CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

1. ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETING - 7 DECEMBER 2023

NOTICES OF MOTION

2. NOTICE OF MOTION - WAXCAPS - LANE COVE BUSHLAND PARK Proposal that Council receive a report outlining the status of waxcap mushrooms in Lane Cove Bushland Park. 

3. NOTICE OF MOTION - COMMUNITY ROOM HIRE FEE REVIEW Proposal that Council investigate the budget impact of offering a fee-free option for local community groups hiring council rooms and venues.

4. NOTICE OF MOTION - SUPPORT FOR ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION TO RESTRICT THE SALE OF NON-THERAPEUTIC UNREGULATED E CIGARETTES (VAPES) Proposal for Council to further advocacy efforts to restrict the provision and sale of e-cigarettes/vapes. 

OFFICERS REPORTS FOR DETERMINATION

5. NEW SOUTH WALES PLANNING REFORMS Council is holding a community information session on Tuesday 20th February regarding the proposed planning changes initiated by the NSW State Government. CLICK HERE to attend the session via online conference. The feedback from this session will inform Council's own submission to be considered at this meeting. Submissions to the Department of Planning on Friday 23rd February (The day after our Council meeting). 

6. BOB OVAL CAMPBELL UPGRADE TENDER Council has called for tenders to complete the Bob Campbell Oval masterplan. All tenders received are over the budget allocated by Council for this project. This resolution proposes to delegate authority to the General Manager to enter into negotiations with Landscape Solutions P/L as they have been recommended as the preferred tenderer by the Tender Evaluation Panel, with the aim of entering into a contract at a reduced cost and incorporating the changes outlined in this report to Council. The proposed changes include revision of the amenities building and modification of the design to provide an off-leash dog facility at the northern end of the reserve in lieu of the proposed playground, and generally through design development.

7. 5G CELL TOWERS - UPDATE ON ADDITIONAL REQUEST FOR INFORMATION An update on previous resolutions adopted by Council regarding 5G. 

8. WILDLIFE PROTECTION AREAS Proposal to (1) declare Council bushland reserves (areas zoned as C2 under the Local Environment Plan) as Wildlife Protection Areas under the NSW Companion Animals Act 1998 to prevent cats from entering these areas. (2) Develop a targeted education campaign for areas surrounding bushland reserves, to assist cat owners in transitioning their cats to stay out of bushland areas; and (3) Council commit to, should trapping of cats be required, developing a formal process to prioritise reuniting the cats with their owners and the exclusive use of No Kill Shelters if reuniting is not possible.

9. COMMUNITY CONSULTATION RESULTS ON THE DRAFT SWIMMING POOL PROGRAM Proposal that Council adopt a Draft Swimming Pool Inspection Program.

10. COUNCILLOR AND STAFF INTERACTION POLICY UPDATE, MANAGING PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE PROCEDURE INFORMATION AND PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CODE OF MEETING PRACTICE Proposal that Council note several updates to the Draft Councillor and Staff Interaction Policy together with the legal advice in relation to Councillor obligations under the Work, Health and Safety Act 2011; note a Managing Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace Procedure and Risk Assessment is to be developed in the context of councillor and staff interactions. \

There is a new proposal to move the Public Forum segment to a Monday evening in the week of a scheduled Ordinary Council Meeting. This will go on community consultation. 

11. 2023/24 BUDGET - SECOND QUARTER REVIEW Proposal to adopt changes to Council's budget. The biggest change is the receipt of approx $15m in Section 7.11 (Developer) contributions in St Leonards which will primarily go towards the purchase of properties in that area for a new park. 

12. COUNCIL POLICIES REVIEW - PART 3 A review of several Council policies including: (1) Memorial Seats and Trees Policy (2) Nature Strips: Mowing, Planting and Landscaping Policy (3) Financial Assistance to Community Groups Policy (4) Smoke-Free Public Places Policy.

13. DELIVERY PROGRAM AND OPERATIONAL PLAN - 2023/24 SECOND QUARTER REVIEW. An update on Councils activities and achievements for the quarter ending 31 Dec 2023. Some highlights include: 

• Council participated in the 2023 Australian Livability Census and had the highest liveability rate in NSW,
• 148 nursery volunteers dedicated a combined 510.75 hours, leading to the successful potting up of 2,666 new plants,
• 472.5 hours of volunteer work was contributed over 58 Bushcare sessions,
• Harbourcare program: 4 clean-up events recorded by the Council this quarter, involving 23 volunteers who removed 38.8kg of rubbish,
• Unqualified Audit Report of the 2022/23 Annual Financial Statements, highlighted by an Operating Performance Ratio that exceeded 10.00% and placing Council amongst the top financial performers in NSW,
• An independent auditor assessed Council’s suite of Integrated Planning and Reporting Documents and awarded it a ‘strong’ audit grading.
• Australian first: Street side power poles in Lane Cove transformed into electric vehicle charging stations, boasting nine operational chargers on local streets and a total of 30 chargers, including those in Council's off-street car parks,
• The popular Sustainability Rebates program, having fully allocated its budget, approved 115 out of 125 applications, reflecting a community investment of $1,145,826 in sustainability products with a rebate value of $74,508 and an anticipated annual CO2e reduction of 1,585 tonnes, while new applications are on a waitlist for future budget availability; and
• Council's new Solar Bulk Buy initiative, launched this quarter with two successful community events in October, garnered significant interest with 130 registrations. Of these, 79 households expressed interest in installing systems, leading to 13 households adopting the offer. The initiative resulted in the installation of 91kW solar panels and 91kWh of batteries, offering an estimated annual reduction of 184.1 tonnes of CO2e. Participants connected to the Virtual Power Plant can contribute to the grid and receive extra financial benefits.

 14. LOCAL PLANNING PANEL - EXPIRATION OF TERM Proposal for Council to reappoint members to the Local Planning Panel. The Local Planning Panel generally determines development applications between $5m to $30m in value. 

15. COUNCILLOR CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE REQUEST - NSW ALGWA CONFERENCE 2024

OFFICER REPORTS FOR INFORMATION

16. COUNCIL SNAPSHOT - DECEMBER 2023 & JANUARY 2024 A great snapshot that provides a regular update on Council projects and programs. This includes updates on the Sport & Recreation Centre, bushcare activities, Council organised and sponsored events and so on.  

I hope you found this video and summary helpful. 

Regards, 

Councillor Andrew Zbik
https://www.andrewzbik.com.au/