Landcom is constituted under the Landcom Corporation Act 2001 as a State Owned Corporation. The principal objectives of the Corporation are set out on page 6 of this Report.
(a) to undertake and participate in residential, commercial, industrial and mixed development projects; and
(b) to provide advice and services related to urban development, on a commercial basis, to government agencies and others.
(a) provide facilities or services that are ancillary or incidental to its principal functions; and
(b) conduct any business or provide any service (whether or not related to its principal functions) that it considers will further its objectives.
The Board of Directors is constituted under Section 8 of the Landcom Corporation Act 2001. The Board consists of Directors appointed by the Governor of NSW on the recommendation of the voting shareholders, after consultation with the Portfolio Minister. The current Board has varying terms of appointment ranging from 2 to 4 years.
Landcom’s Board of Directors consists of a number of non-executive Directors plus the Managing Director.
Mr William Kirkby-Jones AM Chairman
Mr Neil Bird AM Deputy Chairman
Mr Sean O’Toole Managing Director
Mr Chris Carroll Director*
Ms Robyn Clubb Director
Ms Penny Morris AM Director**
Ms Gae Raby Director*
Unless otherwise agreed, the Board meets at least monthly. Board meetings are usually held on the fourth Monday of the month.
The Board has also established 4 committees and membership of these committees is reviewed on an annual basis. Membership of the committees during the reporting period was as follows:
Ms Robyn Clubb Chairman (appointed effective 2 March 2006, following Ms Morris’ resignation)
Mr Neil Bird AM
Ms Penny Morris AM Chairman**
Ms Gae Raby
Mr Chris Carroll Chairman*
Ms Robyn Clubb
Mr William Kirkby-Jones AM
Mr Sean O’Toole
Ms Gae Raby Chairman*
Mr Neil Bird AM
Mr William Kirkby-Jones AM
Mr Sean O’Toole
Committee of the whole Board.
During the reporting period, 13 meetings were held. The number of meetings attended by each Director was as follows:
| Director | Number of Possible Meetings1 | Board Meetings Attended |
|---|---|---|
| W Kirkby-Jones AM | 13 | 12 |
| N Bird AM | 13 | 11 |
| S O’Toole | 13 | 13 |
| R Clubb | 13 | 13 |
| C Carroll* | 13 | 13 |
| G Raby* | 13 | 13 |
| P Morris AM** | 13 | 7 |
1 There were 11 meetings and 2 intercessional meetings held during the reporting period.
* Ms Raby’s and Mr Carroll’s appointment expired on 31 December 2005. They have continued to attend Board meetings as observers, pending advice on reappointment.
** Ms Morris resigned from the Board effective 2 March 2006.
Landcom implements a standard approach and methodology for the process and practice of risk management, as set out in the Australian/New Zealand Risk Management Standard AS/NZS 4360:1999.
To ensure that the risk management process works effectively, Landcom has:
In the Development divisions, full risk management plans are required to be prepared for all major projects, with risk being monitored on an ongoing basis throughout the project.
A risk context has been developed to reflect Landcom’s unique operating environment. The risk context is in line with Landcom’s corporate objectives. Risk evaluation criteria and definitions have also been developed to ensure that there is consistency in risk evaluation and understanding across all areas of Landcom.
In addition to normal reporting, a full business risk assessment was carried out and actions were implemented through the framework during the reporting period.
Landcom continues to review and implement actions relating to the management of business continuity. As part of this process, Landcom’s Business Continuity Plan was updated in June 2006. The Plan aims to put in place procedures that minimise the impact of a disaster, enable business to continue if an unwanted event occurs and allow the business to continue operating with minimum impact on stakeholders.
During the reporting period, Landcom’s internal auditors performed an audit of the business continuity management framework. The objective of the audit was to provide reasonable assurance that the approach adopted by Landcom for managing business continuity related risks is in line with best practice guidelines.
The results of the audit were released in September 2005 and provided recommendations relating to further testing. Landcom addressed the recommendations by implementing a rolling programme of testing, the results of which have confirmed that Landcom’s Business Continuity Plan is effective.
