Item 11.2 - Attachment 2 |
Council meeting 11089
Questions |
PUBLIC FORUM
ITEM NUMBER 0.0
SUBJECT ATSI Advisory
Committee Terms of Reference
REFERENCE F2005/01941 - D01351801
REPORT OF Administration Officer
FROM Mr John Robertson Mr. Robertson has not spoken and this topic has not been previously addressed at Public Forum. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Advisory Committee of Council has for many years had as part of it’s structure an Executive Committee. This has been included in numerous reviews of the Terms of Reference covering several years. However this structural component has not been included in the proposed Terms of Reference for the new committee as endorsed by Council and is considered to have been an administrative oversight.
The draft terms of reference were not tabled at any ATSI Committee meeting prior to being referred to Council for endorsement. If they had have been, this oversight would have been identified and the current unusual action would not be necessary. The proposed changes to the “Terms of Reference-ATSI Advisory Committee June 09” support and reinforce any general policy of Council. They compliment and strengthen the Core Terms by a specific change to the individual terms of reference. The proposal is that an additional Clause numbered 7 be added to the ATSI terms. There is nothing within the proposed terms that has not already been included in previous terms or are agreed procedures. The additional
Clause simply allows matters of a culturally sensitive nature to be dealt
with in a culturally appropriate way ie.
by elected Aboriginal and I understand that this is a most unusual request; however the reason for bringing this matter to the Public Forum is that the first meeting of the new Committee is scheduled for Tuesday 24 November and it is hoped that the new Executive Committee would be elected that night. If this is not the case, assuming there will be no Committee meeting in December; any recommendations from the new Committee including this change could not be dealt with by Council until February. Would Council therefore consider an amendment to the “Terms of Reference-ATSI Advisory Committee June 09” by the addition of the attached Clause 7? 7. Chairperson/Deputy
Chairperson and Executive Committee In
addition to Core Terms of Reference Clause 6, the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Advisory Committee has adopted additional structural and
procedural components in an attempt to ensure that the business of the
Advisory Committee is managed in a culturally sensitive way. The
Executive Committee mechanism allows for issues identified as culturally
sensitive to be discussed and resolved according to cultural practice i.e.
with only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people present at the time of
discussion. 7.1
The Advisory Committee will vote annually to determine its Chairperson,
Deputy Chairperson and Executive Committee. 7.2
The Executive Committee will consist of seven (7) Aboriginal or Torres Strait
Islander members elected from the Committee. The Chairperson and Deputy
Chairperson will be elected from the members of the Executive. 7.3
The Chairperson will chair the entire meeting to ensure consistency. 7.4
If the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson are absent from the meeting the
Committee will nominate a Chairperson for the meeting. 7.5
Duties of the Chairperson or Deputy are to: (i) Chair meetings according to
Council’s Code of Conduct, the Terms of Reference and Guidelines and meeting
agenda (ii) Liaise with the Council Officer
Convening the Committee to determine the Agenda for each meeting (iii) Facilitate the discussion of
items on the agenda in a timely manner (iv) Facilitate the moving of
recommendations and voting by Committee members (v) Ensure all committee members have
the opportunity to participate 7.6
The role of the Executive Committee is to discuss sensitive issues relating
to local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders when the Advisory Committee
feels that it is inappropriate for a particular matter to be discussed and
voted on by the Committee as a whole. 7.7
If at least five (5) members of the Advisory Committee believe a matter
should be dealt with by the Executive, it will be referred to the Executive
for decision. 7.8
When the Executive are to discuss a sensitive issue during the course of a
normal meeting, non-executive members will be required to leave the room. 7.9
All decisions of the Executive arising from Sub-clauses 7.7 and 7.8 will be
relayed to the Advisory Committee or the individual/s concerned as
appropriate. 7.10
Where the behaviour of any committee member is of concern, the matter will be
referred to the Executive in the first instance. If the matter cannot be
satisfactorily resolved by the Executive, or if they consider it is
sufficiently serious, the matter will be referred to the Chief Executive
Officer of Council for appropriate action. |