Merri Creek Management Committee

When MCMC was established an arrangement was made with Preston City Council (one of MCMC's member groups before it was amalgamated with Northcote City Council to become the City of Darebin) to house MCMC's Manager and to maintain MCMC's accounts. An agreement was made with the Unions which covered Council employees that MCMC employees would be employed under the same conditions and award, and MCMC became a signatory to that award. This was a very wise move in that it avoided tensions between MCMC and Council staff. In 2000 MCMC developed an enterprise bargaining agreement with its staff, which was revised and re-negotiated in 2002. Principles for study leave have been developed subsequently.

Amongst other things the EBA contains provisions for greivances

MCMC has developed a staff handbook with information for staff which is particularly useful for staff induction. A supplement is provided for Parkland Management Team staff.

A procedure is used for staff appointments which provides for the appropriate level of approval etc.

Position descriptions are developed for all positions, and classified according to the EBA (and specifically the underlying Award, the Victorian Local Authorities Award 2001. Position descriptions are developed using a custom-built Microsoft Access database, which is focussed on organisational objectives.

Staff records (including an employee record form,)are maintained in a locked filing cabinet according to the Access to Personel Files Procedure.

Annual Performance Reviews are conducted according to the EBA and using standard forms. A special procedure is used for evaluating the Manager.

A fortnightly timesheet is used to record hours worked, instructions are available. Consistent with the EBA, flexible hours and RDO banking are managed using the RDO Banking and Flexibility of Hours work plan. Payroll is managed internally using the payroll extension to the MYOB computer package. The Parkland Management Team also run a project management package called Superproject in which hours worked at different sites on different jobs with different funding sources are recorded. The hours recorded in superproject are reconciled on a fortnightly basis with the MYOB records. In the first instance hours worked at a site are recorded in a diary.

MCMC's staff are encouraged to join the Australian Services Union, which covers municipal employees. MCMC has a constructive relationship with the Union.