IPSWICH
CITY
COUNCIL
AGENDA
of the
Communities Committee
Held in the Council Chambers
2nd floor – Council Administration Building
45 Roderick Street
IPSWICH QLD 4305
On Tuesday, 22 October 2019
At 10.30 am or within any period of time up to a maximum of 10 minutes after the conclusion of the Growth and Infrastructure Committee.
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MEMBERS OF THE Communities Committee |
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Interim Administrator Greg Chemello (Chairperson) |
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Communities Committee Meeting Agenda |
22 October 2019 |
Communities Committee AGENDA
10.30 am or within any period of time up to a maximum
of
10 minutes after the conclusion of the Growth and Infrastructure Committee, on Tuesday, 22
October 2019
Council Chambers
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Item No. |
Item Title |
Page No. |
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1 |
Community Donations Report |
7 |
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2 |
Triennial Grants Program |
12 |
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3 |
Young Performing Artists Bursary |
30 |
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4 |
Community Meeting Rooms and Printing Requests |
33 |
** Item includes confidential papers
Communities Committee NO. 10
22 October 2019
AGENDA
1. Community Donations Report
This is a report providing detail about the year to date allocation of community donations, as at 31 August 2019 (Attachment 1), and providing a summary of these community donations by recipient type, (Attachment 2).
Recommendation
That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:
That the report be received and the contents noted.
2. Triennial Grants Program
This is a report concerning the allocation of funds through the Triennial Grants Program for 2019-2020.
Recommendation
That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:
That Council (Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council) approve triennial funding of:
$8,461.02 (excl GST) Year 1 2019-2020
$4,465.79 (excl GST) Year 2 2020-2021
$2,307.27 (excl GST) Year 3 2021-2022
to Multicultural Australia Limited to support the Balance Project.
3. Young Performing Artists Bursary
This is a report concerning the allocation of funds through the Young Performing Artists Bursary Program for 2019-2020.
Recommendation
That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:
That Council (Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council) approve funding of $700.00 (ex-GST) to Allstar Dance, towards the cost of attending workshops and participating in three (3) performances in Disney Florida, as outlined in the report by the Community Grants Coordinator dated 23 September 2019.
4. Community Meeting Rooms and Printing Requests
This is a report concerning the provision of meeting rooms and printing which were previously provided through divisional offices.
Recommendation
That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:
A. That Council continue to provide free meeting spaces in Ipswich Libraries and consideration be given that Ipswich Libraries’ meeting rooms be available beyond business hours.
B. That with the exception of ANZAC Day program printing requests, Council encourage organisations to move to electronic distribution of information. For those organisations that require printing, self-serve printing facilities will continue to be available at Ipswich Libraries.
** Item includes confidential papers
and any other items as considered necessary.
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Communities Committee Meeting Agenda |
22 October 2019 |
ITEM: 1
SUBJECT: Community Donations Report
AUTHOR: Community Grants Coordinator
DATE: 10 September 2019
This is a report providing detail about the year to date allocation of community donations, as at 31 August 2019 (Attachment 1), and providing a summary of these community donations by recipient type, (Attachment 2).
That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:
That the report be received and the contents noted.
There are no known related party matters associated with this report.
Caring for the Community and Listening, Leading and Financial Management
Through the provision of community donations, Ipswich City Council seeks to support the role of community organisations and recognise the significant role they play in developing and delivering initiatives that encourage participation in community life, foster social cohesion, celebrate diversity, and contribute to a vibrant, healthy and sustainable city.
The Community Donations Program allows for funds to be allocated to not-for-profit community organisations for community purposes and supports community organisations to deliver initiatives that address identified local community needs.
Management and Coordination of the Community Donations Program
The Community Development Branch manages the receipt, assessment and allocation of funding applications received through the Community Donations Program in accordance with the Community Donations Policy and associated Administrative Guidelines.
This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:
Local Government Act 2009 and Local Government Regulation 2012
Specifically, section 109 of the Local Government Act 2009 provides local governments with the ability to utilise discretionary funds in accordance with the requirements prescribed under the Local Government Regulation 2012.
Section 202 of the Local Government Regulation 2012 prescribes a number of requirements for –
a) a local government for making discretionary funds available; and
b) a councillor for using discretionary funds.
Discretionary funds allocated are required to be publically reported under section 202 of the Local Government Regulation 2012.
There are no risk management implications associated with this report.
Within the Community Development Branch, the Community Grants Team is responsible for the management and coordination of Council’s Community Donations Program and Community Grants and In-Kind Assistance Program. The Community Grants Team is a team of two (2) full-time staff.
