FinPro Member Update October 2020 (Edition 2)

October 19, 2020

President’s Message

Is it Spring or Winter still? I don’t know about the weather where you are, buts it’s been wet, and freezing here this week :( Hopefully some improvement is around the corner because it makes us all feel so much better.

A massive thanks to the many Councils that have sent through their membership renewals this week; we really appreciate your support and continued engagement!

A quick reminder to regularly visit https://engage.vic.gov.au/local-government-act-2020. This continues to be the one-stop shop for what is happening in relation to the Local Government Act implementation. On average, over 7,000 visits are made to this site each month. It is very important you are one of those to keep up to date.

This week also saw the Federal Budget announcement!! Some massive numbers there! We have been able to include some preliminary information in this week’s update and we will be sure to keep you informed as more information comes to hand.

It was great to see some of the fantastic work through this week’s FinPro Members Virtual Art Gallery!! You won’t see any of my work (not an Artistic bone in my body) but I look forward to the next instalment.

Cheers, Bradley

 

FinPro Members Virtual Art Gallery

Thanks to everyone who has contributed already to our FinPro Virtual Art Gallery. We have received awesome photos of awesome work members have been doing during COVID! Thanks. The final Gallery will be launched during ‘happy hour’ at our Mini-Conference on Thursday 23 October 2020.

You still have time to contribute – please send a clear jpeg (portrait) photo or photos and description to Gab by Sunday 11 October 2020.

 

Membership News

With Council’s updating and renewing their membership for the coming year, we welcome a number of new members to FinPro and also welcome back some members who had left the sector, and have now returned:

  • Travis Harling returns to the sector as Manager Finance and Reporting at Macedon Ranges Shire
  • Allison Southwell has joined the team at Yarra Ranges shire as Manager Financial Services
  • Allison Jones has joined the team at South Gippsland Shire as Director Corporate Services.
  • Yuki Cheah has joined the team at Manningham City Council as Coordinator Management Accounting
  • Dhammika Weerasinghe, Business Support Accountant with Darebin City Council
  • Imish Kulasinghe and Gayatri Baskaran, both Finance Business Partners with the City of Greater Geelong
  • John Macarol, Accounting Officer with the City of Greater Geelong
  • Matthew Perry, Program Reporting & Analysis Officer with the City of Greater Geelong
  • Richard Buckwell, Accounting Officer with the City of Greater Geelong
  • Tony Phewmau, Finance Officer with the Northern Grampians Shire
  • Megan Falla, Senior Project Accountant with Moonee Valley City Council
  • Leilani Dawes, Rates Coordinator with West Wimmera Shire
  • Sarah Ellis, Manager Business Performance and Development with West Wimmera Shire
  • Vicki Wall, Finance Officer with West Wimmera Shire
  • Domenic Bonaddio, Purchasing and Accounts Payable Coordinator with Stonnington City Council
  • Khadar Khan, Management Accounting Coordinator with Stonnington City Council
  • Hollie Sargent, Financial Sustainability Coordinator with Southern Grampians Shire
  • Glenn Johnston, Financial Accounting Coordinator with Moreland City Council
  • Riley Morton, Graduate Accountant with Moreland City Council
  • Nilmini De Zoysa, Financial Accountant with Moreland City Council
  • Mythili Visakan, Senior Systems Accountant with Melbourne City Council
  • Greg Cordner, Financial Accountant with Melbourne City Council
  • Graham McKay, AP & Credit Management Team Coordinator with Melbourne City Council
  • Debbie Rallis, Management Accountant with Knox City Council
  • Paige Kennett, Senior Property Officer with Knox City Council

If you have any news to share with the FinPro membership please forward this to Gab.
Membership Renewal information available here

 

FinPro Technical Committee News / Updates

Local Government Act 2020

Lots of work continues across the sector on the Local Government Act Implementation.

The co-design workshops that LGV have recently run to work with the sector on the Integrated Strategic Planning and Reporting Framework have now finished. A number of members of FinPro representing their respective Councils and also some of our own Executive were represented at these workshops.

Feedback shows that the sessions were really well run, and the online virtual environment allowed for more people to participate than usual. Findings of the co-design work is currently being reviewed by LGV and will be distributed to the sector shortly.

Our FinPro LG Act Implementation Working group will hold their next meeting on the 15th October where LGV will present their thinking on the next stages. We will share this with our wider members group via the Member Update as soon as possible.

 

Federal Budget

The Federal Budget was handed down this week with some massive numbers around tax cuts, infrastructure spending and debt! The below is some key information that we are aware of so far, and will continue to update members as we become aware of more information.

  • Tax Cut Calculator – find out how much you’ll save
  • Economic Recovery Plan factsheet
  • $1.1 billion to fund major transport infrastructure in Victoria
  • Significant extra funding for every Victorian Council through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program
  • Included on our website is also a summary from the Australian Local Government Association with an outline of programs of interest to local government, including a comparison of results against ALGA’s advocacy requests. An extract of the population projections for the next four years is also included

 

Income tax tables

We understand that Tax tables will be updated in the next few weeks and be reflective of new rates going forward. Any back-dated correction will be reconciled when people submit their 2020-21 tax returns.

https://www.ato.gov.au/Media-centre/Media-releases/Updates-to-tax-withholdingschedules/

 

ESC Rate Cap Compliance Returns

A quick reminder that these returns are due at the end by 30 October 2020.

2020 Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme – Now Open

The following information was sent to the sector earlier this week and is reproduced for members today as information:

Dear valued stakeholder,

I’m pleased to inform you that the Hon. Ros Spence MP, Minister for Community Sport and Tim Pallas MP, Treasurer, today launched the second round of the $100 million Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme.

