By Danielle Kutchel
The City of Casey will revoke 20 policy documents and reallocate 14 in an effort to provide greater transparency within the council.
At the council meeting on Tuesday 20 April, council administrators Miguel Belmar and Cameron Boardman, along with chair of administrators Noelene Duff, voted unanimously to revoke 20 council documents, including the Active Reserves Allocation and Maintenance Policy, the Cats at Large Order, Community Facilities Access Policy and the Footpath Trading Policy.
A further 14 documents were reclassified and delegated to the CEO for endorsement.
These documents included the Arts Acquisition Policy, Casey’s Neighbourhood Houses and Community Learning Centres Policy, the Events Policy and the Privacy Policy.
They also voted to endorse version seven of the Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Policy for Councillors.
This policy has been updated in line with the Local Government Act 2020, and includes new sections on processes around anonymous gifts, the requirement for councillors to declare gifts in their Biannual Personal Interests Returns, and detailing unlawful gifts.
Casey Council is currently reviewing its endorsed documents, with the aim of reducing duplication and maintaining accurate information.
The 20 documents to be revoked have been identified as part of the review to be “no longer required in their current capacity”, according to a council officers’ report.
The delegation of 14 documents to the CEO means that the council will endorse strategic policy documents, with the CEO endorsing operational policies.
At the meeting, Mr Boardman said many of the documents identified had ended their lifestyle or were duplicates of information available elsewhere.
Some are being merged with other guidelines.
Mr Belmar said the revocation of the documents, and delegation of the other 14, would continue the theme of transparency that the administrators are pursuing.
Ms Duff said the move would place decision making responsibilities at the appropriate level and said the matters being allocated to the CEO are appropriate.
The revoked documents were slated for removal from the council’s website on Wednesday 21 April, following the administrators’ vote at the council meeting.
