A NEW single community halls committee will be established by Gannawarra Shire Council.
It will replace six separate committees for public halls that are either on land owned or controlled by council.
Shire acting corporate services director, Sid Hutchinson told council at its September meeting that the establishment of the new structure follows a recommendation from the Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate Audit in September 2015.
Council was told that the review of management structures for council halls focussed on the capacity of council volunteers to manage and maintain council halls in such a way as to meet the needs of the local community, and the requirements of council.
Mr Hutchinson said that information on the proposed new structure, including a draft instrument of delegation was provided to each hall committee in June this year and a joint meeting to further discuss the proposal was held on July 18.
“All hall committees were represented at that meeting and representatives have since met with their respective committees and provided verbal agreement to move to the new structure,” he said.
Council adopted a recommendation to:
1. Establish a Special Committee of Council under section 86 of the Local Government Act 1989, being the Community Halls Committee of Council;
2. Adopt the committee Instrument of Delegation;
3. Abolish the following special committees, previously established under section 86 of the Local Government Act and revoke their respective Instruments of Delegation:
(a) Lake Charm Hall
(b) Murrabit Hall
(c) Myall Hall
(d) Dingwall Hall
(e) Koroop Hall
(f) Gannawarra Hall;
4. Appoint the current members of the Lake Charm, Murrabit, Myall, Dingwall, Koroop and Gannawarra Hall Committees as inaugural members of the Community Halls Committee of Council and the respective administrative sub-committees; and
5. Appoint the mayor of the day as the councillor representative on the committee.
Mr Hutchinson said that there will be no loss of local identity or autonomy. The re-named sub-committees will continue to hold meetings, hire their respective halls, hold bank accounts, undertake maintenance and arrange functions to meet local needs.
