Learn some quick statistics on our service performance and our community's interaction with these services in FY2022-23.

Our vision represents our commitment to the community outlined in the Boroondara Community Plan 2021-31. You can find out more on our Boroondara Community Plan 2021-31 page.

Our purpose and values describe how we will work together to achieve our goals for the community.

Vision

A sustainable and inclusive community.

Purpose

We work together to deliver the community priorities and place our customers at the centre of everything we do.

Values

We will create a collaborative and customer-centric culture which connects our people to our purpose, inspires them to be their best, and provides a great place to work. You can see our 6 organisational values on the Our values page.

Our role as a council

The City of Boroondara is established through and governed by the Local Government Act 2020 and is committed to our community’s vision to create ‘a sustainable and inclusive community’ in Boroondara. 

City profile

Boroondara has an estimated residential population of 169,411 people (as at 30 June 2022). Our residents were born in more than 150 countries and speak more than 120 languages. Within Boroondara we have one of the highest concentrations of schools of all Victorian local government areas.

You can find out more about the demographics of the City of Boroondara in the City of Boroondara Community Profile on the id Community website.

We have 53 shopping centres and strips, with the main shopping strips located at:

• Camberwell Junction
• Glenferrie Road
• Hawthorn
• Kew Junction.

A quarter of our residents earned $2,000 or more per week in 2021, and 19% of our residents are volunteers.

Council wards and councillors

The City of Boroondara's 11 Council wards in FY2022-23 are represented by individual councillors, each elected by members of the community for a 4-year term of office. Our wards and the FY2022-23 councillors representing them are:

• the Cotham Ward represented by Mayor and Cr Felicity Sinfield
• the Lynden Ward represented by Deputy Mayor and Cr Lisa Hollingsworth
• the Maranoa Ward represented by Cr Cynthia Watson
• the Junction Ward represented by Cr Di Gillies
• the Solway Ward represented by Cr Garry Thompson
• the Maling Ward represented by Cr Jane Addis
• the Bellevue Ward represented by Cr Jim Parke
• the Studley Ward represented by Cr Nick Stavrou
• the Riversdale Ward represented by Cr Susan Biggar
• the Gardiner Ward represented by Cr Victor Franco
• the Glenferrie Ward represented by Cr Wes Gault.

You can find out more about our current councillors and wards on our Mayor and councillors page.

Our organisational structure

Our Executive Leadership Team that leads the organisation includes our CEO, 4 directors and 3 senior leaders. The FY2022-23 Executive Leadership Team members are:

• Chief Executive Officer, Phillip Storer
• Director Community Support, Kate McCaughey
• Director Urban Living, Scott Walker
• Director Places and Spaces, Daniel Freer
• Director Customer and Transformation, Mans Bassi
• Executive Manager People, Culture and Development, Mary-Anne Palatsides
• Chief Financial Officer, Amy Montalti
• Manager Governance and Legal, Bryan Wee.

More information about our current Executive Leadership Team is available on our CEO and executive team page.

This is a summary of our performance for the FY2022-23. You can find more information in our Independent Auditor’s Reports of our Financial Report and Performance Statement in the Downloads section on this page.

Obligations

We ensure that we maintain infrastructure assets at expected levels while continuing to deliver the services needed by the community. We invested $43.49 million in renewal works in 2022-23, including:

• the renewal of buildings ($17.47 million)
• roads ($10.27 million)
• drainage ($3.69 million).

This was funded from capital grants of $10 million and cash flow from operations of $33.49 million. At the end of 2022-23, our loans and borrowings repayment ratio – measured by comparing interest-bearing loans and borrowing repayments to rate revenue – was 14.75%. This increased significantly to the prior year’s value of 1.48%, which is reflective of the first full year of the repayment of the $70 million Treasury Corporation Victoria loan that was drawn in June 2022.

Asset renewal ratio is measured by comparing asset renewal and upgrade expenditure to depreciation, and was 125% in 2022-23. This is a slight decline on previous years due to a review of the timing of planned renewal projects, in the context of rising construction costs, resulting in some planned works being deferred to be undertaken in future years.

Economic factors

We are facing external factors which are increasing cost pressures on our services and facilities, while also facing the need to maintain assets appropriately. External economic factors include:

• inflation rising rapidly
• cost escalation in the construction industry
• the slow return by patrons to our leisure and aquatic facilities after the forced closure of these facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic
• the reduction of the traditional backyard across areas of the municipality increasing the demand by residents on our open space, parks, and sporting facilities.

