Minutes AGM: 15th January 2006

OTWAY BARHAM CATCHMENT LANDCARE GROUP

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
SUNDAY 15 JANUARY 2006
VENUE:
Support Centre, Barwon Water Facility, Montrose Ave, Apollo Bay
 
MINUTES

MEETING OPENED: 11 am

 All present welcomed by President, Denise Hooke, who invited all to take part on a “Getting to Know your neighbours” activity followed by an introduction by LUCAS ORAM – SOLN Co-0rdinator – who gave a short introduction on current & proposed projects being undertaken by himself and Greg John and provided some background on himself and his work experience.
 
PRESENT:
Denise & Michael Hooke, Joe Di Cecco, Leslie Huggins, Carol Wilmink, Jocelyn Dexter, Phil Smith, Simon Pockley, Bruce Andrews, Rod Buncle, John & Ingrid Ainsworth, Bruce Costin – SOLN
 
Non-members – Tracey Watson, Steve Thomas, Dani Cullen ?, Mark Ainsworth, Bernard & Valerie Stahn, Kate Szkonter & Mark Bartkowski, Annette Gilchrist, Jim Carty
 
APOLOGIES:
David & Sylvia Churchill, Frits Wilmink, Alan Huggins, Elizabeth Smith, Susan Pockley, Mick Heland, Frank, Andrew & Bebs Buchanan, John & Avis Coles, Sam & Glen Falzon, Ron & Mary Starkie, Webber Family, Ailsa & Frank Fabb/Shields.
 
MINUTES OF LAST ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING held 14 November 2004 were received

·         Moved: Phil Smith

·         Seconded: Joe Di Cecco
·         Carried:
 
PRESIDENTS ANNUAL REPORT:  Presented by Outgoing President, Denise Hooke – Attached.
 
·         Moved: Denise that her Report be received
·         Seconded: Joe DiCecco
·         Carried
 
Recommendations arising from Presidents Report:
 
1)         That a Vote of Thanks be extended to Leslie Huggins for the great work she has undertaken in the past years as Secretary and Treasurer
·         Moved: Bruce Andrews
·         Seconded: Joe Di Cecco                 
·         Carried
 
2)         That a Vote of Thanks be extended to the outgoing Executive Team for 2005
·         Moved: Carol Wilmink
·         Seconded: Bruce Costin                 
·         Carried
 
3)         That a Vote of Congratulations be extended to all Landcare members in the Otway Barham Catchment Landcare Group for their involvement in our Priorities, Projects, Programs and Trials in 2005
·         Moved: Denise Hooke
·         Seconded: Joe DiCecco                 
·         Carried
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4)         That the Special Water Supply Catchment Area become a major project area of the Otway Barham Catchment Landcare Group (in addition to the Adopt-the Barham Valley Road Project)
 
NOTE: This Recommendation was referred to the Special General Meeting to follow the AGM as some people present, who were not financial members of the OBCLG, wished to have considerable input into this subject (See points raised by Bernard Stahn)
 
Bruce Costin, SOLN Acting President, replied in support of Landcare involvement in this matter as he believes we should have some influence within the Catchment.
 
Carol Wilmink – advised the meeting that she supports part of Bernard Stahn’s comments.  She wanted funding to do projects which do not benefit the landholders directly.  She suggested that a Policy on waterless toilets should be a matter for our group to pursue with Barwon Water.
 
Bruce Costin replied that members needed to be given this sort of information as part of the concessions to landholders requested in the conditional support for the Catchment Declaration.
 
Bruce Andrews brought us back to the original recommendation and pointed out the need to sort out these comments in The Special General Meeting.
 
The Recommendations 4 (above) 5 & 6 from the Presidents Report were held over for discussion in the Special General Meeting.
5) That the Otway Barham Catchment Community be integrated into the Otway Barham Catchment Landcare Group
 
6) That the current Otway Barham Catchment Community Spokes Team, along with any other interested Landcare members, become the members of a Working Party/Focus Group on behalf of the Otway Barham Catchment Landcare Group
 
TREASURER/SECRETARY REPORT:
Treasurer, Leslie Huggins presented her report for the period 1 November 2004 to 31 October 2005.
Leslie advised that there were 35 members listed.  However only 30 were currently financial.
The Cost of the Wetlands Seminar held in September with Nick Romanowski had cost $700.00 plus postage and incidentals.
Sponsorships received to cover the cost of this Seminar were $100.00 from CCMA, $200.00 from Colac Otway Shire and a promise of $330.00 from SOLN - still to be received.
 
