Welcome to Co-operatively Speaking. This issue contains lots of the usual great articles and information about living well in a co-operative around Victoria.
Co-op Program Committee
The first two meetings of the new Co-op Program Committee (CPC) have been held. The Board has recently recruited Ben Neil as the independent Chairperson for this committee and co-op members;
- Anne Jacqueline Wilson- Herbert Street CMC
- Elizabeth Ellen- Kakadu CERC
- Karren Walker- Sun CERC
- Shirley Martyn-Julian- Riverland CERC who have joined,
- Board Directors Gordon Keiselbach, and Brodie Woodland and
- Independent co-op expert Gillian McFee to form the 'CPC'. Some of the highest priority feedback from this new committee will inform the Company Rent and Affordability Benchmark Advisory Group (CRABAG) engagement activities and the new CEHL Strategic Plan member engagement process.
Becoming a Board Director
Directorship is a valuable way co-op members’ help to shape the future of our Program. Board directors are responsible for ensuring CEHL and Program activities meet all the legal requirements that regulate us. We also listen to members about how this Program can evolve to meet their changing needs and work within our regulatory environment to make sure the Program meets both current and future needs of our membership.
There is a lot for board directors to understand about finance, legal issues, housing service performance and co-operatives, it requires committing time and effort to the task.
Being on the Board has been a huge learning curve for me, but one that I enjoy a lot. If you are passionate about making a difference and supporting our co-op Program, I encourage you consider becoming a director of CEHL. Co-ops have been sent director nomination forms and detailed information, you can also find out more on the member portal by watching the presentation from the Prospective Directors information session
Board and Board Committee updates
On the CEHL member portal, co-op members have access to Shareholder reports for all CEHL Board meetings. I encourage you to take a look through the past months of activity to appreciate the many different ways that CEHL supports co-ops. www.cehl.com.au/ProgramFramewo...
Property Committee
While the Stage 4 lockdown has delayed some maintenance works, the property committee received optimistic projections for the coming quarter that could see this work bought back on track. A number of new developments are on the cards in Geelong, it has been fantastic to see co-ops and CEHL working together to identify six new housing opportunities on the site of one property. New properties in the region will help a number of co-ops towards their Future Direction Plan (FDP) goals.
Finance and Risk Committee
The start of the new financial year is a time of huge activity for the finance group. New budgets have been approved for FY20-21 and the annual '10-year forecast' was presented to the Board in August. This projection outlines the medium-term risks and opportunities of CEHL's financial model and provides a baseline for long-term financial decisions.
Policy Advisory Committee
A number of asset policies were approved by the Board in July, providing clearer descriptions about how properties are fairly and equitably managed by co-ops and CEHL.
People, Culture and Governance Committee
The Board is focusing on staying across current best practice in governance through Victoria's State of Emergency shutdown.
Thank you
For many Victorians, we have spent our recent weeks in Stage 4 lockdown. Thank you all for helping to look out for each other and the special communities we are all a part of. Physical isolation does not need to mean social isolation, and this is an important time to learn new ways to stay connected through phone calls, video calls and online group chats. Please do take the opportunity to reach out to your fellow co-op members and reconnect.
Yours cooperatively,
Heidi Lee
Chairperson
CEHL Board and Merri Co-op member