Shrine of Remembrance Annual Report 2020–21

The Hon Shaun Leane MP
Minister for Veterans
Level 16, 121 Exhibition Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000

Dear Minister

As recently appointed Chair of the Shrine of Remembrance Trustees it is my pleasure to submit the Shrine of Remembrance’s 2020–2021 Annual Report.

I am delighted to have been appointed to the role of Chair and am humbled by the privilege granted me in leading the Shrine in pursuit of its enduring purpose to honour the service and sacrifice of Victorians and Australians in war, conflict, peacemaking and peacekeeping.

Through discussions with my fellow trustees and observations made since my appointment, it is clear that the Shrine has been well stewarded by the board and is prepared to meet and overcome the current challenges presented by the changed visitor market conditions.

The flexibility and creativity demonstrated by the Shrine’s staff, Life Governors, Governors and volunteers in responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been nothing short of outstanding. Therefore, I am confident that we possess the passion and capability to be bold as we direct the Shrine and its programming to meet the needs of the Victorian Veteran community. With your support, we intend to advance the Shrine’s standing in the consciousness of contemporary veterans, Victorians and Australians for the benefit of future generations.

I am encouraged in this by the positive engagement you have demonstrated in supporting the Shrine through achieving funding for restoration works to the heritage listed monument stairs and light towers. And with an eye to our future, in facilitating resources to allow construction of an accessible ramp and major security infrastructure upgrades to serve our needs and protect our community. I look forward to working in partnership with you and the whole of Victorian Government in the coming years.

As I reflect on my role and the service and commitment of preceding Chairs of the Shrine of Remembrance, I wish to acknowledge and express my appreciation to outgoing Chairman Air Vice-Marshal Chris Spence AO (Retd). His safe hands and sound leadership have put me in a strong position to continue our work.

Captain Stephen Bowater OAM RAN
Chair of the Shrine of Remembrance Trustees

The Shrine of Remembrance Act 1978 establishes the Shrine of Remembrance Trustees with the responsibility for the care, management, maintenance and preservation of the Shrine and its Reserve on behalf of the people of Victoria.

The Minister for Veterans is the Minister responsible for the Shrine of Remembrance Act 1978 (the Act).

The Act provides guidance to Trustees on their duties and overarching functions. The Act was amended in September 2011 to include the following core functions in the powers and duties of Trustees:

(a) responsibility for the care, management, maintenance and preservation of the Shrine of Remembrance –

(i) as a memorial to honour the service and sacrifice of Victorians and Australians in war, conflict, peacekeeping and peacemaking; and

(ii) as a site of national, State and cultural significance; and

(b) the development, promotion, management and the staging of ceremonial activities and events to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Victorians and Australians in war, conflict, peacekeeping and peacemaking, including, but not limited to, wreath laying and other ceremonial or commemorative activities; and

(c) the development, promotion, management and implementation of public programs to inform, educate and promote understanding among Victorians and visitors about the history, experience, service and sacrifice of Victorians and Australians in war, conflict, peacekeeping and peacemaking, including, but not limited to, exhibitions, lectures, publications, school learning and outreach programs. Ten Trustees are appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister.

The Trustees act as a body corporate whose powers and duties are outlined in Section 4 of the Act, which states:

(1) The trustees –

(a) shall be responsible for the care, management, maintenance and improvement of the reserved land;

(b) may to the exclusion of all other bodies or persons –

(i) provide and sell; and

(ii) authorise the manufacture, printing, publishing, display and sale of replicas, photographs, booklets, pamphlets and other like matter relating to the said monument;

(c) may receive moneys by way of –

(i) collections or donations;

(ii) proceeds of sales by the trustees of such replicas, photographs, booklets, pamphlets and other like matter; or

(iii) fees for authorities granted by the trustees for the manufacture, printing, publishing, display and sale of such replicas, photographs, booklets, pamphlets and other like matter – for the funds of the trustees;

(ca) in relation to the undercroft land –

(i) may charge fees for entry into the undercroft land, including concessional fees; and

(ii) may determine the mechanisms for charging concessional fees; and

(iii) may exempt in a specified case or class of case any person or class of persons from payment of fees;

(d) have and shall be deemed always to have had power to pay out of the funds of the trustees such gratuities or retiring allowances as they think fit to such persons as they think fit being persons who are or have been employed by them for the purposes of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.

