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Supplementary AGENDA 2R |
Distributed on 13 November 2018
Council Meeting
TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2018
6.30pm
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Supplementary AGENDA 2R |
Distributed on 13 November 2018
Council Meeting
TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2018
6.30pm
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Council Meeting 13 November 2018 |
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MEETING AGENDA – PRECIS SUPPLEMENTARY ITEMS |
The following report/s appear as late item/s with Mayoral approval as information required for the preparation of the report/s was not available at the time of distribution of the Business Paper.
Mayoral Minutes
ITEM Page
C1118(1) Item 17 Mayoral Minute: Commemorating Richard Gill 3
C1118(1) Item 18 Mayoral Minute: Small Bars 4
C1118(1) Item 19 Mayoral Minute: An Inclusive Australia Day Commemoration 6
Subject: Mayoral Minute: Commemorating Richard Gill
From: The Mayor, Councillor Darcy Byrne
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THAT Council:
1. Send a letter of condolence to the family of Richard Gill, expressing our sadness at their loss and our appreciation of the enormous contribution Richard made to the inner west and the cultural community of Australia; 2. Commemorate Richard Gill by naming the new musical instrument lending library, which is under development, in his honour; and 3. Convene a meeting of interested cultural organisations to assist with their goal of establishing a music festival to commemorate Richard Gill. |
Background
On 28 October the inner west and Australia lost a cultural icon, with the sad passing of Richard Gill.
Mr Gill was a renowned classical conductor, and dedicated his life to teaching and advocating for music education in Australia.
The strength of his impact in the musical world was demonstrated poignantly when over 70 musicians came together outside his Stanmore home to play his favourite piece on the day before his death.
Richard was the Director of Chorus at Opera Australia and the Musical Director of the Sydney Chamber Choir. He also conducted the Sydney Youth Orchestra, taught at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, worked as the dean of the West Australian Conservatorium of Music and was the founding conductor of the Strathfield Symphony Orchestra.
Mr Gill has left an amazing legacy of musical enrichment for all Australians.
Mr Gill and Simon Chapman, a well-known Sydney academic, had previously approached Council to discuss holding a music festival in Stanmore.
They were inspired by musical events in Lyon, France, in which performers ranged from classical to rock, from full bands and ensembles to first time soloists.
They envisaged holding the event in Stanmore, given the number of locations that naturally leant themselves to a similar range of events – Weekly Park, three schools with extensive grounds and halls, a shopping and railway precinct.
After several conversations with local musicians they put together a proposal for Marrickville Council. Unfortunately they weren’t able to progress the proposal, in part due to bureaucratic hurdles.
With the passing of Richard, Mr Chapman has again called for this festival to be supported, and held each year in memory of Richard’s legacy for music in Australia.
Since Mr Gill’s passing I have been contacted by many members of the Sydney cultural scene expressing support for such a local musical festival to honour his passing.
Item No: C1118(1) Item 18
Subject: Mayoral Minute: Small Bars
From: The Mayor, Councillor Darcy Byrne
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Motion:
THAT Council:
1. Economic Development Officers contact all eligible restaurants and cafes in the former Leichardt LGA and notify them of the gazettal of changes to the Leichhardt Local Environmental Plan that means they can use a Complying Development pathway to convert from an existing property with consent to operate as a restaurant or café, to a Small Bar; and 2. Officers review the implementation of the amendments with a view to incorporating the provision into the new Inner West Council LEP.
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Background
On Friday 9 November the Department of Planning gazetted changes to the Leichhardt Environmental Plan that make it easier to open a small bar in Leichhardt, Annandale, Rozelle, Lilyfield, Balmain and Birchgrove.
IN 2015 the former Leichhardt Council resolved to initiate legislative changes to cut red tape for café and restaurant owners wanting to convert to a small bar.
After three years of delays and negotiations, the State Government has finally gazetted the required changes.
Eligible proprietors in the former Leichhardt council area can now use a much simpler Complying Development pathway.
Restaurants or café business owners who want to change to a small bar no longer need to lodge both a Development Application to Council and a separate application to the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA).
Businesses now need to simply get a ‘small bar liquor licence’ from ILGA and make sure that they do not change any of their operating conditions like opening hours or plans of management.
This is a 10-day approval process from Council or a private certifier, rather than a lengthy DA.
This is a win for common sense and a shot in the arm for the night-time economy.
Small bars can help to bring our streets alive at night and boost our local economy. They typically attract patrons who are interested in a smaller, more intimate setting and often are visited as part of a journey - like visiting a small bar, cinema and restaurant in the same night.
By promoting small bars in existing shopping corridors we can create a precinct destination rather than a single venue like a large pub or club.
As more small bars open, we will see a boost to tourism and spending in our local economy as well as more opportunities for local live music, arts and culture.
The Small Bars LEP Amendment currently only applies to land zoned “B2” under the Leichhardt LEP 2013 – which is most of the shopping strips – for businesses with existing development consent for a restaurant or café.
It is vital that we extend this provision to all businesses in the Inner West Council area as part of the new Local Environment Plan.
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Council Meeting 13 November 2018 |
Subject: Mayoral Minute: An Inclusive Australia Day Commemoration
From: The Mayor, Councillor Darcy Byrne
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Motion:
THAT Council:
1. Commend the Events and Civic Reception teams for their work in carrying out the citizenship ceremony, awards ceremony and community event on January 26 2018; 2. Commit to continuing to hold appropriate and respectful Citizenship Ceremonies on 26 January; and 3. Officers conduct a holistic review of the events program, incorporating: a. Consideration of the reframing the Marrickville community festival currently held on 26 January; and b. consultation with the local Aboriginal community and the wider community about how the nature of Council’s January 26 events should further evolve to recognise the history of Indigenous Australia.
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Background
On 26 January Council held an Australia Day event in Enmore Park. A highlight of the event was a moving and respectful Citizenship Ceremony for nearly 60 new Australian citizens and the presentation of the Citizen of the Year awards.
For first nations peoples, 26 January represents the beginning of invasion, colonization, dispossession, dissemination of disease, the stealing of children, the deliberate elimination of language and culture are historical acts with very real contemporary consequences. As such, it is a difficult day for many Aboriginal Australians and considered by many to be a day of mourning.
It is appropriate for us to consider that the nature of January 26 must change. It should be a day of commemoration, not celebration and it is important that Council takes the lead in creating a ceremony that is more inclusive and allows proper acknowledgement of the first peoples of our country.
The Federal Government has shown repeatedly that it is prepared to strip the ability to hold citizenship ceremonies from councils that chose not to hold such a ceremony on Australia Day. The Inner West Council has conducted 11 Citizenship ceremonies during 2018, welcoming approximately 900 new Australian citizens.
However, Council could consider continue to hold a respectful Citizenship ceremony on Australia Day and hold a separate community festival in Marrickville during the summer season.
Planning for the 2019 Australia Day ceremony is already completed, and Council would likely face increased costs and possibly lose booked headline acts if we were to proceed with a fast tracked reconfiguration of Australia Day.
Council’s events program currently consists of the old events calendars of Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville combined. This has led to a situation where periods of the year are overly populated with events, and Officers report that increasing costs are making it difficult to maintain the current program.
The Events Team is about to embark upon a holistic review of the entire events program, to determine what events they have the capacity to deliver and a rational spread of events across the year.
It would be appropriate for this review to include an examination of the Australia Day event at Marrickville Park, in combination with consultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community regarding their wishes for how to make marking our national day more appropriate and more inclusive.
