Item No.	Item Title	Page No.
1	Report - Audit and Risk Management Committee No. 2019(04) of 9 October 2019	12
2	Finalisation of Local Law Making Process	16
3	Media Policy	1013
4	Event Sponsorship Policy - Supporting Documentation Amendment	1040
5	Review of Policies - Corporate Services Department	1052
6	Christmas Closedowns and Service Provisions Over the Christmas Period	1144
7	Corporate Services Operational Report	1147
8	Monthly Performance Report - August 2019	1179
9	Overdue Rates and Charges for the period July - September 2019	1189
10	**Concession for General Rates - 1 Scott Street GOODNA QLD 4300	1198

Governance Committee NO. 10

22 October 2019

AGENDA

1. Report - Audit and Risk Management Committee No. 2019(04) of 9 October 2019

This is the report of the Audit and Risk Management Committee of 9 October 2019.

Recommendation

That the report of the Audit and Risk Management Committee of 9 October 2019 be received, the contents noted and the recommendations contained therein be adopted.

2. Finalisation of Local Law Making Process

This is a report concerning the Local Law Review which is a sub-project of Council’s Transformational Project 9 (Review Policies, Procedures, Local Laws and the Committee Process and associated reporting). Further public consultation was conducted for Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.3 (Commercial Licensing) and Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.3.1 (Commercial Licensing) with no submissions received. We now seek to finalise the Local Law making process, in accordance with the Local Government Act 2009 and Council’s Local Law making process Policy including the adoption of consolidated versions of all Council’s Local Laws and Subordinate Local Laws.

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

A. That it be noted that no submissions were received during the second public consultation period for the proposed Local Law amendments.

B. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.3 (Commercial Licensing) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

C. That Council propose to make Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law 3.1 (Commercial Licensing) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

D. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.1 (Administration) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

E. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.4 (Permits) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

F. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.5 (Parking) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

G. That Council propose to make Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.5.1 (Parking) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

H. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.6 (Animal Management) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

I. That Council propose to make Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.6.1 (Animal Management) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

J. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.7 (Local Government Controlled Areas and Roads) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

K. That Council propose to make Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law 7.1 (Local Government Controlled Areas and Roads) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

L. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.8 (Nuisances and Community Health and Safety) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

M. That Council propose to make Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.8.1 (Nuisances and Community Health and Safety) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

N. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.49 (Vegetation Management) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

O. That Council propose to make Subordinate Local Law No.49.1 (Protection of Important Vegetation) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

P. That Council adopt the consolidated versions of the amended Local Laws and Subordinate Local Laws, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

3. Media Policy

This is a report concerning a Media Policy which clearly outlines the expectations of elected representatives and staff of the organisation when dealing with the media and when managing owned channels.

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

A. That the policy titled “Media Policy” as outlined in Attachment 1, be adopted.

B. That the procedure titled “Media and Communications Procedure” as outlined in Attachment 2, be noted.

4. Event Sponsorship Policy - Supporting Documentation Amendment

This is a report concerning amendments to the Ticket/Invitation Allocation Standards document associated with the Event Sponsorship Policy adopted by Council at its meeting of 17 September 2019.

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the amendments to Ticket/Invitation Allocation Standards document and Ticket Allocation Justification Form as detailed in Attachment 2 be adopted.

5. Review of Policies - Corporate Services Department

This is a report concerning the review of policies relating to the functions of the Corporate Services Department undertaken in accordance with Council’s Policy and Procedure Management Framework adopted by Council on 16 July 2019.

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

A. That the policies detailed in Table 1, be repealed.

B. That the policies detailed in Table 2, be adopted.

TABLE 1

Name of Policy	Adopted at Council	Attachment Number
Voting Entitlements for Delegates and Representatives Policy	20 September 2006	1
Attestation Clause and Common Seal Policy	12 April 2006	2
Free Public Wi-Fi Policy	6 December 2016	3
Open Data Policy	27 June 2017	4
Attendance at Australian Defence Force Reserve Training and Activities Policy	14 September 2005	5
Bereavement Leave Policy	23 January 2017	6
Blood Donor Leave Policy	9 November 2010	7
Emergency Service Policy	23 August 1995	8
Employment of Ex-Apprentices Policy	23 August 1995	9
Flexible Working Hours Policy	23 August 1995	10
Higher Grade Pay Policy	23 August 1995	11
Interview/Selection Panel Policy	23 May 1995	12
Jury Service Policy	23 August 1995	13
Leave Without Pay Policy	23 August 1995	14
Medical Examinations Policy	5 September 2017	15
Paid Leave to Attend volunteer Citizen Forces Training Policy	23 August 1995	16
Prescription Safety Glasses Policy	23 March 2005	17
Sponsorship and Funding of Employee Sporting and Recreation Activities Policy	29 May 2018	18
Term Contract Policy	2 July 2003	19
Variations to Term Contract Policy	18 August 2004	20
Provision of Legal Assistance for Employees and Councillors Policy	29 January 2019	21
Company Directors Membership Costs Policy	1 November 2000	22
Floral Tributes Policy	27 March 2018	23

TABLE 2

Name of Policy	Attachment Number
Right to Information Policy	24
Information Privacy Policy	25
Dividing Fences Policy	26
Residential Tenancy of Council Properties Policy	27
Tenure for Telecommunications Infrastructure Policy	28
Property Acquisition and Disposal Policy	29
Early Property Acquisition Policy	30
Tenure over Council Property Policy	31
Tenure of Land for Agistment Purposes Policy	32
Provision of Information to Law enforcement Agencies Policy	33

6. Christmas Closedowns and Service Provisions Over the Christmas Period

This is a report concerning Council Christmas Closedowns and Service Provisions over the Christmas Period including nomination of the granted day off in accordance with the certified agreements.

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve to endorse:

A. That Council offices close from 1.00 pm Tuesday, 24 December 2019, re-opening Thursday 2 January 2020, except for staff providing emergency or essential customer services.

B. The respective closedown dates for each of the facilities and services listed in the table below.

7. Corporate Services Operational Report

This is a report concerning the operational performance and key activities undertaken by the Corporate Services Department for the period of 1 August 2019 to 30 September 2019.

Recommendation

That the report be received and the contents noted.

8. Monthly Performance Report - August 2019

This is a report concerning Council performance for the period ending 31 August 2019, submitted in accordance with section 204 of the Local Government Regulation 2012.

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the report be received and the contents noted.

9. Overdue Rates and Charges for the period July - September 2019

This is a report by the Recoveries Manager dated 2 October 2019 concerning rate arrears and rate collection statistics for the period July-September 2019.

Recommendation

That the report be received and the contents noted.