Funding for the provision of community donations is contained within the Community Engagement Branch 2019-2020 financial year budget.
There are no additional resourcing or budget implications associated with this report.
The contents of this report did not require any community consultation.
Applications for funding through the Community Donations Program are assessed in accordance with the eligibility criteria and assessment process outlined in the Community Donations Policy and associated Administrative Guidelines.
This report provides detail about the allocation of community donations for the 2019-2020 financial year up to 31 August 2019 (Attachment 1), and provides a summary of these community donations by recipient type (Attachment 2).
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1. |
Community Donations Report August 2019 ⇩ |
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2. |
Community Donation Recipient Type ⇩ |
Josie Berry
Community Grants Coordinator
I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.
Abbey Richards
Community Engagement Manager
I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.
Ben Pole
General Manager - Community, Cultural and Economic Development
“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”
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Communities Committee Meeting Agenda |
22 October 2019 |
ITEM: 2
SUBJECT: Triennial Grants Program
AUTHOR: Community Grants Coordinator
DATE: 10 September 2019
This is a report concerning the allocation of funds through the Triennial Grants Program for 2019-2020.
That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:
That Council (Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council) approve triennial funding of:
$8,461.02 (excl GST) Year 1 2019-2020
$4,465.79 (excl GST) Year 2 2020-2021
$2,307.27 (excl GST) Year 3 2021-2022
to Multicultural Australia Limited to support the Balance Project.
Multicultural Australia Limited manages the Redbank Plains Community Centre which is owned by Council. Council entered into a lease agreement with Multicultural Australia Limited in 2018 and the organisation manages the day-to-day operations of the community centre in accordance with a Management Agreement. Ipswich City Council and Multicultural Australia Limited have, and continue, to collaborate on a multi-year Social Impact Assessment for the Community Centre.
Caring for the Community and Listening, Leading and Financial Management.
Triennial Grants support community organisations to pilot or trial innovative programs that address gaps in services within the Ipswich community. Triennial Grants are allocated over a three year period and designed to support community organisations to attract further ongoing funding to assist the initiative to become sustainable.
Council undertakes one (1) funding round per financial year for Triennial Grants, with maximum funding amounts over three years as follows:
Year 1 - Maximum funding of up to $10,000
Year 2 - Maximum funding of up to $5,000
Year 3 - Maximum of funding of up to $2,500
The Triennial Grants Program is promoted through various channels including social media, Council’s website, grant writing capacity building workshops and Council’s email networks.
Applications for Triennial Grants opened on 1 July and closed on 31 July 2019. Council received one (1) eligible application. In line with the Community Grants and In-Kind Assistance Program Procedure, eligible applications were independently assessed and scored by a panel of three (3) Council staff, against weighted criteria, (as detailed within the Community Grants and In-Kind Assistance Program Applicant Guidelines – see attachment 1).
Applicants are required to provide quotes for items for which funding is sought for the first year. Applications which do not include quotes are ineligible.
The Triennial Grant application requires applicants to outline expected milestones for each year and methods of evaluation. Successful applicants will receive the first year’s approved allocation. At the end of 12 months and 24 months, recipients will be required to provide a report detailing the progress of the program against the expected milestones outlined within the original grant application, budget to date and proof of expenditure. Funding for years 2 and 3 will not be released until the progress reports have been approved. At the end of year 3, Triennial Grant recipients are required to provide a full acquittal report.
Multicultural Australia Limited
Multicultural Australia Limited manages the Redbank Plains Community Centre. The Centre’s goal is to make a meaningful impact to the Redbank Plains community, through creating opportunities, reducing social isolation and developing a sense of community. Multicultural Australia Limited has identified a need for meaningful youth activities and well-being programs for young people in Redbank Plains and surrounding areas, as a result of the Social Impact Assessment undertaken collaboratively with Ipswich City Council.
Multicultural Australia Limited has sought funding through the Triennial Grants Program to support the Balance Project, a six week capacity building program for young people aged 11 to 25 years. The Balance Project activities will include hands-on nutrition based cooking classes and a boot camp style exercise program. The program will be facilitated at the Redbank Plains Community Centre during school terms from 2020-2023 and aims to build peer relationships, engage participants and their families with the local community centre, develop confidence and provide life-skills to support a balanced lifestyle. Multicultural Australia Limited will facilitate four (4) Balance Projects per year (a six-week program each school term), and will investigate alternative funding sources to enable continuation of the program.