Delivered by Sport and Recreation Victoria (SRV), with the support of the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) and the Treasury Corporation of Victoria (TCV), the Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme will provide eligible organisations low-interest loans between $500,000 and $10 million to build community sport and recreation infrastructure.

In addition to accessing a low-interest rate loan through TCV, SRV will subsidise the interest rate by 50 per cent, up to a maximum of 250 basis points (2.5 percent). Currently, the subsidised interest rate for a 15-year loan is 0.875%.

The Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme can support;

  • Local Government Authorities
  • Incorporated, not-for-profit organisations whose primary purpose is to facilitate community sport and recreation activities – for example, sport and recreation clubs and associations
  • Victorian State Sporting Associations or National Sporting Organisations seeking to invest in a community infrastructure project in Victoria
  • Incorporated not-for-profit and private facility managers with long-term community facility management arrangements
  • Private enterprises with long-term community access arrangements
  • Education institutions such as universities or non-government schools (schools not in a position to borrow funds are encouraged to work with project partners).

The Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme will support the delivery of community sport and recreation infrastructure that directly impacts participation and ensures community access for a minimum of 10 years. Projects which fill a gap in provision, support areas of disadvantage and create participation opportunities for underrepresented groups will be highly regarded.

Projects supported through the scheme includes, but are not limited to:

  • New or redeveloped indoor or outdoor aquatic leisure facilities
  • New or redeveloped indoor sports stadiums
  • New or upgraded multi-sport precincts that include the delivery of sports fields, sports courts and pavilion/s
  • Active recreation infrastructure including but not limited to trails, play spaces, skate parks and BMX tracks
  • New or redeveloped sporting pavilions
  • Sporting surface upgrades and developments
  • Privately owned facilities where public access is provided
  • Sporting infrastructure on school land with a joint use agreement confirming community use
  • Packaging of similar projects across multiple sites is permissible. For example, this may include grouping play spaces or sports lighting installations across multiple sites.

Applications must be submitted by 5pm on the 15 December 2020.

Please visit the Sport and Recreation Victoria website for more information and to access the Program Guidelines.

Contact your Sport and Recreation Victoria contact or Zoe Plastow ([email protected] on 0428 727 128 for further information and for assistance in the application development process.

 

FinPro Mini-Conference (21 and 22 October 2020)

We won’t be travelling down to RACV Cape Schanck this year for our Annual Conference, but come on a virtual journey with us as we run a ‘mini-conference’, to learn, share and connect.

Participants can attend as many sessions as they like over Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 October via our zoom links. Registration is essential – refer the 3 different links for the different sessions below.

More detailed information will be shared next week – but for now, here are the basics:

 

Day 1 Wednesday 21 October 2020

Today we will concentrate on Long Term Financial Plans. One of the key changes for Finance professionals in Local Government coming out of the new Local Government Act 2020 is a legislated 10-year Financial Plan. Do you have an appropriate tool to help with your plan? Over two sessions we will provide demonstrations of 4 different tools that may be of value to your organisation.

Session 1: Wednesday 21.10.20 10.00AM – 11.00AM

10 Year Financial Plan (LTFP) – CT Management and TechOne Demonstrations REGISTER NOW

Session 2: Wednesday 21.10.20 2.00 PM– 3.00PM

10 Year Financial Plan (LTFP) – LG Solutions and MAGIQ Demonstrations REGISTER NOW

 

Day 2 Thursday 22 October 2020

Today we will delve into a range of interesting conversations about risk, rebuilding and reflection.

REGISTER NOW – register for the whole afternoon, but come and go as suits you best!

Session 1: Thursday 22 October 1.30 – 2.20 VAGO – Emerging risks and audits

Presenters:

  • Andrew Greaves, Victorian Auditor-General
  • Sanchu Chummar, acting sector Director, Local Government VAGO

 

Session 2: Thursday 22 October 2020, 2.30 – 3.20pm Rebuilding our Communities

Presenters:

  • Ludo Campbell-Reid, City Design & Liveability, Wyndham City Council
  • Second speaker TBA

Session 3: Thursday 22 October 2020, 3.30 – 4.30pm CEO Panel

Presenters:

  • Tammi Rose, CEO Yarra Ranges Shire Council
  • Craig Neimann, CEO City of Greater Bendigo

Facilitator:

  • Danny Wain, CFO Monash City Council, Executive Member FinPro

Session 4: 4.40 – 5.30pm Virtual Happy Hour and launch of the FinPro Virtual Gallery

 

Councillor Onboarding (with a finance theme) – Thursday 1 October 2020

Bradley Thomas, President FinPro facilitated this session which was presented by Marc Giglio, Director Corporate Services at Banyule City Council.

  • webinar recording
  • webinar presentation slides

 

FinPro Virtual Gallery

The weeks are long right now and sometimes we feel a bit like we are on the set of Groundhog Day!

Imagine if you could just stop for a moment – and picture something that you have mastered, taken up, learnt, done, built or achieved over the past 6 months! Imagine too that could celebrate this achievement with the FinPro Community!

Well – you can. We are asking you to share what you have done with the FinPro community. Celebrate it – share it – own it!

Soon enough, the year will be behind us, and we will forget all the good things we have managed to do this year. So, this is our idea: Our very own FinPro Members Virtual Art Gallery

PAINTING, DRAWING, WRITING, 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!

Here are a few examples of contributions so far – WOW!!!

All contributions will be collated and displayed in a ‘FinPro Virtual Gallery’ during our virtual Happy Hour as part of the FinPro mini-conference on Thursday 23 October 2020.

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

To get a copy of this article, click here.