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Item 13.1 - Attachment 1 |
Advisory Committee
Audits 2004 - 2008 |
Attachment 1 – Advisory Committee Audits 2004 -2008
Aboriginal and
1.
Description of Committee:
The Committee represents the views and interests of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities in the area and has
the responsibility of developing and promoting appropriate celebrations of ATSI
culture.
2.
Average attendance:
The Committee has met 38 times in the last 4 years and has
an average attendance of 9.
3.
Profile of membership:
The Committee includes ATSI people who live, work or have an
interest in the
4. Committee
driven events including:
· Sorry
Day events (Flag Raising, Sorry Day Garden Tree Planting and community BBQ)
· NAIDOC
Flag Raising and Burramatta Family Fun Day
5. Advice/
input into Council processes including:
· Advice
on Council’s other NAIDOC activities including Library NAIDOC Workshops
· Advice
on Lake Parramatta sites, including signage, design and community involvement
in the Koori Kids Garden and Sorry Day Garden
· Parramatta
River foreshore design and Aboriginal artwork throughout the city
· Naming
of land within the area
6. Advice/
input to external agencies including:
· Protocols
regarding flying the Aboriginal flag at Rosehill Gardens
· Advice
to Sydney Water and Upper River Catchment Trust regarding Aboriginal Heritage
issues
· Local
State Members of Parliament regarding flying the Aboriginal Flag at state
government department offices in the area
· Appropriate
and suitable naming of rooms and Aboriginal Memorial Garden, Westmead Hospital
7. Councillor
attendance:
2 Councillors between them have attended 20 of the 38
meetings held over the last 4 years.
8.
Summary of Committee’s strengths:
· Consistently
high attendance and high level of engagement and commitment of members
· Strong
level of engagement with Councillor representatives
· Effective
delivery of events that demonstrate Council’s commitment to the significance of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture (including NAIDOC and
Sorry Day)
· Committee’s
structure allows for issues identified by members as culturally sensitive to be
discussed and resolved according to cultural practice (i.e. with only ATSI
people present at the time of discussion).
9.
Summary of Committee’s weaknesses:
· A
number of issues outside Council’s scope have been raised repeatedly over the
last four years
· Membership
is not representative of ATSI communities across the Parramatta LGA. The
following groups are not represented: ATSI young people, workers/ businesses or
the ATSI communities of Toongabbie and Wentworthville
Access Advisory Committee
1.
Description of Committee:
The Access Advisory Committee provides advice on access
issues for people with a disability within the Parramatta LGA.
2.
Average attendance:
Over the last 4 years there have been 24 meetings with an
average attendance of 6.
3.
Profile of membership:
The Committee comprises 8 members representing the needs of
people with disabilities within the
4.
Committee driven events including:
· International Day of People with a Disability
5.
Advice/ input into Council processes including:
· Identification
of range of issues regarding the physical environment including, bus routes, footpaths,
roads, building accessibility, parking for people with a disability, curb ramps
and railway station access. These issues are fed into the relevant units within
Council for action
· Modifications
to Level 4 Council Chambers building to ensure wheelchair access to Council
Chambers
· Advice
regarding Council’s outdoor dining policy
· Advice
regarding accessibility issues at Lake Parramatta
6.
Advice/ input to external agencies including:
· Partnership
with Council’s Development Application Unit to educate developers regarding
access issues in accordance with legislative frameworks. This strategy involved
the distribution of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission DVD, ‘The
Good, The Bad and The Ugly’
· Advocacy
to Councillors and Council regarding access issues at Lachlan’s Restaurant that
resulted in the installation of a ramp to this public venue
7.
Councillor attendance:
Councillors have attended meetings on 7 occasions over the last
4 years.
8.
Summary of Committee’s strengths:
· Consistently
good attendance and high level of engagement, expertise and commitment of
members
· Effective
delivery of International Day of People with a Disability Event
9.
Summary of Committee’s weaknesses:
· Membership
does not include a broad representation of people with a disability (ie young
people, culturally and linguistically diverse)
· The
Committee is not consistently consulted about decisions made by Council that
impact on the lives of people living with a disability
· The
Committee is resource intensive: considerable time is required by the convenor
to engage relevant Council departments in the business and recommendations of
this Committee
Arts Advisory Committee
1.
Description of Committee:
The Arts Advisory Committee
provides advice and input into Council’s arts and cultural plans and promotes
the development of networks and communication channels between artists, and
arts/ cultural organisations in the
2.