The 2022-23 Budget is largely based on a recovery of normal activity levels post the COVID-19 pandemic. Our strong financial management resulting in a positive year-end result is critical in enabling us to address the ongoing requirement for asset renewal to ensure our facilities meet community needs and are fit for purpose.

Higher interest rates will support increased investment income returns for our cash holdings, while our fixed interest rate loans provide repayment certainty for the future term of the loans.

In summary, we are facing external factors which are increasing cost pressures on our services and facilities while facing the need to maintain assets appropriately. Our capacity to meet these obligations is challenged by the State Government imposed cap on revenue; a cap the state does not apply to itself.

Major projects

Our major projects for FY2022-23 included:

• Kew Recreation Centre redevelopment ($73.1 million over 4 years)
• Canterbury Community Precinct ($3.7 million in FY2022-23)
• Tuck Stand ($484.5k in FY2022-23)
• Kew Library Redevelopment ($164.2k in FY2022-23).

Our performance against priority themes

The Boroondara Community Plan 2021–31 (the Plan) outlines 7 themes our community told us were important in 2017. In 2020-21, our community told us these themes still represent what they want us to focus on over the next 10 years.

Our performance for FY2022-23 is reported against each of the 7 priority themes on the following pages. 

Major achievement  

Strategic objective

Community services and facilities are high quality, sustainable, inclusive and strengthen resilience.  

Major initiative 1.6

Enhance the provision of early years education, disability and recreation services to the local community by completing the construction of the Canterbury Community Precinct and supporting the coordination of the community agencies on site to work together to optimise service provision.

The new main building and the renewed former Canterbury Bowls Pavilion located on Kendall Street opened for community use in March 2023. The Canterbury Neighbourhood Centre, Canterbury Community Garden, Canterbury Maternal and Child Health Centre, Canterbury Gardens Kindergarten, Playstation Occasional Care, and the Canterbury Toy Library are now all operating on site.

The second stage of works are underway to refurbish the former Canterbury Maternal and Child Health Centre and the former Canterbury Public Library buildings. These buildings will be home to Interchange Inner East and the historical societies once works are completed in late 2023.

Theme 1 performance

This is a breakdown of the strategic indicators, progress of initiatives and other service performance indicators for this theme. You can find out more detail about these indicators in the full report.

You can also read through our continuous improvement initiatives, community engagement, and benchmarking activities for this theme in the full report.

Strategic indicators

In almost all cases our strategic indicators saw consistent or improved results in FY2022-23. The strategic indicators that met or exceeded the forecast include the following.

Some indicators did not meet our forecast this year:

Progress of initiatives in the Budget

Initiatives that were completed in FY2022-23:

• Inform our planning and strategic direction to align its delivery of services to meet community needs by undertaking an analysis of the 2021 ABS data to identify current and projected changes in our population.
• Support older people to understand and navigate the Aged Care system by hosting information sessions and providing written and digital information on My Aged Care and commonwealth funded aged care services.
• Connect people living with a disability in Boroondara to physical activity opportunities by developing a Disability Sports Hub in collaboration with Disability Sport and Recreation (DSR) and the YMCA.
• Enrich and empower the community by providing high quality community-focused library collections, programs, facilities, and services through implementation of the 2022-23 actions from the Boroondara Library Action Plan 2020-2025.
• Support Local Historical societies to boost community access to their collections, which includes support to develop a model of operation at the Canterbury Community Precinct.

Initiatives that commenced in FY2022-23:

• Consider the needs and aspirations of people with a disability identified through community consultation by presenting a draft of the Boroondara Disability Action Plan 2023-27 to our councillors – 90% complete. People with disability, their families, and carers, as well as community groups and organisations that support and advocate for people with disability were consulted to understand the needs and aspirations of people with disability. Key elements of the draft Plan were presented to the Boroondara Community Disability Advisory Committee at its meetings for feedback. Officers are reviewing and incorporating feedback into the draft Plan, which will be presented to our councillors for endorsement for public exhibition in the first half of 2023-24. The draft Plan will guide our efforts to improve the experience of people with disability living, working, studying and visiting Boroondara. It provides a four-year vision and a two-year implementation plan for delivering actions. A new implementation plan will be developed at the end of 2025
• Create an all-ability recreation facility to meet current and future community needs by completing the construction of the Kew Recreation Centre – 50% complete. Construction of Kew Recreation Centre has been delayed due to the collapse of a section of the roof structure. Due to ongoing investigation and remediation activities, the project is reported as reduced progress to reflect deconstruction works.
• Enhance the provision of early years education, disability and recreation services to the local community by completing the construction of the Canterbury Community Precinct and supporting the coordination of the community agencies on site to work together to optimise service provision – 90% complete. Construction of Canterbury Community Centre Stage 1 is complete and open to the community for use. Stage 2 works commenced mid-April 2023 and are due for completion mid-late 2023.
• Make precincts easier to navigate and improve the consistency, readability, placement, and accessibility of signage by developing and adopting a Signage Strategy that outlines the style and use of signs that support facilities – 40% complete. At the start of the review of the Signage Style Guide, we found that the current City of Boroondara logo was not accessible and therefore non-compliant with the WCAG 2.0 legislative guidelines. This introduced additional scope to review as a critical input to the Signage Style Guide. The outcome of the review triggered a new project that involved a refresh of the logo, strapline and colour palette. This refreshed logo will now be applied in the Signage Style Guide, which will be delivered by December 2023.

Other service performance indicators

The following other service performance indicators and measures are based on the FY2022-23, unless stated otherwise. For more detail, including supporting commentary and how these results were calculated, see the full annual report PDF.

Animal management

Aquatic facilities

Food safety

Maternal and Child Health (MCH)

Libraries

Major achievement

Strategic objective

Green and open spaces are provided, well-utilised and enhanced.

Major initiative 2.1

Improve the sporting experience in Boroondara by setting and meeting service standards for all turf sports areas.

The redevelopment took place between late-2021 and early-2023. The new course officially reopened in March 2023. Key features include:

• a reconfigured 4,694-metre course
• a new practice putting green which has increased in size by 35%
• 3.1 hectares of new turf
• new timber-faced bunkers
• 5,000 new native plants
• 104 new native trees
• 2.8 kilometres of new pathways, including some sections of porous lane made up of 60% recycled tyres.

Usage levels of the new course have far exceeded expectations and we have received positive feedback from our community since its reopening.

Theme 2 performance

This is a breakdown of the strategic indicators, progress of initiatives and other service performance indicators for this theme. You can find out more detail about these indicators and previous year’s results in the full report.

You can also read through our continuous improvement initiatives, community engagement, and benchmarking activities for this theme in the full report.

Strategic indicators

There were only 3 strategic indicators for this theme in FY2022-23.

Two of these strategic indicators met or exceeded the forecast, and these were:

• the number of trees on Council managed land (forecast: 111,100 to 112,000, 2022-23 result: 115,762)
• user satisfaction with a range of parks in Boroondara, benchmarked with participating councils (forecast: 80 to 82, 2022-23 result: 80).

An indicator that did not meet our forecast this year was satisfaction with appearance of public areas (forecast: 80% to 82%, 2022-23 result: 72%). The appearance of public areas remains one of our top 3 performing areas in the Customer Satisfaction Survey. The result has reduced by 7 points in 2023, however, we are still performing higher than the benchmark of metro (68) and state (67) levels.

Progress of initiatives in the Budget

Initiatives that were completed in FY2022-23:

• Improve the sporting experience in Boroondara by setting and meeting service standards for all turf sports areas.
• Improve the community access and experience in parks by implementing new grass management practices and proactively managing mowing contracts.
• Provide family-friendly local community opportunities for enjoyment and social connection via the delivery of the 2023 Summer in the Park series showcasing cinema, music and theatre performances.
• Improve the health of the Boroondara community, by working with the YMCA to support programming of physical activity opportunities in Boroondara’s parks and sports grounds.

The one initiative for this theme that commenced in FY2022-23 and is 95% complete was enhancing recreational opportunities for children and families by commencing construction of the play space at Hays Paddock and completing construction of the play spaces at Grovedale and Kate Campbell. The Hays Paddock Playground contract has been awarded, with construction planned to commence mid-2023. The Grovedale Playground is 95% complete, with the final swing to be installed mid-July. The Mary MacKillop Playground construction works are underway, with a minor delay caused by a re-design to protect tree roots uncovered during demolition. Works are anticipated to be completed in late August 2023.

Major achievement  

Strategic objective

The environment is considered in all decision making.  

Major initiative 3.5

Protect Gardiners Creek now and into the future through the development and adoption of a master plan for Gardiners Creek, considering recreational, active transport, biodiversity, and environmental initiatives.

Our councillors unanimously endorsed the Gardiners Creek (Kooyongkoot) Master Plan in October 2022.

