RCV Executive Committee Meeting Agenda

Friday 10 July 2015

MAV 60 Collins Street, Melbourne – Level 12, Room 1201

12.00pm – 3.00pm / RCV EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
12.00pm – 12.10pm / 1.RCV Operations
1.1 Welcome / Cr Rob Gersch
1.2 Apologies received / Nicole Wakelin
1.3 Conflicts of Interest / Cr Rob Gersch
1.4 Confirmation of minutes / Cr Rob Gersch
1.5 Reports
- Correspondence / Nicole Wakelin
1.6 Financial Statement / Nicole Wakelin
1.7Out of Session Updates / Nicole Wakelin
12.10 – 12.20pm / 2. Update – Advocacy Consultant RFQ / Lenny Jenner
12.20 – 1.10pm / 3. Advocacy / All
1.10 – 1.30pm / 4. Buloke Rural Living Campaign / Helen Anstis
1.30 – 2.00pm / 5. Evaluation Update / Euan Lockie and David Brous
2.00 – 2.20pm / 6. Update on NRCP2 Four Year Framework / Olwyn Redshaw
2.20 – 2.40pm / 7. Update from RDV / Jenni Tierney
2.40 – 2.50pm / 8. MAV Update / Rob Spence and Alison Lyons
2.50 – 3.00pm / 9. Close and Other Business
Other Business / All
All

Rural Councils Victoria – Program Report – June 2015

Red Amber Green (RAG) Summary Report:

Elements of the project are at risk and need to be addressed immediately / The project needs to be monitored carefully to avoid slippage / The project is running smoothly and to time / The project has been delivered
WORKSTREAM 1 – Governance & Advocacy / 1.1
1.4
1.5.1
1.6 / Program Communications 2014/15 (Year 4)
Yearly Report 2014/15 (year 4)
Planning for NRCP 2
NRCP Four Year Evaluation / 1.2
1.6
1.4
1.5
1.8 / State Budget and Pre-election Submission (delivered as a series of actions across several portfolios rather than as one submission)
NRCP Evaluation and Review (year 3)
Yearly Report 2013/14 (year 3)
RCV Tomorrow – Stage Two (Sponsorship Proposal)
RCV Website review
Workstream 2 – Networking & Information Sharing / 2.1
2.2 / RCV Mayors, Councillors and CEO Forums (yr 4)
Rural Summit 2015
Workstream 3 – Policy & Research / 3.4.1 / Rural Council Sustainability Project stage two – year 4 (Self -Assessment Project) / 3.4 / Rural Council Sustainability Project (stage one – year 3)
Workstream 4 – Training & Capacity Building / 4.5.1 / Embed the NRCP Tools (year 4)
Economic Dev’t Workshop / 4.5 / Training and Capacity Building – Spring Tour
workstream 5 – Attraction & Retention / 5.3.2 / Tomorrow Towns / 5.3.1
5.4.1 / Rural Recruitment Project
Technology Supporting Creative Industries Pilots / 5.5.1 / Rural Migration Tool (stage two)
Extra projects / RCV2 / RCV Advocacy

Project Management

RDV has confirmed that all funding under the current NRCP must be expended by 31 July 2015 or returned to RDV. RCV is currently working with MAV to clarify the financial reports and will aim to fully acquit the NRCP as close to this timeframe as possible (noting that a full financial acquittal needs to be undertaken).

Development of the NRCP2 program is ongoing and a priority of RCV. This includes ongoing conversations around Governance and management of the grant funds. RDV had advised they expect to be able to provide clarity around this in July and they will also be attending the August planning session.

It is expected that the new contract with MAV will be in place by the end of the year (likely October). Staffing arrangements during this time are yet to be finalised and we are waiting on advice from RDV around this.

Workstream 1: Governance & Advocacy

1.1Program Communications – Status Green

  • Media releases – 2 written and added to website
  • Media monitoring – 37 clippings – equal split between coverage of rates capping and road funding and one piece on Tomorrow Towns.
  • Very broad coverage of RCV’s position on rate capping – 19 clippings from around the state
  • 3 e-newsletters issued. Open rates continue to be low. We may need to consider changing how they are put together and testing some different approaches.
  • Sponsorship – working on securing sponsors for the Summit.
  • Two TV news clips – Cr Rob Gersch interviewed for launch of RGIF and Win News covered the Tomorrow Towns project in Myrtleford.

Other Comms Updates:

  • RDV advised that the Creative Industries paper developed by RCV is being used by the Policy and Planning group in RDV to inform Creative Victoria’s new policy procedures
  • RCV’s Economic Development Guidelines were presented at the recent EDA board meeting and RCV has received an enquiry from a non-govt area for a copy of them.

1.2 State Budget Submission – Status Blue

RCV did not to submit a State Budget Submission this year as advocacyon individual portfolio issues was prioritiesd, including input to the DEDJTR Regional Review and the development of the government’s Rate Capping Policy / Fairer Rating System.

1.4.1 RCV Yearly Report (2014/15) – Status Green

The Secretariat will commence work on the Year Four Annual report this month with the aim of having it completed and distributed to members at the October Forum. As the report is funded by the membership it does not need to be completed by the NRCP deadline.

1.5 RCV Tomorrow–Sponsorship Project – Status Blue

RCV has secured a principal sponsor for both Forums in 2015 (income $3,000). Total income for 2014/15 was $9,000 ex GST including four sponsors at the 2015 Summit. Securing sponsors for the 2016 Summit has commenced – with TAC now confirmed as the Dinner Sponsor ($5,000).

