Governance

Organisational Governance

The Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT) is committed to upholding strong governance and accountability across all areas of the organisation. To help with adhering to the changing needs of the community and our organisation, the SMCT Corporate Governance Framework ensures that we:

• Recognise the importance of consulting and engaging with the community.
• Act in a truly customer-centric manner in everything we do.
• Understand our current and future roles and responsibilities.

SMCT is committed to upholding ethical business practices and maintains internal policies related to codes of conduct, the prevention of fraud and corruption, and the reporting of improper conduct under the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2012. Our policy was recently updated in accordance with IBAC requirements to ensure the prompt and appropriate handling of disclosures made under the Act.

SMCT is a community-focused organisation, providing burial, cremation and memorialisation services for metropolitan Melbourne and Victoria. Based on community demand, we have expanded our core services to include food and beverage, and hospitality services. We are responsible to the Minister for Health the Hon. Martin Foley MP, who has entrusted SMCT to manage the nine locations under our responsibility.

Responsibilities

SMCT is a Class A cemetery trust established under the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003.

The Trust has responsibilities for:

• Current operations of nine cemetery locations
• Ensuring that funds are set aside and preserved for the future perpetual maintenance of our cemeteries
• Consulting and engaging with the community.
• An effective risk management program that adheres to regulatory obligations.

Trust committees

In order to execute Trust responsibilities to the highest standard of corporate governance, the following committees have been established:

• Enterprise Risk and Audit Committee
• Finance, Investment and Audit Committee
• Community Advisory Committee
• Infrastructure and Transformation Committee
• Governance Committee

Each committee has a charter and self-evaluates its performance annually.

Cemetery preservation

SMCT is a not-for-profit organisation, responsible for the ongoing maintenance and care of the grounds and facilities of nine cemetery locations in perpetuity. These grounds comprise a total of 379 hectares (945 acres).

A percentage of revenue allocated to our Community Perpetual Maintenance Fund provides long-term sustainability and care for each of the locations under SMCT's responsibility.

The Trust takes very seriously its obligation to balance the drive for ongoing viability with the need to provide products and services to meet the diverse needs of the multicultural communities that we serve.

Policies

As public officials, all SMCT employees, including Trust members, must maintain the highest standards of integrity and impartiality when performing their jobs.

SMCT is committed to upholding ethical business practices and maintains internal policies related to codes of conduct, the prevention of fraud and corruption, and the reporting of improper conduct under the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2012.

The way we respond to offers of gifts, benefits and hospitality is critical to earning and sustaining the trust of the Victorian community we serve.

SMCT maintains a Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Policy which sets out the standards all employees must follow. The policy helps employees avoid conflicts of interest, sustain a high level of integrity and public trust while adhering to the Victorian Public Sector Commission’s minimum accountabilities for managing gifts, benefits and hospitality.

The SMCT Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Register is available here.

The immediate prior year (2022) Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Register is available here.