In April 2023, we celebrated the official launch of the Gardiners Creek (Kooyongkoot) Regional Collaboration. We are working together with 15 other organisations, including Melbourne Water and Bicycle Network, to improve the cultural, amenity, and environmental value of the Gardiners Creek catchment.

Highlights you can expect to see in coming years include:

• improved connections to Toorak Road by building a shared pedestrian link/bridge at Back Creek Reserve
• upgrading the 4 bridges between Nettleton Park and Dorothy Laver Reserve West to meet Australian standards
• advocating for improvements to the Toorak Road underpass in Hawthorn, so it becomes less prone to flooding and silt build-up.

Theme 3 performance

This is a breakdown of the strategic indicators, progress of initiatives and other service performance indicators for this theme. You can find out more detail about these indicators and previous year’s results in the full report.

You can also read through our continuous improvement initiatives, community engagement, and benchmarking activities for this theme in the full report.

Strategic indicators

Many of our strategic indicators saw consistent or improved results in FY2022-23. The strategic indicators that met or exceeded the forecast include the following.

Some indicators did not meet our forecast this year:

Progress of initiatives in the Budget

Initiatives that were completed in FY2022-23:

• Progress towards the targets to reduce Council and community emissions established in the Climate Action Plan by implementing the actions detailed in the Implementation Plan for 2022-23.
• Enable monitoring of community progress towards the community emissions targets in the Climate Action Plan through the implementation of a community emissions measurement model.
• Improve the green canopy coverage in our urban spaces for the enjoyment of future generations by implementing a targeted program to increase the planting of trees on local streets by 1,000 per year.
• Improve the community’s ability to access biodiversity and indigenous vegetation now and into the future by ensuring information on the location and size of biodiversity areas are accurately recorded.
• Protect the Gardiners Creek now and into the future through the development and adoption of a master plan for the Gardiners Creek considering recreational, active transport, biodiversity and environmental initiatives.
• Create an Urban Greening Strategy to protect and enhance our landscapes, trees and green cover in response to the challenges of climate, urban heating and urban densification.
• Reduce the volume of materials going to landfill by using a minimum of 20% of recycled materials including glass, plastics and toners in our asphalt products to resurface roads.
• Provide the community with more options to divert polystyrene from landfill by identifying new partnerships for the disposal of expanded polystyrene.
• Commence gradual bin lid replacement to meet Victorian Government requirement to comply with standard bin colours by 2030.

Other service performance indicators

The following other service performance indicators and measures are based on the FY2022-23, unless stated otherwise.  For more detail, including supporting commentary and how these results were calculated, see the full annual report PDF.

Waste collection

Major achievement

Strategic objective

Protect the heritage and respect the character of Boroondara, while facilitating appropriate, well-designed development.

Major initiative 4.1

Support the provision of appropriate housing in Boroondara through review of the Boroondara Housing Strategy 2015, community consultation and presenting a draft updated Boroondara Housing Strategy to our councillors.

Our Housing Strategy is also underpinned by what our community values, including:

• neighbourhood character
• heritage
• green spaces
• responsible, sustainable, and high-quality development
• liveability.

Our Housing Strategy aims to guide different types of housing to appropriate locations, providing diverse housing choices for current and future residents which is critical in supporting a healthy and vibrant Boroondara.

We shared the draft strategy with the community for feedback between May-June 2023.

This consultation confirmed 3 strategic directions to respond to our housing needs and challenges.

1. Housing diversity in appropriate locations.
2. Housing that is sustainable and achieves design excellence.
3. Housing that meets the needs of all residents, now and in the future.

After community consultation, your feedback helped us identify where further consideration, refinement, or actions were needed. This has informed the final Boroondara Housing Strategy, adopted by Council on 18 September 2023. For more information, visit our Boroondara Housing Strategy page.

Theme 4 performance

This is a breakdown of the strategic indicators, progress of initiatives and other service performance indicators for this theme. You can find out more detail about these indicators and previous year’s results in the full report.

You can also read through our continuous improvement initiatives, community engagement, and benchmarking activities for this theme in the full report.

Strategic indicators

In almost all cases, our strategic indicators saw consistent or improved results in FY2022-23. The strategic indicators that met or exceeded the forecast include the following.

An indicator that did not meet our forecast this year was the number of “out of time” planning reviews at VCAT where the appeal was lodged more than 2 weeks after the final consultation with the applicant or objector(s) (forecast: 5 to 15, 2022-23 result: 4). With only 4 “out of time” planning review appeals lodged for FY2022-23, the result is still positive.

