Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee

The Audit, Risk & Improvement Committee (ARIC) is an independent advisory body to Council and utilises the expertise of its members to improve organisational efficiency, provide robust oversight, and recommend opportunities for improvements to Council services. 

ARIC meets at least once in each quarter, with additional extra-ordinary meetings scheduled as required. Committee business is confidential, and meetings are closed to the general public. A report to Council is furnished after each Committee meeting.

Responsibilities

The Office of Local Government Guidelines for Risk Management and Internal Audit (‘the Guidelines’), and Council’s ARIC Terms of Reference set out the Committee’s objectives, authority, composition and tenure, roles and responsibilities, reporting and administrative arrangements.

Membership

The Committee is made up of four independent external members, one of whom acts as a committee chair, together with up to two elected Councillors, who are non-voting members. 

This membership is consistent with the Guidelines and the ARIC Terms of Reference. Under the Guidelines, independent members need to meet set eligibility criteria.

Carl Millington

Chair and Independent External Member

Mr Millington is a Chartered Accountant with over 40 years’ experience in providing business advisory, auditing and accounting advice to NSW Local Government, Council Audit Committees, Not for-Profit organisations including government and community-based organisations, and state and local sporting organisations. 

His professional roles include: 

• Former Managing Partner of Pitcher Partners Sydney (now serving as a consultant)
• Senior partner in the Business Advisory and Assurance Group
• Member of the Pitcher Partners Advisory Board
• Chair of the Pitcher Partners Risk Committee
• Member of the Pitcher Partners National Risk and Quality Committee.

Michelle Lawson

Independent External Member

Ms Lawson has over 30 years’ experience in Energy, Infrastructure and Finance. She is Non-Executive Director of the Australian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy and the Mark Hughes Foundation, as well as Independent External Member of Central Coast Council’s Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee. 

She has more than a decade of practicing Director and Committee Chair experience, holds a Bachelor of Commerce and:

• Is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia & NZ, Governance Institute of Australia and Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
• Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
• Justice of the Peace in NSW.

Belinda Lawn

Independent External Member

Belinda brings over 30 years’ experience in human resources, risk management and governance to the Central Coast Council ARIC. She has held senior executive roles in private sector and NSW Government, including as Executive Director for the NSW Department of Customer Service where she was Chief People Office and led the Governance, Risk and Assurance function.

Belinda is an independent member of the City of Parramatta Council ARIC, Inner West Council ARIC, Woollahra Council ARIC and is on the Audit and Risk Committee for the Office of Children’s Guardian.

Belinda leads Confiance Consulting where she consults on a wide range of services including investigations, human resources, risk and compliance.

Belinda holds a Bachelor of Economics (Hons), Diploma of Education, Master of Economics and a Security Industry Licence as a Private Investigator.

Christopher Davies

Independent External Member

Mr Davies has over 25 years of experience in local government, internal audit, risk management, fraud control, probity and business continuity. Over the past ten years Chris has provided specialist risk management, assurance and governance services on several high risk, high value and complex infrastructure and ICT projects with a combined value of over $750 billion. He performs the role as ARIC member is his private capacity, is a member of 3 other ARICs and has completed:

• Master of Corporate Governance
• Graduate Diploma of Fraud Investigations
• Graduate Certificate in Business Law
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Certification in Risk Management Assurance

Annual Reports to Council

ARIC submits an annual report to Council on its affairs and the management of risk and internal controls.

ARIC Annual Report 2023

Edward Hock, Unit Manager Governance, Risk and Legal and ARIC Coordinator