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Regions Ordinance 1995

(Reprinted under the Interpretation Ordinance 1985.)

The Regions Ordinance 1995 as amended by the Regions Ordinance 1995 Amendment Ordinance 1996, Regional Electors Amendment Ordinance 1997, the Regions (Change of Name) Ordinance 1997, the Miscellaneous Amendments Ordinance 1999, the Regional Councils Ordinance 2000 and the Regions Amendment Ordinance 2006.

Long Title

An Ordinance to provide for the order and good government of the Diocese of Sydney.

Now the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney Ordains as follows -

Citation

1.              This Ordinance may be cited as the “Regions Ordinance 1995”.

Definitions and Interpretation

2.              (1)     In this Ordinance -

“Minister” means a person in Holy Orders.

“parochial unit” means a parish, provisional parish or other ecclesiastical district recognised under the Parishes Ordinance 1979.

“Regional Council” means the Council of a Region constituted by this Ordinance.

“Region” means a part of the Diocese designated under clause 3.

“Regional Electors” of a Region means each of the following persons -

(a)     the Regional Bishop and the Regional Archdeacon;

(b)     each Minister licensed to a parochial unit in the Region and who is a member of the Synod;

(c)      each person who is a member of the Synod as a  representative of a parochial unit in that Region; and

(d)     each other person who resides in that Region and is a member of the Synod but is not a Regional Elector of another Region. 

(2)     In this Ordinance a person is from an area deanery if -

(a)     in the case of a lay person, that person is a parishioner of a church in that area deanery; and

(b)     in the case of a Minister, that person is licensed to a parochial unit in that area deanery.

(3)     Other words and expressions used in this Ordinance have the same meanings as in the Schedule to the Interpretation Ordinance 1985 and in clause 2 of the Church Administration Ordinance 1990.

(4)     The Diocesan Officers (Retirements) Ordinance 1987 does not apply to the office of member of a Regional Council.

Formation etc of Region

3.              (1)     Regions are created or abolished and regional boundaries are determined or altered by the Archbishop.

(2)     Each Region has the name determined or altered by the Archbishop.

(3)     Each Region has a Regional Council.

(4)     Upon the change of the name of a Region, each ordinance referring to the Region and to the Regional Council of that Region is taken to have been changed and in any reprint of that ordinance the Diocesan Secretary is authorised to print the new name of the Region or its Regional Council, as the case may be, in the place of the former name.

Regional Councils - Constitution

4.              (1)     A Regional Council consists of -

(a)     the Regional Bishop;

(b)     the Regional Archdeacon;

(c)      1 layperson from each area deanery in the Region elected by the Regional Electors of that Region;

(d)     1 Minister from each area deanery in the Region elected by the Regional Electors of that Region;

(e)           2 Ministers and 4 laypersons each of whom may come from any area deanery in the Region elected by the Regional Electors of that Region; and

(f)            up to 2 persons elected by the Regional Council.

(2)     The election of the members of a Regional Council referred to in paragraphs (1)(c), (d) and (e) must be held during the first ordinary session of each Synod and, subject to this Ordinance, such persons hold office until the first day of the first ordinary session of the next Synod.

(3)     A person is not eligible to be elected to a Regional Council if that person is an insolvent under administration.

(4)     If a new Region is created after the date this Ordinance commences, the election of the persons referred to in paragraphs (1)(c), (d) and (e) is to take place by postal ballot conducted under the Elections Ordinance 1970 as soon as practicable after the date of creation of that Region.  Subject to this Ordinance the persons so elected hold office until the first day of the first ordinary session of the next Synod.

(5)        An election under this clause is not invalid merely because a person entitled to vote was not given the opportunity of voting by reason of any accidental omission or any inadvertence.

Casual Vacancies

5.              (1)     A person who is a member of a Regional Council under paragraphs 4(1)(c), (d) or (e) ceases to be a member -

(a)     if that person resigns;

(b)     if that person becomes insolvent under administration;

(c)      upon that person becoming incapable of acting by reason of mental illness or otherwise;

(d)     if the person is absent from 3 successive meetings of the Regional Council without permission of the Regional Council; or

(e)           if that person ceases to be from an area deanery in the Region, or

(f)            if that person commences being from an area deanery in the Region different from the one at the time of his or her election and as a consequence there ceases to be at least 1 layperson and 1 Minister from each area deanery in the Region elected as members of the Regional Council by the Regional Electors of the Region.

