How the Tolmie Recreation Reserve is Managed
The Tolmie Recreation Reserve is one of around 1,450 Crown Land Reserves in Victoria, which are managed by
voluntary Committees of Management. The role of Crown land reserve committees of management is formally defined
in section 15 of the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 and in summary, is to manage, improve, maintain and control
the reserve for the purposes for which it is reserved.
Committees of Management are a public entity created by government to carry out a public function. As bodies
operating at arm’s length from government, public entities perform their day-to-day functions with some autonomy
from Ministers and government departments. However, all public entities are accountable to a Minister of the
government and for committees of management, this accountability is to the Minister for Energy, Environment and
Climate Action (DEECA). Our committee is legally accountable to the responsible Minister for all its decisions and
actions, and in a broader sense, it is also accountable to reserve users and the general community for ensuring that
the reserve is managed in the public interest.
There are specific codes of conduct laid down, and detailed policies and procedures, including those for all works and
developments on crown land.
The Tolmie Tennis Courts are part of the Crown Land parcel which the committee is responsible for, as is The Tolmie
Mechanics Institute. Historically there were separate committees for the reserve and the hall, however the two
committees combined and became incorporated in 2003 with the name Tolmie Mechanics Institute Committee of
Management Incorporated. This was later amended in 2005 to Tolmie Mechanics Institute and Recreation Reserve
Committee Incorporated.