Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee

• Operating arrangement role
• Membership
• Operating arrangements
• Timing and location of meetings
• Meeting procedures
• Operation and establishment of working groups
• Members

The Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee (the Partnership Committee) was set up in to provide a forum for consultation on the key issues impacting on Greenhouse Challenge Plus.

Recognising that the Greenhouse Challenge arose from the joint initiative of industry and government, the purpose of the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee is to ensure the effective development and operation of the Greenhouse Challenge Plus programme.

Membership of the Partnership Committee is drawn from representatives of industry associations and companies that are members of the programme and representatives of the Australian Government. A representative of the Australian Government and an industry representative jointly chair the Partnership Committee.

Operating arrangements role

Recognising that Greenhouse Challenge Plus is an Australian Government initiative based on a partnership with industry, the purpose of the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee is:

• to ensure the effective development and operation of Greenhouse Challenge Plus.
• to ensure in particular the integration of Greenhouse Challenge Plus, Generator Efficiency Standard and Greenhouse Friendly™.

As the primary forum for formulating joint industry and Australian Government positions on the development of Greenhouse Challenge Plus, the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee will:

• foster the collaborative, primarily voluntary nature of participation in the programme
• promote and facilitate wider participation in the programme
• advise on implementation issues.

The Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee is the primary forum for developing industry and Australian Government joint recommendations on the implementation of the programme. The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts will also consult directly from time to time with companies and industry associations on programme issues in which they may have an interest.

Membership

Membership of the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee will comprise:

• representatives of the Australian Government
• representatives of Australian industry associations
• representatives of participating enterprises (non-industry association representatives).

Industry associations will determine their representatives and the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts will determine representation from the Australian Government. Non-industry association representatives of participating enterprises will be selected annually by the co-chairmen from nominations received.

Membership of the Committee will change over time. Should a representative or their delegate not attend three consecutive meetings, they will be deemed to no longer be representatives on the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee.

In determining changes to current membership, the co-chairmen will consult each other to ensure the Committee is of a manageable size and retains relevant expertise and broad representation. Ideally the committee will not exceed 30 representatives, including co-chairmen.

Industry will strive to achieve representation by states and regions, size of business, and sectors. Industry will ensure that nominations for membership of the Committee provide for representation across the participants in Greenhouse Challenge Plus.

Government representatives on the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee will be from relevant Australian Government departments and agencies.

Membership nominations

Process for Election of Company Representatives

1. Expressions of interest from interested Greenhouse Challenge Plus members including existing company representatives will be made in writing to the Partnerships Committee co-chairs directly.
2. Expressions of interest may be forwarded at any time up until 30 November during the year prior to the year in which endorsement is sought.
3. The Partnerships Committee co-chairs examine the expressions of interest and determine the successful nominations in December of each calendar year.

The successful nominations will be determined having regard to:

Invitations to nominate for company representatives will be published during the year in the Greenhouse Challenge Plus Newsletter and on the Challenge website.

The new company representatives will be notified of the co-chairs decision in writing, in December each year. The position will run for the 12 months starting from 1 January each year.

Operating arrangements

Co-chairmen and secretariat

A representative of the Australian Government and an industry representative will jointly chair the Committee (the co-chairmen). The Australian Government co-chairman will be the Senior Executive responsible for Greenhouse Challenge Plus, currently Ross Carter, First Assistant Secretary - Industry, Communities and Energy Division, Department of the Environment and Water Resources.

The other industry representatives of the Committee will nominate the industry co-chairman. The industry co-chairman is appointed for a two-year period, after which nominations for the position will be sought from the industry representatives of the Committee. The industry co-chairman may serve for a maximum of two consecutive terms. The current industry co-chairman of the Partnership Committee is Belinda Robinson, Chief Executive - Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association.

Meetings will be chaired by one of the co-chairmen on a rotational basis.