The NSW Treasury Managed Fund provides Landcom’s insurance cover. The Fund is based on the principles of self-insurance and, therefore, places high priority on the implementation of sound risk management practice. The self-insurance scheme is administered by the Government Insurance Office for risks relating to motor vehicle, property, public liability and directors’/officers’ liability. Workers’ compensation risks are administered by Allianz.
Landcom completed its 2006/2007 Renewal Declarations for the Treasury Managed Fund in November 2005.
Landcom complies with the Freedom of Information Act 1989.
During the 2005/2006 reporting period, Landcom received 4 Freedom of Information (FOI) applications. Landcom agreed to the release of the information in 1 application and to the partial release of information in the other 3 applications.
Landcom also received 3 requests from agencies seeking permission to release internal working documents concerning Landcom. Landcom granted the release of information to the agencies in all instances.
Landcom’s Statement of Affairs was published in the NSW Government Gazette in December 2005 and its Summary of Affairs was published in June 2006.
The following table shows the outcome of all requests received under the Freedom of Information Act 1989 in 2004/2005 and 2005/2006.
| Total 2005/2006 | Total 2004/2005 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Number of FOI Requests | 8 | 9 |
| Completed | 7 | 8 |
| Unfinished | 1 (carried forward from 2004/2005) | 1 |
| What happened to completed requests? | ||
| Granted in full | 4 | 6 |
| Granted in part | 1 | 1 |
| Applicant refused | 2 | 1 |
| FOI Requests Granted in Part or Refused | ||
| Section 22 Advanced deposit not paid | 2 | 0 |
| Section 25 Diversion of resources | 0 | 0 |
| Section 25 Documents available free of charge | 0 | 1 |
| Section 25 Exempt | 1 | 1 |
| Costs and Fees of Requests Processed | ||
| Assessed costs | >$40,000 | $0 |
| FOI fees received | $120 | $120 |
| Discounts allowed | 0 | 0 |
| Days to Process | ||
| 0-21 | 3 | 5 |
| 22-35 | 2 | 0 |
| Over 35 | 2 | 2 |
| Processing Time | ||
| 0-10 hours | 2 | 0 |
| 21-40 hours | 5 | 7 |
| Reviews and Appeals | ||
| Number of internal reviews | 0 | 2 |
| Administrative Decision Tribunal | 0 | 1 |
Landcom is committed to ensuring that the privacy of individuals is protected and a Privacy Management Plan has been implemented in response to the following:
The Plan is based on 12 information principles established as standards for the use of personal information. These principles apply to all Landcom staff.
There were no complaints made relating to the use of personal information during the reporting year.
Landcom’s Freedom of Information (FOI) and Privacy Coordinator can be contacted by writing to:
FOI and Privacy Coordinator
Landcom PO Box 237
Parramatta NSW 2124
During the year, Landcom produced a number of publications to promote the release of land, with each land release being supported by a sales plan and an advertising campaign. Additionally, corporate information was communicated to Landcom stakeholders through the following: Annual Report 2004/2005; Sustainability Report 2004/2005; Landmarks Spring 2005 and Autumn 2006; and Landcom’s website at www.landcom.com.au.
The overall cost of producing and printing 2,000 copies of the 2005/2006 Annual Report is estimated at $48,500.
Landcom is proactive in eliciting, understanding and responding to the needs and concerns of its customers and stakeholders. Customer and stakeholder feedback is actively encouraged at the earliest stages of planning and design through Landcom’s Stakeholder Consultation Policy. This process also assists Landcom in ensuring that the land and housing it provides is well targeted and delivers on Government and community expectations.
During 2005/2006, Landcom established a Complaints and Compliments Register. On receipt of a customer complaint or compliment, the receiving officer enters the contact into the system and the appropriate business unit manager is allocated responsibility for the matter. It is a requirement that Landcom responds to all phone complaints within 24 hours and to written complaints within 72 hours. Regular reports are provided to the Landcom Executive to ensure each matter is given the appropriate attention in the required timeframe.
Landcom places paramount importance on integrity, probity and the promotion of a positive and responsive attitude. The Landcom Code of Conduct supports these values and has been issued with the full support of the Landcom Board and the Managing Director.
