Corporate Governance and Legal

Our purpose: We ensure that all Council services operate in a manner that is compliant with legislation and policy, and are undertaken with the highest levels of integrity, transparency and accountability.

The Governance and Legal Department promotes Good Governance by Design, with the aim being the ensure that Good Governance is ‘Embedded in Monash’s DNA’, and provides the following services to achieve this aim.

Governance

The Governance Service has a wide range of responsibilities, including:

championing the adherence to the requirements of the Local Government Acts
Freedom of Information
maintaining a register and oversight of policies and procedures
managing Council business, for example, Council agendas and minutes
championing the Governance Rules
managing the Public Questions process
the Complaints Officer function under Council’s Complaints Policy
oversight of the Council’s CCTV Policy
promoting Public Transparency
Delegations and Authorisations
the Privacy Officer, Internal Review Officer, Councillor Conduct Officer, and Public Interest Disclosure Coordinator roles

Information Management

Information Management is responsible for ensuring that all Council records are kept and comply with the Records Management legislation, including:

Collection and management of incoming correspondence
Distribution of that information within the organisation
Records and archiving management

Insurance and Claims

The Insurance and Claims Service:

Champions Council’s mitigation of risks via insurance
Manage claims and insurance renewals

Legal Support

The Legal Support Service champions a risk-based approach to ensuring that Council meets its legal obligations, which involves:

managing Council’s panel of legal service providers
assisting staff with support around legal related issues

Civic Facilities

The Civic Facilities Service ensures that the Civic Centre and the adjacent office space occupied by Council staff functions effectively, with key responsibilities to coordinate: