MINUTES of GENERAL MEETING
Held 17/02/2016 at 1900 hrs at Beechmont Community Centre, Beechmont Road, Beechmont.
ATTENDEES: Tom Blake, Tom Sharp, Greg Slater, Derek Friend, Peter Clark, Ger Vloothuis, Alison Johnson, Beryl Blake, Judy Slingsby, Maurice Hansell, Linda Munster, Kim Sami, Arthur Sami, Sally Sharp, Peter Trulson, Dan Blunt, Janis Rossiter
APOLOGIES: Wal Cattermole, Greg Cavanagh, Donna Cavanagh, Michelle Stapleton, Michael Stapleton, Irene Zoubakin
Meeting opened by Greg Slater at 1903 hrs
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING:
Discussion as to errors in the Draft minutes. The Secretary agreed to insert the changes.
“That the minutes from the previous general meeting of 1/12/2015 as distributed to BRASA members be ratified.”
Moved Janis Rossiter, second Greg Slater, Carried All
PRESIDENT’S REPORT: Greg Slater welcomed all attendees to the meeting and advised that BRASA has been very busy since the last GM with club activities and successful grant applications. The pizza/movie trailer is virtually completed and has been used a number of times at community events; BRASA is still awaiting receipt of the coffee machine from Nerang RSL; all BRASA equipment is available for a small fee to BRASA affilliated clubs and will be for hire at other non-BRASA events. The BRASA calendar of events was distributed to all homes recently; please advise if you didn’t receive one; BRASA is seeking to have an event each month, so ideas and support for social activities are very welcome. BRASA has been advised by one of our members who is a medical practioner that the defribillator should be removed from the container and taken to wherever one of the clubs who use Graceleigh Park is meeting; should an emergency occur, it would be too late by the time the defribilator was retrieved from the container. There have been instances of vandalism, so security cameras have been installed to secure Graceleigh Park. “No Heavy Vehicle” signs on the Oval will also be installed to stop cars, trucks, etc damaging the surface of the Oval. All users of the Oval are very happy with its condition; an agronomist tests the ph level of the soil annually and the sprayer, recently aquired by a successful grant application will be invaluable to knock over the clover and ant problem. The also recently advised successful grant application for the line marker will save the Soccer club hours of work when marking out the field and is available for use by other clubs and the Beechmont School. Scenic Rim Regional Council (SRRC), has approved the erection of a secure area adjacent to the Cricket/Soccer Club to house the soccer goal posts and other equipment; this means that the soccer goals will not need to be assembled/disasembled each time they are used; saving Soccer hours of volunteer labour. Concept sketches of the proposed changes to the Cricket/Soccer Clubs have been approved by SRRC and all involved clubs, including Beechmont School; the Principal is very pleased that disability access and a toilet will be provided as this will encourage older community members to support their families on sport days; one of our BRASA members who is an architect will draw up plans for submission to Council; BRASA will
also submit engineering sewerage plans to SRRC; a sewerage system will be a huge cost of the works; water tanks will also be provided as part of the project and a grant application has been submitted to instal a bore. The works for the Cricket/Soccer clubhouse will be done by a contracted builder; there will be no volunteer input required; this is part of the grant requirement and BRASA is required to contribute 20% of the project costs. It is now Beechmont’s time; now that BRASA has shown that we can handle grant monies, we will be successful with more grant applications and more monies will come to the Beechmont community. Most members of the present BRASA Executive Committee will stand again at the AGM (date to be advised); the workload is massive, but the rewards for the Beechmont community are great and all BRASA members need to knuckle down to the work ahead and forget any petty behaviour; we need more dedicated volunteers.
Question: How is the new sprayer used?
Answer: The sprayer trailer is on a hitch and pulled by the mower.
Question: Will BRASA have to buy a new mower soon as the current one is a few years old?
Answer: No not for awhile. The mower is serviced regularly and is in very good condition.
Question: Did the ants came with the sand when the Oval was top-dressed?