Landcom’s Code of Conduct is supported by its Fraud and Corruption Prevention Policy and Gifts, Benefits and Favours Policy. These policies are in line with the guidelines provided by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
The Code of Conduct provides an ethical framework for the way in which Landcom conducts its business, reinforcing employee obligations and the Government’s broader codes of practice. It applies to all Landcom staff members and Directors. All staff commencing employment with Landcom are briefed on the Code during their induction to the organisation.
In our 2006 Staff Attitude Survey, a total of 80% of all staff surveyed responded positively to the following statement: “Landcom has a culture which emphasises the need for honesty, integrity and transparency in everything we do”.
The Code of Conduct was updated in February 2006 and all staff have subsequently completed a Code of Conduct Acknowledgement Form, which accompanied the revised Code of Conduct.
The amount spent on consultants during the 2005/2006 financial year totalled $115,000. The engagements were for:
Landcom is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for its employees, clients, visitors, partners and contractors. Landcom is also committed to making continuous improvements in occupational health and safety and achieves this through effective planning, consultation, implementation, monitoring and review.
An Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Consultation Committee was formed in May 2005 with a mixture of staff volunteers and Landcom nominated employees in accordance with Landcom’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy.
The Committee provides a forum for employees and management to openly discuss occupational health and safety concerns. It ensures that there is an adequate regime of inspection, identification and reduction of occupational health and safety hazards. It also maintains a continuous improvement philosophy to occupational health and safety within Landcom. The Committee holds quarterly meetings and has actioned the following in consultation with employees and management:
Landcom incurred 1 lifting injury and 2 journey claims in 2005/2006, resulting in only 2 lost time injuries. This is down from 4 lost time injuries in 2004/2005.
Two senior Landcom staff members attended an overseas study tour during the year. The tour was organised by the Sydney University’s Planning Research Centre and was led by Professor Ed Blakely.
Landcom’s Ethnic Affairs Priorities Statement is delivered through extensive community consultation both before and during the development and marketing/sales phases of projects.
Landcom communicates with the community through its Community Welcome and Development Programme and through stakeholder consultation plans. The Landcom Community Welcome and Development Programme provides services and home “welcome” visits to Landcom customers who rent or purchase a property.
Over the past year, Landcom’s Community Welcome and Development Programme made contact with over 500 households in 9 new housing estates. Approximately 10%-15% of these households were from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, where the main language spoken in the home was not English. Specific initiatives were implemented to assist community members who were from non-English speaking backgrounds and to bring different community groups together.
Events held during 2005/2006 included the second Annual International Music and Food Festival and the Festival of Colours in north western Sydney, hosted jointly with the Blacktown Migrant Resources Centre. These community events included performances and promotions by Afghani, Spanish, Indian, Mexican, African, Egyptian, Latin American, South African, Indonesian and New Zealander groups. A “Harmony Day” event was also held at Shellharbour, which was a celebration of diversity and multiculturalism.
During the year, Landcom organised training, facilitated by the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board, for its Community Facilitators on cultural difference, fair treatment and anti-discrimination. The aim of this training was to assist Facilitators to meet the needs of culturally diverse communities and to plan inclusive community events and activities.
Landcom has a Stakeholder Consultation Workbook which provides guidelines to the project teams when planning their community engagement activities. The Workbook includes information for effectively engaging members of ethnic minority groups and providing interpreters and written translation services.
All of Landcom’s promotional materials for its residential developments provided references to the availability of interpreter and translation services for its clients. Posters detailing the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs’ Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS) were on display in all Landcom sales offices.
Landcom conducted an additional workshop in March 2006 to ensure that all new employees were aware of and understood these initiatives. This workshop followed a comprehensive training programme in 2004/2005 which included 8 workshops addressing discrimination, cultural difference and fair treatment at work.
Merit selection practices are utilised on all Landcom recruitment and job advertisements include the statement “applicants are required to have an understanding of and commitment to the Ethnic Affairs Priority Statement”.
Finally, Customer Service Workshops were held for 100 staff throughout the year, focusing on clear and effective communication with all customers.