(1A) Without limiting any power, duty or function under this Act, the trustees may carry out the powers, duties and functions of the trustees under this section –

(a) within the Shrine of Remembrance; and

(b) elsewhere on the reserved land; and

(c) in places in Victoria other than at the Shrine of Remembrance or on the reserved land.

(2) Any funds of the trustees provided pursuant to the provisions of this Act or any Act hereafter enacted shall be available only for the purposes of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.

(3) Any moneys received by the trustees whether from the Treasurer of Victoria or the Melbourne City Council or as the result of public subscriptions or otherwise shall be paid into the funds of the trustees and shall be applied for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.

Vision

That all Victorians remember, value and commemorate service and sacrifice.

Mission

To engage all Victorians in commemoration through reflection, ceremony, education and learning.

Values

The Shrine will adhere to and be known for the values of integrity, loyalty, service, respect and inclusion.

The unique challenges emerging in the final quarter of the prior year dominated in 2020–21. The Shrine and its peer civic institutions closed repeatedly, sustaining less than four months continuous trading in the year. Public caution, international border closures and the threat of domestic lockdowns obliterated patronage in the intervening opening periods and uncertainty overlaid all planning.

The world changed, and we were caused to change with it. Laudable in this context was the sustained resilience, flexibility, commitment and creativity of the Shrine team. Their collective performance was remarkable and – despite the challenges – enabled strong performance in pursuit of the Shrine’s purpose and strategic objectives.

Our nascent digital production efforts developed rapidly, becoming the primary engagement channel for all ceremonial, education and public programming. Collectively, these digital initiatives reached a state, national and global audience of almost 650,000 people: underpinning total engagement at 97 per cent of our annual target of 750,000. This would not have been achieved without direct financial support from the Victorian Government that allowed us to install production facilities and live streaming infrastructure in the Sanctuary of the monument and on the Second World War Memorial Forecourt.

This success aside, reduced on-site visitation severely impacted all self-funding activities. With no financial relief available to offset these shortfalls we faced significant challenges in maintaining programming and retaining staff. Pleasingly we were successful in these efforts. The Shrine reports a small surplus for the year before depreciation and amortisation, the result of prudent management and strong performance of our investments.

In the absence of on-site staff for much of the year, I must record our great appreciation for the support provided by Victoria Police and members of the Protective Services Unit and Shrine Guard. Their sustained efforts in supporting our commemorative services, maintaining the security of the Shrine and ensuring its protection in the face of multiple anti lockdown protest groups were exemplary. We are extremely grateful for their support.

I also wish to acknowledge with thanks the nearly $500,000 of financial and in-kind support provided by the City of Melbourne. This helped sustain the Shrine’s financial, administrative and human resource functions throughout the year and ensured the Shrine Reserve was maintained to the highest standard: offering a place of quiet reflection and respite to our community.

The Shrine Trustees extended significant faith and goodwill to the executive team throughout the year as we responded to the dynamic operating environment. I thank them for their support and especially wish to recognise the active and sage guidance provided to me by Shrine Chairman, Air ViceMarshal Chris Spence AO (Retd). Chris retired in February 2021 following nine-years’ commendable service to the Shrine, including realisation of the Centenary of ANZAC, Galleries of Remembrance project.

As we enter the new year, we accept a new normal in which the market and operating environment will remain dynamic. While continuing to face financial hurdles arising from increasing costs and repressed trading conditions, we are well prepared to perform in this environment and look forward to applying the learnings of the past year – building upon successes and opening our minds to new opportunities under the leadership of recently appointed Shrine Chair, Captain Stephen Bowater OAM RAN.

Sincerely
Dean M Lee
Chief Executive Officer

The year 2021–21 presented challenges unprecedented in the Shrine’s history. In these unique circumstances, the Shrine’s trustees, Life Governors, Governors staff and volunteers were called upon to identify and enact novel solutions in the continued pursuit of the Shrine’s purpose and strategic objectives. That we were largely successful is testament to the commitment, resilience and creativity of all involved.

Responding to Victorian Government COVIDSafe requirements, the Shrine re-opened in November 2020, operating under varying coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions since. Mitigating measures implemented include capacity management, contact tracing, physical distancing and enhanced hygiene protocols. Compliance with restrictions has shaped the development and delivery of all aspects of visitor engagement including general visitation and the ceremonial program.