10. **Concession for General Rates - 1 Scott Street GOODNA QLD 4300

This is a report concerning a request for a concession for general rates from Goodna Youth Services Inc., for their property at 1 Scott Street, GOODNA QLD 4300.

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That a 100% concession for general rates, for the property at 1 Scott Street, GOODNA QLD 4300, owned by Goodna Youth Services Inc., be granted and backdated to 1 January 2019.

** Item includes confidential papers

and any other items as considered necessary.

Governance Committee

Meeting Agenda

22 October

2019

Item 1 / Attachment 1.

Audit and Risk Management Committee NO. 2019(04)

9 October 2019

Report of the Audit and Risk Management Committee

for the Governance Committee

MEMBERS’ ATTENDANCE: Dr Annette Quayle (Acting Chairperson and External Member); Greg Chemello (Interim Administrator), Robert Jones (Interim Management Committee)

MEMBER’S APOLOGIES: Graeme Stratford (Chairperson and External Member), Stan Gallo (Interim Management Committee)

OTHER ATTENDANCE: David Farmer (Chief Executive Officer), Jeff Keech (Acting General Manager – Corporate Services), Freddy Beck (Chief Audit Executive), Lisa Fraser (Queensland Audit Office), Patrick Flemming (Queensland Audit Office) and Tony Welsh (Interim ICT Management Support)

1. Report - Audit and Risk Management Committee No. 2019(03) of
28 August 2019

This is the report of the Audit and Risk Management Committee No. 2019(03) of
28 August 2019.

Recommendation

That the report be received and the contents noted.

2. Information Security Controls Remediation Works

This is a report providing an update on remediation work across a range of Information Security Controls requested by the Audit and Risk Management Committee at the 28 August 2019 meeting.

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the report be received and the contents noted.

3. Queensland Audit Office Closing Report

This is a report by the Queensland Audit Office concerning the Queensland Audit Office’s Report as at 4 October 2019.

“The attachment/s to this report are confidential in accordance with section 275(1)(h) of the Local Government Regulation 2012.”

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the report be received and the contents noted.

4. 2018-2019 Annual Financial Statements and 2018-2019 Management Representation Letter

This is a report concerning the 2018-2019 annual financial statements and 2018-2019 management representation letter.

“The attachment/s to this report are confidential in accordance with section 275(1)(h) of the Local Government Regulation 2012.”

Recommendation

The Audit and Risk Committee endorses the recommendations that the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolves:

A. That the 2018-2019 annual financial statements as detailed in Attachment 1 to the report of the Principal Financial Accountant dated 2 October 2019, including changes to the note disclosures as detailed in the memo from the Acting General Manager (Corporate Services) of 8 October 2019 tabled at the meeting (Item 6 of the minutes), be approved for certification by the Interim Administration and Chief Executive Officer.

B. That the 2018-2019 management representation letter as detailed in Attachment 2 to the report of the Principal Financial Accountant dated 2 October 2019 be approved for certification by the Interim Administration and Chief Executive Officer.

5. 2018-2019 Annual Financial Statement for Controlled Entities

This is a report concerning the 2018-2019 Annual Financial Statements and associated documents for the following controlled entities of Ipswich City Council (Council):

· Ipswich City Properties Pty Ltd

· Ipswich City Developments Pty Ltd

· Ipswich City Enterprises Pty Ltd

· Ipswich City Enterprises Investments Pty Ltd

“The attachment/s to this report are confidential in accordance with section 275(1)(h) of the Local Government Regulation 2012.”

Recommendation

That the Audit and Risk Management Committee resolve:

That the report of the Treasury Accounting Manager dated 3 October 2019 be received and the contents noted.

6. UPDATED CHANGES TO 2018-2019 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

This report by the Acting General Manager (Corporate Services) outlining recommended changes to the 2018-2019 financial statements included in the Agenda for the Audit and Risk Committee of 9 October following further review by the Queensland Audit Office and Committee members.

Recommendation

The Audit and Risk Committee endorses the recommendation that the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the suggested changes outlined in this report be made to the 2018-2019 financial statements for finalisation and certification.

6. NEXT MEETING

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 6 November 2019.

7. GENERAL BUSINESS

The Acting General Manager (Corporate Services) thanked the Queensland Audit Office for all their support and work with regards to the financial statements.

PROCEDURAL MOTIONS AND FORMAL MATTERS

The meeting commenced at 9.45am.

The meeting closed at 11.22am.

Governance Committee

Meeting Agenda

22 October

2019

Doc ID No: A5804498

ITEM: 2

SUBJECT: Finalisation of Local Law Making Process

AUTHOR: Policy Officer

DATE: 20 September 2019

Executive Summary

Recommendation/s

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

A. That it be noted that no submissions were received during the second public consultation period for the proposed Local Law amendments.

B. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.3 (Commercial Licensing) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

C. That Council propose to make Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law 3.1 (Commercial Licensing) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

D. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.1 (Administration) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

E. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.4 (Permits) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

F. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.5 (Parking) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

G. That Council propose to make Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.5.1 (Parking) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

H. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.6 (Animal Management) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

I. That Council propose to make Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.6.1 (Animal Management) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

J. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.7 (Local Government Controlled Areas and Roads) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

L. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.8 (Nuisances and Community Health and Safety) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

N. That Council propose to make Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.49 (Vegetation Management) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

O. That Council propose to make Subordinate Local Law No.49.1 (Protection of Important Vegetation) 2019, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

P. That Council adopt the consolidated versions of the amended Local Laws and Subordinate Local Laws, as attached to the report of the Policy Officer dated 20 September 2019.

RELATED PARTIES

There are no known related parties associated with this report.

No conflicts of interest were identified by any Council officer involved in this project.

Advance Ipswich Theme

Listening, leading and financial management

Caring for the community

Purpose of Report/Background

As per the report presented at the September Governance Committee, further public consultation was required for Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.3 (Commercial Licensing) 2019 and Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.3.1 (Commercial Licensing) 2019 due to amendments from the previous consultation period affecting anti-competitive provisions. No submissions were received during the second public consultation period which was conducted from 30 August 2019 – 20 September 2019. These two amended laws conclude the suite of amendments. As per Section 29 of the Act, Councils may decide their own processes for making local laws for which Ipswich City Council has done in its policy “Local Law Making Process” which is available on Council’s website. We now seek to finalise the Local Law review with the adoption of the consolidated version of the amendments to aid in readability.

During the consolidation of the Local Laws further typographical errors were found and have been amended as per the attached table prepared by McCullough Robertson Lawyers. This has resulted in the amending Local Laws and Subordinate Local Laws requiring amendment and adoption. To be clear, this report is seeking:

1. Recognition that no submissions were received on the second round of public consultation for Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.3 (Commercial Licensing) 2019 and Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.3.1 (Commercial Licensing) 2019.