A number of organisations are involved in the delivery of this project including the Ipswich Hospital Foundation, Good Start Program, Goodna Youth Service, Ipswich Community Youth Service, Sudanese Australian Lost Boys and Girls of South Sudan, Mustard Seed Church and Tatau Fitness.
The total cost of the Balance Project is $42,060 over the three (3) year period, from February 2020 to December 2022. In line with eligibility criteria, Multicultural Australia Limited is eligible to be considered for triennial funding as outlined below:
Year 1 $ 8,461.02
Year 2 $ 4,465.79
Year 3 $ 2,307.27
Total $15,234.08
Based on the scores allocated by the Grants Panel, it is recommended that Council approves 100% of the funding requested by Multicultural Australia Limited, to a total of $15,234.08.
This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:
Local Government Act 2009 and the Local Government Regulation 2012.
There are no risk management implications associated with this report.
Within the Community Engagement Branch, the Community Grants Team is responsible for the management and coordination of Council’s Community Donations Program and Community Grants and In-Kind Assistance Program. The Community Grants Team is a team of two (2) full-time staff.
Funding for the provision of Triennial Grants is contained within the Community Engagement Branch 2019-2020 financial year budget.
There are no additional resourcing or budget implications associated with this report.
As part of their application Multicultural Australia advises that since May 2018 they have been engaging with the local community through informal engagement, their visitor login system and their joint Social Impact Assessment with Ipswich City Council to assess the gaps to services and needs of the community. They have identified a need for meaningful youth activities and well-being programs for young people in Redbank Plains and surrounding areas.
Through engagement with local youth services, including the Goodna Youth Services, the Base Youth Agency, Ipswich Child and Youth Services and The Good Start Program they have been encouraged to facilitate programs that engage and develop key life-skills for young people in the area. They have been advised that after school hour programs would be a desirable referral pathway.
Their application also included a letter of support from the Ipswich Hospital Foundation.
Applications for funding through the Triennial Grants Program are assessed in accordance with the eligibility criteria and assessment process outlined in the Community Grants and In-Kind Assistance Policy and associated guidelines.
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1. |
Community Grants and In-Kind Assistance Program Guidelines
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Josie Berry
Community Grants Coordinator
I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.
Abbey Richards
Community Engagement Manager
I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.
Ben Pole
General Manager - Community, Cultural and Economic Development
“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”
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Meeting Agenda |
22 October 2019 |
ITEM: 3
SUBJECT: Young Performing Artists Bursary
AUTHOR: Community Grants Coordinator
DATE: 23 September 2019
Executive Summary
This is a report concerning the allocation of funds through the Young Performing Artists Bursary Program for 2019-2020.
Recommendation/s
That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:
That Council (Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council) approve funding of $700.00 (ex-GST) to Allstar Dance, towards the cost of attending workshops and participating in three (3) performances in Disney Florida, as outlined in the report by the Community Grants Coordinator dated 23 September 2019.
RELATED PARTIES
There are no related party matters associated with this project.
Advance Ipswich Theme
Caring for the Community and Listening, Leading and Financial Management.
Purpose of Report/Background
The Young Performing Artist Bursary was established in 1994 and offers young performing artists the opportunity to further develop their skills by providing financial assistance to attend workshops, and/or be involved in performances and competitions outside of the region.
Applicants may apply once per year for maximum funding of up to $500.00 per individual or $700.00 for group applications, from a total annual budget allocation of $4,000.00.
Allstar Dance
Allstar Dance seeks a Young Performing Artists Bursary towards costs associated with workshops and performances in Disney Florida, USA. In December 2019, Allstar Dance students will travel to the USA to attend dance workshops and performances in Disney Springs and Universal Studios.
Of the twenty dance students participating in this professional development opportunity, thirteen live in Ipswich.
The total cost of the project is $37,180.00. Some sponsorship has been confirmed and Allstar Dance continues to fundraise for this activity.
The application has been assessed as eligible against the criteria outlined in Council’s assessment criteria.
Legal/Policy Basis
This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:
Local Government Act 2009 and the Local Government Regulation 2012.
RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
There are no risk management implications associated with this report.
Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS
Within the Community Development Branch, the Community Grants Team is responsible for the management and coordination of Council’s Community Donations Program, Community Grants and In-Kind Assistance Program and Young Performing Artists Bursary Program. The Community Grants Team is a team of two (2) full-time staff.
There are no additional resourcing or budget implications associated with this report.
COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION
The contents of this report did not require any community or other consultation.