Average attendance:
The Committee has met 22 times over the last 4 years with an
average attendance of 7 members.
3.
Profile of membership:
The committee has 15 members who are all active members of
arts/ cultural communities and/or organisations in the area.
4.
Committee driven events:
The Committee is not
responsible for organising events.
5.
Advice/ input into Council processes including:
· Arts
and Cultural Plan
· Arts
Facilities and Cultural Places Framework
· Riverbeats
6.
Advice/ input to external agencies including:
· Parramatta
Artists Network
7.
Councillor attendance:
Over the last 4 years, 1 Councillor has attended 1 meeting.
8.
Summary of Committee’s strengths:
· Members
have a strong level of commitment to Council’s arts and cultural plans
· Committee
business and discussions are limited to issues that fall within the Committee’s
Terms of Reference and therefore well within Council’s scope
· Long
standing members with expertise in the arts and strong connections to a range
of arts and cultural organisations and networks
9.
Summary of Committee’s weaknesses:
· Committee
not currently resourced by most relevant Council Unit (currently resourced by
CCB Team rather than Arts or Events)
Community Safety Advisory Committee
1.
Description of Committee:
The Community Safety Advisory Committee provides advice on
community safety issues within the Parramatta LGA.
2.
Average attendance:
In a total of 20 meetings in the last 4 years there has been
an average attendance of 6 members.
3. Profile
of membership:
The Committee comprises 9 members representing a range of
community safety interests. Members include residents and representatives from
a range of agencies including Police, Homelessness and Health services, and the
Department of Housing.
4. Committee
driven events:
This Committee is not responsible for organising events.
5: Advice/
input into Council processes including:
· Input
into CBD Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan
· Representation
on Security, Council Rangers and Police (SCRAP) Committee
· Discussion
regarding lighting in the Church St Mall and safety issues at Telopea and
Harris Park skate parks
· Consultation
regarding State of Community Report and the Community Capacity Building Team’s Community
Input Mechanisms Review
6. Advice/
input to external agencies including:
· Request
to Attorney Generals’ Department regarding Parramatta Bail Court name change
· Representation
on Wentworthville Housing Estate partnership
· Support
for Police Information Sessions and various community awareness raising
campaigns
7. Councillor
attendance:
2 Councillors have attended meetings on 12 occasions.
8.
Summary of Committee’s strengths:
· A
variety of stakeholders are represented
9.
Summary of Committee’s weaknesses:
· As
there are a number of other forums in which community safety concerns are
identified and addressed, the role of the CSAC is weakened
Cycleways Advisory Committee
1. Description of Committee:
The Cycleways Advisory Committee provides feedback on
cycling issues within the Parramatta LGA
2. Average attendance:
The committee has met 16 times in the last 4 years and has
had an average of 7 members attend each meeting
3. Profile of membership:
The Committee membership has informally grown from
approximately 10 to 15 members and represents Bicycle User Groups and members
of the local community
4. Committee driven events:
Committee
has not organised any events
5. Advice/ input into Council processes:
· Consultation on the review of Council’s 2008 Bike Plan
· Consultation on selected proposed bicycle facilities in the
LGA
· Reporting of bicycle maintenance issues in the LGA
6. Advice/ input to external agencies:
· Roads & Traffic Authority sit on the committee
· Committee representation on Parramatta Traffic Committee
· Committee
members are also members of various local bicycle user groups
· It is
understood there is informal feedback but it is unclear to what extent
7. Councillor attendance:
Two Councillors sit on the committee. In the last 4 years
there was Councillor attendance at 13 of the16 meetings
8. Summary of Committee’s Strengths:
· Knowledge of local cycling routes
· Membership of Bicycle User Groups
· Enthusiasm and passion
· Useful stakeholder consultative group
9. Summary of Committee’s Weaknesses:
· Committee
demographics are not representative of the LGA or cyclists
· Lack
key stakeholder representatives (eg police, other Bicycle user groups and
Bicycle NSW)
Heritage Advisory Committee
1.
Description of Committee:
The Heritage Advisory Committee
provides advice on heritage issues within the Parramatta LGA.
2. Average attendance:
In a total of 22 meetings in the
last four years there has been an average attendance of 7 members.
3.
