2008-09 City of Melbourne Annual Report

City of Melbourne Annual Report 2008-09

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ABOUT THIS REPORT

Executive summary Message from the Lord Mayor Message from the CEO

OUR CITY

Council profile Meet your council Corporate governance Vision, mission and values The administration

12 MONTHS IN MELBOURNE

July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 Events calendar Looking ahead

OUR PERFORMANCE

Strategic indictors Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) GRI table Public consultations Leading by example - awards

FINANCIALS

Understanding our financials Standard statement of income Financial statements Notes Statements - City of Melbourne Auditor-General's report Five year statistics

CONTACT

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Our performance

Strategic indicators

Global reporting initiative (GRI)

GRI table

Public consultations

Leading by example - Awards

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Report profile

Report parameters

Governance commitments and engagements

Economic indicators

Environmental indicators

Labour practices and decent work indicators

Human rights performance indicators

Social performance indicators

Product responsibility indicators

Global Reporting Inititiative (GRI) – content table

Topic	GRI indicator	Requirements	Reference (page/comment)
Report profile
Strategy and analysis	1.1 (UNGC- P8)	CEO statement to include: strategic priorities and topics with regard to sustainability; trends affecting the organisation and influencing sustainability priorities; events, achievements and failures during the reporting period; views on performance with respect to targets; challenges and targets for the next year and goals for the coming years; and other items pertaining to strategic approach	Message from the CEO Message from the Lord Mayor of Melbourne
	1.2	Risks and opportunities	Message from the CEO 12 months in Melbourne
	1.3 (UNGC-P2)	Statement of continued support for the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)	About this report

Organisational profile	2.1	Name of the organisation	Melbourne City Council
	PA1	Relationship to other governments	Melbourne City Council
	2.2	Primary brands, products, and/or services including volume or quantity	Reported throughout 12 months in Melbourne
	2.3	Operational structure	Organisation structure
	2.4	Organisation's headquarters	The administration
	2.5	Countries organisation operates in	Melbourne, Australia
	2.6	Nature of ownership and legal form	Melbourne City Council
	2.7	Markets served	Melbourne, Australia
	2.8	Scale of organisation, including employee numbers, net revenues, total capitalisation (debt and equity).	The administration Our financials
	2.9	Significant changes in size, structure or ownership	Message from the CEO
	2.10	Awards received	Leading by example
Report parameters
Report profile	3.1	Reporting period.	1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009.
	3.2	Date of most recent previous report.	City of Melbourne 2007-08 Annual Report published in October 2008.
	3.3	Reporting cycle.	Annual
	3.4	Contact point.	City of Melbourne GPO Box 1603 Melbourne VIC 3001 Phone: 03 9658 9658 www.melbourne.vic.gov.au
	3.5	Process for determining report content, including: determining materiality, prioritising topics, identifying readers.	A cross-organisational working group developed the content and it was reviewed by the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and councillors, directors and the CEO.

Report scope and boundary	3.6	Boundary of report.	About this report
	3.7	Limitations on scope of report.	About this report
	3.8	Basis for reporting on joint ventures, subsidiaries, leased facilities, outsourced operations, and other entities.	Our subsidiaries are indentified
	3.9	Data measurement techniques and the bases of calculations in report.	Data measurement techniques are stated throughout report.
	3.10	Explanation of the effect of any re-statements of information provided in earlier reports.	See footnotes throughout report, where applicable.
	3.11	Significant changes from previous years in inclusion of indicators.	No significant changes.