2. Full adoption of all amending local laws and amending subordinate local laws (the laws that state what is being amended)

3. Full adoption of all consolidated local laws (the updated laws with amendments made).

Following approval of this report at the October full Council meeting the laws will be sent to the State Government for gazettal on 1 November 2019. On 1 November a copy of the laws will be sent to the Minister for Local Government and Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs for their records. The consolidated laws will be made available on Council’s website as of 1 November 2019.

Note: recommendations for the repealing of the below laws were adopted at the September 2019 Council meeting. A gazettal notice for their repealing will appear on 1 November 2019 also.

· Local Law 2 (Council Meetings) 2013

· Subordinate Local Law 2.1 (Council Meetings) 2013

· Local Law 25 (Extractive Industries) 2013

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

· Local Government Act 2009

· Local Government Regulation 2012

· Ipswich City Council Policy “Local Law Making Process”

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

The Transformation Project 9 (Review Policies, Procedures, Local Laws and the Committee Process and associated reporting) schedule requires amended local laws to commence prior to the end of the 2019 calendar year. Delays in approving the recommendations of this report will delay the commencement of the amended laws.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

Associated operational budgets for the Local Law Review are contained within Transformation Project 9 (Review Policies, Procedures, Local Laws and the Committee Process and associated reporting). Costs will now be primarily across business areas responsible for the implementation of the amendments.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

Consultation was undertaken with the public on amendments to the Commercial Licensing amending laws and there were no submissions received. Ongoing consultation has occurred with business areas across Council to ensure implementation of the new laws occurs appropriately.

Conclusion

Public consultation was undertaken for the outstanding Local Law and Subordinate Local Law amendments with no submissions received. We now seek to finalise the Local Law making process, in accordance with the Local Government Act 2009 and Council’s Local Law making process Policy by having all amending laws and amending subordinate laws adopted along with all consolidated laws.

Attachments and Confidential Background Papers

1.	Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.1 (Administration) 2019 ⇩
2.	Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.3 (Commercial Licensing) 2019 ⇩
3.	Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.3.1 (Commercial Licensing) 2019 ⇩
4.	Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.4 (Permits) 2019 ⇩
5.	Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.5 (Parking) 2019 ⇩
6.	Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.5.1 (Parking) 2019 ⇩
7.	Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.6 (Animal Management) 2019 ⇩
8.	Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.6.1 (Animal Management) 2019 ⇩
9.	Local Law (Amending) Local Law No. 7 (Local Government Controlled Areas and Roads) 2019 ⇩
10.	Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.7.1 (Local Government Controlled Areas and Roads) 2019. ⇩
11.	Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.8 (Nuisances and Community Health and Safety) 2019 ⇩
12.	Subordinate Local Law (Amending) Subordinate Local Law No.8.1 (Nuisances and Community Health and Safety) 2019 ⇩
13.	Local Law (Amending) Local Law No.49 (Vegetation Management) ⇩
14.	Subordinate Local Law No.49.1 (Protection of Important Vegetation) 2019 ⇩
15.	Local Law No.1 (Administration) 2013 ⇩
16.	Local Law No.3 (Commercial Licensing) 2013 ⇩
17.	Subordinate Local Law No.3.1 (Commercial Licensing) 2013 ⇩
18.	Local Law No. 4 (Permits) 2013 ⇩
19.	Local Law No.5 (Parking) 2013 ⇩
20.	Subordinate Local Law No.5.1 (Parking) 2013 ⇩
21.	Local Law No.6 (Animal Management) 2013 ⇩
22.	Subordinate Local Law No.6.1 (Animal Management) 2013 ⇩
23.	Local Law No.7 (Local Government Controlled Areas and Roads) 2013 ⇩
24.	Subordinate Local Law No.7.1 (Local Government Controlled Areas and Roads) 2013 ⇩
25.	Local Law No.8 - (Nuisances and Community Health and Safety) 2013 ⇩
26.	Subordinate Local Law No.8.1 (Nuisances and Community Health and Safety) 2013 ⇩
27.	Local Law No. 49 (Vegetation Management) ⇩
28.	Table of amendments ⇩

Candice Johns

Policy Officer

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Barbara Dart

Manager Performance

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Sean Madigan

General Manager - Coordination and Performance

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”

Governance Committee

Meeting Agenda

22 October

2019

Item 2 / Attachment 3.

PDF Creator

Governance Committee

Meeting Agenda

22 October

2019

Item 2 / Attachment 24.

PDF Creator

Governance Committee

Meeting Agenda

22 October

2019

Item 2 / Attachment 28.

PDF Creator

Governance Committee

Meeting Agenda

22 October

2019

Doc ID No: A5839448

ITEM: 3

SUBJECT: Media Policy

AUTHOR: Communications and Media Manager

DATE: 11 October 2019

Executive Summary

Recommendation/s

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

A. That the policy titled “Media Policy” as outlined in Attachment 1, be adopted.

B. That the procedure titled “Media and Communications Procedure” as outlined in Attachment 2, be noted.

RELATED PARTIES

There are no related party matters associated with this report.

Advance Ipswich Theme

Caring for the community

Purpose of Report/Background

The purpose of this policy is to:

· Provide clear direction on Councillor and staff rights and responsibilities in relation to media comment;

· Ensure that comments made to the public are consistent, well informed, timely, accurate and appropriate;

· Provide a coordinated, professional and consistent approach to media liaison and audience development;

· Clearly indicate council’s authorised spokespersons.

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Local Government Act 2009

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

Council has previously not had a formal Media Policy. This puts council at risk of not fully understanding the role of elected representatives and staff when identifying ways to best communicate with ratepayers and residents of the city. This is inclusive of how council identifies its organisational priorities, and how it activates a communication pipeline to effectively reach maximum audience.

There are legislative requirements which explain how content can be used. There are also state government-imposed guidelines about how elected representatives can utilise social media accounts. This Policy however, mitigates the risk of interpretation when determining the following:

· Who speaks on a particular issue;

· How issues are disseminated and discussed in the public domain;

· How media opportunities are identified and presented to elected representatives and staff.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

The Policy will be managed within existing budget.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

Council’s Executive Leadership Team has been consulted and supports the introduction of a Media Policy.

Initial consultation with the following councils on their current Policies and future media and communications strategies has been undertaken: Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Whitsunday Regional Council, Charles Sturt City Council, Adelaide City Council, Whyalla City Council, Logan City Council, Moreton Regional Council, Toowoomba Regional Council, Bundaberg Regional Council, Port Stephens Council, Bathurst Regional Council and City of Greater Geelong Council.