The co-chairmen will jointly:

• finalise the date and timing of meetings
• approve the agenda of each meeting
• clear the agenda papers for each meeting
• sign off the formal minutes of each meeting.

Secretariat services for the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee will be provided by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.

Timing and location of meetings

The Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee will aim to meet quarterly, but will meet not less than twice in each financial year. In determining the scheduling of meetings, the co-chairmen will consider issues such as the availability of representatives and the number and significance of issues to be addressed.

Where possible, dates for future meetings will be set at meetings of the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee. Either government or industry can call for additional meetings with the timing to be agreed by the co-chairmen.

To make travel requirements more equitable and to create opportunities for sharing of knowledge and good practice, meetings may be held in different locations, usually, but not necessarily, in capital cities.

Where practicable, the meeting may form part of a larger programme of site visits, presentations and other activities designed to raise or stimulate awareness among committee representatives and host organisations. It is envisaged that one meeting could coincide with an annual awards programme.

Meeting programmes will be arranged to provide for networking opportunities and to facilitate the interaction of committee members and the programme's participating enterprises.

Meeting procedures

A draft agenda for each meeting will be circulated two weeks in advance, and agenda papers will be circulated at least seven days before the meeting, except where other arrangements have been agreed by the co-chairmen.

Issues to be addressed by the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee can be proposed by either industry or government.

The draft agenda for each meeting will be approved by the co-chairmen prior to circulation. However, any representative on the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee can place an item on the agenda of the meeting under other business.

In determining priorities for consideration by the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee the co-chairmen should have regard to:

• the degree of concern about the issue expressed by industry or government
• the importance of the issue to the ongoing success, profile or future directions of the programme
• whether the issue is central to the constructive partnership between industry and government
• whether the Department of Environment and Water Resources or Minister responsible for the programme has referred the issue to the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee for advice.

Each meeting should include a short briefing with a status report on the programme from one of the Government representatives.

Minutes of each meeting will be drafted and circulated for comment within 10 working days of each meeting. Draft minutes, incorporating any comments received, will be considered at the next meeting. Both co-chairmen will sign approved copies of minutes.

Decisions of the committee in relation to its work programme will be made by consensus. In the event that consensus cannot be reached, the co-chairmen will agree on an appropriate way forward.

All recommendations of the Committee will be made by consensus. In the event that consensus cannot be reached, the co-chairmen will agree on an appropriate way forward.

A quorum for meetings is the two co-chairmen and two representatives from government and four representatives from industry.

Committee members who are unable to attend meetings may send an alternative representative. Committee members may be accompanied by an observer from their organisation.

Observers to meetings of the Committee and who are not representatives of the Australian Government nor industry must be approved by both co-chairmen.

Operation and establishment of working groups

From time to time issues requiring the consideration of the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnerships Committee may benefit from more detailed discussion through the establishment of working groups. Objectives for each working group will be agreed by the Committee prior to it being established.

Working groups will report progress to the Committee at each meeting until their task is complete. Working groups will only be established for specific purposes and for not longer than 12 months without reconsideration of the Committee.

Where working groups are established, membership should reflect

• the contribution of both industry and the Government
• the nature of the task
• the range of views to be considered.

Members of working groups will be agreed by the Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee, and will be chosen on their expertise and or ability to contribute to the issue under consideration.

Chairmen for the working groups should be agreed by the Committee. In many cases the most efficient option will be to use staff from the Department of Environment and Water Resources as chairmen of working groups.

Working groups should seek to establish the most efficient way to operate which may not include meetings. Secretariat services for working groups will be provided by the Department of the Environment,Water, Heritage and the Arts subject to availability of resources.

Members

Industry co-chairman
Belinda Robinson, Chief Executive
Australian Petroleum Production and Exloration Association

Australian Government co-chair
Ross Carter, First Assistant Secretary
Industry, Communities and Energy Division
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

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Last updated: Tuesday, 04-Mar-2008 20:16:41 EST