CCMA have also provided $300.00 towards administration for the Group (to cover insurance and VFF Fees) under the Second Generation Landcare Group Support Grants.
 
The Bottom Line was that a balance of $2,784.56 was held in two bank accounts at 31 October 2005.
$650.00 banked after 31 October 2005 to date and $300.00 still to come from SOLN.
 
·         Moved by Leslie Huggins that the Treasurers Report be received
·         Seconded: Bruce Costin                 
·         Carried
 
The Treasurer presented her Out-of-Pocket expenses for the period of the Report. A total of $51.00           
That the Treasurer/Secretary’s Out-of-Pocket expenses for the period 31 October 2004 to 15 January 2006 be passed for payment         

·         Moved: Joe Di Cecco
·         Seconded: Carol Wilmink
·         Carried
Outgoing President Denise Hooke declared all Management Committee positions vacant and handed the meeting over to SOLN Acting President, Bruce Costin, to conduct the Elections for the Management Committee.
 
Bruce called for Nominations for President.
Carol Wilmink nominated Denise Hooke to continue as president.  
Denise accepted the nomination.
 
As there were no further nominations for this position Denise was
Elected unopposed.
Congratulations were extended to Denise and good wishes for a continuing successful presidency.
 
Bruce called for Nominations for Vice President.
Leslie Huggins nominated Jo Di Cecco.
Joe reluctantly accepted the nomination as there were no other contenders and was
Elected unopposed. 
Congratulations and good wishes were extended to Jo for continuing in this position.
 
Bruce called for Nominations for Secretary.
Denise Hooke nominated Simon Pockley.
Simon accepted the nomination willingly and as there were no other contenders was
Elected unopposed. 
Congratulations and good wishes were extended to Simon on his election.
 
Bruce called for Nominations for Treasurer.
As there was no member willing to undertake this position the new Secretary, Simon Pockley, undertook to take on this position together with the Secretary position as had previously been done by outgoing Secretary/Treasurer Leslie Huggins.
 
With all positions now filled, Bruce Costin, handed back to continuing President Denise to announce the remaining Management Committee Positions of SOLN Representatives.
 
Denise Hooke and Simon Pockely being the two voting representatives backed up by Joe Di Cecco as the alternate representative.
 
INCOMING PRESIDENT – Denise Hooke had set out the group’s priorities and proposed projects as started in her first term and reiterated her ongoing commitment to these. Denise introduced new Secretary, Simon Pockley to outline a proposal that he brings to the group.
 
Simon told the group he was a ‘lapsed member’ now financial again.  He owns a property between the Killala Road and West Barham River.  He was concerned about the lack of focus of the group.
 
He outlined a proposal to provide a ‘River Quality Indicator” to be publicly available in the township as a visual display of the quality and quantity of water in the Barham River. The main purpose of the indictor was to realign all activities towards a pristine river from source to sea
 
He explained that the health of the Barham River and its catchment was central to the health of three communities of interest:
 

1. those who live and work in the town, Apollo Bay, and consume its water.
   
2. those that live, work, and visit the catchment area of the river.
   
3. the native flora and fauna and endagered species that depend on the river and its catchment for their survival.
   

 
Separate intitiatives address partial aspects of the health of the river but they are neither aligned nor integrated.
 

• Barwon Water’s concern is the quality of water as far as the pump station. Below the pump station where the river is degraded is of no interest.
  
• For the Otway Barham Catchment Landcare Group to have more meaning and purpose and to bring together the projects of the past and those of the future in a more measurable way it has shifted its over-riding focus to the health of the river as a whole.
  
• The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority does not include the Barham River in its Regional Catchment Strategy although it is discussed in the River Health Strategy.
  
• The health, sustainability, and amenity of Apollo Bay and its hinterland is a consistent factor in the decisions made by Colac Otway Shire
  

 
Simon quoted examples of key indicators (native salmon) from Seattle and California Canada.
Barham River Health – Key indicator for us
 
A general discussion of the concept ensued
 
Lucas thought that the proposal may shift some of community concern and getting townspeople to take more interest in the river and their water supply and become involved in the Catchment generally
 
Simon was looking for support for the proposal from our Group:
That the Group endorse, as a primary goal, the health of the Barham River from source to the sea.
·         Moved Simon Pockley
·         Seconded Carol Wilmink
·         Carried unanimously
 
PRESIDENT DENISE closed the AGM at 12.20 pm