GRI Content Index	3.12	Table identifying the location of the standard disclosures in the report.	See this GRI table

Assurance	3.13	Policy and current practice with regard to seeking external assurance for the report. If not included in the assurance report accompanying the sustainability report, explain the scope and basis of any external assurance provided. Also explain the relationship between the reporting organisation and the assurance provider(s).	See introduction to this table
Governance commitments and engagements
Governance	4.1	Governance structure, including committees under highest governance body responsible for specific tasks such as setting strategy or organisational oversight.	Melbourne City Council Corporate governance
	4.2	Indicate whether Chair of highest governance body is an executive officer.	The Lord Mayor of Melbourne is not an executive officer.
	4.3	For organisations with unitary board structure, number of members of highest governance body that are independent and/or non-executive members.	Not relevant to the City of Melbourne.
	4.4	Mechanisms for shareholders and employees to provide recommendations or direction to the highest governance body.	Melbourne stakeholders Staff profile
	4.5	Link between compensation for members of highest governance body, senior managers and executives and organisation's performance.	Remuneration of senior executives
	4.6	Processes in place for the highest governance body to ensure conflicts of interest are avoided.	Councillors and senior management are required to complete a return of interest each six months to declare their interests. These returns are recorded in a publicly accessible document. Councillors are also required to declare any conflict of interest relating to matters before committee and council meetings. City of Melbourne staff who have a conflict of interest in a matter in which they also have a delegated power, duty or function must declare the conflict of interest.
	4.7	Process for determining required qualifications and expertise of the members of the highest governance body for guiding the organisation's strategy on economic, environmental and social performance.	The Local Government Act 1989 (Vic) empowers councils to establish advisory and special committees of the council. These committees have delegated powers, duties and functions relating to the terms of reference of that committee.
	4.8	Internally developed statements of mission or values, codes of conduct and principles.	Our vision, mission and values
	4.9	Procedures of highest governance body for overseeing identification and management of economic, environmental and social performance.	Risk management
	4.10	Processes for evaluating the highest governance body's own performance, particularly with respect to economic, environmental and social performance.	As a democratically elected body, the council is subject to public elections every four years. Its performance over this period is measured against the delivery of the Council Plan developed in council's first year.
	4.11 (UNGC-P7)	Explanation of whether and how the precautionary approach or principle is addressed by the organisation.	The City of Melbourne does not explicitly reference the precautionary approach in our risk management statements. However, our risk management framework is aligned to the Australian Standard AS/NZS 4360:2004 which includes our environmental risk assessment.
	4.12	Externally developed voluntary economic, environmental and social charters, principles or other initiatives to which the organisation subscribes or which it endorses.	About this report
	4.13	Association memberships and national/international advocacy organisations in which the organisation has positions in governance bodies, participates in projects or committees, provides substantive funding beyond routine membership dues and strategic memberships.	Melbourne City Council
	4.14	Disclosure. List of stakeholder groups such as communities, suppliers, employees.	Melbourne stakeholders The administration
	4.15	Disclosure. Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders to engage.	Melbourne stakeholders
	4.16	Approaches to stakeholder engagement, including frequency of engagement by type and by stakeholder group.	Melbourne stakeholders Involving the community in city planning
	4.17	Issues and concerns raised through stakeholder engagement and how the organisation has responded.	Reported throughout 12 months in Melbourne

Public policies and implementation measures	PA2	State the definition of sustainable development adopted and identify any statements or principles adopted to guide sustainable development policies.	About this report 12 months in Melbourne
	PA3	Identify the aspects for which the organisation has established sustainable development policies.	Sustainability considerations are inherent in all our policies. Our specific sustainability related policies include: Greenhouse Action Plan 2006-10 Growing Green 2003-50 Sustainable Public Lighting Action Plan 2005-10 Total Watermark - City as a catchment 2008-11 Tree Plating Strategy 2009-19 Waste Management Strategy 2005-09 Zero Net Emissions by 2020 2008-11.
	PA4	Identify the specific goals of the organisation for each of the aspects listed in PA3.	Our sustainability policies are driven by our objective to be an environmentally responsible city.
	PA5	Describe the process by which the aspects and goals in both PA3 and PA4 were set.	All strategies incorporating performance goals are approved by the council.
	PA6	For each goal, provide the following information: implementation measures results of relevant assessments of the - effectiveness of those measures before they are implemented state targets and key indicators used to monitor progress, with a focus on outcomes describe progress with respect to goals and targets in the reporting periods, including results of key indicators actions to ensure continuous improvement towards reaching the public agency's goals and targets post-implementation assessment and targets for next time period.	Melbourne stakeholders Reported throughout 12 months in Melbourne Performance measures
	PA7	Describe the role and engagement with stakeholders with respect to the items disclosed in PA6.	Reported throughout 12 months in Melbourne Performance measures Melbourne stakeholders
Economic indicators
Economic performance	EC1	Direct economic value generated and distributed.	Our financials
	EC2	Financial implications and other risks and opportunities for the organisation's activities due to climate change.	Council endorsed the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy in June 2009. This is a comprehensive assessment of Melbourne's climate change risks for 2010, 2030 and 2070. It will inform the council's initiatives to adapt to climate change and mitigate adverse impacts associated with: intense rainfall and wind storm events, extreme heatwaves and bushfires, drought and reduced rainfall and sea level rise.
	EC3	Coverage of the organisation's defined benefit plan obligations.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	EC4	Significant financial assistance from government.	Our financials

