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10
Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst
Year in Review 2016
Business Manager’s Report
Mr Cameron Fraser
Business Manager
Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst
REPORTS
T
hank you for joining us for the next edition of the Year in
Review. The striking front cover depicting the warm glow
of the eagle lectern at Sacred Heart Cathedral symbolises
the strength of our faith in what has been a challenging time
for the Church. When I reflect on this image, I am drawn to
the outstretched wings of an eagle which are able to bear much
weight and when storms appear offer protection. One of my
key responsibilities is supporting our parishes, clergy and
agencies of the Diocese. I am very pleased that this past year
we have undertaken a great many activities that demonstrate
this support. I would like to take this opportunity to take you
through some of the initiatives undertaken during this year.
We have provided project management expertise for many
capital initiatives throughout this past year, including;
• Land developments in Benalla, Chiltern, Eaglehawk, Golden
Square, Heathcote, Numurkah, Tallangatta & Tatura; and
• Remedial & restorative works to Sacred Heart Cathedral, our
churches in Elmore, Eaglehawk, Mooroopna and Axedale
Catholic Cemetery.
Parishes have been assisted with reviewing their property
holdings to help strengthen their financial sustainability. This
process has supported Parishes in Elmore, Inglewood and
Marong in their decision to sell parcels of vacant land and
Tallangatta Parish with the sale of churches in Granya and
Eskdale
We have embraced and acted on new reporting obligations
introduced by State & Federal governments such as;
• Child Safe Legislation;
• Financial regulations governing the Diocese of Sandhurst
Development Fund (DDF);
• Building standards compliance; and
• Reporting requirements of the Australian Charities and Not-
for-profit Commission.
We have also provided training and networking opportunities
right across the Diocese. This has included the increasingly
popular Parish Secretaries and Housekeepers days, clergy
in-service & sabbatical leave as well as the introduction of an
innovative online training program called Learning Manager,
through our friends at Catholic Church Insurance. I am pleased
to say more than 100 staff, volunteers and clergy have used
Learning Manager throughout the past year.
It is pleasing to report that the take-up of Parish On-line
continues to grow with 13 parishes now up and running on
a platform that encompasses many parish administrative
activities. I am also encouraged that more of our parishes are
looking to join Parish On-line over the coming year. There is
increasing support for the payroll bureau operated through the
Chancery. This service has greatly reduced the workload and
complexity of processing pays for parish and agency staff. There
is a much greater level of consistency and compliance ensuring
employment obligations are met.
The DDF continues to fulfil its treasury function for the
Diocese and in 2016 provided $16.8M in loan funding towards
a number of parish and school projects. There have also been
new products and services launched including E-saver accounts,
BPay facilities and a much improved online transactional facility
which have been well received.
The Aspire Cultural & Charitable Foundation continues to be
a beneficiary of generous donations now totalling in excess of
$1,600,000 and moves closer to developing an important faith-
precinct in Bendigo celebrating faith on the goldfields, life-long
learning and community. Aspire was also part of a successful
Federal Government grant application which will provide
research funding of $150,000 over the next three years for La
Trobe University to explore Bendigo’s faith history and religious
diversity during the gold rush until the present day.
Looking forward there is still much we can achieve from
working together. A major rejuvenation of the Diocesan
website is underway. This will further provide a new window
into the works of the Diocese as well as improved access to key
documentation for our parishes and agencies. Plans to landscape
the Sacred Heart Cathedral gardens are also underway as we
look to encourage increased parishioner and visitor attendance
at this iconic sacred site. Our risk management and child safety
procedures will be strengthened to further demonstrate our
preparedness to develop and implement best-practice programs
for continuous improvement. New ways of adopting green
energy to lessen our impact on the environment are also being
explored.
All of what I have mentioned above would not be possible
without the small but dedicated and professional team I feel
very proud to lead. It is to them in particular that I thank and
congratulate on a year of many achievements and successes.
To the Clergy, Parish communities and Diocesan agencies
thank you for your continued support and encouragement. The
Chancery team is committed to explore ways to better meet the
needs of our Diocese.