Kingston City Council is currently looking to appoint up to 12 new voluntary members to the Access and Equity Advisory Committee.
Apply now
Purpose of Committee
The Access and Equity Advisory Committee has been established to provide specialist recommendations and advice to the City of Kingston in relation to strategic access and equity issues within the community.
The role of the committee is to:
- Provide a forum for identifying municipality-wide issues and opportunities; and
- Ensure that diverse community perspectives are considered in the decision-making process
The committee will provide advice to Council regarding specific matters by way of reports through the Council meeting process, contributing to well-rounded and effective governance in accordance with the community engagement principles of the Local Government Act 2020.
Council Plan objectives
The objectives of the Access and Equity Advisory Committee are to:
- Provide informed and diverse perspectives on access ad equity issues and topics
- Act as a conduit between Council and the Kingston community, ensuring that expert, community views are represented
- Assist in the development of policies, programs and initiatives by offering expert and community-based insights
- Foster trust and transparency between Council and the Kingston community.
Criteria for membership
Applicants must submit a response which will be assessed against the membership criteria by Council officers.
Applications for membership of the committee will be considered against the following criteria:
- Expert knowledge and understanding of local issues relevant to access and equity and their social, environmental and economic impacts
- Alignment with the Strategic Directions of the Council and Wellbeing Plan 2025–29.
- Endorsement by a relevant organisation (where applicable)
- Strong community networks and linkages in field of expertise
- An ability to encourage participation and feedback from the community and to represent a diverse range of community views
- An ability to constructively participate in an advisory capacity
Prospective applicants must not already be a member of another Council Advisory Committee, working group or reference group and preference will be given to applicants who have not already served on a Council Advisory Committee.
Appointment
Councillor representatives are appointed annually by Council resolution
Other committee members are appointed by relevant Senior Officers for a period of one year with the option to extend the appointment where this aligns with the committee objectives. A maximum appointment of two years applies unless the availability of suitable candidates is limited.
Up to half of the number of appointees at each intake may be comprised of continuing committee members.
Meetings
Committee meetings will be held quarterly at a nominated Council venue or via online means, with a schedule of meetings developed annually. Under special circumstances, a meeting may be cancelled or re-scheduled.
- The duration of meetings will typically be two hours.
Members must attend a minimum of three meetings per year for their membership to remain current, unless extenuating circumstances apply.
Access and Equity Advisory Committee Terms of Reference