Representatives of several of the Community Councils met with reps for several ACT Government departments on 2 July to discuss better ways that the ACT Government could improve community engagement.

While ACTPLA has an effective model in the Planning and Development Forums (fora?), the level of engagement from other agencies has been variable.

Notes from the meeting follow.

A.C.T. COMMUNITY COUNCILS
Meeting with ACT Government

NOTES FROM MEETING

Attendees:

Neil Savery(chair), Vic Smorhun, ACTPLA
Kylie McKinley, Debbie Vidaic, Tony Gill, Territory and Municipal Services
Debra Burnett, Pam Jenkins, Michele Calen, Disability, Housing and Community Services
Alan Kerlin, Jonathon Reynolds, Gungahlin Community Council
Jochen Zeil and Len Crossfield, North Canberra Community Council
Stephen Bounds, Belconnen Community Council
Tim Dalton, Weston Creek Community Council

Apologies:

David Menzel and Gina Pinkas, Woden Valley Community Council
Rosemary and David Lissimore, Tuggeranong Community Council

1 Welcome and opening remarks (Neil Savery)

2 Issues raised by Community Councils:

Bulk insurance for Community Councils and member community associations(Jochen Zeil, Deputy Chair, North Canberra Community Council)

Mr Zeil raised this matter in the context of the high insurance premiums currently being paid by the Community Councils. Mr Zeil sought advice as to whether insurance arrangements can be modelled on the bulk insurance currently in place for Parkcare Groups across the ACT.

This suggestion was supported by the representatives of Community Councils present at the meeting, who advised that the current premiums take a large part of their councils’ recurrent funding.

ACTPLA had obtained information from Parks Conservation and Lands (TAMS), which indicated that bulk insurance arrangements maybe possible.

ACTPLA undertook to raise the issue with the ACT Insurance Authority and report back to the councils.

The importance of holding whole-of-government meetings with Community Councils (Rosemary Lissimore, Tuggeranong Community Council– prior to the meeting)

It was noted that regular meetings with Community Councils were held previously, however, this had been discontinued. The only regular meeting Community Councils have with the ACT Government is through the quarterly Minister for Planning/ACTPLA Planning and Development Forum meetings.

TAMS and DHCS representatives outlined engagement arrangements within their respective agencies. TAMS convenes a Community Advisory Group (CAG), which was established several years ago and includes representation from various community sector groups (information can be found at http://www.tams.act.gov.au/live/about_our_department/community_engagement ).

The Group is advisory in nature and exists to:

• provide information and advice about the community, that will help directly target community engagement activities to relevant audiences

• assist to analyse the most appropriate engagement techniques

• advise on any issues that may arise from consultation mechanisms

• assist in communicating constraints and opportunities with community engagement mechanisms and

• provide a forum for a broad range of community members to express their perspectives on TAMS services.

Council representatives expressed concern that they were not aware of the existence of the TAMS CAG, and that it included a community representative who was not known to the Community Councils. The Community Council representatives at the meeting suggested that community representation on the CAG be reviewed, for example that the CAG community member be elected by the Councils, and that consideration be given to more than one community representative being on the CAG.

TAMS representatives undertook to discuss the matters raised with the chair of CAG (Tania Parkes), and to provide contact information for the TAMS community engagement office to allow Councils to make contact on TAMS-related matters. TAMS will also investigate the possibility of making CAG agendas and meeting notes are made available to the Councils and that TAMS items be provided for inclusion in Council newsletters. DHCS items could also be provided for inclusion in Council newsletters.

DHCS representatives also provided an overview of the range of community forums that they run, outlining a nexus between an issue, such as disability or housing, and the nature of the group that is convened to discuss that topic.

Agenda items put forward by Alan Kerlin, President, Gungahlin Community Council

Combine and standardise the ACT Government grants, with continued indexing.

DHCS advised that it had provided 50% of the 2008-08 grant to councils pending a review of the grant arrangements. DHCS will arrange discussions with councils and across government to assist in its consideration of future funding models. It was noted that the current two-grant process (DHCS and ACTPLA) adds to councils’ administrative effort and that consideration be given to streamlining the ACT Government grants.

• The social services areas of the government (or TAMS and CMD) could convene regular fora such as the Planning and Development Forum. This would also help Community Councils to segregate topic fields out to different members according to their areas of interest/expertise.

• This matter was discussed under agenda item 2.

• What ways could the government assist the ongoing viability of the community councils?

Publicising their existence and roles? Assisting to canvas for more members/volunteers? Recognition/promotion via dedicated webpages and/or discussion in ACT Government newsletters?

• Representatives from agencies at the meeting noted the issues raised and undertook to consider these as part of their community engagement practices. These issues will also be raised for across-government consideration.

Gungahlin Community Council has implemented some measures that may help other groups with day to day management (Google Apps, Google email storage for "corporate knowledge protection", open source web CMS).

• Councils to contact GCC for more information on these measures.

ACT Government could better utilise Community Council members through roles on boards such as the NCA, LDA, etc and other advisory bodies. MLAs could better utilise the Community Councils through formal engagement and formal meetings between the Assembly and Community Councils.

This matter to be raised at the meeting the Chief Minister has convened with chairs/presidents of Community Councils on 8 July 2008.

3  Jochen Zeil expressed interest in ACTPLA’s and the ACT Government position in meeting the climate change challenges.

ACTPLA to arrange for a briefing and discussion on Weathering the Change at the next Planning and Development meeting (Minister for Planning to attend).

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