2016-03-07 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                  7 MARCH 2016


 The Council has received a clean bill of health from the Queensland Audit Office for both of
   its audits to date. The Council has also established an Audit and Risk Committee (with
   external expertise). Although it is internally focussed, the Audit and Risk Committee play an
   important role in improving governance and has led to the development of the Enterprise Risk
   Management Framework.
 Council has bettered its forecast financial position for each of its adopted budgets. In other
   words, the Council has achieved better than forecast financial results.
 Council adopted a Financial Sustainability Policy on 29 June 2015. This sets the scene for
   Council to continue to apply good financial discipline and long term financial strategies to
   ensure that our early success in meeting prescribed financial ratios is maintained in the
   longer term. We are one of the few Councils in Queensland to have adopted a financial
   sustainability plan. The Council has also developed a 10 year financial model.
 Adoption of a range of financial policies to improve financial management practices including
   an Investment of Council Funds Policy and a Restricted Cash Policy.



Corporate Plan Priority 2 – Great Customer Service
It goes without saying that our community expects and deserves great customer service. We aim
to increase the number of online services available to our community. We also aim to respond to
our customers as quickly as possible and to provide personal friendly service.

Key achievements include:
 There has been a significant improvement in the management of our front line phone
   interface with our customers. At the beginning of 2014, too many customers were waiting too
   long on hold to have their phone calls answered. The introduction of “call back” facilities,
   better training for frontline customer service staff, the introduction of better information on
   answering queries, dedicated staff and good management of the customer service branch
   has seen a significant improvement from 2014. In July 2014, average wait times were above
   75 seconds but by June 2015, they were below 45 seconds. This improvement is continuing.
 Council has adopted a Customer Service Charter setting out the expected standards for our
   customers.
 Council has adopted a complaints process that allows customers to have complaints dealt
   with more efficiently and to allow for internal review of administrative decisions.
 Council continues to receive outstanding feedback from the community about customer
   service and services provided to the community generally. The two areas that received the
   most positive feedback were parks and gardens and frontline customer service.
   “I just wanted to give thanks to the staff who answer the phones at the council. I've only
   called a couple of times with queries, but both times the women answering were direct and
   helpful. Large companies could learn a lot from them.”
   “A Customer called as he wanted Council to know how “nice” it is to be connected to a human
   being and not an automated message service and for his enquiry to be dealt with within the
   call time.”
   “A Customer was impressed with Council’s quick response to a blocked drain. Request was
   acknowledged at 6.29am and staff were knocking on the customer’s door at 8am”




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