A person who ceases to be a member by paragraph (d) is, if otherwise qualified, eligible for re-election.

(1A)   A person who is a member of the Regional Council under paragraph 4(1)(f) ceases to be a member -

(1)           upon the occurrence of any of the events referred to in paragraphs 5(1)(a), (b), (c) or (d); or

(2)           on the first day of the first ordinary session of the next Synod; or

(3)           if the Regional Council, by resolution specifying the reason therefor, revokes the election of that person.

A person who ceases to be a member by paragraph (b) is eligible for re-election.

(2)     Casual vacancies that occur under subclause (1) may be filled by a resolution of the remaining members of the Regional Council.  Subject to the other provisions of this clause, persons so appointed hold office until the first day of the first ordinary session of the next Synod. 

(3)     A Regional Council may carry on its business notwithstanding a vacancy in its membership.

Regional Councils - Functions, Powers and Duties

6.              A Regional Council has the following general functions -

(a)     to carry out or assist in carrying out any resolutions passed by the Synod or the Standing Committee and referred to it for implementation;

(b)     to develop ministry strategies in the Region;

(c)      to assess applications for grants in the Region made or referred to it;

(d)     to make grants or loans from money (consistent with any trusts on which that money may be held) available to it for distribution or for lending;

(e)     to accept gifts and grants;

(f)      to raise and expend money for any purpose connected with ministry in the Region;

(g)     to employ persons for any purpose connected with ministry within the Region, and to dismiss any person so employed;

(h)     to manage and control any endowment held for the Region as a whole;

(i)      to discuss matters affecting the Region and to disseminate information in the Region;

(j)      to make recommendations to the Archbishop about alterations to regional boundaries; and

(k)     to exercise such other functions as the Synod or the Standing Committee may from time to time prescribe.

7.              A Regional Council may exercise functions given to it by any ordinance, including -

(a)     the Assessment and Charges Ordinance 1975;

(b)     the Church Administration Ordinance 1990;

(c)      the Church Grounds and Buildings Ordinance 1990;

(d)     the Ordinance Procedure Ordinance 1973;

(e)     the Parishes Ordinance 1979;

(f)      the Presentation and Exchange Ordinance 1988; and

(g)     the Standing Committee Ordinance 1897.

8.              (1)     In exercising its functions, a Regional Council may delegate, at any time and from time to time, a function conferred on it and revoke any delegation.

(2)     A Regional Council must only engage in trade, commerce or investment activities though the services provided by Glebe Administration Board, Sydney Anglican Church Investment Trust, Sydney Anglican Property Fund, Sydney Diocesan Secretariat or Anglican Church Property Trust Diocese of Sydney.

(3)     A Regional Council must only engage in direct fundraising appeals through the Archbishop’s Appeals Unit to the community at large.

9.              (1)     A Regional Council is an organisation for the purposes of the Accounts, Audits and Annual Reports Ordinance 1995.

(2)     Each Regional Council must present to the Standing Committee an annual report of its proceedings and the exercise of each of its functions under clause 6 in sufficient time each year to enable the Standing Committee to include the report in the report for that year of the Standing Committee to the Synod.

(3)     All functions of a Regional Council must be exercised subject to any policies and principles made or determined by the Synod or the Standing Committee.

Regional Councils - Procedures

10.          (1)     Subject to this Ordinance, a Regional Council may conduct its affairs as it sees fit.

(2)     The Regional Bishop is the chairman of meetings of the Regional Council but, in his absence, the members present must elect a chairman for the meeting from among their numbers.

(3)     The chairman of a meeting of a Regional Council has a deliberative but not a casting vote.

(4)     One-third of the members (fractions being counted as 1) of a Regional Council constitute a quorum at meetings of the Regional Council.

(5)     A Regional Council must meet at least 4 times in each calendar year.

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