Conclusion

The endorsement of a Media Policy will provide clarity around roles and responsibilities in relation to council’s interaction with the media, audiences, and in particular residents and ratepayers.

This will allow council to further enhance awareness of council and community decisions, civic pride, growth, and ongoing issues which require discussion and engagement. It will allow council to effectively create awareness of these issues, and indeed build capacity for the community to effectively interact with council.

Attachments and Confidential Background Papers

1.	Media Policy ⇩
2.	Media and Communications Procedure ⇩

Simon Holt

Communications and Media Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Sean Madigan

General Manager - Coordination and Performance

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”

Governance Committee

Meeting Agenda

22 October

2019

Doc ID No: A5834167

ITEM: 4

SUBJECT: Event Sponsorship Policy - Supporting Documentation Amendment

AUTHOR: Business Improvement Officer

DATE: 9 October 2019

Executive Summary

This is a report concerning amendments to the Ticket/Invitation Allocation Standards document associated with the Event Sponsorship Policy adopted by Council at its meeting of 17 September 2019.

Recommendation/s

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the amendments to Ticket/Invitation Allocation Standards document and Ticket Allocation Justification Form as detailed in Attachment 2 be adopted.

RELATED PARTIES

There are no related parties associated with this report.

Advance Ipswich Theme

Caring for the community

Listening, leading and financial management

Purpose of Report/Background

The draft Event Sponsorship Policy was presented to the Governance Committee of
10 September 2019 for consideration.

The policy was adopted by Council on 17 September 2019 with discussion regarding some potential future amendments to the supporting document Ticket/Invitation Allocation Standards to improve the document’s ability to provide guidance, justification and a strong implementation of the standards.

Feedback from the Interim Management Committee was sought with an amended document now being presented as Attachment 2 of this report for consideration.

INCORPORATED CHANGES

The following changes have been made to the Standards document:

· Standard 1 - A line was added to articulate the purpose of staff attendance.

· Standard 2 – Examples of an appropriate guest list were added to define advocacy.

· Standard 4 – Information was added when the invitation relates to the CEO.

The title of the form was also amended to Ticket Allocation Justification Form.

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Local Government Act 2009

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

The review of this policy has been undertaken in accordance with council’s adopted Policy and Procedure Framework.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial or resource implications associated with this report.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

Feedback was sought and provided by the Interim Management Committee regarding the Ticket Invitation Allocation Standards following the September Council Meeting.

All recommendations provided have been integrated into the amendments.

Noting that the amendments have been made, the Interim Management Committee suggested no further changes were required to the policy or supporting standards.

The Interim Management Committee has suggested that Internal Audit include consideration of gifts and ticketing on their forward plan and the General Manager – Community, Cultural and Economic Development has confirmed this with the Chief Audit Executive.

Conclusion

Advice has been taken from the Interim Management Committee concerning amendments to the Ticket/Invitation Allocation Standards document.

Accordingly, the document has been amended and is provided to the Governance Committee for consideration.

Attachments and Confidential Background Papers

1.	Events Sponsorship Policy ⇩
2.	Ticket/Invitation Allocation Standards Document ⇩

Anne Eves

Business Improvement Officer

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”

Governance Committee

Meeting Agenda

22 October

2019

Doc ID No: A5798639

ITEM: 5

SUBJECT: Review of Policies - Corporate Services Department

AUTHOR: Business Improvement Advisor (Policy)

DATE: 24 September 2019

Executive Summary

Recommendation/s

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

A. That the policies detailed in Table 1, be repealed.

B. That the policies detailed in Table 2, be adopted.

TABLE 1

Name of Policy	Adopted at Council	Attachment Number
Voting Entitlements for Delegates and Representatives Policy	20 September 2006	1
Attestation Clause and Common Seal Policy	12 April 2006	2
Free Public Wi-Fi Policy	6 December 2016	3
Open Data Policy	27 June 2017	4
Attendance at Australian Defence Force Reserve Training and Activities Policy	14 September 2005	5
Bereavement Leave Policy	23 January 2017	6
Blood Donor Leave Policy	9 November 2010	7
Emergency Service Policy	23 August 1995	8
Employment of Ex-Apprentices Policy	23 August 1995	9
Flexible Working Hours Policy	23 August 1995	10
Higher Grade Pay Policy	23 August 1995	11
Interview/Selection Panel Policy	23 May 1995	12
Jury Service Policy	23 August 1995	13
Leave Without Pay Policy	23 August 1995	14
Medical Examinations Policy	5 September 2017	15
Paid Leave to Attend volunteer Citizen Forces Training Policy	23 August 1995	16
Prescription Safety Glasses Policy	23 March 2005	17
Sponsorship and Funding of Employee Sporting and Recreation Activities Policy	29 May 2018	18
Term Contract Policy	2 July 2003	19
Variations to Term Contract Policy	18 August 2004	20
Provision of Legal Assistance for Employees and Councillors Policy	29 January 2019	21
Company Directors Membership Costs Policy	1 November 2000	22
Floral Tributes Policy	27 March 2018	23

TABLE 2

Name of Policy	Attachment Number
Right to Information Policy	24
Information Privacy Policy	25
Dividing Fences Policy	26
Residential Tenancy of Council Properties Policy	27
Tenure for Telecommunications Infrastructure Policy	28
Property Acquisition and Disposal Policy	29
Early Property Acquisition Policy	30
Tenure over Council Property Policy	31
Tenure of Land for Agistment Purposes Policy	32
Provision of Information to Law enforcement Agencies Policy	33

RELATED PARTIES

There are no related parties associated with this report.

Advance Ipswich Theme

Caring for the community

Listening, leading and financial management

Purpose of Report/Background

The Corporate Services Department has recently undertaken a review of policies which fall within its functional responsibility in accordance with the adopted Policy and Procedure Management Framework.

This report seeks Council’s approval to repeal, amend and/or adopt policies relating to:

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE BRANCH

Corporate Governance consulted with the following stakeholders:

· Members of the Interim Management Committee for the Right to Information and Information Privacy policies.

