Borough of Queenscliffe wins gold

Borough of Queenscliffe mayor Susan Salter and executive officer of community engagement and customer services Jessica Chappell pose with the ARA Gold Award.

THE Borough of Queenscliffe council has received a Gold Award for its 2016-17 annual report at the 2018 Australasian Reporting Awards.

Borough of Queenscliffe mayor Susan Salter said she was delighted with the news.

“The annual report captures a pivotal chapter in our history.

“It conveys not only what we do, but how we do it, to the very best of our abilities.”

This is the fourth year in a row that Council has performed at such an exceptional level.

“This award speaks for the ongoing hard work and dedication of our staff and councillors to provide an outstanding level of service to the borough community.”

Feedback from the judges indicated that the Annual Report was very well written, with excellent reporting on the financial statements, strategic objectives and volunteer contributions, as well as clear and appreciative reference to community involvement.

In particular, the transparency of the council’s reporting of progress on Council Plan initiatives and performance was highlighted.

“The judges’ feedback also emphasised the outstanding quality of the photography in the 2016–17 Annual Report,” Cr Salter said.

“The images in the Report provide a striking visual record of our people, the natural beauty of our environment, and the Borough’s historical landmarks and buildings.

“The Annual Report is a wonderful showcase of the talents of our local photographers.”

Cr Salter said she invited everyone to pop into the council’s offices to read the 2016–17 annual report, if they had not done so already.

You can also read the annual report online by heading to queenscliffe.vic.gov.au.

To receive a Gold Award, a report must demonstrate overall excellence in annual reporting and provide high quality coverage of most aspects of ARA criteria, full disclosure of key aspects of core business, and outstanding disclosures in major areas.

A report that achieves a Gold Award is of such a high standard as to be a model for other organisations to follow. For more information about the awards, head to arawards.com.au.