Progress of initiatives in the Budget

Initiatives that were completed in FY2022-23:

• Support the provision of appropriate housing in Boroondara through review of the Boroondara Housing Strategy 2015, community consultation and presenting a draft updated Boroondara Housing Strategy to our councillors and consideration of associated planning scheme changes including residential zones.
• Enhance protection of Boroondara’s heritage assets by preparing and presenting to our councillors for endorsement an updated Heritage Action Plan to guide our future work program for heritage protection advocacy.
• Facilitate sustainable development by investigating the introduction of an Environmentally Sustainable Design Policy to the Boroondara Planning Scheme.
• Improve pool and spa safety and life safety for our community through investigating and implementing a new Building Infringement Notice for specified Pool and Spa safety breaches and non-compliance of Essential Safety Measures (ESM) in Class 2-9 public buildings.
• Celebrate and protect Boroondara’s heritage by updating the Heritage Action Plan and establishing a process for assessing community heritage nominations.

Other service performance indicators

The following other service performance indicators and measures are based on the FY2022-23, unless stated otherwise.  For more detail, including supporting commentary and how these results were calculated, see the full annual report PDF.

Statutory Planning

Major achievement

Strategic objective

Travel options are safe, efficient and accessible with active and public transport encouraged.

Major initiative 5.6

Represent the Boroondara community in decision making by advocating to the Victorian government in relation to public and active transport, open space, urban design and environmental opportunities associated with the North East Link and the Union Road Level Crossing Removal projects.

Our efforts this year enabled us to secure funding from the North East Link Program (NELP) for canopy tree planting at Freeway Golf Course, and maintenance of NELP-funded canopy trees at Hyde Park.

In addition, we continued to:

• identify sites for further tree planting to offset NEL tree removal
• review plans for site investigations planned by NELP and their contractors to ensure impacts on residents and amenity were reduced where possible.

We worked closely with Level Project Removal Project (LXRP) throughout the Big Dig (mid-February to late-May 2023) for the Union Road LXR, which was a difficult time for residents and traders. We advocated for shuttle buses to provide local transport and shopping incentives to support local traders. During this period, we ensured services such as bin collections continued as normal and endeavoured to protect parking spaces in the village.  Our work with LXRP also involved refining designs for the extended Union Road Bridge and open space to provide green spaces that support community activity, connection and relaxation in the Surrey Hills shopping precinct.

Theme 5 performance

This is a breakdown of the strategic indicators, progress of initiatives and other service performance indicators for this theme. You can find out more detail about these indicators and previous year’s results in the full report.

You can also read through our continuous improvement initiatives, community engagement, and benchmarking activities for this theme in the full report.

Strategic indicators

A number of our strategic indicators saw consistent or improved results in FY2022-23. The strategic indicators that met or exceeded the forecast include the following.

Some indicators did not meet our forecast this year:

Progress of initiatives in the Budget

Initiatives that were completed in FY2022-23:

• Seek to provide an integrated bicycle network that is safe, connected, protected, efficient and appealing to bicycle users of all ages and abilities by developing and adopting a bicycle strategy.
• Provide a safe and accessible shared path for the community by advocating to the Victorian Government for the Box Hill to City cycling corridor project.
• Encourage public transport use and improve access and safety through a range of infrastructure initiatives for the Walmer Street Bridge, Yarra Boulevard and public transport services including disability access through advocacy with the Victorian Government.
• Encourage sustainable travel options by undertaking bicycle promotional and behaviour change programs for children including travel plans for primary and high schools and Safe Routes to School initiatives.
• Represent the Boroondara community in decision making by advocating to the Victorian government in relation to public and active transport, open space, urban design and environmental opportunities associated with the North East Link and the Union Road Level Crossing Removal project.

The one initiative for this theme that commenced in FY2022-23 and is 75% complete was improving safety and security of shared paths and paths by progressively installing energy efficient lighting. For this we are progressively lighting the extensive network of shared paths and paths with a focus on the Anniversary Trail between Whitehorse Road and Mont Albert Road.

Other service performance indicators

The following other service performance indicators and measures are based on the FY2022-23, unless stated otherwise.  For more detail, including supporting commentary and how these results were calculated, see the full annual report PDF.

Roads

Major achievement

Strategic objective 6

Support local businesses and enhance shopping precincts, fostering a strong economy and welcoming places for the community.

