Background

The Annual Maintenance Grant Program provides funding to nominated Crown land and Latrobe City Council owned or managed land including bushland, conservation, public open space reserves, sporting and recreation reserves, tracks trails and paths and sporting clubs. The grants are provided to rural Crown Land Committees of Management, rural Community Asset Committees of Latrobe City Council and nominated sporting and recreation clubs and public open space areas to cover maintenance responsibilities, administration costs and volunteer support.

Objectives

• To provide annual financial assistance to support volunteers in the maintenance and administration of designated sport and recreation facilities, infrastructure, public open space areas and conservation reserves.
• To provide direction and advice on all aspects of maintenance and management requirements of designated sport and recreation facilities, public open space areas and conservation reserves.
• To provide definition and guidance around areas of responsibility and expected expenditure of funds.
• To provide advice and planning assistance in the maintenance of Grass Playing Surfaces.
• Provide direction on the obligation of recipients to maintain sustainable water usage by achieving an equalised approach to set up and on-going costs.

Scope

The Annual Maintenance Grants Program is available to the applicant organisations listed below:

4. Principles of Management

The Annual Maintenance Grant Program Policy contains two groups of funding formulas. The Key Maintenance Values for Group 1 are based on the figures provided in the Review of Management and Maintenance Practices for Latrobe City Grass Based Sporting Reserves – April 2016 to maintain Latrobe City grass sporting surfaces.

This formula considers the classification of surface as defined by Latrobe City Council Sports Fields Classification, a consideration that labour is supplied by volunteers and in some cases, playing surfaces are not utilised all year round.

The Annual Maintenance Grant allocation will mirror the annual increase in Council adopted Fees and Charges with 2023/24 allocations being as follows:

Grant Guidelines

• Funding will be processed according to Council’s Rural Recreation Reserves formula and Tracks Trails and Paths, Sporting Clubs, Public Open Space and Bushland/Conservation Reserves formula/method.
• Committees, as far as possible are expected to expend their funding allocation as per the items used to describe total funding allocation. Defined in ‘Principles of Management’
• Grant recipients who fail to comply with the terms and conditions set out in this Policy may be required, on written direction, to return their funding allocation to Latrobe City Council.
• Grant recipients must successfully complete the Acquittal process prior to receiving further grant allocations from Latrobe City Council as per Annual Maintenance Grant Guidelines.
• Grant recipients must comply with the procurement requirements detailed in this policy.
• Grant recipients are required to provide basic Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to their volunteers such as gloves, goggles, sunscreen, hi vis vests, hats etc. An unexpected reactive expenditure payment of $300.00 is contained within each grant recipient’s annual allocation and may be expended on the purchase of PPE.
• Grant recipients are expected to expend no more than $500 per funding cycle on the procurement of hand tools.
• To complete the grant payment an organisation will be required to acquit the previous year’s allocation in line with the Annual Maintenance Grant Guidelines.
• Grant recipients and registered volunteers on Latrobe City Council land are covered by Public Liability Insurance. Grant recipients and volunteers on Crown or DEWLP land are not covered by Latrobe City Council insurance unless specifically named within Latrobe City Policy. Insurance coverage is permitted to be purchased via the annual grant by all recipients.
• The Annual Maintenance Program Policy is to be reviewed every three years.
• AMG recipients who maintain grass playing surfaces can, at their discretion, have surfaces included in Planned Maintenance Programs organised by Coordinator Sporting Reserve Maintenance & Recreation Liaison.
• AMG recipients can utilise LCC list of contractors to deliver maintenance works at cost to recipient.

Maintenance Requirements

• Undertake works to maintain and contribute to the longevity and functionality of built infrastructure, in accordance with the Maintenance Responsibilities table, approved Master or Management Plans or Committee’s Terms of Reference operating documents.
• Undertake the day-to-day works required for the safe operation of the facility for resident user groups and the community.
• Committee’s may make recommendations on desired Capital projects via the ‘Recreation Needs Assessment - Expression of Interest’ process which is carried out every two years.
• The removal or maintenance of native vegetation cannot be carried out without obtaining the relevant approval and permits from Latrobe City.
• Works on Latrobe City Council property, outside of that dictated in the Tables of Maintenance Responsibilities is strictly prohibited prior to consultation and approval of agreed scope of works from the relevant Council officer.
• Where in place, all works must be consistent with an approved Management or Masterplan and be approved by the relevant Council officer.
• Receipt of AMG funding does not constitute permission to deliver a desired project. It remains the responsibility of the funding recipient to demonstrate due diligence and seek the appropriate permits and approvals to deliver the works in the spirit of approved Master or Management plan.

Equalisation of Water Costs

Annual Maintenance Grants are granted to cover all aspects of maintenance costs incurred by the grant recipient; this is inclusive of water usage. To ensure that water as a commodity is used in a sustainable fashion it is a requirement of all Annual Maintenance Grant recipients that the following occurs:

• Where applicable, water accounts are altered to register Latrobe City Council as account holder.
• Invoices are issued to each AMG recipient via Latrobe City Accounts team.

