DIGEST FROM THE CRC LEME BOARD MEETING 
HELD 14 MARCH, 2003, ADELAIDE

Field Safety

An advanced draft of a reference document entitled, CRC LEME Policy and Procedures on Field Safety, together with a condensed “Glovebox” version was adopted by the Board. These provide an umbrella for all the various policies and procedures of the host agencies which are the employers of all our staff and students. 

These documents are now placed on the LEME intranet and comment is invited from interested persons. It needs to be emphasised that all staff must observe the safety requirements and procedures of their employing agencies, including the reporting of incidents and accidents,  4W-D driver training and daily reporting requirements.

Financial Management and Reporting

The inability to provide meaningful and timely figures in the monthly financial management reports has emerged as the major issue facing Executive and the Board. For example figures presented to the Board on 14 March were accountable only to 31 December – two months behind. These problems arise mainly because of delays in submitting and processing invoices in the core parties, which involves the passage of invoices through three, and in some cases four agencies. 

Moreover the figures as presented show an actual expenditure of $1.32m out of a budget of $5.21m, hinting at a substantial state of underspending. 

Clearly this is an unsatisfactory state for management not knowing our true cash position. The CEO has been directed to report back to the board with an assessment of the problems, an estimate of our true financial state, steps taken to remedy deficiencies. This has been done and the substance of this report will be placed on the LEME intranet. 

The conclusions of this review are:
1.	There are delays in processing invoices through the agencies before they get to LEME head office. To address this Gary Kong and John Mills will visit the nodes in the near future to discuss procedures with account processing people.
2.	We will have to be serious in implementing accrual procedures, which can be done by Accounts from known commitments on salaries and scholarships, but requires all Project Leaders to report commitments on their operating costs. 
3.	Even with a hasty first-pass accrual, it seems we are markedly underspent this financial year. This relates to delays in commencing projects (for various good reasons), but there does seem to be an element of poor alignment of budgets and work programs. 

Memorandum of Understanding with ANU

This document has finally been signed. It provides for the assumption of the obligations and entitlements of Canberra University by ANU, which could apply over the next three years.

Chairman of the Board

Our esteemed Chairman Ross Fardon has indicated that will step down later this year, but will stay on till the Second Year Review, in November this year. A small subcommittee of the Board has been formed to identify and secure a new Chairman.

Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan, as currently displayed on the LEME website, was endorsed by the Board as the guiding strategy. The Board considers this to be a living evolving document, and the CEO was asked to re-examine some aspects of the plan in relation to value, culture and funding. These enhancements will be progressively incorporated into the web version. 

Strategic Balance between MINEX and NRM 

The Board discussed the question of strategic balance between mineral exploration and natural resource, in this the second year of LEME, and the likely trend over the life of LEME. Following the development of nine new salinity projects in Program 4, the current balance of MINEX and NRM is now about 2:1.

It was recognised and accepted by the Board 50:50 was an appropriate mix over the life of LEME. 

Bearing in mind that CSIRO is the entity in the LEME joint venture, we understand that the Chiefs of CEM and CLW will again review this matter.

Expressions of Interest for New Core Parties

University of Wollongong have lodged a firm expression of interest in becoming a Core Party, and discussions have been held with Alan Chivas and the UW research team. The Executive view, conveyed to the Board, is that there are potential advantages in terms accessing additional expertise in environmental science and landscape evolution. However there would need to be clear advantages to LEME in terms of growth of additional external funding. The possibilities for duplication and dilution would need to be considered. 

Discussions have been held with Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in regard to collaboration on electrokinetic-seismic (EKS) technology development. They have other useful areas of new expertise in radioisotopes, tracers, nuclear borehole technology and neutron diffraction in clay studies.

Associated with the development of salinity projects in Queensland and possibly Victoria, there is a probability of close collaboration with their natural resource management agencies.

After discussion the Board decided that the criteria for consideration of formal inclusion into LEME should be:
•	It should accord with strategic direction
•	There should be no dilution to existing parties
•	There should be growth in external funding
•	It should extend the application of regolith science into State agencies

The Board encouraged the development of formal collaborative projects, on a one-to-one basis, and consider the possibility of formal union after a trial collaborative period of about 12 months. 

Report on Project Review

The preliminary report on the February project reviews of the minerals-oriented projects was presented and endorsed by the Board. The report calls for:
•	Continuation of the reporting projects some of which relate to LEME1
•	Termination of those projects scheduled for end of FY0203
•	Continuation of thirteen core minerals projects
•	Assembly of mega-projects, preferably with a regional multi-disciplinary, multi-party approach
•	Definition of projects as discrete management and accounting entities
•	Recognition of the viability of technology development projects, especially in the area of geophysics. 

Whilst endorsing the concept of mega-projects with a regional focus, as a means of achieving multi-party focus, the Board recognised the value of single-focus development projects that may not fit into the regional cluster concept.

The new portfolio of projects will be developed in April and May, along with the 03/04 Budget preparation process.

The report can be viewed on the LEME intranet under Reports to Staff and Students.

New projects in Program 4

The Board endorsed nine new projects, which are contracts of work under the State NAP Salinity programs. 
Project 4.1 - Project Management and Technology Transfer - SA-SMMSP
Project 4.2 - HEM for ground water recharge mapping - Riverland, SA
Project 4.3 - AEM for ground water recharge and condition mapping - Tintinara
Project 4.4 - Constrained inversion of DIGHEM data from SA
Project 4.5 - Angas Bremer Hills - regolith and salt
Project 4.6 - Angas Bremer Plains
Project 4.7 - Jamestown - regolith and salt
Project 4.8 - Lower Balonne airborne geophysics salinity project
Project 4.9 - Salt mobilisation and water quality

Because these projects are externally funded competitive contracts of short duration (relative to minerals projects), which require quick starts, the Board agreed to an arrangement whereby future projects would be approved by out-of-session approvals.

Changes in In-Kind Contributions

The Board approved some minor adjustments in in-kind contribution in respect of CSIRO Exploration and Mining, Adelaide University and Geoscience Australia

Development of the LEME website

Since September last year the LEME web site has been significantly improved and maintained (from Head Office) and is now a valuable tool for general promotion and also promulgation of information to staff and students.  Work has included:
•	Creation of a searchable staff directory (110+ staff).
•	Expansion of the research section. Summaries of all current projects are available, with updates/developments being provided by Project Leaders 
•	News, events, LEME conference participation are updated regularly
•	Publications section has received special attention -Abstracts for our 146+ Open File Reports are available; preface and contents for new reports have been added, order forms for publications and maps are downloadable, and we are in process of posting  .PDF files of whole reports, where they will be available for two months, and then sold as CDs.  
•	Full use has been made of advertising opportunities for LEME staff vacancies, student scholarships, short courses and also our publications.  
•	The staff only intranet is used to post Reports from Executives to staff, minutes of executive meetings, financial statements, proformas and policy directives and research projects schedules and budgets for all to reference.

The next Board Meeting will be held on Friday 5 September 2003 in Perth

R Dennis Gee
Chief Executive Officer
24 March 2003