Market presence	EC5	Range of ratios of standard entry level wage compared with local minimum wage.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	EC6	Policy, practices, and proportion of spending on locally based suppliers.	The City of Melbourne's Purchasing Policy provides for factors other than cost, which includes social and environmental factors when determining suppliers used for procurement of goods and services.
	EC7	Procedures for local hiring and proportion of senior management hired from local community.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.

Indirect economic impacts	EC8	Development and impact of infrastructure investment and services provided primarily for public benefit through commercial, in-kind or pro bono engagement.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
Indirect economic impacts	EC9	Understanding and describing significant indirect economic impacts.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.

Expenditures	PA8	Gross expenditure by type of payment.	Our financials
	PA9	Gross expenditure by financial classification.	Our financials
	PA10	Capital expenditures by financial classification.	Our financials
	PA11	Describe procurement policy of the public agency as it relates to sustainable development.	Our Sustainable Procurement Policy provides the opportunity, where practicable, to purchase green goods and services.
	PA12	Describe economic, environmental and social criteria that apply to expenditures and financial commitments.	The City of Melbourne's Purchasing Policy provides for cost, social and environmental factors when determining suppliers used for procurement of goods and services.

Procurement	PA13	Describe linkages between the public agency's procurement practices and its public policy priorities.	The Strategic Services Review process, undertaken before contract tendering, assesses procurement strategies against community needs and the council's policy and ensures that such needs are addressed accordingly.
Procurement	PA14	Percentage of total value of goods purchased that were registered with voluntary environmental or social labels and/or certification programs broken down by type.	While purchasing policy provides for the use of environmental factors when making procurement decisions, the extent to which the policy is applied is not currently measured.
Environmental indicators
Materials	EN1	Weight of materials used.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
Materials	EN2	Percentage of materials used that are recycled input materials.	Purchasing policy provides for the use of environmental factors when making procurement decisions although it doesn't specifically refer to the recycled input materials. The extent to which the policy is applied is not currently measured.

Energy	EN3	Direct energy consumption by primary energy source.	12 months in Melbourne
	EN4	Indirect energy consumption by primary source.	12 months in Melbourne
	EN5	Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements.	12 months in Melbourne
	EN6	Initiatives to provide energy-efficient or renewable energy based products and services and reductions in energy requirements as a result.	12 months in Melbourne
	EN7	Initiatives to reduce indirect energy consumption and reductions achieved.	12 months in Melbourne

Water	EN8	Total water withdrawal by source.	12 months in Melbourne
	EN9	Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	EN10	Percentage and total volume of water recycled and reused.	12 months in Melbourne

Biodiversity	EN11	Location and size of land owned, leased, managed in or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	EN12	Description of significant impacts of activities, products and services on biodiversity in protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	EN13	Habitats protected or restored.	City of Melbourne supports WaterWatch to deliver a community water monitoring and education program within the municipality. Revegetation activities in Royal Park, including community planting days, continue.
	EN14	Strategies, current actions and future plans for managing impacts on biodiversity.	12 months in Melbourne
	EN15	Number of ICUN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations, by level of extinction risk.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.

