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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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