The following review of operations is to be considered in this context of service delivery to a community confronted and constrained by the necessarily mandated responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Corporate Services team – comprising information communication technology (ICT), finance, HR, facility maintenance, corporate governance and compliance – works closely with the Visitor Experience and Public Programs teams and various external parties to safeguard and maintain the Shrine and ensure that administration and operations are managed efficiently.

These are the significant project and improvement works that were completed.

Shrine collection

The Shrine continues to collect selectively for display. This year, a diverse range of items was brought into the collection.

Shrine exhibitions

The following special exhibitions provided in-depth exploration and alternative perspectives in support of the Shrine's broader programming. All our current special exhibitions have enjoyed an extended run due to the closures in 2020.

Student education

The Shrine’s student education programs are aligned with the national curriculum and engage students onsite in learning about commemoration, wartime history and the shaping of the Australian nation.

Education programming in 2020–21 diversified nimbly in the face of changing conditions. Virtual tours and workshops were successfully delivered to over 5,000 students in 2020. In 2021 we welcomed students onsite in reduced numbers to ensure safe operations. Over 16,000 students made an onsite visit in 2021.

Thanks to the generosity of the Portland House Foundation, excursions for 100 students and 10 community groups were funded allowing them to attend the Shrine’s touring exhibition.

School holiday activities for families

The focus on family activities this year has been the Shrine Kids activity cards. These provide families a series of activities to help them engage in an age-appropriate way. A successful social media campaign promoting the cards combined with a TV campaign saw an increase in families visiting us over the January and April holidays. We plan to return to guided tours and drop-in activities in upcoming holiday periods.

Public learning program

The Shrine maintained its commitment to provide community education of the highest standard. Public presentations and special events engaged members of the community in Melbourne and in regional Victoria through talks, workshops and lectures – primarily delivered through digital channels. A sustainable wreathmaking workshop marked the resumption of onsite public presentations. Attendees to lectures onsite were joined by audiences online via live stream, increasing audience engagement by 1,900 per cent.

Digital production

Digital programming was a major focus in 2020–21, the fluid restriction levels necessitating an innovative approach to content creation and delivery. During the Stage 4 lockdown, Second World War veterans were interviewed as part of the Victorian Government funded ‘World War II at Home’ project and curator’s talks on the Imagining Centaur exhibition and Beaufort aircraft manufacturing in Victoria were all live streamed and made available on digital platforms. A new ‘Places of Remembrance’ video series profiling the 321 memorials and memorial trees across the Shrine Reserve has also proved popular.

In November 2020, the Remembrance magazine launched as a digital-only magazine. Readership of our first digital issue has reached an audience greater than 1,500 people, exceeding the readership of the previous physical copy by at least 1,000 readers.

Volunteers

The Shrine volunteer program was suspended for much of 2020–21. Volunteers began returning to the Shrine in March 2021 to resume their normal activities: engaging visitors onsite, providing support to deliver the education and ceremonial programs and delivering talks to community groups – both onsite and offsite. Safety concerns caused some volunteers to delay their return. We maintain contact via newsletters and video conferencing.

The Shrine Young Ambassadors

The Shrine Young Ambassador program provides an opportunity for 10 students in years 9/10 to participate in programs and commemorative events at the Shrine and to develop leadership skills. We acknowledge their contributions in FY2021. Due to the extended closures in 2020, we invited the 2020 Young Ambassadors to serve another 12-month term. All but one were able to extend, and we welcomed one new Young Ambassador for 2021.

Visitation

Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions and associated international border closures and uncertainty in the domestic tourism sector have collectively caused visitation to collapse by more than 500,000 people. This has had material impact on our self-funding activities. Despite this, marked success in delivering digital programming has allowed us to engage more than 730,000 people in our commemorative purpose.

Ceremonial program

Providing for the commemorative needs of veterans and the community is one of the Shrine’s primary functions. More than 359,000 people – including veterans, students and members of the public in Victoria, elsewhere in Australia and overseas attended or watched a live stream of the 144 commemorative services delivered at the Shrine or online during the year.

Live streaming of all commemorative services ensured that we maintained our relationships with Victoria’s commemorative community. The Shrine has since become adept at delivering hybrid physical/virtual commemorative programming and, with the support of the Victorian State Government, installed permanent live streaming infrastructure to stream our commemorative program to the world.