Emissions, effluents and waste	EN16 (UNGC-P8)	Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions. by weight.	12 months in Melbourne
	EN17	Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	EN18	Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved.	12 months in Melbourne
	EN19 (UNGC-P8)	Emissions of ozone-depleting substances by weight.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	EN20 (UNGC-P8)	NO, SO and other significant air emissions by type and weight.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	EN21	Total water discharge by quality and destination.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	EN22	Total weight of waste by type and disposal methods.	12 months in Melbourne
	EN23	Total number and volume of significant spills.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	EN24	Weight of transported, imported, exported or treated waste deemed hazardous and percentage of waste shipped internationally.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	EN25	Identity, size, protected status and biodiversity value of water bodies and habitats affected by organisation's discharges of water and runoff.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.

Products and services	EN26	Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products and services and extent of mitigation.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
Products and services	EN27	Percentage of products sold and their packaging materials that are reclaimed by category.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.

Compliance	EN28 (UNGC-P8)	Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations.	No significant fines for 2008-09.

Transport	EN29	Significant environmental impacts of transporting products and other goods and materials used for operations and transporting members of the workforce.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations

Overall	EN30	Total environmental protection expenditures and investments by type.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.

United Nations Global Compact	UNGC9	Business should encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.	In 2008-09 three key environmental strategies were developed or updated: Zero Net Emissions - Update 2008; Total Watermark City as a Catchment; and Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. Many of the initiatives are linked to the increased uptake of environmental technologies. For example Zero Net Emissions establishes a target of an addition 426 megawatts of low carbon power to be delivered through environmentally friendly technologies. These strategies translate into value for the community. Energy Savers - it all starts at home, delivered in collaboration with City of Yarra, works with energy efficiency installation companies to retrofit homes within the region. The program assesses individual homes and aims to increase uptake of energy and water efficient technologies such as insulation, lighting and showerheads, in the residential sector.
Labour practices and decent work indicators
Employment	LA1	Total workforce by employment type, employment contract and region.	The administration
	LA2	Total number and rate of employee turnover by age group, gender and region.	The administration
	LA3	Benefits provided to full-time employees that are not provided to temporary or part-time employees, by major operations.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations

Labour/management relations	LA4 (UNGC-P3)	Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements.	The administration
Labour/management relations	LA5	Minimum notice period(s) regarding operational changes, including whether it is specified in collective agreements.	Under the City of Melbourne 2005 Enterprise Agreement, the period of notice given to employees whose employment with Council is terminated shall be entitled to notice dependent on continuous years of service.

Occupational health and safety	LA6	Percentage of total workforce represented in formal joint management-worker health and safety committees that help monitor and advise on occupational health and safety programs.	100 per cent of the workforce has joint management. Employee representation is achieved with three Designated Work Group (DWG) OHS committees: Central Business District, Parking and Traffic, and Community Services Group. Members from each DWG form the Corporate OHS Committee chaired by the Director Corporate Services and meet quarterly.
	LA7	Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days and absenteeism and number of work related fatalities by region.	The administration
	LA8	Education, training, counselling, prevention and risk-control programs in place to assist workforce members, their families or community members regarding serious diseases.	The employee assistance program is a contracted confidential counselling service available to all staff and immediate family members. This service included career assistance and manager assistance programs.
	LA9	Health and safety topics covered in formal agreements with trade unions.	All OHS policies and safety management systems are compliant with the relevant legislation and the City of Melbourne holds dual safety accreditation with Advanced SafetyMap and AS 4801.

Training and education	LA10	Average hours of training per year per employee by employee category.	1.07 training hours per full-time employee. 0.34 training hours per part-time employee (including irregular and regular part-time employees) (excluding departmental training and external study assistance).
	LA11	Programs for skills management and lifelong learning that support the continued employability of employees and assist them in managing career endings.	Staff profile
	LA12	Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews.	100 per cent of eligible staff (excluding employees on extended leave, vacant positions and newly appointed positions).