Answer: No. BRASA brought in sand that had been certified as weed and pest free, even though it was more expensive.
Question: Is the BRASA Executive considering adding more members to the BRASA committee?
Answer: Yes. That idea is under consideration as more volunteers are required to help run BRASA.
Linda Munster suggested that it may be better to instead create sub-committees overseen by an executive committee member; a bigger committee makes it harder/slower to make decisions, while a sub-committee could go about it’s appointed work and report back on a regular basis. Greg Slater advised that the Social Club, Walking Tracks and Lower Beechmont Parks Project operate on this model. Tom Blake advised that BAPA has this process working with the Community Garden, the Opportunity Shop and is devloping a similar model for the Headmaster’s Café.
Maurie Hansell suggested it is important that one person be responsible for all grant applications with the assistance of helpers.
Question: Has a contractor already been appointed for the Clubhouse work?
Answer: Yes. A tender went out last year. All work components will be carried out by local tradesmen wherever possible.
Kim Sami advised that she has a copy of the agreement allowing water to be connected from Beechmont School to the Cricket/Soccer clubhouse.
Question: Is it possible to locate the defribillator somewhere else as the container gets very hot and it is sometimes difficult to open the heavy door?
Answer: Yes. BRASA is considering alternative locations; originally the defribillator was to be
attached to a wall of Hall on Graceleigh, but as this is Department of Education (DE) property, the defribillator would then become DE property and DE would be responsible for its
maintenance and use. The defribillator would be lost to the community as a BRASA asset,
eg: all signs attached to the walls of Hall on Graceleigh, all installed kitchen equipment, the water heater, etc though paid for by BRASA have become DE property.
Question: Has there been any advice on when the dog litter signs are going to be erected by SRRC on the Oval?
Answer: No. BRASA will contact SRRC to remind them that they had agreed to erect the signs.
Question: Will Council install pooper scooper bags for the Oval?
Answer: No. SRRC considers that dog owners should be responsible and bring/dispose of their own bags.
The President vacated the Chair for the Secretary to conduct the rest of the meeting
SECRETARY’S REPORT:
· Janis Rossiter advised that three grants applied for in 2014 came to fruition in 2015:
(1) Caring for our Community Grant (Qld Government)) received $4,250, BRASA purchased a garden blower, high pressure water gurni, line trimmer, double sided ladder and BBQ and gas bottle; grant aquitted 9/6/15
(2) Gambling Community Benefit Fund (Qld Government) received $32,142.19, spent $35,357, purchased an indoor/outdoor sound system, movie system, a computer, defibrillator, pop corn machine and trailer and fittings; grant aquitted 19/11/15
(3) Sport & Recreation Grant (Scenic Rim Regional Council) received $5500, spent $18,458.33 to level, aerate, top dress Graceleigh Park Oval, soil test, fertilize, irrigate and ant treatment, grant aquitted 23/11/15
· The BRASA Executive Committee and a small band of helpers have spent a very busy 2015 applying for additional grants to build on the good work of previous committees:
(1)Community Fund, Nerang RSL, received $5,000 for a Commercial Coffee Machine; to be aquitted
(2)Community Grants (SRRC) received $1000 for a Trailer Sprayer; to be aquitted,
(3)Get Playing Places and Spaces (Qld Government) received $72,371 for the installation of unisex toilets and showers at Beechmont Cricket/Soccer Clubhouse, Graceleigh Park with attendant sewerage facility and rainwater supply; to be aquitted.
(4)Get in the Game /Get Going (Qld Government), received $6733 for a line marking machine & indoor bowls kit; to be aquitted
· In addition, BRASA was able to assist BRASA affiliated Clubs and Sub-committees to apply for grants:
(1) Beechmont Cricket Club Inc. - Gambling Community benefit Fund (Qld Government) applied 31/08/15 to install irrigation on Graceleigh Oval; requested $35,000; unsuccessful, to resubmit. (2) Beechmont Cricket Club Inc. - Gambling Community Benefit Fund (QLD Government) re-applied 30/11/15, to install irrigation on Graceleigh Oval; requested $35,000; awaiting advice.