Last Post Service

The Last Post Service was suspended during our closure periods and recommenced in December 2020. The service continues to achieve its aims with both veteran participants and attendees reporting positive engagement and feedback. Participation at the weekly service has been strong with up to 200 people joining us on the Second World War Memorial Forecourt at 4.45pm on Sundays.

The Last Post Service is proving to be an integral pillar to the implementation of the Shrine’s program strategy with events commemorated scheduled to connect with special exhibitions and other programming.

2020–21 major services

Friends of the Shrine program

Active promotion during the year allowed Friends membership sales to exceed targets. The Friends program directly engages members through Friends socials, public programs, special exhibition launch invitations and priority seating at major services. Friends also receive complimentary editions of the Shrine magazine Remembrance.

Retail and tour groups

Repeated closures have resulted in a dramatic reduction in visitation and significant changes to our visitor profile. With suppressed visitation and ongoing border closures both our retail and tour licensing revenue fell short of targets.

A revised Shrine Tour format introduced this year has proven successful. The increase in frequency, updated content and reduction in tour price and duration resulted in increased uptake.

Major campaigns throughout the year included Remembrance Day, Anzac Day and the weekly Last Post Service. A television commercial campaign on Network Seven – supported by regional press and multicultural radio – resulted in an immediate uplift in summer visitation.

Digital engagement remained a key focus of marketing activity, with total engagement of 645,980 – an 80% increase on the previous year. Support from Federation Square, Vicinity Shopping Centres, City of Melbourne and Herald Sun allowed us to extend the reach of our major campaigns through their delivery of our digital content.

The new Shrine website provided enhanced utility, allowing rapid response to changing conditions and a platform to host a multitude of rich content, notably live stream broadcasts of the Shrine’s commemorative services. We saw strong growth in social media audiences and engagement with an increased focus on community management and targeted advertising.

An external public relations agency was engaged to maximise positive profile opportunities. Highlights included a front-page story in the Saturday Age Spectrum lift out, multiple radio interviews and a feature on Channel Nine News.

A refreshed visual identity in the coming year will position the Shrine as a relevant and welcoming place for all, create utility within the brand across various applications, and enhance recognition.

The Shrine Foundation attracted significant support through a range of fundraising activities:

• securing grants
• attracting donations
• gaining support from philanthropists personally committed to commemoration.

The ongoing response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will continue to dominate political, social and economic activity in 2021–22.

The Shrine's budget and business plan reflect the past year's experience operating in the COVID-constrained market and operating conditions. They anticipate continuing demand side disruption with international borders remaining closed and domestic travel inhibited by concerns relating to snap lockdowns and border closures.

Management has judiciously considered how the Shrine may fulfil its responsibilities (as established in the Act and in the Minister's Statement of Government Priorities) and manage costs in a visitor revenue constrained environment while delivering public programs aligned with the objectives of the Shrine's 2019–24 Strategic Plan.

Total engagement has been critically reviewed relative to performance in 2020–2021. With on-site visitation estimated to reach just 261,000 (down more than 500,000 on 2018–2019 levels) leveraging experience gained in the past year to extend digital engagement will be essential in pursuit of our annual engagement target of 750,000.

Recurring restrictions on operations are almost certain and will greatly limit our capacity to generate revenue and reduce our capacity to engage Victorians and visitors in commemoration. The benefits of the past year's experience aided through investments by the Victorian Government in streaming infrastructure and our new website will further enable these initiatives.

Major new projects enabled by funding from the Victorian Government are planned in the year including:

• restoration of the eastern and southern monument stairs
• restoration of the four heritage-listed, external light towers
• construction of an accessible ramp between the Shrine's lower and upper forecourts
• design and approvals for security infrastructure to mitigate general and Hostile Vehicle Attack risks.

Significant services will include:

• Weekly Last Post Services each Sunday
• Victory in the Pacific Day – 15 August 2021
• Vietnam Veterans' Day – 18 August 2021
• Battle for Australia Day – 1 September 2021
• Remembrance Day – 11 November 2021
• Melbourne Legacy's 91st Annual ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony for Students – April 2022
• Anzac Day – 25 April 2022
• Annual Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service – 31 May 2022

Download a copy of this structure:

The Shrine of Remembrance community, guided by 10 trustees, is comprised of Life Governors, Governors, staff, volunteers and Shrine Guards.

