2022-07-12 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                     12 JULY 2022


good governance supports Council to make decisions and to act in the best interests of the
community.

2.    Governance Framework

A key focus area in Council’s Corporate Plan 2017-2037 is to strengthen our Governance
Framework.3 In response, the Framework has been developed to provide our community and
Council with a strategic overview of our current governance practices, our commitment to
upholding integrity and to reinforce participation in good governance. Refer to Attachment 1.

The Framework is based on the local government principles outlined in section 4 of the Local
Government Act 2009 and sets out the systems and processes by which Council ensures that
it meets its obligations to the community. Therefore, all elected members and Council
employees must demonstrate a commitment to applying the governance principles when
undertaking the duties of their roles.

Within this context, the Framework articulates the various elements of good governance,
clarifies key roles between the political and administrative arms, and illustrates an appropriate
relationship between governance, risk management and organisational culture. In particular,
the Framework provides:

•     An outline of Council’s key governance commitments,
•     Council’s vision, values and culture and how they interact,
•     Clear definitions and delineation of the roles and respective responsibilities of the
      Council, Elected Members, the CEO and employees,
•     Current effective governance arrangements, and
•     Requirements for ethical leadership, decision-making and accountability.

The Framework has been independently reviewed by external consultants who support the
adoption of this Framework to deliver best practice in this area. The Framework has also been
reviewed by key internal stakeholders and the Executive Team before it was presented to the
Councillors in a Councillor Workshop on 26 May 2022.

3.    Implementation strategy

The Framework will be implemented through a staged approach by the Governance Branch
which will include, but not limited to, the following:
•    Mandatory training and awareness in respect of the Framework for all Council
     employees via an online training module.
•    Incorporation of the Framework in mandatory induction programs for councillors and
     Council employees on the critical and most pertinent aspects of the Framework.
•    Incorporation of elements of the Framework in Council’s Employee Code of Conduct
     training to reinforce good governance practices.

While the Framework will provide guidance for councillors and Council employees, it will be
made available to the general public through the Council website to ensure that Council is
open, transparent and accountable in respect of its governance practices.

It is also important to note that the Framework is a dynamic document that will be periodically
reviewed and updated to reflect current practices. As such, any key changes made to the
Framework will be presented to Council for adoption.

3 Corporate Plan 2017-2037, Theme 5, Key focus area 12, p. 14.


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