Wollongong Regional Council
Annual Report for 2005
(A report from the Wollongong Regional Council.)
1. Wollongong Regional Council held five meetings during 2004. The Executive met on five other occasions.
2. As in other years a significant proportion of Regional Council's time was spent considering requests for Regional Grants funded by Synod. Grants were approved for a total amount of $440,500. This was made up of $309,000 to Parish Funding (of which $88,000 was for new initiatives), $20,000 for Deanery based initiatives, and $111,500 for Regional initiatives.
Considerable, and ongoing, discussions have taken place as to how the Council's grants can best assist the aims and policies of the Diocesan Mission and the development of appropriate and strategic ministries for our region.
3. The Regional Council seeks to look strategically at its role in the Wollongong Region. Over the past couple of years it has attempted to do this with the Diocesan Mission firmly in mind. At most meetings policy sub-groups of the council are seeking to look at the business of the council in the light of the Mission. During 2004 this included a survey of Parishes in relation to the implementation of the mission policies. Council has evaluated these responses with a view to feeding information back to the Parishes when the process is completed sometime in 2005.
4. The annual Regional Planning day was held in September. Once again this focussed on the Goals of the Mission and included input from the Mission Property Committee. This meeting encouraged the Regional Council to continue bringing the needs of the Mission and its policies to bear on the issues which are facing the region.
5. The Council makes a deliberate effort to keep itself informed about ministry initiatives and ministry possibilities in the Region. This involves members bringing 'local' perspectives to issues under discussion and discussion of reports both from the Bishop and his assistant.
6. The Council received reports from Bishop Piper and the Assistant to the Bishop at each meeting. Additional reports were received from -
Cross Cultural Ministries
The Indigenous People's Committee
7. During the year the Regional Council welcomed Mrs Amanda Garlato, Rev Neil Percival, Rev David Pratt, Rev Stephen Semenchuk, Mr. Peter White and Mrs Noriko Dethlefs to membership and accepted the resignation of Rev. Neil Mayhew at the end of the year.
For and on behalf of the Wollongong Regional Council
GREG HOLMES
Secretary
17 August 2005