Life Governors and Governors are appointed under Section 4 of the Shrine of Remembrance Act 1978. They assist the Trustees with the conduct of ceremonial activities at the Shrine and other duties as requested by the Trustees.

Life Governors

• Colonel George Mackenzie OBE RFD
• Lieutenant Colonel David Ford CVO AM GM
• Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Lombardo
• Mr Peter Whitelaw

Governors

• Lieutenant Colonel Don J Reid RAA (retired October 2020)
• Colonel John Coulson OAM RFD ED
• Major Maggie More OAM RFD
• Group Captain Annette Holian
• Commander Terry Makings AM RAN
• Squadron Leader Steve Campbell-Wright
• Lieutenant Commander Janette Gallagher
• Colonel Jason Cooke

Chief Executive Officer

Dean Lee was appointed Chief Executive Officer in July 2015. He provides policy and strategic support and advice to the Trustees and overall leadership to the executive team and staff.

Director Public Programs

Sue Burgess was appointed to the position of Director of Public Programs in October 2019 and holds responsibility for gallery development, exhibition programs, collections, and the Shrine’s education and volunteer programs.

Director Corporate Services

Greg Gilmour is the Director Corporate Services and holds responsibility for administration, finance, operations, and facilities functions. Greg was appointed to this role in September 2019.

Director Visitor Experience

Naias Mingo is the Director of Visitor Experience and holds responsibility for the Shrine’s visitor services, ceremonial functions and the Shrine’s self-funding activities. Naias was appointed in June 2019.

The Shrine Volunteer program operated for approximately four months of the reporting period and overall attendance was pared back to ensure the safety of our volunteers.

Volunteers engage visitors onsite, provide support to the education program delivery, the ceremonial program and they deliver talks to community groups both onsite and offsite.

During the closure period in 2020–21 volunteers have remained engaged through regular newsletters, training and weekly video conferencing. During 2020–21 volunteers provided more than 2,600 hours of service.

The Shrine Trustees acknowledge with thanks the dedication of its valued volunteers.

Vale

It was with much sadness that we marked the passing of volunteers Alan Stebbing and Jo Green.

The Victoria Police Shrine Guard is provided by the Department of Justice and Regulation. They provide a 24-hour security presence at the Shrine and play an integral role in ceremonial activities.

• Carolyn Argent, Education Officer
• Margaret Brown, Tour Guide
• Sue Burgess, Director Public Programs
• Dale Capron, Ceremonial Program Manager
• Laura Carroll, Education & Volunteer Manager
• Melissah Crumpton, Business Support Officer
• Sue Curwood, Marketing Manager
• Chloe De Luca, Education Officer
• Rebecca Dixon, Duty Manager
• Monica Galbraith, Marketing Officer
• Michael Ganey, Visitor Services Officer
• Leigh Gilburt, Production Coordinator
• Greg Gilmour, Director Corporate Services
• Peter Harris, Facilities Manager
• Dominic Healy, Tour Guide
• Spencer Hurley, Visitor Services Officer
• Anthony Langley, Human Resources Adviser
• Dean Lee, Chief Executive Officer
• Soo Mei Leong, Finance Officer
• Peter Luby, Visitor Services Officer
• Voula Marinis, Executive Assistant
• Toby Miller, Collections Coordinator
• Naias Mingo, Director Visitor Services
• Katrina Nicolson, Research & Outreach Officer
• Tessa Occhino, Exhibition and Collections Research Officer
• Janelle Oudshoorn, Visitor Services Manager
• Nina Perry, Visitor Services Officer
• Glen Putland, Visitor Services Officer
• Chelsea Rowlings, Retail Officer
• Karl Sarsfield, Tour Guide
• Neil Sharkey, Curator
• Kate Spinks, Curator & Collections Manager
• Adrian Threlfall, Education & Training Officer
• Melanie Warburton, Business Support Officer
• Sue Wicks, Visitor Services Officer
• Chris Wright, Facilities Coordinator

Trustee meetings

During 2020–21, the Shrine of Remembrance Trustees held 6 ordinary meetings.

Committee structure

Three committees support the corporate governance framework that provides informed recommendations to
the Board of Trustees.

The Committees are supported by the Chief Executive Officer and Director Corporate Services with other members of the executive team aiding as required. Committees may also co-opt external parties with relevant expertise to participate as required.

