Publications

Stormwater Victoria Committee & Meeting Attendee Code of Conduct

Version 1 2020

All committee members, employees, contractors, sub-contractors and attending members of Stormwater Victoria (SV) are required to sign and adhere to the SV Code of Conduct (“Code”). By signing the SV Code of Conduct all signatories agree to conduct their activities with integrity, respect, transparency and accountability. This means they undertake to assist in the running of a well-managed organisation, to be financially transparent in all matters relating to SV, and to uphold the agreed set of values and principles in the work they undertake for and on behalf of SV. The SV Code of Conduct aims to maintain and enhance standards throughout the SV community, ensuring public confidence in the integrity of individuals and organisations comprising the SV community and quality and effectiveness of SV programs.

SV committee members, employees, contractors, sub-contractors and attending members are required, under the Code, to behave at all times in a way that upholds the SV Values. 

The Code requires that committee members, employees, employees, contractors must:

1. Behave honestly and with integrity in the course of their SV membership, engagement or employment; 
2. Act with care and diligence in the course of their SV membership. engagement or employment; 
3. When acting in the course of SV membership, engagement or employment, treat everyone with respect and courtesy and without harassment; 
4. Seek to enhance gender equity;
5. In all of its activities and particularly through their communications with the public, members, contractors and staff will accord due respect to the dignity, values, history, religion,  sexual preference, culture and diversity of the people with whom they work consistent with principles of basic human rights and environmental protection;
6. At all times seek to uphold a principle of fairness, to build on relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common environment and life opportunities;
7. At all times seek to uphold a principle of care recognising that actions should be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and well-being of current and future generations and the environment;
8. When acting in the course of their SV membership, engagement or employment, comply with all applicable Australian laws; 
9. Maintain appropriate confidentiality about dealings that the member, contractor, sub contractor or employee has with any government or industry representatives;
10. Members, contractors and staff will not be a willing party to wrongdoing, corruption, bribery, or other financial impropriety in any of their activities. They shall take prompt and firm corrective action whenever and wherever wrongdoing is found among SV, paid staff, contractors, volunteers and partner organisations;
11. Disclose, and take reasonable steps to avoid, any conflict of interest (real or perceived) in connection with SV membership or employment; 
12. Use SV resources in a proper manner; 
13. Not provide false or misleading information in response to a request for information that is made for official purposes in connection with the member or employee's SV membership or employment; 
14. Not make improper use of inside information, or the member or employee's duties, status, power or authority, in order to gain, or seek to gain, a benefit or advantage for the member or employee or for any other person; 
15. At all times behave in a way that upholds the SV Values and the integrity and good reputation of SV;
16. Comply with any other conduct requirement that is prescribed by the SV Constitution or any other SV policy;
17. Be familiar with the Association’s Rules;
18. Be respectful in questioning issues and making reasonable enquiries to ensure that the Association is operating efficiently, effectively and legally towards achieving its goals, as much as possible keeping personal opinions and perceptions of other committee members out of discussions;
19. During any SV meeting, seminar or other organised event, including virtual, face to face, written transcript or electronic documents, persons must not undertake in any type of media recordings (including but not limited to photography, video or voice recording) of others without the prior written consent of all directly or indirectly involved within the recording, with the exception of presentational recordings conducted or directed by the committee where non-presenters may be recorded but have been notified.

The following are commitments only apply for committee members, employees & sub-contractors;

20. While on duty, at all times behave in a way that upholds the good reputation of the SV as a peak body; 
21. Make every effort to be available for a two-hour meeting once a month;
22. Attend meetings having read the Agenda and associated papers prior to the meeting and be ready to participate in all discussions and reach decision where required;
23. Respect others in all manors;
24. Give their specific expertise generously to the Association;
25. Be familiar with the responsibility of a committee member as detailed in the position descriptions and other relevant information;
26. Use the Committee meetings as the opportunity to have all discussions to ensure that the message taken back to members and stakeholders of the Association is consistent. 
27. Where motions or communications via email require clarification, in the first instance communicate directly with the initiator before circulating to the Committee;
28. Be open to ideas, listen with care, grant all Committee members the dignity & respect to speak without interruption before responding;
29. Allow and encourage alternate views;
30. Be decisive when required;
31. Don’t gossip or spread misinformation about other members;
32. Taking responsibility and accountability for actions or inactions of yourself and the Association