· TP 13 – Return to Elected Representatives – Wade Wilson

· Tony Dunleavy - Legal

Six (6) policies relating to corporate governance have been identified for repeal and/or adoption as outlined below:

Policy	Decision Sought	Rationale for Decision	Attachment
Right to Information Policy	Adopt	Council currently does not hold a specific policy that addresses our position on the management to Right to Information matters.	24
Information Privacy Policy	Adopt	Council currently does not hold a specific policy that addresses our position on the management of Information Privacy matters.	25
Voting Entitlement for Delegates and Representatives Policy	Repeal	This Policy is not required under legislation and can more appropriately be addressed in the new Councillor Handbook currently being drafted.	1
Attestation Clause and Common Seal Policy	Repeal	Advice received from Council’s legal section is that there is no requirement to have this policy as Council does not execute documents under common seal. The attestation clauses for delegations are in accordance with the Local Government Act 2009 or the Local Government Regulation 2012.	2
Company Directors Membership Costs Policy	Repeal	This policy was created to pay the costs associated with previous Councillors/CEO and other senior managers who were directors of Council’s now defunct private companies. As these companies have now been wound up, it is considered that this policy is no longer required.	22
Floral Tributes Policy	Repeal	This policy has been replaced with an Administrative Directive.	23

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY BRANCH

Two (2) policies relating to Information and Communications Technology Branch have been identified for repeal as outlined below:

Policy	Decision Sought	Rationale for Decision	Attachment
Free Public Wi-Fi Policy	Repeal	To be repealed as a policy and redeveloped as an Administrative Directive.	3
Open Data Policy	Repeal	To be repealed as a policy and redeveloped as an Administrative Directive.	4

The Ipswich City Council Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Policy requires substantial re-write in light of changes to accountability for Knowledge & Information Management and to conform with new policy guidelines. New focus on InfoSec to be included. Will be re-issued November/December 2019.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE BRANCH

People and Culture Branch consulted the following stakeholders:

· Key senior employees and managers within People and Culture Branch

· General Manager (Corporate Services)

Sixteen (16) policies relating to People and Culture Branch have been identified for repeal and/or adoption as outlined below:

Policy	Decision Sought	Rationale for Decision	Attachment
Attendance at Australian Defence Force Reserve Training and Activities Policy	Repeal	Not required, as current policy wording is identical with clause 47 of the ICC Officers Certified Agreement 2018. The applicable clause is already supported by an existing procedure ‘Attendance at Australian Defence Force Reserve Training and Activities’. The existing procedure will be migrated and re-developed into new approved template.	5
Bereavement Leave Policy	Repeal	To be repealed and to be included in an overarching Administrative Directive under ‘Leave Entitlements’	6
Blood Donor Leave Policy	Repeal	To be repealed and to be included in an overarching Administrative Directive under ‘Leave Entitlements’.	7
Emergency Service Policy	Repeal	To be repealed and to be included in an overarching Administrative Directive under ‘Leave Entitlements’.	8
Employment of Ex-Apprentices Policy	Repeal	To be repealed as ex-apprentices are treated as contingency workers. Council is responsible for placement as per agreement with relevant apprenticeship provider agency.	9
Flexible Working Hours Policy	Repeal	To be repealed as policy is out of date and obsolete. It contains inaccurate information that is no longer applicable, as eligible employees who wish to participate in flextime are governed by the Local Government (Stream A) Award – State 2017. The flextime provisions are outlined in the ICC Officers Certified Agreement 2018.	10
Higher Grade Pay Policy	Repeal	To be repealed as policy is out of date and obsolete. Information relating to higher duties is contained in an existing procedure ‘Relief Arrangements Employees Relieving in Positions Covered by the Ipswich City Council Officer’s Enterprise Agreements (Higher Duties).	11
Interview/Selection Panel Policy	Repeal	To be repealed. Information on this current policy will be included in a recruitment manual that will be updated with greater clarity.	12
Jury Service Policy	Repeal	To be repealed and to be included in an overarching Administrative Directive under ‘Leave Entitlements’.	13
Leave Without Pay Policy	Repeal	To be repealed and to be included in an overarching Administrative Directive ‘Leave Entitlements’	14
Medical Examinations Policy	Repeal	To be repealed. It is not required, as there is an existing procedure called ‘Medical Assessment of Employees’ procedure.	15
Paid Leave to Attend Volunteer Citizen Forces Training Policy	Repeal	To be repealed as it relates and has same principles of the ‘Attendance at Australian Defence Force Reserve Training and Activities Policy’. It will be included in an overarching Administrative Directive under ‘Leave Entitlements’.	16
Prescription Safety Glasses Policy	Repeal	To be repealed and will be re-developed as a procedure	17
Sponsorship and Funding of Employee Sporting and Recreation Activities Policy	Repeal	To be repealed and will be re-developed as a procedure.	18
Term Contract Policy	Repeal	To be repealed. This policy refers to the payment of an incentive for senior contract employees to complete the full term of their contract. This is also commonly referred to as the accumulating funds or retention bonus. In the past this was used as a retention strategy due to competitive market conditions for key positions. Overtime, this retention bonus has been absorbed into the base salary of senior contract employees at the time of contract renewal. Currently, there are only three employees who retain the accumulating fund clause in their contract and this can be removed at an appropriate time.	19

Governance Committee

Meeting Agenda

22 October

2019

Variation to Term Contract Policy

Repeal

To be repealed, as this policy relates to the Term Contract Policy. It is not required as payment of incentives and retention bonuses are now being absorbed into the base salary for senior contract employees.

The Employee Development Advisory Committee Charter will be repealed. However, this is undergoing review with further consultation being sought. It will be included in a subsequent report.

The On Call at Home for Emergency Work Outside Ordinary Working Hours Policy may also be repealed, but further consultation will occur. Details of decision being sought will be made available in a subsequent report.

PROPERTY SECTION

Property Section consulted with the following stakeholders:

· Don Stewart – Manager, Community and Cultural Services

· Infrastructure and Environment Department – Infrastructure Strategy & Environment and Sustainability

· TP9 – Policies, Procedures and Local Laws

Seven (7) policies relating to Property Section have been identified for adoption as outlined below:

Policy	Decision Sought	Rationale for Decision	Attachment
Dividing Fences Policy	Adopt	Policy requires updated information to align with the Neighbourhood Disputes (Dividing Fences and Trees) Act 2011	26
Residential Tenancy of Council Properties Policy	Adopt	Council currently does not hold a specific policy that addresses our position on the management of residential properties held by Council.	27
Tenure for Telecommunications Infrastructure Policy	Adopt	Council currently does not hold a specific policy that addresses our position of managing Telecommunication leases.	28
Property Acquisition and Disposal Policy	Adopt	Council currently does not hold a specific policy that addresses our position on the Acquisition and Disposal of Council Land	29
Early Property Acquisition Policy	Adopt	The Policy required update regarding the parameters for an early acquisition and hardship criteria. The name of the policy has also been changed.	30
Tenure over Council Property Policy	Adopt	Council currently does not hold a specific policy that addresses our position of managing leasing and licencing over Council land.	31
Tenure of Land for Agistment Purposes	Adopt	Council currently does not hold a specific policy that addresses our position of managing tenure over Council land for agistment purposes.	32

Section 7 of the Property Acquisition and Disposal Policy was recently amended following the recommendation in the minutes of the Executive Leadership Meeting on 26 September 2019. The policy was amended to include the explicit legal requirements for the disposal of a Council asset.

