FinPro Member Update September 2020 ( Edition 2 )

October 19, 2020

President’s Message

Afternoon all,

Well Spring has certainly hit (well, where I am anyway) and it’s great to have some nicer weather. I’ve even had the laptop outside for a couple of hours each day, responding to those pesky emails :)

We held our monthly FinPro Executive Team meeting this morning. It was great to hear and see how everyone is travelling both personally and professionally. We were able to discuss and lock in our Professional Development plans for the remaining 109 days of 2020. More details next week including times you can lock into your calendar. All our events for the remainder of 2020 will be run virtually, but we do hope to be able to return to some ‘live’ events in 2021.

We have had some feedback about the use of Yammer. We know it is not the perfect system and are interested to hear whether you have come across any examples of platforms that work better? We are looking for some form of software that is easy to use and easy to sign up to, gives easy ability to ask questions, to collaborate and to share resource. If you have any suggestions, please email Gab as we would love to try something else out.

Yesterday I attended the Local Government Act 2020 Project Control Board meeting. I’m personally really excited about the next couple of months as the codesign for the Integrated Strategic Planning and Reporting takes place. What a great opportunity for the sector to come together to improve our thinking and linkages between all our documents (Council Vision, Plan, LTFP, Budget, Workforce Plan, Revenue and Rating and Annual report). It no doubt will be a busy time over the coming months as LGV are working towards having the templates/outputs for these components ready by the announcements of new Councils. We are thrilled to have a fantastic group of volunteers who have put their hand up to be part of our working group. They have their first meeting next Friday. Thank-you to all involved.

Hope you all enjoy your weekend! Bradley

 

Membership News

We welcome Ankit Agrawal to the FinPro Membership. Ankit joined Bayside City Council as Accounting Services Coordinator last December and is now joining our membership.

We also welcome Desiree Rodgers back – she has joined the team at Central Goldfields Shire as the Acting Manager Finance.

If you have any news to share with the FinPro membership please forward this to Gab.

 

FinPro Members Virtual Art Gallery

HAVE YOU BEEN CREATIVE DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN?
HAVE YOU ACHIEVED A GOAL, MASTERED A NEW SKILL, BUILT SOMETHING, MADE
SOMETHING, WRITTEN SOMETHING?

We would like to celebrate and share your success with our FinPro family.

And so – we make an official call out to all our wonderful members to share your success, no matter how big or how small.

PAINTING, DRAWING, COLOURING PAGES, COLLAGES, DIGITAL ART, KNITTING, CROCHET, TEXTILE ART, CRAFT, POTTERY, SCULPTURE, WOODWORK, POETRY, WRITING, MACRAME, JEWELLERY, GARDENING, LANDSCAPING, MASTERING A NEW SKILL, COOKING…. THE LIST IS ENDLESS!

We would like to celebrate your success with you. If you are willing, please send through a photo and a short description of what you have achieved during these ‘interesting’ times of isolation.

All contributions will be collated and displayed in a ‘FinPro Virtual Gallery’ in late October

Please send a clear jpeg (portrait) photo or photos and description to Gab by Sunday 11 October 2020.

We thank Monash City Council for sharing with us their Gallery – this provided the seed for the idea we now present to our members. :)

 

FinPro Technical Committee News / Updates

Proposed LG (Governance and Integrity) Regulations 2020

The proposed Local Government (Governance and Integrity) Regulations 2020 have now been published on EngageVic for consultation with the sector.

https://engage.vic.gov.au/local-government-act-2020/consult-governance-and-integrityregulations

Consultation will close 11 September 2020.

Update from Local Government Victoria

The following Bulletin was issued by LGV earlier this week (7 September 2020)

Bulletin: 59/2020

LOCAL GOVERNMENT (PLANNING AND REPORTING) REGULATIONS 2020

As part of the new framework relating to council’s strategic plans under the Local Government Act 2020 (LGA 2020), it is proposed that new Local Government (Planning and Reporting) Regulations 2020 (Regulations 2020) be made to come into operation on 24 October 2020, and apply from the financial year commencing 1 July 2021.

