POLICY DEVELOPMENT
Policy is decided by the full
Board.
The Board meets four times per year and any member may bring any
issue affecting marine tourism before the Board for a policy
determination. To bring an issue before the Board following
steps must be taken:
- Submit the issue in
writing to the Executive Director.
- The Executive Director
will include the issue as an agenda item for the next Board
meeting.
- If the member putting the
issue forward is not a member of the Board, they will be
invited to speak on the issue when it is debated but they
may not vote at the Board meeting.
- All issues before the
Board are decided by the majority vote. In the event that
the votes are tied, the Chair does not have a second vote
and the issue is decided in the negative.
Where an issue requires urgent
attention it may be submitted to the Executive Director in
writing and it will then be sent out to all Directors via email,
fax or post, for a decision. Where the issue may prove
controversial, a teleconference or an extra ordinary Board
meeting will be held to allow active debate.
Once the policy on an issue is
decided, the Executive Director is required to ensure it is
implemented as soon as practicable.
LOCAL ISSUES
Some issues are very localised and as such a best handled by the
appropriate Regional Group. Those groups are:
- Northern Group - Cape York
to Townsville
- Southern Group - south of
Townsville to the Queensland border
- Island Group
Each group has its own
committee and Chair of that committee is a Board member of AMPTO.
Issues may be brought before
your local group by contacting the Chair of that group. It will
then be included in the agenda for the next meeting. The person
putting the issue forward may attend the meeting to speak about
the issue and may vote if financial.
Local issues may be decided
howsoever the relevant Group determines, provided that the
decision will not impact the other Groups or AMPTO as a whole.
Where is determined that an issue will have wider impact, it
must be referred to the AMPTO Board for a policy decision.
MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS
Associations that are members
of AMPTO such as, Dive Queensland, Whitsunday Charter Boat
Industry Association and Whitsunday Bareboat Operators
Association follow their own association's rules for
decision-making. They may however seek support from AMPTO's
Board on any issue.
Once AMPTO's Board has debated an issue, a policy will be
determined that in the opinion of the Board is best for the
entire marine tourism industry.
Where AMPTO decides against
supporting a member association's stance on an issue, that
association may continue to promote its own point of view but
must not portray that point of view as being AMPTO's.
OFFICE ADMINISTRATION
The Executive Director, Col McKenzie, oversees the day-to-day
administration of AMPTO. He has following tasks:
GENERAL
- Development and
implementation of strategies that further the objectives of
AMPTO.
- Regular visits and liaison
with operators and government officials involved with the
marine tourism industry with particular reference to GBRMPA.
- Media liaison to maximise
the positive image of protecting the GBR and minimising any
damage to tourism or tourism operators.
- Attendance at industry and
government meetings on behalf of AMPTO.
- Reporting on AMPTO issues
to the AMPTO Board.
- Any other tasks relating
to AMPTO, as directed by the AMPTO Chair.
ADMINISTRATION
- Providing a serviced
office for the Association.
- Ensuring the day-to-day
management of AMPTO is conducted in a professional manner
that reflects favorably on the AMPTO Board.
- Answering all
correspondence in a timely fashion.
- Adhering to time lines set
by the AMPTO Chair and Board.
- Advising industry through
regular newsletters about matters of industry importance and
AMPTO's initiatives.
- The calling of all
Association meetings as directed by the Chair, timely
distribution of meeting documents and recording the minutes
of all AMPTO Boardmeetings, General and Special Meetings.
- Providing monthly reports
on AMPTO activity to the Chair.
- Assisting where possible
the administration of the various AMPTO Chapters.
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY.
- Adherence to approved
budgets.
- The development of
additional budgets and/or modifications to existing ones.
(For approval by the Board).
- Ensuring that ongoing
expenditure is recorded in a manner that can be easily
audited.
- Submitting accounts to the
AMPTO auditor in the required format.
- Acquitting all expenditure
to the satisfaction of the auditor.
- Expanding AMPTO's
financial base through increased membership and any other
manner possible that is compatible with AMPTO's objectives.
