5.1 Provide exceptional customer service

We will:

5.1.1 Use contemporary technologies to enable customers to interact with council when, where and how they choose

5.1.2 Continue to improve the experience that the community has when dealing with Council.

5.1.3 Ensure that services are provided efficiently and effectively whether the community contacts Council via telephone, in person, electronically or via letter

5.1.4 Ensure that we are reporting to the community on how we are performing and where we are delivering efficiencies.

  • Implement key initiatives identified in the organisation’s Customer Focus Strategy 2017-2021, including:
    • Develop an updated and responsive service model including clearly defined service levels and timeframes
    • Review organisational customer service performance measures to assist in continual improvement of Council service
    • Develop and resource a framework to ensure increased frequency of customer service refresher training for all staff
    • Continue reviewing customer contact points and processes to ensure an efficient, responsible and timely service
  • Refresh Council’s Customer Charter to define what the community can expect from Council
  • Implement the new Banyule Complaints Handling Policy
  • Continue to explore and utilise existing and emerging technologies to:
    • Improve our customer contact experience
    • Address increasing community expectations for improved responsiveness
    • Deliver a range of self-serve options.

5.2 Develop and deliver best value services and facilities

We will:

5.2.1 Continually review our services to ensure good value for money

5.2.2 Look for greater ways to increase our income and reduce costs

5.2.3 Actively seek non-Council sources of financial support for projects, programs and services

5.2.4 Seek investment and business opportunities that reduce reliance on traditional revenue sources, such as rates and government grants, to sustainably deliver high quality services and infrastructure to our community.

  • Continue to implement key recommendations from the Banyule Leisure Facility Management (Banyule Leisure) operational service review
  • Continue to investigate options to consolidate landholdings to maximise revenue and asset reallocation
  • Prepare a Development Contributions Plan (DCP) to support Council’s long-term plans for capital works, which includes a planning scheme amendment and identifying resources required to operate the DCP.
  • Pursue avenues for development contributions towards public infrastructure provision.
  • Complete a Banyule Planning Scheme amendment to include a specified development contribution towards public open space
  • Ensure Activity Centre Car Parking Plans consider the feasibility of development contributions towards transport infrastructure and facilities.
  • Deliver on the Bellfield Master Plan primarily focussing on Council's land holding at Banksia Street and Oriel Road Bellfield
  • Deliver effective and efficient sales of other Council sites proved surplus to requirement
  • Review and develop a revitalised Human Resources Strategic Plan
  • Continue to improve asset management plans by confirming asset work programs, renewal priorities, intervention levels and therefore levels of service, and develop asset plans for:
    • Traffic management devices,
    • Sports field & surface (synthetic) and irrigation systems,
    • Sports field and reserve lighting,
    • Trees (streets & parks), and
    • Park facilities
  • Finalise an organisational service level agreement framework for property related matters.
  • Continue Council’s Service Development Review Program, a targeted review program to strengthen and assess service sustainability, including review of service provision, key needs and objectives, and delivery inputs such as consultation, benchmarking, and financial analysis
  • Co-ordinate data sources and performance reporting measures, to ensure evidence based decision making, including:
    • Review and develop key organisation performance measures
    • Report on the State Government’s Local Government Performance Reporting Framework (LGPRF)
    • Produce, co-ordinate and promote use of, and access to, meaningful data to inform and enhance Council's planning and service delivery e.g. Resident profile and performance assessment, community surveys, organisational benchmarking
  • Undertake innovative projects to inform and improve the delivery of efficient, effective and accessible services for older people (eg Community Based Meals & Respite, and Support for carers programs)
  • Research and develop systems and processes to identify and communicate community need in order to respond as effectively as possible with the right service mix for our community.


5.3 Provide responsible financial management and business planning

We will:

5.3.1 Achieve a responsible budget within a rate capping environment

5.3.2 Effectively manage Council's commercial assets, leases and contracts

5.3.3 Review and plan for the provision of our assets to ensure they are fit for purpose and meets the service and infrastructure needs of our community now and in the future

5.3.4 Develop sound long-term plans for capital works, asset maintenance and financial management

5.3.5 Ensure transparent and accountable organisational planning and reporting

5.3.6 Ensure evidence based decision making seeking knowledge from practice, experience and research.

  • Review and update Council's capital works infrastructure plan to ensure the ongoing strategic and sustainable management of Council’s assets
  • Review opportunities for greater automation of our core processes. Including: standard data collection and invoice payments; generation of legislative certifications, and purchasing card administration
  • Develop a system that allows for robust and timely long term strategic planning scenario analysis and modelling, including an update of the central cost allocation model and a supporting training program.
  • Undertake a detailed assessment of the rating strategy to accommodate current known limitations arising from a rate capping environment and feedback from the community in areas such as differential rating and waste services charges.
  • Enhance the mechanism for calculating, recording and reporting of various Statutory and Corporate fees and charges across the City when developing the budget each year and monitoring during the year.
  • Build on the organisation’s internal and external networks with the intent to significantly improve collaboration, understanding, and compliance of key financial operational requirements.
  • Continue to enter into partnership and license agreements with community groups that support the delivery of services to the community
  • Promote the guidelines for sporting and community groups in relation to facility planning, advertising policy and Liquor Licencing process
  • Maintain performance reporting to provide transparency and simplification of information for our community
  • Continue to improve our corporate planning and reporting through better utilisation and development of systems and processes
  • Manage the service delivery contracts for Council's Major outsourced Leisure and Functions facilities, including: WaterMarc Banyule, The Centre Ivanhoe, Ivanhoe Golf Course, Chelsworth Park, Community Halls, and Macleod Recreation and Fitness Centre
  • Deliver and monitor the Nillumbik Immunisation Service in an efficient and effective manner within the budget
  • Plan for open space water management, including: new irrigation systems, and warm season grass conversion.

