Children check extended to hall and reserve committees

MEMBERS of committees of management for eight halls and reserves in the Surf Coast Shire must now get working with children checks, despite strong objections by some councillors.

The motion, a review of the instruments of delegation for the shire’s Section 86 recreation reserve and hall committees of management, was eventually passed at the shire’s September meeting.

The eight affected committees oversee Anderson Roadknight Reserve, Anglesea Bike Park, Connewarre Hall and Reserve, Deans Marsh Public Hall and Memorial Park, Eastern Reserve, the Globe Theatre, Modewarre Hall and Reserve, and Stribling Reserve.

Cr Heather Wellington questioned why applicants to sit on those committees would need to get a working with children check if they did not work with children.

“There are significant privacy implications.

“It is foolhardy and really quite irresponsible, in my view, for this council to implement a blanket policy of this nature in the face of credible commentary to say this is poor public policy.”

Cr Clive Goldsworthy worried the changes would result in fewer applicants wanting to apply, and said he had seen it firsthand in Lorne.

“How are we going to encourage people to come onto these committees? The same thing happened with the Men’s Shed.”

Shire chief executive officer Keith Baillie said the policy was responding to changes to state legislation that took effect in August, and the officers’ interpretation was that occasional or incidental contact with children (which would not require the check) did not apply to the reserves, which the shire actively encouraged young people to use.

Cr Wellington unsuccessfully attempted to move an alternate motion that adopted the instruments of delegation for the Section 86 committees but excised the working with children check.

The original motion was then passed six votes to three, with Cr Wellington, Cr Goldsworthy and Cr Martin Duke opposed.