Access Inclusion Standing Committee

Purpose

Standing Committees have been established to provide advice to the elected Council on matters of strategic significance, and to provide advice to City of Newcastle on implementation of relevant matters aligned to the Newcastle 2040 Community Strategic Plan.

The Access Inclusion Standing Committee was established in 2017 and first met on 28 February 2018. The Committee assists with the implementation of our Disability Inclusion Action Plan, which was adopted by Council on 22 February 2022, along with providing advice on current and relevant local matters relating to disability inclusion in Newcastle.

Role

The objectives and responsibilities of the Access Inclusion Standing Committee are:

To enhance the delivery of Council's commitment to the Disability Inclusion Action Plan
To provide strategic advice and guidance to Council and Council Officers in relation to making Newcastle a highly inclusive community
To engage people with disabilities, their carers and disability service providers in Local Government
To discuss localised concerns about barriers experienced by people with disabilities
To support Council in a manner that is consistent with Council values
To submit an annual report to the elected Council on the operation and actions of this Committee

Membership

An Expression of Interest process is undertaken to establish community members, this is currently open until 24 January 2025, find our more.

The 2025-2028 AISC will consists of Community Members, 3 Councillors, and also the Lord Mayor.

Membership of the Committee includes:

Cr Dr Elizabeth Adamczyk (Co-Chair)
Cr Sinead Francis-Coan (Deputy Chair)
Cr Mark Brooker - Councillor representative
Community Members - Vacant Positions
Organisational Members - Vacant Positions

As mentioned above the Lord Mayor also holds a position on Standing/Advisory Committees.

Responsibility of Standing Committee Members

Committee members are expected to have the time needed to understand the Committee’s business papers and attend Committee meetings and provide advice and feedback on matters brought before the Committee.

Committee members are required to follow applicable policies and procedures and must:

Conduct themselves in accordance with the behaviours of the Code of Conduct
Declare and manage Conflicts of Interest in accordance with the Code of Conduct
Maintain confidentiality and not disclose confidential or private information
Not use information gained through membership of the Committee for a private benefit for themselves or any other person
Understand the Media Policy (PDF) and not speak to the media or members of the public on behalf of Council, the Standing Committee or working party.

The Guidelines for Meeting Practice - Standing Committees and Strategic Advisory Committees (PDF) provide additional detail on responsibility requirements..

Meetings Schedule 2025 (TBC)

Meetings are held at a minimum of quarterly, for approximately 2 hours.

Meeting Agendas

Meeting minutes and relevant papers are uploaded upon adoption by the AISC at the following meeting.

Committee Terms of Reference

View the Terms of Reference (PDF)

Annual Reports

Contact

The Access Inclusion Advisory Committee is facilitated by City of Newcastle's Community Planning and Development team. They can be contacted on 02 4974 2000 to discuss matters related to the current Disability Inclusion Action Plan, as well as committee activities.

If you would like to provide access and inclusion related feedback about our local infrastructure or services, please visit City of Newcastle's Contact Us page.