lower than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s

performance in customer service

75

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 2 points higher than

the score in 2020, 5 points higher than the state average and 1 point

higher than the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s performance

in community consultation and engagement

59

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 5 points higher than

the score in 2020, 3 points higher than the state average and the same

score as the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s performance

in informing the community

62

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 4 points higher than

the score in 2020, 2 points higher than the state average and the same

score as the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s performance

regarding decisions made in the interest of

the community

61

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 3 points higher than

the score in 2020, 5 points higher than the state average and the same

score as the Metro region.

Resident perception of Council’s performance

in lobbying on behalf of the community

58

The 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey result is 3 points higher than

the score in 2020, 3 points higher than the state average and 2 points

higher than the Metro region.

Major initiatives

The following statement reviews the progress of Council in relation to major initiatives identified in the 2020-2021 Budget for the year.

Major initiatives

Progress

Develop and execute an Implementation Plan for

amendments.

Implementation Plan developed. Deliverables included:

• Mandatory Candidate Training

• Governance Rules

• Public Transparency Policy

• Audit and Risk Committee Charter

• Councillor Expenses Policy

• Review of delegations and authorisations

• Mandatory Councillor induction

• Conflict of interest training

• Implementation of Amended Personal Interest Returns Process

• Implementation of Conduct During Elections Policy

• Councillor Code of Conduct

• Community Engagement Policy

• Councillor Gifts Policy

• Annual Budget

• Councillor and Mayoral allowances

(continued)

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55

Major initiatives

Progress

Provide the community with increased awareness and assistance in using

both online services including live chat and self-service options to access

information.

Throughout 2020-21 the Customer Service team continued to

support high levels of service access via online customer service

channels including the delivery of 3169 live chat enquiries.

Additional customer channels included:

• 13,408 face to face counter enquiries

• 135,890 phone contacts

• 14,052 email enquiries

Work continued throughout the year on the development of chatbot

software (virtual assistant) which will allow the community to

engage in an on-line chat by text, 24 hours per day.

Implement a range of advocacy initiatives identified and priorities within

the Brimbank Advocacy Plan and Framework and as outlined in the 2020

Transforming Brimbank Agenda, including Council’s priorities around jobs,

education, the St Albans Leisure Centre Replacement Project, sports and

recreation, and environmental equity.

Initiatives and outcomes included:

• Council endorsed the 19 Point Advocacy Plan for COVID Response

and Recovery and the Sunshine Priority Precinct Vision 2050

• Federal and State Governments announced $8 million for the

Ballarat Road and Hulett Street intersection

• Mayor Cr Rasic announced the ‘Fix the Calder Freeway’ Campaign

• Brimbank City Council received State Government Sport and

Recreation grants totalling $625,000

• Council received a $330,00 grant to engage and support migrant

communities through sport with Brimbank and Victoria University

• Council received $750,000 from the State Government to upgrade

Deer Park West Kindergarten

• Brimbank identified as a priority rollout site for a new State

Government mental health and wellbeing hub

• Council welcomed over $2.2 million from the State Government for

two pocket park projects, Cary Street (Sunshine North) and Leslie

Street (St Albans)

State Government funding announcements included:

• $50 million towards fixing the Calder Freeway

• $2 million for Calder Freeway, Green Gully Road and Arundel Road

Interchange, Keilor

• $950,000 for local environmental and stormwater projects, including

Upper Stony Creek and Dempster Reserve

• $500,000 for the Keilor Park Reserve Female Friendly Project.

• $150,000 Empowering Communities through Football Grant,

including Brimbank focus

• $7.9 million for upgrading St Albans East Primary School

• $9.4 million to deliver an additional 10 beds and refurbishments at

Westside Lodge in order to improve mental health and alcohol and

other drug treatment services

• $1.08 million for upgrading Bon Thomas Reserve in Deer Park,

including a new asphalt car park, multi-purpose cricket nets,

irrigation upgrade for the oval and a new path network for the

reserve

• $17.8 million to implement trials in Brimbank-Melton and Goulburn

of a new whole-of-family support model that focuses on vulnerable

families with multiple health, justice or human services needs

• $263.8 million to establish the first 20 new mental health services

across the State, including a service in Brimbank

Our Goal –

An Innovative

and Responsive

‘Community First’

Council

(continued)

Major initiatives

Progress

Continue to build upon the ‘Welcome. We are Brimbank’ campaign to promote

People, Pride and Places in Brimbank.

The ‘Welcome. We are Brimbank’ business campaign was implemented

in late 2020.

A ‘Local Is Brimbank’ video campaign was created to strengthen the

emotional connection community members have with local business by

highlighting how local businesses contribute to the local community.

Work also continued on the creation of an extended series of ‘Brimbank

Delights’ videos, which showcase some of the local delights.

Through social channels there was a monthly update on ‘things to

do in Brimbank’ which showcased events and attractions that make

Brimbank a great place to visit and explore.

Prepare and implement the Council General Election 2020 Plan and

Induction Program.

The Election Plan and Induction Program were implemented. They

included meeting all requirements under the

, working with Victorian Electoral Commission to ensure they

had timely information, and implementing an induction program for all

Councillors that complied with the

and the

.

Help combat the spread of COVID-19 across Brimbank and assist to

mitigate negative impacts on health, wellbeing and the economy through

the implementation of the Brimbank Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response &

Recovery Strategy.

Monthly COVID-19 Response and Recovery Strategy updates detailing

progress of actions were presented to Council.

