Caring with Respect Fremantle Cemetery Board Annual Report For the year ended 30 June 2003 Hon. T.G. Stephens BA MLC Minister for Local Government and Regional Development; the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne 11th Floor, Dumas House 2 Havelock Street WEST PERTH WA 6005 In accordance with Section 66 of the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1985, we hereby submit for your information and presentation to Parliament, the Annual Report of the Fremantle Cemetery Board for the financial year ended 30 June 2003. The Annual Report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1985. We wish to advise that the Financial Statements contained in the attached report have been audited by the Office of the Auditor General and contain the relevant audit opinions. Mark K Holt Chief Reporting Officer 21 August 2003 CONTENTS Page HIGHLIGHTS 1 MANAGEMENT 2 MEETINGS 2 BOARD REMUNERATION 2 MEMBERS OF THE BOARD 3 OPERATIONS REPORT & OVERVIEW OF YEAR 5 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 8 STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH RELEVANT WRITTEN LAW 9 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 14 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION 15 STATEMENT OF CASH FLOW 16 NOTES TO FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS 17 EVENTS OCCURRING AFTER REPORTING DATE 29 STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH RELEVANT WRITTEN LAW 29 STATUTORY REPORTING COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION 30 ANNUAL ESTIMATES 32 1 HIGHLIGHTS • Strong Financial Result - $344,893 net operating surplus - WA Treasury Corporation borrowings reduced to $2,054,654. • Strong Performance Growth - Number of funerals conducted increased by 240 over the year - Total number of funeral services conducted was 2773 - highest ever - There was a 24% increase in the number of families who chose Condolence Lounge catering. • Other - New products, especially memorial options were introduced - Five Board Members, including three long-serving members, retired on 30 June 2002 - Government decision to bring Fremantle Cemetery under the management of the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board announced on 13 May 2003, to become effective 1 July 2003. 2 MANAGEMENT FREMANTLE CEMETERY BOARD 30 June 2003 BOARD Mrs J Hobson, Chairperson (appointed 1 July 2002) Ms E Blackburn OAM (appointed 1 July 2002) Mr K Chipper (appointed 30 March 1994) Ms J Newman (appointed 1 July 2002) Mrs R Marlborough (appointed 1 July 2002) Mr D Whittington (appointed 1 July 2002) Rev M Wilson (appointed 27 November 1996) MANAGEMENT TEAM Brian Adams Chief Executive Officer Mark Holt Client Services Manager & Principal Accounting Officer Rod Walker Operations Manager Helen Gammond Executive Assistant MEETINGS Board meetings were held on a monthly basis, on the fourth Thursday of each month. Six special meetings were held during the year. Attendance by Board Members at meetings held during the financial year were as follows: Max No of Meetings No. Attended Mrs J Hobson 18 18 Ms E Blackburn 18 14 Mr K Chipper 18 15 Ms J Newman 18 16 Mrs R Marlborough 18 17 Mr D Whittington 18 17 Rev M Wilson 18 17 BOARD REMUNERATION Board Members receive an attendance fee of $123 per meeting. However, the Chairman receives an attendance fee of $185 in recognition of the additional time required to fulfil Board requirements. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Board Members have disclosed pecuniary interests as required. 3 MEMBERS OF THE BOARD The Fremantle Cemetery Board consists of seven people appointed by the Minister for Local Government. For the year 2002/03 the Board Members were: Mrs Jean Hobson Chairperson Mrs Hobson was appointed Chairperson of the Board for a one year term in July 2002. She is a former Fremantle City Councillor, having served for nine years between 1983 and 1992, including a term as Deputy Mayor. Mrs Hobson has been a member of many Fremantle based organisations, including the Fremantle Hospital Management Board (1985-1993) a member of the Fremantle Library Advisory Committee (current) and a member of the Fremantle Education Centre Board. Ms Estelle Blackburn OAM Ms Blackburn was appointed to the Board in July 2002 for a term expiring on 30 June 2003. She has a background of political, legal and investigative journalism, the focus of much of her research over the past decade taking her into Fremantle’s history, including Fremantle Cemetery. She has been honoured with an Order of Australia Medal for community service and a national Walkley Award for the greatest contribution to journalism. Mr Kim Chipper Mr Chipper was first appointed to the Board on 30 March 1994 for a period of three years. On 30 March 1997 he was re-appointed for a term expiring on 30 June 2001. His term was subsequently extended to 30 June 2003. Mr Chipper commenced as a funeral director in 1969 with the family firm Chippers started by his grandfather in 1889, rising to managing director in 1979. He is past president of both the Western Australian Funeral Directors Association and the Australian Funeral Directors Association, an active member of the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, Ferrari Club Australia and other organisations. He holds a Commissioner of Declarations appointment. 