Freedom of Information - Part II Statements

North East CMA is a key organisation for the delivery of natural resource programs in the north east of Victoria. Our work is based on science and delivered through meaningful partnerships with government agencies, local organisations such as Landcare, community groups and land managers in the north east of Victoria. We cover about 1,957,000 hectares of land in north east Victoria and our region provides 38% of total water to the Murray-Darling Basin. The map of our catchment area is contained on our website.

We’re a statutory authority owned by the Victorian Government.

The Minister for Water, supported by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), appoints our Board of directors.

In partnership, North East CMA delivers projects that seek to address and improve the management of:

• Waterways and river health     
• Biodiversity (including vegetation restoration and threatened species recovery)
• Floodplains
• Salinity
• Soil health
• Climate adaptation.

North East CMA is responsible for Landcare support and funding co-ordination, community involvement and education, a regional response to climate change, and for monitoring and reporting on the health of the catchment.

Organisation Structure

View our organisation structure: Our Organisation (necma.vic.gov.au)

Governance

North East CMA has a Board which meets at least 8 times a year and carries out its functions under section Division 4 of the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994.

The Board has three sub-committees which convene on a regular basis:

• Audit and Risk Committee
• Remuneration Committee
• Engagement, Partnering and Marketing Committee

Section 18N of the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 states “Subject to this Act, the board of an Authority may regulate its own procedure.”

North East CMA prepares and implements a range of strategies, projects, initiatives and works, and seeks input and feedback from our community.

North East Catchment Management Authority creates many documents and records in the course of its work. The Authority uses an electronic documents management system and various electronic databases to classify, store, access and manage a broad range of electronic documents including correspondence, financial, human resource and operational activity documents. The Authority also has many historical hard copy documents stored in line with the requirements of the Public Records Office of Victoria.

Document types

The types of documents North East CMA handles include:

• Policies, procedures and standards
• Briefings, reports, studies and project plans
• Case files
• Registers
• Correspondence
• Human resource management documents
• Applications, licences and referrals
• Meeting records
• Financial records
• Audio visual material
• Maps and plans.

Document categories

These documents are organised under the following general categories:

North East CMA's website outlines the areas of work the CMA undertakes and in which areas documents would be created.

Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, members of the public have the right to request information and access documents about their personal affairs and the activities of the Authority.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request needs to be made in writing to the agency that holds the documents being requested.

For general information about FOI in Victoria, visit the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner's website.

FOI at North East CMA

Apply for documents

Link to “Apply for Documents” (see last page of this document)

Compliance with obligations

The statutory information section of our most recent annual report.

Reviews and complaints

Visit the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner's website.

North East Catchment Management Authority produces a wide range of publications, many of which can be accessed on the publications section of the website. In some cases, it is not possible to supply the publication as a download. Ask how you can obtain a copy.

Information specified by Financial Reporting Direction 22 is retained by the Authority’s Accountable Officer and is made available on request to relevant Ministers, Members of Parliament and the public (subject to FOI requirements, if applicable).

North East CMA’s website outlines the areas of work we undertake and which documents would be created.

North East CMA creates rules, policies and procedures related to our various functions. A sample of these documents can be found on our website.

The statutory information section of our most recent annual report also lists information available on request.

North East CMA publishes a range of reports and documents relating to policy and strategy.

Information specified by Financial Reporting Direction 22 is retained by North East CMA’s Accountable Officer and is made available on request to relevant ministers, members of parliament and the public (subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 if applicable).

If you are interested in a specific topic conduct a full search of our website or write to:

The Chief Executive Officer

North East CMA
PO Box 616
Wodonga VIC 3689