Conclusion
Funds for the provision of the Young Performing Artists Bursary Program are contained in the Community Development Branch 2019-2020 budget. Applications for funding through the Young Performing Artist Bursary are assessed against eligibility criteria. After Council approves the funding recommended in this report, funds of $3,300.00 will remain available for allocation under the Young Performing Artist Bursary Program for the remainder of the 2019-2020 financial year.
Josie Berry
Community Grants Coordinator
I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.
Abbey Richards
Community Engagement Manager
I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.
Ben Pole
General Manager - Community, Cultural and Economic Development
“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”
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Communities Committee Meeting Agenda |
22 October 2019 |
ITEM: 4
SUBJECT: Community Meeting Rooms and Printing Requests
AUTHOR: Community Grants Coordinator
DATE: 26 September 2019
This is a report concerning the provision of meeting rooms and printing which were previously provided through divisional offices.
That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:
A. That Council continue to provide free meeting spaces in Ipswich Libraries and consideration be given that Ipswich Libraries’ meeting rooms be available beyond business hours.
B. That with the exception of ANZAC Day program printing requests, Council encourage organisations to move to electronic distribution of information. For those organisations that require printing, self-serve printing facilities will continue to be available at Ipswich Libraries.
There are no related party matters associated with this project.
Caring for the community
Meeting Rooms
The Ipswich City Council’s divisional offices included meeting rooms which were made available to certain community organisations at no cost. At least 42 community organisations met regularly at the various divisional offices, many having done so for several years.
Following the closure of divisional offices in June 2019, council committed to provide meeting venues at no cost for affected organisations until the end of 2019.
Additionally, information was sought from five (5) Councils within South East Queensland regarding the availability of free meeting spaces for community organisations. The following information was obtained:
· All of the councils surveyed reported that library meeting spaces are available to community organisations at no cost;
· Most of the councils surveyed reported that non-library council venues were available for hire and community organisations could apply for fee reduction;
· All of the councils surveyed reported that Councillors do not have exclusive access to meeting spaces which could be made available to organisations at no cost;
· All of the councils surveyed reported that Councillors cannot have fees waived, but could advise community groups of the fee reduction policy.
A total of 42 organisations used divisional offices for meetings and Council was able to make contact with 37 of those groups. Of those:
· 16 groups made their own arrangements;
· 2 groups who initially indicated that they would need assistance, did not respond to subsequent Council correspondence;
· Council assisted 14 groups to arrange alternative meeting venues, and the venue hire fees are currently being charged to Council;
· 5 groups were unable to arrange meeting space due to unsuitable venue availability or lack of public liability insurance.
Council has undertaken a review of venues suitable for meeting space. Ipswich Libraries are the only facilities which have meeting rooms available free of charge, as outlined below:
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Springfield Central Library |
2 meeting rooms for 2 to 4 people 2 meeting rooms for 4 to 6 people 2 event spaces for up to 50 people |
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Ipswich Central Library |
2 meeting rooms for up to 10 people |
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Redbank Plains Library |
1 meeting room for up to 10 people |
Ipswich Libraries meeting rooms can be booked through an online booking system:
· Bookings can be made by any individual who has an Ipswich library card;
· Rooms are not available for perpetual use and bookings are open for up to 3 months in advance;
· Meeting rooms are available during library hours of operation. (Currently there is no after-hours access to library meeting rooms).
Council has identified a number of alternative meeting places (both Council and non-Council) which are available to community organisations. All of these venues have a charge associated with room usage, and are spread across the region.
It is recommended that organisations who are unable to afford venue hire costs be advised of the process to book meeting rooms at the Ipswich Library, Redbank Plains Library and Springfield Central Library.
Other Council venues available for hire include Queens Park Education Centre, Queens Park Croquet Hall, Blackstone Hall, Woodend Nature Centre and Kholo Gardens Function Centre. Organisations can hire these venues for 12 month periods, and the following fees apply:
· A key deposit of $45.00 (refunded on return of the key);
· Bond $460.00 (refunded after 12 months);
· A total annual fee of $450.00 if use is for more than 4 occasions over a 12 month period.
It should be noted that one community organisation which previously used the WG Hayden Humanities Centre to undertake their activities, has relocated and has exclusive use of the Woodend Nature Centre until May 2020.
Other community meeting spaces include community centres, local Churches, sporting and club halls. The details of these are listed below:
Community centres and neighbourhood houses:
· Community centres and neighbourhood houses are located at Leichhardt, Redbank Plains, Riverview, Goodna, Springfield Lakes, Karalee, Camira, Gailes and Rosewood;
· Some meeting rooms available for hire (fee per hour or per meeting);
· Key deposit and bond often required for recurrent bookings;
· Applicants must have public liability insurance.