Major initiative 6.1

Support business COVID-19 recovery through targeted programs and initiatives such as promoting Main Street Australia week, provision of business information workshops, mentoring, outdoor activation in shopping centres and buy local programs.

Supporting local businesses and shopping precincts

Supporting businesses to reboot and encouraging the community to shop and dine locally has been a continued focus over the past year.

We have been able to facilitate continued outdoor trading, resume regular Council-run business information events and complete the first phase of upgrades for the Camberwell Fresh Food Market.

We’ve continued to support traders through their COVID-19 recovery with a variety of activities that aim to:

• enhance our shopping precincts
• support continued and safe outdoor trading
• deliver valued information and networking opportunities for our business community.

We adopted the Outdoor Trading Policy and Guidelines in November 2022 which included the transition to a parklet permit program for eligible businesses. This provides a way for businesses to extend their trading footprint using 'parklets’ (repurposed car-parking spaces) that help to activate our shopping precincts.

In December 2022, we also delivered the first phase of upgrades for the Camberwell Fresh Food Market. New seating areas have been installed to encourage customers to stay longer to enjoy the market. We have also been working with the market to attract new tenants to increase the diversity of stallholders.

We introduced the Go Full Circle program in 2022 in partnership with 3 neighbouring councils. Through a series of workshops, this program supports local participating businesses to build their capacity to operate in a more environmentally sustainable way, while also attracting new customers.

We ran a total of 50 business workshops and events this year providing valuable education and networking opportunities for our local business and not-for-profit community. In response to growing demand, we will continue to run frequent events in 2023-24 to support local businesses to connect with each other and continue to develop new skills.

Theme 6 performance

This is a breakdown of the strategic indicators, progress of initiatives and other service performance indicators for this theme. You can find out more detail about these indicators and previous year’s results in the full report.

You can also read through our continuous improvement initiatives, community engagement, and benchmarking activities for this theme in the full report.

Strategic indicators

In most cases, our strategic indicators saw consistent or improved results in FY2022-23. The strategic indicators that met or exceeded the forecast include the following. 

An indicator that did not meet our forecast this year was satisfaction with work to improve quality of streetscapes in shopping precincts to attract and retain good shops and businesses (forecast: 57% to 58%, 2022-23 result: 50%). Community satisfaction on this has decreased by 9% from 2022 in the Community Satisfaction Survey. Streetscape improvement projects were completed in the Bellevue and Solway wards in 2022. A placemaking program is underway, which will help to improve the community’s experience of our shopping centres in Maling Road, Canterbury, Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn and Camberwell Junction. Streetscape designs for future upgrades have received positive community responses in 2022-23. Furthermore, we have established the Boroondara Service Crew who to clean rubbish bins, street furniture, street signage, carry out minor maintenance and spot cleaning of footpaths.

Progress of initiatives in the Budget

Initiatives that were completed in FY2022-23:

• Support business COVID-19 recovery through targeted programs and initiatives such as promoting Main Street Australia week, provision of business information workshops, mentoring, outdoor activation in shopping centres and buy local programs.
• Increase the vibrancy of the Glenferrie Road precinct and aid the economic recovery of local traders following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the local economy by implementing short-term 2022-2023 projects in the Glenferrie Place Plan.
• Increase the vibrancy of the Maling Road precinct and aid the economic recovery of local traders following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the local economy by implementing short-term 2022-2023 projects in the Maling Road Place Plan.
• Promote the Camberwell Junction Precinct as a major economic centre in metropolitan Melbourne through the completion of the draft Camberwell Place Plan, community engagement and review of the Camberwell Junction Structure Plan.
• Revitalise Boroondara’s most important precincts by progressing a draft long-term placemaking strategy that identifies and prioritises investment in key activity centres across the city.

The one initiative for this theme that commenced in FY2022-23 and is 90% complete is enhancing the vibrancy and economic sustainability of the local economy by the completion of the Economic Development and Tourism Plan in consultation with the business community. The draft Economic Development and Tourism Strategy was updated following feedback provided during the public consultation period (January to March 2023). A Council report seeking endorsement for the strategy has been prepared and will be presented to our councillors in the second half of 2023.

Major achievement

Strategic objective

Ensure decisions are financially and socially responsible through transparent and ethical processes.

Major initiative 7.7

Work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the community to promote and support reconciliation in Boroondara by implementing Year 1 actions of the Boroondara Reconciliation Strategy 2022-26.