LEGAL SERVICES

Legal Services consulted with the following stakeholders:

· CEO

· General Manager, Corporate Services Department

Two (2) policies relating to Legal Services have been identified for repeal and/or adoption as outlined below:

Policy

Decision Sought

Rationale for Decision

Attachment

Provision of Legal Assistance for Employees and Councillors Policy (“the Legal Policy”)

Repeal

The Legal Policy was introduced at the time a former Mayor and a former CEO had brought defamation against a resident.

Council has a “Councillors’ and Officers’ Liability” (C&O) policy with its insurer that covers actions or claims against Councillors’ and Officers’ resultant from the appropriate discharge of their duties. Council pays the premium for claims made under that policy. The Legal Policy was designed to pay any gap between what the C&O policy would allow for; and what the claimants chosen legal service provider would charge. It was also designed to ensure that a claimant would be covered whilst indemnity was being determined under the C&O policy, and in the case of indemnity being denied under the C&O policy.

It is considered that the C&O policy is sufficient and that Council need not indemnify its Councillors’ or Officers’ further than that which is provided for under the C&O policy. Further, Council’s C&O policy insurer has on occasions taken the view that Council is operating with ‘double insurance’ and suggested that may be considered an ‘exclusion’ to indemnity under the C&O policy.

Provision of Information to Law Enforcement Agencies

Amend

Amendment required to further define what “law enforcement agency” covers and clarify roles and responsibilities.

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Local Government Act 2009

Local Government Regulation 2012

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

The review of these policies has been undertaken in accordance with Council’s adopted Policy and Procedure Management Framework. Any delay in approving the recommendations of this report will potentially have adopted Policies inconsistent with Council Framework.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

The review of all policies associated with the functions of the Corporate Services Department are being managed as part of the department’s operational budget for
2019-2020.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

Consultation has been undertaken with relevant internal stakeholders in relation to the policies presented for repeal and/or adoption.

As the intent of those policies being presented for adoption to meet the requirements of the Policy and Procedure Management Framework has not changed, rather the change is administrative (template), external stakeholder consultation was not undertaken. However these policies will be reviewed within the next term of elected members and relevant external stakeholder consultation will occur at this time.

Conclusion

In accordance with Council’s adopted Policy and Procedure Management Framework, the Corporate Services Department have undertaken a review of policies relating to its functions which are presented for Council’s consideration.

Attachments and Confidential Background Papers

1.	Voting Entitlements for Delegates and Representatives Policy ⇩
2.	Attestation Clause and Common Seal Policy ⇩
3.	Free Public Wi-Fi Policy ⇩
4.	Open Data Policy ⇩
5.	Attendance at Australian Defence Force Reserve Training and Activities Policy ⇩
6.	Bereavement Leave Policy ⇩
7.	Blood Donor Leave Policy ⇩
8.	Emergency Service Policy ⇩
9.	Employment of Ex-Apprentices Policy ⇩
10.	Flexible Working Hours Policy ⇩
11.	Higher Grade Pay Policy ⇩
12.	Interview/Selection Panel Policy ⇩
13.	Jury Service Policy ⇩
14.	Leave Without Pay Policy ⇩
15.	Medical Examinations Policy ⇩
16.	Paid Leave to Attend Volunteer Citizen Forces Training Policy ⇩
17.	Prescription Safety Glasses Policy ⇩
18.	Sponsorship and Funding of Employee Sporting and Recreation Activities Policy ⇩
19.	Term Contract Policy ⇩
20.	Variations to Term Contract Policy ⇩
21.	Provision of Legal Assistance for Employees and Councillors Policy ⇩
22.	Company Directors Membership Costs Policy ⇩
23.	Floral Tributes Policy ⇩
24.	Right to Information Policy ⇩
25.	Information Privacy Policy ⇩
26.	Dividing Fences Policy ⇩
27.	Residential Tenancy of Council Properties Policy ⇩
28.	Tenure for Telecommunications Infrastructure Policy ⇩
29.	Property Acquisition and Disposal Policy ⇩
30.	Early Property Acquisition Policy ⇩
31.	Tenure over Council Property Policy ⇩
32.	Tenure of land for Agistment Purposes Policy ⇩
33.	Provision of Information to Law Enforcement Agencies Policy ⇩

Carol Dellit

Business Improvement Advisor (Policy)

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Angela Harms

Corporate Governance Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Jeffrey Keech

Acting General Manager - Corporate Services

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”

Governance Committee

Meeting Agenda

22 October

2019

Doc ID No: A5806694

ITEM: 6

SUBJECT: Christmas Closedowns and Service Provisions Over the Christmas Period

AUTHOR: Executive Support and Research Officer

DATE: 23 September 2019

Executive Summary

This is a report concerning Council Christmas Closedowns and Service Provisions over the Christmas Period including nomination of the granted day off in accordance with the certified agreements.

Recommendation/s

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve to endorse:

A. That Council offices close from 1.00 pm Tuesday, 24 December 2019, re-opening Thursday 2 January 2020, except for staff providing emergency or essential customer services.

B. The respective closedown dates for each of the facilities and services listed in the table below.

RELATED PARTIES

There were no related parties or declarations of conflicts of interest in this report.

Advance Ipswich Theme

Listening, leading and financial management

Caring for the community

Purpose of Report/Background

This report outlines the Christmas closedown period and the opening times for Council facilities and services.

All depots will remain operational throughout the Christmas period, with the exception of public holidays and the closedown day.

