I am the appointed councillor to the Audit and Risk Committee. This is a small committee which looks very closely at how council is running and complying with larger regulations from the Queensland State Government. There are two paid auditors who perform the same task for several other councils around Queensland. They have a very broad view of local councils and give insights into what Noosa Council needs to do to maintain its health. The mayor, CEO and various heads of departments attend the meetings and often submit lengthy reports. The meetings are also attended by Queensland state auditors.

Though there is a lot of reading involved in preparation for the meetings and it is often not very exciting, it gives a very sobering look at how our council is running. There are many departments, responsibilities, risks, personalities and such, which make up Noosa Council and to understand them is challenging. This year I have learned a lot about our asset register, depreciation of assets and the risks associated with IT and governance systems. The business of council is continuing to become more complex and demanding, while our staff growth in this area, is not keeping up. In this part of council activities being proactive is key. I will be listening to the committee and advocating for changes through the budget process next term.