DEECA Committees of Management E-Newsletter September 2024

Committee stories in this edition

Ruffy Mechanics Institute
Toolleen Recreation Reserve

Big thanks to you!

This is our first newsletter for quite some time. We hope to get back in the swing of doing them more regularly in 2025.

Meanwhile big thanks to you! As we have said a few times before, you are one of 7,500+ people across the state who volunteer as a member of a Crown land reserve committee of management.

From Paaratte to Poowong, Patchewollock to Peechelba, Powlett Plains to Powelltown and wherever you are living, the time and expertise you provide as a committee member is greatly appreciated.

DEECA website for committees

We recently published some new committee/reserve stories on the committees of management section of the DEECA website. If you haven't checked the website for a while, please take a look. As well as the committee/reserve stories, the website includes key information for committees including the Committee of Management Guildelines.

Ruffy Hall

Ruffy (2021 Census population of 164) is in the Strathbogie Ranges, 65km (by road) east of Seymour and 45km north of Yea in Taungurung Country and the local government area of Strathbogie.

The local Ruffy Community website describes Ruffy as offering “a range of activities to suit all tastes; you can go for scenic drives or walks in the beautiful bush surroundings abounding with wildlife, admire the rugged granite rock outcrops, or relax beside one of the many creeks meandering through the district.”

The Ruffy Mechanics Institute (or Ruffy Hall as it is known these days) was built in 1893. From 1951 to 1967 a generator was used to provide power to the hall until the then State Electricity Commission (SEC) connected power. This was celebrated with a grand ‘Switch-On Ball’.

With continual fund-raising over the years, many improvements and extensions have been made to the building, including solar panels and an accessible toilet. Other recent improvements include the installation of cafe blinds to enable the rear skillion to be enclosed in bad weather, a stone fire place and BBQ area and landscaping of the rear garden. The entrance to the Hall includes a soldier’s memorial area that has been enhanced by new plantings to replace some dangerous trees.The Hall is used for various community events including theatre and music performances by local group RuffArtZ.

Local farmers and current committee members Bill Eddy (pictured above right) and Henry Noye (left) joined the Ruffy Hall committee when they were teenagers in the 1960’s.

They both have had stints as Chair and in other office bearing positions over the years. It is rumoured that Henry is slightly the older and joined the committee a few years earlier. Bill celebrated his 21st birthday in the Hall in 1965 and recently did so again for his 80th. During the pre-electricity “generator days” Bill’s father would provide power to the hall by running a lead from the generator in his home across the road.

Toolleen Recreation Reserve

Toolleen (2021 Census population of 221) is 35km east of Bendigo and 30km north of Heathcote in Taungurung Country and the local government area of Campaspe.

The 15.1 Ha Toolleen Recreation Reserve is home to the Mount Pleasant Football Netball Club which fields a range of senior and junior football and netball teams in the Heathcote and District League and Bendigo-based junior leagues. This includes a girls underage footy team and five other footy teams from Seniors to Under 10's. In 2024 there were 8 netball teams from A Grade Seniors through to "minis".

The club was formed in 1889 and played in local farming paddocks until 1952 when Toolleen Recreation Reserve became their headquarters. Neball began in 1962. Other clubs involved in the local leagues include Huntly, Lockington/Bamawm, Colbinabbin, Elmore, Leitchville/Gunbower, Heathcote, White Hills and North Bendigo.

The clubrooms on the reserve are also known as the Toolleen Community Centre and used for a variety of community functions and events. The reserve includes areas of natural bushland and is a popular area for walking and other passive recreation activities. One of the netball courts on the reserve is multi-use and used for tennis.

When nearby Mount Pleasant Creek flooded in the October 2022 floods, the reserve suffered significant damage. The netball courts surface was damaged to such a degree that there was considerable concern around the surface deformation and player safety. With support from DEECA in providing an initial flood recovery grant, followed by the Campaspe Shire Council providing a grant for the light towers, the courts are now built to a national and state competition standard for both day and night use.

As part of a “build back better” approach, extensive changes were made to drainage as part of the upgrade, along with the use of a flood resistant coating on the courts. The whole precinct is now much better prepared for any future flood.

With hard work from all involved, the works were completed in time for the start of the 2024 netball season. It turned out to be a very successful season with two of the underage netball teams winning the premiership.

RDV Tiny Towns Grants (Round 2 now open)

Regional Development Victoria (RDV) is a statutory agency within the Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR). RDV recently announced the second round of "Tiny Towns Fund" grants ($5,000 to $50,000) to support projects in communities with a population of up to 5,000 people.

Applications close 5pm 25 October 2024 with notification of successful projects expected in March 2025.

Crown land reserve committees of management that are incorporated through the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 are eligible to apply. You will need to quote your DEECA land manager "ID" number as part of the application process.

For details see the Tiny Towns Fund section of the RDV website.

The website includes access to all application requirements and a list of the 188 grants funded in Round 1. There is also Tiny Towns Fund Frequently Asked Questions which answers questions including what projects and activities are eligible.

For general enquiries about Tiny Towns Grants, you can contact the DJSIR Customer Contact Centre on 1800 878 969 or your local/regional RDV Regional Office.

If you need to know your DEECA Land Manager ID number, contact your DEECA regional LBE Team (see contact details below) or Michael Gourlay, DEECA Project Manager Committees of Management, michael.gourlay@deeca.vic.gov.au or 0404 255 317.

New Declaration of Use (DoU) form for mulch/green waste

Before mulches/green wastes are received at a Crown land reserve managed by a committee of management, generators/suppliers of the mulch/green waste must ensure that it is:

not contaminated with other substances such as plastics or metals.
free from weed and weed seed contamination.
not generated from green waste which had potential diseases or pathogens such as Phytophthora cinnamomi (also known as cinnamon fungus).

To ensure the above, and to track the source of mulches/green waste being received at Crown land reserve committee of management locations, DEECA now requires completion of a "Declaration of Use (DoU)" form.

This form requires input and signed declarations from both the mulch/green waste supplier and the committe

For further information and a copy of the DoU form, visit the committees of management section of the DEECA website.The information provided there includes a DEECA email address for enquiries about the mulch/green waste process, or any other contaminated land matters: contaminatedland@deeca.vic.gov.au.

ATO Income Tax Exemption Issues

In a change from previous arrangements, from the 2023-24 financial year, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) requires “non-charitable not-for-profits (NFPs)” with an active Australian Business Number (ABN) to lodge an annual “NFP self-review” form regarding income tax exemption eligibility. The ATO’s due date for the 23-24 form is 31 October 2024.

A key starting point for any Crown land reserve committee of management considering this issue (and also groups and clubs using Crown land reserves) is to clarify whether they are included in the ATO’s definition of “non-charitable not-for-profit (NFP)”.

For example, one common scenario involves the Crown land reserve committee itself not being included in the ATO definition (and therefore not required to complete the ATO NFP self-review) but clubs/groups using the reserve that are Incorporated Associations (IAs) being included in the ATO definition and required to complete the review.

There may also be some historical confusion whereby the “Entity Type” tag on a committee's ABN implies, incorrectly, that it is an Incorporated Association, leading to confusion about how to approach the ATO NFP self-review process. In this instance, the solution requires clarification of the committee's ABN details, which in turn will confirm that the committee is not required to complete the ATO NFP self-review process..

To help committee members navigate the ATO income tax exemption issues, a detailed 10 page information guide is now available through the committees of management section of the DEECA website.

Topics covered include:

types of Incorporation (and the distinction between “Not-for-profit” and “charitable”)
the importance of ABN “Entity Type” tagging
suggested actions for committees that have received the ATO letter to complete the NFP self-review (but believe they shouldn’t have)
key ATO links for information about the NFP self-review return
ensuring your committee's ATO “Associate” and/or "Authorised Contact” details are up to date
making ABN changes through the Australian Business Register
note on when a grant application is denied because of having a “State Government Entity" tagged ABN

For further information contact: Michael Gourlay, DEECA Project Manager Committees of Management, michael.gourlay@deeca.vic.gov.au or 0404 255 317 or the DEECA Land and Built Environment (LBE) team in your part of the state (see details below).

Contacting your DEECA regional LBE Team

For day-to-day issues, including changes to committee member contact details, committee appointment processes, or other land management matters, key contacts are staff from the six DEECA regional Land and Built Environment (LBE) teams.

You can reach your DEECA regional LBE Team by phoning or emailing the DEECA Customer Contact Centre on 136 186 or customer.service@deeca.vic.gov.au and asking for the LBE Team that covers your part of the state.

Or if you know the LBE Team for your committee, you can email them directly:

Barwon South West region LBE Team: publicland.bsw@deeca.vic.gov.au
Gippsland region LBE Team: Traralgon.PropertyServices@deeca.vic.gov.au
Grampians region LBE Team: publicland.grampians@deeca.vic.gov.au
Hume region LBE Team: landadmin.hume@deeca.vic.gov.au
Loddon Mallee region LBE Team: Publiclandenquiries.Northwest@deeca.vic.gov.au
Port Phillip (Melbourne Metro) region LBE Team: Property.Portphillip@deeca.vic.gov.au

We acknowledge Victorian Traditional Owners and their Elders past and present as the original custodians of Victoria’s land and waters and commit to genuinely partnering with them and Victoria’s Aboriginal community to progress their aspirations.

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