4 Mrs Ros Marlborough Mrs Marlborough was appointed to the Board in July 2002 for a one year term. A school teacher by profession she taught children for over 20 years at Roebourne Primary School and the Kim Beazley School for children with special needs. Ros is an active member of her local community, she received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Education Department for voluntary work at the White Gum Valley Primary School and is a recipient of an Outstanding Achievement Award from the ALP. Ros is married with one child. Ms Jan Newman Ms Newman was appointed to the Board in July 2002 for a period of one year. She is a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers, with a background of cross-cultural social work. Currently she is active in various community arts and history projects and is a member of the boards of two community-funded welfare organisations. Initiated and helped to coordinate development of the Fremantle Primary Heritage Garden which acknowledges the Old Alma Street Cemetery, Fremantle’s first burial ground. Mr Donald Whittington Mr Whittington was appointed to the Board in July 2002 for a one year term. For nine years he was a Fremantle City Councillor, including three years as Deputy Mayor and six years as Chairman of Planning & Development. He has also been actively involved in several community organisations in the City of Fremantle. He founded his own herbs and spices business in 1975 and is still engaged in the development of an Australian herbs and spices industry. He is a Commissioner for Declarations Reverend Marie Wilson Reverend Wilson was first appointed to the Board on the 27 November 1996 to March 1997 and she was re-appointed for a term expiring on 30 June 2001. This term was subsequently extended to 30 June 2003. She is a Minister in the Uniting Church and has 17 years Parish experience in Perth and was Minister at Wesley Fremantle before being appointed Chaplain at Penrhos College. She is a member of Rotary and has been involved in a variety of community organisations in Victoria, South Australia and the North West of Western Australia as well as in Perth. 5 OPERATIONS REPORT & OVERVIEW OF YEAR The year commenced on a high note with news from the Minister that Fremantle Cemetery Board would continue as an independent self funded statutory authority, following a decision from the Machinery of Government Review. The financial year 2002/03 was a successful trading year. The number of funerals conducted was just under last year’s record total but revenue received reached an all time high, yet the cost of services was down on last year. Before extraordinaries, a net surplus of $344,893 was achieved. There were a total of 2,764 funerals conducted during the year. The following graph highlights a 40 percent growth in funerals conducted at Fremantle Cemetery over the last seven years Total Funeral Services 1996 - 2003 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 Of the 2,764 funeral services, 2,358 were cremations and 406 were burials. Cremation services represented 85% of all services. The Board continued the previous strategy of utilising freed up capital to improve the standard of grounds and facilities at Fremantle Cemetery. This extra capital came from a deliberate policy of lengthening the term of a Treasury loan (for the Crematorium complex), thereby freeing up cash for onsite improvements. Almost $400,000 was spent on capital improvements during the year. Projects included: • new memorial gardens and niche walls • beautification by paving walkways in older monumental areas • creation of an all weather Heritage Trail • new water bore and power supply to the eastern part of the cemetery grounds. • replacement of old and unreliable machinery • development and endorsement of architectural plans for a 616 crypt mausoleum 6 Human Resources The Board continued to employ 26 full time staff and later use was made of a contracted Marketing person. A new General Agreement for the 17 grounds and cremation staff came into force in February 2003, to replace the lapsed Certified Agreement. One staff member is covered by the Catering Award and another is contracted to the Board to September 2005. Work for the Dole The Board has supported Government initiatives by employing six Work for the Dole people throughout the year. An arrangement was negotiated with the Justice Department for Community Work Teams to spend one day a week beautifying the grounds. In all, some 900 hours was worked onsite via this process during the year. Another community based Work for the Dole scheme was utilised to paint an Australiana bush scene on a large concrete wall which is along one of the Cemeteries boundaries.