0005—Lands—COMPOSITION OF THE KILLALEA STATE PARK TRUST

Ms Hale to the Minister for Lands, Minister for Rural Affairs, Minister for Regional Development—

  1. What vacancies have occurred among members of the Killalea State Park Trust since 2000?
  2. When did each of those vacancies occur?
  3. What appointments have been made to fill each of those vacancies?
  4. When were those vacancies filled?
  5. Have any vacancies been left unfilled?
    1. If so, why were they left unfilled?
  6. Have representatives of the local community been appointed to the Trust?
    1. If so, when were those appointments made?
  7. Is the local community still represented on the Trust?
    1. If not, when did the vacancy⁄vacancies occur?
  8. Have representatives of the local indigenous community been appointed to the Trust?
    1. If so, when were those appointments made?
  9. Is the local indigenous community still represented on the Trust?
    1. If not, when did the vacancy⁄vacancies occur?
  10. Does the Chairperson or other member of the Trust advise the Minister for Lands (or his representative) of vacancies among members of the Trust?
  11. Does the Chairperson or other member of the Trust make recommendations to the Minister for Lands as to whether such vacancies should be filled?
  12. Has the Chairperson or other member of the Trust advised the Minister for Lands of any vacancies for members representing the local community and⁄or the local indigenous community?
  13. Has the Chairperson or other member of the Trust made a recommendation to the Minister as to whether those vacancies should be filled?
    1. If so, what was the recommendation⁄s?
  14. What reasons were given to support the recommendation⁄s?
  15. Did the Minister act in conformity with the recommendation⁄s?

Answer—

(1) Members of the trust board for the Killalea State Park Trust were appointed for five year terms from 28 April 2000 to 27 April 2005 and then from 28 April 2005 to 27 April 2010. For each of those terms, seven community trust board members were appointed to the Killalea State Park Trust Board in addition to a number of ex-officio members. During the first-mentioned term, two community trust board vacancies occurred. In the latter term, one community trust board vacancy occurred.

(2) During the 2000 to 2005 term, two vacancies occurred – one on 13 September 2001 and the other on 2 September 2003. In the 2005 to 2010 term, a vacancy occurred on 20 June 2006.

(3) to (5) A community trust board may consist of between three and seven members. Although during the 2000 to 2005 term, the community trust board member component dropped from seven to six, then to five trust board members, there were still four ex-officio trust members on the board. As the trust board members totalled ten and nine members respectively during this term of office following the vacancies, no action was taken to appoint additional members to the board.

During the 2005 to 2010 term following a vacancy in 2006, the trust board consisted of six community trust board members and two ex-officio trust board members, giving a total of eight trust board members.

Action was taken by the Department of Lands in December 2006 to advertise the vacancy on the trust board, however no applications were received.

The current vacancy on the board was recently readvertised in local newspapers on the 6 and 7 June 2007.

(6) Seven positions on the board are available for representation by the local community.

The appointments for the board's current term of office were made in the Government Gazette on 22 April 2005 when seven members from the local community were appointed.

(7) Yes.

(8) The local Aboriginal community is currently represented on the Killalea State Park Trust Board by the appointment of Councillor Barry Bird who is also the ex-officio representative of Shellharbour City Council. Councillor Bird has been a trust board member since 19 November 1999.

(9) Yes.

(10) Yes.

(11) Yes, if the trust believed it had insufficient members to effectively manage the affairs of the trust board.

(12) Yes.

(13) No.

(14) Not applicable.

(15) In view of the state significance of the Killalea State Park, I requested the local office of the Department of Lands to invite applications for appointment from the local community with a view to filling the vacant position on the board. Unfortunately, no applications were received as a result of advertising on that occasion. The vacancy has been readvertised in local newspapers on the 6 and 7 June 2007.



Question asked on 9 May 2007 (session 54-1) and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 2.
Answer received on 13 June 2007 and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 10.