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Code of Conduct

PRIVACY POLICY

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BANKSIA FOUNDATION

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Banksia Foundation Code of Conduct

 

 

  1. Overview
  2. The Foundation
  3. The Board
  4. Staff
  5. Judges
  6. Privacy Policy

 

1. Overview

 

1.1  The Banksia Foundation is an independent, apolitical, not-for-profit Association established under the Victorian Associations Incorporation Reform Act and Regulations 2013.  It is also a registered charity endorsed to access taxation concessions in relation to the goods and services tax, income tax and fringe benefits tax.  Banksia Foundation is also intending to obtain deductible gift recipient status.

1.2 The Purpose of the Foundation is to promote a more sustainable Australia by:

  1. recognising excellence in all areas of sustainability, with a particular focus on environmental protection and enhancement, through an annual awards program and other associated activities;
  2. educating the community about sustainability by disseminating information about the activities and achievements of individuals and organisations working in related areas; and
  3. working in partnership with other organisations with similar objectives to the Foundation.

1.3 The operations of the Foundation are governed primarily by the Rules of the Association and relevant legislation. The Rules set out the rights, duties and obligations of the Foundation, including the operations of the Board.  The Code of Conduct supports the Rules by articulating the way in which the Foundation approaches its responsibilities under the Rules. It reflects Banksia Foundation’s commitment to good governance and ethical behaviour. In the event of ambiguity or inconsistency the Rules take precedence over this Code of Conduct.

1.4  The Code of Conduct is not all-inclusive and should be read in conjunction with the full range of the Foundation’s policies, processes and guidelines. It does set out however the principles underpinning all of the Foundation’s activities, including its policies, processes and guidelines.
2. The Foundation

General

2.1  In accordance with the Purpose set out above, the Foundation is committed to operating  ethically, and in a way that is consistent with sustainability, in all of its activities. This includes its internal operations as well as its dealings with all external parties including sponsors, partners, suppliers and award entrants. It seeks to work with other like-minded organisations which are similarly committed to ethical behaviour and sustainability.

2.2  Banksia will fully comply with all of its legal requirements.

Sustainable Procurement

2.3  Sustainable procurement aims to reduce the adverse environmental, social and economic impacts of purchased products and services throughout their full life cycle, from initial production, through cost to operate and maintain, and finally disposal . While the Foundation itself is not a great consumer of resources given the nature of its activities, it nevertheless seeks to model and promote sustainability in all of its work. It therefore takes sustainability considerations into account in the procurement of the products and services it uses, and selecting the suppliers that provide them.

2.4 These considerations include:

  • whether there is an actual need for the product or service, to avoid unnecessary consumption;
  • are their alternatives to purchasing a replacement product, such as reusing, refurbishing or reconditioning the existing product to extend its life;
  • assessing the emissions, pollutants, energy and water required at all stages of the life cycle of the product;
  • choosing the product with the least environmental and/or social impact;
  • considering the environmental performance of the supplier, as well as their commitment to ethical behaviour in all of their activities and the activities of the organisations in their supply chains;
  • assessing the environmental and social impacts of the events it organises including the energy, water and other supplies consumed, waste generated, as appropriate the inclusivity of the event arising from such things as the fee structure established, and the practices of any service providers involved in the event.

Dealings with other parties

2.5  The Foundation works with other organisations and individuals that share its ideals and objectives. It will not knowingly develop a sponsorship or partner relationship with any organisation or individual where there is evidence of past, or current, unethical behaviour or adverse environmental impact.

2.6  Similarly, entrants for awards are assessed on the overall commitment to sustainability of the organisation or individual involved, as well as the criteria applying to particular award categories.

3. The Board

Composition

3.1 In accordance with the Foundation’s Rules, the Board comprises:

  1. a Chairperson;
  2. a Secretary;
  3. a Treasurer;
  4. the Chief Executive Officer (ex officio); and
  5. up to 6 ordinary Board members.

3.2  The Board should comprise Directors with a broad range of expertise and a balance of skills and experience relevant to the Purpose of the Foundation.

Role

3.3  The Board bears ultimate legal responsibility for the conduct of the Banksia Foundation. It is responsible for ensuring that it and the Foundation comply at all times with the provisions of its Rules and with the legal, operational and ethical requirements of the organisation.

3.4   The Board is responsible for the overall governance of the Banksia Foundation and for providing leadership and strategy to the organisation to ensure its overall success, including maintaining its reputation in the community and the continuity of its operations and long-term viability.

3.5  Specifically the Board’s responsibilities include:

  1. governance – establishing an appropriate corporate governance structure, with good accountability and control systems in place;
  2. accountability – making sure the Foundation meets its obligations, manages its finances and operates transparently, with the roles and responsibilities of all parts of the organisation clearly understood;
  3. strategy – setting the Foundation’s long-term goals and making sure it pursues its principal objects;
  4. risk management – establishing a sound system of risk oversight and management and internal control;
  5. resourcing – facilitating the raising of funds and other resources to support the work of the Foundation; and
  6. advocacy – ensuring the Banksia Foundation and its principal Purpose are well
  7. represented to government, the community and to the Foundation’s members, supporters and stakeholders.

Conflicts of interest

3.5  All Directors should be free from any interest and any business or other relationship which could reasonably be perceived to materially interfere with the Director’s ability to act in the best interests of the Foundation. Potential conflicts of interest should be declared to the Chair before each Board meeting.

Individual responsibilities of Board Members (Directors)

3.6 Except for when individual Directors are so delegated by the Board, Directors do not have authority as individuals but must act as part of the collective fulfilling the role of the Board.