Financial Management Attestation

Shrine of Remembrance Trustees Financial Report 2020–21

The Annual Report of the Shrine of Remembrance is prepared in accordance with all relevant Victorian legislation and pronouncements as far as practicable. This index has been prepared to facilitate the identification of the Shrine's compliance with statutory disclosure requirements.

Disclosure of major contracts

The Shrine of Remembrance Trustees have no contracts at or above the prescribed level of $10 million within the 2020–21 reporting period.

Employment and conduct principles

The Shrine of Remembrance is committed to applying merit and equity principles when appointing staff. The selection processes ensure that applicants are assessed and evaluated fairly and equitably on the basis of the key selection criteria and other accountabilities without discrimination. Employees have been correctly classified in workforce data collections.

Freedom of Information

The Shrine of Remembrance is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1982. The Freedom of Information Act 1982 allows the public a right to seek access to documents held by the Shrine of Remembrance. Requests should be forwarded to Shrine of Remembrance Trustees, GPO Box 1603, Melbourne, Victoria 3001.

Shrine Trustees received no Freedom of Information requests within the 2020–21 reporting period.

Compliance with Building Act 1993

During the reporting period the Trustees have complied with the Building Act 1993 as appropriate.

Compliance with neutrality policy

Shrine Trustees adhere to the principles of the National Competition Policy and Competitive Neutrality Policy (Vic) to ensure where services compete, or potentially compete with the private sector, any advantage arising solely from their government ownership be removed if not in the public interest.

Compliance with the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2012

The Public Interest Disclosures Act 2012 encourages and assists people in making disclosures of improper conduct by public officers and public bodies. The Act provides protection to people who make disclosures in accordance with the Act. and establishes a system for the matters disclosed to be investigated and rectifying action to be taken.

The Shrine of Remembrance does not tolerate improper conduct by personnel, nor the taking of reprisals against those who come forward to disclose such conduct. It is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in its administrative and management practices and supports the making of disclosures that reveal corrupt conduct, conduct involving a substantial mismanagement of public resources, or conduct involving a substantial risk to public health and safety or the environment.

The Shrine will take all reasonable steps to protect people who make such disclosures from any detrimental action in reprisal for making the disclosure. It will also afford natural justice to the person who is the subject of the disclosure to the extent it is legally possible.

Disclosures of improper conduct or detrimental action by the Shrine or any of its employees may be made to the Chairman of Trustees or the Chief Executive Officer. Alternatively, disclosures may also be made directly to the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission:

• Level 1, North Tower
  459 Collins Street
  MELBOURNE VIC 3000
  
• Phone: 1300 735 135
• Website: ibac.vic.gov.au

The number of disclosures made by an individual to the Shrine of Remembrance and notified to the Independent Broadbased Anti-corruption Commission was zero during the years 2018–19, 2019–20 and 2020–21.

Compliance with the Carers Recognition Act 2012

The Shrine of Remembrance has taken all practical measures to comply with its obligations under the Carers Recognition Act 2012. These include considering the care relationship principles set out in the Act when setting policies and providing services, e.g. reviewing our employment policies such as flexible working arrangements and leave provisions to ensure that these comply with the statement of principles in the Act.

Consultancies

In 2020–21 there were 2 consultancies where the total fees payable to the consultants were $10,000 or more. The total expenditure incurred during 2020–21 in relation to these consultancies was $27,995 (excl. GST).

In 2020–21 there were 3 consultancies where the total fees payable to the consultants were less than $10,000. The total amount spent on consultancies less than $10,000 was $15,266 (excl GST).

Compliance with the Disability Act 2006

The Disability Act 2006 reaffirms and strengthens the rights of people with a disability and recognises that this requires support across the government sector and within the community.

The Shrine of Remembrance Trustees adhere to the requirements of the Act and continue to develop and update their Disability Action Plan as and when required.

Disclosure of Government Advertising Expenditure

In 2020-21, the Trustees did not undertake any government advertising campaigns with total media spend of $100,000 or greater (excl. GST).

Disclosure of ICT expenditure

ICT expenditure refers to the Shrine’s costs in providing business enabling ICT services within the current reporting period. It comprises Business As Usual (BAU) ICT expenditure and Non-Business As Usual (Non-BAU) ICT expenditure. Non-BAU ICT expenditure relates to extending or enhancing our current ICT capabilities. BAU ICT expenditure is all remaining ICT expenditure which primarily relates to ongoing activities to operate and maintain the current ICT capability.

