Committees of management

Each year the department requests an annual return from committees pursuant to the Crown Land (Reserves) Act.

Annual return template – category 3

This is the annual return template which your category 3 committee fills in and returns to the department each year.

Annual Return - Category 3 2019-20 (DOCX, 147.9 KB)

Annual return template – category 2

For convenience, the template for category 2 committees is also provided here.

Annual Return - Category 2 2019-20

In each region, DELWP staff members provide support and guidance to Committees of Management managing Crown land reserves. The DELWP support role for committees includes:

• Advice on committee governance and operation.
• Providing approvals, e.g. consent for new uses and developments, and for leases/licences.
• Advice on reserve management and planning.
• Clarifying issues regarding insurance and risk management.
• Managing the selection and appointment of the committee.
• Assisting with information about funding opportunities.
• Running events and celebrating the work of committees.

DELWP also has an oversight role: checking that committees are complying with all the expectations and requirements of DELWP for managing a Crown land reserve.

DELWP aims to ensure that all committees:

• are provided with a range of tailored knowledge, guidance material and contacts to assist in performing the committee role.
• feel supported and valued by the DELWP team.
• are confident that DELWP provides a reliable source of advice on Crown land management issues.

DELWP uses a Committee of Management Categorisation Framework to guide the support and oversight provided for committees of management.

The financial criteria used as a guide to categorisation include:

• Category 1: Greater than $1 million per year in revenue (or cash balance) or built assets valued at greater than $20 million.
• Category 2: Greater than $250,000 (and less than $1 million) per year in revenue (or cash balance) or built assets valued at more than $5 million (and less than $20 million).
• Category 3: Less than $250,000 per year in revenue (or cash balance) and built assets valued at less than $5 million.

Heritage and public land values are also considered along with other regional knowledge, such as land or assets under management being of regional, statewide or national significance, a current major infrastructure development, or other unique circumstances. Some coastal committees are categorised as Category 2 or 1 based on income/assets. All other coastal committees are considered as Category 2 irrespective of income/assets.

For further information about the Committee of Management Categorisation Framework, committees can contact their DELWP regional office committee of management contact person.

Grants to assist committees in their work may be available from a number of sources. See the links below for more information.

• DELWP Grants:
• Vic Gov Grants
• Local councils can also provide grants.

These guidance notes:

• should be read by all new committee members
• will help experienced committee members to keep up-to-date
• are useful for anyone thinking of joining a committee.

Help from DELWP

Lists the key guidance notes, model policies, guidelines and other resources available from DELWP to assist you and your committee.

Help from DELWP (PDF, 311.3 KB)
Help from DELWP (DOCX, 103.8 KB)

Meetings and decisions

An easy-to-read guide on:

• how committee meetings must be conducted
• how decisions must be made.

Meetings and decisions (PDF, 195.2 KB)
Meetings and decisions (DOCX, 112.3 KB)

Conflict of Interest

An easy-to-read guide on:

• how to recognise conflicts of interest
• how they must be declared and managed.

Conflict of Interest (PDF, 421.7 KB)
Conflict of Interest (DOCX, 113.9 KB)

Code of conduct (including gifts)

Committee members must maintain certain ethical standards. For example, if a member is offered a gift as a result of their role.

Code of conduct (including gifts) (PDF, 325.3 KB)
Code of conduct (including gifts) (DOCX, 118.3 KB)

Dispute resolution

If a committee has members who cannot work together this needs to be resolved.

Dispute resolution (PDF, 309.4 KB)
Dispute resolution (DOCX, 104.8 KB)

As well as reading the guidance notes, you may find it useful to watch DELWP’s induction video for small committees.

Insurance Fact Sheet for Committees of Management

The department provides public liability, professional indemnity and group personal accident insurance cover for committees. Please refer to chapter 11 of the Committees of management responsibilities and good practice guidelines (above) for details.

Certificates of currency for these insurances are provided below.

Public liability – certificate of currency

Public & Products liability insurance certificate of currency 2020-21 (PDF, 23.9 KB)

Professional indemnity insurance – certificate of currency

Professional indemnity insurance certificate of currency 2020-21 (PDF, 23.6 KB)

Group personal accident insurance – certificate of currency

Group personal accident insurance certificate of currency 2020-21 (PDF, 125.8 KB)

Crown land is leased and licensed to enable communities to use, benefit from and enjoy Crown land including recreational, cultural, sporting and commercial uses.

There are two types of tenure that a committee can issue:

• A lease is for the exclusive use of part or all of a reserve. It is suitable where large facilities are being used entirely for a particular group, such as social clubrooms.
• Licences are for non-exclusive use of part or all of a reserve. They are suitable where there are many users of the reserve who need regular access, for example, several sporting clubs that want to use the oval of a reserve at different times.

Lease proposals require the in-principle approval of the Minister (or delegate) before negotiations begin and must comply with DELWP requirements. In the first instance, discuss the details of any proposed lease or licence with the local DELWP office or call the DELWP Customer Contact Centre on 136 186.

The Leasing Policy for Crown land in Victoria 2018 andDELWP Crown Land Leasing Guidelines 2012 provides more information on leasing Crown land, while General Crown Land Licencesprovides more information on licensing Crown land.

DELWP’s publishes newsletters with tips, advice, and news for committees. You can:

• download previous newsletters
• subscribe to receive future newsletters electronically (they are usually published biannually in March and September).  Email voluntary.committees@delwp.vic.gov.au.

Please note that although some of the electronic links in the newsletters may no longer be current the articles will still be of interest.

Your committee must have certain policies in place as outlined below. It can do so by simply adopting these DELWP model policies.

Meetings and decisions

Meetings and decisions (PDF, 486.8 KB)
Meetings and decisions (DOCX, 125.3 KB)

Conflict of Interest

Conflict of Interest (PDF, 423.2 KB)
Conflict of Interest (DOCX, 103.1 KB)

Code of conduct (including gifts)

Code of conduct (including gifts) (PDF, 329.5 KB)
Code of conduct (including gifts) (DOCX, 109.2 KB)

Dispute resolution

Dispute resolution (PDF, 309.3 KB)
Dispute resolution (DOCX, 103.4 KB)

Caravan and camping parks on Crown land

Additional resources are available for specific types of committees, for example, best practice guidelines for Caravan and camping parks on Crown land.  It is important to note that these guidelines are in addition to the Committees of management responsibilities and good practice guidelines (see above), which are relevant to all committees.

Standing for election to Parliament or a local council

If you are considering standing for election to Parliament, important legal considerations apply because of your public sector appointment as a committee member.  Considerations may also apply if you decide to stand for local council.  See DELWP’s guidance note on this topic.

On Board - Terms - 01 - Standing For Election (PDF, 412.9 KB)
On Board - Terms - 01 - Standing For Election (DOCX, 196.7 KB)