Governance and Communication Portfolio Report - 21 September 2016

Governance and Communication

Governance

Council has an extensive governance framework of policies, procedures, administrative action statements and registers, some required by specific Legislation as well as in a general sense pertaining to the Local Government Act 2009 section (2)b - good governance of, and by, local government. 

This framework of documentation requires regular review to ensure compliance with changes in relevant legislation (over 50 Acts and Regulations) and to ensure relevance to the direction of Council. 

Over the coming months Council, being newly elected this year in March, will be reviewing and subsequently adopting a cross section of policies which will provide the operational and strategic guidance for this current term of office.  This is a process which, through my Governance portfolio, I will be guiding and monitoring.

Communication engagement

Council’s Facebook Page is demonstrating how effective a social media platform can be with over 79,000 views of posts for the month of August.  The page has 5,600 followers from a wide demographic, who mainly access the page from mobile devices. Council is well positioned amongst our local government neighbours with comparative Facebook pages as follows:

• Fraser Coast Regional Council with 5,300 followers
• Somerset Regional Council with 4,700 followers
• Gympie Regional Council with 4,000 followers
• Western Downs Regional Council with 2,800 followers

Separate to the Facebook and other social media platforms, Council has undertaken 66 points of contact or engagement with media and public relation entities during the month of August, which included producing media releases as well as responding to enquiries and requests.

Listening Tours

Council are continuing the successful ‘listening tours’.  The next opportunity for the community to meet with my fellow Councillors and I will be tonight at the Wondai Town Hall, commencing at 5.30pm. 

For the Murgon community, there will be a listening tour at the Murgon Town Hall next Wednesday night, the 28th of September, followed by a listening tour at the Proston Town Hall for the Proston Hivesville communities on Wednesday the 12th of October.

I encourage the community to come along and take advantage of these opportunities to meet and talk with your Councillors.