DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

PLANNING AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Composition

Chief Operating Officer, ex officio - Chair

Director, Human Resources Services Division, ex officio

Director, Facilities Management Services Division, ex officio

A dean, deputy dean, head of school or associate dean nominated by PRC

A staff member from each campus nominated by the relevant Campus Occupational Health and Safety Committee (OHS)

The following shall have rights of audience and debate:

• A student nominated by DUSA.

• Campus OHS Officers, ex officio

• Executive Officer of the Laboratory and BioSafety Committee, ex officio

• Manager, OHS, ex officio

The Manager, OHS, will act as Executive Officer.

All nominees or representatives will be appointed for a term of one year, and may be reappointed for further terms.

Terms of Reference  

1.         To facilitate co-operation between management and staff in instigating, developing and carrying out measures designed to ensure the health and safety at work of all staff and students.

2.         To formulate, review and disseminate to all staff and students the policies, procedures and programs relating to health and safety that are to be carried out or complied with at locations under the control of the University.

3.         To advise the Planning and Resources Committee on:

• university-wide health and safety issues

• the planning and management of occupational health and safety

• ways of promoting health and safety across the University

• ways of ensuring compliance with the provisions of the OHS Act 2004, other relevant Acts and relevant University policies and procedures

• the implications of legislative trends and changes

• appropriate continuous improvement activities involving occupational health and safety

• allocation of capital and discretionary funding on occupational health and safety

• the policies, procedures and programs that contribute to workplace health and safety.

4.         To monitor relevant staff development and educational activities.

5.         To review the effectiveness of, and compliance with the University’s health and safety policies, procedures and guidelines.

6.         To consider regular reports on health and safety performance across the University.

7.         To prepare a six-monthly OHS Report for PRC and an annual OHS Report for the Audit and Risk Committee of Council.

Conflict of Interest*

The agendas for all meetings of PRC, its sub-committees and working groups will include an item entitled “Conflict of interest” stating that the chair will invite members to declare any conflict of interest they may have in relation to the matters on the agenda. Any declaration of a conflict of interest must be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

The chair of the committee, sub-committee or working group will determine what action is required in light of any such declaration and that action will also be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

If the chair perceives there to be a potential conflict of interest of which a member may be unaware, the chair shall, preferably before the meeting concerned, raise the matter with that member.

The action that may be taken by the chair of the committee, sub-committee or working group in relation to a declaration of a conflict of interest may include, but shall not be limited to:

requiring the member to withdraw from the meeting while a particular item of business relevant to their conflict of interest is discussed and decided upon

enabling the member to participate in discussion, but requiring them to withdraw from the meeting before a decision is made on a matter relevant to their conflict of interest

enabling the member to remain present, but not participate in discussion or any decision on a matter relevant to their conflict of interest

enabling the member to participate in discussion and to vote.

Where a member has a conflict of interest which takes the form of a pecuniary interest in a matter being considered or about to be considered, the member must not be present during any discussion of the matter and must not vote on the matter and, if the member does vote, the vote is to be disallowed.

If the chair of the committee, sub-committee or working group has a conflict on interest, he or she must withdraw from the meeting while the item of business is discussed and decided upon.

Induction*

Before the first scheduled meeting of the PRC, a sub-committee of PRC or a working group of PRC for the year, the Chair or her or his nominee will meet with any new members to brief them on its terms of reference and schedule of business. Such a briefing will also be provided to any new member who joins the PRC, sub-committee or working group during the year, preferably before he or she attends a meeting. While it would be appropriate for the Committee Secretary to be present during this briefing, the chair is not to delegate this task to the Committee Secretary.

Operating Provisions

The Subcommittee must meet at least once every three months.  Additional meetings will be held at the request of at least half of the Subcommittee members.  A quorum for the Subcommittee will be six members, at least half of whom shall be employee representatives.  

Approved to replace the OH&S Committee from the beginning of 2006 at Meeting 9/05;  endorsed Meeting 1/06;  updated August 2006; updated Meeting 11/06; updated Meeting 1/07; updated Meeting 9/07.