(3)Lower Beechmont Park Project - Gold Coast City Council advised 5/6/15 for Stage 1, Syd Duncan Park Improvements, received $30,000; to be aquitted.
(4) Lower Beechmont Park Project - Wright Stronger Communities Programme (Australian Government; requested $6,000 for earthworks and landscaping for the Adventure Play Space; awaiting advice
Question: Has the original BRASA minute book been located?
Answer: No
Kim Sami advised that she has some copies of old minutes.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Tom Blake spoke to the financial report 12/09/15 to 17/02/2016: $329,000 in bank accounts. BRASA has returned the Public Hall grant monies received over the past 4 years; awaiting receipt. BRASA is supporting “Our Bank”, the Canungra Branch of the Bendigo Community Bank (CBCB) by transferring the Association’s working account to CBCB; a term deposit of $50,000 has been established with the Paradise Point Branch of BCB and another for $50,000 will be set up with the Logan Branch (the largest Branch of BCB in Queensland); this is a strategic decision to assist BRASA with applications for community grants, as both Branches are good contributors to the community. The Cricket Club is paying off the loan from BRASA for astro turf of the cricket pitch and the Australian Taxation Office has a debt to BRASA for excess GST collection. A number of outdoor movies have been scheduled on the Events Calendar; both Gold Coast City Council and Scenic Rim Regional Council support outdoor movie nights; BRASA will apply for grants from both Councils to assist with costs of movies as it costs approximately $280 to run each movie. BRASA will hold a number of movies each year, but is seeking an enterprising person who wants to run a small business. BRASA is finishing off the Entertainment trailer; struts are to be added and graphics, then a tender will go out for lease of the equipment; Advancetown Hotel is interested in hiring the movie equipment for functions; when BRASA affiliated Clubs wish to use the equipment, Barista and Pizza making training will need to be undertaken prior to hiring of the equipment; BRASA is sourcing a training organisation. In addition, BAPA has received a Gambling Community Benefit Fund grant for $32,000 to install a commercial kitchen at the Headmaster’s Cottage. This will be a welcome asset to the Beechmont community.
Question: Is the amount for Public Liability and Office Holder Insurance in the minutes correct, as it seems far too high?
Answer: Sorry, there is an error in the minutes. It will be amended. Office Holder insurance increases cost of Public Liability Insurance, but is to cover all Office Holders should there be a legal problem.
Question: Are there items missing from the financial report?
Answer: The report is only since the last General Meeting, so only income/expenditure over that period has been recorded. A full years report will be available at the AGM.
Question: When will the AGM be held? Answer: The date has not been decided as yet. All members will be advised.
Question: The AGM is supposed to be held within 6 months of the end of the financial year (30 June). Why has it not been held? Answer: The timing is out, because a previous BRASA committee requested an extension of time in 2014 from the Office of Fair Trading; which meant they had more than 12 months in office. The Committee prior to this one also requested an extension to ensure they had their full 12 months and this Committee has done the same. We consider we also should be allowed to run our full 12 months, especially as we have instituted a number of new projects and obtained a number of grants that we want to complete.
Question: Are you considering bringing the AGM back into line? Answer: Yes, we would like to do so.
Question: If some movies were cancelled, why are there still costs incurred?
Answer: Even though movies are cancelled, BRASA still has to pay the advertising costs. Approximately $15,000 has been invested in the outdoor movie equipment; it is too valuable to risk outdoors in rain; BRASA will use Hall on Graceleigh as backup, although the community still needs to be advised of a last minute change of venue – another cost.
Question: Is it necessary to continually spray Graceleigh Park for ants?
Answer: Yes. The spray available commercially is not strong enough. BRASA is talking to SRRC to see if they have a more effective control spray. Otherwise it means physically injecting each hole every three years; a mammoth task that volunteers do not want to do.