Our officers also met regularly with Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elders to consult on a range of projects including the development of the Gardiners Creek (Kooyongkoot) Master Plan and the City of Boroondara Sport and Recreation Inclusion Guide, which will be available on our website later this year. These cultural consultations were also an opportunity to keep the Elders informed about the progress of our Reconciliation Strategy actions.

We also hosted a special information session to thank a diverse range of stakeholders from the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector and express our gratitude for their time, contribution, and expertise during the first year of the strategy.

Theme 7 performance

This is a breakdown of the strategic indicators, progress of initiatives and other service performance indicators for this theme. You can find out more detail about these indicators and previous year’s results in the full report.

You can also read through our continuous improvement initiatives, community engagement, and benchmarking activities for this theme in the full report.

Strategic indicators

Many of our our strategic indicators saw consistent or improved results in FY2022-23. The strategic indicators that met or exceeded the forecast include the following.

Some indicators did not meet our forecast this year:

Progress of initiatives in the Budget

Initiatives that were completed in FY2022-23:

• Ensure we operate within a financially sustainable framework through preparation of the Annual Budget 2023-24 (plus 3 subsequent financial years) in-line with statutory requirements and submit for consideration by our councillors
• Services are designed to deliver enhanced customer and business value through the review of a minimum of 3 ‘customer facing’ services using a service design approach.
• Performance reporting is engaging and fit-for-purpose for the community and decision-makers through implementing enhancements to our reporting mechanisms and communication methods.
• Enable effective management of customer requests by completing the detailed design and commencing the build of our new customer and relationship management system.
• Enhance management of property and rating activities, including management of customer enquiries for rates, permits, infringements and land information by completing the detailed design and commencing the build of our new property and rating system.
• Work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the community to promote and support reconciliation in Boroondara by implementing year 1 actions of the Boroondara Reconciliation Strategy 2022-26.
• Educate our community on our decision-making processes by refreshing the video content available on our website.
• Protect customer privacy and data through securely managing, monitoring and enhancing current software to minimise service disruptions and the risk of data security breaches.

The one initiative for this theme that commenced in FY2022-23 and is 20% complete was improving customer experience and satisfaction by implementing the Customer Charter and communicating our service principles to the community. The Customer Charter has been reviewed and areas for improvement have been identified, including revisions to contemporise the message to meet current community expectations and address customer and team member understanding of the service commitments. The Customer Charter (now Customer Promise) has been reworded and introduced as an improvement initiative in the August Boroondara Bulletin, with further communication scheduled for September to October 2023.

Other service performance indicators

The following other service performance indicators and measures are based on the FY2022-23, unless stated otherwise. For more detail, including supporting commentary and how these results were calculated, see the full annual report PDF.

Governance

In FY2022-23 we faced the following challenges:

• A significant workload management challenge for Building Services staff, relating to the over 1,300 ‘Notices to Comply’ that were issued to pool and spa owners who had not lodged their Certificate of Compliance (Form 23) by the deadline.
• Dealing with buildings comprising of combustible cladding and enforcement of same.
• Recruiting and retaining Registered Building Practitioners (RBP) in a competitive environment.
• The relocation of 2 Community Bands (Boroondara Brass, Glenferrie Brass) to a new home during the demolition process of The Ferguson Stand in Hawthorn.
• Incorporating the launch of the Central Immunisation Records Victoria (CIRV) software on 24 June, and retaining the immunisation service.
• Outreach staff were unable to provide outreach services outside of regular business hours in response to homelessness reports.
• Changes to processes involving debt recovery due to changes to the Local Government Legislation Amendment (Rating and Other Matters) Act 2022.
• The lack of clarity around the future funding framework for the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP).
• The ongoing effects of major project works on local businesses in Union Road in Surrey Hills, as a result of the Level Crossing Removal Project.
• Difficulties with the global supply chains causing delays in the delivery of equipment, as well as resource constraints.
• The vast amount and complexity of information we provide, causing difficulty for us to create immediately accessible content and answer individual queries through a simple search or direct message on social media channels.

COVID-19 challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic has also continued to be a challenge across many areas:

• COVID-19, and unexpected absences or modification, requiring modifications to Council and Delegated committee meeting protocols, officer attendance, and technology integration to meet the requirements of the Local Government Act 2020 and our Governance Rules.
• Fluctuating staffing levels due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and influenza on the workforce.
• Fewer volunteers are attending events, workshops, and applying for volunteer roles following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Increased construction material costs after the COVID-19 pandemic, a lack of supply and an increase in labour costs.
• The split community desire for online activities and events in the wake of COVID-19, compared to some community members wanting to return to face-to-face activities.
• The high need for study and working areas in the libraries, with many people continuing to work from home and choosing to do so from a library.

