Initial Community Liaison Committee Meeting

Minutes          

Date: Tuesday 5th April 2016 

Time: 10:05am                       

Location: 60 Gardner Lane, Poowong

 

Meeting Called By

 

GBP Australia  Pty Ltd

Type of Meeting

 

Planning to facilitate meeting with GBP Products Pty Ltd and representatives of the Poowong Community

Facilitator

 

Nick Murphy

Note Taker

 

Maleana Whitelaw

Timekeeper

 

Maleana Whitelaw

Attendees

Representing Poowong Community - Heather Gregg, Matt Gray & Lynne Rogers,

Representing South Gippsland Shire Council -Bryan Sword

Representing as Poowong Local Counsellor – Lorraine Brunt

Representing GBP Australia Pty Ltd - Ben Siegel, Nick Murphy, Megan Scarffe & Maleana Whitelaw

 

 

Apologies

 

John Mandermaker – Poowong Community

Wendy Tao - EPA

Non Attendees

 

EPA representative – Quinton Cooke

 

Please note, members of the EPA will be consistently invited to all Community Liaison Committee Meetings as well as minutes of all meeting will be forwarded on to the EPA.

 

Once again we would like to thank everyone who attended today’s meeting. GBP Australia Pty Ltd are really looking forward to creating some strong ties with the new committee and establishing a solid communication design that will elevate present and future community concerns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AGENDA TOPICS

Discussion 1.

What is the reason for this committee?

GBP Australia Pty Ltd at the request of the EPA have established this committee to address any community concerns in regards to GBP Australia’s proposed and future development. The committee is made up of local council representatives, community members and GBP Australia Pty Ltd representatives.

Conclusions

Heather Gregg

John Mandermaker

Matthew Grey

Lynn Rogers

Have been invited to the meetings. They are all involved in the Poowong community and have a lot of access to community members.

Lorraine Brunt and Bryan Sword were also invited on behalf of the local council.  

Nick Murphy (GBP Australia Pty Ltd) has taken the responsibility of Chairperson. In agreement Ben Siegel (Director of GBP Australia Pty Ltd) has taken a back seat approach to the committee to allow community members feel free to express concerns.

 

Discussion 2.

How will the meeting results be communicated?

Following the footsteps of Burra foods community committee, a quarterly newsletter will be created, reporting agenda topics, concerns, actions and proposed ideas. Lorraine Brunt suggested a Facebook page, however it was decided not a go ahead as full control over the page cannot be established and GBP Australia’s in-house practises may be exposed to our competitors.   

​

Conclusions

Quarterly Newsletter – Available at Post office

Meeting minutes – emailed day of or after meeting to all on committee   

Action Items

Person Responsible

Deadline

Quarterly Newsletter  

TBA

TBA

Minutes of Meeting to be emailed

Maleana Whitelaw  

6/04/2016

Special Notes

 

 

Discussion 3.

Is the committee permanent or a short term thing?

 Everyone was in agreement, the committee will become a permanent fixture

 

Discussion 4.

Terms of Reference

Terms of Reference is the scope and limitations of an activity or area of knowledge. This enables the whole committee to understand limitations, i.e. a community member comes up to a committee member with a complaint to be raised at the next meeting. Complaint being GBP Australia Pty Ltd aren’t paying enough for cattle. This is not a committee matter.  However a complaint comes through about a bad consistent smell coming from GBP Australia’s work site is a matter for the committee meetings.

Conclusions

Bryan Sword is to email Nick Murphy some reference material in regards to Terms of Reference.    

Action Items

Person Responsible

Deadline

Create Terms of Reference 

Nick Murphy

Next meeting

Special Notes

 

 

Discussion 5.

Is the committee going to be a decisive committee or informative

Informative committee

Conclusions

Although the community have been invited to the committee meeting decisions regarding GBP Australia Pty Ltd will remain solely GBP Australia’s. There are a number of governing bodies that GBP Australia Pty Ltd answer to and are governed by.

The committee will be a community based advisory committee, maintaining open communication between GBP Australia and the Poowong community. Allowing residents to voice opinion and or concern over relative matters.

Action Items

Person Responsible

Deadline

N/A

N/A

N/A

Special Notes

 

 

Discussion 6.

Is the EPA going to be involved?

The EPA have been formally invited to attend the committee meetings, however Wendy Tao was unable to make today’s meeting and Quinton Cooke never replied to GBP Australia’s request. GBP Australia Pty Ltd will continue to invite and encourage the EPA to attend the committee meetings seeing that it was the EPA’s recommendation we create this committee. However GBP Australia cannot be held liable for the EPA’s absence and will maintain an open communication with the EPA by emailing all meeting minutes to the EPA.  

Conclusions

The EPA are always welcome to attend

Action Items

Person Responsible

Deadline

Continuously invite EPA to committee meetings 

Nick Murphy

On Going

Email meeting minutes to EPA

Maleana Whitelaw

On Going

Special Notes

 

 

Discussion 7.

Most concern from the Community is EPA related

Matt Gray raised the concern that most community members he has spoken to are concerned with the environmental impact GBP Australia has.  That is why Matt asked if the EPA were going to be involved or not. 

Conclusions

Although the EPA will always be encouraged and welcomed to the committee meetings, GBP Australia cannot speak on their behalf. However all EPA lists all compliance requirements specific to GBP Australia Pty Ltd which anyone can obtain by going on their website.      

Action Items

Person Responsible

Deadline

EPA website to be listed in Newsletter

TBA

TBA

Special Notes

 

 

Discussion 8.

Clear Objectives

So all Community Liaison Committee members understand how to raise agenda topics in future Clear Objectives need to be established.  

Conclusions

-Member of Poowong community raises concern with Committee member

-Committee member to define is concern is within Terms of Reference

-Concern is within Terms of Reference

-Committee member is to email GBP Australia at gbpclc@gbpproducts.com.au the concern no later than 2 weeks prior to the next scheduled meeting (this enable GBP Australia to answer the concern correctly and informatively

Action Items

Person Responsible

Deadline

Committee members are to emailed process of raising concerns to GBP Australia. 

Maleana Whitelaw

6/04/2016

Special Notes

 

 

Discussion 9.

Notice of Community Liaison Committee Members

The community are not aware of the committee’s purpose and why it has been established

Conclusions

So the community are aware of the new Community Liaison Committee a notice will be posted advising of committee members and how they can communicate their concerns to GBP Australia through the committee 

Action Items

Person Responsible

Deadline

Notice to be posted in Local community outlets

Maleana Whitelaw  

Next meeting

Special Notes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

GBP Australia Pty Ltd have been operation for many years. The progression of our company is beneficial to the company without a doubt, but it is also beneficial to the surrounding communities by providing employment and local trade.

GBP Australia Pty Ltd are committed to providing a safe and stable working environment for their 170+ employees. Growth and development cements our employee’s future and the business generated from GBP Products Pty Ltd will continue to assist the local trade and businesses in Poowong itself.

However being a large company can attract speculation and concern from the local community. Although today was a meet, greet and introduction to the way future meetings will be held, the general senses of the committee was “we are here today on an advisory role”. To help GBP Australia create a strong communication path between the community and the company. There will always be fiction over fact rumours and it will be the committee’s goal to squash fictional rumour’s and start communicating genuine community concerns, answers and actions taken by GBP Australia.

The quarterly newsletter will be tailored to the community’s love of animals and address delicate subjects with caution and compassion.  It will enable community members to read about previous meetings actions taking place and future development.