2016-07-18 General Committee Meeting Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                        18 JULY 2016


2015/16 – A YEAR IN REVIEW
Corporate Plan Priority 1 - A financially sustainable Council
We will make sure that our Council is financially sustainable in both the short and long term. This
will entail a focus on strong budget control and good long term planning.

Key achievements include:
 Developing the 2015/16 budget based on a build from base budget methodology which
   examines every cost on its merits. The same methodology was used during the past year to
   develop the 2016/17 budget. The Queensland Treasury Corporation is now using Noosa
   Council as a case study as it promotes the use of build from base budgeting to other
   Councils.
 The use of the build from base budget methodology has allowed Council to minimise general
   rate increases. We applied a 0% general rate increase in 2014/15, a 1.3% general rate
   increase in 2015/16 and a 1.9% general rate increase in 2016/17. This is the lowest
   cumulative general rates increase in Councils across SEQ in that period.
 The finalisation of the 2015/16 financial statements is still underway but we will exceed our
   operating surplus budget projection. Revenue is above budget and expenditure is below
   budget resulting in a greater operating surplus for Council than budgeted. Details of the full
   financial year result will be reported to Council separately.
 Council re-adopted its Financial Sustainability Policy on 29 June 2016. This policy reinforces
   Council’s determination 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 currently on track to do so.
 Reporting formats for monthly and quarterly financial reports to Council have been reviewed
   with improved performance graphs. Detailed capital works reports were also provided
   separately to keep a focus on progress with the Capital Works Program which had a much
   higher completion rate than previous years (see priority 4 for further details).
 Council continued to receive positive Queensland Audit Office results. We received an
   unqualified audit sign off for the 2014/15 financial statements and the interim 2015/16 audit
   conducted in early 2016 identified no significant issues that needed to be addressed. The
   Audit and Risk Committee continued to monitor our approach to managing risk and
   compliance with governance obligations.
 Our continuous improvement program resulted in reviews being completed for Local Laws,
   Libraries, Noosa Aquatic Centre, and Property & Facilities resulting in over 50
   recommendations that will contribute to efficiencies and improvements in delivery of these
   services. A review was also undertaken of corporate overheads to ensure costs are
   equitably distributed.

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 is continuing improvement in the management of our front line phone interface with our
   customers. Shortly after our establishment, too many customers were waiting too long on
   hold to have their phone calls answered. This has steadily been improving over the last two
   years with 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. In July 2014, average wait times were above
   75 seconds but during 2015/16, they were on average below 60 seconds.

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