Diversity and equal opportunity	LA13	Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per category according to gender, age group, minority group membership and other indicators of diversity.	Where applicable, details included in The administration
Diversity and equal opportunity	LA14	Ratio of basic salary of men to women by employee category.	Staff profile

Investment and procurement policies	HR1 (UNGC-P1, P2)	Percentage and total number of significant investment agreements that include human rights clauses or that have undergone human rights screening.	No data available for 2008-09.
	HR2	Percentage of significant suppliers and contractors that have undergone screening on human rights and actions taken.	Data not collected for 2008-09.
	HR3 (UNGC-P1)	Total hours of employee training on policies and procedures concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant to operations, including the percentage of employees trained.	Total hours training concerning aspects of human rights was 3,120 hours over six individual courses and accommodating 2,125 training places.
Human rights performance indicators
Non-discrimination	HR4 (UNGC-P6)	Total number of incidents of discrimination and actions taken.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.

Freedom of association and collective bargaining	HR5	Operations identified in which the right to exercise freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at significant risk, and actions taken to support these rights.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.

Child labour	HR6 (UNGC-P4, P5)	Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of child labour, and measures taken to contribute to the elimination of child labour.	The City of Melbourne only employs an adult workforce and ensures that our contractors and outsourced service providers also share this commitment.

Forced and compulsory labour	HR7 (UNGC-P4)	Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labour, and measures to contribute to the elimination of forced or compulsory labour.	The City of Melbourne does not engage in forced or compulsory labour.

Security practices	HR8	Percentage of security personnel trained in the organisation's policies or procedures concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant to operations.	Provision of security services is outsourced and the provider is required to comply with all City of Melbourne policies and procedures.

Indigenous rights	HR9	Total number of incidents of violations involving rights of Indigenous people and actions taken.	No incidents reported.
Social performance indicators
Community	SO1	Nature, scope, and effectiveness of any programs and practices that assess and manage the impacts of operations on communities, including entering, operating and exiting.	12 months in Melbourne

Corruption	SO2 (UNGC-P10)	Percentage and total number of business units analysed for risks relating to corruption.	Risk management
	SO3	Percentage of employees training in organisation's anti-corruption policies and procedures.	Corporate governance
	SO4	Actions taken in response to incidents of corruption.	No incidents reported

Public policy	SO5	Public policy positions and participation in public policy development and lobbying.	As a capital city council, the City of Melbourne is involved in a broad range of local, regional, state and national based public policy issues. For example, see memberships listed in Melbourne City Council section, divisions and 12 months in Melbourne.
Public policy	SO6	Total value of financial and in-kind contributions to political parties, politicians and related institutions and lobbying.	The City of Melbourne did not receive any funding from political parties.

Anti-competitive behaviour	SO7	Total number of legal actions for anti-competitive behaviours, anti-trust and monopoly practices and their outcomes.	No legal actions for 2008-09.

Compliance	SO8	Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with laws and regulations.	No significant fines for 2008-09.
Product responsibility indicators
Customer health and safety	PR1	Life cycle stages in which health and safety impacts of products and services are assessed for improvement, and percentage of significant products and services categories subject to such procedures.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
Customer health and safety	PR2	Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning health and safety impacts or products and services during their life cycle, by type of outcomes.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.

Product and service labelling	PR3	Type of product and service information required by procedures and percentage of significant products and services subject to such information requirements.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	PR4	Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning product and service information and labelling.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.
	PR5	Practices related to customer satisfaction including results of surveys measuring customer satisfaction.	Our performance

Marketing communications	PR6	Programs for adherence to laws, standards and voluntary codes related to marketing communications, including advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.	The City of Melbourne's marketing and communications (television advertisements) produced during the last financial year have adhered to the relevant laws, standards and voluntary codes in accordance with Free TV Australia Limited, and the free-to-air commercial television broadcasters.
	PR7	Total number of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning marketing communications, including advertising, promotion and sponsorship by type of outcomes.	The City of Melbourne's advertising has adhered to relevant codes.
	PR8	Total number of substantiated complaints regarding breaches of customer privacy and losses of customer data.	Corporate governance
	PR9	Monetary value of significant fines for non-compliance with laws and regulations concerning the provision and use of products and services.	Determined as not of material impact on the City of Melbourne's operations.

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