A report was submitted to Council at its most recent June ordinary meeting which outlined the progress made in Weddin Shire Council's Self-initiated Improvement Management Plan.
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The plan provides an operational and strategic program of works to improve the financial sustainability of the Shire and address the governance, administrative, compliance and organisational matters identified in the 2022-23 Financial Statement preparation.
General Manager Noreen Vu said that the plan is moving in the right direction and that though there have been draft policies created the plan needs to remain in place to ensure that it benefits staff and employees.
"As you're all aware we've had this self-initiated improvement management plan in place for almost a year in terms of actually formalising it in December of last year," Ms Vu said.
At the September 2023 ordinary meeting Council had identified a number of issues and challenges relating to its financial sustainability and resourcing with a number of the issues identified during the preparation of the 2022-23 draft annual financial statements.
"I think we've progressed significantly in actions that we have put forward, so this plan was just the latest update that went to the audit risk and improvement committee and then identifying actions that required Council's attention," Ms Vu said.
"Also the Audit Risk and Improvements attention in terms of what needs to be a focus and a potential ongoing concern.
"Some of them that were flagged around, for example procurement and purchasing processes and contract management."
In the audited financial statements there were three big factors that were of concern to Council, including the restricted cash amount and breach as at June 30, 2023, the amount of debtors and accural at June 30 2023 and the amount of grant liabilities at June 30, 2023.
During the audit further issues around contract management and accurals were also identified.
"Although we've been meeting and we've put up a draft procurement policy and draft contract management policy, I personally felt that we still needed to flag this as an ongoing need to address," Ms Vu said.
Ms Vu stressed that the plan needs to remain in place to ensure policies aren't being created for the sake of it.
"We need to make sure that we're not just creating policies and procedures and then not equipping staff with the relevant learning and development opportunities to be able to implement the intent of these policies as well," she said.
"Then there is the new thing that has been added on is the creation of the new long term financial plan now that we've got some additional resources. Also looking at the operational plan budget and allowing for some external help in that space as well."
Cr Paul Best welcomed the report and said he was pleased with how unbiased it was.
"I think it was a pretty honest and unbiased approach to the review actually," he said. "I thought it was really, really good. You pointed out some things that needed attention and some things that don't and what we're up to with them all.
"I think it's a good report in that sense."
The motion was then put to the vote and was carried unanimously.
Rebecca Hewson
A local with a love of local news reporting for the people across the Hilltops and Weddin areas.
A local with a love of local news reporting for the people across the Hilltops and Weddin areas.
