SDS - Sydney Diocesan Secretariat

Georges River Regional Council
Annual Report for 2006

(A report from the Georges River Regional Council.)

Introduction

1. The Georges River Regional Council was constituted under the Region’s Ordinance 1995 and its functions, powers and duties are as established by Clause 6 of that ordinance. The Region covers the Areas Deaneries of Canterbury, St George, Bankstown, Salt Pan Creek and Liverpool in this Diocese.

2. The Principal Office of the Georges River Regional Council is St Andrew’s House, Sydney Square, Sydney, NSW 2000 (PO Box Q190, Sydney 1230) and the phone number is 9265-1530. The business hours are Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 5.00pm. The Honorary Secretary is Mr Ian Scarfe (phone 9533-5003) and the Honorary Treasurer is Mr Richard Graves (phone 9153 7307).

Membership

3. The members of the Regional Council as at December 2006 were as follows –

*Name*	*Method & Term of Appointment*	*Attendance in 2006*
Bishop P J Tasker	Ex-officio	5
Archdeacon G R Huard	Ex-officio	4
Rev P L Hayward	Elected for three years	3
Rev E Brush	Elected for three years	3
Rev I Cox	Elected for three years	5
Rev B Macalister	Elected for three years	5
Rev P Lin	Elected for two years	5
Rev S Milne	Elected for three years	4
Mr R Graves	Elected for three years	5
Rev K Coleman	Elected for two years	2
Mr C Ellis	Elected for three years	5
Mr G Nelson	Elected for three years	4
Mr I Scarfe	Elected for three years	5
Miss N Esler	Elected for three years	5
Mr D Power	Elected for two years	2

4. The significant committees are the Executive Committee and the four Task Forces.

Structure of the Council

5. The Council’s organisation and Committee structure is –

	GRRC
Committees		Task Forces
Executive		Parish Ministry
Parish Administration		Children's and Youth
		Cross-Cultural Ministry
		Leadership

6. The senior officers of the Council are: Chairman – Bishop P J Tasker; Vice Chairman – Mr C Ellis; Treasurer – Mr R Graves; Secretary – Mr I Scarfe, Archdeacon G Huard and Rev I Cox.

Activities

7. The major matter before Regional Council has been the continued discussions of the new strategy for outreach across the Canterbury Area Deanery plus the parishes of Bankstown and Greenacre. A number of these parishes have struggled to be viable in recent years and the Council is prepared to support a new strategy. There have been regular progress reports to Council on the progress with the strategy.

8. The Council has distributed 31 grants across 18 parishes in 2006. Council approves the Special Administration measures for these parishes of Beverly Hills and Kingsgrove and the Provisional Parish of Fairfield with Bossley Park. It noted the modification to the constitution of the Parish Council of Brighton/Rockdale and the election of its parish nominators.

9. The Council updated its report on parish properties in the region and noted the requirement for urgent repairs and maintenance in some places. One such property was the rectory at Bossley Park and Council investigated its condition with engineer reports and allocated money for its repair. Council also considered the application of Clause 8 of the Parishes Ordinance to Chester Hill and Bankstown. Chester Hill was reclassified as a provisional parish and Bankstown given one year to meet the Local Revenues Tax figure.

10. Regional Council employed an Arabic Minister, an ESL Coordinator (part-time), a Refugee Support Network Coordinator (along with funding from the Archbishop’s Community Care and Development Program) and for part of the year, a Children’s & Youth Task Force Coordinator (part-time).

11. The Council also reviewed “struggling parishes” and sent a report to Standing Committee.

For and on behalf of the Georges River Regional Council

GEOFF HUARD
Regional Archdeacon

26 July 2007