Burnie City Council
LGBTIQA+ Action Plan Community Action Group
Terms of Reference
Background
On April 29th 2025, Burnie City Council passed a motion to form an LGBTIQA+ Community Advisory Group (CAG) to draft an LGBTIQA+ Action Plan.
The CAG will ensure the draft Action Plan is informed by lived experience and addresses the needs of the community.
The Action Plan will galvanise goals under Making a Better Burnie Strategic Plan including fostering an active town centre, creating liveable local communities, developing culturally rich and vibrant communities and democratic and engaged communities. It also honours the commitment under the Community Engagement Framework to engage with community about matters that impact them.
Purpose of the Group
The Advisory Group is designed to give a voice to LGBTIQA+ community members from diverse backgrounds residing in the Burnie City Council Municipality, and to draft an Action Plan that identifies the needs of the LGBTIQA+ and responds to those needs. The group will submit the draft action plan to the Burnie City Council, for its consideration, in time for the 2026/27 budget.
Roles and function of members
The Advisory Group will develop the draft Action Plan. This will include;
- Identifying the needs of LGBTIQA+ community members in Burnie, especially in relation to discrimination, stigma, inclusion, safety, service accessibility and community cohesion
- Provide advice, recommendations and strategic direction on practical short, medium and long-term actions and priorities for responding to the needs identified
- Draft an Action Plan that addresses the above needs and responses
- To consider the need to consult more widely in the LGBTIQA+ Community.
- To have a role in the implementation of an Action Plan if that is considered necessary by the Council and the CAG
Format of the Group
- The Advisory Group will consist of 6 to 8 LGBTIQA+ community members with various lived experiences, identity and back grounds, living in the Burnie municipality, that will be recruited by an expression of interest process.
- Burnie City council will provide a Council co-chair and the Community will provide a co-chair. Burnie City Councillors will include Cr Simpson, Cr Lynch and Cr Keygan. Mr Rodney Croome from Equality Tasmania and Garry from Working it Out.
- The role of the Chair will be to set the agenda for meetings and seek agenda items from members and to run the meeting and resolve disputes.
The Role
Members will commit to:
- Prioritising attending scheduled meetings. However, we do understand that circumstances may change which can affect availability at times. Members are expected to notify Burnie City Council about attendance as soon as possible.
- Behaving in a thoughtful, respectful and inclusive way to each other.
- Operate from a position of integrity, honest and openness.
Members can expect:
- to be given advance notice of meeting dates and times
- to be provided with accommodations to make meetings inclusive.
- that each member will be given the opportunity to provide input and feedback.
Expectation of Burnie City Council
- Provide a meeting room.
- Capture the reflections and discussions of the CAG and ensure members are provided with copies of minutes.
- Consider the draft Action Plan and advice provided by the CAG members alongside other advice or information received.
- Ensure the final Action Plan and associated documentation reflect the advice given by the CAG.
- Utilise a trauma informed, strengths based and human centred design approach to develop the Action Plan and associated documents.
- To provide updates on the progress of the Action Plan at regular Burnie City Council meetings.
Principles
The Community Advisory Group is informed by the following key principles:
- Co-design
- Use a strengths-based approach
- Build partnerships and opportunities for collaboration
- Members will demonstrate respect and consideration by listening and allowing every member the time and opportunity to contribute.
- Members will not dominate a meeting with their own agenda. Meetings are a shared space, to learn from each others expertise and foster shared decision making.
- Be respectful and authentic
- Ensure the physical, emotional and cultural safety of LGBTIQA+ people when engaging in the group.
- Ensure accessibility and inclusion.
- Contribute to the broader knowledge base of Burnie City Council.
Accessibility and Inclusion
- Burnie City Council will ensure that documents provided to CAG members meet the accessibility requirements and best practice standards.
- Burnie City Council wills ensure that meetings conducted with CAG members are accessible and including, this will include but is not limited to providing live caption feature during online meetings or other supports or accommodations where required.
- Members are requested to advise Burnie City Council of any accessibility requirements upon appointment and advise of any changes to their access requirements before additional meetings.
Frequency of Meetings
- Meetings will be held every 8 weeks or more frequently as necessary to progress the development of the draft Action Plan.
- Members will need to commit the time outside of meetings to read through the minutes, agenda or other documents.
- Out of session requests, including requests for advice and/or input may be circulated to co-chairs as required.
Secretariat
The organisation of meetings and all secretarial duties (eg: agendas, papers, minutes, calendar invitations) will be undertaken by the Burnie City Councillors.
Terms of Appointment
Members are appointed for the time required to develop a draft Action Plan
Once an Action Plan is adopted by Council, the CAG and the Council will review whether the CAG is required to help with implementation of the Plan.
Expressions of Interest and selection
An expression of interest process and form will be open in the month of July, 2025. The EOI process will be in a voluntary capacity in collaboration with Rodney Croome from Equality Tasmania and Garry Wakefield, Community Worker, Working it Out Burnie.
Confidentiality
- The information you submit in our expression of interest (EOI) will remain confidential.
- The identity of CAG members does not need to made public.
- All documents provided by the Burnie City Council to CAG members are confidential and not to be shared with the broader community. However, members can discuss topics with broader LGBTIQA+ community members for the purposes of capturing greater input for the purposes of developing the plan.
Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts of interest must be declared by members to enable the facilitators to manage discussions during the meetings. The declaring of conflict of interests can be actual, perceived or potential.
Protocol for Support
- Burnie City Council acknowledges that some issues discussed in the CAG meetings may be sensitive or distressing for group members. There is no requirement or expectation that any member will disclose any personal experience that might be distressing for members.
- Members are encouraged to take time out of meetings whenever they need to.
Members can access support from:
-Working It Out Tasmania www.workingitout.org.au
-QLife Ph 1800 184 527 (3pm to midnight every day)
-Lifeline Ph 13 11 14
-13YARN Ph 13 92 76
-1800respect Ph 1800 737 732 or online at www.1800respect.com.au