Facilities/Services	Operating Hours over Christmas Period
Customer Service Centre	Closed from 1pm 24 December reopening 2 January 2020
Visitor Information Centre	Closed 25, 26 of December 2019 and 1 January 2020
Riverview Community Centre	Closed from COB Friday 20 December 2019 reopening Monday 6 January 2020
Ipswich Art Gallery	Closed from Wednesday 25 December 2019 and reopening Thursday 2 January 2020
Libraries – Ipswich Central, Redbank Plains, Redbank Plaza, Springfield	Closed from 1pm 24 December reopening 2 January 2020
Civic Centre & Studio 188	Closed from 1pm 24 December 2019 reopening Monday 20 January 2020
Swim Centres – Bundamba, Leichardt, Goodna, Orion lagoon	Closed Christmas Day
Queens Park Nature Centre	Closed Christmas Day
Nerima Gardens	Closed Christmas Day
Nurseries – Queens Park, Goodna	Standard operating hours except closed on 25, 26 of December 2019 and 1 January 2020
Animal Management	Services will continue to operate over the Christmas period
Ipswich Pound	Closed 25, 26 of December 2019 and 1 January 2020
Ipswich Waste Services	Services will continue to operate over the Christmas period
Riverview Transfer Station	Closed Christmas Day
Rosewood Transfer Station	Closed Christmas Day
City Maintenance	Limited essential services from 12pm 24 December 2019 through to 30th December 2019. On call duty officers will be available to attend after hour emergencies during this period.
Fleet Services (Riverview Depot)	Continue normal hours (6am to 11:30 pm) for both day and afternoon shifts throughout closedown period except public holidays, where reduced resources work dayshift to support waste services from 5:30 am to until the last waste truck arrives back and any issues addressed.
Construction Services	Closed from Friday 13 December 2019 returning 6 January 2020

During this period, residents with urgent matters can call council on 3810 6666 and they will be connected to council's after hours and emergency service centre.

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Ipswich City Council Officers’ Agreement 2018

Ipswich City Council Local Government Employees’ Certified Agreement 2018

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

During the closedown period emergency and essential customer services will be maintained. Residents can call Council’s out of hours call centre with any urgent matters over the close down period.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications as a result of this report. All entitlements have been included in Council’s adopted budget.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

The following departments across Council were consulted in regards to closedowns and service provisions over the Christmas period:

Corporate Services, Community and Economic Development, Infrastructure and Environment, Planning and Regulatory Services. Each department advised of sections that were shutting down and require service provisions over the Christmas period.

The period of closedown and opening hours for Council’s various facilities will be communicated with the community.

Conclusion

This report outlines the proposed Christmas Closedowns for Council Offices, depots and Council operations. This also outlines the service provisions to be provided over the Christmas closedown period.

Erin Smith

Executive Support and Research Officer

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Jeffrey Keech

Acting General Manager - Corporate Services

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”

Governance Committee

Meeting Agenda

22 October

2019

Doc ID No: A5816573

ITEM: 8

SUBJECT: Monthly Performance Report - August 2019

AUTHOR: Business Accounting Manager

DATE: 27 September 2019

Executive Summary

This is a report concerning Council performance for the period ending 31 August 2019, submitted in accordance with section 204 of the Local Government Regulation 2012.

Recommendation/s

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the report be received and the contents noted.

RELATED PARTIES

There are no related party matters associated with this report.

Advance Ipswich Theme

Strengthening our local economy and building prosperity

Purpose of Report/Background

The attached report shows the financial results for whole of council for August. Inclusion of this report to the September Governance committee was not achievable due to the timing of the committee date and month end processes. The September performance report will be discussed at the Executive Leader Team (ELT) meeting on 24 October.

Overall the net operating results (excluding capital revenue) resulted in a deficit of $1.7m against a budget deficit of $3.7m. Operating Revenues was under budget by $642k whilst operating expenses were under budget by $2.7m.

Commentary and analysis of the results is included in the report. Items to note and have been previously mentioned:

· Detail of the revenue variance is included in the attached report and includes timing variances, effect of reduced growth 2018-2019 year, internal revenue under budget (offset with reduced expenses) and an error in the forecast of waste charges.

· The net rates and utilities variance has decreased from the previous month however as discussed in July is still impacted by lower growth in 2018-2019 and the budget removal of the waste service increase. We will continue to monitor rates and utilities charges and the underlying assumptions over the first two quarters to determine any impact from the risks outlined above to the full year revenue budget.

· Capital currently underspent in the construction and CBD Redevelopment primarily due to work commencing later than expected. No material budget implications were identified from this and the budget phasing will be reviewed.

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Local Government Regulation 2012

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

The implications of the financial results YTD will be monitored by management and any changes or risks to Council’s forecast position will be considered as part of Council’s budget amendments, including the above risks highlighted in relation to rates and utility charges.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

There are no specific financial implications as a result of this report.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

The contents of this report did not require any community consultation. Analysis and explanations of the variances is undertaken in conjunction with the various Departments.

Conclusion

The monthly performance report for August 2019 is included at Attachment 1.

Attachments and Confidential Background Papers

1.	Performance Report - August 2019 ⇩

Lavina Britton

Business Accounting Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Jeffrey Keech

Acting General Manager - Corporate Services

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”

Governance Committee

Meeting Agenda

22 October

2019

Doc ID No: A5824800

ITEM: 9

SUBJECT: Overdue Rates and Charges for the period July - September 2019

AUTHOR: Recoveries Manager

DATE: 2 October 2019

Executive Summary

This is a report by the Recoveries Manager dated 2 October 2019 concerning rate arrears and rate collection statistics for the period July-September 2019.

Recommendation/s

That the report be received and the contents noted.

RELATED PARTIES

There are no related party issues concerning this report.

Purpose of Report/Background

Overdue Rates and Charges:

Following the completion of the July-Sept 2019 rating period, the approximate balance of overdue rates and charges was $5,476,325 or 2.35% of the total rates. This represents a decrease in outstanding balances of $137,775 or 0.07% from the previous quarter.

A high level breakdown of the overdue rates and charges between residential, non-residential properties and highlighting the large arrears on two disputed properties is below:

Table 1

	# of Properties	Balance Outstanding $	% of Total
Residential	6,248	$3,423,893	63%
Non-Residential	170	$380,713	7%
2 Disputed Non-Residential Properties	2	$1,659,739	30%

Overdue Rates and Charges:

Table 1

	Yearly Levies	Arrears $ End of quarter	Arrears%	Total Assessments	Assessments in Arrears End of quarter	% in Arrears
June 2015	$175,942,886	$2,764,243	1.57	72,515	4,949	6.82
June 2016	$189,635,715	$3,034,312	1.60	75,207	5,090	6.77
June 2017	$205,419,598	$3,680,474	1.79	78,689	6,067	7.71
June 2018	$218,794,862	$4,929,782	2.25	82,232	6,089	7.40
June 2019	$231,646,878	$5,614,100	2.42	84,911	7,355	8.66
Sept 2019	$233,519,322	$5,476,325	2.35	85,845	6,441	7.59

The current rates arrears exceeding target are impacted by the following:

1. Two (2) properties have substantial arrears and are in dispute with Council. The rates arrears associated with these two properties represents 0.71% of the total yearly levies and account for 30.31% of the total rate arrears.

2. Since mid-2017 due in the most part to these two substantial properties transitioning from a regularly paid to an unpaid status, the percentage of accounts in arrears has deteriorated. If the two properties were removed from the rate arrears calculation, Council’s performance for the quarter would be 1.63% (leading practice for local government recoveries).