3.7 Individual Directors have no authority to direct the work of any Banksia Foundation staff, member or volunteer. Communication between the Board and staff on matters of a confidential or contentious nature should be made through the Chief Executive Officer.

3.8 Only the Board as a collective has the authority to direct the Chief Executive Officer. However, the Board may delegate its authority in this regard to a subcommittee of the Board or to individual Directors.

3.9 Directors are entitled to make reasonable requests for information or material and access training required to fulfil their duties.

3.10 All Directors agree to:

  1. commit the time necessary to enable the Board to discharge its role effectively, including attendance at Board meetings;
  2. act ethically, with honesty and integrity, in the best interests of the Banksia Foundation and to further its principal objects;
  3. apply due care and diligence to the scrutiny of all Board documentation, particularly financial reports, audit reports and other financial material that comes before the Board;
  4. make decisions fairly, impartially and promptly, considering all relevant information, legislation, policies and procedures;
  5. not make improper use of their position as Board members to gain advantage for themselves or for any other person;
  6. disclose and manage any personal or business interests which may give rise to actual or perceived conflicts of interest;
  7. not make any unauthorised public statements regarding the business of the Foundation;
  8. support, adhere to and not contradict or in any way undermine the formal decisions of the Board made in its meetings;
  9. contribute to all Board activities in a constructive, courteous and positive way to enhance good governance and the reputation of the Board; and
  10. treat all Banksia Foundation colleagues with respect and courtesy and contribute to a productive and harmonious culture throughout the organisation.

Committees and Working Groups

3.11  The Board may establish ongoing or ad hoc Board subcommittees, other committees and/or working groups to assist the Board in fulfilling its role. The Board shall ensure that each Committee has a formal charter. With the exception of certain limited delegations contained in their charters, recommendations of committees and working groups are to be referred to the Board for approval.

Communications

3.12  The Board is committed to communicating effectively with members and supporters of the Foundation, including through the Banksia Foundation website, social media and e-newsletters.

3.13  Formal documentation such as the annual report and financial accounts is made available to all Banksia Foundation members. The Annual General Meeting provides an opportunity for members to discuss those reports, to question the Board about Banksia activities and discuss and resolve any matter of special business.

3.14  The Banksia Foundation Rules also provide for Special General Meetings of members to be convened if special business needs to be resolved.

Induction

3.15  All new Directors will undergo an induction process to welcome them to the Board and bring them up to speed as soon as possible.

Review and evaluation

3.16  Each year the Board, in conjunction with the Chief Executive Officer, will evaluate its performance against its responsibilities and identify areas for improvement.

4. STAFF

4.1  All staff of the Foundation agree to:

  1. act ethically, with honesty and integrity, in the best interests of the Banksia Foundation and to further its principal Purpose;
  2. not make improper use of their position to gain advantage for themselves or for any other person;
  3. disclose and manage any personal or business interests which may give rise to actual or perceived conflicts of interest;
  4. not make any unauthorised public statements regarding the business of the Foundation;
  5. support, adhere to and not contradict or in any way undermine the formal decisions of the Board made in its meetings;
  6. contribute to all Banksia activities in a constructive, courteous and positive way to enhance good governance and the reputation of the Foundation; and
  7. treat all Banksia Foundation colleagues with respect and courtesy and contribute to a productive and harmonious culture throughout the organisation.

4.2  All new staff will undergo an induction process to welcome them to the Foundation Board and inform them of their role and this Code of Conduct.

5. JUDGES

5.1 The Banksia Sustainability Award entries go through a three stage judging process by Banksia’s national team of judges. Banksia judges are experts in their field and this expertise is matched to the relevant category for assessment. Judges must absent themselves from judging any entry which may entail a conflict of interest.

5.2 Final decisions are made and reviewed in an audit by a senior panel of judges. All judges sign and are bound by a confidentiality agreement.

5.3 The Banksia Board takes no part in the judging process except to review the final outcome of the judging process to ensure no decisions have been taken on award recipients which might impact adversely on the integrity and reputation of the foundation. If an issue in this regard arises the matter is referred back to the audit panel for further review.

5.4 All Judges agree to:

  1. comply with any procedures and guidelines established by the Foundation in relation to the awards judging process;
  2. commit the time necessary to discharge their role effectively, including attendance at assessment meetings;
  3. act ethically, with honesty and integrity, in the best interests of the Banksia Foundation and to further its principal Purpose;
  4. apply due care and diligence to the handling of all award documentation, particularly the information and material provided by award nominees and the outcome of the judging process;
  5. make decisions fairly, impartially and promptly, considering all relevant information and procedures;
  6. not make improper use of their position as judges to gain advantage for themselves or for any other person;
  7. disclose and manage any personal or business interests which may give rise to actual or perceived conflicts of interest;
  8. not make any unauthorised public statements regarding the business of the Foundation;
  9. support, adhere to and not contradict or in any way undermine the formal decisions of the Banksia Board;
  10. contribute to all judging activities in a constructive, courteous and positive way to enhance good governance and the reputation of the Foundation; and
  11. treat all Banksia Foundation colleagues with respect and courtesy and contribute to a productive and harmonious culture throughout the organisation.

5.5  All new Judges will undergo an induction process to welcome them to the Foundation and inform them of the Purpose of the Foundation and their responsibilities under this Code of Conduct and the judging processes.

6. PRIVACY POLICY

6.1 The Banksia Foundation is committed to maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of all information provided to it by its members, sponsors, partners, award nominees and others. It will not disclose any of this information to third parties without the permission of the supplier of the information and/or in accordance with any conditions notified prior to the supply of the information.

6.2.  Banksia’s full Privacy Policy [https://banksiafdn.com/privacy-policy/]is published on the Foundation’s website.