Seasonal Inspections

In line with LCC maintained facilities, Council officers will carry out routine inspections of Council owned buildings and report to AMG recipients of any works required, within the responsibilities defined in the table: ‘Maintenance Responsibilities within Council Owned Buildings’.

Inspections will be carried out at the end of each season defined as:

• Summer: 1 October – 31 March
• Winter: 1 April – 30 September

Maintenance Responsibilities within Council Owned Buildings

Outdoor Maintenance Responsibilities

Permitted Grant Expenditure Activities

• Maintenance of outdoor infrastructure such as grass sporting surfaces, hard courts, trees, drains, tracks, trails, paths, boardwalks, bridges, steps, picnic settings and fences.
• Maintenance and repairs of facilities as detailed in the table of Maintenance Responsibilities only. Any works outside of this must be approved by relevant Council officer and delivered by an accredited contractor. Where suitable, it may be requested to pause works whilst an inspection is carried out.
• Historical, directional and safety signage repairs and installation.
• Fire breaks maintenance, re-vegetation plants, turf, and mulch.
• Utility accounts inclusive of water.
• Pest/vermin control.
• Purchase of hand tools, up to a maximum of $500 per grant cycle and PPE as per allocated inclusion of $300 to grant total.

Non-Permitted Grant Expenditure Activities

• Capital works projects and purchases of any kind. For example, lawn mowers, tractors etc.
• Engagement of specialist advice to undertake structural inspections and reports on buildings and infrastructure such as bridges and boardwalks.
• Upgrade to canteen facilities, toilet blocks and built infrastructure.
• Payments to volunteers except when the payment has been adopted by a Committee resolution appropriate evidence of expenditure has been provided and the payment has been reported to Coordinator Recreation Liaison and Sporting Reserves Maintenance.
• Retrospective costs. This includes reimbursement of costs already incurred and funding for projects which have already taken place. An exception to this is in circumstances where ongoing projects such as approved Burgan removal, or other ongoing maintenance activities, are planned and delivered across multiple years.
• Payment of debts or loans.
• Ongoing organisational expenses such as lease or rent payments, rates notices, wages, salaries, project management costs etc.
• Any works that are not in accordance with Latrobe City Council Occupational Health and Safety guidelines, for example: gutter cleaning without regard for scaffolding or Elevated Work Platform (EWP).
• Repair of facilities damaged by vandalism, fire, or other natural disasters where the incident could reasonably be expected to be covered by insurance; and
• Expenditure which is to encourage the consumption of alcohol i.e., bar stools, fridges, keg taps, bars etc.

Grant Allocation/Acquittal

• Grant acquittals must be submitted in line with the requirements outlined in the Annual Maintenance Grant Guidelines.
• Grant allocations will not be distributed without a reconciled statement of income and expenditure associated with the grant.
• Applicants will be asked to provide details on an actual income and expenditure budget, including proof of purchase invoice and/or receipts for all items purchased using funding from Latrobe City Council.
• Grant recipients must not have a Council contributed funds financial year balance exceeding $20,000 unless written approval has been given by Council’s Senior Grants Officer.

Procurement Guidelines

• Committees are required to adhere to the Latrobe City Council Grant Procurement Guidelines, as follows:
  • Purchases up to $5,000 = One written quote
  • Purchases over $5,000 Two written quotes

Accountability and Responsibility

Accountability and responsibility for this policy is outlined below.

6.1.       Council

•    Responsibility to ensure this Policy is consistent with Latrobe City Council Strategic Direction and other Latrobe City Council Policy

•    Responsibility for the decision to approve this Policy by Council Resolution

6.2.       Chief Executive Officer

•    Overall responsibility for compliance with this policy

•    Overall responsibility for enforcing accountability

•    Overall responsibility for providing resources

•    Overall responsibility for performance monitoring

6.3.       General Manager

•    Responsibility for compliance with this policy

•    Responsibility for enforcing accountability

•    Responsibility for providing resources

•    Responsibility for performance monitoring

6.4.       Manager

•    Develop frameworks and procedures in compliance with this policy

•    Enforce responsibilities to achieve compliance with frameworks and procedures

•    Provide appropriate resources for the execution of the frameworks and procedures

6.5.       Employees, Contractors, and Volunteers

•    Participate where required in the development of frameworks and procedures in compliance with this policy.

•    Comply with frameworks and procedures developed to achieve compliance with this policy.

Evaluation and Review

This policy will be reviewed on request of Council, in the event of significant change in the Executive team, significant changes to legislation applicable to the subject matter of the policy or, in any other case, during each Council term (generally four years).

Definitions

8. Definitions AMG Recipient – 

Committee/Community Group who are responsible for the acquittal and application of Annual Maintenance Grants. 

Capital Works – Works undertaken to create a new asset or space, or to change the use, function or layout of an existing asset or space.

Acquittal – Process of assessing and reconciling the final financial statement at the conclusion of the financial year. 

Related Documents

Annual Maintenance Grant Guidelines 2023/2024