Background to the two remaining properties with substantial arrears:

· The two properties (represented as black in Chart 1 below) are the subject of a dispute between Council and the owners regarding the rates categories levied.

· The two properties (previously represented by blue in Chart 1 below) have now been finalised after the properties were sold and all arrears paid.

Chart 1

Arrears - Number of Assessments:

At the end of the July-September 2019 quarter, 6441 assessments remained in arrears.

Of those, 5434 or 84% assessments held balances outstanding of less than $1000, including 3187 or 49% with outstanding balances of less than $100.

Reminder Letters:

Table 3

Quarter	Reminder letters	$	Second letter	$
April - June 2015	8,634	$5,117,628	3,888	$2,320,978
April - June 2016	9,776	$5,767,789	4,247	$2,375,731
April-June 2017	11,102	$6,214,851	4,950	$3,023,858
April-June 2018	10,264	$6,566,455	5,561	$4,505,858
April-June 2019	11,387	$7,346,791	5,921	$4,208,937
July-September 2019	12,072	$7,944,841	5,205	$3,955,289

Further Analysis:

At the previous Governance Committee a request was made for further analysis to allow a greater understanding of the trends in rate arrears. The vast majority of properties in arrears are residential properties as highlighted above in Table 1 and have been the focus of this further analysis. As historical arrears data is augmented with relevant property data, further analysis will be undertaken in relation to both residential and non-residential properties and incorporated into future reports.

Chart 2 show the trends for the last six quarters in relation to Owner Occupied and Non‑Owner Occupied residential properties. The mix between Owner and Non-Owner properties in arrears is broadly similar to the mix in total properties. The data used in this chart excludes those properties with very large arrears and are the subject of disputes (referenced earlier in this report). This allows for a visual representation of the underlying trends for the typical Owner and Non‑Owner occupied residential properties.

Whilst personal circumstances are different for each ratepayer, the following is based on general feedback from ratepayers and how that relates to payment trends:

· Downward trend for the January-March quarter reflects the post-Christmas period and a greater capacity to pay;

· Downward trend for the July-September quarter reflects receipt of tax refunds;

· Upward trend for the October-December quarter, conversely reflects the lead into Christmas and a reduced capacity to pay.

Whilst the number of properties in arrears continues to be cyclical there is still upward trend which is also reflecting the total value of the arrears. This requires further analysis to understand what may be driving this trend.

Chart 2

The following Chart 3 shows the trend for the last six quarters in relation to Pensioner owned properties, including both Owner Occupied and Non-Owner Occupied residential properties, as well as a limited number of Primary Producer properties. The trend relating to pensioner owned properties are generally similar to that of the non-pensioner owned properties other than the last quarter where there continued to be a small increase. The 275 properties in the most recent quarter reflects 3.2% of total pensioner owned properties. This compares to 7.6% of total properties.

Chart 3

Table 3 is a combined list of: (1) the top 10 suburbs by number of properties within a Suburb with an outstanding balance; plus (2) the top 10 Suburbs by % of properties within a Suburb with an outstanding balance (noting that four suburbs appear on both lists).

Most of the suburbs listed display a similar trend with the exception of South Ripley which has been influenced by a single property owner who holds a number of properties with arrears. The top 10 suburbs by number of properties within a Suburb with an outstanding balance has remained same for the past five quarters.

Table 4

Legal Actions undertaken to recover Rates:

The following actions were commenced, or finalised on behalf of Council during the July‑September quarter 2019:

Action	Number	Value
New Claims Filed	55	$210,364
Filed Claims Paid in full prior to Judgement	22	$76,516
Defences Lodged	2	$7,834
Defences Resolved	0	$0
Defences under Legal Dept. Control	6	$461,672
Judgments Granted	45	$183,231
Sale of Land Resolutions	0	0
Rates paid prior to Auction during the quarter	0	$0
Properties Auctioned	0	0
Properties Sold at Auction	0	0
Properties purchased by Council at Auction	0	0

Planned Actions:

· Continue to apply collection strategies to non-owner occupied properties i.e. companies, trusts, vacant land, investment properties.

· Continue to apply collection strategies to habitual defaulters.

· Continued close maintenance of payment plans and escalation of breaches.

· Continued drive to liaise with banks and finance providers for payments in full.

· Further analysis to be undertaken to assist in understand emerging trends.

COMPARISON OF RATES ARREARS TO OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

The below table provides a comparison of the rates arrears ratios from a selection of Local Governments across Queensland. The information has been obtained from the Queensland Local Government Comparative Information for the 2017-2018 financial year as published on the Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs website. Please note that this information is not audited.

As can be seen from the comparative data, Ipswich’s rates arrears is one of the lowest in the state, currently at 2.35% (third best result), reflecting the continued efforts of the recoveries team to work with ratepayers over a number of years in paying rates owing.

Queensland Local Government Comparative Information 2017-2018

Table 5

Local Government	Rates arrears ratio - 2017-18	Rates arrears ratio - 2016-17
Brisbane City Council	1.9%	1.8%
Bundaberg Regional Council	3.3%	4.3%
Cairns Regional Council	8.5%	7.9%
Fraser Coast Regional Council	16.6%	17.3%
Gladstone Regional Council	12.1%
Gold Coast City Council	19.5%	19.0%
Gympie Regional Council	10.6%	10.1%
Ipswich City Council	2.3%	1.8%
Lockyer Valley Regional Council	6.3%	5.6%
Logan City Council	4.8%	4.6%
Mackay Regional Council	4.8%	5.4%
Moreton Bay Regional Council	2.6%	2.7%
Redland City Council	10.9%	10.1%
Rockhampton Regional Council	6.0%	6.1%
Scenic Rim Regional Council	3.7%	4.0%
Somerset Regional Council	10.6%	10.0%
Sunshine Coast Regional Council	1.4%	1.7%
Toowoomba Regional Council	4.2%	4.4%
Townsville City Council	6.2%	3.3%
Whitsunday Regional Council	11.9%	12.4%

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Local Government Regulation 2012

Conclusion

The target arrears percentage rate of 2.00% was exceeded by 0.35%, due to the impact of two properties with substantial rates arrears. An upward trend in the number of residential properties with an outstanding balance as well as the value of those outstanding balances continues to emerge, requiring further analysis.

Glen Wilson

Recoveries Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Paul Mollenhauer

Treasury Accounting Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Jeffrey Keech

Finance Manager

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”

1.	Rates Concession Policy ⇩

	CONFIDENTIAL
2.	Letter requesting Rates Concession