2010 Annual General Meeting
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - 4:00pm - Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - 6:00pm
Annual General Meeting minutes
Prepared by Jon Novoselac (Secretary) Date 21 April 2010
1. Meeting opened – 5:30pm
2. Committee members present – Pam Dean-Jones; Scott Evans; Jillian Kral; Carlie McClung; Jon Novoselac; Maurice Stewartson; other members and various people involved in the environmental sector from Newcastle and surrounds.
4. The following report for 2009-2010 was delivered by Scott Evans, then Chair.
This is my second report as Chair of the Hunter Environmental Institute. It has been a enjoyable and rewarding experience – thank you to all involved. 2009-2010 has been good for HEI. We have had the transition of Secretary from the thorough work of Maurice Stewartson to the tireless efforts of Jon Novoselac. As Treasurer, Susan Adams became Susan Niland, and otherwise provided great stability to the Committee. Their efforts cannot be underestimated in actually undertaking the work of HEI. All of the Committee members – Vice Chair Pam Dean- Jones, Committee members Carlie McClung (nee Faint), Jill Kral, Natasha Blefari (nee Sheedy), Gary Ellem and Maurice Stewartson – all provided important input to the workings of the Committee. Thank you to all of these people, and also to the organisations they represent. I believe that the personal commitment to HEI is substantially amplified and returned through the efforts of the committee.
This year the Committee has presented five seminars, undertaken communications and statutory reporting, and we have revised the HEI Constitution, which is presented to you today for consideration. The HEI web site provides a clean, crisp web presence for the organisation, and will be further developed to deliver more administrative support to the Committee and thereby services to our members.
Since January 2010, the Committee has been looking at a major seminar event, scheduled for 23 June 2010. Incorporating presentations from five senior representatives of various sectors of the enveionment of the Hunter Valley, the seminars will be followed by a semi-formal dinner with an invited guest speaker.
We have also undertaken a review of the external funding we provide, and have confirmed HEI’s commitment to the Newcastle University student scholarship for environmental students, to be awarded in October each year, and to the Hunter Environmental Achievement Awards, coming up later this year.
I commend each of our members, and note the Gold members Port Waratah Coal Services, Advitech, Eraring Energy, Umwelt, Douglas Partners, EcoBiological, GHD and Sinclair Knight Merz as well as our Corporate and individual members for their ongoing involvement and support of HEI. At this point I would like to remind everyone that membership renewals are due before June.
Finally, I am standing down as Chair. It has been a privilege to work with the great group of people, both on the Committee and those I interact with through the meetings and elsewhere. I intend to maintain a role on the Committee, and wish the incoming Chair the best of times leading into an interesting year to come.
For the last time, on behalf of myself and the Committee, thank you. Scott Evans, Chair
6. Attendees agreed to a modified Constitution, which will govern the operation of the Institute. The Constitution appears on the HEI website.
7. Following the procedure outlined in the Constitution, it was confirmed that the following people would make-up the HEI Committee for the next 12 months: Pam Dean-Jones, Chair; Susan Niland, Treasurer; Jon Novoselac, Secretary; Scott Evans, Committee Members; Dave Johnson; Jillian Kral; Carlie McClung; and Kylie Wallace.
8. Meeting closed – 6:00pm.
Venue Customs House Hotel; Watt Street (Corner of Bond Street); Newcastle NSW 2300
3. Committee members: apologies – Natasha Blefari; Gary Ellem; and Susan Niland.
Each of the seminars presented over the past year have been made by quality speakers passionate about their area of expertise. They have shown us the scope and vision of specialist areas, opened our eyes to history and its impacts on current and future paths, shown us the local challenges which are being identified and wins which are being achieved, and the also the future directions that we are being taken and why. I am proud of these series of seminars, and hope that they have been useful to you. I thank today’s speakers and those that will come in the year ahead. I hope that you make your own positive contribution and continue to support and enhance the work of the Hunter Environmental Institute.
5. Treasurer’s report – It was confirmed that the bank balance for the organisation at the time of the meeting was $10,259.97.
Meeting Details
This meeting has been held.