Services

The following statement provides information in relation to the services funded in the 2020-2021 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 by:

• Coordinating the Ordinary and Special Council Meeting cycle and reporting requirements

• Overseeing and coordinating Council’s delegations

• Overseeing and coordinating Council’s compliance with legislative governance obligations, including the requirements of the

, the

, the

• Providing in-house legal and privacy compliance advisory services

• Supporting the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors with administrative and procedural services, and by providing calendar and

event management services

• Providing advice to Councillors in relation to the Councillor Code of Conduct

• Assisting Councillors with portfolio responsibilities, including by facilitating Councillor Portfolios

• Responding to enquiries/investigations from integrity agencies such as the Victorian Ombudsman, the Local Government

Inspectorate and the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission

6,131 6,691

560

Media and Communications

Media and Communications

leads communication with the community on behalf of Council. This department

provides an end to end central service for Council in the planning and execution of communication supporting

Council’s programs, services and advocacy. This communication occurs through a variety of methods and 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 these channels, the community is kept up to date with relevant information relating

to where they live, work and socialise.

2,345 2,637

292

Our Goal –

An Innovative

and Responsive

‘Community First’

Council

(continued)

Major initiatives (continued)

Major initiatives (continued)

This page to be updated to 2019-2020

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Service/Description

Net cost

actual budget

favourable/

(unfavourable) $’000

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.

Finance provides strategic and operational risk services, insurance and claims management, and coordinates business continuity

planning and reviews.

It delivers a fraud awareness program for the organisation, is responsible for protected disclosure reporting and facilitates Council’s

internal audit function and supports the Audit and Risk Committee.

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

policies and procedures.

In addition, Business Support provides management of strategic policies, procedures and guidelines for Council’s purchases of goods

and services, by 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 conducts procurement activities on

behalf of Council.

5,582 5,895

13

Customer Support

Customer Support

provides professional services through a number of contact channels including over the phone, live chat,

face-to-face and written communications to best meet the needs of customers at the initial point of contact.

Customer Support also is responsible for gathering, 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 include 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.

3,421 3,534

113

People and Performance

People and Performance

provides support services to the organisation including payroll, human resources, learning

and development, employee relations, Occupational Health and Safety, and return to work.

Positive performance is driven through learning and development programs 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, managing

return to work effectively and ongoing education about injury prevention and management.

3,545 3,333

(212)

Projects and Innovation

Information Communication Technology (ICT)

provides a consistent level of support and service to all Council departments to

ensure continuity and efficiency. It offers support with existing and new specialist systems/applications and manages ICT hardware

and infrastructure including security.

The Innovation Team aims to improve customer experience by improving/transforming Council service offerings through the

management of end to end business improvement initiatives by optimising people, processes and technology.

8,472 10,061

1,589

Service performance indicators

The following statement provides the result of the prescribed service performance indicators and measures including explanation of material variations.

Service

indicator

2018 result

2019 result

2020 result

2021 result 2021 commentary

Efficiency

Average

residential rate

per residential

property

assessment

$1,647.32 $1,658.43 1,679.09

1,668.52

Resident population is the main determinant of service demand

and costs. The result is within the range expected by Council.

Expenses

per property

assessment

$2,487.71 $2,462.90 2,607.67

2,599.91

The result is within the range expected by Council.

Resignations

and terminations

compared to

average staff

8.7%

9.4%

12.5%

12.9%

Council has seen a slight increase in staff turnover in 2020-2021

when compared to 2019-2020. The main driver impacting this

has been the recruitment of temporary contracted staff through

the Working for Victoria Program. This result remains in the range

expected by Council.

Liquidity

Current assets

compared to

current liabilities

234.55% 161.79% 182.94

172.38%

The current and forecasted figures have decreased due to

reduced cash balances held for carry forward capital works.

Unrestricted

cash compared to

current liabilities

75.01% 41.46% 50.16%

62.32%

The 2020-2021 result reflects the increased cash balances due to

borrowings to fund capital works to be completed in future years.

Obligations

Asset renewal

compared to

depreciation

57.54% 66.43% 70.30%

Retired in

2020

This measure was replaced by asset renewal and upgrade

compared to depreciation in 1 July 2019.

Asset renewal

and upgrade

compared to

depreciation

New in 2020 New in 2020 103.26%

106.99%

The increase reflects the increased expenditure on renewal and

upgrade to capital works in 2021-2022.

Loans and

borrowings

compared to

rates

42.08% 39.60% 39.50%

54.25%

The 2020-2021 result has increased due to the borrowing of $33

million to fund capital works. The forecasted figures are projected

to reduce with the repayments of the loans.

Loans and

borrowings

repayments

compared to

rates

2.98%

2.90%

21.30%

4.93%

The previous year reflects the payout of an interest only loan

that was due in 2019-2020 and refinanced in the same year. The

2020-2021 and forecasted figures reflect increase repayments

due to the new loan of $33 million in 2020-2021.

Non-current

liabilities

compared to own

source revenue

40.00% 20.75% 39.05%

52.11%

The 2020-2021 result has increased due to the borrowing of $33

million to fund capital works. The forecasted figures are projected

to reduce with the repayments of the loans.

Operating

Position

Adjusted

underlying

surplus (or

deficit)

6.15%

9.60%

2.22%

2.84%

The decrease in the forecast results reflects the effect of

COVID-19 on user fee income in the short term and the increase

of material and employee expenditure requirements.

Our Goal –

An Innovative

and Responsive

‘Community First’

Council

Services (continued)

(continued)

Our Goal –

An Innovative

and Responsive

‘Community First’

Council