Landcom implements the principles of multiculturalism through the objectives contained within the Landcom Corporate Plan and the Divisional Business Plans that flow from it. The priorities established for Landcom during 2005/2006 and the details of Landcom’s performance against these priorities are set out in the table below:
| ETHNIC AFFAIRS INITIATIVE | KEY RESULT AREA |
STRATEGIES/TASKS | RESPONSIBILITY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Develop and implement stakeholder consultation plans in accordance with Landcom’s Stakeholder Consultation Workbook. | Social Justice. [1.9 Planning for Cultural Diversity] |
Ensure that each project does not proceed without first having a stakeholder consultation plan. (Australian Bureau of Statistics demographic data to be used to develop the consultation plan, which is inclusive of ethnic communities.) |
General Managers, Urban Development and Urban Renewal |
| Establish a register of stakeholder consultation plans. | General Manager,Corporate Marketing | ||
| Conduct formal review of Stakeholder Consultation Workbook to emphasise access to interpreters and translators. | Social Justice. [1.7 Access to interpreters and translators] |
Amend, implement and publicise results of review. | General Manager,Corporate Marketing |
| Improve provision of information concerning interpretive and translation services in all relevant Landcom marketing and sales material. | Social Justice. [1.7 Access to interpreters and translators] |
Review current marketing and sales material for appropriate information. | General Manager, Corporate Marketing |
| Arrange for access to interpretive and translation services. | General Manager, Corporate Marketing |
| RESOURCES/BUDGET | PERFORMANCE INDICATORS | REPORT 2005/2006 |
GOALS FOR 2006/2007 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project budgets | 100% of projects | 100% of current projects had a formal stakeholder consultation plan. | 100% of current projects to have a formal stakeholder consultation plan. |
| Division budget | Register established (timeliness). | Register established. | Current projects to report on implemented community consultation activities. |
| Division budget | Review complete (timeliness). | Review completed. Workbook emphasises access to interpreters and translators. | |
| Marketing budget | Review complete (timeliness). | Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS) established in all offices. References to TIS made on Landcom website. Interpreters used for specific community meetings. Marketing materials now include references to TIS services. |
|
| Marketing and/or project budgets | Interpretive and translation services available upon request. |
Landcom is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer and has an EEO Policy and a Code of Conduct in place that details the organisation’s commitment to EEO. It is a requirement that all new staff undertake training and in 2005/2006, Landcom conducted EEO training for every staff member.
The particular initiatives set out for Landcom for 2005/2006 within the EEO Plan are highlighted below:
The following graph provides a breakdown of EEO groups represented throughout Landcom over time.
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|
| Women Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders People whose first language was not English People with a disability People with a disability requiring work-related adjustment |
|
The following actions have been taken to meet the objectives of the NSW Government Action Plan for Women:
The total remuneration is calculated as the total cost of employment, including contributions to a superannuation scheme by Landcom and novated lease payments for a motor vehicle, where such an option has been exercised.
Payment of the “at risk” component is determined based on the performance of both Landcom and the individual senior executive.
| EXECUTIVE | POSITION | REMUNERATION PAID 2005/2006 |
AT RISK PAID 2004/2005 |
TOTAL | KEY ACHIEVEMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sean O’Toole | Managing Director | $309,138 p.a. | $30,000 | $339,138 p.a. |
|
| Geoff Joyce | General Manager Development | $220,427 p.a. | $25,500 | $245,927 p.a. |
|
| Mick Owens | General Manager Development |
$203,302 p.a. | $19,500 | $222,802 p.a. |
|
| Greg South | General Manager Corporate and Finance | $216,191 p.a. | $19,500 | $235,691 p.a. |
|
| David Craig | General Manager Corporate Marketing | $195,828 p.a. | $16,304 | $212,132 p.a. |
|
Number of executives with remuneration equal to or exceeding equivalent of SES level 1 (excluding SES level 5 or above) at the end of the current reporting year: 20
Number of such positions filled by women in the current year: 2
| LEVEL $ | TOTAL NUMBER OF STAFF | MEN | WOMEN | ABORIGINAL PEOPLE AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS | PEOPLE FROM RACIAL, ETHNIC, ETHNO-RELIGIOUS MINORITY GROUPS | PEOPLE WHOSE LANGUAGE FIRST SPOKEN AS A CHILD WAS NOT ENGLISH | PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY | PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY REQUIRING ADJUSTMENT AT WORK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35,385 41,137 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 44,226 48,049 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 50,457 55,216 | 12 | 2 (1 x temporary) | 10 (1 x part-time) | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 58,406 64,453 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 69,836 77,065 | 28 | 8 (2 x temporary) | 20 (2 x temporary) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 81,769 88,498 | 33 | 24 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 93,019 102,337 | 33 | 22 (1 x temporary) | 11 (1 x temporary) (2 x part-time) |
0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 111,056 121,447 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 118 | 61 | 57 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 0 |
Approval was granted for the following reporting exemptions (relevant to this Annual Report) following Landcom’s corporatisation on 1 January 2002. The list of exemptions, some with conditions attached, was approved by NSW Treasury to overcome concerns about the loss of commercial confidentiality for statutory State Owned Corporations.
