Managing a Council facility

Section 86 Committees are required to assist Council in meeting its risk management and legislative requirements by ensuring Council is provided with copies of certain documents. For more information, see: Summary of COM required information(DOC, 314KB)

All users of Council facilities must hold public liability insurance to a minimum of $10,000,000.

Council is able to provide this cover for individuals and community groups, subject to the terms and conditions of Council's Public and Products Liability Insurance underwritten by QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd.

Please note cover cannot be provided for use by businesses.

• Sum Insured: $20,000,000.
• Excess: $500 per incident.
• Cost: $20 per day including GST.    

If you require public liability for a hirer of an event held in your hall, complete the Hall Hirer Public Liability Register form(DOCX, 161KB). Submission of this form constitutes an application to insure, and coverage is subject to confirmation by Council's Risk and Insurance Officer.

As a minimum, the committee shall meet at least two times a year, one AGM and at least one other general meeting. For more information, see AGM meeting procedure(DOC, 288KB)

Documents required after the AGM

Committee member details

Details of names and addresses of persons appointed as office bearers and committee members shall be forwarded to the Council using the COM Nomination Form(DOC, 222KB) within 21 days of the date of appointment.

AGM meeting minutes and reports

The Committee shall provide the Council with a copy of the minutes of each AGM, including all reports submitted by the Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. This includes the Annual Audit Statement and an Annual Audit Questionnaire(DOC, 190KB) which details the financial statement of receipts and payments of the Committee for each financial year. These documents are required within 21 days of the date of the meeting.

Financial reporting

Annual financial audit statement

Each Committee is required to fill in the annual audit statement template(XLS, 55KB) and present it as part of the Treasurer’s Report at the AGM. A copy of the statement should be forwarded to Council within 21 days of the date of the AGM.

Using this format will ensure greater consistency between all the Committees and allow a more effective Council review.

Each Committee also needs to keep the relevant documentation to support the numbers in their financial statements (e.g. invoices, receipts and banks account statements). These documents need to be kept for a period of seven years.

Annual audit questionnaire

Each Committee is required to fill in an annual audit questionnaire(DOC, 190KB) yearly and present as part of the Treasurer’s Report to the AGM. A copy of the questionnaire should be forwarded to Council with the Annual Financial statement within 21 days of the date of the AGM.

The annual audit questionnaire acts as a form of ‘self audit’ providing Council with the information it requires to ensure the Committee is managing its finances correctly.

Five year development plan

Committees are encouraged to develop and maintain a five year development plan(DOC, 294KB) for the facility. This plan should be reviewed and submitted to Council annually.

Facility usage times

Committees must provide Council with usage times of the facility by each user group, on an annual basis, or as requested from time to time, to avoid conflict with Council's maintenance program.

Equipment inventory

An up-to-date copy of the Committee's equipment inventory should be forwarded to the Council using the equipment inventory statement(DOC, 232KB) on an annual basis.

The Committee must ensure that all Committee appointed volunteers complete a Volunteer Registration Form(DOC, 191KB). This form is provided to Council and kept up to date. This will ensure that all Committee appointed volunteers are covered by Council's Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance whilst undertaking duties on behalf of the Committee.

The registration forms should be forwarded to Council within 21 days of a volunteer being appointed. Please note a volunteer may be appointed at any time, not just at the AGM. Volunteers are persons on the Committee, and anyone else who assists the committee in tasks such as working bees, event management.

Meeting minutes and reports

The Committee shall provide the Council with a copy of the minutes for each meeting, including all reports submitted by the Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer within 21 days of the date of the meeting. For more information, see:

• General meeting procedure(DOC, 296KB)
• Meeting agenda template(DOC, 890KB)
• Meeting minutes template(DOC, 894KB)

Facility site inspection checklists

Committees are required to complete a site inspection checklist on a quarterly basis. This will allow committees to identify and notify Council of any maintenance needs within the facility.

A copy of this checklist should be forwarded to the Recreation Liaison Officer as soon as possible, and within 21 days of the inspection being carried out.

From time to time, Committees may become aware of a maintenance issue that requires Council to be notified, or they wish to make improvements to the building/s. In this instance, a Ground/pavilion alterations maintenance request form must be completed and returned to Council.

Cyclical audit

The Committees financial statements including all receipts and bank statements will be examined and audited by Council's Finance unit and if required by a further independent auditor every four years, or upon request by Council.

All receipts and bank statements should be kept by the Committee for at least seven years. These documents will be required to be examined as part of the cyclical audit.

New committee members

Council needs to be notified in writing of any new Committee members within 21 days of the appointment.

Facility development and maintenance

The committee is to advise the Council on matters specific to the development and maintenance of the facility.

Facility user groups

Provide the Council with information regarding the facility and its users, as requested from time to time.

Events maintenance

The committee is to ensure that details of events being conducted by a user group or casual hirer of the facility, which requires specific maintenance items (ie grass cutting, extra rubbish bins) are provided to the Council at least four weeks prior to the event.

Security breaches

The committee must report any breach of security to the Coordinator Recreation within 24 hours of the incident by phoning (03) 5422 0333.

Keys and key register

All facilities are on a Council master key system and committees have been provided with copies of keys. Additional keys can be requested by contacting Council's Recreation Administration Officer on (03) 5421 1468 or email recadmin@mrsc.vic.gov.au

Minute book and other documents

The committee must make its minute book and all other papers or documents available for inspection by the Council upon request.

Conflicts of interest

A conflict of interest guide has been developed to assist committees in ensuring these are managed according to relevant legislation.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council smoke-free policy

Activities at Council facilities need to comply with Council's smoke free policy

Hiring of facilities

Any facility hire should comply with the Community Halls Conditions of Hire.

Liquor licensing

Consumption or provision of alcohol at a Council facility is not permitted unless an appropriate liquor licence has been obtained. The Committee is to ensure that all groups using the facility whose activities involve the sale of, or BYO alcohol, have obtained an appropriate licence and provided a copy of such to the Committee before the date of the proposed activity.

Council does not issue liquor licenses. For more information, see: Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation

First aid kits

It is the responsibility of the user group to provide first aid kits for their period of hire. It is not the responsibility of the Committee to provide first aid kits for user groups.

Safe food handling

The Committee is to ensure that all groups using the facility whose activities involve the storage, preparation, and distribution of food (e.g. barbecues at working bees) have contacted Council’s Environmental Health unit on phone (03) 5422 0333 in regards to their safe food handling and/or permit requirements.

For more information on safe food handling, see: Victorian Department of Health - Food Safety

Public liability insurance for casual hirers

For small one off hires, the Committee may provide public liability insurance coverage for that function through Council's insurers at a cost of $15 per hire. This charge is additional to any facility hire fees.

In order for the cover to be effected Council requires the Committee to keep documentary evidence of the hire taking place and that the hirer wished to utilise the insurance coverage.

To enable the administration of such cover, the Committee needs to advise Council of an estimate of casual hiring for the upcoming financial year, by no later than 31 July of that year. Council will then invoice the Committee accordingly ($15 per hire). This can then be adjusted at the end of the financial year.

This information should be forwarded to: Risk Management Supervisor, Macedon Ranges Shire Council, PO Box 151, Kyneton VIC 3444. Phone: (03) 5422 0333 or fax: (03) 5422 3623.