1.5.1 Planning for NRCP 2 - Status Green

This budget line was created to cover the costs of planning towards the second NRCP funding agreement. Costs arose from the planning days in July 2014 and additional planning days March and April 2015. This funding has been transferred from underspent projects across the program (5.4.1, 4.5.1, 2.1, 2.2 and 5.3.1) with the approval of RDV.

A further planning session will be held in Melbourne on 13 and 14 August and RDV and LGV will also be invited to participate.

1.6 NRCP Evaluation and Review – Status Green

The Four Year Evaluation project is progressing well. A further update will be provided to the Executive Committee at the July meeting.

1.8RCV Websitereview – Status Blue

Recent updates in security to the website have massively reduced the amount of spam the site was receiving and ensured that only members are able to access restricted information – i.e. Forums and Advocacy sections.

RCV Advocacy Projects

  • RCV has made a submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Rate Capping Policy
  • An RFQ to engage an Advocacy Consultant is currently with MAV for review. Once approved it will go out to interested parties to make a submission. It is expected the consultant will be engaged and meet with the Exec at their August meeting.

Workstream 2 Networking & Information Sharing

2.1 RCV Mayor, Councillor and CEO Forums – Status Blue

The October Forum will be held on 21 October (day before the MAV conference). As this is a parliamentary sitting day no Ministers are available to attend – however the Hon John Brumby has confirmed he will attend and provide members with an update on the Regional Economic Development and Services Review. The Exec will host a networking event after the Forum.

The May Forum was held at the Windsor Hotel on 14 Mayand Ministers Hutchins and Wynne attended. Discussions were held around a Rate Capping, Financial Assistance Grants and other priority issuesas well as a workshop with members around advocacy priorities. Approximately 90 delegates were in attendance – the highest number ever to attend a Forum. Maddox Lawyers sponsored the Forum (and will also sponsor the October Forum).

2.2 Rural Summit 2015 (15-17 April 2015) – StatusBlue

The Summit was held in Halls Gap between with approximately180 delegates in attendance. A final report from Northern Grampians has been received and is available on the RCV website.

2.2 Rural Summit 2016 – Status Green

Murrindindi Shire Council was announced as the successful 2016 host and the Summit will be held in Marysville on 9-11 March 2016. RCV met with council in Mayto discuss the roles and responsibilities of each party in detail. The Exec and RDV have approved the draft program in-principle and discussions around securing key note speakers are ongoing. MSC are on track to have both the program and registrations open later this year.

Workstream 3: Policy & Research

3.4.1 Small Council Sustainability Project – Stage 1, Status Blue

3.4.1 Small Council Sustainability Project – Stage 2, StatusGreen

Stage one of the project was completed in early 2015 and the report is available online.

Stage two of the project is now underway with ACELG undertaking the work. The draft will be made available on 24July with the project on track to be completed by 31 July 2015.

Workstream 4: Training & Capacity Building

4.5.1 Training and Capacity Building: Embed the NRCP Tools Status – Blue

  • Innovate and Educate Spring Tour was completed in Oct 2015
  • Updates to the Rural Retail Handbook with 10 local case studies added
  • Training on RCV’s Economic Development Guidelines – held in Melbourne on 11 June 2015 with 17 participants.

Workstream 5: Attraction & Retention

5.3.1 Rural Recruitment and Retention Project – Status Blue

  • The WDA project is now complete and has been acquitted.
  • Corangamite experienced major issues with lack of interest in taking on students from local businesses. As a result they returned the full amount of their grant funding.
  • RCV was approached by Ararat Rural City Council who expressed interest in this project. Ararat put together a proposal to undertake a project in a satellite town (Willaura). The proposal was approved in-principle by the Exec at their February meeting.
  • RDV then approved the Ararat project to proceed.
  • In June Ararat advised RCV that despite their best efforts they were unable to secure support from Federation Uni and have decided not to proceed with the project at this time. They may revisit if RCV offers something similar in future.
  • A toolkitbased on learnings from the WDA project is currently being developed – the toolkit will also include the original pilot project findings (WDA and NGSC). The toolkit is on track to be completed in mid-July and will be available online.

5.3.2 Tomorrow Towns – Status AMBER

SED Consulting have requested additional funding to undertake more field work at the request of the pilot councils (additional site visits and facilitation) totaling $7,000 (ex gst) plus travel expenses. As this is not more than 10% of the value of the project, in line with the NRCP funding agreement, RDV has agreed that these funds be transferred from underspent budget lines (i.e. Rural Council Sustainability) The project timeline has also been extended the end of July to accommodate council constraints / timelines. The pilot projects will be taking place in Myrtleford (Alpine) and Koroit (Moyne). A letter of variation has been signed by both MAV CEO Rob Spence and SED.

5.4.1 Intelligent Communities Supporting Creative Industries – Status Green

  • Three projects are now complete
  • Corangamite advised they would not be able to complete their project by the due date, and despite RCV’s continued support and offers of assistance, decided to return all of the project funding.
  • A detailed ‘how to’ guide is currently being drafted for the RCV website. It will detail each case study and provide copies of checklists, templates and tools and will be available online in July.

Completed Projects:

  • NRCP Evaluation and Review – Year 3
  • Yearly Report 2013/14
  • RCV Tomorrow – Stage Two, Sponsorship Proposal
  • RCV Website
  • Two RCV Mayor, Councillor and CEO Forums
  • Rural Summit 2015
  • Rural Council Sustainability Project – Stage One
  • Training and Capacity Building – Spring Tour, Rural Retail Handbook
  • Rural Migration Tool - Stage Two, Drill down to township level