| Statutory Requirements | Act/Regulation References | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| FINANCIAL REPORTING EXEMPTIONS | ||
| Format of financial statements | Public Finance and Audit Act | |
| Public Finance and Audit Act | s.41B (c) Public Finance and Audit Act | Exemption from preparing manufacturing, trading and profit and loss statements. Required to prepare a summarised Operating Statement (i.e. summarising major categories of revenues and expenses). |
| Notes Income and expenditure | (Schedule 1, Part 1) Public Finance and Audit Regulation 2000 | |
| Amounts set aside for renewal or replacement of fixed assets Amounts set aside for any provision for known commitments Amount appropriated for repayment of loans/advances/debentures/deposits Material items of income and expenditure on a programme |
Item 2 Item 4 Item 6 Item 13 |
Required to summarise the material items of revenues or activity basis and expenses on a programme or activity basis. |
| Notes Additional information | (Schedule 1, Part 3) Public Finance and Audit Regulation 2000 | |
| Excess of non-current asset value over replacement cost | Item 13 | |
| ANNUAL REPORTING EXEMPTIONS | ||
Budgets
|
s.7(1) (a) (iii) Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Act s.7(1) (a) (iii) Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Act cl. 6 Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation |
|
| REPORT OF OPERATIONS | ||
Summary Review of Operations
|
s.7(1) (a) (iv) Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation |
Exemption subject to a condition. The condition is that comments and information relating to the “summary review of operations” are to be disclosed in a summarised form. |
Management and Activities
|
Schedule 1 Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation |
Exemption subject to a condition. The condition is that comments and information relating to “management and activities” are to be disclosed in a summarised form. |
Research and Development
|
Schedule 1 Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation |
|
Human Resources
|
Schedule 1 Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation |
Exemption subject to a condition. The condition is that overseas visits with the main purposes highlighted are required to be disclosed. |
Consultants
|
Schedule 1 Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation |
Exemption subject to a condition. The condition is that the total amount spent on consultants is to be disclosed along with a summary of the main purposes of the engagements. |
Land Disposal
|
Schedule 1 Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation |
|
Consumer Responses
|
Schedule 1 Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation |
Exemption subject to a condition. The condition is that comments and information relating to “consumer responses” are to be disclosed in a summarised form. |
Payment of Accounts
|
This exemption only applies to statutory State Owned Corporations as they are not subject to the payment of accounts provisions in s18 of the Public Finance and Audit Regulation. |
This exemption only applies to statutory State Owned Corporations as they are not subject to the payment of accounts provisions in s18 of the Public Finance and Audit Regulation. |
Time for Payment of Accounts
|
Schedule 1 Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation |
As above. |
| Report on Risk Management and Insurance Activities | Schedule 1 Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation | Exemption subject to a condition. The condition is that the comments and information are to be disclosed in a summarised form. |
Disclosure of Controlled Entities
|
Schedule 1 Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation |
Exemption subject to a condition. The condition is that the names of the controlled entities are to be disclosed along with a summary of the controlled entities’ objectives, operations, activities and measures of performance. |
| Investment Management Performance | cl. 12 Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation | |
| Liability Management Performance | cl. 12 Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation | |
| Financial Statements of Controlled Entities | s.7(1) (a) (ia) Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Regulation | Exempt from preparing manufacturing and trading statements. Required to prepare a summarised Operating Statement (i.e. summarising major categories of revenues and expenses). |
References: ARSBA Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984, ARSBR Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Regulation 2000, PF&AA Public Finance & Audit Act 1983, PF&A Reg Public Finance and Audit Regulation 2000.