During the reporting period, the Shrine of Remembrance had a total BAU ICT expenditure of $62,520 and no Non-BAU expenditure.

Statement of Availability of other Information

In compliance with the requirements of the Standing Directions of the Minister for Finance, details in respect of the items listed have been retained by the Shrine of Remembrance and are available on request, subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1982. During 2020–21:

• Declarations of pecuniary interests were duly completed by all relevant officers.
• No shares were held by a senior officer as nominee or held beneficially in a statutory authority or subsidiary.

Reporting of office-based environmental impacts

The Shrine of Remembrance maintains and regularly reviews an environmental practices policy and is committed to minimising the environmental impacts associated with its activities.

As part of a Social Procurement Framework aimed at supporting local and sustainable suppliers, the Shrine, now uses all biodegradable materials in its wreaths, made from Australian grown flowers and foliage.

The Shrine maintains a 960,000 litre underground water storage tank which is used to store building and hard stand run-off. This water supports irrigation across the site and reduces consumption of potable water. Irrigation is scheduled to occur at night to minimise evaporative loss and drip irrigators are used in densely planted areas to further conserve water.

Within the Shrine monument a building management system allows for efficient control of climate and lighting systems to meet the needs and expectations of visitors in an energy efficient manner. All public bathrooms utilise auto-operated hand dryers. Newer rooms/areas are also fitted with motion detectors to turn lights on and off in response to use as a means of reducing electrical consumption. All new and replacement lighting products have been high efficiency LED products.

Throughout each of Victoria’s Covid-19 lockdown closures, lighting, HVAC and standby utilities were powered down and/or minimised to reduce energy consumption and avoid light exposure to collections items. This, along with BMS efficiencies and LED changeovers, assisted in the overall reduction of energy consumption by 21 per cent (131,542 kWh) this financial year.

The Shrine utilises Microsoft SharePoint electronic document storage and retrieval system to protect document integrity and minimise the use of paper; this is a cloud based computing solution reducing the requirement for on-site computing hardware thus minimising electrical costs and waste disposal of aged computer and server hardware. Redundant ICT equipment was e-recycled throughout the year.

All internal communications, including committee and board meeting agenda and minutes, are distributed electronically to minimise the environmental footprint by reducing printer power, paper and ink consumption, and carbon emissions in transportation. Recycling bins are located in all office areas to collect paper for re-use. Latex and Nitrile gloves are now being collected and where possible recycled. The Papercut software solution was implemented to assist our policy of minimising hard copy printing. Since last report, printing across the organisation has been reduced by 42 per cent, due mostly to office closures.

Pest control within the Shrine is of critical importance in both protecting the collection and ensuring visitors enjoy a positive experience. The Shrine has chosen to use manual control mechanisms, such as traps, in preference to toxic chemical controls wherever practicable.

Local Jobs First

The Shrine of Remembrance adheres to the Local Jobs Act 2003 introduced in August 2018 which brings together the Victorian Industry Participation Policy (VIPP) and Major Project Skills Guarantee (MPSG) policy which were previously administered separately.

Social procurement

The Shrine undertook social procurement activities during the year with an aggregated spend of $4,570 with two social enterprises, ADEs or Aboriginal businesses engaged.

Workforce data

The Shrine of Remembrance Trustees directly employs a Chief Executive Officer, operational staff, casual and contract employees.

The salary of one executive employee is reported within note 8.3 of the financial accounts.

The Shrine is also supported by 90 volunteers.

Model Financial Report

This Annual Report is modelled on the Model Financial Report as far as possible for this entity.

Design & Print Annual Report

The Shrine of Remembrance has taken all practical measures to comply with its obligations under the requirements of FRD 30D.

Copyright

© State of Victoria, Shrine of Remembrance 2021. This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.

Download a copy of the appendix

The City of Melbourne provides grounds maintenance services and grant assistance towards limited administrative and secretarial support including payroll and accounting services via a Service Level Agreement.

Victoria Police provides the Shrine Guards.

Multinet Gas Networks and Origin Energy provide gas to the Eternal Flame via a Memorandum of Understanding and the Shrine of Remembrance Act 1978.