Profile of membership:
The Committee comprises 10 members representing a range of
heritage interests and societies and or with particular heritage
knowledge. Specific groups and agencies
represented include the Toongabbie, Granville and Parramatta Historical
Societies, the Parramatta Park Trust and the NSW Historic Houses Trust. The commitment and varied background of
members have enabled a significant contribution to the management of heritage
within the
4.
Committee driven events:
Committee is not responsible for organising events.
5. Advice/ input into Council processes
including:
· Recommendations
on approximately 40 applications for grants under Council’s Local Heritage
Fund.
· Comments
on development applications
· Comment
on Residential Development Strategy, Councils heritage street tree register
strategy, heritage plaques and
interpretation, the Parramatta's stories project and investigations into
Council's heritage fund
· Recommendations
regarding heritage studies for Toongabbie and Epping and preparation of simple
language guides on the history of relevant heritage precincts.
· Initiated
action, raised issues and shared information on a wide range of heritage issues
including: a search for important heritage artefacts, provision of information
on many heritage properties, drawing attention to properties in a neglected
condition, raising awareness of important heritage events (or example
Foundation Day),
6.
Advice/ input to external agencies:
· Liaison
with the Parramatta Park Trust
· State
Heritage Register regarding listing items of state significance
7.
Councillor attendance: Occasional attendance from Councillors
8.
Summary of Committee’s strengths:
· Adds
to knowledge of heritage in the LGA , with long standing members’ expertise in
heritage and local history
· Confirms
Council’s commitment to the preservation of Parramatta’s strong cultural and
natural heritage identity
· A sounding
board for ideas and strategies relating to heritage
· Information
sharing and feedback on specific heritage proposals
· Advisory
role in awarding of heritage grants
9.
Summary of Committee’s weaknesses:
· At
times, the Committee can divert to issues that are not necessarily directly
related to heritage
Multicultural Advisory Committee
1. Description
of Committee:
The Multicultural Advisory Committee provides advice on a
range of issues related to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD)
communities within the Parramatta LGA.
2. Average
attendance:
In a total of 26 meetings in the last four years there has
been an average attendance of 4 members.
3. Profile
of membership:
The Committee comprises 11 members representing a range of
CALD specific groups and services.
4. Committee
driven events, including:
· Religious
Understanding Project 2007
5. Advice/
input into Council processes including:
· Input
into Parramatta Twenty25
· Feedback
regarding Community Grants Program
· Consultation
regarding Community Input Mechanisms
6. Advice/
input to external agencies including:
· Opportunity
to respond to Community Information Survey, Federal Member for Parramatta, the
Honourable Julie Owens
7. Councillor
attendance:
1 Councillor attended a total of 3 meetings in the last 4
years.
8.
Summary of Committee’s strengths:
· The
Committee provided a vehicle for the Religious Understanding Project
9.
Summary of Committee’s weaknesses:
· The
focus of the Committee is diffuse
· Attendance
is inconsistent
· Membership
is not representative of the Culturally And Linguistically Diverse (CALD)
communities in Parramatta
· As
there are a number of other CALD specific fora in Parramatta where concerns are
identified and addressed, the role of this Committee is questionable
Youth Advisory Committee
1. Description
of Committee:
The Youth Advisory Committee provides advice and input on
youth issues within the Parramatta LGA.
2. Average
attendance:
The committee has met 35 times in the last 4 years, with an
average attendance of 5.
3. Profile
of membership:
The Committee comprises 10
members representing young people (12-25 years) that live, work, study, or
frequent the Parramatta LGA.
4. Committee
driven events:
· Youth Week
5. Advice/
input into Council processes including:
· Input
into design of Council’s Youth Information Cards
· Community
Grants Review
6. Advice/
input to external agencies including:
· Input
into Westfield’s Youth Protocol
· Consultation
regarding Youth Participation Mechanisms; Families, Housing, Community Services
and Indigenous Affairs
· Youth
Week promotional material and events; Department of Community Services
7. Councillor
attendance:
In the last 4 years, 1 Councillor has attended these
meetings on 2 occasions.
8.
Summary of Committee’s Strengths:
· The
committee provides an opportunity for young people to develop leadership skills
(e.g. group debate discussion and decision making, presentation skills)
9.
Summary of Committee’s Weaknesses:
· Membership
profile is narrow
· Members
profile interrupts their attendance at meetings (members are all strongly
connected to education and do not attend when study commitments increase)
· Lack
of attendance at meetings means a considerable amount of meeting time may be
spent by members catching up and re-connecting with the group