5.4 Provide good governance and be accountable

We will:

5.4.1 Participate in legislative reviews and maintain a best practice and contemporary approach to good governance and accountability

5.4.2 Support Councillors to meet transparency and accountability aspects of their role

5.4.3 Ensure the right governance structures and practices are in place for good decision making

5.4.4 Develop and implement policies and local laws to support community wellbeing

5.4.5 Make informed decisions based on sound evidence and community input.

5.4.6 Keep our community informed of key decisions

  • Continue implementation, education and enforcement of our Local Law No.1
  • Implement a new shared service arrangement, which will deliver the community an enhanced out of hours on-call Municipal Laws service
  • Effectively manage Council’s reputation within the media with clear consistent and open communication
  • Implement legislative requirements from the new Local Government Act in 2018
  • Implement recommendations from the Ombudsman's Review into Transparency.
  • Develop an Integrity Framework including:
    • Linked reporting to key integrity agencies
    • Procedures for mandatory reporting of suspected corruption
    • Update procedures for Protected Disclosure
  • Review Council meeting Public Participation process including: the public forum and request to speak process

5.5 Create a productive and engaged organisation

We will:

5.5.1 Ensure the senior leaders are accountable and accessible to their people.

5.5.2 Listen to staff feedback and promote activities that foster a positive culture.

5.5.3 Ensure the organisational values are communicated, understood and modelled.

5.5.4 Ensure we have the right people, at the right time, in the right place to deliver quality services across the organisation

5.5.5Develop and support our people to be productive, skilled and engaged

5.5.6 Ensure our people and workplaces remain safe

  • Facilitate the rollout of Council's Leadership Development Framework to strengthen the leadership capabilities of supervisory staff
  • Identify and deliver relevant learning and development offerings to support Council goals, objectives and directions.
  • Support the organisation to achieve improved Alignment and Engagement staff survey results to increase productivity, retention of high performing staff and efficiency that results from high employee satisfaction.
  • Support, address and advocate for the prevention of Family Violence; including:
    • Increasing organisational awareness of family violence issues, and how they may impact the workforce, and
    • Continue procedures, processes, and educative programs that advocate on behalf of, and support employees experiencing family violence
  • Build on the implementation of the Working Together Working Better Values by promoting positive behaviours through appropriate feedback, reward and recognition and development opportunities
  • Commence negotiations for Enterprise Agreement No.7, with a focus on achieving a fair outcome that supports a sustainable organisation so that employment is sustainable, including terms and conditions that are contemporary and relevant to a modern workforce.
  • Ensure the Child Safe Standards become integral to our conduct and operations and continue to review and revise to ensure the Child Safe Standards remain at the forefront of our culture, by completing roll out and consolidate Banyule’s Child Safe Organisation status.

5.6 Manage the systems and assets that support service delivery

We will:

5.6.1 Upgrade and maintain our core IT systems and infrastructure

5.6.2 Invest in new technology and innovative solutions to deliver operational efficiencies and improve the customer experience

5.6.3 Manage and strengthen the systems and processes which securely maintain our corporate records and information

5.6.4 Apply sound risk management practices that meet defined local government industry standards

5.6.5 Continue to provide a sustainable, cost effective and safe fleet.

  • Deliver targeted improvement of organisational systems in line with the IT Strategic Plan and as prioritised by the organisation’s ICT (information and communications technology) Steering Committee, including: mobility solutions and digitisation of customer self service functions.
  • Continue to implement the Electronic Document Records Management System (EDRMS) project with the targeting of work flow improvements, including digitisation of hard copy files and electronic work processes to move to fully electronic data management
  • Continue to review new technologies to ensure Public Records Office Victoria standards for record keeping and privacy requirements are met and reviewed according to an appropriate risk assessment - these reviews to be conducted in line with the sometimes competing demands of Council’s operations and the standards
  • Implement Council's refreshed Project Management framework
  • Continue to review and streamline Council’s financial systems and processes to ensure the most efficient and effective use of our technology resources,
  • Manage our major software upgrade program to enable a suitable software platform for new applications.
  • Maintain and provide a reliable and stable Information and Communications Technology (ICT) environment to the organisation, including: Core Corporate Systems, Server and Network Hardware, Network Security patch management, systems upgrade and replacement
  • Provide reliable and dependable IT User Management Services, including resolving user requests in a timely manner.
  • Continue to provide a cost effective and environmental fleet, supported by an efficient and responsive fleet management team and workshop
  • Implement fleet management review actions to provide a sustainable, cost effective and safe fleet.
  • Manage and maintain records service delivery to the organisation, including: recording and distribution of mail, digitisation and archiving.
  • Continue to apply the Planning and Building Enforcement Framework including proactive programs.
  • Ensure Business Continuity Plan documents are reviewed, revised and kept current
  • Continue to refine, monitor and implement a disaster recovery solution (technology platform) to meet Council’s business continuity requirements
  • Review and communicate mechanisms and processes to apply clear and sound risk management practices that meet local government and industry standards
  • Maintain the organisation wide certification of our Best Value Plus Management System