The Audit and Risk Committee assists Council in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities including financial management, occupational health and safety, risk, privacy and governance. The Audit and Risk Committee reviews the year-end reporting process, the system of internal control, management of financial risks and the internal and external audit process. The Committee carries out its work bearing in mind Council's desire to operate in an ethical environment with good corporate governance practices.
Information on procedures for the selection and appointment of the Audit and Risk Committee
Independent members (3) of the Audit and Risk Committee are appointed for a fixed term of up to four years and are eligible for reappointment by Council to a maximum of eight years. At the expiry of a term, suitably qualified external applications with experience in financial management, risk management, auditing, local government or other relevant disciplines are sought. Applications are reviewed and shortlisted, with interviews conducted by a panel of Audit and Risk Committee members and senior Council officers. Councillor members are appointed at Council’s annual statutory meeting.
Information on procedure for selecting an Internal Audit Services provider
Council appoints its internal auditor through a public tender process. Applications are reviewed and shortlisted, with interviews conducted by a panel of Audit and Risk Committee members and senior Council officers. Hume City Council’s internal auditor reports to the Audit and Risk Committee and attends each Committee meeting. Council appointed HLB Mann Judd on 1 July 2021 as its internal audit services provider. This contract will expire on 30 June 2024.
Meeting Dates
Council’s Audit and Risk Committee have scheduled meetings for the following dates for 2024
Audit and Risk Committee Members
Jen Johanson
Independent Member of Hume City Council Audit and Risk Committee, April 2021 - April 2023
Independent Chair of the Hume City Council Audit and Risk Committee, April 2023 - present
Professional background:
Ms Johanson is a qualified and experienced Chartered Accountant and internal auditor, with over thirty years’ experience in internal audit in Australia and in the United Kingdom, at Andersen’s, as Head of Audit Services at ANZ, and currently working in a part time capacity in cyber security and privacy risk services with RSM Australia.
Ms Johanson is currently an independent member of:
- Audit and Risk Management Committee at Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission,
- Finance and Audit Committee of the Chief Minister Treasury and Economic Development of the ACT government,
- Finance, Risk and Audit Committee of Education Services Australia,
- Audit and Risk Committee of South Gippsland Shire Council, and
- Finance and Audit Committee of Trinity College, University of Melbourne
Qualifications:
- Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD)
- Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ)
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
- Audit and Risk Committee of Brimbank City Council
Bruce Potgieter
Independent Member of Hume City Council Audit and Risk Committee, May 2023 – present.
Professional background:
Mr Bruce Potgieter has a vast breadth of knowledge and experience across a range of government and private sectors in relation to audit, risk management, and compliance. He has a demonstrated ability to respectfully challenge management where required and has a clear understanding of the challenges a growth Council such as Hume faces.
Bruce Potgieter also has a strong experience in the local government sector, which includes:
- Current and previous memberships of local government Audit Committees;
- As a VAGO agent for numerous local government audits;
- As an internal auditor for 10 metropolitan Councils through previous employment;
- As a member of the ICAA Local Government Taskforce;
- As Chair of the Municipal Association of Victoria Reporting Awards Committee;
- Conducting due diligence audits at 23 newly merged Councils during the Kennett government’s rationalization of the sector.
Qualifications:
- Institute of Internal Auditors in Australia (no longer financial),
- Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants (no longer financial)
- Institute of Chartered Accountants,
- Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants - South Africa
- University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Peter Smith
- Independent Member of Hume City Council Audit and Risk Committee, August 2024 – present.
Professional Background
Mr Smith has a vast breadth of knowledge and experience in large, complex, and highly regulated organisations, and across a range of government and private sectors in relation to audit, governance and risk management, OHS, fraud prevention systems and controls. He has sound understanding of the role of Committees under the Local Government Act 2020 and risk and governance frameworks from his ongoing membership of Australian Institute of Company Directors and Governance Institute of Australia. He has also held senior financial management positions in the private sector in Australia (Telstra 9 years) and Japan (Eastman Kodak Asia Pacific Ltd 5 years).
Mr Smith has strong experience in the local government sector, which includes:
- Current independent committee member with City of Greater Dandenong, Moorabool, Mount Alexander, and Indigo Shire Councils (currently Chair);
- Executive Officer to Whitehorse City Councils Audit and Risk Committee for 13 years. Led development of successive Committee Charters, supported the Chair to develop annual committee workplans, set meeting agendas, and ensuring papers and minutes are complete;
- Executive level Public Sector management experience as Director Corporate Services at the City of Whitehorse for 13 ½ years (concluding in January 2021).
Qualifications
- A Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne;
- Current CPA membership as a Certified Practicing Accountant;
- Graduate and current membership of the Australian Institute of Company Directors;
- A Certificate of Governance and Risk Management and current membership of the Governance Institute of Australia.
Councillor Representation
Cr Jarrod Bell and Cr Ally Watson
Substitute Members:
Cr Karen Sherry and Cr Sam Misho
Additional Documents
Audit and Risk Committee Charter(PDF, 163KB)