Shire of Waroona downgrades some committees to advisory working groups following review of arrangements

Two Shire of Waroona committees have been downgraded in their status as part of moves to make them function “more effectively and efficiently”.

The Awards Committee and the Recreation Advisory Committee will now work with the council as advisory working groups following a review of Shire advisory groups and committees ahead of October’s local government elections.

Council committees are subject to a number of conditions under the Local Government Act, including the publishing of agendas and minutes, voting formalities, quorums and election of a presiding and deputy presiding member.

Advisory working groups are not subject to Local Government Act requirements and act solely in “an advisory and consultative capacity” with council.

Waroona Shire president Mike Walmsley said the changes were a “tidy up” of the council’s groups.

“We are aware of people’s abilities to volunteer and give time to the committees and it is also about driving them a bit better,” he said.

The biggest changes relate to the newly-renamed Recreation Advisory Working Group, which has not met since 2019.

Its scope has been broadened to include providing advice on the council’s Sport and Recreation Master Plan as well as all of the council’s sport and recreation facilities.

Mr Walmsley said it is hoped the working group will have a representative of each local sporting organisation.

“Having those representatives will strengthen the council’s knowledge as we work towards what our facilities will look like in the next 15 to 20 years,” he said.

“We need to be working towards that vision right now.”

Despite the downgrading of the two ex-committees, both advisory working groups will retain the same level of councillor representation.

The structure of the Alcoa Waroona Sustainability Fund Committee will be slightly changed to have chief executive Mark Goodlet attend meetings and preside over meetings, though he will not have any voting powers.

Following the restructure, there will be four committees related to finance and auditing, the AWSFC, bushfire advice and local emergency management.

The Waroona Visitors Centre working group remains unchanged.

The review commenced in September last year.