The Future

We will:

• maintain a high level of excellence in the provision of services, programs, and facilities to the Boroondara community, with a particular emphasis on a range of key services, projects, and policies
• implement our People Strategy, which will serve as a focal point that will serve as a visual and textual framework for the development and implementation of people and culture activities over the next 2 to 3 years
• focus on the negotiation for our next Enterprise Agreement
• enhance officer education and professional development in the Planning and Placemaking Department, to allow us to better adapt to the evolving trends in the development sector and economy
• maintain oversight of service transformation in event coordination and client experience when planning and executing events
• focus on our Building Services department being an innovative, progressive and highly engaged department to serve Boroondara customers and residents with a compassionate and customer focused service
• focus on the Facilities, Waste and Infrastructure department providing reliable services and respond to customer queries quickly
• develop a shared vision for Boroondara Libraries of a modern library service that responds to the evolving needs of the community in the post COVID-19 era
• focus our efforts over the next 12 months on the ongoing construction of a new Kew Library that will cater to the needs and aspirations of the local community
• focus on upgrading our core system in the Asset and Capital Planning department and continue to incorporate new systems into our workflows.

We provide leadership and good governance to the municipal district and the local community. Our role includes:

• taking into account the diverse needs of our community in decision-making
• providing leadership by establishing strategic objectives and monitoring achievements
• ensuring resources are managed in a responsible and accountable manner
• advocating the interests of our community to other communities and governments
• fostering community cohesion and encouraging active participation in civic life.

We maintain strong relationships with other tiers of government, neighbouring councils, and organisations such as electricity and water distributors.

Council meetings and delegated committees

Attendance

Council meetings are open to the public and usually scheduled on the fourth Monday of each month. In accordance with the requirements of the Governance Rules, additional, unscheduled Council meetings may be called when required.

In FY2022-23, we held 18 Council meetings. The table below reflects the number of Council meetings attended by each councillor, and the Council meetings in which councillors had Council-approved leave of absence and therefore were not present at the meeting.

Conflicts of interest

We require conflicts of interest to be disclosed by councillors, members of delegated committees, Council officers and contractors. The procedures for making disclosures vary depending on the role and circumstances, but they generally involve disclosing the relevant interest in accordance with the Governance Rules and then stepping aside from the relevant decision-making process or from the exercise of the public duty.

During FY2022-23, 17 conflicts of interest were declared at Council and Delegated Committee meetings.

Councillor allowances and expenses

Allowances paid to each councillor during the year are in the table below, along with councillor expenses for FY2022-23.

Councillors are reimbursed for expenses incurred while performing their duties. Expenses can be broken down into the following categories:

• Information and communication
• Accommodation and travel
• Professional development
• Other expenses (including levies and charges, membership fees, minor equipment purchases, general administration, and childcare expenses).

A breakdown of these expenses is available in the complete Annual report.

You can find out more about the purpose of each committee and which councillors attend on our Advisory and other committees page.

Audit and risk committee

The Audit and Risk Committee oversees and monitors the effectiveness of Council in carrying out its responsibilities for accountable financial management, good corporate governance, maintaining an effective system of internal control and risk management and fostering an ethical environment.

The committee meets 4 times a year. Recommendations from each Audit and Risk Committee meeting are subsequently reported to and considered by Council.

Internal audit

The following internal audit reviews were conducted as part of the internal audit plan for FY2022-23:

• Asset Management
• Business Continuity Planning
• Legislative Compliance Management
• Follow Up review (commenced)
• Privacy and Third Party (commenced)
• Panel Contractors (commenced)
• Special Charge Scheme (commenced).

External audit

We are audited externally by the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO).

Council Advisory Committees

Arts and Culture 

Community Planning and Development

Health and Wellbeing Services

Boroondara Early Years Advisory Committee update

The Early Years Advisory Committee has been dissolved. The Early Years and Middle Years Partnership Forum has commenced with a range of community agencies. The Early and Middle Years Partnership Forum was held on Tuesday 22 August 2023.

Liveable Communities

Marketplace Development Fund (MDF) update

The MDF meets regularly to determine on expenditure to promote Camberwell on Sundays.  They met 5 times this year, in July, September, November, February and May. This year expenditure has been allocated to assemble to deliver an annual marketing program including a series of articles for social media channels and 4 events during the year.