Local Churches, sporting and club halls:
· Some meeting rooms available for hire (usually per hour);
· Key deposit and bond often required for recurrent bookings;
· Wide variance in terms and conditions related to hireage;
· Church halls typically unavailable on weekends;
· Applicants must have public liability insurance.
Community organisations can apply for financial support from Council to support venue hire for one off community events or programs, however the financial support is not available for ongoing costs of venue hire year on year.
Organisations currently being supported by Council will be provided a list of alternative meeting venues, noting that apart from the Ipswich Libraries, all venues will have fees associated with hire. Organisations will also be reminded that Council will cease to pay venue hire costs as at 31 December 2019.
Printing
Ipswich City Council divisional offices were each equipped with a multifunction printer, which was available at no cost to certain community organisations. This arrangement had been in place for many years and a breakdown of printing costs across all divisional offices for the 2017-2018 financial year follows:
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Metered per page Fuji Xerox charge (higher for colour than black and white) |
$45,880.08 |
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Paper costs |
$ 7,871.25 |
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Staples |
$ 356.81 |
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Total Cost |
$54,108.14 |
While meterage measured cannot differentiate between general office and community printing jobs, advice received from some former electorate officers suggested the community printing likely accounted for over 90 per cent of total printing. A breakdown of print jobs undertaken supports this.
Divisional offices supplied significant printing at no cost to community organisations and individual residents. This included regular newsletters, event flyers and posters, meeting minutes and agendas, seasonal printing, ANZAC Day material and other ad hoc requests.
Council is currently offering an interim printing service to the community organisations who had previously utilised the divisional offices for their printing needs, until the end of 2019.
Information was sought from five (5) Councils within South East Queensland regarding availability of printing to the community. Advice provided included:
· None of the councils surveyed provide regular, high volume, no cost printing to community organisations;
· Community organisations in other local government areas can access local libraries for printing services for a fee.
Feedback received from community organisations who relied on divisional offices for printing included:
· Some community organisations cannot afford printing fees and would need to reduce or cease printing;
· Organisations responsible for annual community memorial events such as Anzac Day may be unable to provide printed materials for attendees
A review of the types of printing undertaken indicates that the larger volumes of printing are for monthly Neighbourhood Watch newsletters. The Neighbourhood Watch Queensland website provides resources for committees, including a built-in tool to create newsletters which can then be posted as an article on the NHWQ blog site and sent to local Neighbourhood Watch email distribution lists.
It is recommended that Neighbourhood Watch groups in Ipswich who were previously reliant on Council for printing, be encouraged to use the resources available on Neighbourhood Watch Queensland’s website, including moving to online newsletters and electronic distribution of information. For those groups who wish to continue printing hard copies of newsletters, it is recommended that they be referred for assistance to the Ipswich Crime Prevention Programs Unit (Queensland Police Service), who manage the local Neighbour Watch program.
Divisional offices previously supported some local community organisations who carried out ANZAC Day commemorative services, by printing ANZAC Day programs. As one of Australia’s most important national commemorative occasions, it is recommended that Council continue to support the requests from local community organisations for printing ANZAC Day programs through the Smarty Sheet community printing program. This is an online program delivered by the Ipswich Library Service.
With the exception of printing required for ANZAC Day services, it is recommended that the community organisations who were previously reliant on divisional offices for printing, be encouraged to distribute their information by email. This is an efficient option and reduces waste. However if they wish to continue to provide hard copies, Ipswich Libraries will continue to provide facilities for self-service printing.
This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:
Local Government Act 2009 and Local Government Regulations 2012
The recommendations outlined in this report ensure that all community organisations receive the same level of support from Council. The risks associated with continuing to provide free meeting spaces or printing services to a select few community organisations, includes unfair advantage and lack of transparency.
Additionally, provision of exclusive use of Council facilities reduces the number of affordable meeting spaces available to other community organisations. Consistency in management of bookings of Council venues will ensure all community organisations receive the same opportunities and levels of service from Council.
Funding for the provision of printing for ANZAC Day programs will need to be considered in Council’s budget process.
There are no additional resourcing or budget implications associated with this report.
Content of this report was contributed by internal stakeholders including Ipswich Libraries, Council’s Customer Services Section and the Executive Services Branch.
The provision of free meeting space and printing services has not been available to all community organisations, that is, these services were not publically advertised.
Community organisations who were previously provided these services will be provided information by Council of alternative options for meeting spaces and distribution of information.
Josie Berry
Community Grants Coordinator
I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.
Ben Pole
General Manager - Community, Cultural and Economic Development
“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”
