The September Meeting of Council endorsed the exhibition of a new Committees’ Policy and Framework that proposes sweeping reforms to the existing structure and the amount of information considered by Council Meetings. The exhibition period will commence Monday 10 October and run until 14 November.

“Council has operated with numerous committees for some time and while these committees have provided valuable input into Council’s operations, the feedback we have received is that it was time for a review,” says Jessica Rippon, Director Environmental Services.

“A review of committees also needs to occur as part of a new Council being formed. Staff therefore took the opportunity to rethink the number and purpose of our committees to ensure they were operating efficiently and supported Council’s strategic direction.”

Community members involved with various committees and organisations The Bugle spoke to were reluctant to comment publicly on the new structure as they are still trying to work out what is involved and the implications for community participation.

After analysing what other councils do, staff strongly recommended just five Advisory Committees, with standard formats, in addition to the legislated Audit, Risk & Improvement Committee and Traffic Committee, and two Committees of Council.

“Creating a committee structure that supports the delivery of the Community Strategic Plan is seen as a positive new approach which could more broadly align Council’s strategic direction with opportunities for community input and advice,” says Ms Rippon.

Storyboards were used during the development of the Community Strategic Plan consultations

The recommendation is for one of these Committees of Council, made up of all councillors and able to make decisions, to be a new Planning and Development Committee.

This Committee would meet monthly and solely deal with planning and development matters. This would include the determination of significant development applications, the endorsement of recommendations to the Southern Regional Planning Panel and the endorsement of strategies and planning instruments.

Its meetings will be open to the public except when there is a need to be confidential.

The other Committee of Council would be the Performance Review Committee, which would deal with senior staff employment arrangements in closed session.

The five Advisory Committees would bring together a number of longstanding committees (such as the Cultural Board and the Kiama Walking Tracks and Cycleways Committee) under their umbrella:

• Community and Culture Advisory Committee
• Environmental Management and Sustainability Advisory Committee
• Tourism & Economic Development Advisory Committee
• Connected and Liveable Community Advisory Committee
• Finance Advisory Committee.

For example, the proposed purpose of the Community and Cultural Committee is to ‘provide expert advice on the development, implementation, and monitoring of the following’ (through project reference groups if deemed necessary):

• arts & culture strategy
• youth engagement strategy and action plan
• open space and recreation strategy
• companion animals management strategy
• First Nations cultural heritage strategy
• heritage review projects.

The meetings of all the Advisory Committees would generally be open to the public, and any recommendations would need to be reported to an Ordinary Council meeting for formal decision making/ratification.

Membership of each Advisory Committee is outlined in detail in the draft document, and generally include councillors, community representatives (including special mention of youth and Aboriginal representatives), community and government organisations and other specialist input.

The reforms also extend to the existing Precinct structure, including that they are no longer referred to as advisory committees and that councillors are excluded from being able to vote at the meetings.

The Minnamurra Progress Association's Meet the Candidates event

It is proposed that the Minutes of the Precincts no longer be included in Council’s Business Papers, and that any recommendations should be made to the appropriate decision making body.

Resident/ratepayer associations not currently operating under the precinct system – ie the Jamberoo Valley Ratepayers & Residents Association, Minnamurra Progress Association and KAPA (a united precinct group) – will not be recognised under the new system, and are encouraged to become precincts.

Feedback on the draft policies and guidelines are welcome via the ‘Have your say’ page of Council’s website from 10 October to 14 November.

In the interim, the draft is available from p304 in Council's September Business Paper (download the Agenda, best not to access via phone).