Position Description
Member of the Western Australia Divisional Advisory Board of Australian Red Cross
Eligibility
To be eligible to join the Western Australia (WA) Advisory Board a person must:
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be over 18 years of age; and
not be an employee of Australian Red Cross.
AND EITHER BE ELECTED BY THE WA MEMBERS
having been a Governance Member of Australian Red Cross for a minimum continuous
period of six months;
be a Governance Member of the WA Division at the date of nomination; and
be nominated by two Governance Members of the WA Division who have been
Governance Members for a minimum continuous period of six months as at the date of
the nomination.
OR BE APPOINTED BY THE WA ADVISORY BOARD
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having specific skills to further and promote the interests of the Division, as determined
by the Divisional Advisory Board. One of the appointed positions will be reserved for the
Chairman of the Youth Advisory Committee or the Committee's representative.
Divisional Advisory Board obligations
Western Australia is a Division of Australian Red Cross and as such is governed by the
Divisional Regulations 2010 which prescribe certain Advisory Board member compliance
obligations in regulation 3.15. All members elected or appointed to the Divisional Advisory
Board must comply with:
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the Rules, Regulations and the Governance Manual of Australian Red Cross, including
the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement;
applicable Federal, State or Territory legislation including requirements for satisfactory
police checks for members of decision-making entities; and
the Conflict of Interests Policy and Code of Conduct approved by the Australian Red
Cross Board.
Other requirements
Each WA Advisory Board member must:
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act with integrity;
exercise sound, independent judgement;
have sound communication skills;
act with diplomacy;
have an understanding of governance issues;
be willing to engage in member and volunteer activities;
discharge their duties in good faith and honestly in the best interests of Australian Red
Cross with the level of skill and care expected;
use the powers of office for proper purpose, in the best interests of Australian Red Cross
as a whole;
act with required care and diligence, demonstrating commercial reasonableness in their
decisions;
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not make improper use of information gained through their position on the WA Advisory
Board; and
not allow personal interests, or the interest of any associated person, to conflict with the
interests of Australian Red Cross.
All Members of the WA Advisory Board, in their capacity as WA Advisory Board Members,
have no individual authority to participate in the day to day management of the Division. That
is, Members of the Advisory Board should not make any representations or agreements with
suppliers, customers, clients, employees, or other parties or entities unless authority is
expressly provided in the Charter or Rules or delegated by the Australian Red Cross Board,
through a resolution to the member of the Advisory Board either individually or as a member
of an Australian Red Cross Board, Division or Committee.
Divisional Advisory Board responsibilities
Role and Function
The WA Advisory Board operates within the Division of Western Australia in accordance with
National Consolidated Royal Charter, Rules and Regulations, and under the formal
delegations and policies of the Australian Red Cross Board, including the National Functions
Framework.
Regulation 3.3 of the Divisional Regulations 2010 prescribes that, subject to the above, the
Divisional Advisory Board will:
Advisory role
• advise the State Director on strategic Divisional issues;
• respond to any matters referred by the State Director, as required;
• consider issues of significance to the Division and Australian Red Cross (and the
Chairman of the Divisional Advisory Board may report on the deliberations to the
President of Australian Red Cross);
Governance role
• establish Board Advisory Committees as required as prescribed in the Divisional
Regulations;
• establish and regulate units and regions as prescribed in the Divisional Regulations;
• approve or reject applications for membership, suspend and terminate Divisional
Members;
Promotion role
• promote the recruitment of Members and Volunteers;
• make local awards and make recommendations for national awards to the National
Awards Committee;
• actively promote the work of the Red Cross within the Division;
• liaise with community, government and business leaders on behalf of the Division;
• in accordance with the Rules, appoint a Divisional Patron and a Vice-Patron or VicePatrons;
Communication role
• act as a communication channel for the views of Members and Volunteers; and
• report to Members and Volunteers on relevant national and Divisional priorities and
activities.
Composition of the Divisional Advisory Board
The WA Advisory Board will determine the number of its members, but such number must
be not less than seven (7) members and not greater than twelve (12) members who are
elected or appointed, with the number of elected members being greater than the number of
appointed members.
The WA Advisory Board has determined that its membership should reflect diversity factors
such as gender, age and culture, and should be comprised of people, who collectively have
particular skills, strengths and experiences in the following areas:
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Aboriginal Member who can advise on policy, programs and services which impact on
Aboriginal people and/or involve working with Aboriginal communities
Links and a background in the human services and community sector - in terms of
service development, delivery and assessment;
Links and background in corrective services, disability or mental health
A deep understanding of the law and/or International Humanitarian Law;
Client / customer focus and expertise;
Links to, and networks with, the policy and decision-makers in government and the
corporate sector;
Links to the grassroots membership, including the branch and regional structure and
groups targeted for future membership development e.g. youth, cultural diversity etc;
An understanding of volunteer based organisations;
Executive level experience in a complex organisation, including governance, strategy,
change management, human resources and financial management; and
Mentoring experience and skills.
Valuable candidate attributes:
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An understanding of one or more of our Strategic Priorities;
Strengthening national emergency preparedness, response and recovery
Increasing international aid and development
Overcoming social exclusion by providing bridges back into the community (working with
offenders, mental health, homelessness)
Addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples disadvantage
Tackling entrenched locational disadvantage
Championing international humanitarian law
Addressing the impact of migration
Period of appointment
The elected Advisory Board members shall be elected for a period of two (2) years and are
eligible to be re-elected for a further three consecutive (3) terms of two years each term, not
exceeding eight (8) years in total.
This maximum term may be extended, in accordance with the Divisional Regulations, if a
person is elected Chairman or Deputy Chairman.
The WA Advisory Board may appoint additional persons at any time, who have specific skills
to further and promote the interests of the Division. Appointed members of the WA Divisional
Board will be eligible to vote at meetings of the Advisory Board. The term of office for an
appointed member of the Advisory Board will be the same as for elected Advisory Board
members.
The Divisional Regulations 2010 provide for the filling of a Casual Vacancy in Regulation
3.13. A period of service filling a Casual Vacancy will not be included in the maximum period
of continuous service (eight years).
If a person has served the maximum period of service, he or she is not eligible to stand for
re-election to the Divisional Advisory Board for a period of one year from the end of his or
her final term.
Suspension of a Divisional Advisory Board Member
The Divisional Advisory Board may suspend a Divisional Advisory Board Member if there are
reasonable grounds to believe the member may have failed to satisfy the Divisional Advisory
Board Obligations or Responsibilities set out above or may fall within the circumstances
pertaining to the removal of an Advisory Board Member from office as set out below, in
accordance with the Divisional Regulations 2010.
The suspension may remain in force until an investigation has been concluded, or as
determined by the Divisional Advisory Board.
Cessation of office as a Divisional Board Member
A member of the Divisional Advisory Board will cease to hold office immediately upon that
member entering into a contract of employment with Australian Red Cross.
Removal of Advisory Board Member for office
The Divisional Advisory Board may, by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the Divisional
Advisory Board, remove a member of the Divisional Advisory Board from office on the
ground that the member:
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has failed to comply with the Divisional Advisory Board Obligations and / or
Responsibilities above;
has failed to attend three consecutive meetings of the Divisional Advisory Board without
leave of absence, or just cause;
has a medical condition which renders the member incapable of discharging the
responsibilities of a board member;
is an undischarged bankrupt;
has been convicted of an indictable criminal offence; or
has been banned from holding office as a director of a corporation (or an equivalent
body) by any regulatory authority.
Each new member of the WA Advisory Board will be provided with a copy of this Position
Description upon election/appointment.