The proposed Regulations 2020 will replace and substantially replicate the current Local Government (Planning and Reporting) Regulations 2014, by prescribing the information to be included in councils’ Council Plan, budget, and annual report, as well as continuing to provide a mandatory system of performance reporting for all councils.

The only variations proposed by the Regulations 2020 will be to reflect the new strategic plans being introduced by the LGA 2020, specifically the four-year budget, and the 10-year Financial Plan.

The LGA 2020 is principles-based legislation, and focusses on enabling councils to implement the requirements in manner that gives life to the principles and reflects their communities. On this basis, regulations are only being utilised where they are deemed essential. Work is currently occurring with the sector on the development of the Integrated Strategic Planning and Reporting Framework and if further regulatory requirements for planning and reporting are identified through this co-design work, they would be progressed in the second half of 2021.

Please refer to the Attachment for further details on the proposed Regulations 2020.

If you have any questions or feedback on the proposed Regulations 2020, please let Michael Concas, Senior Manager, Local Government Victoria know at [email protected] by no later than 5pm Friday, 25 September.

Colin Morrison

Acting Executive Director, Local Government Victoria

 

LGA Implementation Input

 
Our working group for the Local Government Implementation will be reviewing the above regulations, and FinPro will make a submission. So if you do have any particular questions or comments can you please email them to Tony Rocca (Vice-President Technical Committee) [email protected] by COB Thursday 17th September.
 
The below image gives you a snapshot of the framework.

Implementing the changes to the Accounting Standards

FinPro has developed some guidance to assist members. This information is provided following consultation with both LGV and VAGO and is included on our website.

 

FinPro Professional Development

Recordings of our recent sessions are available online:

LUNCH AND LEARN – Setting a New Work Mindset – 31 July 2020 WATCH NOW

FinPro Q&A – Technical discussion – 6 August 2020 WATCH NOW

Future topics for our Lunch and Learn Sessions include a panel session looking at the 2020/21 Budget process, an Economic Update and something to make us laugh!
If you have any ideas for Professional Development topics you would like included on our program please contact Gab.

 

Job Vacancies

FinPro is happy to place advertisements on our website for any finance related positions our members councils are advertising. Please send the following details through to Gab.

The following position is currently being advertised:

 

  • Financial Planning Analyst
  • Whitehorse City Council
  • Council Website – Job details
  • For enquiries please contact Julia Blythe on 0435 502 950
  • Applications close 9am Monday 23 September 2020

 

  • Manager Corporate
  • Alpine Shire Council
  • www.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/employment
  • For enquiries please contact Nathalie Cooke, Director Corporate on 0439 617 324
  • Applications close Sunday 27 September 2020

 

FinPro Executive Members

President – Bradley Thomas (Hepburn Shire Council)

Executive Officer – Gab Gordon

Vice-President: Chair Technical Committee – Tony Rocca (Maroondah City Council)

Technical Committee members:

  • Danny Wain (Monash City Council)
  • Kristy Stephens (Bass Coast Shire)
  • Liz Rowland (Western Water)
  • Mark Montague (Yarra City Council)
  • Nathan Morsillo (Greater Bendigo City Council)
  • Vishantri Perera (Yarra Ranges Shire Council)

 

Vice-President: Chair Professional Development committee – Binda Gokhale (Wyndham CC)

Professional Development Committee members:

  • Belinda Johnson (Southern Grampians Shire)
  • Charles Nganga (Casey City Council)
  • John Brockway (Surf Coast Shire) – also leads the FinPro Mentoring Program
  • Kim Jaensch (Frankston City Council) – leads the FinPro Leadership Program

 

Thank-you to our 2019 Conference sponsors

We look forward to seeing you back at our next annual conference from 20 – 22 October 2021 at RACV Cape Schanck

 

To Contact FinPro:

Gabrielle Gordon – Executive Officer – FinPro
M: 0400 114 015
E: [email protected]
W: www.finpro.org.au

 

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